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Monday, December 17, 2012

Struggling

I've been trying to remain very positive whilst treating this injury, but the past weekend broke my spirit a little.

I was entered into Canberra 70.3 - my first half Ironman. Obviously I didn't race.

Even though the focus isn't on triathlon any more (after deciding not to do Ironman next year and to focus on running the best marathon I can), I was still pretty excited about giving the half Ironman a shot. My bike leg wouldn't have been great but I was confident of having a strong run leg given my recent form.

Sunday was also SMC - a series I love and I've done quite well at over the past few years. I missed that too.

I avoided social media because I just didn't want to hear about everyone's race adventures (or mis-adventures). The problem with having lots of athlete friends is that it's hard to avoid talk of training and racing.

I haven't run in 15 days, and I haven't done anything of quality for more than three weeks. I have been poked and prodded and pulled and pushed in all sorts of ways. I'm sick of it now. I feel completely lost - generally my life is guided by routine (it's the only way I can fit everything in) and now I'm left floating without a real sense of direction. I hate that I don't feel like I've achieved anything at the end of the day. I'm bored. I'm frustrated.

Some of the things I've been doing to try and fix this stupid injury include:
massage, physio and physio rehab exercises, hamstring strengthening exercises, chiropractor, Active Release Technique (ART), yoga (for the mind as much as the body).

I've been swimming and riding to keep my fitness up, as well as doing general weight work to increase my upper body and core strength. Every day I think about how all the gains I've made since August are just slipping away. Canberra Marathon is in 16 weeks. I wanted to run sub-2:50. I've got to get this thing fixed so I can get into quality training, otherwise that time is not going to happen.

I'm seeing the physio after work tomorrow and I'm really hoping he says there's been some improvement.

I know that in the big scheme of things my injury troubles hardly rate a mention - there are so many people in the world with real problems and disasters and heartbreak. I acknowledge that - I really do - but personally, keeping in mind my dreams and lifestyle, this is really, really difficult for me.

I'm struggling.

Monday, December 3, 2012

High Hamstring Tendinopathy - uh-oh

Yep. It's back.

I was all set to go out of the year on a high - I was feeling great and I really felt I was on track for some good performances in 2013.

But once again the gods intervened. "No, no," they said. "We must throw a spanner in the works."

So they did. A big, ugly spanner that hit me on the backside. High hamstring tendinopathy - a real pain in the butt.

I had this condition a few years ago and I went through some really rough times. All up, it lasted about nine months - although I admit to trying to train and race (badly) through it (when I could run that is). It was misdiagnosed and therefore mistreated for a long time. I tried so many different things and nothing helped. Even when I had some power back in my legs I still suffered from pain in the butt - long car rides had me in tears a few times because there was nothing I could do to relieve it.

I've had an inkling something wasn't quite right for a few weeks - the first time I noticed it was after the weekend of 10-11 November. On the Saturday I rode for three hours then ran a little off the bike, testing how things were for Canberra 70.3. The next day I ran 30k, which felt fine. On the Monday both hamstrings felt tight, but I thought that was a result of the weekend's training. Ran OK that day and did an interval session on Tuesday - a few were off pace by one or two seconds but generally it was alright. I couldn't seem to loosen up all week but I put it down to the weekend as well as the fact I was working crazy long hours and sitting at my computer until past midnight, which is never good.

The next weekend (18 Nov) I was planning on doing a cruisy half marathon - not pushing it. Went round in 1:25 (and seconds) to get the win and although I didn't feel like I was pushing it hard my hamstrings were burning. Hmmm. I was starting to worry a bit. Had a massage on Sunday afternoon to try and loosen things up.

My main goal for November was the Central Coast Half Marathon on 25 November. I was looking to run this in about 1:21:30 and hoping to run pretty even splits. Very early on, I knew I was in for a tough race. There was no power in my legs at all - it feels like you're a car that has just skipped from first gear to fifth gear and no matter how much you try and accelerate there's just nothing there.

 I wanted to pull out, but I doggedly pushed on, seeing my kilometre splits getting slower and slower. Yes, it was hot and humid, but that certainly doesn't explain the time - 1:25:39 - SLOWER than the previous week and I felt I worked a lot harder to get it. Certainly nowhere near the target time. I managed to finish in third place but I was so disappointed with the race and I knew the injury had returned. I remembered the lack of power feeling only too well.

My coach recommended a physio - Brent Kirkbride at Sydney Sports Medicine Centre - and I immediately made an appointment,  crossing my fingers he'd have me on my way quickly.

My appointment was this afternoon and it was far from uplifting. High hamstring tendinopathy is relatively rare, complicated to treat and everyone's body reacts differently to the treatment so making a prognosis is difficult. There is no quick fix. For some people there is no fix.

Brent was thorough and honest and I left feeling that I was going to get the best treatment possible - whether or not that's going to make a difference remains to be seen. I've also got an appointment with a doctor in a month so we can look at PRP (platelet rich plasma) injections if the other treatment hasn't had any effect by then.

No running. No running until my body starts to work properly again and there's no pain in certain areas. At least three weeks to start with. Merry Christmas.

Tonight, when I got home from the appointment, I was upset. The tears flowed. I had been so, so happy with how the year had ended up - everything had come together in the best way possible. And then, KA-BOOM, it blew up.

I know this sounds overly dramatic and I know in the overall scheme of the world it doesn't rate as a problem at all. But for me, in my little world, it is a big thing. I desperately want to hit some good times in 2013 and that's only going to happen if I can train properly. I made the really tough decision to withdraw from Ironman next year so I could continue to build on the progress I've made since August, and now I'm afraid all that progress is going to go down the drain and I'll be back to square one.

Forgive this post - the emotion is still a bit raw. There's no point feeling sorry for myself - nothing's achieved by that - so after giving myself tonight to be down in the dumps, tomorrow begins mission "lets-do-everything-possible-to-fix-this".

Shit.
Shit shit shit shit shit.
Why can't these injuries go to people who don't want to run, huh?

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Sweaty hugs from strangers (and Run4Fun)

One of the things I love about racing is the camaraderie that occurs between runners in the seconds after crossing the finish line. In my experience I've found the general rule is the more exhausted you are, the more inclined you are to throw your arms around the nearest person (and vice-versa).

If you think about this is a non-race situation, it's gross. I certainly wouldn't go near a panting, sweaty, often-sticky-with-gel-and-sports-drink stranger if they approached me in the street, mumbling incoherently about "thatlastkilometrekilledmeyoudidsowellIjustcouldn'thangon."But put me in a race situation and I'll welcome those hugs as if they were coming from Grandma herself.

