Relocation of Hannah Macdougall!

So, it has been a little quiet on the blog front over the past few weeks. The main reason behind this is that I have been on a massive learning curve helping put together my new website.

Drum roll please.........

I am extremely excited and proud to launch:

 www.hannahmacdougall.com.au 

 

This will be new home for all my blog posts under the subscriber system - so if you have enjoyed following my shenanigans and escapades, please sign up, it would be great to have you on board.
In conjunction with the website, I have launched my own facepook page. Just a few things keeping me busy.

Through these two new platforms, I am aiming to communicate a whole lot of awesome info - ranging from recent life lessons, to the coolest new coffee place I have found, or simply a recipe handed down from grandma (check out Han's corner for recipes!).

I would love to hear from you all and look forward to your feedback,

Ride safe, ride with a smile, ride in the moment,
Han 

Mañana Mañana - tackling procrastination like a ninja warrior!

You walk up and open the kitchen pantry. You peruse through all your options – Weetbix? Already had seven for brekkie. Some raw mixed nuts? Nah, isn’t going to hit the spot.

You now go and open the fridge – fruit and yoghurt combo? Mmm, too much effort to chop all the fruit. Last night’s leftovers? Tempting but having dinner in an hour.

You head back to the kitchen pantry and find that it hasn’t changed since you were there 60 seconds ago….

We all have our own procrastination techniques – mine have ranged from the above example to becoming a regular Bold and Beautiful watcher for six months during second semester uni (I wonder if Ridge and Brooke are back together yet?!), to what is now coined as ‘procrastabaking’. Think endless rows of cookies, muffins, slice and cake. Definitely not good for my grades and even worse for the waistline.

 

Other common procrastination techniques include:

·         Checking facebook/twitter/snapchat/whatsapp every five minutes,

·         Cleaning every square inch of your room

·         Complaining to friends about how much homework you have and how little time you have to do it….

·         Surfing the net, watching YouTube videos, responding to unimportant emails….

 

So, how can we combat procrastination? Given that procrastination is simply putting off higher priority or ‘more difficult’ tasks, and replacing them with more enjoyable or comfortable tasks, procrastination is an attempt to avoid a small amount of discomfort. As such, we need to flip our mindset to tackle procrastination. The first step is to become aware that you are procrastinating. Once you have recognised your personal style, here are some tips to overcoming procrastination:

·         Get organised, have a diary, and have a must do/should do/could do list;

·         Gain momentum through starting with smaller, manageable ‘should do’tasks that need to be done. Then move onto the higher priority/must do tasks;

·         Be accountable by getting someone to check up on you;

·         Appreciate the cost of NOT doing the task now – what will it cost you in terms of your education/health/emotions/relationships down the track?

·         Focus on one task at a time – don’t overwhelm yourself with ‘To Do’ lists that are pages long. Keep it Simple and take that first step;

·         Make sure you have a REWARD waiting at the end of the task you are avoiding.

 

Where, where, where, where’s Wally?

Can you spot Wally?

Did you find Wally or Wenda?!! So maybe it wasn’t quite as tricky as your typical Where’s Wally but it seemed to give people immense happiness to tell us ‘We found Wally!’. Now multiply this by at least 1000 times given that there were 10, 000 entrants to the 2013 Melbourne Tough Mudder (TM) Saturday session – and no, it didn’t get tiring by the end of the day at all….

 Still can't find Wally...

For those in the dark as to the concept of TM, they are hardcore 20 km-long obstacle courses designed by British Special Forces to test all around strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie. It has become a worldwide phenomenon and has quickly turned into an annual event, or bi-annual, on people’s calendars. Now wayyyyy back in June last year, a friend of mine asked if I wanted to be in her non-running TM team. In the comfort of Italian gelato, sun, and Rosé, the challenge of TM seemed like a brilliant idea – “Yep, count-me in. Extremely excited to crawl through kilometers of mud, get electrocuted, and jump into arctic temperature water. Sounds great!”. Note to self – use brain next time.

As a result, Saturday the 19^th of January saw a 5:37am alarm and drive down to Philip Island – about a 1.5hr drive from Melbourne. If any international readers get a chance, Philip Island has a penguin parade, a bit of surfing, and annually hosts the motorcycle Grand Prix. Definitely worth a visit. It had been arranged that I would meet my fellow teammates down there. Now, this could have been a difficult task to locate two people amongst 10, 0000 participants. Add in the factor of a Where’s Wally costume and it wasn’t a problem. After registering, getting our TM numbers, having this written in permanent marker across foreheads and down arms, Team Wally was ready to rock and roll.

