It's been a good week....in fact, it has been a great week! The motivation returned, I'm running every day at least once, sometimes twice....and most of all - I AM LOVING IT!!
Summary of the week so far:
Sunday: 27km Oaks to Nepean Lookout with a detour to view an oddly named rock.
Monday: 5km of shite. Blood sugar went bezerk, legs went shaky and my skin was clammy....at about the three km mark!!!
Tuesday: 9.5km L-l-l-l-loving it again!!!
Wednesday: 10km STILL loving it!!
Thursday: 6.5km bit hot, stinky and thirsty but felt awesome after a shower!
Friday: 9km - new shoes - felt about as bouncy as Tigger.
Tomorrow: 20km I have a plan. There is a 10km loop from my place, which I am going to do twice. It has uphill, downhill, bush steps, a big climb, trail and road. I've often said when pushed for time this would be a good little test, the temptation being after lap one to just call it a day.....
And that, my friends, will be 87km for the week, and will mean I deserve one or two wee glasses of red this weekend.....
Friday, April 30, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Enter The Dragon - Exit Johnny Clarke
Well, the Caterpillar Invasion continues, however the lack of motivation for running in general from last week has gone, replaced by a renewed desire to get out on the road.
Today (Tuesday) had that "First Day Back After A Long Weekend" feeling (because it was). It's a bit like a hangover without the headache. You get lulled into that extra day without responsibilities and it goes to your head. Next you find yourself day dreaming about retirement. Your eyes don't open properly and you feel like you are sleep deprived, even if you had a four hour nana nap the day before. Well, that's how I felt....
Anyway, my office is always freezing and coupled with the fact that I had managed to get some Deep Heat in my eyes last night, I was feeling tired and grumpy and in need of several coffees to kick start anything - brain, manners, mouth. I huddled over my fan heater and contemplated lots of things but achieved nothing.
Feeling cold is never a great motivator to get out and run, but I have this theory that last weeks Achilles problems stemmed from two rest days. So, no matter what, I will run every day. On my "rest" days, I will only run a wee bit. "A Wee Bit" is a very technical term for how much I feel like doing on any particular day.
So - shivering and not feeling into it, with "sort of sore" Achilles, new shoes to break in (another tale of woe) I set off. By the time I got back to work, it was like I had taken some speed or mood enhancing chemical - seriously, what is it about a little jog that sparks up those endorphins and before you know it you are blethering on about god knows what? In fact it was so good, and I had a spare hour this evening, I went out again tonight. And I got my tax forecast to balance, and made a phone call I'd been putting off all of last week. The amazing powers of running endorphins.
So, I now have two weeks before this race. Last weeks running wasn't great, but it wasn't awful either. The few runs I did were good ones. Thursday I was feeling very angry and upset about something and so did laps of Allen Street, which is a rather large hill. To me, it felt like I was going really fast up it. I am sure I wasn't but a bit of fiery temper is a great thing for hills, I find.
Today (Tuesday) had that "First Day Back After A Long Weekend" feeling (because it was). It's a bit like a hangover without the headache. You get lulled into that extra day without responsibilities and it goes to your head. Next you find yourself day dreaming about retirement. Your eyes don't open properly and you feel like you are sleep deprived, even if you had a four hour nana nap the day before. Well, that's how I felt....
Anyway, my office is always freezing and coupled with the fact that I had managed to get some Deep Heat in my eyes last night, I was feeling tired and grumpy and in need of several coffees to kick start anything - brain, manners, mouth. I huddled over my fan heater and contemplated lots of things but achieved nothing.
Feeling cold is never a great motivator to get out and run, but I have this theory that last weeks Achilles problems stemmed from two rest days. So, no matter what, I will run every day. On my "rest" days, I will only run a wee bit. "A Wee Bit" is a very technical term for how much I feel like doing on any particular day.
So - shivering and not feeling into it, with "sort of sore" Achilles, new shoes to break in (another tale of woe) I set off. By the time I got back to work, it was like I had taken some speed or mood enhancing chemical - seriously, what is it about a little jog that sparks up those endorphins and before you know it you are blethering on about god knows what? In fact it was so good, and I had a spare hour this evening, I went out again tonight. And I got my tax forecast to balance, and made a phone call I'd been putting off all of last week. The amazing powers of running endorphins.
