You are currently browsing the monthly archive for March, 2008.
Exercise: 12.5km Run - Yarra Trail -(8’s)
Exercise: 14.1km Run 4 Kids - Melbourne - (8’s)
Michelle and I decided that we would do our extended run before the R4K so that we could meet up with everyone straight after the race.
Everything was going to plan until we came off Citylink. We turned left down Swan Street but they had already barracaded off Batman Avenue so we had to do a u-turn, along with about 20 other cars in front of us.
Once we’d turned around, we found the right street that took us up to Flinders Street. We parked, got ourselves organised and then went looking for the loos. This was where the plan came unstuck. We thought that maybe the toilets would be open at Fed Square - Nope! So we raced across to McDonalds on Swanston Street - still no joy. Headed next door to Hungry Jacks - locked again 
What is it with Melbourne town??? Surely these toilets should have been open??
So we just decided to start running, and ended up where they were setting up the R4K and wouldn’t you know it, there were the portaloos all ready and waiting to be used 
Finally we got some decent running in. Ran down by the Yarra and turned back at the 6km mark. We realised that we were running a bit short on time so we had to up the pace a bit to get back to the car and get changed. We made a quick pit stop at the loos near Fed Square so that we didn’t get caught up in the queues at the start line.
Okay, so we finally get changed, put race numbers on, get fluid and fuel sorted and we jog to the start line. We got a little confused as everyone was moving already so we just jumped into the throng of people and the line just kept moving.
We realised that the race had actually started (on time this year too!!) so we crossed under the start line, started the watches and away we went, having to dodge all the walkers for at least 4km. How do they get that far in front unless they push into the running zone? I’m hoping that the organisers will send out a survey so that we can give them some feedback.
We made sure that we kept a steady pace as last year I ran through the tunnel way too fast and then really blew out after that. The Bolte Bridge came up really quickly and I made sure that I was ready for it this year.
It’s been my big downfall over the last 2 years and I’ve had to walk some of it both years. This year I was determined that I was going to run the whole way with no stops at all. I’ve had a look at the splits and we actually went faster over the bridge than at any other time of the race 
I even got a little bit teary when we reached the top and had to really hold it in otherwise I would have had a really big bawl
Once over the top we ran down to where the next drink station was and had a quick stop to talk to my Mum & Dad who were volunteering there. Then we got going again, all the while counting down the k’s until the finish.
Who put that bloody hill in at Collins Street? 
That tested the legs I have to tell you. I had to point out the statues to Michelle as we went over the bridge and we had a good laugh Last year she pointed them out to me and I said some horrible things back to her through gritted teeth as I was in severe pain and was wallowing in alot of self pity by that stage
We decided that we’d pick up the pace as we came into St Kilda Road and sprinted over the last 400 metres. That was fun 
Then it was a quick chat to all the Ausrunners who were waiting at the finish line, a bit of a walk to grab some water, then back to the car to get changed and fuel back up again, followed by a nice stroll back to the Transport Bar to meet up with all our fellow running friends, including Em, JoJo, Lee, RJ, Andrew, TigerBoy, Renee, Eat Em, Frankie, Sara, Rogo, Kathryn, PJ and also lots of Cool Runners (sorry if I left anyone out).
I loved the run today. It has highlighted how all the training over the last 2 months has been worth the effort.
Unfortunately I woke up this morning about 2am with a bit of a sore throat but shrugged it off (like you do). It has now come back to bite me in the bum big time and I have a very achy body, my nose is stuffed up and my throat feels like I’ve swallowed razor blades 
Exercise: 11.5km Run incl 5 x 800M Yassos (8’s)
Okay, anyone who reckons it wasn’t cold this morning must have a screw loose (Stu?). I had 2 layers, 3/4 pants and my fingerless gloves on and it still took me over 2km before I warmed up enough to even contemplate taking anything off
Round and round the track Michelle and I went this morning. As you can see we have now increased the distance to 800 metres of sprinting - well sprinting for me and Michelle anyway! We’re going to up each rep by 1 every week now until we get to 10. I actually thought it was going to be harder than it was to do the 800 metres but I was pleasantly surprised that it didn’t feel too difficult at all.
I think the biggest problem I have is the smell coming from the Bakery just over the way. Every time we hit a certain point on the track, I could smell all the fresh bread being baked 
For some reason this week I’ve been really pigging out. I know that it’s probably just because I’m doing alot more training, but unfortunately what I’ve been pigging out on does not really help the training Why don’t I have the same urge to eat Chicken and Salad as I have to eat Date Scones, or chocolate coated Licorice?
