I need to move to the beach

Today was just fab.  It is Christmas Eve and I woke up in the beach house to the sound of birds and boats. 

I lay on Terrigal Beach and alternated between languishing in the sun and reading my book, and frolicking in the surf.  My ultimate dream Xmas Eve is frolicking in the surf, so hey, guess what, I got my ultimate Xmas Eve dream come true. 

I am starting to think that perhaps Thursdays downer was silly.  All is fine.  All is going to be fine.  It is just going to take time.  And effort.  And patience. 

One minute a rooster....

....the next a feather duster.

Dog ate all my chocolates.  Probs a good thing as chocolate makes you fat and gives you pimples and I've got enough of both.  She unwrapped the wrapping paper, got the cellophane off and unwrapped the silver paper all whilst I was in the shower.  I came back to find her up on my bed, licking her chops, looking a little sheepish and a little satisfied.  Buffy the Brave.  She'll probably be Buffy the Very Fecking Sick tomorrow.  Which bodes well for a two hour car journey.  I'm predicting watery poos.

Anyway all my positive vibes have disappeared down the toilet.  I am not sure what happened really.  Still, I have a week at the beach, with a bike, the surf, and two legs to run.  Wee bit of sun, the company of young Curtis and of course Buffy the wonder dog and it will all be ok.  It always is. 

Our deepest fears.....

....are like dragons guarding our deepest treasures.

And that is so true.

I am just thankful for all the good things that have happened lately and I am so positive about the future.

And that isn't even post run euphoria talking.  Or even vodka.  My Saturday run angered Mr Achilles to the point I couldn't risk it Sunday.  So Sunday I managed 1.6km in the pool.  Yeah me.  Swimming.  1.6km.  In one go.  Without stopping.  hahahahaha.

Then I was still jumping from foot to foot so I took the bike out for 20km.  It took about 45 mins and probably about a thousand calories and countless back muscles to pump up the tyres, despite my new fangled pump I bought in the winter, once used.  Problem was, I forgot the key aspect of UNSCREWING the wee lid thing on the poky out bit of the tyre.  No wonder my face was getting red, I was panting and the tyre was staying flat.  But no matter, it is in the long term memory now, no need to remind myself.  Except I was reminded about the time, not that long ago, that I forgot how my gears worked and I rode for 10.8km in a really hard gear, thinking, "this bike riding lark is harder than I remember" until I remembered that thing that looks like a break is actually a gear changing thingy and you can drop down a gear, and yeah, well ....most normal people know this shit....

Anyway.  I liked the weeekends activities.  Last night I had to work till 10pm standing in the rain watching fecking eejits tell me they couldn't read a number plate when it would have been clear to fecking Stevie Wonder what was on the plate.  So no running Monday.

Clarity

Went for a run today in the rain.  Love running in the rain, and today I had a moment of total clarity.  Suddenly everything made sense, and to the sounds of "Killing in the Name Of" I realised something that explains so much in my life.  See, I knew I ran for a reason.  I suppose the first step is understanding yourself and your behaviours and then working out what you want to do about it.  I guess grief makes you think about things in your life you otherwise wouldn't normally explore.  It's been a really odd month, my life seems to be taking a new direction, which I am not entirely unhappy with.  We'll see where it ends up.... :)

In terms of running, I am back running regularly over the last two weeks and I cannot describe how much better it has been making me feel.  Mentally and physically.  This week I have managed four runs, which I am fine with, plus a couple of weights sessions.  Feeling good although the achilles is a wee bit upset and needs some TLC.  At least now I know how to manage it and know it will take a few weeks of nurturing and it will get better.

I have proved to myself over the last few weeks that despite the travel I do, and the hours I work, I can still train.  So no excuses me!!

Now off to get gussied up for a dinner with my gorgeous and funny girlfriend!

Lots to be grateful for....

This week was GREAT! 

