Rock. And Roll. And everything in between.

We are very good parents, in that we gave our son a good private school education, a chance to go toUni and live in the halls of residence, and we encouraged a great love of music, we bought him a guitar and an amp and then a bigger amp and a subscription to "Guitar Monthly" magazine, some strings, guitar picks and let him listen to all our old vinyl and taught him his New York Dolls from his Iggy, his Bowie from his Mott the Hoople and a whole lot in between.

Well yesterday he taught us a little bit about rock. 

Which brings me to be sitting here, with a bit of Slayer playing in the background, typing this and thinking what a funny world we live in.

For Christmas we bought Curt and Fin tickets to Big Day Out - Fin got sick and couldn't go (but we all went anyway), and they both wanted to go to Soundwave, so I duly bought us all tickets for that too.  Well, I had to supervise, didn't I???

What a totally awesome, fantastic, rocking day!!!!  I really thought there is no way I would enjoy any of that shit, but hey, I will go and have a look, having one band that I really wanted to see (which Curt had introduced me to) but I really wasn't interested in much else.  Funny how forking out nearly $700 can make you a bit keener to get value for money, so I started researching some of the bands that were playing - and I don't profess to be a total metal head although I do love my music loud and thumping.  So next thing I am downloading Slayer and the guy from Slipknots new band and before I know it, I am humming "Reign of Blood" or whatever it is called and playing air guitar on the vaccuum cleaner.

Anyway, Festival Day dawns and we take a very cool, old person approach and rock up later in the afternoon, but as soon as I set foot through the door the old heart rate inched up a bracket.  What is it about loud pumping music that makes your insides churn and your normal reserved demeanour fly out the window???  We held it together nicely in the big stadium watching some rather cool bands (mr red haired ranger man from Stone Sour I think you are just fucking marvellous) but take me to a small, sweaty, intimate stage and leave me there, because I forget I am forty, I forget I have a job and a mortgage and I forget that I have any kind of responsibility at all except for ENJOYING the music put before me - and I let the whole experience engulf me and I become someone else.  Fuck knows who, I just forget everything and it is one of the most bloody awesomely marvellous experiences you can have.  So that's just a band that are good and I don't know.  But I have to say, I died and went to heaven when my FAVOURITE band Coheed and Cambria finally got their shit together to play a few tunes, and when I realised they were playing Gravemakers and Gunslingers I suppose it was the music equivalent to an orgasm.  But then they played A Favour House Atlantic.  And then Welcome Home.  I could have just died happy then.  Fearfully awesome, me, forty years old, yelling the words, dancing away and grinning like a great fecking eejit.  Fuck it was MAGIC!!!  Seriously, I had a forty minute smile on my face, reminiscant of someone not quite right in the head. 

But there were other highlights.  Gang of Four.  Old dudes from England that John remembered from our days hanging around punks in Belfast - and I thought they would be shite.  They rocked!!!  In fact, we had planned to leave after 2 songs  but stayed for about six, we were entranced.  Anberlin rocked us.  Murderdolls rolled us.  Slash played Paradise City.  Someone else did a cover of Billy Idols White Wedding.  Bullet for My Valentine did Advance Australia Fair.  It was just good times.  We finished off with a serving of Iron Maiden - who doesn't love The Number of The Beast?   Although I always thought it was "Whoa to you oh Earth"....when it is really "Woe to you oh Earth"....slight difference..  Whoa is wayyyyyy better!!!!!

Came to work Monday morning smiling like someone not quite wise, wanting to tell eveyrone and anyone about our marvellous experience in various moshpits....still grinning like someone let out for the day.  Love my music.  Totally love it!!!!!

Time Trials, Trials and Tribulations, Cape Tribulations, Batman

See the link in the title?  No?  Never mind....

Ok so tonight was the SIL time trial and there was me thinking with all this madzer running I have been doing that I would KILL it, after all, it was only 4km.  But not a flat 4km mind you.  Well I added 5 seconds to my last months time, so that was shite.  Which is pretty much like every other damn bit of my life at the moment.  Ok ok slight exaggeration, but it is certainly not progressing as I had intended, specially on the job front.  I now have a total of five weeks to find a new job before my contract runs out.  Yes I have been talking to agencies and applying for stuff but as yet, A BIG FAT NOTHING.  Which means that I am well placed to go to Bali with Karina for her birthday to shop and lie around the pool and hopefully retain both kidneys.  And then most likely have some time off (which, after 20 years of hard labour, I don't really mind) and then hopefully when the weather gets colder and the beach is no longer an option, I might actually get a job and be respectable again.  Or I could become a professional athlete and be a kept woman.  Somehow I think neither of those things are going to happen, but I can dream.....


