beagles can't do 3km in 15mins (ntr)

Ran last night with basil our beagle. 2 X 15min intervals at 5:00 pace. I can run 3km faster then him. Not a problem, except for the short lead we have.

4 weeks out...(ntr)

well its four weeks out from my next target race - the cities marathon! I have no doubt i can propel myself 42.2km, but need to get in a solid high 30'skm run this weekend to gauge my ability to do it in a pace I'd be really happy with.

Having joined strider's, i decided to give their group runs a "run" for the last two weeks. Two weeks, two different locations, and two totally different experiences! The first week was a 30km around Drummoyne - over iron cove and gladeseville bridge, and back around to the swimming pool. This was done with the 6am group, a constant group of about 10, at a steady pace, with water breaks along the way. CR PaulC was in this group, so it was good to meet him ( he is a fellow Cities contender!! ) I finished in about 2:40mins - i really good time for me. Yesterday, it was a run from Lane Cove NP, up and around Mowbray Rd, around Willoughby and back via Pymble to the start. The 6am group was actually a different group this time, very supportive but a tad slower, and they were doing the shorter run. Instead i did the longer version ( from 15km onwards ) essentially alone, (minus about 10mins with a Wayne, a long term strider! ) . I was wet, cold, a little lost at times, and flat. I stopped for a Mars Bar ( dripping a few litres into the shop at 7:30am!) and pushed on and finished 31km in 3:28mins. A pretty slow time, mostly done alone. I know it was a quickly organised run instead of no run, but i was bit confused all the same!! Mind you, the last 7 km or so ( from Pymble ) was great - mist in the air, running through the NP on tracks - that made up for the km's of rolling hills next to the railway line!

I am definitely back on the M7 for the remainder of the training though....shame i missed quite a few M7'ers last weekend who did runs...i really think it was my loss this weekend :-(


Other training...8km done in 39:38 at Parra Park ( my fastest time recorded by them!! ) in a handicap event on Friday, and a relaxed 8km on a cold night, to drop off a way over due DVD ??!!

Also, Mouse and I went to SMC Presentation dinner. We both got bling!!!! Rach won the 10km series for her age group!! I got a commentarative award for my Maiden Marathon at the Gold Coast in 06. It was a nice relaxed night, celebrating community running.I was glad to volunteer to join the committee and will most likely be the webmaster for their site. Its been ages since i have done actual web work, but i am sure I'll be fine - hey - i can blog and post on coolrunning! ( ...and the secret weapon....mouse - she's real clever on 'puters...and i have some smart tech guys working for me!! "yes, of course posting the race results is work related!!! )

Kids are away next week for the holidays...i think i will run to work a few times ( 18km ) and get in some solid cities training.....we'll see!!

Quiet as a mouse... (Mouse)

I have been very quiet this week, I guess with work, home and training the blog has taken a bit of a beating!! I have however, got some news for everyone...

Mouse is entering the Chicago Marathon!!

I need to enter through a Charity and the one I am most interested in at the moment is called Global Business Assist - http://www.gba.org/templates/cusgba/details.asp?id=21323&PID=403919. They help provide strategic business support to developing communities, as well as reflief and aid funding. They are involved in helping build successful, educated and profitable communities, as opposed to ones which are just surviving on aid efforts.

So... in short I need to add a lot more running to my exercise calendar - eek.... I am hoping to get some corporate sponsorship as well as fundraise through friends. I still need my entry confirmed by GBA but hopefully it will all be sorted and I can get fundraising!!

Off to the shops with NTR and kids, NTR went to Striders STaR this morning so has given me some "Me" time with coffee and the papers while he took the kids out for a while. Thanks babe!! After a weekend inside with the rain and 3 energetic kids, I needed it :)

Also off to update my training calendar with more runs - I am very excited but very nervous as well. Only goal is to finish in around 5 hrs, anything near that will see me a very happy little Mouse. Oh and the merchandise is great too, the ladies will appreciate that, check out the jackets here: http://www.nbwebexpress.com/detail.asp?type=&style=WRJ7305M

two runs and under 9 cross country ...(NTR)

quick note to record two training runs - both done at lunch time during the week which is weird.

Yesterday i did 4 X 3 min intervals at a park near work - really tough, and i think the average pace was about 5:00min per km.

Today, it was an 80 min run. I managed 14.5km up to Rooty Hill and back - i half expected to see CR BluesB who runs that part at lunch time i think.

I had the great pleasure of seeing middle NTR jnr compete in the 2km u/9years area cross country this morning. It was held out at Castle Hill showground, and was well organised.

She did a great run, and my other Jnr and I cheered her on at two vantage points. She finished a few mins behind the leaders, but she just has the greatest attitude to it all - she gave it her all, as well two great smiles as she ran past us during the race , meaning she had a good time, and is enjoying her running! At that age, you can't ask for anything else! She finished in 77 - we are so proud of her!