 

At the start line with Ben and Lisa

Team Wally was a little special. In October 2012, Lisa and Ben welcomed Jaime Horowitz into the world. As such, Lisa had only done a few weeks of training post-pregnancy. Benny has also recently gotten back into boxing training after taking some time out of the ring. Add in my missing bit, inability to walk long-distances, a wheelchair to get around in, our Wally outfits, we made for quite a team.

A couple of days before TM, I was considering pulling out of the event given all my hip dramas and lack of ability to walk 18km’s. I jokingly said to Lisa that doing it in my wheelchair would solve all my problems.  I was absolutely blown away and extremely touched when she turned around and said, with no hesitation, “Han, Ben and I will push you around. You are part of the team and we won’t be leaving you behind!”.

As such, the 10:45am start wave saw Team Wally complete with wheelchair push off onto the Grand Prix circuit. The first obstacle involved essentially jumping into a giant ice-bath. Lovely. After that we had lots of obstacles involving mud, barbed wire, tunnels, rivers and mud mountains. TM is truly unique in that it isn’t a competition to cross the line first – it is a completion event and everyone lends a hand – regardless if they are in your team or not. Generally our pattern was Benny and Lisa would alternate between pushing me between the obstacles, then Lisa and I would start the obstacle while Benny would take the wheelchair around so I could jump back in afterwards. Admittedly I did get a few looks when I would athletically jump out of the wheelchair but we also had offers of help coming left, right and centre. A memorable moment was getting to a river obstacle and having the lifeguard paddle across on his board complete with wheelchair in tow. The ethos and complete willingness of strangers to carry my wheelchair across mud ponds, provide hands and knees to get over walls, or shout words of encouragement, made TM extremely different from any event I have ever participated in.

 

Our skin was glowing the next day

 

It took a lot of scrubbing to get my wheelchair clean

 

I said brrr - it's cold in here, 

there must be some mud in the atmosphere...

However, disaster struck when halfway through the course my hip started to get a bit niggly and my body started to shut-down a little because of an inability to deal with the cold/wet combination. Hopefully I have painted the picture a little as to the type of people that Ben and Lisa are, and when I apologetically said that I would have to pull out, there was no questioning my decision – only complete support. With the assistance of Ruth, Lisa’s mum, we tracked down a St John’s first aid volunteer via a security guard. While waiting for St John’s to arrive, the security guard wrapped his blanket around my completely muddied body and chair to help ease my chattering frame. Natalie from St John’s then came along and wrapped me in a space blanket. The end result was Hannah the Michelin Man.

 

Han in my role as the new Michelin Man with 

the awesome St John's First Aid Team

The treatment and care from the St John’s volunteers was second to none. My core temperature quickly rose and my blood pressure normalised from 80/44. It was quite ironic that trying to recover from my mild bout of hyperthermia, I got completely sunburnt as my previous application had been washed off through all the mud baths. If anyone wants to take a guess as to my number sunburnt onto my forehead, feel free to leave comments.

 

Any guesses anyone?

While the day was filled with drama, I feel extremely grateful to have such amazing friends and privileged to have received the unreserved support and encouragement from complete strangers. And that is my weekly challenge to you dear readers for the week – helping another person in some small way without expecting anything in return. I guarantee it will bring a smile to your face!

 

Tough Mudders with little Jaime, our newest recruit

Until next time,

Ride safe, ride with a smile, ride in the moment,
Han

 

If anyone needs some shoes...

Shaking off the New Year Resolutions and Setting Goals for 2013

As we start to get settled into 2013, those New Year resolutions we made with both fervour and passion just after the stroke of midnight can quickly be forgotten. We can start the year off with the best of positive intentions, “I am going to make study notes throughout semester this year at uni”, or “I will become fluent in Italian”, or even “I am going to keep my desk tidy for the whole year” – and we all know how that last resolution will end…

 

 

It is important to start the year properly; this includes taking the time to sit down and pen those resolutions or dreams into goals. It is a bit like when you are driving somewhere new, say for example we are driving to Timbuktu. We know vaguely where it is, think we know how to get there but then find we are actually driving through Nigeria. Having goals is like having a road map on how to get to Timbuktu; goals are more than just scribbled words on a piece of paper – when written correctly, they help us to focus and direct our energy on what we want to achieve.

