A couple of runs....( ntr)

Its been a while since putting pen to paper ( so to speak ) in this blog. ....

I've done 6 runs since last post....two with a friend at work who is just starting and trying to get fit. These are normally Wednesday lunch time, up to parra park, cut through the middle, and back to work.About 4-5km i think. Not a challenge, but a nice run, good to be away from the desk for an hour, have a chat and help someone.

SMC Race 1- after missing my alarm and nearly missing it ( yikes! ) i had a great time - ran a little with Rags ( as i always seems to do - i think i force him to start slow! ), then chased and got chased for the rest in friendly competition and jest. Finished the half in 1.50.04. I then updated the SMC website with results, which i think took just as long!

Sydney Running Festival - Half Marathon - A GREAT DAY! I really enjoy this course ( all of it, including the city west link - but mainly the run over the bridge on the road ( you can only do this in this event or if drunk ), over the darling harbour flyovers, and in particular, the finish around the Quay is fantastic!! I am seriously thinking this will be a marathon event for me next year...just for the finish!! I ran with Andy from work - it was his first organised run, and a single use of the garmin the week prior indicated a 6:30min/km pace. We finished in 2:03, and could have gone harder and faster - we chatted the whole way. However, my legs certainly knew i did 21.1km, regardless of the time. The day was drenched in sun, and the city seemed to be full of CR's who Mouse and I kinda know now after 3 years of running, so the day was all round a great day - (ps have i said how much i miss Rach yet....I MISS MY MOUSE!! )

Parra Park Runners - Friday 1pm - 28c, windy. My little running log entry says its all: "parra run - felt I was pacing OK but must have got it wrong...man, it was the first hot day, breezy and after the half on Sunday, my legs were shot!" I finished in 48 minutes or something...didn't really take it in at the end, i was cooked!

BRICK Session with Hills Tri Club : This was really cool! Started with drills the same as FreeSpiritFitness Run Club ( so i know they are good! ) about 10km on the bike, then 2 2km loops running, each with 2 hill reps - they BURNT my quads!!. Then another 6km on the bike, a final 2km loop running, with another hill rep. It was a great session "just tough enough" i think - i was hurting but in that enjoyable good way, youknowwhaddamean? At the end of the session i realised again i have NO abs. I must be been born without them. I cannot do the ab strengthening exercises - they just hurt my back too much. :-(

Well, its Sunday of the long weekend - i have mowing, cleaning and edging to do. Then I am off for my first ever swimming session at blacktown pools- hope i don't sink!! I am aiming to do maybe 10-15 laps? Who knows....

I was ( is the past tense telling? ) planning on doing the Fitzroy Falls Marathon ( indeed i tried to enter...just forgot to put entry form in the envelope i sent them!! ) but BennyR has been unwell and not entering. If i do a good 30km run tomorrow, then I will still go. If it bombs, then i will pull out i think....i dunno...i could be convinced either way!

Exciting news....tomorrow i can say "Rach and I meet in London next month". And in 3 days, i can say " in less then a month, Rach and I will be together in London" L -day is what we call it!! we are counting it down!!!

Rach has been hitting the gym hard and swimming, not to mention doing the Chicago Half!!! Yeah baby!! In a city alone, in a run alone - that's a great effort!!! Cant wait to tun around Hyde Park, down the Champs Elysées past the Louvre, over the bridges in Venice....I think the M7 runs we do wont be as interesting when we come back!!

When your loved one is away for so long, you can go on, get to work, eat, sleep....but its like there is a constant hunger, a constant yearning that shadows you...its with you everywhere you go, wishing they were with you. So yes, you can go about your business, but its just not the same....nearly a month to go till L day!

Steak and running do not mix....

I had dinner BEFORE the gym yesterday and felt horrible!! We wanted to have dinner cooked and be eating by 8pm which is when the new Heroes episode started. Heroes was great but the gym was not!!

Lesson learned - morning or pre-dinner sessions only. Knee is still sore which is weird, have never really had bad or sore kneees before. Have tried stretching my quad but it doesn't seem to be working....