So, apart from that, we did big hot run at the weekend which left my kankles feeling very sore all week, but the more I ran on them the better they became.  Hoping my new feet settle into the new orthotics quickly.  Actually, I didn't get new feet, I am still flummoxed from the last paragraph - I got new orthotics. 

Tonight at the time trials a freaky thing happened,  a woman came over and asked where I was from, which is standard procedure when anyone hears my silly accent, only this woman was also from Belfast, also from my part of town and also went to the same school as me!!!  So we had a lovely natter about school, and I am so jealous because she is going on a school reunion with a difference - they are going to the Greek Islands!!!  Now I wonder if we can swap our el cheapo little holiday to Bali to a few weeks on the Greek Islands.....!!!!

Now that would be FUN!!!

Shag

I've now got a "shag" (haircut) in fact, if I had a big round brush or rollers I could do the Farrah Fawcett Flick. 

And the shag behaved itself and went up in a ponytail for todays run.  Which was great.  And yes that is why I am in my nightie at 4.35pm on a Saturday afternoon and considering a glass of sauv blanc.  Just considering though. For medicinal purposes.

That scary scary hanging bridge thing over the Cox's River!!  Scares the shite out of me every time until I start imagining James Bond style moves hanging onto it and swinging through the sky.  Heart Rate of something ridiculous crossing it on the way there and even worse on the way back.

Thankfully today, not one snake to be seen but one very big "fuck arse" reptile thing.  Well, that's how Monica described it when she yelled "holy fuck would you look at that?" and leapt from the track.  I thought it was the cranky snake that we've seen before and was filled with dread, but a large, dog sized reptile was a much more welcome sight. 

I have to say, two Northern Irish women in the middle of the bush was quite funny, every stick was a snake after I told Monica my "rearing up and very angry Six Foot Track Snake" story and there were a lot of yells when leaves moved, sticks were sighted, or little geckos crossed our path.  Placed conveniently at the end of the run was a little flowing river so we got in to cool our weary legs.  It was all very peaceful and nice until Monica jumped off her rock vowing that something had bitten her on the foot - and there was much talk of sea snakes.  Despite being about 150km from the Sea. 

A nice run to finish off a wierdo week.  ANOTHER weirdo week.  When will it all go back to normal?

Goodbye Stone

There is nothing like the therapeutic powers of a good hard run, and todays effort did not disappoint.  Ran from home down to Emu Plains, did a lap of Hunter Fields then back up Mitchells Pass, along the old highway and up the steps at Lovers Walk.  All up 16km and felt good the whole way, except for a niggle from the egg shaped orthotic that the lovely physio stuck to the sole of my shoe.

Speaking of physio sessions, was it just me or was that the weirdest one ever?  He was working on the wrong leg.  And I was so busy enjoying it I only realised when he was nearly finished. 


S texted from Adelaide where he is working for a month to tell me he is running EVERY DAY and losing weight.  This means he will most likely come home from Adelaide fit and faster than me again.  Gotta step up that training!

So much talk last night at Rays about upcoming runs, I just don't know where I will be and what I will be doing, next week, next month, next year - silly to enter anything serious just now. 

This is the second day I have taken the cats to the Vets to have her put down, and they are closed.  So she got a lamb chop and some cream and lives to see another day.  We have to so something, she is not even walking straight now and her ear is completely open and she smells funny.  She only seems happy when being cuddled, so she is getting lots of hugs tonight.....time to say goodbye after 17 years.....

Quite possibly the craziest week of my life.  Ups and downs.  Massive highs and lows.  Wierd wierd wierd things happening.  Coping with running around in the 42 degree heat just to be doing SOMETHING to take my mind off other matters.  Running around in 42 degree heat requires waterproof mascara and an array of ice blocks strapped to your head. 

In other news, Mt Solitary is out of the question now because of the "entry criteria" - maybe in another life.  So I am not really training for anything but just bumbling along having fun.  Last weeks 24km run was one of the best - we set off early and it actually felt chilly at the start.  A very unusual experience of late.  I had my good friend Martin for company and between us we do talk a load of shite, but it is good funny banter and he is good because he runs off and rounds me up like a sheepdog, so he gets spurts of speed and I trundle along with my thoughts and my snail pace and it is all good.  We bumped into a speedster friend at the end who encouraged me to take a dip in the causeway - after the run I felt GREAT and was even contemplating a bike ride later.  However a nap did take precedence. 

