You are currently browsing the category archive for the 'Uncategorized' category.
Exercise: 20km Run - MMCT (8’s Blue)
I made sure I was up in time to watch the Women’s Marathon this morning.
I haven’t really taken much interest in the Olympics on TV but this is one of 2 things that I really wanted to watch. The other is the Mens Marathon, which, unfortunately is being televised at the same time as our Ultra run on Sunday.
Note to self: Get Hubby to set Video!
Once the Marathon had finished, I raced out the door to meet Michelle at MMCT for a nice easy 20km run. It was great running weather too, as the rain had gone and the sun was trying to come out from behind the clouds.
We ambled along, enjoyin the chat, making a pit stop at McDonalds (another reminder to self: do NOT eat red meat the night before a run!!). Now can anyone who works at, or has worked at McDonalds, answer me this. Are the toilets not supposed to be checked hourly? If so, why is it that there was absolutely NO toilet roll on either of the toilet roll holders 
Anyway we ran back down to the cars, had a quick drink and decided that we’d try and find the new Eastlink trail. Just as we were running down towards Eastland who should we see coming the other way but Corrie and her dog Hunter. So they joined us for around 8km. The more the merrier 
Why is it that I don’t seem to be able to get any kind of rythmn going until about 10km into the run? And of course we got to the 20km mark and I just felt like I could have carried on for at least another 10km 
So this week is a bit of a taper in the lead up to the 53km Ultra on Sunday. Just some nice easy runs, maybe with a couple of hills thrown in on Wednesday
Exercise: 20km Run - Local Streets (7’s Blue)
Bad, bad, bad. That’s all I can say about this run.
Michelle had to listen to me whinge, moan and complain for the whole 20km’s. Poor chick
My legs were like lead, my ankles hurt, my tummy wasn’t happy either 
But I was damned if I was going to give up. This week is all about keeping to my training plan, and if it says do a 20km run, I’m doing a 20km run 
Luckily I had an appointment with Corrie after my run, which helped my muscles stop hurting. She also found loads of sore spots which I wasn’t aware of
Some new shoes have arrived. One pair for me, one pair for Michelle
These are Saucony Fastwitch. A very lightweight pair of trainers.
Check out what’s written on the bottom of them
Exercise: 10km Run incl 9×400m Yassos - Treadmill (Trigons)
Okay, just to clear up a point that Michelle made in her comment yesterday, I admit that it was only me who didn’t want to run on Sunday. Michelle was happy to go out but I just didn’t want to run in the cold, wet conditions. So it was me who wussed out, not Michelle
So, back to tonight’s run. The treadmill is a great tool for doing speed work. It really keeps you honest and you can’t back off at any point (unless you press the button to slow down of course 
)
My only mistake tonight was forgetting to put Bodyglide under my arms. Ouchy!
You gotta laugh at some of the Personal Trainers who work at gyms. I was in the middle of doing a Yasso, running at 11.5kph, trying to keep form ( ) when one of the personal trainers, who must have wanted to waste a bit of time, decided she wanted to have a chat, so jumped on the treadmill next to me and started asking questions about what I was doing, what speed, what recovery etc!
Now I’m all for enjoying a chat about running, but not when I’m having enough trouble just trying to breathe in enough air to finish the yasso BUT, it was still nice for someone to be interested, especially as this doesn’t happen very often at the gym I go to!
Exercise: 14km Run - Treadmill (8’s Blue)
So the whole weekend was a write off 
I’m kicking myself now that I didn’t take up Michelle’s offer of starting our long run at 6am on Saturday. It was a beautiful morning and would have been great running weather, especially as we were going to do a 30km long run through the hills.
Of course waking up on Sunday morning to torrential rain and freezing conditions certainly didn’t put a smile on my face
We made the decision not to run, especially as we would be running to Olinda, which was having it’s first snowfall for a while. I really wasn’t happy as I’d been looking forward to this run all week, but it would have been quite dangerous to run up and down the hills in those conditions (okay that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it!!).
So we changed our plans. Michelle was going to meet me at my place this morning for a 15km run around the streets. I got up at 5.35am to find a text message saying that there was no way Michelle was going to run in the torrential rain that was happening outside - and boy was it torrential
This only left one option for me. The dreaded treadmill at the gym after work
My aim was for 15km, but I just couldn’t run any more at the 14km mark, so called it a day. My right glute has been playing up a bit and I’ve still got a niggle at the back of my left knee. I certainly felt them both tonight.
I had to laugh though, as there was a Step class starting whilst I was running on the treadmill, and the looks on some of the women’s faces when they walked out after their class to still see me running was priceless. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone run more than about 5km on the treadmills, so to see someone on the treadmill for more than 1.5 hours must have been a bit of a shock for them.
Hope everyone’s water tanks are filling up fast 
Exercise: 18.5km Run - Local Streets (8’s)
Yes, I’m still here. You all know by now that lack of posting on blog means lack of running
I’ve now arranged my working week so that I can leave work early one day per week to do a long run. This means that I don’t have to get up ultra early or run late in the evening, which suits me just fine.
Michelle was already waiting at my place as I raced home from work to get changed and back out the door in double quick time. Even though I got to finish work early, there are still time constraints with picking up Alana after school.
I’d mapped out a 20km run which took in a few inclines and a couple of hills (honest Michelle, I forgot about the bigger hills when I mapped it out!!!).
It took me a while to get into the run, and poor Michelle had done a 15km hill run yesterday afternoon so her legs were feeling it too.
We needed a loo break during the run, and luckily we ran past my Sister’s house and she was home. I knew Sisters were there for a reason
Back out again and we were on the home straight. Okay, it wasn’t actually straight and there were still a few hills, but we were heading home
All up we had to cut it a bit short as I ran out of time, but 18.5km is still a good hitout midweek for me. I need to start incorporating more hills now due to the events that Michelle and I want to enter, so we’ll probably be doing alot more running through the mountains, up hill and down dale
And did I tell you that I got 8 correct in my footy tipping last week
Exercise: Netball Game (Propels)
I had decided that I wasn’t going to play the winter season of Netball but had told the team that if they were desparate I could fill in. They were desparate
I do enjoy playing Netball, and tonight’s game was no exception. We even won
Sometimes I wonder how people get employed. I’m sure so many people lie on their Resume’s to make themselves sound more experienced than they are. We’ve got a couple of IT people working for us who are absolute morons!!