Saw some good photos of Ian from the Half - some funny ones too - you know which ones I mean babe!! hehe

Belated race report

I think I have been distracted by work, travels and going out justa little!! I did however, complete the Chicago Half Marathon. Net time was 2.26 which is ok, I was aiming for 2.20 so was a bit disappointed but a bathroom break and losing my pacer, combined with no garmin meant the second half I was all over the shop!

I wore my new Striders top which I must say is a great running top. Very comfortable and the built in bra has heaps of support - well done Striders! I also wore my CR cap and for once I think I was the only one wearing one :)

The day previous, I bought a running bottle belt which proved fantastic, half gatorade and half water came in very handy between drink stops. As I said, I started with the 2.20 pacing group, I was never out to break records just to enjoy it. I was feeling great at 11km but had to stop to go to the bathroom. Well as with most large runs, the lines for the portaloos were enormous, I waited for about 5 mins by which time my pacing group was well out of sight.

I proceeded to try and pace myself and tried to pick up the pace a bit to try and catch the group. There were soooo many people throughotu the whole course though, I couldn't see the pacer for the life of me. Maybe if i was a bit taller I may have seen the sign, but c'est la vie. I also hadn't quite converted it right as when I saw the 12 mile sign, I thought I had 2 more to go, I think I only had one more though as it finished very quick!!

I had the best time, I bought a mug and a cap as souveniers and I think I will also buy my photos from the photography site.

I have been running and riding a lot at the gym, I think I need a good stretch as my knee is a bit sore but I think it is coming from a tight quad - hmmm.

I also need to get some swimming in as 3 days after we arrive back from Europe, we are doing our first tri of the season - yay!! Ian is doing it too, and hopefully all the kids too. It is a hills Tri Club tri and the one we went in last year was fantastic. The kids loved it and so did we! This is Ian's first one so it is kind of a big deal :) It is on the same day a Central Coast though which is sad, I will miss the dinner and the breakfast we shared with all the other cool runners last year!! Won't necessarily miss the run though - hahahaha.

Ian is doing the Sydney half this morning, I am waiting impatiently for his call to let me know how he did. I am very excited for him, though not sad I am not doing it. I did it last year and I did not enjoy it at all, of all the places you can run in Sydney with beautiful views, 80% of the run is on the city west link! I don't understand that at all...

On a personal note, I am planning the Italian leg of our trip which is pretty exciting. We will probably do Florence, Venice and a trip to Rome. Sooo excited!!

A change in training ( NTR )

I managed to squeeze in a bit of running in the last week or so, which is good given the circumstances. I ran with a friend at work for about 5km last week. It was run, stop, walk, walk, run. But that was fine, i was happy to get outside and do something positive with someone, as opposed to just run by myself, perhaps a bit further/faster.

I did the same again today, but with someone else at work - i suspect i might get a little group going on Wednesday running up to Parra Park, across the middle road, and back again. On the way back, saw about 40 officers getting ready for the night shift for APEC crossing the road - the cargo gear they wear always looks tougher on cops then the standard uniform!

Last Friday I did Parra Park Runners, in 42mins. It was a killer and i thought i was definately under 40mins - really strange. But had a good run, and went straight to pick the kids up from school. Funny thing - i got changed at work, and left my building, and then did the race, all with my singlet inside out. What a plod.

The definate highlight of the week was going to BRICK training with Hills Tri Club. I really enjoyed it - it was tough, challenging and yet you were in control of how hard you went. The ab work at the end was soooo tough - probably cause I have no abs, i now know!! I am so weak in stomach, and thus back, strength! I met some nice people at Tri club ( Al - who showed me the ropes, and Gav another new guy there, plus others. ) I cant swim more then 100mtres at the 'mo, so I am hoping to do some slow laps with my uncle ray at blacktown pool soon, and do my first Tri in December with my gorgeous Rach. Yee ha!!

Heres my bike...a Peugeot Mont Blanc - its purple. its real nice. I love it.

Finally to wrap up my running stuff, I entered the Sydney Half Marathon - i am bib # 6005! For the first time, Rach and I will be doing half marathons a few weeks apart...just not together! :-(

Diet is getting better this week, coffee is down to 3 cups a day, but my sleep is still eratic and just not long or deep enough.....i am trying a Kaluha night cap tonight....mmmm. ( not exactly healthy, but surely it will count as medicinal )