Now you have probably done goal setting before and are probably thinking “Yeah, yeah, I can set goals in my sleep”. However, sometimes we need gentle reminders and pointers that result in a subtle change that can make a huge difference. So, some ideas for when you sit down to set your goals:

·         Ensure your goals are in alignment with your values and don’t contradict one another

o   For example – there is no point setting a goal of making a million dollars this year if another goal is to spend meaningful time with your family and friends each week through different activities, as well as win a world championship medal. The first goal is incompatible with the second two – both in terms of time commitment and the philosophies behind each goal.

·         Develop goals across different areas of your life

o   If we have goals relating to areas such as sport, career or education, family, music etc., then this can help with balance in life – you aren’t putting all your eggs into the one basket and aids in a holistic life approach. Just remember the first dot point – ensure your goals fit with one another.

·         Goals are written in the positive

o   No point focusing on what we don’t want to have happen or what we want to leave behind. We need to give our subconscious brain the right goals to focus on, rather than have it thinking about ‘’that purple elephant sitting on the roof eating cake”.

·         Use the SMART acronym when setting goals

o   Goals need to be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-framed. So if we use a previous example of “I want to become fluent in Italian”, a SMART goal would look something like “It is December 2013 and I have just received in the mail my Level 1 Translator Certificate from the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters”.   See the difference?!

·         Have both big picture goals and stepping-stone goals

o   The example above is a big picture goal – how are you going to get there? Stepping stone goals provide the pathway and break the bigger goals down into achievable chunks.

·         If it hasn’t become obvious yet, you need to WRITE YOUR GOALS DOWN!!!

o   Writing down your goals provides a roadmap to success. It is also important once you have written down your goals that they are literally in your face. You need to be constantly feeding your subconscious about what you want. So before you go to bed each night, get a feeling, thought, picture and sound of what it would be like to achieve your goal. Make it real, believe it – that way, you are well on your way to achieving it. Maybe even stick your goal on the bathroom door!

What goals will you achieve in 2013??!!

 

 

Until next time,

 

Ride safe, ride with a smile, ride in the moment,

Han

Umm, errr, maybe....

Decisions. We all make hundreds of them every day from the time we wake up till our head hits the pillow.

We make routine decisions, such as the type of cereal to have for breakfast - "do I have seven Weetbix like champion cricketer Brett Lee or some Nutri-Grain like the Iron Men?", or how to get to work - "thanks Metlink, second Glen Waverley train to be cancelled this morning - why didn't I cycle in?! Oh yeah, no lycra that isn't transparent..."

We make financial decisions - "do I spend my entire paycheck on these killer red heels?", we make ethical decisions - "I am definitely getting the organic, free-range, green etc etc eggs for breakfast", we make decisions that relate to our health - "bring on those stairs!" (Bonus points if you work in a skyscraper - just a few flights there), and we make multiple decisions that will affect those around us - "Can I offer you my seat madam?" or "Yep, let's go in for the first kiss"....

And then we have the big stuff. The decisions that will definitely change your life - "Will you marry me", "Do I buy this house", "Do I want children", "What university degree do I do?", "What type of toothpaste do I use"... Ok, maybe not so much that last one. But hey, in 20 years time, it could turn out to have been a big decision in terms of fillings and being able to eat a whole bushel of apples.

I have recently had to make some decisions that I would place into the big stuff category. Decisions that have potentially helped to shape at least the next three years of my life, and hopefully well after that as well. And after writing that last sentence, seeing those words in text, has just made my decision a whole lot more real! And for anybody starting to get excited - no, I am not getting married/pregnant/have bought a house/moving to the Bahamas to live with Johnny Depp.

To help paint the picture a little, I went away to Europe in the middle of last year with a hope of having an epiphany on a mountain as to what I should do with my life (aside from the sporting aspect of it all - Rio 2016 has never had a question mark).  While I created memories of a lifetime, I didn't have any sudden great revelations. But I did come home with the conviction that I needed to use the gifts I have to help others - all religious/ spiritual /life teachings 101. Nothing radical there. But how to do that was The Question.

Being the nerd that I am, I naturally started making lists of what makes me happy, what skills I have, and how these would be of use to anyone else. Now, if you are a first time reader to this blog (welcome), I am an avid believer in happiness, wellbeing, balance, attitude, and mindfulness. Regular readers may or may not have noticed some of these themes - hopefully the affirmative!

With all this in mind, it became clearer that becoming a life/wellbeing/happiness coach (terminology is still TBA) was something that would fit - I will make a career out of helping other people to be happy, be the best that they can be, find balance, and live life to the fullest. Perfetto.

Now for the how and other big decisions. Again, being the nerd that I am, I have decided that one of the best ways for me to achieve this goal is to have both practical AND  research foundations in the area. Enter the PhD.