What sparked these (oh so insightful) reflections you ask? I ran the Rebel Run4Fun on Sunday 4 November and the friendly atmosphere at the finish was magic. I was hugging strangers as if they were old friends and having conversations with people as if I'd known them for years. Truth be told, I was a little disappointed with my time but I felt so incredibly happy to be out amongst other like-minded runners. There is something so wonderful about feeling part of a community.

Run4Fun - Homebush - 10k
So, to the race. I was aiming to break 37 minutes. I thought I had a shot, but I've had so little experience racing 10k that I wasn't sure how things would pan out. My first half was quicker than my second half (I have to learn to pace myself) and I ended up finishing in 37.09, fifth woman. Happy enough because it's a PB (my third PB in as many races) but a bit miffed because I hadn't broken the 37 mark.

Interestingly enough, there has been a fair bit of discussion about the course being 200m long. The course was certified, but talk is that a turn point was put in the wrong spot. If true, this would mean I would have hit my target time, which is a bit disappointing. Having said that, the race has been run (and won by Lara Tamsett and Ben St Lawrence for those of you playing at home) and all I can do is look forward to the next 10k to try and achieve my goal.

I wore the Mizuno Ronin for the race and I can now say, without a doubt, they are definitely my favourite shoes to race in. They are light, responsive and really comfortable. I'm pretty confident they'll stand up to the marathon distance too.

Life has been incredibly hectic lately - work is taking precedence over everything and I am working incredibly long hours to get everything done. Working from home is a joy but it also means that if you need to stay up until 2am to get something done, you do it.

Naturally, this is making it hard to fit in quality training sessions, but I am trying hard to get it all done. I surprised myself on Tuesday - I had done an easy 7k in the morning because I thought that may have been my only chance to get a run in but the interval session was hanging over my head like a big, black cloud. At about 5.30pm I pushed myself out the door and headed to the oval. I felt flat and sluggish and I couldn't focus (I kept thinking about work), but I got through my session. What a change! A few months ago I would have looked for any excuse to avoid interval work.

I had a pretty solid weekend too, which has probably taken a bit of a toll on my legs. I did a three-hour ride on the M7 on Saturday, followed by a very short run (I am still considering doing Canberra half Ironman, but things are looking very doubtful right now). On Saturday I did a 30k run (I had 35k scheduled, but that was without taking the Saturday ride into consideration). This was on top of a lot of work, which is doing my head in and stressing me out.

This is always the busiest time of year for me and I am really looking forward to Christmas so I can take some time out. Still, I have a few more deadlines and a few more races before then.

Keep on running.






Sunday, October 21, 2012

2:51:27 - Melbourne Marathon

2:51:27!

A three-and-a-half minute PB!

OK, that's the short version. If you don't want to waste time reading the world's longest race report, stop here.

THE LONG VERSION
I flew down to Melbourne on the Friday before the race. After the previous week's hot weather it was a rude shock to wake up and find a grey, rainy, windy and cold day (it was snowing further up the mountain). My flight was scheduled for 12:15pm but the weather delayed everything so I didn't end up leaving until a fair bit later.

Finally landed in Melbourne and made it to my hotel (so easy with Skybus - had a nice chat to the driver when I was the last one left on the bus. I asked him to explain how to do a hook turn... I decided I'll never drive in Melbourne). Quick dash to a supermarket to get a couple of things then out for a short run. I was feeling so, so nervous.

I slept in late on Saturday because I was worried I'd have a restless sleep that night and I wanted to be as rested as possible. Eventually headed out for a very brief run on which I started to feel... fantastic. My legs felt strong and I was full of energy. Phew! Good thing that taper decided to kick in!

I had to be at the MCG at 1pm for the elite athlete briefing. Took my time getting there, dropped my personal drinks in then had a look around the expo before meeting with the other runners and the competition director, Tim Crosbie.

It is truly a privilege to race as an 'elite' runner in this race. I've been lucky enough to do it three times and it is such an amazing experience. The title 'elite' is a bit misleading - yes, there are some real elite athletes involved, but there are also runners like me who have some solid results and are racing as part of their state or territory team.

 The 'elite' group has access to facilities under the MCG on race day - before and after the race. Any runner knows how valuable that is - we have toilets, space to warm up, showers, water, sports drink, bananas and people to help us. No lining up for anything, no waiting in the cold. It's awesome.

Tim and his staff do such a great job of looking after all the elite runners - not just the super fast ones - and I am so appreciative of all their work.

The briefing was pretty standard - an overview of the rules and info on the course, drug testing and the schedule for race day. We got our bibs and we were on our way.

As anticipated, I had a lot of trouble getting to sleep that night. The alarm was set for 4am (three hours before race time). Eventually I nodded off, but I woke a number of times - frantically checking the clock to ensure I hadn't overslept.

When the alarm finally went off I felt OK. Nervous, yes, but ready to race. Breakfast, shower, dressed (NSW uniform and Mizuno Elixir), more breakfast (lucky raisin toast) and some anxious pacing around my room.
Early morning MCG.
I got to the MCG about 5:40am. Plenty of time to warm up, go to the bathroom (a million times) and get into 'race mode'. This part of the day is, as I said before, such a privilege. Everything is so easy and you don't need to waste energy worrying about queues, getting a good start position, being cold, getting rid of your warm-up clothing... it's all taken care of. About 35 minutes before the race started I took a tablet to stop my dreaded 'toilet stop'. (As an aside, I think I may now know what causes this - supplements that contain a high dose of magnesium).

THE RACE
It was a relief to hear the gun go off - finally I was underway and I knew that in under three hours I'd be home and hosed (I refused to entertain the idea of running over three hours!). I planned to go out at 4 minute ks - a strategy I've followed in the last few marathons I've done - go out at 4 min k and see how long I can last.

This time, thankfully, I held the pace for much longer than usual. Although I detest racing in my Garmin (it stresses me out) I knew the split information would be valuable in analysing the race so I wore it (and forgot to turn off the sound so the stupid thing beeped at me every kilometre).

I settled pretty quickly and began ticking off the kilometres fairly evenly: 3:47, 3:54, 3:57, 3:56, 3:58, 3:56, 3:57, 3:55, 4:02 (oops), 3:57. The official race results say I went through 10k in 39:41 (my Garmin didn't match with km markers so better to use official timing).

16k marked the point where I started doing a few more four-minute kilometres, with some sub-4s interspersed.

At about 31k a piano fell on my back and the ground turned to quicksand for a while. I felt like I was running in slow motion - at 33k I ran a 4:09 km and at 34 I ran 4:08 before dropping back down to 4:02. The hill between 36-37k threw a spanner in the works - I ran a slow 4:14 then a horrendous 4:23. Ouch!!

The results give my 10k splits as follows:
10k: 39:41
20k: 40:26
30k 40:21
40k: 41:45

My Garmin has my halfway split at 1:23:48 (it's odd that the race doesn't record a half split).