Made an effort to get out and do things, so getting back into the swing of fitness once more (I've had more comebacks than someone who has had a lot of comebacks.  I can't think of anyone appropriate right now.  Well, Gary Glitter springs to mind, but the least said about him the better). 

Anyway, Monday - I got on the biggest DIY manual in the world, YouTube and looked up "fast efficient workouts" and got some  man doing a ten minute workout that looked like fun.  Lots of burpees, squat jumps and the like.  Gave it a go and did some weights too.

Wednesday we ran around the river with Yvonne and Kelly and did some weights together in the park like a pack of eejits.  Thankfully by the time the run was over it was dark so we didn't have anyone watching us doing our thang.

Thursday I ran round the river before PT class and Friday I ran with the Cool Running Twilight gang. 

Saturday morning I went on an "adventure date" and swam 30 laps of Parramatta Pool (50 metre pool, that's 1.5km for those with the calculators out) and then had a gorgeous breakfast in a Cuban style cafe.

And finally this morning we hiked for three hours in the National Park and climbed down from Glenbrook to Erskine Creek via Jack Evans Track, something I had wanted to do for a long time, and was rewarded with gorgeous views and the most gorgeous morning out.  I didn't do anything crazy or over strenuous so my body feels good and more importantly my head feels good too. 

The boys in work have been at me to come with them for a run and to some stairs they like to run up and down.  Sounds like a challenge so I'll bring my stuff next week.  I am amazed and disappointed at how porky I have become after a few weeks of unenthusiastic running.  Well, try two months of unenthusiastic running.  However I am now enthused again, both for my mental state and to ensure my impressive dress collection does not become redundant. 

Resuming Life in General

Things got a wee bit ugly there for a while, Lord,  life can be difficult.  However I am now trying to be "normal" again.  I think I am getting there.  Some days I do better than others.  In summary, all the stuff that was happening over the last few months seemed to come to a head at once, and lots of sad things happened too.  My dad got really sick and sadly passed away 2 weeks ago.  That was difficult, in my previous life as someone charmed where nothing bad had ever happened (until Saturn came to visit, or 2010 happened, whichever way you chose to look at it) I had never known anyone close to me to die.  Except, like, my one eared cat.  So being so far away was awful.  At first, he got really sick and we all thought it was serious.  Then he got better and we all (niaively) thought it was all going to be ok.  By the time we realised it wasn't, it was close to the end.  So we spent about three weeks pretty much waiting.  So for about three weeks I had at least three middle of the night conversations every night.  Not all good, you know how familes get.  There was all that guilt trip stuff about not coming home (I had my reasons not to) and all those updates where our hopes were raised but we knew in our hearts that this was it.  And besides, dad told me the last time I spoke to him that he didn't want to live like this any more.  He suffered for over two years after his heart operation and he is now at peace.  So - you gotta move on from these things.  At first it was a terrible shock, despite the fact we knew it was coming.  I took some time off work but didn't know what had hit me.  I slept and slept and slept.  I did make an effort to get out one day.  Dad loved the ocean and as kids he had a speedboat and took us all around Strangford Lough in it, he scuba dived and collected stuff and we bobbed around in our life jackets.  He had the oldest skool surfboard I have ever seen, it was wooden, and torquoise.  We eventually put some kitchen handles on it and made it into a makeshift sleigh.  We saw more snow than surf in those days.  It was so light it went like a rocket and was a bit of a danger to man and beast.  Anyway, prior to getting the news of dads passing, I had organised a day taking surf lessons with a friend.  At first I cancelled it.  But then I thought, what am I going to do all day at home?  So I went and it was absolutely freezing and to me the waves were massive but it was fun and silly and the sort of thing dad used to do and would have encouraged. 