This week I've had two early morning runs with Simon, a weights session and two Personal Training sessions, one of which involved running round and round and round the track for an hour.  So feeling good and keeping the fingers crossed for cooler temps tomorrow so I can do another long run.  Note to self - freeze camelbak.

Oh and we went to the Big Day Out - Plan B were AMAZINGLY GOOD.  Rammstein rocked the place.  Rocked the place big time.  I was up front in the mosh pit on Matts shoulders - which is the very best place to be except when the fireworks started shooting out from the stage and I was worried about losing an eyeball.  Or catching fire myself.  Those guys are fucking mad, but hugely entertaining for hundred year old Germans. 

Knapsack 6hr race was good except for my massive spew up at the finish line in full view of all and sundry.  In fact some man I have never met before came up to me in the park the other day and commented on it.  He seemed to find it amusing.  But then again he WAS English.

So - do I spend $160 on a ticket to Soundwave, when there is really only one band I want to see?  And if I buy one, I will have to buy four because Fin, Curt and John will want to come.  Dammit, life is too short, Soundwave, Iron Maiden, Coheed and Cambria and possibly a large number of Crazy Fists - here I come!!!

Solution to Banjaxed Achilles...

Well, my achilles treatment involved a week in Fiji in flip flops, the best calf massage I ever had in my life and a lot of Fiji Gold.  Oh, and no running.  And miraculously, it is better.

I also learnt a lot in Fiji.  I learnt that Pedicures aren't for me, nor is Fiji style braiding and don't put a lot of sunscreen on before a banana boat ride with colleagues.  All that slipping off and not being able to get back on can get embarrassing.  I think the pedicure lady was ready to ask me to leave, nobody told me they took a brillo pad to the soles of your feet and rubbed at all the giggly bits until you are ready to wet your pants.  Nor was I informed before this supposedly relaxing pursuit that they have little dentist-like implements and they cut you with them.  My foot was inadvertantly kicking at this poor lady meanwhile Karina, who had brought me to this torture and lied to me telling me it was very relaxing was sitting there nonchalantly reading a magazine carrying on like she was ENJOYING hers.  People are wierd, I tell you.

I also learnt that my will power is crap.  Dry January was powering along until I got to Fiji,  but as soon as I sat down behind a cocktail menu I discovered I had a FIERCE thirst on me and ordered a Mai Tai, following the lead of the rest of the group (just call me a sheep - baaaaa).  Well, I discovered Mai Tais weren't for me, so ventured into unknown territory of the Mojito, then the Pina Colada and well, then someone cracked open a bottle of Veuve Cliquot and well the rest of the night was a bit hazy.  The next day I declared Dry January back on (easy enough at 9am) but upon wandering back to my room after conference day one via the Pool Bar and meeting up with other thirsty colleagues, my will power wavered and suddenly I found myself with a Fiji Gold in my hand.  I don't know how that happened.  This pattern continued throughout the holiday (conference, schmonference) with each morning being declared the resumption of Dry January and me calling it officially on hold by 4pm.  Needless to say, no running occurred during the entire 8 days of the trip and there was very little sleeping either. I am glad to say, however that I took the FIVE running outfits out of my bag replacing them with a more sensible two.


The day I flew into Sydney, I had an interview set up for a job I REALLY really am keen on.  In fact, it is the job I have been after for a number of years now.  And I really think I am ready for it now.  Timing is good.  So I had to get up early (4am) get to the airport, be delayed, fly for four hours, kill three hours in Sydney, then have my interview.  First mishap was someone making me laugh on the bus to the airport and me spluttering my cup of tea all over myself.  Bit of a wipe down and I was right.  Next, on the plane, I discovered my "nice" linen dress had literally fallen apart across the backside, in a kind of trendy ripped sort of a way that might be good for clubbing but certainly not for a professional interview.  Well, there was something to do in my three hours of hanging around Sydney - shopping.  Found the perfect dress, fixed up my makeup and got into my suitcase to find my hairspray only to find that my little bottle of toothpaste had exploded en route to cover EVERYTHING in little glittery minty squares and a sticky greeny blue mess.  Wiped off the can of hairspray (which was by now missing a cap) and sprayed the hairdo only to find my head covered in little glittery squares and a very strong aroma of mint.  By now, time was running out, and so that is how I turned up to the interview (but at least my bum wasn't hanging out of my dress like it had been on the airplane).