I got to work at 9am this morning to be told that the network was offline due to a problem that happened on Saturday. This meant that I could not access email, internet or print anything out on our printers (because they’re networked!!).
And these 2 idiots didn’t keep anyone informed as to what was happening, so there were people asking all day “what’s happening, can we do anything yet?” I mean, what would it have taken to just put a PA announcement out to staff explaining where they were with it.
Then, because they couldn’t fix it themselves, even though they’d created the problem, they had to get somebody from outside to come in and fix it! I’m still shaking my head at the stupidity of these people…..and I’m sure they’re getting paid more than me too
So do you like the latest addition to my running collection?
These are Saucony Grid Sinisters…….
Exercise: 34km Run - Bellarine Rail Trail (8’s)
Well after getting minimal sleep last night and waking up with a nasty headache, I was probably not in the right frame of mind to do the run today.
But after the Advil took effect and the stomach was full of coffee, I jumped in the car to head over to Michelle’s place a much happier person
Eat Em drove us down to Geelong, with myself, Michelle and Tiger Boy as company. We arrived with about 30 minutes to spare, so of course me and Michelle made a beeline to the toilets. It was only when we got back, after trekking through the showground for a good 5 minutes to get to the toilets, that we were told the ones in front of where we were parked had been opened up
There were plenty of familiar faces, inclduing WOOH, Sam and Kevin Cassidy. There were also lots of familiar faces who I do not actually know to name, but just to recognise their face.
There was a big crowd doing this Fat Ass run today and I think that was due to the fact that Lee Troop was doing the run, and also doing a talk at a local cafe after the run. How cool is it to be within spitting distance to one of Australia’s great runners
Michelle and I got into our normal stride pretty early and we were also joined by Coolrunner’s Courtley Love (Elizabeth). I’m not sure who talked more, her or Michelle, but it was good just to be able to run along without having to exert too much energy on talking. I’m not saying that I didn’t do any talking, but there was always conversation flowing
I am so happy with today’s run. I felt so strong and Michelle had to reel me back in a couple of times as I just wanted to get to the finish so my pace increased. I know that she did the right thing in pulling me back as I would hate to be too sore to run for the rest of the week
So once we got to the finish line we got changed, put on the Skins and had a little wander into Queenscliff (which is where the run finished). We found a bakery and I grabbed a Latte. My stomach just couldn’t seem to handle the thought of any food at that time, which is a little concerning as I really need to find food that I will be able to eat when doing the upcoming 52km Ultra Round The Tan. Need to keep working on that.
We got dropped back at the car and then waited for Tiger Boy, who was in the next wave of people being dropped back from Queenscliff. A nice casual drive back to Michelle’s place and then on to home
Here are a few photos from the day. And might I add that the weather was absolutely fantastic. I was so worried last night when it was still pouring with rain at 8pm. How quickly Melbourne weather changes
Exercise: 10km Run - Croydon Hills (7’s Blue)
Pinch, punch, first day of the month
What a great feeling after a run to think “that wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be!!”.
I haven’t really run many hills since Trailwalker so I was a bit dubious about being able to do our run this morning without having to walk up some of the hills. Not once did we stop for a walk break, and I can even brag that we talked the whole way round
I was reminded last night that there is a 4 day event coming up in November that I was very keen to put in my diary last year. It’s suddenly not far away so a decision needs to be made whether to do it or not. Spoke to Michelle this morning and the outcome is YES, we are going to do it
Amazing, amazing, amazing sunset last night. I wish I’d had my good camera as the mobile phone just didn’t do it justice
These photos were over the course of about 10 minutes. It’s amazing how quickly it changes!
Exercise: 5km Run - Treadmill (8’s Blue)
Just a quick 5km run at lunchtime. Sticking to the plan
Going to see Corrie tonight. My right glute is giving me a bit of hassle and I seem to have acquired another little niggle behind my left knee
And can you please all pop over to Michelle’s new blog and say hi…..yep she’s finally entered the 21st century
I’ve got lots of good viewing to watch. Have downloaded the whole series of the latest US “So You Think U Can Dance”. Means that I don’t have to sit through millions of adverts and I don’t have to wait to see who won
Exercise: 10km incl 8 x 400m Yassos at 11kph - Treadmill (8’s)
OMG, how cold was it
Hands up everyone who had to scrape ice off their windscreens this morning
So taking that into account, and the fact that I had a really late night, there was no way I was getting out of bed to go running. Roll on Spring
By not getting out of bed, this meant that I had to get my a*se into gear and do my running tonight, and once again it was freezing cold. Just as well I have a gym membership
Doing Yassos on the treadmill was not as boring as I thought it was going to be. I started off with a 2km warm up, and then jumped straight into it. I had the treadmill on 11.5kph, but after 2 Yassos (with a 2 min 15 sec recovery inbetween) I felt that I was quite fatigued so I reduced the speed to 11kph. This felt much more comfortable, but still pushing a bit.
My aim was to do 10 Yassos of 400m, but unfortunately I ran out of time as I had to go and pick Alana up from Cubs. I may need to change my week around so that I can do them on a night where I don’t have time constraints.
So I’ve brought 3 new running bras in the last month or so and thought I’d give you a bit of feedback for anyone interested.
The first one is the Champion Double Dry Marathon Bra. I bought this last month from Ladies Only Sports in the US (I think they are an old line now as they’re really hard to find) and it is really supportive but still has a bit of bounce in it. Not bad if you’re not aiming to run a marathon. It has adjustable straps and is underwired but the cup is fairly soft, so you don’t look like you have Madonna boobs
Then there’s the Moving Comfort - Maia Bra. I bought this one from Running Warehouse @ $33.95US. Ran in it last night and it’s better than the Champion one, although there’s no adjustable straps on it (apart from the doing up bit) and the straps are quite large. I’m normally a 34DD but I bought a 34D (as that’s all they had) and it fits me fine.
