About Me

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I am a full-time mama with a passion for writing and talking to fascinating people. I live in a one horse town with a Cowboy and my son. Thank Lord for cyberspace! I lived a colourful life in Sydney for a number of years. Working in advertising and journalism for FPC and the Sydney Morning Herald. During my time in Sydney I competed in a Dragon Boat race, choreographed a dragshow, used the Share Accomodation advertisements as a way to meet men and was told by Noiseworks frontrunner Jon Stevens that I was a bitch! Then came the decision to move back to country for 3 months to help out my Father with newspaper business while he was having treatment. Convinced I was a city girl I was caught by surprise when I fell in love with a farmer (and no, he didn't want a wife... still doesn't it seems!) convinced him that we needed to see the world, popped off to Vietnam to teach english in Saigon - before realising that the "food" in Nam didn't agree with me... turned out to be Monte - my son who is now with the Cowboy and I back in country NSW! I am in a wonderful stage of my life where I am focusing on the things that really make me tick. Including writing these chronicles.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

When the teacher is not looking


Tonight after training I began to realise the way you train when the trainer is away gives insight into what kind of a person you are.


PT has been away somewhere so Cowboy and I were business as usual even in the rediculous heat that has struck the one horse town.

Tonights session really showed how different the Cowboy and I are.


Let me illustrate the different personalities at play here through what happened tonight.

PT normally makes us run (or for me run/walk/run/walk) five laps of the oval.

Tonight I walked, jogged for a few metres, then walked hmmmmm say 3 or 4 laps.
Cowboy ran without stopping - 5. Exactly 5.

(important note: this followed a 12 hour working day where he was mustering or drafting sheep or other such cowboy lingo)

Then after the laps are completed we are to commence our individual routines.

For me this is 5 sets of ab crunches interspersed with oblique kicky things (not technical name)
I do this like a pro.

Actually to toot my own trumpet I am really getting good at these - despite, dear people the fact that my stomach muscles were cut open merely 10 months ago.... to reveal the Prince.

Sorry, off the subject to gloat.

So anyway the Cowboy is off to the grandstand doing squats and other such things to make him into a bulk of a man , or to do something for his knee which is dodgy.

He does it without taking a rest, a breath and I did not hear so much as a whinge about how hot it was, or the flies.

Maybe he was complaining and I just didn't hear him over my own complaints.

No, I know he doesn't. He just isn't the type.

I have not met this type of person before.

One who doesn't complain.

Cowboy is sort of a superhero.

We have to do 5 sets of everything.

So then there is me - running up and down a step for 25, then knee lift thingys for 25.

After about 3 knee lift thingys I decide poetic license is allowed with routine so I stop and go for a little stroll to the duck pond instead.

Meanwhile Cowboy is nearly having a cardiac arrest from the intensity he is building with his routine.

I leisurely stroll back and collect the weights from the car.

Admittedly, I then went on to do 5 sets of 25 weight thingys pretty well...

THEN.... Cowboy does his with much heavier weights - even with his little pile of rocks to count how many sets.

As for me I say to myself 1 set, 2 , set - Cowboy will say "How many are you up to?"
and I will say "This is my last"

I know I am only cheating myself.

I'm all about the shortcut, wagging, making it easier on myself - getting away with it when the teacher is not there kind've thing.

This is why we pay the trainer though.
I know this about me.
This is why we have hired help.

I was always the kid in class that wanted to do something naughty if the teacher had to go out for a bit, and there was always a Cowboy in the class that went on with their work.

Because their motivation and work ethic was so much better than mine.

Cowboy impresses me so much.
He is driven to achieve what he sets out to and never ever takes shortcuts.

If he says he is going to do something, he does it- no matter who is watching or who isn't.

He is true to himself, doesn't make excuses or EVER complain - I am absolutely baffled by him - but in awe.

I am an excuse making, whingy machine who is always thinking "How can I get out of it?" and then complain because the muffin top is not decreasing at the rate I desire.

Just writing that makes me feel like I am being hard on myself because I have been doing well - but just trying to illustrate the differences here.

Tonight I learnt what character traits come to the fore 'when the teacher is not looking'

it seperates the women from the Cowboys... that is for sure.

8 comments:

  1. Oh Sharni,

    Alas I'm one of your type. At least you do something. I love your stories. They are so entertaining.

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  2. You are a great writer, very entertaining.

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  3. LOL this was a hilarious post.. I am definitely a 3 knee lift thingys and then stroll to the duck pond kind of person as well so I feel your pain.. and your awe of those "others" as well :)

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  4. Sharni I am like that too! I secretly berate myself so much about it that I end up failing miserably at things because I think my naughtiness defines me. I wish I didn't need someone watching me all the time, because it makes me feel like they are the ones with the power, not me. I wrote a song about it once, called "Fairweather Tryer". Must get better at trying when nobody's looking. Feels great to know I'm not the only one!! thanks also for reminding me about my music, I'd almost forgotten about it, been lazy while nobody was watching! Must get back to it instead of looking at Facebook all the time!

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  5. I am the same. Exactly the same. You articulate it so well. and good for you for being self-aware and knowing your limits. You hired someone because you know your limits. You are persevering in your own way. There is a lot to be said for that as well.
    I assume from your cut open comment that you had a C-section as well? I would be interested to hear your thoughts on that, and in fact to hear your whole labour story. I went into it with a homebirth on the books, and ended up splayed crucifix style in the OR with my belly sliced open. boooo....

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  6. You & your Cowboy remind me of me & my carpenter... he is a morning person, I clearly am not, he loves working out, I'll walk the kids & dogs around the block. It's a good thing really, we're at 20 years and still going strong... so long as he doesn't wake me in the a.m. all is okay.

    Please come visit my blog sometime & follow if you like http://whenkateblogs.blogspot.com/

    Kate

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  7. I stopped by from She Writes . . .

    I can't do anything at the gym without a trainer. Even my trainer said he hated working out alone, and he was a world-class body builder-type.

    Now I live in Moscow, which while not ranked THE most expensive city this year, is in the Top 3. A gym membership costs in the neighborhood of $2000 US/year. I have one now, but all I do is swim. I swim at least one km, alternating laps of crawl and breast stroke, but I have not been building up to the 5 km I told myself I was capable of doing if I didn't get to 40 laps and go, "Meh" and head off to the shower.

    I blog about being an expat here in Moscow, as you may have guessed . . .

    http://thebeetgoeson.blogspot.com

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  8. Loved the tale and the lesson of life that came out of the experience. I guess we have people who come into our lives to teach us about ourselves and your cowboy has given you a BIG lesson. I can identify with your little ways of "cheating" when the teacher isnt there but who are we fooling? Am going to think twice before I make up reasons for not exercising on the weekends.

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