And another thing, why does Facebook take so long to load??? It’s so frustrating
Exercise: 8km Recovery Run - Treadmill (Trigons)
A wonderfully easy flat run on the treadmill this morning. Very enjoyable, even though I was running on the treadmill rather than out on the road. Sometimes a change is as good as a holiday I suppose
I really thought that my legs would be quite sore after yesterday’s run but they felt great. I even made it through the 8km without stopping once to stretch either. That’s a big improvement for me as I ALWAYS stop halfway through.
Em, yes it was the bubbler at the Baseball fields. Will get my pen and paper out today
And to all the Biggest Loser fans out there - Cosi must go!!
Exercise: 20km Run - Home to MM & Return (7’s Blue)
Wow, what a fantastic thunderstorm last night, and how great was it to actually hear the rain on the roof
So it was with bated breath that I got up this morning to discover that the rain had passed and it was dry again. No excuses then for not running
Michelle met me at my place and we ran from there.
I realised after about 2km that it was quite warm. I’d worn a long sleeved top over my singlet but had to take it off almost as soon as we started running.
We met Corrie at the 3km mark and she ran with us for about 8km before heading off home. We stopped at McD’s for a loo stop and then pushed ourselves on.
I found the run hard this morning. My quads are quite sore so I tried to avoid as many hills as I could. Michelle was happy to avoid them too. I wonder if this means that I need to do more hills or let my legs rest from hills?
Looking forward to my recovery run tomorrow
Exercise: 6km Recovery Run - Local Streets (8’s)
Why is it so hard to get motivated when I don’t have to meet anyone or be somewhere at a certain time??
It took me nearly 1 1/2 hours of faffing around before I finally got out the door to do my run. I think that part of the problem was because I didn’t get dressed straight away. Once I’d actually put my running clothes on, it was much easier to get into the zone
A nice easy run, no pressure at all. I still managed to negative split on the way back though
Then it was off to the footy. Drove over to Michelle’s place and we all piled into one car. We decided to park underneath the Telstra Dome as it was just so much easier than having to find a park away from the ground. And boy did we pay for that ease…..cost us $23
Then we had to try and get a seat. OMG how busy was it
This is where we ended up sitting
We couldn’t see one end of the ground at all and had to watch the screen every time the ball went down that end. Luckily I’d bought binoculars with me so both the girls could see much more clearly what was happening on the ground.
Next time we go, I will be buying tickets online before the game. I’m not going to sit up in the heavens again, that’s for sure.
YAY, go the Bombers!
Exercise: 15km Run - Dandy Creek Trail/Knox Trail (Trigons)
Another really enjoyable run
Michelle and I couldn’t decide if this was going to be called a semi long run or a recovery run, so it’s now classified as a semi long recovery run
The only complaint I have with this run is that I used up all my water in my water bottle but knew that there was a bubbler at the 14km mark so I wasn’t too concerned. It was only when we got there that we discovered there was no water. The council must have turned the water off
I will be writing a letter of complaint to said council!
We actually did a negative split, which is very rare for us
And I’m very happy that my Saucony Trigons held up well. Just a little niggle in my second last toe, but nothing that probably can’t be sorted with a little bit more wear in them.
We’re off to the footy tomorrow - Go the BOMBERS!
Please don’t mention Easter Eggs
Exercise: 19km Run - Trailwaker Checkpoint 3 to 5 (7’s Blue)
I so enjoyed today’s session
Didn’t get off to a good start though. Corrie met me at Silvan Dam and we left my car there and drove back to meet Michelle. For some reason I thought we were meeting her at Belgrave Station, but in actual fact it was at Grants Picnic Ground, which we’d passed on the way down to Belgrave
Once Corrie had driven back up there we got underway.
There were plenty of other Trailwalkers at Grants Picnic Ground, as well as busloads of tourists!
Clematis Track was much easier today, whereby the last time we climbed it, I had to stop a couple of times to get my breath back. I’m still constantly amazed at how much fitter we’ve all become in such a short space of time.
From there we ran through Sherbrooke Forest and over the road through ? Gardens (sorry can’t remember the name).
Then we came to Hacketts Road
Do the photos above tell you anything?