For those unfamiliar with a PhD, essentially it is a three year+ adventure that will revolve around conducting research into my area's of interest, provide me with both practical and research experience, and result in a 100, 000 word thesis. No dramas right?! (Fingers quivering slightly over the keyboard).

But back decisions. I was blessed to have been offered scholarships at a few different universities and was given the opportunity to work with many different amazing people. It felt like trying to choose between a black forest cherry cake and a triple-baked chocolate cheesecake. Now I realise all decisions may not be quite so pleasant, but this decision will affect at least the next three years, where I will live etc etc. Having talked to lots of people, made pro / con lists till the cows came home, and still not getting anywhere, I was given some advice:

When making a perceived difficult/big decision, make the decision and let it sit for a little while. See how it feels. This helps to remove all the conscious clatter generated by thoughts and emotions, and lets your subconscious/intuition/gut feeling guide you. If it feels totally wrong or right, you will know then which way to go. And while having choice is amazing, freedom comes when you make the choice and fully commit to your decision.

So if you ever are feeling extremely indecisive and overwhelmed by a decision you need to make, why not try the above method - who knows, you might decide to have eight Weetbix and become the next Brett Lee*...

"Be decisive. A wrong decision is generally less disastrous than indecision." Bernhard Langer



Until next time,

Ride safe, ride with a smile, ride in the moment,
Han


*For those unfamiliar, Brett Lee was one of the fastest bowlers in the world and an Australian cricketing legend. I am also putting a disclaimer out there that eating eight Weetbix will turn you into Brett Lee.

Snakes, date scones, and young gentleman (minus the penguins)

 

While I would like to say I am fresh from the Kelly Cycle Coaching December Camp held in Bright, the term December may be a bit deceiving; we arrived home about two weeks ago.  And my legs definitely aren’t too fresh after riding around Sydney town this morning on what my friend termed ‘undulations’. Is there a adjective we can put in front of that, such as extreme/long/nemesis producing/glad I am sitting down right now undulations (suggestions welcome).

Anyway, back to the KCC camp in Bright. Another awesome, adventure filled, caffeine-high week. The theme of the camp was “Possible” backed up by the song “Ain’t no mountain high enough”. Already we were onto some winning combinations. The first official evening of the camp saw Captain Bob ask the group “What do you consider impossible in cycling?”. While the group was quite canny, with the first answer being “nothing is impossible”, when we got down to the nitty gritty of it all, responses such as “climbing”, “training AND having a social life”, “getting frost bite under a carbon leg”, or “self-doubt/negative self talk” were all discussed. Funny that only one individual in the room had the carbon leg issues and put their hand up when asked if they found this a big challenge. 

Then came out the big marker, and below is a take of what we had on the board

It was very interesting how the prominent difficulties we all faced were the mental or psychological ones. The self-doubt, self worth, or overcoming disappointment/setbacks were all ranked as our Darth Vadars. A prominent theme of this blog is all about our self talk, how we can be happier, and remove some of the limiting beliefs we place on ourselves. The first step to combat some of these limiting beliefs is awareness – when do we start putting ourselves down, doubting our ability to climb the next mountain, question our value as an individual? When we can recognise our patterns and triggers, we can start to put strategies in place to combat our negative thought processes. Affirmations are extremely powerful, as is focusing on what is happening right now and what is in our control. Warm date scones from the Beechworth Bakery also help to soothe 14% gradient hills, a few hours of riding in the saddle, and provide motivation for the ride back to Bright.

And so the phrase “it is possible” worked it’s way into the camp. I loved the fact that when riding up Towanga Gap, I was pulled up after my comment “my power to weight ratio up this hill is bloody ridiculous” by Mikey H with “Han, it’s possible that we can make it awesome*”. A rendition of “Listen baby, ain’t no mountain high…” proceeded soon afterwards and the climb seemed to fly by.

During the camp, I found it to be an absolute privilege to be surrounded by such a wonderful group of young individuals. I am sure we have all felt that certain values, etiquette and genuine concern for others has been slowly eroding in our society. It makes me sad to see pregnant women forced to stand on trains, the elderly shipped off to homes never to be thought of again, and the fact that it makes a difference how you acquired your disability as to what type of support you get from the government (yep – that one could be another article but I will keep it positive in this post!).

Seeing the KCC group work together as a team up hills, have guys carry a few legs if I had my hands full (I get a mental picture/song of the seven dwarves and ‘Hi Ho’ – just replace a pick with a leg), or watching Carols support team of Coops and Cam during river walking wobble probably more than she did. The display of genuinely caring about other people, willing to lend a hand, and having a ‘it’s possible’ attitude, really made the KCC December camp a complete success. 