When I crossed the line, in 2:51:27, I had nothing left in the tank - I was exhausted and so, so happy about it. I really believe I gave it everything I had.

I was thrilled. And relieved! After focussing on (and worrying about) this race for the past 11 weeks I could finally relax. The thing that made it even more wonderful was the knowledge that I had trained really hard to achieve that time, and it had paid off. Yahoo!

I had a massage after the race (during which I had one of those awful foot cramps where your foot curls up like a claw and won't release). I was feeling pretty sore. Back at the hotel I flooded the bathroom by having a epic-long shower then sat by the window overlooking Jolimont Avenue and watched the procession of runners continue. Those people are champions - I don't know how they keep going for hours and hours and hours.

The winner of the female race was Lauren Shelley in the stunning time of 2:36:29. Jane Fardell was second in 2:37:52. Both these women qualified for the world championships next year - amazing runs.

I finished 11th overall and 10th in the Australian Championships. A record number of women (22) ran under three hours. Go girls!

I spent the afternoon enjoying the Melbourne institutions of coffee and retail therapy with fellow NSW runner Magda Karimali-Poulos - one of the most consistently strong (yet unbelievably modest) athletes I have the pleasure of being friends with. She finished fifth in the fantastic time of 2:45:36 - and still had the energy to go running after a bus at the end of the day.

Unlike last year, when I flew back to Sydney straight after the race, I had allowed myself another night in Melbourne to kick back and relax. So lovely.

Felt surprisingly OK when I woke up on Monday. Sore and tired but not as bad as I had been anticipating. I thought I was supposed to do an easy 20 minute recovery jog so I did (turns out that wasn't on the program). It was lovely being able to run without thinking, "Will I do it? Will I run well in Melbourne?"

But the gods have a sense of humour and couldn't let the weekend go by without having a laugh at my expense. When I flew into Sydney I couldn't wait to jump in the car and get home. I'd timed it so I'd be ahead of peak hour traffic so I'd have a nice, stress-free drive. Ummm... no. My car battery was flat. Dead as a doornail.

This was a saga in itself, involving me asking the carpark office and every single car rental place if they had a battery charger pack before standing next to the pay machines and accosting everyone there. Without going into detail, my poor (and wonderful) husband was three quarters of the way to the airport when I was saved by a car park officer and sent on my way - three hours after my plane landed.

So there you have it.

2:51:27.

Huge thank you to my coach Sean - this wouldn't have happened without him. Also thanks to Mizuno for supporting me. Finally, endless hugs and kisses to Andrew who has done absolutely everything so I haven't had to worry about anything except eat, sleep, train and work.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Run strong, run brave

"Run strong, run brave."

These words, posted in a comment by the inspirational LindyK in my last entry, will come with me to Melbourne.

I will run strong because I can. I will run brave because I want this, and nothing worthwhile comes easily.

See you on the flip side kids.

Monday, October 8, 2012

Resting the body, calming the mind

Not too long to go now. Taper is well and truly in full swing - only had an easy 5k on my program today.

While the body is resting up, I simply can not calm my mind. I was hoping my nerves wouldn't be so bad this time, given that I have trained well, but it seems all my training has done is up the stakes. I know I am now chasing a PB but I keep going over and over the numbers in my head and driving myself nuts with it all.

I am thinking seriously about my pacing strategy, and although it sounds OK in theory I just don't know how on earth I am going to put it together. Sean's advice regarding pacing was exactly what I was thinking of doing, so the fact that we're both on the same page is positive.

Everything points to a PB. It makes sense, doesn't it? But marathons can be nasty little buggers and one can never be too complacent going into the 42.2k. Having said that, I really do think I have respected the distance this time. A couple of years ago Jackie Fairweather was talking to me about how important it was to respect the marathon distance - they are words I've always remembered but not always acted upon.

I'm keen to see what impact this training has had, but I'm also realistic that 11 weeks (the amount of time I've been training properly) is not a long block of time. I feel most calm when I think that this race will be the first of a number of steps towards improving my marathon (and half, and 10k) performances. I actually feel quite happy if I think of it like that.  The only problem is that I have a little thing called Ironman planned for next year which is going to get in the way of focusing solely on my running.

Anyway. There's a bit of my mental angst released! Hopefully that means I won't have crazy dreams tonight - I've had some odd ones the past few nights. I was bitten by a snake in one, but my mum wouldn't take me to the hospital. In another I was being chased by a murderer. I'd like the winning Lotto numbers tonight please.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Doubt

Doubt is a repugnant, sneaky little thing. It's like the monster lurking in your childhood cupboard - he's not always there, but the more you think about him the stronger and more threatening he gets until you have no choice but to go and sleep in the big, safe bed with your mum and dad.

Guess who's getting nervous about a little race coming up?

The doubts and the worries are creeping in, made worse by me reading things online, such as a thread on Coolrunning in which someone said there's no point in training at anything slower than race pace.

I go from being pleased that I am making progress in my interval training to thinking,' Great, so you can run intervals faster now - go and do a 42.2k interval and tell me how you feel.'

I never try to hide the fact that I get incredibly nervous before a race - any race. Some people say you should put on a confident front so you don't give competitors the advantage but in my mind I'm my biggest competitor - and I already know I'm freaking out. In the marathon I'm racing myself and the clock - I want a PB and if I get it I don't care if I've finished 10th or 1010th.

Negative thoughts are never useful and I'm trying to banish them. The truth is:

  • I have trained for this race. 
  • I have trained better than ever before for this race. 
  • Granted, I have not had a good year for marathon racing but I ran a PB for a half marathon a few weeks ago. 
  • Even if it all goes to shit I have a full day in Melbourne after the race where I can shop until I feel better. It may take a number of credit cards to achieve this. 

Monday, September 17, 2012

Hell hath frozen and pigs have wings

If you know me, and you know my running, please ensure you are sitting down before reading on. What I am about to write will no doubt induce shock and may cause you to question if the world has tilted off its axis and if the pigs have taken flight.

I like speed work.

Even as I typed those four words I expected the laptop to automatically lock itself, knowing full well its real owner would never utter such nonsense. But there it is.

First, let me take a step back and qualify my statement a little. As you know from my last post I now have a coach and I am attempting to train properly. Seeing speed sessions on my program still makes my stomach lurch a little. Adding a speed workout to my Garmin is always done with trepidation. Even after I've warmed up I talk to myself (yes, out loud - people must think I'm nuts): "Just go Joh. Just hit start. You can do this, and even if you can't you're better off than if you hadn't tried." Then I usually say a swear word and I'm off.