So, I now have two weeks before this race. Last weeks running wasn't great, but it wasn't awful either. The few runs I did were good ones. Thursday I was feeling very angry and upset about something and so did laps of Allen Street, which is a rather large hill. To me, it felt like I was going really fast up it. I am sure I wasn't but a bit of fiery temper is a great thing for hills, I find.
Oh - and at the weekend I went to Enter The Dragon Massage Parlour again. This time I loitered with intent until the Fat Sumo Man with the long hair was free. I told him I wanted him to fix my ankles again like he did the last time. You know how they give you a tissue with a hole in it, so that your makeup doesn't go all over their table, and you don't get other peoples face germs? Well by the end of my "massage" (insert the word "torture" here and you wouldn't be far from the truth) this was in shreds. I knew he was doing me good but he practically had to shove my head down the hole because it is very hard to grimace purposefully AND be massaged, because we all know that gritting your teeth and grimacing actually make it better, don't we?
I will admit to having a little sob or two, so ended up with streaks of mascara down my face and so I tried very hard not to make eye contact when I was paying him. I don't think I am going to be able to go back there.
However, Sunday morning we did a 27km run up the Oaks (imaginatively, cos, I never run anywhere else, and lets face it, it is the best trail around) and then off to the Nepean Lookout with a detour out and back to see the Pisgah Rock (or Pigsah Rock, not sure if it is pis or pig). Wow!!! This has been in my backyard all this time and I have never seen it. Gorgeous scenery, the lookout looks down onto the Nepean River and if that sounds boring, you gotta get out there and see it. Just devine. But the really good news was that although I could "feel" the Achilles, it wasn't awful. In fact, the most awful it got was when we stopped, because my bum and back felt unnaturally cold and wet, and it was when I discovered my skirt was halfway down my arse that I realised my new Whiz Bang pack, bought specially for the race was leaking somehow. I knew I wasn't sweating THAT much. So that and shoes are two things to "tweak" before race day.
My beloved Mizunos are dead. They have been through the washing machine about fifty times. All the tread is worn off them. They are the most comfy shoes I ever had, and it took me six months of on again, off again wearing to break them in. So here I am, two weeks before race day with the new Asics I ordered on line two weeks ago still stuck under a cloud of volcanic ash in the UK. So I bought a pair of Adidas (which I took out of the box, left the box in the back of the car, and snuck into the house in my handbag - even I was ashamed of the number of shoes failures of late), which feel "ok" but I am worried about race day, my achilles, blisters and the pure stupidity of leaving it this late.
However, there is no more stressing about this race. What will be will be.
Hopefully it is going to be a fab day out in the bush with a really rewarding glass of red at the end. Amen! I booked accommodation today so it is really happening!!!
The pic below is at Nepean Lookout. Or maybe Pisgah / Pigsah or whatever it is called. But that river below is the Nepean and this photo does not do the view any justice. It is GORGEOUS!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Insane in the Membrane - Insane in the Brain.....
Right. So, I had Monday off from all activity and by Monday evening I was feeling fine, and feeling guilty for not doing anything, but went home, put the feet up and took it easy.
Plan was to have Tuesday off as well, but as I was feeling ok, I thought I'd just do a nice flat run and see how the ankles were feeling. All was well but I am still not getting any faster, even on the flats. However, I read recently that you either increase distance or speed, but not both. And I have ramped up the distance with the last week 67km and the week before 92km.
Now - the dilemma. What to do this weekend. Long run? How long? Should I begin to taper? Hills or no hills?
Then last night I got an email from another North Facer saying they were doing a night time run from the start of the race and then the last two checkpoints. Now I know the last two legs of the race are pretty tough going and includes Kedumba (large, cliff like and 7km of freaking big hill - last time I went up here I fried my achilles).
I went to bed pondering this opportunity. I had one of those dreams about running in the mountains again, this time I dreamt it was a 64km run and it was fine and nothing bad happened and I woke up feeling refreshed and happy. I think my mind is messing with me.
So - Pros for doing the Friday night run:
He did say that if need be, he could pull me up Kedumba with a rope. Note to self: Pack Rope.