We tackled Hacketts Road like we did Tanty Hill a couple of weeks ago. Zig Zag, Zig Zag. How good did we feel when we got to the top of the hill without stopping once
From there we made our way to Silvan. We didn’t bother actually stopping at Checkpoint 4 as it would have meant retracing our steps once we’d got there so that we could carry on to Checkpoint 5.
We decided that a good run through the forest was called for, including some quite steep down hill running. That was fun, especially as we seemed to get the right sort of momentum which meant no sore knees or quads
Before we knew it we’d arrived at Silvan Dam. Looking back, we hardly stopped today, eating while walking, and no loo stops, so it was a fairly quick time, especially as we knew our way without having to consult the map either.
We’ve decided that we’d like to run the section from Silvan to Olinda and back again once Trailwalker has finished (did I really suggest this???)
Exercise: 9km Run incl 6 x 600m Yassos @ 3min 20sec - Croydon Track (8’s)
As I got into my car this morning there were rain spots on the windscreen
Of course, nothing eventuated out of that and it stayed dry the whole time that Michelle and I were running around the track. We’d decided to increase the distance this week, but reduce the reps to see how we felt.
It felt good We did have to stop and run across the road after our warmup to use the loos though. It’s great that the public toilets are actually open that early. I know from experience that many of them aren’t opened up until after 7am.
Back across the road and we got into the Yassos. The time seemed to pass really quickly and we’d finished them before we knew it…..okay maybe I’m exaggerating a little bit, but I certainly could have carried on and done a few more had it not been for time restrictions and also the loo was calling me again
I had a massage with Corrie last night. I think I’m addicted to cupping She put a few along my ITB and I have to say that I really enjoyed the sensation of her attaching them to my leg….is that weird? Should have seen the look on Alana’s face when Corrie lit up the thing that she uses to heat up the cups - it was priceless
Mary, in response to your question, I’ve never actually seen the girl get off the treadmill as she’s still on it when I leave the gym. she must do over an hour!
Looking forward to doing some major hills tomorrow whilst munching on Hot Cross Buns
Exercise: 6km Recovery Run - Treadmill (Trigons)
Today’s run is dedicated to Mary
This morning’s run was a bit of a struggle. Not a struggle as far as the legs felt fine, but just a struggle doing the 6km.
My chafing is really starting to be an issue so I’m going to look at buying some Striderm that Lee mentioned. I know that Sportshield works too, but I want to try other things. The Bepanthen works fine for my bra area, but not really that well for the inner thighs.
I’m sure I would not be suffering so badly if I wore longer running shorts but that would mean doing more shopping and I really am trying to curb my spending a little bit at the moment.
The walking treadmill girl was at the gym again this morning and I was watching her in the mirrors (like you do!!) and she leans right back on the treadmill while holding on. I’m sure that can’t be good for her back at all. I wonder why the PT’s don’t say anything to her. Surely they can see that what she’s doing is just not a good thing!
Exercise: 18km Run - Home to MM & Return (7’s Blue)
OMG how warm was it at 6am I was already sweating bucket loads before I’d hit the 2km mark.
Michelle met me at my place and we headed out to MM for a nice easy jaunt. However, the jaunt turned nasty when I started to chafe The top insides of my legs now look like somebody has hacked at them with sandpaper
I had plenty of energy up until the 9km mark and then I suddenly lost it all. Took in a Gel, which I hoping would kick in straight away (but didn’t) and carried on running.
We diverted to McD’s for a loo stop and a fill of the water bottles, then headed back out again. By this time it was even warmer and the sweat was just dripping off me. Not a pretty sight I can tell you!!
Sadly we had to cut the run a bit short due to time constraints, but I was happy with the 18km (we had wanted to do 20km).
I’m sure you could all hear me screaming in agony when I hopped into the shower and the water hit the insides of my legs
At work this morning we had a morning tea put on for us, which consisted of Hot Cross Buns and loads of mini eggs in all varieties. The Hot Cross Bun went down really nicely, but after 4 mini eggs I actually started to feel a bit sick. I’ve walked back past the table with them on a few times now and I have no urge at all to eat more.
