i really wanted to...

i really wanted to be like all those other virtuous souls out there and go for a run when I got up this morning after 3 hours sleep. but that was never going to happen. It was CR drinks last night and I had an absolute blast, culminating with some excellent dancing at Loft. why can't I do moderation like normal people????

anyways - off to Port tomorrow AM to cheer along our special buddy miners in the ironman on Sunday. Plus there will be lots of catching up and eating and perving ...i mean appreciating the athletic talent out there :)

the devil's number

almost :) 600's were on my program for this morning.

I had a lovely night in with pizza and red wine and resume drafting last night with jen, the owl and lulu. very pleasant indeed. however, waking up this morning was less exciting.

still I managed to drag myself down to the park the usual 3k of warm up including drills and strides and accelerations (will these ever feel enjoyable??). Then down to business. 3 of us decided that we were consciously going to take our first rep (of 5) easy and aim to improve through the session. That worked a treat! First rep 2.55. Noice. Second 2.48 (!) and then they went 2.46, 2.47, 2.46 - gotta love a bit of consistency! Unusual - but I like it!

Only 2 days left at work till I go on holidays! I am looking forward to spending this weekend cheering on the Ironmans up at Port Macquarie. Then I have a few days in Sydney mucking around before heading up to Jindabyne for running camp. We got an email about that this morning saying that 70 people will be attending! It is going to be huge!! I figure that there will be less people after the weekend staying for the whole week though.

Coolrunning drinks tonight also so the chances of any exercise being done tomorrow am is slim to none :)

hills hills and more hills.

course it was hill day do perhaps not surprising!

I woke up at 4 this morning and hearing the rain I thought I could be in for a sleep in. But come 5am it was fine and I trundled down to the park for a hills session. This one was Wild Wally - personally my least favourite - although it is a very close call...

Whether or not it was the sand running yesterday, my legs were feeling ok, but when I was trying to push up the hill I just had nothing. I was so slow!! Times for my 5 laps (each one about 680m) were 3.37, 3.40, 3.37 (had a longer recovery after this one) 3.33 and then 3.48 (eek!). Warm up 3k, cool down 800 ish m... All up about 7k for my morning... not too bad.

bondi rescue

i can't go down to bondi anymore without worrying that I will fall over or do something otherwise fairly stupid and end up on some silly tv show as a cautionary tale of 'what not to do'.

but at 5.30 there were no lifeguards or cameras and i think the whole season is over anyway!

i had a lovely morning's exercise actually. the goal was 40 mins on the coastal path between bondi and bronte (not all the way...) and then 2 laps of bondi on the soft sand. Sort of happened. In my 40 mins I only ended up doing 3.5 km because just before tamarama, a lady out walking with her two daughters slipped on some really steep stairs and really twisted her ankle. We got her down and it was already like a tennis ball by the time we looked at it. Luckily another passer by had a phone and another one was a bloke and helped her right up to the top where her husband drove down to get her. Ow!! She actually looked like she might pass out or vomit...
My skills were best utilised in distracting the two little girls. Never nice to see your mum hurt.

Anyway - got back to the beach and hit the soft sand. Cripes its hard!! Just under 2k in just under 15 mins! ish.

So then to round out my hour I did some pushups and various core exercises and some good stretching. Noice. It was a beautiful morning at the beach, and I was reminded that I was in sydney by the 20 bazillion (no exaggeration) other people down there...

skinny dip

is the name of the lovely cafe that Lulu took us to (RA and WTR) after our long run this morning. Its in Bondi and highly recommended if you are after extremely large delicious meals (albeit slightly luke warm coffees...). yum!

but the run was good too! Lulu and I started at my place and ran down Oxford st (one drunk punter telling us that 'ladies, you are truly inspirational'... and without sarcasm too!!! but she was pretty hammered). then we headed into the domain, down via farm cove, around the opera house and the quay to Pitt St and left onto the nasty Hunter St hill. Lulu's theory was that she was toughening me up for the SMH half mara in May...

after that it was just a slog home up oxford st, down flinders, moore park road and then we ran up and down my st (all of 30m of it) a few times to get the garmin to click over to a nice round 12k for the morning! lovely!!

so now that I have done breakfast, I am out for lunch :)

I had a haircut yesterday so if anyone sees me they have to tell me that it looks good. its a bit shorter and blonder than I imagined, but we shall see how it goes when I wash and style it myself. for now it still has that sleek 'hairdresser' look to it. even after the run amanzingly!!

crime and punishment

THE CRIME: consistent resetting of alarm clock so as to avoid sweat session of 10 x wild walter... a reasonable thing to do - but counter to my current goals :)
(weirdly i was awake at 4.45, but decided that was too early, then i couldn't get up before 7.15...)