My heart is absolutely racing at the thought of this, a mixture of excitement and fear. The scary bit is the pointy green line to the right on the map below - basically going across the Jamison Valley at night in the dark. Am I mad? But then I think about all the crazy mad things that people do and in the grand scheme of things, this isn't really that mad. So it isn't. Potatoes.
Plan was to have Tuesday off as well, but as I was feeling ok, I thought I'd just do a nice flat run and see how the ankles were feeling. All was well but I am still not getting any faster, even on the flats. However, I read recently that you either increase distance or speed, but not both. And I have ramped up the distance with the last week 67km and the week before 92km.
Now - the dilemma. What to do this weekend. Long run? How long? Should I begin to taper? Hills or no hills?
Then last night I got an email from another North Facer saying they were doing a night time run from the start of the race and then the last two checkpoints. Now I know the last two legs of the race are pretty tough going and includes Kedumba (large, cliff like and 7km of freaking big hill - last time I went up here I fried my achilles).
I went to bed pondering this opportunity. I had one of those dreams about running in the mountains again, this time I dreamt it was a 64km run and it was fine and nothing bad happened and I woke up feeling refreshed and happy. I think my mind is messing with me.
So - Pros for doing the Friday night run:
- Organised runs with others are a heap more fun than just plodding along on your own
- An adventure!! In the dark!
- Good training on a tough piece of trail
- Gets my long run over and done with for the weekend, all day to recover Saturday then can fit in another longish one on Sunday
- I have no plans for Friday
- It is going to put me WAAAAAY outside my comfort zone - which will be great for my confidence - AFTERWARDS!!
- The snakes should all be in bed
- I am terrified.
- It will be dark, what if we get lost?
- I am terrified
- What if it is too much too close to the actual race and I don't recover in time?
- I will really slow down the other runner
- Did I mention I was terrified?
He did say that if need be, he could pull me up Kedumba with a rope. Note to self: Pack Rope.
My heart is absolutely racing at the thought of this, a mixture of excitement and fear. The scary bit is the pointy green line to the right on the map below - basically going across the Jamison Valley at night in the dark. Am I mad? But then I think about all the crazy mad things that people do and in the grand scheme of things, this isn't really that mad. So it isn't. Potatoes.
Course map - the entire course
Monday, April 19, 2010
Only two more days without benchtops! This kitchen has taken so long to create, I tell you, the painting of the roof of the Sistene Chapel was probably speedier than the builder we managed to find. I did smile at him through gritted teeth when he informed me it was going to be ANOTHER two weeks after the kitchen is finished to make two cushions for my window seat. I could have knocked up one myself by now...keep smiling, he is already scared of me....I can tell.
Things I found amusing this week: iTunes is telling me that The Beautiful Girls is FOLK music!! Images of people dancing the Polka in dirndl skirts...
Anyway...life....continues to move in mysterious ways. Last week the training was going great guns and I was wildly optimistic about life in general and The Race in particular. This weekend was a total SHAMBLES in terms of training and now I am feeling wildly out of my depth, afraid and wishing to almighty god that I had never entered this race. That's us Librans for you, keen on keeping a balance. One week wild optimism the next we've got the fear of god in us. Maybe that's not balance, maybe that's going from one extreme to the other, but anyway...
Friday night was the engagement party and in my head I envisaged myself bringing a four pack of sparkling mineral water, and staying lovely and clear headed. So I have no idea then how I came to be reaching into the wine fridge in the local bottle shop and extracting a bottle of Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc, and drinking the lot whilst partaking of karaoke singing and dancing around with a microphone in my hand to AC/DCs "It's A Long Way To The Top".
Saturday mornings 30km run was out of the question. I woke up with a face full of cold sores and a thumping headache. There was only one thing for it, so I sent Husband out for a Sausage McMuffin, took some nurofen and went back to sleep.
Was feeling very guilty and stressed however at the lack of running, and was supposed to be going to Star City for the Sales Society Ball, so made my excuses for that, and headed out for a 15km run instead at 4.30pm. It was very dark by the time I got home. I explored some new local streets and to be honest, this run made me feel much better (I sweated out what was left of the Sauv blanc, my face was crispy with salt afterwards).