Lastly there’s the sports bra I bought from Bras ‘n Things. When I tried it on I thought it was a 12DD (as that’s what was on the hanger). It was only when I got it home that I realised it was a 12D. This one cost me $50 and I have to say that I was quite impressed with it. Still a little bit of bounce, but not enough that you really notice.
Of course the Enell is still the bra of choice when it comes to minimum bounce (they hold the jugs in really, really tight) and they are definitely worth the money, it’s just when it comes to looks, they are way down the bottom of the list.
Thought to self……..maybe my boobs are shrinking
Exercise: 20km Run - Dorset Golf Course & Croydon Track (7’s Blue)
Michelle and I had organised to meet up at midday at her place to do our long run. Of course the heavens opened up and it was pouring with rain, so we made the decision to wait a while and then do our own thing once the rain stopped.
As I already had my gear on ready to go, I just waited it out…..and waited……and waited
Finally I got off my butt and got going. It was much later than I planned but I was pleasantly surprised to find that I felt full of energy, which showed in my splits
No wonder I’m a bit sore today. Must ring Corrie and get an appointment. Haven’t been to see her since before the GC Marathon so I think I’m due for a bit of torture massage
Exercise: 7km Run - Yarra Trail (8’s Blue)
Having stayed up in town last night, what better way to start the day than a lovely jog down along the Yarra
Loads of tourists around, but also lots of runners, cyclists, rowers etc.
I probably could have run further but I didn’t have anything to eat before the run and my tummy was rumbling for food, so I just did a loop up to whatever the bridge is opposite Anderson Street and back into town.
And speaking of being in town, I did manage to frequent the Casino for a bit of a flutter. I almost collapsed at the bar though when they told me that 2 JD & cokes was $17.00
Exercise: 8km Run - Track (Phoenix’s)
Scraping ice off the windscreen at 5.45am is not pleasant
Originally Michelle and I were going to do Yassos, but due to my legs being slightly sore still and Michelle having heavy legs, we opted to just do laps of the track. We had to be a little bit careful though as it was icy in parts!
So I’m a little embarassed that I haven’t been able to run since Monday as I’ve had alot of trouble just trying to walk without looking like I’ve pooed my pants
Yes, so maybe I shouldn’t have done 3 sets of lunges, or 3 sets of fitball hamstring curls. I’m sure that 1 set would have been a much better way of getting back into doing some strength training…..but that would have been sensible, and that word just doesn’t seem to be part of my vocabulary at the moment
Here’s a photo of Michelle and I from the Sri Chinmoy 30km run. I think that this was on the 4th lap of Princes Park
Exercise: Gym Program 1 (Gym)
So I’m all pumped and motivated about getting stuck into my new workout program at the gym.
Today was as good as any to start so I raced down there at lunch time. Of course I looked at the program and already I was thinking “how do you do that?”. Luckily the girl who wrote the program was working today so she showed me again
OMG, those fitball hamstring curls really work the hamstrings And who would have thought that doing 3 sets of 15 lunges on each leg using the Smith machine with NO weights would be really hard
I think I’m going to be sore tomorrow
I went and bought the sport bra from Bras n Things that was shown in this month’s Runners World magazine (or was it Women’s Health?….one of them anyway). I wore it last night for my 5km run and I have to say that it was really comfortable. Maybe a little bit more bounce than the Enell (but they have ZERO bounce in them), so I was quite impressed.
And how much do you think it cost me to fill up the car last night $95.00.
Exercise: 5km Run - Treadmill (8’s Blue)
I had made an appointment last week to get a new program done at the gym as my previous program was so out of date and I never used it (it was very boring).
I specifically asked for a Personal Trainer that I knew would give me a program that was a challenge and I could explain to her what I wanted to target.
So it looks like I will now be having a few embarassing moments trying to conquer the fitness ball as there are quite a few sets that require me to balance on this dreaded ball and do weights or pushups or hamstring curls etc
Yep, that should give all the other ladies at the gym a giggle if they happen to be watching me
Jumped on the treadmill afterwards for a 5km recovery run. The legs actually felt quite good and I did the whole 5km at 10.3kph (sorry but I can’t do the maths to figure out what that is in speed….JO?).
Now does anyone else agree that Big Brother was rigged? It had to be. Just didn’t feel right at all. Right from the start of the series they targeted Terri and always gave her so much air time. Just seemed like she was always going to be the winner - just my opinion of course
Exercise: 25km Run - Sri Chinmoy Princes Park - (8’s)
Ah yes, waking up to the sound of torrential rain makes me full of joy
I’m glad that Michelle had pre-entered this event and picked me up, as I would not have gone if we had to enter on the day
The rain didn’t get any lighter as we got closer to Princes Park. We sat in the car for a while as we’d got there early (yay for the new Eastlink ) trying to keep warm and dry.
Ventured out to get our race numbers and then made a beeline for the public toilets at the other end of the football field. There was no way I was queuing for those portaloos near the start line. They absolutely stank and that was before the majority of the crowd has used them
Headed back to the start line and met up with loads of CR’s and Ausrunners. It’s so nice to know so many people and not feel like a complete loner at an event
Didn’t have to wait long to get going. Luckily by this time the rain had miraculously stopped, but there was a fairly strong wind as we turned into the first bend. It wasn’t too bad though as there were plenty of people in front of us to buffer
The first 2 laps went by quite easily. I would even say that we went out a little bit faster than normal (just a little bit though). The thrid lap we were joined by Jo Jo, who happily showed us her first place medal in her age category for the 5km race - Go Girl!! She did a whole 5km circuit with us, which was great as Michelle and I didn’t have to waste much energy on talking as little Miss Chatterbox did most of it
Jo left us after doing her 40 min cool down, and we were then well into Lap 4. I started to feel a little fatigued at this stage but carried on plodding. At the start of Lap 4 Mr Wombat came and kept us company for a lap. Once again, this didn’t entail us having to do much talking.