So how is it that I say I like speed work you ask? Well last week's training was a bit messed up because I was sick (luckily tests showed it's not a relapse of glandular fever, just a virus on my chest) and I missed my Tuesday speed session. I expected that I'd feel a bit down that I hadn't kept to my program, but secretly relieved that I'd avoided the horrible stuff. Instead, I felt a bit edgy - a bit like Homer Simpson when he realises he's missing the Annual Chili Cook Off. If you can't recall it it goes like this:
"What's that smell? Onions... chili powder... cumin... juicy ground chuck? It's chili! Oh my god, I'm missing the chili cook-off! [whining, fidgeting] I'm missing the cook-off, it's going on right now and I'm missing it."
That was me, all Tuesday and Wednesday. "I'm supposed to run fast and I'm missing out on it!" So, by Thursday I gave in and headed down to the oval (yes, friends - I go to the OVAL these days, as neglected and uneven as it is) to do at least some of the session I was scheduled to do on Tuesday.

I got through a fair bit of it before my chest felt far too tight and I thought it wise to call it quits. But geeze I felt better for having done it. By Saturday I was feeling much better and I donned my speedy Ronins and hit the oval again to run round and round and round (and round) doing 3k reps. Followed up on Sunday with a 35k run for a solid weekend of training.

You see, not only am I glad that I'm finally trying to run fast, I've actually discovered that the challenge of speed is a little addictive. Can I run faster than I did last time? Can I hold this pace a bit longer? Was it easier this time? And even though it's depressing when I bomb out, I have enough success in meeting the challenges I'm set that I have enough drive to keep coming back. Coach Sean Williams is smart - he's got the pacing right for me. Not so hard that I feel hopeless because I can't do it, but not so easy that I get it right every time.

And there it is. Get out your ice skates friends because hell has just frozen over.


Sunday, September 9, 2012

Hard work = results. Who knew?!

In my last post (the one about the horribly disappointing M7 Marathon) I mentioned that I had sent an email that would hopefully set me on the path to some achieving some good results. That was six weeks ago now and yes, I think it's safe to say things have been going well.

The email I referred to in that post was to Sean Williams, highly respected coach and owner of SWEAT .  I asked him if he'd help me prepare for Melbourne as best I could and, thankfully, he said yes. The next day my first program arrived and I committed myself to doing everything as well as I could - no quitting halfway through a session if I wasn't hitting certain times or paces, no missing a session because I was too busy.

The program, quite honestly, scared me. I saw speed work and paces that I didn't think I could ever achieve. So I simply didn't look too far ahead - I just started by looking at the sessions I had to do on any given day and I did them.

I've surprised myself at how well I've stuck to the programs. Even more surprising, is the sudden development of fast twitch muscles. After the first couple of weeks I was despairing of ever being able to run fast - I even told Sean he would have to readjust his paces for the upcoming sessions - then all of a sudden I could do it.

With Belinda Martin, winner of the NSW half champs. 
The work is already starting to pay off. I came second in the NSW Half Marathon Championships (Westies Joggers Hidden Half on 2 September) and ran a PB of 82:37. Given that this is a tough and hilly course I was really, really pleased. I felt strong and in control the whole time and looking back on it I should have trusted myself a bit more and pushed harder. A few days before the race Mizuno sent me some new racing flats - the Ronin - and after trying them out on a couple of runs and loving how fast they felt, I decided to see how they'd hold up over 21k. In short, they were brilliant. They felt magic. Part of me would like to test them over a marathon too, but I think I might need a bit more support for the full 42. 

Yesterday I ran a local 3k fun run (the Leonay Loop) and won it in 10:06. A milestone in my life - my first ever 3k race! Did a 33.6k run today and felt pretty good the whole way. I've been a little worried by the reappearance of some symptoms I had when I was diagnosed with Glandular Fever earlier in the year, so I'm going to the doc this week just to get things checked out.

Melbourne is getting closer and I am desperately hoping everything comes together for it. Having said that, if I go to Melbourne and I don't run a great time at least I will know that (for the first time) I have gone into a marathon totally prepared. I can't ask anything more of myself than that.

NSW Half Marathon Champs at Lake Gillawarna


Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Westlink M7 Cities Marathon - what happened?

Sometimes there are races where I know I am not in shape, and I don't expect a good result. Sometimes I haven't done the work, or I've been sick or I'm still recovering from another race.

It's never nice to go into something I care about knowing I'm not ready, but it is a thousand times worse to go into a race feeling positive only to have it come crashing down around you.

That's what happened on Sunday.

The thing is, I still can't pinpoint what went wrong. I don't know why it didn't come together like I'd hoped, and like I'd really thought was possible.

I went in thinking I could hit 2:55. I finished in 3:00:46. Yes, not even sub-3, and that hurt even more.

The nerves were out in force, as they always are. It begins days before the race and is something I simply can not get a handle on - I feel physically sick and don't want to be there at all. I don't know what causes it but I really wish I knew how to control it.

Talking to Magda and Jenny at the start. 
I was cold at the start - I always am at this race. After the gun had gone off I realised I had forgotten to put my gloves back on after taking them off to put my gels in my tights. Silly girl.

First kilometre was 3:46, which is pretty standard for me. Too fast.

I was looking to go through halfway in 1:26. I'd done this in Melbourne, although Melbourne isn't as tough as the first part of M7.

By 8.5k I had that terrible feeling that I know too well. I had taken specific steps to try and avoid this (read further in the blog) but it was all for nought. I had to go to the toilet. At 9.5k I jumped off the course, down into a ditch (which ended up being much steeper than I thought) and took care of it. This upset me, because I really thought I'd addressed the problem this time (read on for details).

At about 10.5k I got the shock of my life when the three hour pacer turned up on my shoulder. What the hell? I pushed on and got away from him, but the mental damage was done. I was officially running like shit. I wanted the three hour pace bus to run over me if I wasn't going to stay ahead of it.

Still, onwards, onwards, onwards. I knew from last year a negative split was possible for me on this course. Hit halfway in 1:28:20. Too slow, too slow.

From here I can't really tell you what happened. The splits provide some picture:
21.1k - 1:28:20 - pace 4:11 min/k
32.5k - 2:18:57 - pace 4:16 min/k
42.2k - 3:00:46 - pace 4:22 min/k

Something went seriously wrong in that last 10k.

The disappointment cut deep and all I wanted to do was get in the car and go home - get away from all things running related. However I didn't want to be thought of as a bad sport, so I hung around and made small talk with my friends (who are wonderful), drank my protein drink, watched the presentation (I was fifth woman overall and second in 30-39 division) all the while wanting to go and bury myself under my doona and cry.

There are a number of things that really upset me about this race. One important thing I'd done was completely change my nutrition - not only in the days before the race but for four weeks prior to race day. The main purpose of this was to try and avoid the toilet stop that has become a regular part of my racing these days. Someone had told me that their stomach played up when they had eaten too much sugar. Given that I am a sugar addict I thought this might be a factor in my problems, so I made the conscious decision to remove 'superfluous' sugar from my diet. Basically, this meant getting rid of lollies and replacing them with something that actually had nutritional value. 