So - trip to Fiji a humiliating lesson in lack of willpower, but I will say I had the time of my life, but will also remember not to go below deck on a Fijian boat after a big night.  Wondering if I should just stay off the ankle until after Australia Day - DO NOT want to let my team mates down - and if I start to run again and hurt the ankle before Wednesdays race I will be very very upset.  In terms of how I feel about Wednesday - FREAKING TERRIFIED!  What possessed me to ask these beautiful but very accomplished people to be in a relay team with ME???  ME!!  Slowpoke of the century.  However this year is all about putting that aside and doing stuff DESPITE that.  So, 6hr relay race, here I come.  Farrkkkk!!!
 

biking up hills...

is harder than it looks.  Farrk it is hilly around here.  Getting the hang of this bike is going to take  some time, but I guess these hills are the place to do it!  Thighs are literally BURNING and I only did 10km!!  And half of that was going WEEEEEEEEEEE FARRRRK DOWNHILL!!!!  Then HUFF PUFF FARRRK UPHILL!!  Was determined not to get off, more in case anyone I knew spotted me - who wheels a bike around for fun?  It's not like running where you can pretend to be out for a walk :) and I will admit to taking the long way home because the hill wasn't as steep.  But Jesus, Mary and Joseph my legs are still burning.  My garmin tells me it used up 381 calories.  My scales tell me I have put on half a kilo (from Tuesday).  My brain says IGNORE!  KEEP GOING! 
Am thinking about a lunchtime swim.....

Edit to add:  30 laps of Glenbrook Pool, flipperless.  Wierd goggle face after.  Feel GREAT!

Kit-e-Kat milk - yum

Yesterday marked the last year of the teens for our offspring and so that was clearly celebrated  by a few too many UDLs last night by himself - and there was a weary looking individual loping around the house this morning.  He has an annoying habit of taking my nicely cooled water bottle out of the fridge and scoffing it.

He won't be doing that again.  I got a text mid morning asking "mum - what was in that drink bottle in the fridge, it tasted weird?"  to which I replied "the cat's kit-e-kat milk.  Oh and some Cat Lax."  His response "serious?".  Perhaps he'll get his own water bottle now. 


Of course, I can be smug about his hungover status, having not partaken in the drinking of the alcoholic beverage since 31 Dec 2010, being all year, or 13 days.  I am super happy with how it is going and how I am feeling.  Perhaps I expected more though.  I have two partners in crime who are 'dry Januarying" with me, and none have faltered, one even went to the CRICKET and didn't have a beer.  And she is Aussie.  She could have used a beer ...but lets not go there.

So - training.  Well the only word I can think of to describe it is "painstaking".  Every run I do is short, but hurts.  Sundays run was terrible.  Mondays run was bloody awful.  I came home so depressed and deeply aware that the things I want to do later this year are probably now out of my reach.  So I rested it on Tuesday - did nothing at all.  Wednesday I ran to PT session, which was a teeny bit better than Mondays.  Tonight I ran to the PT session and it was slow but not as painful in the achilles.  I thought we were getting somewhere.  PT session started with a game of tag.  Of course I get carried away and I'm sprinting and chasing someone and make a quick turn and ARRRGHHHH I freaking pulled something in it AGAIN.  Fuckity fuckity FARK.

Tomorrow I am working from home, which means I am damn well going to bike ride in the morning.  After all I will spend the next 8 days  (and nights) with my work colleagues in humid and flat Fiji.  I have enquired and we can hire bikes - yay!  And we can kayak and swim, and I guess if I rest the gummy leg for a day or two of no running, then running on the flat should be ok.  In fact, I have packed so much running gear, but as yet no frocks.  I don't really want to go to Fiji and I know that sounds ungrateful, but I find it hard enough to stick to diets and training schedules and not drinking, and keeping my house clean and my bills paid and my employers happy that I don't really cope all that well with being taken away from my little routine.  Plus I have to present shit.  Which I don't mind if it is interesting and I think my audience will find it useful, however I don't think they are going to be too excited by my job, I might just make stuff up, tell them I interviewed Keanu Reeves for the Rebates Clerk job or Angelina Jolie rang up wanting to know how to treat her cat for worms.   Honestly, one of the teams that report to me answers calls all day about worms in Llama's, how to apply our products after your sheep has had its testicles shaved (by the way, a sheeps penis is called a "Pizzle"), or how soon after your cat has an enema you can give it a laxative.  Surely to god there is some material there for an interesting presentation.  Anyway I am rambling on about nothing in particular here.

So, in summary - success on the non drinking front.  Small amount of weight loss, but certainly clothes looser (although still a long way to go) - sad and frustrated inside about my running, but refusing to let it get me down. Goddamn achilles.  You will not beat me!

Whoever said it was like riding a bike was smarter than me....