THE PUNISHMENT: lunch time - run to Mrs Macquaries chair (12.5 mins) and then 10 reps of the Fleet Stairs. OHMIGOD. it nearly killed me. I was mostly walking, sometimes jogging but it was so hot my heart rate was through the roof. actually I was a bit worried because it wouldn't come down again. I ended up walking most of the way back because every time I would run I would overheat and feel nauseous again. still a good session for testing my boundaries :) the stair bit took me about 17 mins.


Just for anyone who hasn't seen it... i recommend you look at miners blog...

eek!!!

I got the perfect steal, a cleaner love, with a dirty feel all right.

that song got me going this morning - something needed to! Alarm went off at 5, was promptly reset for 5.30, then 6 and then 6.30. Reset for 7am but got up at 6.40 and dragged myself out for 30 minutes (on the better than nothing theory) :)

no garmin, just a lap of the park. felt like a reasonable effort. then a walk in to work. the knee was fine, but it doesn't like bending so the quad hasn't been stretched very well...

owwwww!!!

well the knee didn't hurt yesterday - but it is starting to kick in today! I am trying to tell myself it tight and painful cause it is already healing (which I am sure is true) but it also hurts a teeny bit to walk on which is less encouraging.

it has developed a good bruise from about half way down my knee cap to about 10cm down my shin. yuck-o. I just tried a mini run (down the hallway at work in heels - so hardly a real indication) and it actually felt pretty uncomfortable. So I'm not sure whether i should train tomorrow. Think I'll still go and just see. Probably no point aggravating it at this stage.

Just got my lovely uniform for the BRW triathlon (which unfortunately is the last day of run camp so i will have to come back a day earlier than planned and will be bloody exhausted!!!) and let me just say it is absolutely horrific. A very nice 80's style high cut bikini style costume that we are allegedly compelled to wear. I don't think so. Even worse is that they made us pay for it!!! Needless to say I will not be doing a triathlon in a bikini in this lifetime.

:)

so close...

i decided today that even though i wasn't doing the tri, i would do all the distances in training.

So I started with 1500m at Cook & Phillip park in the City. No worries - that was fine albeit slow (round 42 mins). after 2 laps I knew I'd made the right decision :)

THen it was home and getting the bike for 40k at the park. Actually I did 11 laps which would be 41 or 42k. So I can categorically do 40k on my bike. It did hurt though - my butt isn't used to it and neither is my back/neck/hands/elbows... Actually it was more eventful than you would think. 2 pedestrians walked out in front of me and decided to stop in the middle of the road. I go around, but not until after the lady had moved back and forwards before deciding to actually get off the road! I'm all for giving way to pedestrians but they should pick someone more skilful in bike handling to stop in front of!!!

Then there was the mountain bike rider who hooned down a hill and looked certain to smash into me, but who turned at the last second and said 'sorry' before he dropped off the back. eek!!! but the (?) highlight was the horse bolting. I heard a noise and it sounded like birds taking off but then I realised that it was a petrified horse absolutely galloping down the path and then straight across the road and out the gate. Luckily it stopped before the external road and even luckier that no one seemed to get hurt. There is a case of someone getting actually killed in Centennial Park in that situation so it was very lucky. Poor horse, I'm not sure what scared it but it was near the cricket pitch so maybe a ball. Everyone moved away pretty darn quick!!!

So all that was left then was 10k run and I was feeling great surprisingly. But then, less than a km in, I stacked it. Massively and embarassingly on the trail around the park that is right on Oxford St so there were plenty of onlookers. Eek! I didn't care though because goddamn it hurt!!!! I went down right knee first, then the left knee and my hands hit at the same time. Only the right knee has lost its skin. I decided to pull up stumps even though I probably could have kept going. I didn't really have anything to prove and although most likely it would have been fine i didn't want to risk aggravating any swelling or anything for no good reason.

So still not a bad day's exercise.

And of course there was no wind at all today!!! Although my friend who did the race said that the surf was pretty big. So I'm happy (albeit disappointed) with my decision.

abort mission

well I went for a swim down on the course and I have decided not to race tomorrow. even though it will be different in the morning (its low tide now and will be high tide then) I don't have enough surf practice for that sort of swell.

never mind. might see what I can do training wise tomorrow - maybe the same distances but in a nice pool and around the park :)

i'm disappointed and a bit grumpy but i think its the best decision. i knew i was underdone in the swim and although i'd be fine if it was flat, i don't have enough practice for if its not flat.

getting there...

quick spin on the bike this morning has confirmed that I haven't forgotten how. actually my legs did feel a bit stronger than previously so maybe all those spin classes and indoor trainer workouts haven't been for nothing after all. still i only did about 10k because i thought going top hard or long today would probably defeat the purpose of the exercise...

so as at 10am saturday I am in. Later this arvo I will go down to register and have a swim to see what its like. Then, if that is ok, the only thing that will make me pull out is if it is raining on the course on sunday. probably. maybe.

eeeeeeekkkkk

alllmost there...