This complete change deserves its own entry on this blog, because it turned out to be a huge change that required an enormous effort on my part. I actually went through physical detox symptoms and I realised how much grabbing a handful of the sweet stuff had become a habit that I didn't even think about. I'll do a post on it in the next couple of days - it'll make you look at excess sugar differently, I tell you. 

Anyway, the banning of lollies meant that my traditional snacking (read: overloading) on them the day before a race needed to be replaced. First thing on Saturday morning I made containers of porridge, rice, nuts, dried fruit and a couple of bananas and had them available for me to snack on all day. I was once advised that eating lots of small meals leading up to a race is far better than eating bigger main meals because your body was able to better store the energy - I don't know if that's true or not, but that's what I did. I ate dinner as usual and went to bed feeling I had fueled my body well and I had avoided excess 'junk' sugar so my stomach would behave itself during the race. 

Nope. 

After this latest effort to overcome the problem, I now really do think it comes down to my excessive nerves. I never have these issues in day-to-day life, only when racing. And I'm sorry if this is too much information for anyone reading this, but surely I'm not the only one it happens to. Wait until we get to Ironman time, and I start asking questions about how to go to the bathroom then!

I am baffled that I went into this in better shape than I was before Canberra, yet I ran worse. I don't know what I did wrong. Having said that, I also don't know what I did right in Melbourne last October to run 2:54. 

So, with my emotions still raw and needing to take some sort of action to avoid falling into a pit of depression, I sat at my computer that Sunday afternoon and sent an email that has now started something that will hopefully help me achieve what I'm capable of. I just hope it's something good. 

One lesson I have learned in all my years of running is that it is better to use a negative experience to create a positive one. It is one way of keeping control and telling yourself just because things didn't go to plan you are still able to take charge and navigate your path.

Onwards, onwards. 


Thursday, July 12, 2012

I am in

Another thing I have neglected to mention on this blog.

I have entered Ironman Australia in Port Macquarie in May 2013.

My first Ironman! Yeehaa!

Monday, July 9, 2012

Woodford to Glenbrook - Four years in a row!

Another catch up to bring my blog up to date...

Woodford to Glenbrook is my annual trail race. It's a 25k race for runners and mountain bikers on the Oaks Fire Trail (and a bit of Bennets Ridge) that runs from (surprise, surprise) Woodford to Glenbrook. This year it was held on Sunday 24 June.

Personally, I find this race hard. The first 15k (approx) is very up and down, with some big climbs and some downhills that I find myself taking slowly so I don't have a massive stack. (I have no idea how the cyclists do it!). The last 10 is a gentle downhill, but if you've smashed yourself in the first section your quads sure aint gonna like this bit.

I swear my body feels more battered in the days after W2G than after a marathon. Maybe I just need to toughen up!

I won this race in 2009, 2010 and 2011 and I was hoping for another win to make it four in a row. I was feeling a bit funny in my stomach and kept going to the toilet to see if it would make me feel better but to no avail. I put it down to the usual nerves.

We were held up on the start line for 20 minutes because a cyclist had been injured and they were waiting for him to be transported out. Waiting is never good - when I'm at the start I just want to hurry up and get moving. During the delay I ran off and went to the toilet yet again.

I'd decided I was going to run the race my way rather than watching and chasing other people from the start. As I said earlier, I think the race is tough and it'd only be tougher if I was running someone else's race at the beginning and not my own.

Having said that, let's not pretend I wasn't acutely aware of where the other women runners were. I wanted to win this race so I had to keep track of them and be ready to change plans if I had to.

By about the six kilometre mark (I think) I had taken the lead, and that was where I wanted to stay. My stomach was still feeling a bit yuck but I found the sports drink actually helped settle it (unusual, because usually it makes people feel sick). I decided to try walking the drink stations to make sure I got some sports drink down, rather than all over me. A bit risky, seeing as though I didn't know how close the next woman was, but I felt it would put me in better shape for the end section of the race.

Nearly had a big stack when I rolled my ankle (characteristically uncoordinated). There was some swearing (from me) and a concerned "Are you OK?" (from a fellow runner). Didn't let myself think about it and kept moving and it didn't give me any grief. My knee started to play up in the latter stages (it's been a bit uncooperative lately) so I tried to alter my form a bit to cater for it.

Was very relieved to enter Euroka as the first woman and to head down the grassy hill to the finish line.

Finished in 1:40 and seconds (I can't find the exact time at the moment). It was slower than last year by under a minute (last year I went 1:39), but that's easily explained by slowing down at the drink stations.

I want give both credit and thanks to the wonderful volunteers who made this event possible. The RFS, in particular, are major supporters of the race - the volunteer fireys not only help us out in bushfires and other natural disasters, they also generously give up their weekend so we can race through the bush doing what we love. St John's people were also on hand to patch up injuries and the crew from Careflight were simply fantastic.

Sunday, July 8, 2012

A marathon, a half, a 10k and another half (catch up)

Yes, I've been away from the blog for a while. I'm sure you've been on the edge of your seat awaiting a new entry. Pfft.

For the sake of brevity, I won't bore you with all the details of the races in the title. Here's a quick run down...

With Magda Karimali-Poulos (winner) at the start.
Canberra Marathon - 15 April 2012
Yes, I ended up running. Yes, this may have had a lot to do with the fact that my bib had a name and not a number! Oh the little things that excite me.

Went out way too fast - first kilometre was under 3:40. Decided I'd run to how I felt, seeing as though my preparation had been far from ideal. Went through 10k in 39:10 - surprised, as this was about 40 seconds quicker than Melbourne.

The now-becoming-usual toilet break hit again - this time at 30k, and I was definitely starting to struggle by then. I was a bit worried that if I stopped my legs wouldn't get going again, so I made a deal with my body: "OK body, I'll let you stop and go to the loo as long as you are aware you still have 12km to run."

Got passed by two women whilst stopped, which gave me something to focus on and chase. Caught them.

The three hour bus then decided to make an appearance - these days it's a bit deflating to get caught by the bus, but given my preparation (or lack thereof) I made the best of it and jumped on board. Better to get on the bus than be run over by it.

Played a bit of catch-up-drop-back for the rest of the race - highlighting my characteristic very uneven pacing. Managed to pull it together at the end and scrape in under three hours - 2:59:25 and fifth woman home. Not bad for only three long runs since Australia Day and a bout of Glandular Fever.

SMC - 21.1k - 22 April 2012
Normally I would never run a half marathon the week after a full marathon, but I had to do this race in order to make up the required six races needed to qualify for the SMC awards at the end of the series. I figured a time of 90 minutes wouldn't damage the body whilst it was still trying to recover so that's what I did: 1:29:52. Lucky to get first female and the race (at that pace) didn't seem to hinder recovery.