The plan for Sunday was to get up at 5am and go to SMC to do the Half Marathon. Another EPIC FAIL!!! Went to bed super early, with everything ready to go, woke at 5am and thought, nup, can't get up. Too bloody tired. Treated myself to another three hours in bed and headed off to the Oaks Trail to do a very slow and uncomfortable 18km. Ankles niggling, it felt like an effort to lift my arms - I considered pulling the pin at 2km but persevered, at least the run home was downhill (well sort of, until that last big hill).
Decided to have a few days off. I am totally knackered, and am now having bad dreams again about this race (as well as very jumpy legs every night). I woke up in the middle of the night last night having dreamt I was dying, so found myself sitting up in bed, gulping for breath. Even my dreams are dramatic. My ankles are getting stiff and sore and my heart is not in it. I even cancelled Sven / Darren, so it felt really odd this morning heading off to work without looking like a packhorse, with bags of running gear, gym gear and the like.
Pretty sure a few days off (and NO SAUV BLANC) will fix me up and I will be raring to go by Wednesday!
Things I found amusing this week: iTunes is telling me that The Beautiful Girls is FOLK music!! Images of people dancing the Polka in dirndl skirts...
Anyway...life....continues to move in mysterious ways. Last week the training was going great guns and I was wildly optimistic about life in general and The Race in particular. This weekend was a total SHAMBLES in terms of training and now I am feeling wildly out of my depth, afraid and wishing to almighty god that I had never entered this race. That's us Librans for you, keen on keeping a balance. One week wild optimism the next we've got the fear of god in us. Maybe that's not balance, maybe that's going from one extreme to the other, but anyway...
Friday night was the engagement party and in my head I envisaged myself bringing a four pack of sparkling mineral water, and staying lovely and clear headed. So I have no idea then how I came to be reaching into the wine fridge in the local bottle shop and extracting a bottle of Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc, and drinking the lot whilst partaking of karaoke singing and dancing around with a microphone in my hand to AC/DCs "It's A Long Way To The Top".
Saturday mornings 30km run was out of the question. I woke up with a face full of cold sores and a thumping headache. There was only one thing for it, so I sent Husband out for a Sausage McMuffin, took some nurofen and went back to sleep.
Was feeling very guilty and stressed however at the lack of running, and was supposed to be going to Star City for the Sales Society Ball, so made my excuses for that, and headed out for a 15km run instead at 4.30pm. It was very dark by the time I got home. I explored some new local streets and to be honest, this run made me feel much better (I sweated out what was left of the Sauv blanc, my face was crispy with salt afterwards).
The plan for Sunday was to get up at 5am and go to SMC to do the Half Marathon. Another EPIC FAIL!!! Went to bed super early, with everything ready to go, woke at 5am and thought, nup, can't get up. Too bloody tired. Treated myself to another three hours in bed and headed off to the Oaks Trail to do a very slow and uncomfortable 18km. Ankles niggling, it felt like an effort to lift my arms - I considered pulling the pin at 2km but persevered, at least the run home was downhill (well sort of, until that last big hill).
Decided to have a few days off. I am totally knackered, and am now having bad dreams again about this race (as well as very jumpy legs every night). I woke up in the middle of the night last night having dreamt I was dying, so found myself sitting up in bed, gulping for breath. Even my dreams are dramatic. My ankles are getting stiff and sore and my heart is not in it. I even cancelled Sven / Darren, so it felt really odd this morning heading off to work without looking like a packhorse, with bags of running gear, gym gear and the like.
Pretty sure a few days off (and NO SAUV BLANC) will fix me up and I will be raring to go by Wednesday!
Friday, April 16, 2010
And then I saw the man in the wheelchair....
DID NOT want to run last night. Tired and grumpy on one hand. Terrified of having a day off on the other and feeling like I'm starting all over again. And, to a certain degree basking contentedly in the effort to date.
Anyway, I ended up out on the streets in the dark, internally grumbling to myself.
Then I saw a man in a wheelchair, pushing himself along Rusden Road in the dark. And I felt happy that I can get out and experience that free sensation you get when you run. And the internal grumbling went, and I came home with a big smile on my face, 7km in the bank, and gratitude in my heart.
Anyway, I ended up out on the streets in the dark, internally grumbling to myself.