So - Day Eight!!  Day Eight!!  Can you totally believe that???  Me either.  Feeling good, positive, and days appear to have more productive hours in them.  Hmmm.

Anyway;. as planned, I made it to the Cool Running 5km Twilight Race last night.  I use the term "race" loosely for me, as I just gambolled around the path, smelling the smells, taking in the sights, saying hello to city folk who aren't used to such forward behaviour, and mostly scowled at me.  Have to say, the bay run smells a bit yucky.

Anyway, my achilles was very sore and tight, so I planned to go nice and slow.  When you've got sore bits, no matter what speed you are doing, it feels super slow, painful and frankly, quite unpleasant.  So I was glad when it was over, but glad to have done it too.  Caught up with so many familiar faces, and vowed to come to more of these runs, there is a great vibe and everyone is sooooo friendly and nice. 

The plan was to do the Cool Running West 5km challenge this morning, but as soon as that foot hit the floor I knew I would be foolish to run on it when it was so inflamed.  So I found some High Impact Interval Training websites and sort of followed what they were doing, although hopping over things was out of the question, so instead of the jumpy cardio stuff, I substituted vacuuming the floor, running downstairs to get the washing out of the machine, and generally did a couple of sets of weights, some floor work, AND I got all my housework done.  Ha!  So it wasn't so much High Impact, except to the cleanliness of my house.  I spent about three hours all up mopping, bicep curls, vacuuming, squats, you get the picture. Not sure if any studies have been done on the weight loss benefits of weilding a steam mop, but anyway...

This afternoon I still felt a bit unfulfilled and was contemplating a little run, then I caught myself on.  So I took the bike to the bike shop and asked the man to pump up my tyres.  Embarrassing thing number one.  I had planned to take my pump with me to show him that I couldn't get it to work, and see if he could work out why.  However I left the pump on the roof of the car, and of course lost it somewhere on the way.  One new pump later and I was on my way.

Now, it has been a while since I got on the bike, and I am a bit scundered to say that I rode for 10.5km thinking my gears were stuck, until I remembered that the moving the brake lever to the side actually changes the gears down to an easier gear.  So I did the first 10km in the biggest gear and was thinking after about like 20 metres how hard it was on the legs.  Der. 

Once I worked out how to use the gears, and managed to get them down into a sensible place, the ride was actually quite nice.  Now I don't know about you, but I don't like going round in circles for no reason, so whilst I started with a lap of the Lake at the Regatta Centre, I knew if I was to continue doing laps I would  bore myself senseless and wouldn't last for 10km never mind 30.   (30km was todays goal).  So I rode all around Penrith and around the river, and really really enjoyed it.  All up I did 37.5 kms and the best thing was that at the end my garmin said I had used 950 calories!!  950!!!  Excellent.  That will more than cover the tuna fish sandwich I had a craving for mid morning.

So when I got home - feeling all fit and healthy I got the lawn mower out and mowed the lawns.  So now I am officially "at rest" for the day - going to enjoy a nice shower and get ready for a birthday party tonight.  Not at all concerned that everyone will be drinking and I won't be.  I am feeling strong and positive, even bordering on "smug"!!!!

Day Six

Still on that wagon!!  My friends are totally disbelieving that I could go six days without a glass of wine, DOUBTING THOMAS'S THE LOT OF YOU!!!

So, the achilles is still a wee bit tender, but I did ice the living daylights out of it after last nights PT session, and then deep heated it, massaged the crap out of it, then put my compression bandage on and slept with it on.  Felt really good this morning (you can tell with your achilles, that first step out of bed, as soon as you put that foot down, you know). 

Wore heels all day so it wasn't sore at all, until I went to tonights PT session.  What were we doing?  Running up and down a hill.  Hopping on one foot!  Calf raises.  So I had to do my own version of things that were not going to aggravate it. I was unhappy that I couldn't put in 100% effort because of it, but still got the heart rate up and some of the stuff we were doing was hard and hurt but a good hurt - so I liked it.

So - it is still not capable of a decent run, so will go to the Twilight Cool Running 5km challenge and just have a slow 5km.  My physio still recommends movement on an achilles injury, to get the blood pumping through the area.

OH MY GOD  I just remembered.  I saw a man running through Blaxland with no shirt on.  And a mad six pack. I nearly crashed into a pole. 

Back to achilles.  My friend Craig reckons that nitroglicerin patches for vaginas (or was it angina) are good for achilles tendonitis as they get the blood flow happening down there (the achilles not the vagina) (god that is such an ugly but hugely comical word) so I will be asking Dr Norm what he thinks next time I see him down the Lappo. 