Anyway I am back at work now.  My plan is simple.  At least three runs a week.  More if I can.  As much other stuff as I can fit in.  Back to the PT class.  Try to make as much effort as possible to do positive things.  Example.  Tomorrow night is the Twilight Cool Running 5km at the Regatta Centre.  Tomorrow night a friend has invited me for a few drinks and dinner.  Twilight wins, it does not involve late nights, alcohol or missing the last train because I wanted one more glass of champagne and getting stuck in the city, then waking up in her house, hungover and wasting Saturday too.  (Not that I would do all that of course, but well, I might....).  Saturday - swimming laps with a friend who is a good influence in terms of fitness and then breakky with him.  Sunday, long hike in National Park with the gorgeous Jen, our PT class leader.  All good clean pursuits that will keep me busy, stop me thinking negatively and help get my fitness back to where it was what seems like light years ago. 

Bored with Blogging

I guess mission has been accomplished.  I've run a marathon.  I've detailed the process involved.  Haphazard as it may have been.  Time to retire the blog.  G'night xxx

Eating for Ireland

All I have thought about since about 1 O'clock on Saturday is food.  Especially hamburgers.  In fact, I have been OBSESSING about hamburgers.  The promise of this Hamburger to top all Hamburgers at the end of the Fitzroy Falls Marathon was what kept me going for the last 7km.  I imagined I could smell the onions wafting through the trees.

However, I digress.  Lets step back a wee bit.

It is fair to say that my marathon training was somewhat lacking in substance.  However, mainly because my friend Mr Turner talked me into it, I ended up standing at the starting line on Saturday morning to run my first proper marathon.  In hindsight, the extra large beetroot and carrot juice I had for lunch on Friday was possibly a mistake.  Between that and fear, I spent an inordinate amount of time in the bathroom, and was very nervous about the possibility of needing a poo on the trail.  Thankfully that didn't happen and everything behaved itself in that regard.  I will say that on Friday I had this kind of happy, beamy look about me, the look of someone who JUST FOR 24 HOURS can eat what she likes.  I found myself with salmon and brown rice anyway, but it was nice to dream. 

Anyway,  back to the run - the nice man who said I could start early took one look at the motley crew that was me, Tim and Marie-Claire and said we were too young and would have to start at the normal time with eveyone else, and besides, by then they would have drained some canyon from having waist high water.  I was quite excited about the waist high water bit, but we were told no, so we went off to do some more eating and some more visiting the bathroom and nervously fiddling with gadgets until it was time to start. 

The first 25 km went really quickly, we were chatting and laughing and it wasn't difficult or painful or anything, it was just a nice pace with some friends out in the bush and didn't really feel like a race.  At around the 25km mark we sort of split up in three groups, Tim and Kay up front, me on my own in the middle and Marie Claire and her new best friend behind.  By this stage, I was happy to be running alone, no wasting breath on talking and just time alone to think about what was happening and focus on the job at hand, so to speak.  So I was happy to plod along on my own, and was a bit uneasy when a man with a hunchback and a ten spits per minute habit decided to try and befriend me.  Eventually, after being told how crap my training had been (I know!!) and how inexperienced runners shouldn't enter trail marathons for their first, in between listening to him spit continuously I decided to fish out my iPod and politely get out of his way.  It took three aid stations to drop him - saved by the iPod and a good old lashing of "Love Metal".

I remembered all those things people say about marathons, like, it doesn't start till the 32km mark, you have to respect the distance, descriptions of "the wall" etc etc.  I was very surprised that my legs felt so good, yes I was getting tired, but nothing that was going to stop me.  The worst thing was my back, and funnily enough, my shoulders.  My back was hurting because it is just a crap back that has disc issues - I kept reminding myself to stay up nice and straight and keep the posture good, with the feet right under me.  Sounds stupid but it makes sense to me.  My shoulders were sore because I had a crop top on that was holding the girls in.  After about 32 km of carrying them along, the shoulders were easiest the sorest bit of me.  So - because there was no one around, I released the hounds, as it were, and gave the shoulders a little release.  This seemed to lessen the load on my lower back and after a little walk to settle everything down, I was able to pick up the running again.