What a good day....now, if QLD can wrap up game 2, my day would be complete!

zero to add ( ntr)

since last saturday i have run zip, nado, nix. Nothing. A combination of factors, culminating in wild weather and me suffering some weird headache abdominal cramps for the last few days. I went to to the Dr's today, who told me to rest, and specifically not to run tomorrow!! But, i think he is right....its seems nature is conspiring against me!! I just hate been told i cant run - its kinda ok when i make my own feeble excuses up, but i don't like being told!

I took mouse to dinner at Tetsuya's this week for her birthday - it was fantastic! The food defies logic - who thinks of cold pea and chocolate soup?? and who would know it tastes fantastic!! Mouse will no doubt write more and post some photos from it soon. For now, i will say it was exquisite!!

Mouse is out riding at the mo,' but i need to put on record what the Dr today did tell me, and things i may told mouse he told me, but really i think he just forgot to say them:
rest

• don't run
• drink plenty of water and soup
• take panadol and buscopan.

what I told mouse the Dr probably meant to say:

• don't hang washing on the line
• someone should tickle my knee ( medical term is kn-ickle )
• eat chocolate
• don't stretch from the couch to use the remote
• make sure you get lots of sympathy
• don't make your own cup of soup

thanks babe for helping me with everything the doctor said, and well, those things he meant to say also!

Things i listened to and watched relating to running this week:

• Plu's reflections on coolrunning - very cool, like plu.
• Podcast from http://phedippidations.com/ This guys runs in Oxford Massachusetts., through rain, snow, and ice!! An interesting podcast if you stick with it - i just listed episode 85 on steve prefontaine - really interesting, and sad. I use itunes to find and download podcasts..not the link above actually.
  

Signing off, after a quiet week of running, wild weather and a bit of illness. I am sure next week will be better!


google musing: there are about 88,100 hits for " zero to add ( ntr)".....wonder what they all are?

Alcohol free weekend

After a work function (including drinks and karaoke) on Wednesday night, I felt it was time to be good on Friday and Saturday. I didn't get up for tri club on Sat though - well that was intentional, NTR had to run 25km so he got the early morning run with other CRs on the M7. I, on the other hand slept in - lovely :)

Sunday saw me take Basil for a bit of a jog, then take the two girls for a run to Nurragingy for a picnic. It was great! Played a bit of soccer, ate LOTS and generally relaxed while the kids played.

Today I got up for spin, and also did hills this evening. Trying to get into shape before the chicago trip.

Saw a pic of my accommodation today. The apartment complex has an indoor 25m pool, a health club. and its own outdoor running track - awesome!! I am getting excited and now we are looking for a 1/2 marathon to enter in November. If anyone knows of any in Europe, please comment here! Even considering a marathon if I can train enough in chicago (did i just say that????)

two days only this week...(ntr)

On the running front, after a good weekend running last week, i slacked off a lot for most of this week! It was too cold, mouse had a work function...lots of excuses! Picked it up again for a run with parra park runners on friday. Had a coffee with friends just before it, so i was a few mins late ( but the coffee was good! ). I got an adjusted start time, and ran a 40:18 - second best time i have done, best time recorded by parra park runners.

Saturday saw a 30km run on the M7 from Preston Maccas. This was organised by CR's Billsy, MOH and Roddo. It was good to meet some more friendly runners. We all run together till 15km, then generally own pace back. Billsy and I shared about 5km on the way back, stopping for a walk break, then i did the last hard 5km alone. All up finished in 2:50:00. Doubtful right now i could do the extra 12km in 1:10:00 to meet my goal of a sub 4hr marathon. But, theres 2months to go, and next week i have a 36km run, which should give me a better clue perhaps.

i have had a sore 2nd toe on the right foot, for weeks, but only after long runs. I eventually saw the Dr, who gave such insightful advice "take is easy, wear good shoes". to be fair, he did get an xray organised, which confirmed nothing was broken. I ran yesterday with it taped to 3rd toe and used nurofen type gel - no problems!


On the family front, kids and mouse are all well and healthy. We all went to a vegetarian restaurant for lunch yesterday, and the kids had dosa's which are basically savory pancakes with potato and curry, about 40cm long each. they were massive! it was really fun! Then off to gymea for an engagement party, then coledale for dinner with friends. Lucky i ran yesterday...i am exhausted today!!

Mouse is getting excited about her 3 months work in chicago - it starts in about 2 months now! I am getting excited about meeting her in London when it all over for our first ( and mine ever ) overseas holiday!! 3 weeks in London, paris, prague and italy!! we are trying to find a half marathon for november this year over there! I picked up a book "see how we run" for the bargain price of $3 at a 2nd book shop this week ( whilst waiting for the xray!) in which a guy has detailed short and medium runs you can do yourself in 12 major cities. Sydney is in there, as is Chicago, London, Paris and Rome! It was such a fortunate find! Looking forward to Mouse having the Chicago experience, and our holiday at the end, but not the time apart... :-(

google musing: there are about 144,000 hits for "two days only this week...(ntr)" before posting. Wonder what they all are?