I have weighed myself every day this week and each day I get a little tiny bit lighter.  So that is good.

I am not really dieting because I want to see what happens just with exercise and no alcohol this week.  Next week I will start looking at what I eat at night, because I seem to get home ravenous and stuff whatever is available into my mouth without thinking.    I need to snack better at about 4pm so I am not ready to eat the steering wheel or the dog.

All in all, I suppose I am making the most of what I have got at the moment in terms of excercise. My home weights have come in very useful and I am doing something every day, even if there is not a lot of running at the moment.  Feeling very positive and happy though and looking forward to seeing what I can achieve this year.  

And on the Fourth Day The Achilles Said - Never Smile at a Monkey

Iced it.

Massaged it.

Deep heated it.

Put "Mels Aunties Homeopathic Chux Wipes Infused with Eucalyptus and Claimed to Work Miracles" on it.

Put compression socks on it.

Put compression bandage on top. (Compression bandage kepts for emergencys when you get bitten by a snake in the bush but you keep it in your top drawer because you are an idiot and keep forgetting it)

Elevated it.

Spoke harshly to it.

At least if a large serpent makes its way up my stairs, through my closed door and up into bed, it will not be able to bite my lower limbs through the absolute stench of deep heat or the many layers of compression garments adorning my ankles.

All in all a very unsatisfactory start to Day 4. Not to mention having to go to work and get dressed properly again.

Despite obvious setback, spent a good hour this morning doing weights, 25 x 3 sets of all sorts of delightful moves. 

Can't remember what triggered achilles woes.  But my memory isn't that great so I remember having an out of body experience in the Glenbrook National Park on a very hot day and seeing imaginary icy poles floating in front of my eyes and I remember wearing flippers to the Glenbrook Pool and avidly undertaking 20 laps of aforesaid pool but it could have been somewhere in between those two things.  Note, I did not wear flippers TO the pool, I just put them on when I got there. 

Day 3 2011. Going well.

So - three days into this new year - what's been happening?

Well, New Years Eve saw Monica and I set off at 7am for what I thought was going to be a 20km run in the National Park - Monica had other ideas - but we eventually settled on 26km.  So we started off the run feeling great (I had been very nervous about doing a long run as I had been feeling up and down with what felt like a virus, lots of sleeping, sore achy limbs and visits to the bathroom) but was definately feeling better on Friday morning.

I love the smell of the forest at that time of the morning, mixed in with the fresh smells of sunscreen and freshly washed running gear, I was having one of those "isn't this bloody marvellous, where else would you want to be on a morning like this?" moments.  Later I would find myself wishing to be anywhere else than in 37 degree heat, at the bottom of a big hill with headspins and an alarmingly clammy feeling about my head.  But we ran out to Nepean Lookout, felt good, it was only on the way back on the DOWNHILL bit that I started to feel odd.  My neck and head were sore, but I was a bit embarrassed to say anything.  We did some run / walk stuff up the hills but by the time we reached the 23km mark (and that wonderful downhill to the causeway) I actually had to stop otherwise I think I may have spewed.  So I got to the causeway and sat in the shade and was totally scundered to find myself saying yes to Monica's offer of going to get the car and come and get me.  Not sure if it was the heat or what but I felt like crap.  However was still happy to get a long run in.

NYE we had some visitors and watched the little documentary about Coast to Kosi.  I have absolutely no desire to run for two days solid (my 25km disaster still very fresh in my mind) but watching the movie really brought it home to me what it takes to do something like that (240 odd kilometres from sea level to the highest point in Australia).  Watching it with someone who has done it was funny.  They make it sound so easy.  Ah yes well there is this big hill and it is 7km long, but once you are up it, it is dead flat.  Yeah right. 

Still, watching it made me think I would like to be a better runner so that I could do something special - although clearly not on that scale.  Hence the new years resolution of running daily and not drinking.  Drinking is keeping me fat and being dehyrdated doesn't help my running.  So, it's gotta go.  Losing weight SHOULD help my running, after all, I will have less to carry around with me! 

So - trying to limit carbs at night and eat cleaner.  Last night I experimented with a recipe I made up, and I have to say, I was very pleased with the result - as was the rest of the family.  Here's my Turkey Balls recipe for anyone who is interested:

Turkey Mince (500g)
A quarter of a cabbage, finely chopped
A carrot, grated
1 squirt of lemongrass out of the squeezy tubes you get in the salad section of the supermarket
1 squirt of ginger from same squeezy tube (except it says ginger on it)
1 tbs of fish sauce.  Go easy on this, otherwise it will be DISGUSTING!
1 dash of sesame oil
1 tsp of brown sugar

Mix it all up in a bowl and make into balls.  Oven bake for about 40 mins.  Eat with HP sauce and a salad - YUM!!!  The contrast of the sour fish sauce and sweet brown sugar is fab, and the cabbage makes it look and feel like a dim sim.  I froze them in individual freezer bags for a high protein low carb snack that is quick to access in an emergency!