It was at about the 21km mark that I started to feel a little bit off. Can’t quite explain the feeling but I had to stop at the loos for a quick break. Then as we hit the dog leg I got all light headed and my body wanted me to have a chuck I wasn’t about to heave in front of a load of runners so held it in, but when we got to the start/finsh line for the last lap Michelle pushed me into the finish chute and wouldn’t let me do the last 5km.
I think I was grateful to her for this, but at the time I felt very deflated and also felt like I’d let myself and Michelle down by not completeing the run Michelle carried on and did a fast 5km to finish (she’s just a gun that one!!).
On a good note, we had loads of compliments about our skirts (we’d dressed in matching outfits again) Hopefully there should be some photos on the Sri Chinmoy site soon.
And on another good note there is now absolutely no knee pain. It’s all gone. I did strap my knee just in case but when I took off the strapping all was good
Every time I went to the local shopping centre over the school holidays I saw this sand sculpture slowly taking place. The guy must have taken nearly 2 weeks to complete it. What talent!!
Exercise: 5km Run - Treadmill, Core work (7’s Blue)
Well I was all set to meet Michelle at MMCT this morning when I get a text from her telling me that it’s raining. So we ummed and aahed via text for 5 minutes and decided that we really didn’t want to run in pouring rain
But as I was already up and dressed, I changed out of my outside running gear into my inside running gear and went to the gym instead. Do you know that I would have even been happy to run in the rain today. No idea why as I just detest running in the rain
I bought some of the photos from the GC Marathon that were taken of Michelle and I. Shall put some up every now and then.
This one was taken at about the 39km mark. Can’t believe how happy I look considering how exhausted I was feeling.
Exercise: 10km Run - Treadmill (8’s Blue)
It took all of my willpower to walk out the front door tonight and go to the gym. I was actually all ready to run outside, but had a last minute change of mind (like you do) and decided to go to the gym and run on the treadmill 
10km on a treadmill seems to take an eternity, however it was helped by the fact that So You Think You Can Dance was on the TV and this took my mind off the monotany (sp?) for a while.
Okay Stu you’re scaring me now 
I’m sure that to qualify for Six Foot Track you have to show that you can complete an ultra within the cut off time. What’s all this talk of a 4 hour marathon
Another fantastic sunset a couple of nights ago. I was too lazy to run outside and get a better photo, so the one through my office window will have to suffice
Exercise: 7km Run - Treadmill (8’s)
So the new week has begun, and with it the training has recommenced.
I’m training for something new - Stu had it pretty spot on in his last comment.
Michelle and I have signed up to do our first ultra marathon
Yep, we’re going to do the ‘Ultra Round The Tan’. So that’ll be running 13 times round and round The Tan. 52km in total! Anyone in the vicinity is more than welcome to come and join us for a lap or two
I’m aiming to qualify for the Six Foot Track next year, which is my ultimate goal right now. Not sure how we jumped straight from running a marathon to doing ultras, but it’s happened somehow
Diet needs to improve drastically, as does the ability to train properly. Okay, let me at it!!
Well a full week has gone by after my debut marathon and I have done nothing, zilch, nada
I’ve spent many happy days recounting all the details to my friends and family, and have spent many more happy days devouring all the food that I can get my hands on to make up for my lack of running (and with no running at all, there was plenty of time for eating!!).
I found a new drink that I love. Frozen Daquiris. Michelle, Mrs Wombat and I sat drinking these on Monday night whilst putting the world to rights. Then Michelle and I played the Pokies and had a good old yak……..I won, I won
Did anyone see the sunset last night? It was brilliant. Raced out to get some photos and just caught the last of it.
Well with the lack of anything else to talk about………see ya!!
Exercise: 42.2km Gold Coast Marathon (8’s)
Okay, okay, here it is JH
So what can I say about the Gold Coast - it was bloody wet when we got there and it was wet when we left there
Originally we were going to jump on a shuttle bus from the airport to the hotel, but it actually worked out cheaper to jump into a taxi and it was so much quicker and eaiser
We stayed at The Islander Resort Hotel. It was cheap and cheerful, with a bar, a pool, some pokies and a restaurant and it was right in the middle of Surfers. Good enough for us!!
We had a bit of a snooze before heading out to the Expo at Southport to pick up our race packs and check out what was on offer to buy. Can you believe that Michelle talked me out of buying anything at all…..how did she do that
We ran into Mr and Mrs Wombat and also Alison from Cool Running. It was good to see some familiar faces before the race.
We got a bit wet on the way back to the hotel as we decided to walk down to the nearest bus stop to jump on the bus. I didn’t realise at the time that the nearest bus stop was about a 2km walk from the Expo and of course the heavens opened up on us while we were walking. At least the legs got a bit of a turnover
A very quiet Saturday night, spent eating dinner and getting all of our race gear ready for the 5am start to the day
I gave myself a pat on the back for remembering my ear plugs otherwise I would never have slept through the noise outside from passing traffic, police cars and very noisy people at 3am!!
We’d set as many alarms as possible and they all went off within a minute of each other. There was an ominous noise coming from outside. I dreaded to look and see what it was.
Sure enough the wind was howling. The palm trees were blowing sideways and rain was horizontal. Yep, great weather for a marathon
Michelle and I looked at each other and seriously debated not getting out of bed. But adding up how much it had cost us to get there, stay there and enter the event, there was no way I was going to waste that amount of money. So we both got dressed and walked out the door to be met by a huge queue waiting for the bus that would take us to the start line.
There were a few people doing the 1/2 marathon who were still waiting in the queue and this was at about 6.15am. The 1/2 started at 6.30am so they were cutting it really fine. A woman organiser arrived at the bus stop and made sure that the 1/2 marathoners were on the next bus. We then had to wait as she wanted to keep an empty bus for other 1/2 marathoners who had to be picked up along the way. This is probably one 1 of 2 complaints that I had on the day.
We got to the start and walked up the road trying to find a way to get across to the other side so that we could dump our bags, go to the loo and get back to the start line before the gun went off.