 

The girls with a man on either side; something I could get used too!

Naturally it took a lot of people to put the whole show together, so if you could indulge me a little, I would like to give a shout of thanks to –

Michael and all his family at Bright Chalet for hosting us again – I think it never ceases to amaze them how much food the boys can consume...

Dee Jennings for all your core and recovery sessions, knowledge and support

Café Velo for the greatly needed post-ride coffee

Bright Berry Farm for all the delicious antioxidants

Essendon Skoda for the support vehicles

Carley for stitching me up, your amazing driving, and your joint efforts with Ed for putting together the KCC December Camp ‘Ain’t no mountain high enough’ rendition plus slide show (great work guys)

CC (otherwise known as Carol Cooke) for being my riding buddy and sharing the secret of the Beechworth Gorge

And lastly, to the amazing duo of Bob and Helen. You guys run an awesome program and I know that sometimes you feel like pulling your hair out (I think Bob is evidence of this!), but your patience, support, and guidance is greatly appreciated.

And to all the KCC team and all other loyal blog post readers still with me – I would like to wish you all a magical Christmas filled with an abundance of happiness, laughter and glorious food. May 2013 bring lots of new adventures and be full of exciting possibilities.

Until next time,

Ride safe, ride with a smile, and ride in the moment

Han 

 

CC at the 100km mark on the longest ride she has now done - 119km!

The secret Beechworth Gorge - feel the serenity

A special concert at the Bright Chalet

Delicious recovery food at Cafe Velo

Doing what we do best

Core work with Dee

* This may not be the exact quote, but something along these lines... 

Did you take the express train today?

 

Has anyone else noticed a slight increase in the pace of life and stress levels leading into Christmas? I find myself looking for an extra few hours each day to cram a little bit more in, get a few items ticked off the ‘To Do’ list, make sure I catch up with as many friends as possible before Christmas (over coffee and breakfast of course), start ordering presents online (is a pair of socks OK dad?), make sure I do pilates everyday (so I can start to resemble ???), and don’t even get me started on Christmas cards….

Just by writing the above I can feel an increase in my body tension. And this is where some mindfulness training conducted by Craig Hassed, GP and Lecturer at Monash University, has refreshed the importance of taking time out each day – otherwise we may end up looking like:

And I know we all want to look that sexy during the day right?!!!

My interpretation of mindfulness is paying attention in a particular way – your attention needs to be purposeful, in the present moment, and made in a nonjudgmental fashion. Within our current 24/7 society where we constantly train ourselves to ‘multi-task’, decrease our attention span by the year, and cram as much as possible into our daily existence, our ability to come back to the present moment is significantly decreasing.

But why the need to bring ourselves back to the moment? There are a whole heap of reasons!! These range from effective treatment of depression, improving our mental health, increasing sporting performance (athletes refer may be more familiar with the term ‘flow’ or ‘in the zone’ as opposed to mindfulness), and our overall wellbeing. Am you starting to get excited about mindfulness?!!!

Craig used a fantastic train metaphor in relation to mindfulness and our thoughts. Imagine you are standing on a train platform (feel free to use Platform 9 ¾ and add in Harry – I did) observing trains (with the trains being a metaphor for our thoughts; anyone else feel like they are at Grand Central station with how many thoughts we have whizzing around?). Now the trick is to observe our thoughts/trains without getting invested in them or jumping on board the train. A personal example that I found applicable was how for the past two years during my hip drama saga people are constantly asking, “How does your hip feel?”. All well and good. But it has resulted in constantly checking in to that area, and thereby, making the neural pathways and connections super sensitive and aware. Now I habitually check-in, and if I have a slight twinge of pain (no matter how minor), I found I was started to buy into my stories and jump on my hip drama train – “Crap, my hip is sore… I will have to ice when I get back… make sure I do my pilates… it will probably impact training tomorrow… dam my next physio and massage isn’t till next week so I won’t get any relief till then… shit I will need surgery again… the world is ending….”

And that was the thought pattern. Not too healthy right. Mindfulness is the ability for me to observe that my hip may be sore and go “OK, how does it feel right now?”, and then not jump on my story train. And it is taking some practice (they recommend about 30-40mins per day of mindfulness training for the treatment of severe depression and to change ingrained habits). Then we need to transfer this into our daily activities. Maybe taking a moment to listen to sounds in the distance, sounds close by use, listening to our breath. And if thoughts do arise, being curious and inquisitive but nonjudgmental.