There was so much mud and water and puddles that in the end I was going straight through the cleaner looking ones, and I think this blast of cold water every so often really helped keep any achilles problems at bay.  So, in summary, the legs held up fine, I just need to lose about a kilo off each boob and I should be fine for the next one.

Coming up that final hill at the end, my calves started to cramp, and I got really nervous in case I crossed the finish line looking like a twat having some kind of calf convulsion, but thankfully it was all ok and I managed to cross the line successfully without having to result to crawling, vomiting or falling over.  Having witnessed all of these end of race shenanigans, and been guilty of a good puke at the finish line, I was very glad to have avoided any embarrassment. 

The really good thing about running a marathon is the feeling of self satisfaction you feel afterwards.  I have been going around with a huge smile on my dial for the last three days.  I think my family think that I was swapped with a clone somewhere between Blaxland and Bowral.  Which is kinda nice.  Oh, and I LOVED everyone after the race.  We had some celebratory drinkies in our cabin after the race and I was advised the next day that there is a specific level in the bottle of wine where I start telling everyone that I love them.  So all in all, I have pulled up really well, don't feel sore at all, and am snooping around to decide on my next adventure!  Once I stop eating and discover I have put on a stone since the marathon, I will probably come back down to earth, but it is nice up here, so I plan to hang around a little while longer....!!

Rocktober

So, October is going to be marvellous.  Firstly, I am going to have a total BALL this weekend doing my little run, next Monica has just announced BABY NEWS!!! And Saturn has given up taunting me, according to the Who Magazine Horrorscope. Besides that, I declined the job offer due to far too much travel and lack of adequate compensation so am not stressing about that any more.  I've cleaned my diet back up and stopped that stupid "heaps of meat" thing that gave me all those pimples (but did make me lose 2.5kg in three days).  My love affair with beetroot and capsicum continues.  And salmon.  And water.  Remembering to drink water.  And I got my prescription filled for my back tablets that have that side effect - mild euphoria.  Realised my promise to Dad of skyping him from the train was a bit far fetched - luckily he hasn't been on line during my commuting hours.  I cannot imagine having a dad conversation on a packed peak hour train.  That wasn't well thought out. 
I have packed for tomorrow night.  All comfy pumpfy clothes, not a high heel or dress in sight.  Let the comfort begin - God knows I am going to need it Saturday night. 
Saw a man on the train yesterday.  He was quite old, around 70 ish.  He was so thin that the back of his head was a funny shape, the bones of his head were terribly visible.  He had what looked like Leprosy in his scalp but was probably bed sores / dry skin / scabies.  He had terrible skin on his face, all scabby.  His hands had big black marks on the skin where something had gone wrong.  He smelt really bad.  I felt really really sorry for him and had I had more time, would have asked him how he was (I just saw him as I queued up to get off the train).  Under his hand was a box with a brand new plasma screen TV in it.  I have no idea where this man belonged, and I hoped to dear god that he wasn't in a nursing home, but feared that was exactly where he was being looked after.  Having worked in Private Health, I know how these places work and it isn't always good.  I thought about this man on the way home.  I thought how horrible it would be to end up like that.  Then I thought about how relatively young and healthy and fit I was.  And there is no good reason at all why I cannot run this marathon this weekend.  I might not have trained properly, but I will be ok.  This man has no chance of running through the bush and feeling the exhilaration of finishing, or even starting for that matter.  So, make hay whilst the sun shines people.  Or, in this case Sonia.  I can bloody well do this!

Running Shits Me

Sometimes.

But not always.

Couple of months of GOOD running.  Working upwards, week by week on distance.  Building up for potential marathon.  BUT.....in the couple of weeks of 50 and 60km a week I put on 2KG.  TWO FREAKING KILOGRAMS!!!!!  I started this running lark to loose weight.  I could sit on my arse and eat properly and not put on weight.  So to be doing great training and having the issues I do with my body, I got the shits and gave up.  Only to miss it terribly.  So I started again.  So, it is fair to say that my "marathon" training has been shite.  More than shite.  Totally inadequate.  So the wee man who does the marathon stuff  at Fitzroy Falls called me ask me to start early so that I didn't hold them all up on the day, so I said "dont worry about it" and dropped back to the 10km and so today the guy I was meant to be running with has told me his friend is only running it cos she knows I am slow and can run with us, so BUGGER IT we are running a very slow, untrained for, mawathon.  You must call it a MAWATHON.  Cos that's what it is. 