I think we must have walked up too far as we just couldn’t get across the road due to all the rails. We ended up going past the start line and found a gap in the rail eventually. The finish area where the bag drop off and loos were had become very muddy due to the rain.
There was a big queue at the bag drop off area for the marathoners bags. We stood in line for a little while and was then told that we could use all the lines (1/2 marathon, 10km etc) as there were people at all of them waiting to take bags.
We just had time to nip to the loos and we then got held up by some people from the Gold Coast Bulletin who wanted to take our photo and interview us. (I’ll scan the article!!).
Just as we were heading back to the start line the gun went off We ran over to try and get onto the road but couldn’t find an opening anywhere. Luckily we managed to find one a little further down and we ended up just near the 4.30 bus, which is around the time that we were aiming for.
So my second gripe is the lack of signage for people to get across the road. I think we were meant to cross right down the bottom near where we got off the bus, but we just followed the crowd. One good thing, we saw Old Miler along the way which we wouldn’t have done if we’d crossed at the bottom
So we only have to wait a little while before the crowd starts moving.
The first 10km seemed to fly by, probably because we were just taking in the crowds and the scenery. There were a few showers but they didn’t last too long and I didn’t feel like we were getting soaked at all. We got to the first turnaround point at Miami in fairly good time, still feeling really good.
Had a minor stopoff at the portaloos at Broadbeach and were then quickly back on our way.
I started to tire a bit at the 25km mark, but just around the corner from that we saw the 10km runners and forgot about my tiredness as we both scanned the crowd for Em and her brother. We saw them as we were heading back over the bridge into Southport and we waved and screamed at each other
The pace picked up a bit as we ran past the finish line with loads of people waving and cheering along the road. It slowed again at about the 30km mark and I really started to feel as if I wasn’t going to make it.
Michelle and I both run with our mp3’s when we enter races, but with only one ear piece in so that we can still talk to each other (yes we run that slowly that we can still talk!!). She told me to plug both ears in and turn the music up loud so that it drowned out any pain. It worked a treat for the next few km’s, but all the pain came back again when we got down near Runaway Bay.
I’ve decided that I don’t like that part of the course. It is long and really boring and just feels like forever before the turnaround point. Once we’d hit this point my spirits did lift, knowing that we were pretty much on the home straight, even though there was still at least 6km to go - 6 very slow km’s
All I could do was keep looking for those km markings and tick each one off as we passed it. I so didn’t want to stop and walk at all and the only time we did this was through the drink stations as we grabbed an Endura drink (we were wearing our camelbacks with water so just needed the Endura).
The final 2km passed by in a blur and I was just so happy to see that finish line. It was almost surreal running through it. I think my head might have been somewhere else as I didn’t really feel that much emotion, just elation that I didn’t have to keep running any more
We sat down for a little while in the finishing area, took our chips off our trainers, and then walked out, where we were given our medal and our finishers t-shirt
Michelle’s daugher was waiting there for us and we all wandered down to the edge of the water, where we waded in and soaked the legs for a little while. We then got changed in the loos and headed for the SLSC to meet up with a whole load of Cool Runners for some post race drinks
Hopefully I didn’t bore you stupid yet…..more to follow!!
Well I’m off to pick up Michelle and then head over to the airport. (It’s 4am!!)
What stupid reason could I have had for booking a 7am flight
I forgot to mention that the Gold Coast Marathon website has live streaming of the race tomorrow, so if you’re interested head over there
Have a great weekend everyone, I know that we will
Exercise: 5km Run - Treadmill (8’s Blue)
Okay, don’t panic Mr Mannering
Only 2 sleeps to go - deep breath, stay calm, relax 
I had a very slow, easy run at the gym this morning. And get this, my knee is no longer sore at all, even after running this morning
Now firstly I want to say a huge thankyou to everyone who has texted, rung me and wished me good luck. It’s a great feeling to know that people want you to do well!
Only one thing I’m not happy about. The weather on the Gold Coast this weekend 
How could the weather gods do this to me. I now have to go and repack my bags for wet weather. Not fair
Exercise: 7.1km Run - MMCT (8’s Blue)
Last minute plans meant that I met Michelle at MMCT this morning for a very easy 7km run.
I was more than happy to see that the wind had died down when I poked my head out the door. Last night had me very worried that it would be way too dangerous to run MMCT due to how windy it was. You just never know if a tree is going to topple, especially as it is just so dry along the trail. You can see alot of the trees are just hanging on by the minimal amount of roots. So many have already been cut down due to the danger of them falling.
I was driving home from Knox City yesterday and I drove past a circus. Imagine my excitement when I saw that they had 2 elephants in the paddock next to the Big Top. 
Andrew, I washed my Hurricanes by putting them in a bucket with washing powder and hot water, let them soak for a while, then got a small scrubbing brush and scrubbed hard
Exercise: 16km Run - MMCT - (7’s Blue)
Michelle and I decided to visit our old haunt this morning. I love running along the Mullum Mullum Creek Trail. It is just so quiet and serene, and for some reason, probably because I know the trail like the back of my hand, it just seems that we’ve run it up and back before we know it
The only downside is that there is a very long, very indistinct incline on the way back up to the highway and it’ not really noticeable until you get halfway up and you realise that you’re huffing and puffing a bit.
So that’s the last of the long runs until next Sunday - which means there’s only 8 days to go until the big day 
To celebrate the big day, I’ve even washed my Hurricanes, which were very very dirty, but are now all sparkly clean.
Better start packing this weekend, as you can never be sure that you’ve got everything needed, and I’d hate to forget anything
Exercise: 10km Run - Track (Phoenix’s)
A very slow plod around the track with Michelle this morning. It’s amazing how quickly you can do 10km while running round and round a track without even realising it
My knee is getting better, I’m sure of it
There is no longer a constant pain, which I’m hoping is because I’ve been taping it each time I go for a run. Just not enjoying having to rip the tape off afterwards……hurties
Sara, as you asked, my sweat emanates from the left armpit
My coffee intake has risen sharply over the last week as we have a new coffee machine at work. It does Lattes and Cappucinos and all those other fancy coffees. You can even choose what milk to have with it and it makes froth automatically McDonalds have just lost a customer!!