Sydney 10 - 6 May 2012
Freaking out. This was to be the second 10k I've ever done (not including a 10k in the Nepean Tri) and this was a proper, accredited course without the horrid hills of the Balmain 10k last December, Still, keeping with my commitment of doing things that scare me, I headed down to Homebush ready to compete as a Hills athlete for the first time (swapped from Blue Mountains to Hills because Hills has more female distance runners so we could enter teams events).

Went out too hard. Surprise, surprise - I usually do.  By 5k I was ready to pack it in - it felt like a piano had dropped on my back. Finished in 37:44. Disappointed (and a little surprised) by this because it's only two seconds quicker than the 10k time from Nepean Tri. Maybe I only have one speed, or maybe I was still recovering from Canberra.

Happy to score bronze in the teams with my new Hills teammates! Yeah!

Before the SMH Half.
SMH Half Marathon - 20 May 2012
1:23:11 - three seconds slower than last year.

Third in F30-39 division and 12th woman overall. My splits were quicker than last year's until right near the end (although the course has changed again so that may not mean much).

Not disappointed with the time but not jumping for joy either. A solid enough run. And I had my name on my bib again (pic left), which made it all worthwhile!


Friday, March 30, 2012

Bad dog!

Evanescence.
End of the working week - Phew. It's strange how the months go past so quickly, yet weeks sometimes seem to last an age.

Work has been hectic, with last minute jobs being thrown in that make it harder and harder to keep on schedule. I worked late tonight so I could clear something that's been hanging over my head and it feels good to have it done.

I was really tired today, but it was completely my own fault. We went to Evanescence last night and ended up having a super late one because we were so hyped after the show. It was worth it. Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.

This morning I woke up with a sharp pain in my lower back/butt region, which was obviously from my antics last night. I was a little worried but after a 1:45 session on the wind trainer it felt OK. Geeze I was sleepy on the bike! I knew I had a massive day of work so I launched myself into it head first, fueled by super-strong coffee. If I could have hooked up an intravenous drip to my coffee machine I would have done it.

I had a run scheduled for 5pm, but I was so close to getting the big job finished I just needed to keep going so it was done and out of my head. Unfortunately that means I missed my night session, which I feel shit about.

Did something a little crazy today - or, I should say, I almost did something a little crazy. Ironman Melbourne went on sale at 11am, and I found myself on the website, hitting 'Register' and waiting for my computer to try and beat the masses. Amazingly, I got through to the rego page. I put in all my details, sat looking at it for about 30 seconds, then shook my head and hit close. Found out later that it sold out in 4-and-a-half minutes, and now I'm thinking that may be the only time I'll get through to the registration page because these events are so huge now.

I would love the challenge of Ironman, but the training required to do it to the best of my ability scares me silly. It is all-consuming. I don't know if I could keep up that intensity and focus. It's something I'm thinking about more and more, despite my very, very limited triathlon experience and my lack of skill and strength on the bike.

This afternoon I went out to the back yard to clear my head and say 'hi' to Deek only to find my racing shoes, complete with SMC timing chip, chewed up. I don't know how he got them because I'm usually so careful not to leave them where he can get them. He'd obviously managed to get into the laundry somehow, because along with my shoes there was also clean laundry strewn across the grass. The chip is ruined, the shoes are salvageable. The dog is in trouble.

Monday, March 26, 2012

SMC 30k and still no decision

Oh what to do, what to do?

I said I would use Sunday's 30k SMC race to determine whether I would race the Canberra Marathon. If that were the case, then I should pull out of Canberra now - SMC went slightly better than I expected (in that I finished!) but it was certainly not up to the standard needed for a good marathon.

But I just can't do it yet. I can't bring myself to pull out of Canberra. I really love that race.

I finished the 30k in 2:07:43. That pace is a touch under a three-hour marathon. Given the time, I was lucky to get away with the win.

I lost about a minute at the 20k mark (yes, regular readers of my old blog would know why - I had to go to the loo AGAIN. Despite having gone FOUR times before the race). Still, that doesn't make the time much better,

There are a few reasons I haven't yet made a decision about Canberra:
  1. I love the race. 
  2. The second half of the 30k on Sunday actually felt better than the first half. My last few kilometres were between 3:55 and 4:03 minute/ks. It was early on that I felt really bad.
  3. I'm not at all sore today - I find this odd and I can't understand it. 
  4. I am entered and have paid for accommodation.
  5. I love the race.
Of course, there are lots more reasons for not going to Canberra - lack of training (especially long runs), the possibility that it would do a bit of damage to the body/immune system because I'm still recovering from Glandular Fever, the fact that every time I have a bad race I take a big mental beating and my confidence hits rock bottom...

I don't know what to do.

I was sick again on Saturday - in bed until 2pm with temperature, sore throat, blocked sinus. I'm told GF smashes your immunity so you're a lot more susceptible to colds and flus. On Sunday morning I used one of those Vicks nasal sprays to clear the sinuses and it worked - just made my nose run a a bit but I could deal with that. Today I feel remarkably good. No muscle soreness, no sickness - just a little tired. I rode the home trainer this morning before work and I'm about to head out the door for a run (and I'm not anticipating any problems).

So help. I need advice, guidance, direction or divine providence to step in. Deep down I know what would be best. There are no miracles in marathon racing - I've learned that the hard way. If the work hasn't been done, it's always going to be a hell of day at the office.

Dammit.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Weston Creek Half Marathon

I was undecided as to whether I'd do this race - I've still been feeling fatigued and very slow and I was close to throwing in the towel and not heading down the Canberra for the weekend. However, I took a last minute email containing reasonably priced accommodation as a sign to toughen up and get my butt down to the capital.

This was going to be a test of my current fitness - to see just how much glandular fever (and lack of training caused by it) has taken a toll. I'll be honest with you, I was fearing complete disaster. My training runs have been so slow (lovely Greta Garmin confirms just how slow - there's no escaping it) and I felt there was a very real chance that I would run very, very badly.

In the end I decided to drive down and roll with the punches. The drive's an easy one and I like Canberra at this time of year anyway so I could go to some of my favourite old haunts and it wouldn't be a complete loss.

I worked late on Friday night trying to finish an article and woke up on Saturday morning feeling tired and yuck. Bummer. Mooched around home for a bit then decided to head out for a run. Did 8.82km at an average pace of 4:46 min/km. Yes, that's right. 4:46 min/km. Uh-oh.