And like everything else in life? If you want to be good at mindfulness, you need to practice! You aren’t going to become the Mahatma Gandhi overnight and be a spiritual leader by tomorrow; they don’t offer those type of courses found discounted by 75% on Scoopon. We can’t swallow a pill to make our thoughts melt away. We need to practice. Indeed, corny as it may be, the express train to mindfulness is closed, but the stairs are always open!

 

Till next time,

Ride safe, ride with a smile, ride in the moment,

Han

A cracking good egg on the head

Recently, a non-violent protest occurred along the banks of Merri Creek in Melbourne. The group – Freestyle Cyclists. Their cause – the right to ride a bike without a helmet. Imagine riding along with your hair blowing in the wind, the dappled sunlight falling on the top of your head, and not finishing a ride with sweaty helmet hair. Quite an idyllic picture yes? 

 Exactly the image you conjured up? 

 

I am not sure how many of you get the magazine, The Melbourne Weekly Review, every week in your letterbox. Within the magazine there are my favourite sections – naturally these include the Epicurean coffee and food reviews. However, I also enjoy reading the editor’s comments by Virginia Trioli found within the first few pages. Her writing is sharp, poignant, witty, relevant, and while I may not agree with all her viewpoints, I do love her ability to capture an issue concisely (what was that Harvard fact about goldfish and 6 seconds?!).

A few weeks ago Virginia wrote about the Freestyle Cyclists and made a clear argument not against their protest, but was very much in favour of how as individuals within a society, we have responsibilities. These responsibilities include wearing seatbelts and helmets.  There were many comments opposed to her arguments of societal responsibilities - how wearing helmets doesn’t actually decrease costs to our health system, can somehow boost our activity levels, and how Europeans/US communities haven’t been wearing helmets for years.

So, the point of this blog and my two cents. Just over three weeks ago I had my first race of the criterium season; for those not in the crazy world of lycra, a crit is essentially riding around and around a closed circuit for a certain period of time. Fun right?! The road was a little bit damp from rain earlier that morning. We were on bell lap, and only had a few hundred metres and two corners left till the finish line. I had positioned myself well, was second female wheel, closely hounding the first female wheel, was in the front bunch of about 10 cyclists, and would be out of the wind when it counted. Perfect. Or maybe not.

Firstly there was the sickening sound of carbon against bitumen in front of me. Panic as Anna unsuccessfully tries to avoid crash right in front. Realisation that I have nowhere to go and am going to come off too. Pain in my neck as my head bounces off the ground like a rag doll. Fear given another 30 cyclists are right behind me. Shock sets in as marshals drag me off the road. Inability to handle my own blood results in distraction technique of becoming extremely chatty with anyone who is willing to listen.

To be honest, I was pretty lucky. No bones broken. Yes to all cyclists out there, my bike was fine; only a few cosmetic scratches. Lots of gravel rash, a bit of a nasty divot in the ankle (from which my doctor had great fun using scalpels and scissors to “cut away all the shit inside” – not sure if I needed to know that the original pair of tweezers weren’t long or sharp enough…) and a cracked helmet. A cracked helmet that saved my life.

To crack a helmet requires an extreme amount of force. Ever tried taking a hammer to one? Something my coach encouraged me to do to my helmet after I had cracked it. Just to get an awareness of how hard I had hit my head. 

Did wearing a helmet save my life? I believe so. At the very least, it saved me from a trip to ICU. Thanks and kudos to Specialized!

Am I believer in helmet laws, even when cycling recreationally? Definitely; every little bit helps in my books. Wearing a helmet can even help prevent getting an egg on your head; very unsightly for a lady. Admittedly, I am definitely not adverse to poached eggs on pumpkin polenta bread with thyme mushrooms, avocado and house-made spicy beans. Sorry, getting distracted by food as per usual.

Until next time,

Ride safe, ride happy, ride in the moment, and ride with a helmet,

Han

Free Beauty Treatments, Hot Chocolate + Mt. Hotham

Looking over Mt Hotham

For the past week I have been in Bright on the Kelly Cycle Coaching September Camp. As I am currently sitting in my cosy chair with the heater quietly pumping our warm air beside me, I can confidently say that I had an absolute blast on the camp. I can say this as I am no longer being flung across roads by Hercule’s strength cross-winds, I am no longer getting covered in cow shit churned up from the cyclists wheel in front of me, and I no longer have numb fingers from descending off Mt Buffalo in 3°C. Yep, camp was awesome! You think I am crazy right?

