High heels solve everything

Well sore hips anyway.  Today was the Glenbrook Marathon, which I DID NOT enter, but I was toying with the ideea of the 34km, until I had a massive whack over the head from the reality stick, and decided to do the 25km.  Which is precisely 11km more than last weeks run and much much much more than the required 10% increase in your long run that you are meant to do.  And I haven't done any "long" running since my adventures in the winter with Six Foot Track and King of the Mountain.  So it is fair to say I suffered a bit today.  After 20km my everything hurt, but mostly my calves did this funny little cramping up thing that they have never done before, which reminded me I should really train more. 

Anyway, sitting on the grass afterwards it was funny to see the calves still cramping and my legs moving around of their own accord almost like there was a creature under my skin.  Hips bloody sore too.  So came home, had a shower and put my high heels on and walked about a bit, and hey presto, pressure off the hips.  Try that at home boys.

However, the run was beautiful, with lots of different types of running, if you can set apart the fact that there were lots of hills.  So there were single track hills, wide fire trail hills, hills beside a river, hills with grass, and hills with sand and then there were even some hills with pebbles.  Yes, it was a little bit hilly, but very pretty, lots of fun and I got to run with an old friend and a new friend, which was just heavenly, and so there was no iPod required.

It was a very hot day so now my cheeks are pink and I am running about with that smug glow you get after a run, no matter how you went. 

Falling

Sunday I persuaded the Leader of the Opposition to come to Wentworth Falls with me and do a 10km race.  Just 10kms, I told him, you'll love it, it's where we go bushwalking.  Well Sunday dawned the most beautiful day and we didn't sleep in and got to the start line JUST IN TIME to hear the little spiel at the start and head off into the wilderness.  This is the most pretty run I have ever done in my entire life.  Just gorgeous.  Every bit was spectacular scenery, truly awesome.  So I was having a "god I am lucky to be alive, isn't this all just fucking WONDERFUL, isn't this view SPECTACULAR, I love EVERYBODY, I am having such a good time..." etc etc and then SPLAT! I fell over.

Well, talk about leaving a little bit of yourself on the track.

Anyway, I dusted myself off and continued the run (which was 14.5km by my garmin, a slight difference to TEN), and I have to say, I truly truly enjoyed every minute of this run.  All two and half hours of it.  Yep it took us two and a half hours because there were stairs and river crossings and more stairs (I love stairs) and more river crossings and heaps and heaps and heaps of mud.  It was brilliant!  I love mud as well. I would go out and do this run again on my own if I was confident I wouldn't get lost, which I am not, so I would probably not do it, so that was a bit of a waste of a sentence.

Anyway this weekend is the Glenbrook Marathon.  Well I might be getting old or someething but I had a late night two weeks ago and I still haven't quite got over it.  So early nights between now and then!!

Stuff

I haven't blogged for a while.  Kinda because I have a new laptop with a super sensitive keyboard and my words jumble up all over the place, jump around, and generally cause havoc, and also because a lot of my activities have been nothing to brag about and have involved late nights, being silly and generally not behaving myself.  So - it's gotta change.

I have still been running consistently, and running with faster people who push me, even if they think they don't.  But I haven't been doing very well at the weekends due to social commitments, and work and life and everything else in the universe that can eat into your time, so I am averaging about four runs a week and not feeling terribly fulfilled.

Today, however, Mr Liddell and I did the Running Wild 14km.  And yes it was 14km.  Fucking brilliant run and mainly on the route that John and I do our bushwalk when we want to showcase the Blue Mountains to visitors - so we knew the track well.  Bit of motivation shone through, the run reminded me of the terrain in the North Face and I left the race with the old mojo rejuvenated. 

So, next week is Glenbrook Marathon and stuff it, I will have a go at the 34km.  Jebus!  Did I say that?  Well why not?  I haven't trained for it, but it will be a nice test of how I am going. 

God this is all very serious stuff!!

Rainy Fun

Bringing the bike back!  It is pouring, and we are planning a 30km ride today!  This should be interesting!! 

But first, a run.  In the rain.  Just psyching myself up to head out in it!
Strangely excited about the prospect of two workouts today. 
First - coffee!!

Flashback!

I'm sitting here doing a business case for an industry I left a couple of years ago, and it is making me think how much has happened in the last two years and how strangely content I am in my current space - which is nowhere near anything I ever expected to delve into, but I am loving it.

Anyway - this week saw my return to running after a two and a half week break.  I expected pain, pain and more pain but I was remarkably surprised at how good I felt.  I must admit, I was very sensible and listened to all advice that said green gunk in chest = no running.  So Simon and I ran yesterday morning and this morning, and whilst I will not say I was tearing off like a mad fit thing, I felt good.  I felt really good. And I hope you are not reading this Simon, but I reckon he was panting heavier than I was. Strangely satisfying.

Of course the Zitless experience was shortlived and as soon as I stopped the antibiotics the pimples made their return.  Will I be 90 with zits?

Fiji is locked in.  Fuck.  9 days in a foreign country with my work associates and lots of free drink.  A total recipe for disaster for me.  I may start with AA and post traumatic stress counselling now.  In one way I am looking forward to it and in another I am dreading it.  Andy is taking our team a few days early which is just extra days to completely disgrace myself.

Christmas!  Six weeks away!  That means mangoes, Baileys Irish Cream and days off.  Woooo hoo.  How fast this year has gone, how much I have learnt, how brilliant and awful it has been.  I'm loving it!