Got to Canberra about 5pm and went straight to my hotel before walking to the Canberra Centre to pick up a few supplies for the evening. I'd started reading The Hunger Games the night before and I figured this was an opportunity to relax and finish it (I did - it's... interesting. Actually, I was surprised at how gripping it was. I didn't want to put it down and I'm now planning on buying the second and third book in the series. I also found it to be a very ominous comment on reality television).

But I digress.

The race was scheduled to start at 7.30am, so I set the alarm for 4:45am. Slept OK.

Alarm. Up. Breakfast. Shower. Dress.

Wait.

Decide not to wear Greta because I didn't want her beeping at me to remind me just how slowly I was going. Strapped on the blue Target cheapie instead (Note to self: I must get around to finding a new watch to race in). 

Leave.

The morning was quite chilly and it was still dark when I arrived at the race start.

Headed out for a jog to warm up and was happy to feel alright about being there. I needed to do this because I wanted a true indication of where things were at. This was going to help me decide if I was going to race the Canberra Marathon next month so, even if it all went to hell, at least it would be serving some sort of purpose.

The race began without fuss or fanfare. One second I was standing there examining other people's shoes, the next second someone shouted 'Go!' and we were off. Low key - I liked it.

First kilometre - 3:44 minutes. Surprised. First female.
Second kilometre - 3:50 minutes. Surprised again. First female.
Third kilometre - Noisy breathing started. Oh dear. First female.
I lost track of my kilometre splits after that, but I was running sub-4-minute ks. I was also feeling like shit. At the seven kilometre mark I felt so bad that I took my gel - I couldn't think of anything else to do so I thought I may as well give it a shot. Nothing.

By this stage I had a shadow - another female running right on my back. 'Hello there honey. I'm feeling crap - how about you?'

By 10k I had definitely slowed and we went through in just under 40 minutes. I got a second wind after the turnaround point (maybe because I knew it was half over) and felt a little better, but it didn't last long. Dammit.

By about 12/13k my shadow had made a few struggle noises, so I decided to give it one shot to try and break the band between us. I didn't increase my cadence but increased my stride to try and get enough distance between us that she'd give up the chase. I got ahead a little bit, but it wasn't enough and with six kilometres to go she passed me.

By this stage I had a piano on my back and there was no chase left in the legs. Dammit again.

I would hate to see how slow my last two kilometres were - the pace was definitely off by then. I finished in second place in 1:25:07.

So what does this mean for my Canberra Marathon plans? Well, lets just say that Sunday's race was a mirror of the first half of the Melbourne Marathon last year. The trouble being that in Melbourne I continued on to run a 2:54:54, whereas on Sunday I was in no shape to run another 21k.

I am going to give it one more week and see how things go at next weekend's SMC race. I am not feeling overly positive, but I love the Canberra Marathon and I don't want to pull out unless I feel I have given myself every opportunity to prove myself ready. My bib arrived last week and I have a name not a number, which gives me a bit of a buzz. However, no amount of 'buzz' is going to help if the body's not ready to race.

Let's see.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Glandular Fever-ville - Population: Me.

Yep, that's right. Glandular Fever.

I have been wiped out. I am over the worst of it now and luckily it wasn't a severe case, but I am still so, so tired. Running exhausts me which obviously means my training for the Canberra Marathon in April is completely off track.

I am so disappointed. I don't want to go into Canberra under-prepared and the long runs have not been done, which will inevitably lead to a melt down in the latter stages of the race. I've avoided writing about it on my blog because I was kinda hoping it would quietly pack itself up and disappear. 'No, no!' say the blood tests (I've had two lots of tests now, the first back in February) - GF is in your system. Deal with it. 

From the many people I've spoken to, this fatigue can last for a long time and I'm really worried about it. I'm conscious that pushing too much will probably set me back, so I'm trying hard to find a balance at the moment - training that doesn't tire me out too much but still allows me to feel I have achieved something. 

Bugger. 


Friday, February 24, 2012

Rediscovering Greta (my Garmin Forerunner 405)

Years ago I got swept up in the runners' obsession that is Garmin. Almost everyone had one - they downloaded their cool looking graphs after every run and analysed this or that. They argued with race directors over the distance of races ("My Garmin says it was X, and my Garmin never lies). They set them to beep every kilometre during a marathon, causing me to endlessly ask: "Are we on pace? What pace are we doing? Are we too slow? Do we have time in the bank?" 

So I bit the bullet, forked over my hard earned cash and ordered one. A lovely little green Forerunner 405 which I nicknamed Greta. 

Greta and I weren't really friends from the start. She stressed me out. I didn't want to know what pace I was doing every single step of a training run - yet I couldn't stop looking. She was much bulkier than my usual Timex Ironman watch, which annoyed me. She didn't play nicely with my Mac either, and I had no end of trouble trying to get her to send her info across. 

In the end, I simply gave up using her. Put her back in her box and left her to her own devices at the back of the cupboard. 

Now, however, I have been forced to take Greta out of retirement and, I am pleased to say, her time in isolation seems to have done wonders for her. 

The only reason Greta was given a reprieve was because my watches died. For more than six years I had a Timex Ironman watch which was fabulous. It kept going and going and going, and the only reason I went in search of another one was because it was starting to look a bit old. 

I bought another Timex Ironman - a great looking one with flowers on the face. What a disaster! The first time I wore it in the rain the display stopped working. When it dried out it was fine, but from then any time it was raining or humid the display would fog up then disappear. This was certainly not appreciated during the Canberra Marathon, where I ended up running more than half the race without knowing what the time was. 

The faithful older model was returned to service - especially in the pool because who knew what would happen if the rain-sensitive model went for a swim. Then, disaster! Both watches stopped working completely within five days of one another. Apart from being inconvenient, this saddened me a bit - these watches had helped me through some spectacular races. The old faithful had been with me the very first time I broke three hours in a marathon, and the (crappy) new one had been my companion on the journey (isn't that a song from Catholic school?) to 2:54:54 in Melbourne last year after my heartbreaking disaster in Sydney.

What to do, what to do? There was no way I was going to buy another Timex because, judging from all the reviews online, the water problem was common. I needed to find a different brand - and fast, because I had the Summer Run just days away. 

To buy myself some time to research, I went to Target and bought a $16 digital watch. It did the job, but I wasn't sure how long it would last. (Turns out this cheapie is a machine. It's not sold as water resistant, but I decided to give it a bash and it handled 2.6k of swimming without a glitch!!).

I researched (yes I am a bit OC like that). Casio? Nike? Soleus? I couldn't find anything that was a/ the right size and b/ did what I wanted. I liked a Speedo watch, but I couldn't find  anywhere to buy it in Australia, and I wanted to be able to return it if it broke, so overseas online was a no-no. Hence, out came Greta. 

Maybe I have changed and I'm not so worried about my pace anymore. Maybe Greta has grown up and decided to become more Mac-friendly. Maybe I was sick of not knowing what distance I was running. 