And my dad is dying.  And I dont really know what to do about that.

And also my job situation is difficult.  I have been offered a new job which I really like but there are some bits of mad argy bargy going on - and it will mean a relocation or mad serious travel.  Although I really LOVE my current job, except it is only a contract.  So I am lying awake at night worrying about it all.

And my marriage is breaking up.  Well it has been for ages and ages, it is just a matter of extracting myself from it. 

So all in all, life is kinda fucked.  And I have a lot of pimples as a result.  And I cry a lot.  So I am not really equipped for a marathon or a new job or anything really.  I seem to do drinking quite well though. 

So do I take new job, do I sell house or rent it out, do I go home to see dad, do I run marathon or not, do I leave husband or try and make it work, or do I just try and forget everything and go for a run?  

No Surprises

It's impossible to get bored with Radioheads "No Surprises".  Those bells.  It is, however, possible to get really bored with your life, which I had done for a while, so lately I have been throwing in different things to see how they go.  I think it is called "making an effort".  Anyway, I really did not feel like running 26km up and down a mountain in the cold and rain and wind last Friday night after another busy week of work and the daily three hour commute.  But I was worried about letting friends down and also about my mood if I didn't go.  I was worried I would get even more down.  So I went, and I will admit that when we got off the train at Woodford at nearly nine O'Clock at night, in the wind, the cold and the dark, I really questioned whether this was a good idea.  The train had been nice and warm, and TALKING about tough runs we'd done was fine, actually DOING one was another thing.  However, once you are in, you are in.  There was no turning back, so sucked it up and got moving.  I think it proved to be the best medicine possible.  It took a while to sort out pace - some very fast people and some slower and then me, really slow, but we fell into a nice pattern and to be honest, with all that has been on my mind of late, I was happy with my own company, my own little circle of light and my own thoughts.  It was a great time to reflect, and the conditions were actually PERFECT for running, cool, dry and eventually the moon peeked through the clouds.  There is something magical about running at night, you really have to concentrate on the trail which really keeps everyday stresses far from your mind.  I really liked that aspect of it.  At one point, I thought it would be good to come out and do this on my own some Friday night.  Then I wised up and caught myself on, when the Bogey Man leapt to the forefront of my mind....

Anyway, did the run, the car shuffle, the huddle round the campfire at the end, and driving through the sleepy town of Glenbrook, next thing I see sirens and police lights flashing behind me, urging me to pull over.  Not again!!  Every damn run I do, I get followed home by the cops!  Having been stranded in the middle of woop woop with no phone reception and no way to get home from Mudgee and a pocket full of two and a half grands worth of fines because my rego was three days overdue, I was not keen to catch up with the NSW Police again so soon. However they had different plans.  This time a breath test (all clear) and my tow bar for my bike rack is apparantely illegal.  So he fined me for that.  Which makes me think (a) he was a prick and (b) the events in Mudgee might have got a little tick beside my registration in the COPS system.  Now I am a law abiding citizen, and admittedly I am a crap driver and even worse at parking, but fines, demerit points, near arrest?  Or am I delusional and should I just get off the roads?  I managed to drive around for twenty years without losing one point and suddenly over the past few years I seem to find myself on the wrong side of the law WAY TOO OFTEN. 