Then I saw a man in a wheelchair, pushing himself along Rusden Road in the dark. And I felt happy that I can get out and experience that free sensation you get when you run. And the internal grumbling went, and I came home with a big smile on my face, 7km in the bank, and gratitude in my heart.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
More Training Blether
I have a confession. The "real" reason I entered this stoopid race was to lose 5kgs. I reckoned the sheer fear of the event would have me running more and therefore as a result I would lose weight.
I didn't factor in having no kitchen for a month. One sure fire way to take the excitement out of eating is the prospect of washing your dishes in the laundry sink and making everything in a toasty machine.
Those bags of brown rice that you put in the microwave are now my staples coupled with veggie wraps in the toasty machine (with melted cheese on the OUTSIDE, yum). So scales so far have registered about a 2kg loss. 2kg!! I have never worked so hard IN MY LIFE and all I get is a measly 2kgs!! Mind you, I have been having really odd cravings, yesterday I took the day off work so that I could do a long run, which was just as well, because not only was I craving cucumbers and balsamic vinegar, but made a 30km round trip just to pick up some special balsamic dressing....
But seriously, I have put so much into training for this race, and yesterday I was asking myself why. Others I know have grand plans for a podium finish or a certain time they want to achieve. My goals are no less important to me than theirs, but mine is simply to finish within cut off (and I am so well organised that I haven't quite figured what the cut off IS as yet for the marathon pairs)....and not to suffer too much on the day!! Oh, and to enjoy a pleasant day in the mountains!
Anyway, that said, I have stepped up the training again to include a mid week longer run, so yesterday ran from home, down Mitchells Pass, around the river, back up to the Old Highway and up the stairs to Elizabeth Lookout and along Glenbrook Road and up Allen Street to home. I was very pleased with myself to have run (albeit slowly) all the way up all the hills.
So this week so far:
Monday PT Session and 5km on the bike
Tuesday 6.5km
Wed 21.75km
Plan for the rest of the week:
Thurs: 6.5km
Friday 6.5km
Saturday: 30km (but not "mentally" there yet - needing some incentive!!)
Sunday: 16km
Next week will make two of the mid week runs longer.
I am surprised at how well I am recovering from longer runs. I am scared not to run every day - in case I "forget" how to do it!!!!
I have terrible chafing on my back from my new fancy pack - so need to organise some tape or something for race day.
Otherwise all is going well!!
I didn't factor in having no kitchen for a month. One sure fire way to take the excitement out of eating is the prospect of washing your dishes in the laundry sink and making everything in a toasty machine.
Those bags of brown rice that you put in the microwave are now my staples coupled with veggie wraps in the toasty machine (with melted cheese on the OUTSIDE, yum). So scales so far have registered about a 2kg loss. 2kg!! I have never worked so hard IN MY LIFE and all I get is a measly 2kgs!! Mind you, I have been having really odd cravings, yesterday I took the day off work so that I could do a long run, which was just as well, because not only was I craving cucumbers and balsamic vinegar, but made a 30km round trip just to pick up some special balsamic dressing....
But seriously, I have put so much into training for this race, and yesterday I was asking myself why. Others I know have grand plans for a podium finish or a certain time they want to achieve. My goals are no less important to me than theirs, but mine is simply to finish within cut off (and I am so well organised that I haven't quite figured what the cut off IS as yet for the marathon pairs)....and not to suffer too much on the day!! Oh, and to enjoy a pleasant day in the mountains!
Anyway, that said, I have stepped up the training again to include a mid week longer run, so yesterday ran from home, down Mitchells Pass, around the river, back up to the Old Highway and up the stairs to Elizabeth Lookout and along Glenbrook Road and up Allen Street to home. I was very pleased with myself to have run (albeit slowly) all the way up all the hills.
So this week so far:
Monday PT Session and 5km on the bike
Tuesday 6.5km
Wed 21.75km
Plan for the rest of the week:
Thurs: 6.5km
Friday 6.5km
Saturday: 30km (but not "mentally" there yet - needing some incentive!!)
Sunday: 16km
Next week will make two of the mid week runs longer.
I am surprised at how well I am recovering from longer runs. I am scared not to run every day - in case I "forget" how to do it!!!!
I have terrible chafing on my back from my new fancy pack - so need to organise some tape or something for race day.
Otherwise all is going well!!
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