Not quite sure if I painted the best picture for you all after that introduction. Let me take a few steps backwards. The journey began bright and sparkly last Sunday morning when my teammate, Carley McKay, drove the two of us up to Bright. Just a quick shout-out of thanks to Carley for driving there and back; lacking cruise control and one leg doesn’t make for the best long-distance driving so I am extremely grateful to those who I can hitch a ride with!

Arriving at Bright Chalet, we were warmly welcomed back by the owner and his wife – Michael and Athalia. Carley and I did a quick test of two rooms; this included the traditional bed-bounce, bathroom check, and level of natural light. Once unpacked and settled in, I headed out for an ‘easy’ ride with Carley and two of the older boys. Definitely felt the lack of training post the hip arthroscopy a few weeks ago with my heart rate easily skyrocketing up into the 180 beats per minute for what was relatively flat and windless domain. Looking good for the week ahead of climbing….

We had a total of 18 athletes attend the camp. Of this, we had 5 girls and the rest was made up of mostly young teenage boys who have appetites that rival a small army. I literally couldn’t believe my eyes as plate after plate was consumed. For example, lunch consisted of a minimum of three sandwiches plus fruit, cake and muesli bars. Breakfast was a similar three-course affair usually of porridge, cereal, eggs, muffins, sausages, and toast. I had definitely forgotten the appetite of growing boys and have made a mental note to mention this to my mother next time she complains how much I eat.

With well-fueled bodies, we cycled up Mt Buffalo, Mt Hotham, Rosewhite, Buckland Valley, and other hidden gems outside of Bright. We also had skills sessions that involved cornering, jumping over broomsticks, and weaving around multi-coloured cones. All for a mini mars bar. Is the reason we are athletes simply because we love food? A high probability I think. There was also the amazing Belgium hot chocolate one afternoon in preparation for Mt Hotham the next day.

Spinning the Legs Over

Afternoons were spent recovering in the pool as a makeshift ice-bath, having strong showers to wash off the free mud packs we received during our rides, learning tactics from wiggly lines on a whiteboard, and completing laps around the obstacle courses. Evenings saw radio wars played where mock interviews in multiple languages taught skills such as how to deal with the media and how to handle Russian radio hosts trying to crack onto you. All in a days work.

 Bend and Snap - aka Core Work

Braving the chilly water to help recover the legs; I needed all the help I could get!

Yes, the riding was hard and intense, and I naturally had moments of questioning my own sanity – especially after slogging it up a mountain for hours and then having to descend without being able to feel my hands and hence my brakes. However, having the support of the whole group, whether it was from lending a hand to grab my spare leg or fixing bike issues, it was a pleasure to spend time with the team. From laughing so hard at bike horror stories involving female specific underwear, boxer shorts, or budgie smugglers, to enjoying Table Tennis Grand Slams in the evening. Kudos to Helen and Bob Kelly for putting on such a great camp.

Table Tennis (correction from Carol RE my previously labelled Ping Pong) Champs

 

Happiness occurs not only during the event but also in savouring the memories created. While we do need to be careful not to dwell too greatly in the past, we can boost our happiness by recalling moments of joy and delighting in experiences we have been blessed to have. I am still feeling warm inside from that delicious hot chocolate!

All the KCC Campers

Until next time,

Ride happy, ride safe, and ride in the moment,

Han

Celebrating our differences while remembering our kindred human spirit

“We are all different, there is no such thing as a standard or run-of-the-mill human being, but we share the same human spirit”

This is just one of the many pearls of wisdom that came from Professor Stephen Hawkings during the Paralympic Games. For me it really struck a chord and articulates a fundamental belief. It also echoes the message of the SCOPE See Me September Campaign, a message that is encouraging people to look beyond the disability and see the person.

Admittedly, sometimes this can be tough. If an amputee walks past me, I am constantly checking out their leg to see what type of components have been used, what the design is, and if I need to do a sneaky iPhone camera pic so I can show my leg man, Cam Ward at APC Prosthetics, what I want my next leg to look like! On a side note, if anyone happens to stumble along a high heel foot for the right side in a US 8, feel free to send it my way. Willing to negotiate baking skills in return.

However, while my curiosity factor around prosthetic legs is due my similar circumstances, it is important to connect on a deeper level. We all have dreams, desires, hopes, fears, and a need to feel valued. This last one is critical. The need to feel like we are contributing to the world; the need to feel that we will leave the world a better place than when we entered into it. Whether this be from creating paintings for others to enjoy, cooking for our families, or volunteering down at our local Scout group, when we are helping others we are facilitating our own happiness and wellbeing. And this message is constant around the world, whether it comes from religious groups, scientific studies, government bodies, or the very communities we live in.