Maybe I have become a running geek. Because I really like Greta now. 

Yes, she's still bulky and that annoys me. I definitely won't race with her, but it really is good to have some accurate statistics on my training runs. Part of me looks forward to plugging in the ANT stick and uploading the latest run. I've even worn the heart rate monitor a couple of times, just because I could. 

So I am still on the lookout for the ultimate running (and swimming) watch. But I'm pleased to say Greta and I are now firm friends, and as long as she continues to behave herself, she won't be going back in the cupboard again...

Until I upgrade, of course.







Tuesday, February 14, 2012

A win: Summer Run @ Port Stephens

First place, Summer Run.
The Summer Run, held on Saturday 11 February, was an excuse to get away to Shoal Bay - a place that's been a favourite of mine since I was young. My cousins lived there for years and we visited often enough for the place to feel comfortable and familiar - it's kind of like that worn old t-shirt that you've owned for years that you always pull out when you want to feel relaxed and at peace with yourself. 


We had a third traveller with us on this trip - Deek, our 18 month old rottweiler. We've never taken him anywhere with us before, and we're certainly not one of those couples who treat their dog like a child, but we know he likes to swim and because we were staying in a friend's holiday house we thought we may as well take him on a road trip. I have to admit, it was pretty funny. 


Road trip.








The run was just under 13k (it varied depending on who you spoke to), keeping with my new found commitment to running some shorter races this year. It wasn't an easy one. Sand, grass, gravel, concrete, dirt, stairs... it was all there. The sand was undoubtedly the worst part. I felt as though I may as well have been walking. It was a relief to leave the beach and start running on solid ground - I could almost hear the Astro Boy rocket noise as I began to pick up the pace! Apart from the sand it was a really enjoyable race, with beautiful views the whole way. It was run in conjunction with an adventure race, which incorporated a swim, mountain bike, kayak and run. If the bike had been on-road and not mountain I would have entered, but me on a mountain bike will only end in disaster. 


I finished first woman, and third person overall, so it was a good day. After the race hubby and I did a 40 minute run together so I could add on a few more kilometres and I felt pretty good, which made me think I should have pushed harder while racing.


Later in the day the sun was out in full force, so we kicked around at the beach for a while before going to the presentation at Shoal Bay Resort. The food looked good, so we decided to go back there for dinner - a great decision. Nice food at fabulous prices, and just 300m from where we were staying. It was a really great night. I love spending time with my man. 


Most of the next day was spent at the beach, where I tried to work out how we could afford to buy a holiday place up there. The sums haven't added up yet, but I'm still working on it!

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Yeah! New Mizuno stuff!

Elixir 7

Nirvana (top) and Elixir (bottom) and CLOTHES!
Yeah baby! New stuff from Mizuno!

How cool is the new Elixir? I love shoes that look a bit different from everything else that's around.

Now I'm all set to try some of this out at the Summer Run in Port Stephens this weekend... just gotta decide what colour to wear. I'm thinking yellow, just because I've never had yellow stuff before.

Thanks to Mizuno for the support.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Knapsack three-hour race - First place

Race briefing.
Every year I use Australia Day to mark the start of my preparations for the Canberra Marathon.

Now in its second year, the Australia Day Knapsack three/six-hour race is perfect for this. It's hosted by Running Wild, a new trail running association that's doing a great job of staging off-road races in the Blue Mountains.

This particular race is based on a popular style of mountain bike race. Basically, we run around and around a five kilometre course for three (or six) hours, completing as many laps as we can in the given time. You could choose to enter solo or as a team (where you complete the race in a relay).

Poor old shoes!
The course was challenging, with one particular climbing bit that I dreaded every single lap and some downhills that I had to take with a bit of caution so I didn't fall on my face (I am un-co). Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong, with two toilet stops, one vomit, one fall and a wrong turn (or, to be exact, I missed a turn because I wasn't concentrating and began following some random runner that wasn't actually in the race!). It was also REALLY muddy thanks to the non-stop rain we've had recently. Loads of deep puddles and bogs that got worse as the morning wore on. My poor shoes are trashed.

The climbing section I dreaded.
For me, the day was less about running fast and more about getting some kilometres back in the legs. I ended up completing seven laps which put me in first place (out of both guys and girls) in the three hour race.  I was really lucky to finish before the rain started. It pelted down.

So very different from last year, when temperature hit 42 degrees C and everybody melted!

I was filthy afterwards, and no matter how hard I scrubbed my feet I couldn't get all the mud out from around my toenails. It's like it's engrained itself in there.

Thanks to Ben Berriman, the Race Director, and the Running Wild crew for a great morning (and for the Zooper Doopers and Coke!). It actually didn't feel like I was running for three hours, so I must have been enjoying it. My prizes included a great embroidered RW bag and towel, socks, a drink bottle, a buff and a few other bits and pieces.










Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Beautiful Byron Bay

We've just returned from a near perfect break at Byron Bay - it was exactly what we needed to wind down and relax before the working year (and all its pressures) kicks off.

We stayed at The Byron at Byron and we had high hopes, which can always be a bit dangerous. However, from the moment we arrived at the indoor/outdoor reception area and were greeted by staff that somehow managed to combine being laid back and friendly with being highly attentive and professional, we knew we were on to a good thing. 

The place was gorgeous. Set amidst a rainforest with boardwalks linking the different areas of the resort, it was so beautiful and relaxing.  It reminded me a lot of some of the resorts in Bali, except for the very authentic (and lovely) 'Aussie' vibe from the staff.  It was such a good place to chill out, and to be honest, we would have been happy if we'd not ventured beyond the resort for the entire time we were there. 

But venture we did and, despite lots of rain, we had a great time. Sea kayaking was a new experience, and one that my poor prone-to-motion-sickness husband wasn't too keen on! The swell was huge and he ended up throwing up a few times. 

Sea Kayaking.



We hit a lot of different beaches and spent a great (and sunny!) afternoon swimming at Wategos. If anyone living in that area needs a house sitter (or a housekeeper or a gardener or a pool cleaner...) I'd be happy to oblige! 


Had some beautiful runs - up to the lighthouse a few times, along beaches and just exploring Byron. The resort had a 25m pool, so one afternoon I was able to clock up a few laps while my husband took advantage of happy hour on the poolside deck. A free yoga class was held each morning overlooking the rainforest, so I went along to that one morning and, much to my surprise, I really enjoyed it. I tried yoga many years ago and I hated it - I couldn't concentrate, I didn't like the woman talking about "this massages this internal organ", and I couldn't relax. However after the experience at Byron,  I'd really like to learn more about it. I'm sure there are places I can practice locally and I'm going to have a look around and ask a few friends if they know somewhere good. 


In all, it was a brilliant week away. Loved it.