Exercise: 8km Run - Local Streets (8’s)
Hands up everyone who had a great run today 
My legs are feeling great, and I ran really strongly. Okay I wasn’t out to break any land speed records, but I definitely wasn’t dawdling along at my usual pace.
This tapering lark really is fun
How weird is this. I noticed when I was running on the treadmill the other day that I only sweat out of one armpit
How do I know this you ask? Well as I seem to be sweating a bit more lately I have to clean the treadmill when I’ve finished and only one side of the treadmill is covered with sweat. The other side is dry. Does this happen to anyone else or am I the only weirdo around here?
By the way, JH, those are not my floor tiles. They are at Michelle’s place
Exercise: 5km Run - Treadmill (8’s Blue)
Okay, who took my energy
Honestly, doing 5km this morning felt like I’d just done a marathon, it was that hard
Looking back, I probably didn’t fuel up very well after my long run yesterday. I must remember to think about what I’m eating, rather than just eating whatever I can get my hands on first
Andrew my ITB strap is one of these:
ITB Band It’s the black one further down the page. I have been putting it under my knee, rather than on top of it.
I’ve also just found these ones (should have Googled sooner I think!!)
Exercise: 25km Run - Dandy Creek Trail (7’s Blue)
Ah yes, what a great morning for a run
It peed down with rain literally the whole time Michelle and I were out, apart from the last 2km, where it decided that it would stop and the sun would try to make an appearance
I really don’t like running in the rain. Most people who know me already know this, but for anyone who’s just dropped by, I DON’T LIKE RUNNING IN THE RAIN!!
I think the only one who enjoyed the rain was Chase (Michelle’s daughter’s Siberian Husky) who Michelle brought with us. He loved running through all the puddles and found as many as he possibly could. This also meant that Michelle had to run through a fair few too.
You can see from the photo below that these once lovely white Thorlos are now a dirty shade of brown
I had a small issue during the run. For some reason, my stomach seemed to want me to bring back up the contents from about the 15km mark, so every 2 or 3km I had to walk a little to settle my stomach down. Very weird as I felt fine otherwise. And once we got back to Michelle’s place I had my protein drink and the stomach felt fine after that
Well it’s now taper time, so some shorter runs planned during the week, followed by a 15km run on the weekend. I think I’m going to enjoy the taper
Exercise: 8.5km Run incl 4 x 800 Yassos - Track (Phoenix’s)
I was hoping and hoping that the rain was going to continue when I got up as this would have given me an excuse not to run
Luckily for me it had stopped, so I met Michelle at the track for a very lethargic Yasso run. What was going to be 6 x 800 metre Yassos turned out to only be 4 as my knee was a bit niggly and my energy was zero
Even though it felt like we were crawling, we actually did the Yassos at the correct pace
Only 15 days to go until GC
Exercise: 7.3km Run - Treadmill (8’s Blue)
So I finally got another run in. Had to go to the gym as it was cold and wet ouside (and you all know how much I hate the cold and wet ).
I used my ITB strap on my knee and this did seem to ease the niggle.
A good run, where I increased the speed each minute until I was running at 11kph, then reduced it and started again.
I’ve also started doing the 100 push up challenge that Andrew mentioned on his blog.
I did Day 1 on Wednesday and completed Day 2 last night after my treadmill run. Not sure if this was a good thing or not as I really struggled, and was glad of the 60 second rest breaks. Strangely I’m enjoying the feeling of having used my muscles
Andrew, the Bodyglide is a 2.5oz or 70gm stick.
Well for something to discuss other than running (as there hasn’t been any since Wednesday) I thought I’d scan in the photo I talked about in a previous post.
This was me in 1977, wearing my very first pair of Levi’s, which I’d saved up forever to buy (we didn’t have much money in our household), my favourite pair of shoes at the time (didn’t everyone have a pair of Treads ) and my Miller shirt, which I loved to death. I thought I looked pretty cool back then
And here’s what came in the mail last week. Yep, I’m definitely going to be well lubed for the next year or so
They cost me US$12.95 each and these are the big tubes of Bodyglide. You can never have enough I say
Exercise: 8km Run - Treadmill (7’s Blue)
When I got out of bed this morning I still hadn’t decided whether to run outside or go to the gym and run on the treadmill. The treadmill won out.
I was under the illusion that it was going to be cold this morning, hence my decision to go to the gym. Imagine my surprise when I walked out the front door at 6am and it was 15 degrees!! I should have run outside
My knee strapping seems to be working. Not too much pain at all, apart from taking the tape off my knee when I got home. Jesus that stuff hurts when you pull it off
Andrew, in response to your question, no chafing from the tape, although I do seem to have a small reaction to it and just below my knee is a bit red and blotchy. At least I don’t need to wax that part of my leg now
Sara, I know that it’s just a tracking problem with my knee and unfortunately going to the Doctor is not going to make it any better. So I’ll give them a miss just for now. There is no such thing as DNF in my book
Exercise: 15 Min Bike, Adductors, Leg Press, 1km Run - Treadmill (Propels)
So I got myself down to the gym at lunchtime finally
I taped my knee last night and it does seem to have made a bit of a difference. I can’t say that my knee is not sore at all, but there’s definitely less pain.
Of course I had to jump on the treadmill just for a quick kilometre before I finished just to test the knee and I was happily surpised that there was not much pain when running
The only problem with going to the gym at lunchtime is coming back to work sweaty and warm, even after having a cool shower. Luckily it didn’t take too long to cool down as that wind was very nippy when I walked out of the gym
I wore my winter coat today for the second time this year
Exercise: Netball Game (Propels)
Now why, when I play Netball, does my knee not hurt at all?
I did wear my ITB strap under my knee, so I’m not sure if this made a difference or not, but I’ll try wearing it for my next run and see if it makes a difference.
An easy game tonight, and I also played in GK which meant not too much running.