Something is wrong with me, call the Doctor, pronto
Exercise: Netball Game (Propels)
There’s only one thing I can say about this game. It was HOT, HOT, HOT
We won by 3 goals, but really we shouldn’t have won. And to make matters worse, the other team only had 5 players
Exercise: 7km Recovery Run - Treadmill (Trigons)
I’m really amazed at how quickly my body is recovering from long runs. Even though it was a slow run this morning, there was absolutely no pain and I really had to put hardly any effort in either
There’s just a slight niggle in my right knee, but I’ve got an appointment to see Corrie on Wednesday so she should be able to fix it, right Corrie
I also think that standing in the ocean yesterday as soon as we’d finished our run made a huge difference to leg recovery. I wish there was an ocean near to every long run that I do, because getting into an icy cold bath just isn’t the same
Now I have to ask this question of anyone who walks on the treadmill. There’s a girl who is at the gym alot, well every time I’m there so is she. She walks on the treadmill at a huge incline, which is great, but she holds onto the rail the whole time. Now I would have thought that by holding onto the rail you lose the purpose of walking on an incline, which is to use those butt muscles to power you up the hill. By holding onto the rail, does this not defeat the object??? Surely you should be using your arms to power up the hill? Anyone care to correct me (please)
Alana had her hair cut on Saturday. I think she was a little bit nervous beforehand, especially as she’s never actually had a proper haircut (unless you call my efforts a haircut!) but once she’d had it cut she was really happy about it (phew!). Here’s a few photos of before and after.
Alana’s Quote: “Mum that house looks demented!” (I think she meant delapidated, although who knows where she picked up that word from!!)
Exercise: 25km Run/Walk - Beach Road (8’s)
Thought we’d do something different for training this week so The Girls set out from Mordialloc for a nice flat 25km run.
How good is it to run without the hydration pack We still had our fuel belts though, which were very necessary as it was really hot out there today.
There were loads of cyclists on the road, and plenty of people on the beach even though it was only 9am
For me, the first 20km felt really good. It was only after we stopped so that Corrie could grab a Gatorade from a Milk Bar that my legs started to fatigue. After that it was a real hard slog to get back, especially as the sun was really pelting down. Poor Em was suffering today but even though she didn’t feel great, she still dug in and did the distance. What a gal
We had to run down a very steep hill to get back on to the trail that runs along the beach and it was only then that my ITB started to play up a little bit and it was all downhill for me from there
We walked the last 1.5km back to Mordialloc. As soon as we got back, the first thing we did was take our shoes and socks off and hop into the water. OMG how fantastic did that feel. Corrie and Michelle decided that they’d go the whole hog and dove in. Em and myself were somewhat more restrained and stood in the water up to the top of our shorts so that we didn’t get wet.
I would have loved to stay on the beach and just wallow in the shallows but we all had to get back home
The start
The middle
The end
Exercise: 10.2km - Yassos at Croydon Track (7’s Blue)
Met Michelle at 6am to do some Yassos. We enjoyed running at Croydon Track so much last week that we decided to do it again
We ran 26 laps around the track I know what the Garmin picture is going to look like
Pace was good. Recovery after each Yasso was pretty easy too. Things are looking up. Even the temperature was good. Not too warm at that time of the day.
We had the track to ourselves this week too
Exercise: Cross-trainer, Rowing Machine, Skipping, Core work
I got to the gym this morning and really didn’t feel like doing any running, so I didn’t
Instead I did a 20 minute sweat session on the cross trainer, followed by a 1km row and a 5 minute skip.
I did consider jumping on the treadmill at this point for a quick 15 minute run, but thought that maybe my core could do with a little bit of work instead.
I kind of felt like I hadn’t really worked that hard when I’d finished, even though I know my heart rate was up and I was sweating. Nothing really ever seems as exhausting as running any more
Alana’s Quote: “Mum was that a morning yawn or a tired yawn?”
Exercise: 8km Recovery Run - Treadmill (Trigons)
Okay, what’s happening here….I bounced out of bed when the alarm went off this morning, even though I hadn’t gotten to sleep until after 11pm last night
I’ve taken the last 2 days as rest days, just so that my legs could recover from the weekend.
As Monday was a holiday, Michelle and I met up at Lystefield Lake with her girls and Alana. It was a fantastic afternoon, just lazing in the shade, pigging out on munchies and having a good old girly gossip. The kids had a great time too, being in the water most of the afternoon. It was a real struggle to get them out when it was time to leave.
I had planned on getting up yesterday morning to do a recovery run at the gym, but when the alarm went off I realised that my legs were still too sore to contemplate any kind of running. Even last night, with a window of opportunity open to me, I made the decision to just give my legs another 12 hours to rest.