As such, when people get behind SCOPE’s campaign that encourages communities to welcome people with a disability, as well as ensuring their municipalities are accessible for all, the outcomes can benefit everyone. Not only does accessibility allow people with a disability to become involved, contribute, and feel valued, it also generates community wellbeing. While the Melbourne WalkWithMe event was last weekend, if anyone is in Bendigo on Saturday 15^th or Geelong on Sunday 16^th September, why not head down and show your support. For more details jump onto www.walkwithme.org.au. Not only will there be entertainment for the whole family, but also a few of our recently returned London Paralympians that you can go up to and have a chat with.

And what an awesome games London turned out to be! Not only in terms of how well the Aussie’s performed, but the general demonstration of what sport is truly about – bringing everyone together and breaking down those barriers. London has helped to shatter preconceived notions about disability and has helped to take society’s awareness into a whole new ball park. It was also fantastic how Prof. Stephen Hawkings challenged people to be curious, be creative, and question whether the boundaries we have created really exist. And so is my challenge to you – how can you use your creative talents to help others today?

Until next time,

Ride safe, ride happy, ride in the moment,

Han

Annie Skinne (VIS Para Equestrian), Natalie Palancian (SCOPE WalkWithMe Ambassador) 

and Han down at the Melbourne WalkWithMe Event

Living Every Day

We can often feel that once we have achieved a goal, won that gold medal, graduated from a university degree, own our on home, have kids, travel around the world etc etc, that we will be happier. Can’t you see the crystal clear water sparkling while you are lying in the deck chain in your bikini’s or speedos drinking coconut water out of a coconut with a little umbrella?! Bliss and happiness right?

While there is no doubt that lying on a beach somewhere in the Caribbean is very appealing, I am guessing that you are not there right now reading this blog post? So what are you doing today? Maybe some training, a recovery session, school, uni or work. Maybe catching up with friends for a coffee, taking the dog for a walk, whipping up a quick dinner. All normal, routine events yeah?

Since returning from my European adventure I have slotted extremely easily back into routine, perhaps a little too easily! Admittedly, hip surgery last week was slightly out of the ordinary but the fact that I knew the route to the hospital, where to park, and that surgery happens on Level 3, could all be considered part of my routine. As such, I have been struggling with how one can infuse each day with something new, creative or pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone. Making each day an adventure, challenging yourself, or appreciating the familiar, yet beautiful world we live in. Something that when travelling is very easy to do but perhaps less so when return to the comfort of our own homes.

It is easy to forget how precious each day actually is when we are caught up in the midst of our routines and daydreaming about when will be happier. I am actually reading this book at the moment called ‘The Happiness Project’ and it synthesises the wisdom of the ages with current scientific research. The author, Gretchin Rubin, embarks upon a year-long Happiness Project where she implements different monthly ‘To Do’ lists such as ‘Make time to be silly’ and ‘Be generous with my time’.

I drew a little bit of inspiration from her ‘Do a little bit everyday’ where one spends that odd 15 minutes de-cluttering, tidying or cleaning. I have had on my ‘To Do’ list for a little while ‘Clean desk’; the whole space was covered in old articles left over from university last year, superannuation forms, mole-check reminders and pens that have gone to pen heaven. When I realised that I had a spare 15 minutes before dinner, I began to tackle the mountain of paper. While I did need another 30minutes after dinner to complete the task, I can now see my beautiful wooden desk and have recycled, bagged or placed in-the-correct spot, all the loose pieces of paper that previously inhabited my work space. And guess what – it gave me an enormous sense of happiness to walk into my room this morning and see my clean desk. I now have a much more creative space and know that I haven’t won’t be getting any nasty reminders about bills that I haven’t paid, which equals peace of mind as well. Double tick.

So achieving little things, like tidying a desk or making a pot of jam for someone, can boost your happiness. Little things that can be achieved everyday. Little things like stepping-stone goals to our long-term goals – maybe it could be 5 chin-ups in the gym or adding a little creativity to your next assignment or taking a walk during your lunch break; we are definitely blessed living in Melbourne – the coffee capital of the world (yep, I am putting it out there! If anyone wants to disagree over a coffee just let me know). 

 What do your stepping stone goals look like?

Continuously achieving the little things so we can enjoy the journey, and make the most of every single day. Maybe we could all even take a moment to stop and smell the roses (or roasted coffee beans).