We’ve been told that we’re on top of the ladder which means that we get to play finals. The bad thing is that they’re being played through the school holidays which means that Michelle and I will miss one game as we’ll be recovering on a beach in Qld after the marathon
Exercise: 6km Run - Local Streets (8’s Blue)
Ouch, ouch, ouch! Need I say any more about my knee
The run itself was very slow, but also very easy. I have found that my knee hurts the most if I extend it backwards at any degree, i.e. run with my legs kicking back quite high, so I’ve had to modify the running by doing more of a fast shuffle.
I know that I really should do something more, but with just 3 weeks to go until the GC Marathon, I do not want to hear the words “you need to rest it” coming out of any doctor’s mouth!!
I’m going to try taping it and see if that relieves any of the pressure. I’ve also got my ITB strap that I’m going to try. Anything is better than nothing at the moment. Ideally I’d like to find a professional who will strap it and show me how to do it properly. I’ve had a bit of a google but there are various ways to do it and I just want to learn something easy that will do the job!
Exercise: 25km Run - Beach Road (8’s)
What a beautiful morning for a run along Beach Road. I might even say that it was warm
Not too much wind thankfully.
Unfortunately our 38km run turned into a 25km run due to my niggly knee
And why are some people so ignorant while walking along a trail. Do they think that they are the only ones who want to use it? Do they not realise that they really should leave a little bit of room for people to get past them
It took a few shots before I got a decent picture, mainly due to the fact that we were at a windy point on the trail and the camera tended to shake a bit. Got there in the end
Well what can I say, I have nothing to talk about if we have to talk about running
I’m not sure why but I just could not find enough energy or the motivation to get out and do any running after my disastrous run on the treadmill on Tuesday.
My knee hurt so much that I had to get an appointment with Corrie so that she could give it a good old massage. Even now it’s still a bit touchy feely sore.
Doing my last long run tomorrow and then it’s taper time, although I feel that I’ve started my taper a little bit earlier than planned
So for something else to talk about, thought I’d add a bit of waffle!!
Four jobs I have had in my life: Dental Receptionist, Purchasing Officer, Customer Service Manager (at Gold Coast Nissan), Marketing Assistant (at Movie World).
Four movies I would watch over and over: Dirty Dancing, Big Blue, Bridget Jones Diary, Pretty Woman
Four places I have lived: UK, Gold Coast, Canberra, Melbourne
Four TV shows I watch: Ugly Betty, Trinny & Susannah (any of their shows), Bondi Rescue, Border Security. I also love the reality shows but won’t mention that one
Four favourite things to eat: Just 4 Chicken & Pumpkin Risotto, Apple Pie & Custard, Pasta Bolognese, Cold Rock Ice Cream
Exercise: 5km Run - Treadmill (8’s Blue)
Yesterday was a rest day….thank goodness
Have just got back from the gym.
Had to go to the gym at lunch time as I didn’t get out of bed to do my 15km run this morning - I’m trying to think of an excuse but I just can’t find one
So I thought that if I went to the gym and did 5km at lunch time, I could go back and do another 10km when Alana is at Cubs.
I just have one little ickle problem. My knee is really, really sore
I’m trying to remember to do all the quad strengthening exercises that I’ve been told but it’s just not making that much difference.
Fingers crossed that it’ll improve during my taper so that I can run the marathon pain free…….PLEASE!!!
Oh yeah, got my oldest new pair of trainers out of the cupboard and have put them into the rotation. I’m hoping I’ve got enough time to wear them in before the marathon!
Exercise: 34km Run - Capital City Trail & Lap of Tan (8’s)
Well that’s another long run in the bag
Michelle and I met up this morning with a group of Coolrunners, who had organised to run the whole length of the Capital City Trail. This is a trail that I’ve never run before so it was a chance to add another trail to our list of places to run.
A bit cool to start off with but it didn’t take long to warm up as the sun came out just as we hit Docklands.
I’d forgotten how nice it is to run with a group of people as there is always someone to chat to and lots of laughter (not that there isn’t laughter and chatting when Michelle and I run on our own ).
The time flew by and before we knew it we were back at the start. Now because it was only 30km Michelle and I had decided that we’d do a lap of the tan when we got back to make up the 34km (that’s where we’d parked the cars too) but of course I’d forgotten how exhausted I was going to feel, so running up Anderson Street was at a snails pace. The slight downhill once we got to the top was a godsend, even though we were only shuffling.
I was very happy when we hit the 34km mark and we could walk the last bit back to the car.
I did a stupid thing today. Instead of wearing one of my Enell bras, I decided to wear my Intimo one (no idea why!). I thought I’d lubed up well enough, but apparently not as I now have a huge chafe right around the bottom of my chest area, around my back and on the top of my lats, all where this stupid bra rubbed. When will I learn?
Needless to say my scream, when I got into the shower, could be heard right at the bottom of the garden
Exercise: 12.5km incl 6 x 800m Yassos - Track (Phoenix’s)
Damp, drizzly, foggy, cool, ikky……all the things I love when I DON’T have to go out running. Unfortunately this morning called for Yassos, so out into this disgusting weather I went.
Michelle checked the splits after we’d finished and not one of the Yassos was above 4.15 (we always aim for 4.30)
I suppose it’s a good thing that our times are getting quicker
Have just got back from the movies. Took Alana to see the new Narnia movie ‘Prince Caspian’. Having not seen the entire first movie, it took a little while to get into it, but the effects were great and the two leading male characters were very easy on the eye
Right, better get myself hydrated for tomorrow’s long run
Exercise: 8km Hill Run - Treadmill (7’s Blue)
Doing a hill run on the treadmill is not nice….at all
When the treadmill goes from 2% up to 4%, okay it’s not too bad. But when it goes from 4% up to 6% incline, then it’s really not nice
I looked like a drowned rat when I got off it. Probably due to the fact that I wore my R4TK t-shirt, which tends to hold in the sweat and weighs a ton to boot (just ask JH or AJH)
Here’s my new babies. Got them today from the US. A pair of Saucony Hurricane Grid 9’s. It was a tough decision whether to go for the 9’s or the 10’s, but pricing won out as the 10’s are $30 more per pair.