Yesterday, apart from being a domestic goddess, I also swam 20 laps of Glenbrook Pool and did a 10km run down and up Mitchells Pass.  Before bed I did some weights, although I get nervous about smashing my legs with lunges before a run I've never done, so took it easy.  But all in all - a good start.

Today I did about 8.5km following a group of very nice but much faster runners.  This was good for a number of reasons.  I am rather sensitive about my running and lack of speed and this is one thing I need to overcome.  No point stressing about it, it's never going to change.  However, facing my fear of looking like an eejit is something I need to do, in order to move forward.  This morning I woke up, turned off the alarm and looked for a million reasons or excuses why I could not run with these people.  But I did turn up and I really loved the run, and I didn't even feel silly for being slowest, in fact I had a really nice time and had a big belly laugh when I found sticks in the shape of an arrow, pointing me in the right direction because I was so far behind.  I knew it was only a short loop and even if I got "lost" I would be safe as I know the general area.  Definately a good little run to add to my training schedule (though would be concerned about the serpent factor on a hot day).  Anyway - todays run was a step forward in me ditching the negative thoughts I often have about my running, so that was good.

Later I think I will head down to Regatta for a ride - but only if I can get my tyres blown up!  It is a knack I have yet to learn, and the last time I took the trusty steed out for a ride, I think I used up more calories trying to get the tyres up than the actual ride itself.

Tomorrow back to work, but will run before work - fuzzy feel good endorphins required to get back into the daily grind.

Wed and Thurs are Personal Training days, and I will run to and from the sessions, Friday night is the Twilight Series (10km Yab Nur with Cool Running) and Saturday morning is the CR West 5km Challenge, so there is all good stuff to keep me interested and motivated this week.  The plan is to commit to as many social runs as possible so that I don't skip sessions, and to plan the week ahead, write it here, then stick to it - my blog holding me accountable, sort of!  If I say it - I have to do it!!! 

New Years Resolutions

This is a photo of me reaching for the icecubes. The icecubes to go in a glass of gin. A glass of gin that I wasn't supposed to be having, having sworn that I would only drink the low alcohol champagne on New Years Eve, and would not awake on New Years Day feeling dusty.

However, my challenge to myself for January 2011 is this:

1. Run Every Day
2. Drink no alcohol - at all. None. Not a skerrick.
3. Increase the long runs each week gradually. None of this destroying myself by throwing in random long runs.


2011 - I have plans for you.

Fatty Blue Tongue

The Fattest Blue Tongue Lizard Ever!!!

shetland pony vs gazelle

Kept my pact (with myself) to get up early and run up and down Old Bathurst Road.  Ran down feeling like a gazelle, the run back up had me feeling a bit like a small, overweight Shetland Pony - in fact the run back up was really a brisk walk - interspersed with a few little jogs.  Man that is one steep hill!  Ended up adding another loop onto the run - feeling good (once up the hill) and lets face it, after the crap I have eaten (what was I thinking?  I actually ATE a Krispy Kreme Donut?! Yeuchhhhh!!!) I needed to. 


Spent the rest of the day hiking in the Blue Mountains with Sam and Karina.  Man it was cold but perfect weather for a four hour hike. We stood out on a rock in the middle of nowhere and giggled and laughed and probably seriously annoyed the people who had come to seek tranquility and peace, but good times, good company, except next time we go bushwalking I am going to ask Sam very nicely not to spray her old hiking jacket with el cheapo perfume because she stank all day of something gross, in an effort to hide the fact that her jacket had been in a cupboard for 2 years covered in  mothballs. 


Checking out the maps I now know where Grand Canyon is and that is top of my list for a day out walking - although I think it might be sensible to take someone with me who has done it before - otherwise could be a very loooooong day with perhaps even a free ride in a helicopter.

So - everyone is starting to talk about goals for 2011.  Mine are to try really hard not to cut my fringe, to run the Mt Solitary Marathon (FECK!) and to drink less.  Oh and to stop buying frocks.  And maybe roll over my super.  Also to keep up with the Personal Training as well as get my running back on track (by back on track I mean consistently run) and stop freaking out about snakes. 


 

Excess

Excess - it's really ugly.  EVERYONE in our house displayed a bit this Christmas. 