Anyway, thanks to a busy weekend, I had no time to dwell on whether the NSW Police Force had me in their sights or to dwell on the fact that I couldn't really move my legs come Saturday morning.  Saturday was spent with absolutely no thoughts of running, had lunch with an old friend and an early night.  Sunday I ran 10km, only because I got lost in the forest and only planned to do about six.  But it was nice and Buffy the wonder dog came with me.  Getting lost made me late for my Sunday afternoon catch up with friends, shop till you drop, eat till you burst, drink until you can fit no more in extravaganza.  Actually it was more like a moving feast, after we gave up on the shopping we grazed and grazed and grazed, accompanied by beer.  Until I got so cold from so much beer, so I had to have an Irish Coffee.  It was kinda a nice afternoon.  Wierd, but nice. 

This week I am doing a crash diet.  Silly I know, but I eat well and healthily and love my veggies, but would love to lose a few kilos quickly.  So am on day two of "meat and eggs only".  Which was fine until I read the email I got from the RSPCA today that the ACCC are investigating a number of chicken processing companies who claim their chickens are "free range", but aren't.  The footage attached to the email was upsetting and basically says that no shop bought eggs are from chickens that are treated humanely.  This upsets me greatly.  The most upsetting thing to read was that they only want female chicks and the male chicks are ground down ALIVE.  Please god, who does this stuff?  Who thinks this sort of thing is ok?  Where are these peoples minds at?  Sorry, getting wound up now.  Time to sign off.

Bankstown Hidden Half

I ran it.

It was hilly.

It was fun.

Man, I really enjoyed it. 

Currently searching for more half marathons and upset to find Sydney Running Festival Half is sold out! 

So back to the river.  Seems this longer run one week, shorter "long" run the other week (work with me here) works quite well for me.  Took the legs out for a trot tonight in the Bondi B's.  I am going to have to train my calves to work in a totally different manner to get the most out of these shoes.  Tonight hurt.  It really did.  It wasn't pleasant.  I stopped for a stretch and it was better.  But I am convinced I am running in a totally different way.  At the moment I am thinking at least one run per week with these shoes until I work out how the hell I am supposed to place my foot. 

But, in summary, fantabulous run yesterday (in terms of enjoyment factor) shite in terms of how I fared in the placing (I wasn't last but that was only because there were about 26 75 year olds behind me), and I actually felt bloody wonderful today.  You can't beat that.

No, I'm sorry, I can't - I have, I have, I have an Audience with the Pope that day....

I need more excuses to not attend ridiculous meetings.

I would get so much more done if they just gave me the minutes and got on with it on their own.  In fact, work would be so much more efficient without meetings.  They should be banned.  If you need to speak to someone about something, in the olden days, you just walked over to their desk.  Juggling diaries should now be an Olympic Event.  Government employees are bandits for meetings, I'd like to see them scrapped.

But anyway.  I have been "managing" my achilles in anticipation of the half marathon this weekend.  I went to "Enter The Dragon" Massage Parlour and asked for the VERY BEST in calf massages.  I was very disappointed to hear Enya and what sounded like Richard Clayderman coming through the speakers, because I had become quite fond of the "suburban Chinese Restaurant music".  I still cannot have a massage without getting the giggles when they do behind my knees or just above my kneecaps.  I think the guy thought I was crying today, but it just does something to my reflexes and makes me kick out my foot and disolve into fits of giggles.  I always leave feeling like a wierdo. Nothing new there though.

So another crapola week of running, this marathon is looking more and more unlikely, and I am fine with that.

New Shoes - Hoka One One Bondi B's

A friend told me about these new shoes that he got that annihalated injury, and bounced you along a bit like Tigger.  I had to try them.  Suffering from achilles injuries for most of my running life, I thought, why not?  Put them on and I have to say they felt bizarre!  Like I was rocking back and forth.  They put me in mind of those shoes that tone your arse that are advertised at midnight on the dodgy commercial channels.