Exercise: 8km Run - Treadmill (7’s Blue)
Do you ever have those mornings when the alarm wakes you up and you have no idea where you are and you feel really disorientated as you’ve been in a really deep sleep? Well that was me this morning
The run on the treadmill was easy today. Not sure why but I felt really strong, even though I didn’t eat much last night. I’m just hoping that the feeling stays with me through till tomorrow morning as them thar hills beckon
How weird is all the fog that’s hanging around. When I went to the gym at 6am this morning there was no fog at all, yet when I walked back out the door at 8.25am to go to work, it had appeared
Exercise: 14km Run - Local Streets (Trigons)
OMG how foggy was it this morning
Wish I’d taken my camera as I could have got some fantastic photos.
Anyway it was a very slow run. The legs felt very sluggish and I just couldn’t get them to go any faster
Got back home and I was literally dripping wet.
I did have a bit of a shock while I was running. A guy had broken down in his car and must have been waiting for someone to come and fix it and he was just standing against a wall having a ciggie. Imagine my surprise when I ran past and smelt a different kind of ciggie smoke OMG, it was 6.30am
And I had a bit of a giggle as I ran past an old bloke who was walking his dog and jumped out of his skin as I went past him I honestly thought he’d heard me galloping cantering plodding along behind him
Exercise: Netball Game (Propel’s)
I love me a nice easy game of Netball
The team we played have not won a game all season, and even though they tried really hard, we won pretty convincingly.
I think the scariest part of the game was being asked by the other team if we had anyone to score as they didn’t have a spare person. As we only had enough players to play, they asked if any of our kids could score
I’m just hoping that we really did win by as many goals as the scroesheet said
Only 2 more games before finals. Not sure if we’ve made it or not, but it’s starting to get cold enough now that I’m glad I will not be playing the winter season
Exercise: 32km Run - Dandy Creek Trail (8’s)
Michelle and I had a little bet this morning about what time the sun might appear from behind the fog. We both lost
I thoroughly enjoyed our long run today (OMG did I just say that ). The last couple of km’s were hard though and I did struggle a bit through these.
Felt really strong through the middle of the run (as the Garmin highlighted when I downloaded the info and saw our splits ).
I don’t think I could have run much more though and I’m still a bit worried that I’m not going to make that full 42km without some pain and hysterical crying near the end
I was still feeling good at the 20km mark when this photo was taken! (Do you like my new neck warmer )
I chickened out of the cold bath when I got home as I was just way too cold already and all I wanted to do was hop into a nice warm shower.
My knee is sore, but no more than normal
Exercise: 11.3km incl 6 x 800M Yassos - Track (Phoenix’s)
Met Michelle for an evening run around the track tonight. Even though today had been lovely and sunny, by the time the sun went down, it had cooled down heaps.
I did struggle a bit, mainly because my belly was full of a whole day’s food. Normally we do Yassos first thing in the morning so I have an empty tummy. It really showed me that it’s much easier to run first thing in the morning
Exercise: 8km - Treadmill (Trigons)
I made yesterday a rest day. Woke up with a headache and it (being motivation) just deteriorated from there
So I was determined to get out today. Originally I was going to go and do a hill run, the same as last week, but when I put the bins out last night (yep, here comes the excuse!!) it was mighty chilly and on checking the weather forecast I realised it was going to be cold, foggy and bleugh!
So I went to the gym instead. Much nicer environment, even if it was deathly boring running on the treadmill.
And the good thing is that I am in the winning team (Fernwood had a competition) and get to go to the premiere of Sex & The City at the local cinema No idea when or what or anything, as I don’t really get too involved with events at the gym. But a freebie is a freebie and if I can get there, then I will
I went to Aldi this morning before work to get some of these compression garments.
OMG
There was a huge queue waiting to get into the store, and when the doors opened, they all headed straight towards where I wanted to go
Anyone looking to buy any of this gear might be disappointed as most of it was gone within 10 minutes! Hopefully they’ve got more stock out back so that they can refill their bins.
And on a side note, I couldn’t believe how pushy some of the pensioners were
Exercise: 8km Run (Local Streets) - (7’s Blue)
I think that I’m finally starting to enjoy running outside on my own again.
Was very happy that it wasn’t raining when I first started out. And I was even happier that it was fairly warm out this morning too.
Okay so the run was slow (I’m not going to mention the time) but it really was just a recovery run and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I didn’t even notice when it started raining either. It was only when I got close to home that I realised I was getting wet.
On another note, think I might change football teams
Exercise: Netball Game (Propels)
Would you believe that I have no soreness in my legs at all today.
My knee is still a bit tender, but nowhere near as sore as I thought it would be.
I can probably put my lack of soreness down to the following:
We walked the last 800 metres of the run….okay it was more of a hobble than a walk, but it wasn’t running
I had a protein shake as soon as I got back to Michelle’s place.
I sat in a very cold bath when I got home.
I put my skins on after my lovely warm shower.
I stretched properly (for a change!).
Anyway, I was able to run around the netball court without any pain, which is a big thumbs up in my book
And we won our game, but then the other team only had 5 (very good) players so we were very fortunate there!
Exercise: 30km Run - Michelle’s Place to FTG & Return (8’s)
Ouch, ouch, ouch!! That’s all I can say right now.
I’m hurting in all the right places. Bum is sore, calves are tight and knee is tender to touch
BUT - I ran 30 km today
I wasn’t sure that I was going to be able to run this distance as the longest I’ve done over the last month is a 25km run/walk up and down the hills.
Due to the weather conditions I was very unsure about what to wear. It was freezing cold at 8am, but the sun was out and I knew it wouldn’t take too long to warm up. So me being me, I erred on the side of caution and wore winter running gear.
I’d bought one of the new Slazenger compression t-shirts yesterday and I have to give it a huge thumbs up. I’d started running with the t-shirt underneath a long sleeved top but was quite warm by the 8km mark, so when we stopped at a toilet break I took the long sleeved top off. After that I never felt either too warm or too cold. It