I'm kinda decided. I think I will do it. but firstly I am going to go for a swim there tomorrow when I go down to register. And I am going to ride my bike tomorrow morning to make sure I still can...

and then I will decide for sure....

(did I mention that I'm sh*tting myself?? and i haven't even decided!!!)

i'm like a broken record!! luckily its-my-blog-and-i-can-whinge-if-i-want-to :)

Fark-let

(thanks Lulu for coining that phrase - i think it really adds a sense of pain to the word Fartlek nicely :)

I have been a bit lazy on my warm up and cool downs lately. About 2k warm up including all the drills and strides and all of 200m cool down. oops. I did walk in to work though so got to stretch everything out nicely.

Everyone had between 3-6k of 1k fartlek loops. I had 4. I went out quick (is everyone shocked??) but soon settled in and kerry and I passed some people who had gone out even quicker. First 1k loop was 5.18 which I was pretty happy with. I forget the others but I averaged 5.29 and that was 21.46 for the 4k. Not setting any land speed records but a solid effort. I was really conscious of making sure I had a different speed between my surges and my floats. Not a huge difference - but some difference for sure!

Still undecided about Sunday. I go through moments when I feel like of course I should just give it a go - that it would be fine and even though it'll be hard I will tough it out. But then I go - but its sooo hard. I haven't ridden my bike or swum in quite some time! And am I only doing it because I feel like I have something to prove to myself or everyone else, when actually if I don't feel ready for it that is ok too?

anyway - don't have to decide until saturday lunchtime...

?

a quandary... of sorts...

so there is still a teeny tiny little bit of me that would like to give the big triathlon this weekend a go - in spite of my lack of training.

i am very much undecided and have moments of thinking - well why not - I can always dnf if the swim or the ride is too hard and walk on the run course... and then I go - yeah but its all very well to say that now and a completely different thing to say when I'm actually out there doing it.

for one thing, except on my indoor trainer I have never ridden 40k!! I think I could probably do it, but I haven't. I also haven't swum in a few weeks. But to be honest I doubt that makes much difference because I am already ridiculously slow! I've run 10k recently - but it was bloody hard!

anyway - just a bit of a brain dump. i probably won't do it... but then again - maybe I will :)

EDIT - ha! what do you think it means that i wrote this and then didn't go to the gym as planned at lunch and I am probably not going to do anything tonight??? I think maybe the answer is 'don't do it'!!!!

Finally!!!

Back to sweat training with sean this morning. I was a bit nervous but gave my self permission to take this session a teeny bit easy. I had also promised to give Lulu/WTR a dvd so I was struggling for excuses not to go. It didn't even rain until we were on the track. And then its never too bad.

The group was a bit low on numbers and definitely low on blokes (3 at the start!!)- mostly because of the (well deserved) post 6 foot recovery I think. Horrie was there as always. The man is a machine!!!

I had chosen a particularly poor day to get back into it. 4 laps of the lake (5.8k) time trial. Argh!!!! We did the usual warm up, drills, strides and I felt reasonably good on the accelerations which is a sure sign that something is wrong!!

The first lap I predictably went out too fast - but felt good. I knew it was dumb when I looked at my watch at the end of the first km and was on 5.11 pace. So from there it deteriorated. Slower and slower and harder and harder. Becky went past in the second lap and the girls I'd been trying to stick with took off. At the end of 3 laps I decided to stop and I did and then Sean said no way was I stopping. So back I went for another lap. Argh!!!

All up I finished 5.8k in 32.14 - which isn't horrendous. But it sure aint PB time trial pace. Never mind. I got there (number one big win) and I did it. All of it. It wasn't pretty but now I feel pretty good. Walked in to work and managed to get soaked. Ah well. Good times :)

EDIT - lunch - spin class - really worked hard. Have never actually sweated this much. Literally dripping sweat. I hope that means I'm fitter and not that I have some strange late onset sweat producing disease :)

6 Foot Race Report - and a run of my own

Wow - what an unreal weekend.

