Excuse the bad pun, I'm feeling somewhat ironical tonight...  I suppose the pun is actually a bit obscure, I should probably explain.  You see, the soleus (soul-ee-us) is a muscle deep in the lower leg, and the fact that my right one is having a major disagreement with me was going to be the starting point for this entry.  So, soul-searching, soleus searching...  Are we getting it, or am I just really scraping the bottom of the barrel? *sigh*

 

Anyway, yes, my right lower leg is currently registering complaints of abuse each step I take, despite the compression bandage wrapped firmly around it and the frequent bouts of ice therapy.  Why, you ask?  Well, as per usual, its self-inflicted.  Too much running up hills, and not taking breaks when I know I should.  My running has been going so well lately that I tried to ignore the niggling little pain and just run through it, but last night (about 5km from home, wouldn't you guess?) it became a lot more than just a niggling pain.  Damn!  So now it looks like I'm benched for at least a few days, and from then I'll still have to go easy on it.  Talk about frustrating!  I'm now having second thoughts about the 5k fun-run I was thinking of doing in a couple of weeks. 

 

Speaking of a couple of weeks, that's about how long it is until Christmas, yet again!  Every year seems to go faster and faster.  In fact, I've often found myself wondering if some super-secret society somewhere has control of the calendar, and is sneakily removing a day or so every year.  Who knows, in ten years time we could have a three- month year!..  Ok, well probably not, but no theory is perfect.  Can you tell I'm feeling somewhat odd this evening? 

 

In fact, "odd" doesn't even come close to explaining it.  I'm the epitome of self-contradiction tonight.  Restless, but lethargic.  Confident, but self-doubting.  Optimistic, but despondent.  Perhaps I'm just tired, or hormonal, or hungry (just for something different).  Yes, there was a bit of facetiousness injected there.  In reality, there's not a lot of point to this entry other than just a dribble of random ideas and sentences. 

 

I should probably mention that I'm looking to start up a personal training business.  "Ah-hah!" I hear you say, "perhaps that's why she's feeling odd?"  And perhaps you're right.  I know there's a lot of self-doubt coming from that at the moment.  I'm the sort of person that doubts my own abilities most of the time anyway, but going out on a limb to run a business is making it even worse.  Someone needs to figure out how to bottle self-belief, I'd be their biggest customer.  Well, no, that's not entirely true, I do believe in myself in a lot of ways.  I believe I have a lot to offer when it comes to training and helping people, but I guess I just know my own limitations.  I'm an introvert, so sometimes talking to people can be taxing, and as a trainer I can't really afford to have "I don't feel like talking to people" days.  I'm also a very linear thinker, rather than lateral, so I tend to get stuck in ruts and I'm worried I won't be flexible and innovative enough as a trainer.  Or, I could be over-exaggerating and over-analysing myself too much.  Wouldn't be the first time.

 

Well, for a nothing important entry this has dribbled on a bit.  Think its time to draw the line.

As per usual, its taken me far too long to get around to updating this.  Its only now, sitting at work and trying my hardest to think of ways I can keep my leaden eyelids open, that I've found the motivation to start typing.  And, to be honest, there's nothing terribly exciting going on anyway.  Since Sydney, my time has become somewhat of a blur of work, running training and more work, with a little bit of sleep thrown in for good measure.  My life seems to revolve around my weekends, which are really just far too short and leave me hanging out for the next one by the time Monday rolls around.

 

On the plus side of things, I handed in the last assignment for my Personal Training course last week.  If all goes well and they don't fail me on it (they haven't failed me on any assessment I've done with them in the 3 years I've studied there), I can just sit back and wait for my certificate to arrive in the mail.  Woohoo says I!  Finally!  Its only taken me eighteen months to do a four-to-six month course (insert eye-rolling here).  So that leaves me with the question of what do I do next?  I've got a vague itch to go work overseas for six months or so, get some world experience, do some travelling, yadda yadda yadda.  If I don't do that sort of thing now, while I'm not tied down (emotionally or financially) I might never get the chance. 

 

The more practical side of me however wants to settle down to business and get started on building my personal training career, securing my financial future and all that jazz.  One of my original personal goals was to be worth a million dollars by the time I was thirty years old.  Now, seeing as I'm about to hit my twenty-seventh birthday, time is definitely running out on that goal.  So I guess I'm kind of worried that if I spend time travelling now, I'm going to be missing financial and career opportunities.  But if I don't go, I could be missing out on the experience of a lifetime.  What a dilemma!

 

Speaking of experiences, Sarah, Liz and I have started up a few regular events for the express purpose of widening our horizons.  Every month, one of us picks a new restaurant to try and hosts a dinner party.  We've done Jaz Bar (cook your own meal on heated volcanic stone slabs), Sono (traditional japanese) and Ahmets (traditional turkish).  All have been extremely tasty!  The only problem with this schedule is that we never get to go back to the good restaurants since we're so busy trying new ones!  But I shouldn't complain, we're having a blast with it.  Plus, it makes sure that at least two Saturday nights of every month we've got something to do! 

 

The dinner parties are going well too, with Liz making an awesome roast chicken with creamy potato bake and vegetables.  Mine was thai-themed, with home-made fresh spring rolls, moo-daeng (thai-marinated red roast pork), ginger, lime & coconut baked fish and coconut rice.  Sarah has quite a large challenge ahead of her to beat either of our attempts, we shall see if she's up to it.  That is, if we are all game enough to chance her cooking and show up of course.

 

Well, I think I have pointlessly rambled enough for one evening.  Apologies for the boredom, I promise I'll be more witty and entertaining next entry.