I ran my first km in them around 5.40 min kms, which is faster than my average 6.20 min kms!  Just a smidge!!   Positively bounded around the streets, thinking, mistakenly, that any injury I was currently nursing would miraculously dissappear and I would be free to run my little heart out.  Of course, by the fourth kilometre the achilles Let Itself Be Known.  It was upset and angry after the half marathon and Saturdays 14km didn't help.  I didn't stretch or ice or do the stick roller so it is my own damn fault.  But lets not let that get in the way of a good story.  So lets talk about walking in these new running shoes.  Well, it engages muscles I don't think I have ever used because the backs of my calves were singing a rather unhappy song as I marched purposefully up Old Bathurst Road.  I imagined I was engaging muscles that I don't usually - I won't write these shoes off - FAR FROM IT - but they are NOT DESIGNED for walking.  Bursting  back in to running felt good despite the yukky achilles.  At least the calves were happy.

I think these shoes will be GREAT training for different leg muscles, the engagement of my arse, which has long been a problem with my running (I rely on the fronts of my thighs),  so I will be seen knocking around in my "clown shoes" and hopefully will get used to them, because  that SPRING you get in your step is just AWESOME!!! 

Thankful

What we take for granted, others really struggle for. 

I am very grateful to be able to run.  Tonight it didn't matter that I am a slow runner or that I am crap at everything sporty.

Tonight I took a friend out who is massively overweight and I saw first hand how difficult it can be when you are 120kg and I look back to the days when I was carrying another version of myself.  In fact, the day she got married, I was 105kg and remember not being able to find a dress to fit me and having to make one and getting all hot and bothered because I couldn't get it right and I still looked like an elephant.

And she was beautiful and slender and getting married and I felt like a big fat moo.  Tonight she committed to getting back in shape almost twenty years later, and she struggled with a two and half km walk.  And tonight I thanked God that I discovered running and fitness and oatmeal and vegetables and protein shakes and obsessing over crap times and knowing what an achilles tendon is and where your ITB lives and how many kilometres are in a marathon and just running in general.  And it is kinda fun sharing all that and hoping against hope that she gets it and loves it and embraces it. 

Fingers crossed.

Lake Macquarie

This weekend, I have planned for weeks to go up and spend the weekend with Toni, who now lives up on the Central Coast.  By total coincidence, I discover that the Lake Macquarie Half is also on this weekend.  We'd planned for me to do my long run Saturday morning then drive up to her, and hang out Saturday night.  Now with the discovery of the Half on Sunday morning, I'll be asking if we can partaaaaaay Friday night and have a quiet one Saturday night and might even see if I can persuade her to do the 5km on Sunday morning.  If I tell her there are bacon and egg rolls after and a good excuse for a beer Sunday afternoon, you know I think she will be in.....

The following weekend there is the Bankstown Hidden Half, which is another half marathon that is not flat.  I reckon if I can get the body to being used to half marathons each weekend, I will.....I dunno.  Be closer to a marathon?  End up injured?  Run myself sensible?  All of the above?

At the moment, life in general is not in general, it is by exception.  All the things that were normal are not.  I had twenty good years of being boring and predictible.  It appears that that comfort zone is over and now it is crazy times ahead.  I am becoming used to that and able to accept this with much less fanfare, but I am assuming at some point it will all stop and start behaving again.  I am starting to learn that that will only happen once I have made some decisions, which are difficult.  Until then, it will continue to be a little crazy.  Welcome to my world.

Please, come away for the weekend with me, run a marathon, then get arrested.

Oh go on, you know you want to.

Weekend in Mudgee was AWESOME until about halfway home.

Had a lovely drive up there, chatting about nothing in particular and running in general.  Caught up with the others at the pub, had a nice dinner, some laughs and went back to the Bates Motel, had a nice night cap and waiting whilst Mrs Bates put clean sheets on the bed (yes, my room had dirty towels and dirty sheets on arrival).  Anyway, once tucked in under clean sheets to a bed that resembled a board, I snuggled down to go to sleep only to find the air conditioner was blowing cold air in my face.  Up and down about seventy five million times to TRY and turn it off.  To no avail.  It just kept blowing air, so I climbed up on a chair and tried to stick the blades closed, unsuccessfully.  By this stage it was midnight and with me being an old lady and needing to be in bed by 8.30pm pre race, it wasn't a good start.  Lay in bed, tossing and turning, with cold air STILL blowing on me only to doze off then wake up to what sounded like the QE2 berthing underneath my room.  Either I was above the boiler room or someone was trying to work out the inner functioning of THEIR air conditioning.  1am came and went and so did many loud, DRUNK residents.  Not much sleep.