This morning was probably one of the best runs that I’ve had on the treadmill in a long time My plan was to do a 6km recovery run, but the legs just felt so strong that I ended up doing 8km instead. And I could have kept going if not for running out of time. I absolutely love that feeling when you finish a run knowing that it was a good one
With all the training that I’ve been doing, somehow I’ve lost my bum. Hubby gave me a cuddle this morning and he gave my bum a pinch and there’s just nothing there any more All of my pants now seem to just sag around that area. Not the best look, I have to say. Unfortunately the same can’t be said for my stomach region. More core work needed me thinks
Exercise: 55km Trailwaker Session - Olinda to Wesburn (8’s 30km) (7’s Blue 25km)
Well this was certainly a real test of endurance. How would we fare? Could we go the distance? Could we walk up that monster of a hill when we were really tired and it was dark?
I met Em at Wesburn, left her car there and headed back to Woori Yallock where Corrie and Michelle had parked their cars.
Corrie had an esky full of ice so we loaded it up with food that we would need when we got back there for dinner - some 6 hours later
We all then jumped into my car and drove to Olinda - our starting point for the day. We got ourselves organised, taking into account the obligatory photo and loo stop before we set off on our way.
Michelle hadn’t done this part of the course before, whereas everyone else had, so we were pretty confident with where we were going. This meant that we didn’t have to keep stopping to look at the map and we made really good time.
We got to the start of the Warby Trail and had a brief stop and stretch (sorry Em about the photo )
From here we did a run 4km, walk 1km routine, but unfortunately my ITB started to play up and by the time we got to Woori Yallock, some 15km away, it was really, really sore and I wasn’t sure that I could go any further
Luckily Michelle had Nurofen to kill the pain and Corrie had Anti Inflam Gel to keep the swelling down, and after some much needed food and drink, followed by a change of clothes, I felt much better.
We set off from Woori with 2 extra passengers - Hunter the Wonder Dog and Mark. It was pitch black already, but we had tons of lighting between the four of us to keep things from getting too scary!
We trudged along to Yarra Junction, which took us about 2 hours as we were reduced to a walk because of my ITB. Working it out I couldn’t believe how long it would take us if we kept walking, so decided to try some running. Corrie very graciously let me use her ITB strap as she wasn’t having any problems with her ITB, and this helped tons
We eventually got to the turnoff at Warburton and headed up into the bush and the ever approaching Tanty Hill
I was really surprised at how much easier it was to get up the Backstairs Track and I only had to stop once near the top. We then had to navigate down some hills, which were quite treacherous due to lots of loose rock. It would have been really easy to do an ankle or slip over.
So we get to Tanty Hill. Mark and Michelle power up it, followed closely by Corrie and Hunter (I’m sure she used Hunter to help pull her up the hill!!!). Emma and I zig zagged our way up slowly, not once even considering stopping. WOW!! We made it to the top and everyone seemed relieved that the really hard part was over
Or so we thought
Just a small tactical error, where we took a right turn instead of a left and we ended up wandering around the bush for an extra 30 minutes more than we should have! Yes, I hold up my hand and admit that it was me who said to turn right instead of left
I was asked the following day why we didn’t use either of the Garmins, with their GPS navigation, to lead us back to where we should have been OMG, how embarassing…..why didn’t I think of that!!!
I finally got into bed at about 3.30am. Pure bliss to finally lay down in a nice warm, soft, comfortable bed
Exercise: 1000 Steps x 2 (7’s Yellow)
Alana asked me during the week if we could go to the 1000 steps, and I couldn’t think of a reason not to go, so that’s what we did this morning.
Michelle and her crew came along too, so it was a very large bunch of loud giggly girlies who took up most of the track getting to the stairs
It took us about 20 minutes to get to the top of the stairs. This included a few stops so that the kids could get their breath back, and for all the tantrums and tears that always happen
We got there in the end though. We then walked up to where the drinking fountain was, only to discover that the wasps were also parched and were buzzing around the fountain. So I ended up doing the wasp dance (don’t ask ) so that everyone could get a drink!
Once we’d gotten back down the stairs, the kids decided that they wanted to continue on down to the car park to play on the swings and climbing frame. Michelle’s oldest daughter was happy to accompany them down, so Michelle and I decided to do the steps a second time
This time it took us 12 minutes, with no stops until we reached the top I felt great this time, compared to the first time when I was really struggling for breath and had to keep stopping on the way up as it was just so hard!