Left work early on Friday afternoon to pick up Sparkie, the Owl and WTR for a drive up to the Blue Mountains. Our special buddies Go Girl, 2P and Jen_Runs among MANY others were running 6 Foot Track on Saturday and we were official cheer squad and I was also a medal hander-outer-erer at the finish line.

We had a great dinner on Friday in Mount Victoria (where we were staying) and an early night so we could get up at the crack of dawn to get the girls to the start line. Which we did! I loved the atmosphere - every one was excited/nervous/happy. The weather was well behaved which was a big plus. Was great to catch up with so many people and meet a bunch of new runners.

After the start we had a lovely breakfast in Blackheath and a race to the start got us there just in time to see CR Fats win in a record time. Amazing!!!! So many people had great races and I got to be involved in a tiny way by giving all my mates their medals (not that half the people we medalled noticed - most were in a world of pain). I had a bit of a cry when I got a big hug from Jen as she crossed the line. What a brilliant run. Go Girl had a fall which meant she couldn't finish - but there is probably no one I would feel more confident of coming back even stronger next year.

Lovely dinner back at Mt Victoria with the usual suspects and some special guest appearances. I decided not to have tooo many beers in the interests on a run on Sunday morning. Nonetheless it was a great night and awesome to spend it with some very successful 6 footers and some extremely good looking cheer squad members...

Which leads me to Sunday morning - I did it! 10k! Not fast and I kept lagging behind Lulu and Lorna (but luckily they would run back for me sometimes :). It was a slog and there were some long hills but I did it. And glad I did. Thanks Lulu for pushing me for the extra ten mins. Back to SWEAT on Tuesday... eekk... 5.8k time trial...

oops (mark 2)

didn't go to the gym cause i forgot a t-shirt...


Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net

here is a comic instead.


Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net

and another one.

Good luck everyone for 6 Foot!!!! i'm heading up to cheer and award medals. can't wait.

oops

i woke up this morning at 5am and it was pissing down with rain, so no sweat training. next week for sure :)

but - i did go to the gym last night and do a quick 10 mins on the treadmill (and it was quick for me!! 1 degree incline and between 10 and 11kph). Then I did a loooonnnngggg core strength session based on a program I downloaded from Transitions. Was good - but painful. How hard is it to do one of those plank hold things and then lift your legs up and down one at a time?!?!?!! very!!

planning on going back at lunch today - not sure what for... but I'd better decide soon!

what now??

my head is all over the shop at the moment which seems to be a bit symptomatic of my life. I feel very disorganised and unsettled. which i am I guess.

a few reasons for it - one being that I have a new job!!! (just call me the poster child for Gen Y...) However, it is at the same firm, but in the Learning & Development team which is something I've wanted to do for ages. So I am completely excited about that. However, there is a bit of resistance about me leaving my current role so I am dealing with a bit of hostility around that.

also my training is all over the shop. actually that is a lie. all over the shop implies that some is occurring. it isn't. Since I went to Perth, which was a bit traumatic in itself, and I decided not to do the big race in Cronulla I just haven't been able to see any reason to train very hard (or at all...). And I have been going out like I haven't done for quite some time...

[speaking of which - I had an amazing birthday with some amazing people. I feel very spoiled and had such a blast. You know who you are :) ]

anyway so part of me thinks maybe I should just do the tri and see if I survive. the other part thinks - nah - better to do it when I am well prepared and can do it properly and now is the ideal time to get stuck into my base training for next season! (did someone say half IM?? just kidding!!).

this is turning very stream-of-consciousness so might as well continue...

I have also booked 2 weeks holiday at the start of April which will be my first real holiday in over 2 years. I am dying for one!!

I am going to go to Port to watch the Ironman, then a few days in Sydney, then I am heading to Jindabyne for 9 days to go on one of Sean Williams running camps. It will be hard, but there will be people around my standard and I am busting to get out of the city. I need some space and some down time and why not get a good dose of altitude training while I'm at it??

Fun! x

happy birthday to me :)

its my birthday today so i thought i should get my act together and update the blog.

unfortunately training wise there is almost nothing to say. Last night I got back on the wagon and went for a run in the sticky heat with Lorna and Caro to the tune of 8.3k and 57ish mins. I'm glad to be back but it was a struggle.

things have come off the rails a bit following my last post. I had to go home to perth for a week for family reasons which was pretty stressful and I didn't run/ride/swim once while I was back.

I am a bit philosophical about it now but the big triathlon is off the agenda. I really needed that week to get the confidence to do it and now, while I feel I could probably do the distance I just don't have any desire to force myself to do it off this training.

So motivation is low at present but I am just going to try and get back to doing it cause I like it and I like how I feel when I am running/riding/swimming regularly.

27 hey... this is definitely going to be a good year :)