Woke up to a very fine morning, not too cold, in fact PERFECT running conditions.  The run itself was much better than expected.  Given my limited training, I expected it to be tough (and it was), but I found myself pushing on and at around 11km I really started to enjoy it.  By 15km running up a gradual long climb, with winds pushing me back, I knew there was never going to be a PB but I would do my best.  At this point a big kangaroo hopped across the path, scaring the living bejesus out of me initially, but it was lovely to be plodding along through the vineyards with the aussie wildlife.

I kept reminding myself of other races where I was unhappy with how I'd run because I hadn't tried hard enough.  So I kept pushing and pushing, I wasn't going very fast against that wind but I did keep going and finished in 2:11 ish (not exactly sure as I forgot to turn off my garmin / and / or look at the clock!!!).  So I was really happy with the run, because I knew I had done what I could with the level of fitness that I had (i.e. I knew it would be crap to start with).

After a visit to the winery and lunch at the pub, where everyone in my group except me got bling, we headed off on the long journey home. 

And that is where it all went a bit Pulp Fiction, with all sorts of bizarre, yet quite surreal things happening to two very nerdy law abiding citizens and culminating in us almost getting arrested, twice.  It was a bit like Thelma and Louise without Brad Pitt or any shooting or blow jobs. Actually it wasn't that exciting at all and by the time I got home, I really needed a medicinal vodka and a nice lie down.

Today, my muscles ache, everything is sorted and I am already giggling at our adventures.  My stars said that Saturn would give me a workout.  Well I expected it to happen in work.  I was totally unprepared for this. 

Saturn 1 -0 Me

More observations

If I EVER come off with "it's a good hit out" in relation to a run, can you please shoot me.  What does that even mean?

I regret telling someone too many of my secrets.  I always get scared that I will die suddenly and suddenly someone will read all my emails and my texts and piece together a life that is a bit off centre.  

But I am excited and a little bit apprehensive about this weekends race.  First race in an Ice Age.  Bought a new running outfit to celebrate.  Hope it doesn't chafe.

Bit of a proud mum today.  Curtis and his band mates spent today recording their first EP in a studio in Sydney.  In a few weeks time they play their first "proper" gig in a hotel in Sydney.  Lots of firsts as a mum at the moment.  The less said about last weekends first - the first time I was in the car with him driving, the better. 

Here is something that is funny and shows what clever stuff you can do with a bit of a knack for editing.



 

Last Minute Dot Com

On a whim I entered the Mudgee Marathon this weekend (doing the half).  This was my first half marathon ever and I have lovely memories of that race and the people I met there. 

This weekend I also have the absolute pleasure of driving up with someone who has encouraged me and inspired me over the years and that in itself will be a little adventure.

Then I have the run.  Not sure how it will go.  The last two runs I have done since Saturdays big one have been shockers!  But you know what?  It is time to TAPER!!  Yahoo.

Now, what dresses to bring......?

Recovery "run"

Well the recovery run started out as a run, and ended up just being a series of movements cobbled together that  resembled shuffling.  In the end I gave up and walked (Buffy was a fan of this idea, her little legs were gone after the first five kms).  So ran the first 5km (listening to Otis Redding) and had a big smile on my face (because it was downhill) and then got to the steps going down into the valley.  Ouch ouch ouch.  Then the steps back up.  Approx 600m of steps going up up up.

So all up this week I have clocked up 59km.  Could eat for Ireland.  This marathon training lark is going to keep me very busy.