We walked back down the Lyrebird Track, which is a track that runs down the side of the mountain. It is fairly steep but it was much easier walking down the track than having to walk back down the steps. It seemed alot less pressure on the knees.
Thoroughly enjoyed the morning
I even had enough energy left, when I got home, to get out in the garden and do some gardening. Back garden looks much tidier now that the lawn has been mowed and some of the weeds have been pulled out. I even gave the Lime tree and the roses a good trim!
Just hope the hamstrings don’t feel it too much tomorrow as The Girls are doing a 54km training session
EDIT: For those of you asking about Yassos, here is a link to an explanation
Exercise: 8km Run incl 8×400 Yassos - Croydon Track (7’s Blue)
I had a brainwave last night (they don’t come often you know 
). Anway Michelle and I had organised to meet up at MM to do our Yassos this morning, but then I thought that it may be easier if we did them at the Croydon Athletics track.
So we met at Croydon track….at 5.45am Michelle had to be home a bit earlier this morning so it was in the pitch black that we started warming up. Actually that’s not true. I had bought some new batteries for my light that clips to the peak of my cap, so we ran with that turned on.
We also had to run around the group of men/youths who were hogging ALL of the track in the straight. Surely they could have had the common courtesy of just moving across a little bit, instead of Michelle and I having to run off the track, into the dirt, just to avoid them.
I’m not sure of the exact distance as we had to stop a couple of times to adjust the Garmins. I had mine set up originally to gauge time (2 min 15 sec) and then recovery time (2 min 15 sec) using the Virtual Partner and Michelle had hers set to tell us when we’d run 400 metres. Unfortunately this didn’t work very well as mine has lost it’s sound so even if we were running too fast, my Garmin wouldn’t have made any chimes to let us know.
So we stopped after the first lap and Michelle changed her Garmin so that we could hear the Virtual Partner telling us when we were running too fast (like that happens very often!!) and I had mine set to tell us when we’d run 400 metres. This worked much better, although I didn’t realise that when the yasso session had finished, my Garmin stopped recording the distance, so it didn’t add on the cool down (forgot to tick that little box ). I’ve only had the Garmin for 2 years, so I’ll work out how to use it eventually
Exercise: 6km Recovery Run - Treadmill (Trigons)
Another recovery run at the gym. Legs are a little bit sore from yesterday’s long run and it did take me a little while to actually get into the run, but once the legs had warmed up, it got easier. I was considering extending the run another km, but I’d had enough when I got to 6km so finished it there.
I went over to the weights area and did a few sets for my biceps and shoulders. There was this girl also in the weights area and she’d pretty much taken up the whole area by putting the bench width ways across and right in the middle, so there was hardly any room behind her, or in front of her, as she was doing leg squats, which meant that she was right out in front of the bench. She’d also taken up most of the area where the mirrors are, and even though I’m not a big fan of standing in front of them, it’s good to see how your form is when doing the weights.
So I went and stood in front of her, but a little to the side 
I think she realised then that she had taken up most of the room, but she still didn’t move. Sheesh
I’ve found another good running Bra. It’s the Champion Double Dry Distance Bra and it’s half the price of the Enell, but is just as supportive.
Exercise: 20km Run - MMCT (8’s)
Met Michelle at MM. What a beautiful morning for a run. It was a bit chilly at first (and still very dark), and wearing my running skirt, I certainly felt the cold, but once the sun came up, it was lovely.
This is probably the longest run I’ve done where I haven’t done any walking at all during the run, and I have to say that it felt really good. The legs felt strong, and it was actually my butt that I could feel more than anything else. I put that down to playing Netball on Monday night.
We even managed to sprint the last 200 metres
I haven’t really mentioned my weight recently as I’m not really focusing on it too much. My main goal now is to get fit enough and strong enough for the GC Marathon.
The offshoot is that my body shape is changing, and although I am losing weight slowly, I’m starting to tone up and can definitely feel the difference in my clothes and how they sit on me now. I do still weigh myself daily, but I’m not going to dwell on the numbers too much. Saying that, I have about 5kg to lose to get to my ideal weight
Exercise: 6km Recovery Run - Treadmill (Trigons)
Brought a new pair of trainers out of the cupboard this morning. They felt quite good, although I thought there might have been a small blister developing on my right arch. Luckily there was nothing there when I took my sock off. I think maybe they just weren’t tight enough. Anyway I’ll now use them as part of my rotation.