Firstly - Stone.  Stone is not long for this world.  She has lost 600g since she had her ear amputated and won't eat much except if she think it might belong to her nemesis - Buffy.

Anyway today I realised she hadn't eaten much all holidays so I went to the IGA and bought her some prawns.  Which she literally SNORFED up.  Cue large pile of cat puke complete with undigested prawns an hour later.

Sorting out the clean washing in the spare room and came across a big rind of pork chop fat amongst my clean undies.  Clearly Buffy had put this by for a rainy day.  Both Buffy and Stone are not overweight or overindulged.  In fact, everyone in our house is at their correct BMI except me and the Blue Tongue.  Our Blue Tongue is so fat, it has trouble walking, its little hands and feet protrude from the most enormous belly you have ever seen on a reptile. Except that internet picture of the big snake in Africa that ate a donkey.  But that's photoshopped.

Anyway, picture of Blue Tongue impossible because you can't add photos to these blogs any more ARRRGHHHH. 

So I got on the scale today and thanks to Christmas over indulgence, they said I have put on two kilos since the start of December.  Two kilos on a five foot woman is like ten on a normal person! 

So starting tomorrow, when I will rise NO MATTER WHAT THE WEATHER IS DOING at 6am to run down Old Bathurst Road and back up again, it is unofficial boot camp again at my place.  Well, the road is closed to traffic and except that time we were drunk and jumped out of the taxi at 2am in the morning, I have never run up Old Bathurst and man, that'll be some hill training session. 

Tomorrow day is a girls day out bushwalking - cue more leeches.  I will resist the urge to wear my very beautiful and very white new kayanos, even though they "look nice".  But I will try and take them somewhere with a heap of stairs.

Wednesday night and Thursday night are PT nights, Friday morning is a long run with Monica, so that should get the fatty bits shook up a bit.

That's more like it

First run tonight since Thursday, how lazy have I been?  Actually been feeling crappy, hamstring dodgy and I sat and poked and prodded at my middle toe on Saturday night and mentioned to John I thought it might be broken, to which he replied it was highly unlikely as I was able to bend it right back and do lots of poking and prodding - but I do like a little drama.  Actually the pad of my foot is still sore and it is funny because it is in the fatty pad bit at the front where it joins the toe.  Strange.  May have been some ferocious wearing of stilletoes over the last few weeks rather than anything energetic! 

So tonights run.  Well what can I say?  I wish every single run could be like tonights.  I didn't wear a watch and I ran places where I was pretty sure there wouldn't be any serpents, and was rewarded by many sticks but no wriggling ones.  I took myself to Mt Sion (named because it has a hill) and I ran the whole way up it - yahoooooooo!!!  And then down it.  And then up it again.  And I didn't die.  And then on the way back up Old Bathurst Road the punked up version of "Eye of the Tiger" came on and I SPRINTED up Old Bathurst and it was bloody brilliant.  And it was just a training run!  Why can't I do this in races????  Ah well.  It left me full of fuzzy feel good endorphins, which has been something that has been distinctly lacking the last week or so.  How can a time that it supposed to be for families and great fun make me so sad?  Happens every year.  The only good thing about Christmas is mangoes and days off.  And days off equal time to train.  So I should have a great week of running, jumping, climbing trees and putting on makeup. Awesome!

More Stuff

On account of the additional two kilos I appear to have collected around my arsal region, I have decided to do something else other than running to try and make it go away.  So tonight I went and signed up for three months of group personal training sessions with my friend Sam.  I ran there, which was 3.5km, did the hour workout then ran home.  Feeling rather smug now.  The workout itself was GOOD!!  Nothing like Darren from Shalvey my old PT who talked about himself a lot and only managed to fit in three sets each session, and I always walked away feeling somehow ripped off.  Tonight was an upper body weights type sessiony thing and I swear my bingo wings are still trembling as I write this.  I fully expect to be sore tomorrow.  PT man was nice but not condescending, other participants all seemed normal, and it was nice to be outside in the fresh air doing something different.  Still focusing on running, more trail running and getting out in the mornings but I really have to do something a bit more if I am ever going to shift my alarmingly growing behind.   Have to say, have felt like utter shite on all runs this week.  Sore hamstring on one side, feeling lethargic and not getting that feeling of being ABLE to do this.  I am guessing this will pass so for now I am keeping at it and getting out there and running even if I don't feel like it.  46km so far this week, which is reasonable, but there have been lots of slow kms in there, the plan is another PT session tomorrow night, 8km Friday morning, which should bring the weekly total to 61km which should make the dial on the damned scale MOVE!!!