Looks like the Hurricane 7’s in Yellow are now ready for retirement. They’ve served me well though and they still feel great, but they’ve got nearly 900km’s on them, so I’ll put them to the back of the cupboard for now. Goodbye old friends
I’m really starting to enjoy my training program………OMG, did I just say that
I had a look at it this morning and I realised that I should have done 10km of hills yesterday morning, not the 8km that I did. Must pay more attention to the plan. Now, do I make up the extra 2km of hills this week, or just put it down to lack of attention and carry on with the rest of the week? Decisions, decisions!!
And why is everyone else getting their R4K race kit in the mail and not me
Exercise: Netball (8’s)
Just a quick update. We had a win at Netball - Yay!!
It was really stifling inside the Basketball complex. There is no cooling at all, unless you consider an open side door as cooling. Sweated buckets.
Of course I had to go into the Supermarket afterwards to grab some essentials that we’d run out of at home. I’m sure I could see people wrinkling their noses as I got close to them Bit smelly I was
Exercise: 8km Hills - Treadmill (7’s Yellow)
Oh how those sleep demons wanted me this morning. They tried so hard to drag me back down onto the pillow and close my eyes, and for about 10 minutes they nearly had their way, which is why I got to the gym 5 minutes later than normal
I can’t begin to tell you (and I know I keep going on about it) how relieved I am that my calf has come good. So it was with a feeling of confidence that I tapped the hill program into the treadmill. Having done it once before, I knew what to expect this time. How great is it when you can do a program and finish knowing that there’s still a bit of life left in the old legs
The family visited the Motor Show yesterday. Alana is a car fanatic. She absolutely loves Top Gear and can reel off all the numbers and technical stuff about any of the cars that they feature. Her favourite car is the Bugatti Veyron, followed by the Audi R8. When she found out that both of these cars were going to be at the Motor Show, she got very excited.
Once we’d walked into the place, the only stand she wanted to see was the Bugatti one. It took us a while to find it, but once there, she just couldn’t get enough of it. Unfortunately it was surrounded by a perspex fence, so we couldn’t get up close, but she got up close and personal to the R8, so she was happy with that. We got some pretty good photos of her posing next to the car too.
Happy to say that I’m back on track this week with my Marathon training plan. Things are looking good
Exercise: 6km Recovery Run - Local Streets (8’s)
Had a wonderful sleep in this morning. It’s so nice not to have to get out of bed early for a change.
Michelle came over to my place about 2.30pm and we nipped out for a really easy 6km recovery run. The legs felt great. I’m so happy that I haven’t done any damage to the calf.
We then got ourselves all spruced up to go and see Rod Stewart at Rochford Winery. What a fantastic evening. We set up our chairs and our esky in a great spot where we could see the big screen but still had tons of room around us. There must have been 5,000 people there, with not many under 40’s
Lots of good wine, yummy food, laughter and loads of singing. What more could you ask for
A huge thankyou to my wonderful hubby for driving us there and picking us up at the end of the night.
Exercise: 30km Run/Walk - Trailwalker - Warby Trail (7’s Blue)
Well I’m happy to report that my massage session with Corrie was a great success. She pummeled the calf into submission, and although it’s been a bit sore, the actual pain has gone. I’ve been icing, stretching, massaging and rubbing every kind of oil and lotion into it that I can lay my hands on. The house has a constant smell of Deep Heat
What a great night for running. We started off at Mt Evelyn. Very strange to be running at night. Both Em and myself had headlamps, and as Em tends to run out in front (because her gait is naturally longer and faster) there was plenty of light to run along the trail.
We ran alot of the way, stopping occasionally to stretch and eat lollies Had a good 4km walk as we neared Woori Yallock. We then turned around and did a run 4km, walk 1km session on the way back. By the time we’d reached Wandin I was ready to stop, but we still had another 5km before we reached Mt Evelyn. So I got into my train mode (head down and just keep shuffling) and kept running. Unfortunately the legs had had enough with about 1.5km to go, so Michelle and I walked the rest of the way.
I’m so glad that I’ve not seen any of those spooky movies that Em was talking about on her blog otherwise I would have been freaking out every time I heard a noise in the bush (and there were lots of noises, I can tell you). Luckily Corrie had brought Hunter the Wonder Dog with her and he had a great time chasing all the noises away
It was weird getting home at 1.15 in the morning. Felt like I’d snuck out of the house without telling the parents
This was the girls before we set off. Em has a great picture on her blog which was taken just as we’d finished.
