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. 

Merry Christmas!

Mizuno Brand Ambassador for 2012

Yahoo!! An early Christmas present and a fabulous way to finish off the year.

Yesterday afternoon I was (very literally) dancing around the house after receiving an email from Mizuno offering me a place in the Mizuno Brand Ambassador Program for 2012.

I've been fortunate enough to have support from Mizuno since 2010, after winning the National Capital Marathon in Canberra. The timing back then was serendipitous - I was desperately looking for new shoes for both racing and training because the brand I had worn for many years completely changed the models I wore and they were causing me no end of trouble. I thought it may have just been me, especially after being told by a fitting specialist there wasn't a significant change in the shoes, but my husband and a couple of friends were also having problems with their arch support and archilles, so it was definitely more than my imagination.

I had never tried Mizuno before (simply because I was lazy and it was easy to stick with something else while it was working for me), and I was thrilled to find they were exactly what I was looking for. I was recommended the Nirvana for training and the Elixir for racing, and both proved to be spot on.

Not only did Mizuno support me by providing me with shoes, they also gave me a clothing allowance so, for the first time, I started to get outfits that not only fitted really well, but actually matched! So exciting!

I was invited on board again in 2011, and I was just so grateful (and surprised) that an international company like Mizuno would actually consider me worthy of representing its brand. Again, I got some fantastic kit, including the coolest looking shoes I've ever had to date - the Elixir 6 (pictured left). Love, love, love them. Everyone does.

A little while ago all the 2011 Brand Ambassadors received an email thanking us for the year and explaining the program was going to be consolidated for 2012 and only those selected for 2012 would be receiving another email. I very honestly thought that was the end of a very good (very lucky!) wicket for me. I was so sure that I actually went and purchased a new pair of Mizunos from the store because mine needed replacing!

Needless to say I am absolutely over the moon to have the opportunity to represent Mizuno again this year. It has been such a privilege, and I desperately hope I can have a few excellent performances over the next 12 months to prove their selection was warranted.

Now, I can't WAIT to see what the new range is like! Happy days!

A break!

I was flicking through my calendar (yes, I still use a paper and pen diary!) and I found myself a little surprised at everything I've done over the past couple of months. I am not a prolific racer, so the number of events I've done in succession is a little different for me - but I'm feeling quite good about it.

The Sydney Marathon debacle in September was followed by the Melbourne Marathon success in October. Usually after a marathon I'll give myself at least four weeks before I race any distance again, just because I think my body needs that time to recover.

Exactly four weeks after Melbourne I did the Horribly Hilly Half Marathon, which was a very informal and fun affair organised by the infamous Ratdog and co. That was a super, super hot morning, made worse by the fact I had neglected to read the race instructions and didn't realise there was only one point (very early) on the course that I could get water. No wonder everyone was carrying their own!

The following week was Nepean Tri, which I really enjoyed.

Then came a half marathon at SMC (first place). The next week was the Central Coast Half (second place behind the spectacular Kirsten Molloy who I became friendly with at Melbourne as we were both on the NSW team that won the state teams challenge). The week after that was the Balmain 10k fun run (first place).

Then a weekend without any racing, a really hectic week of work, followed by another half marathon at SMC (first place) yesterday.

And now there's less than a week until Christmas - my absolute FAVOURITE time of the year - and only two more days of work. Hurrah!

A win at Balmain 10k

Believe it or not, this was my first ever 10k race - and it wasn't a nice and flat one either!


I was really pleased to come away with the win today, especially seeing as though the body is feeling a bit fatigued because I've raced for the past five weekends. Combined with it being the end of the year, which is always the busiest time for me at work, I'm feeling a bit drained and well and truly ready for a break over Christmas.


I've always avoided 10k races - and the longer I avoided them, the more nervous I became about ever doing one. However, the time has come for me to bite the bullet and do the speed work. I know I'm not going to get much faster over a marathon if I continue to neglect this shorter stuff, so the year ahead will bring some shorter races. Fast twitch muscles I will find you in there somewhere!


I was very surprised at how hilly (i.e. tough!) the course was. I have trained around the Bay Run a bit, because work is nearby, so I thought most of the run would be pretty flat. Err, no.


Ended up finishing first woman home in 38:47, which I found out later was a course record by about three-and-a-half minutes. Was I happy with the way it went? Well, the time was slower than the 10k I did off the bike at Nepean (37:46), so that was disappointing, but I was happy to win and even happier to finally get the 10k monkey off my back. It was a very low key and friendly event, and I'll definitely be back again next year.


One thing I really loved was watching the kids run/walk the 2k event - especially the really young ones. They were so determined and looked so happy when they crossed the finish line.


While I was waiting for the presentation I did another 9k around the bay and some side streets - it's such a nice place to run.

Nepean Triathlon

It's funny, but it took a triathlon to really make me feel like a runner.

I did my first Nepean Tri yesterday. It was my second triathlon ever (my first was a women's Trishave sprint in early 2010).

One of the greatest things about this race was my complete lack of the usual race nerves. There was a little concern that I might crash the bike, but the horrible nerves I am plagued with whenever I have a running race were conspicuously absent. It was lovely, and I put it down to the fact that I knew the tri didn't matter. No pressure, no demands for a certain time. Super way to go into it.

The wonderful people at Panther Cycles had squeezed my bike in for a last minute service, so she was all ready for her second race outing. I had a new two-piece tri suit that was not only comfortable and fit me really well but matched my bike too. Thanks Zoot!

The time
I guessed I'd do around two hours, given my lack of bike skills, and I was bang on - 1:59:52.

Swim - 19:00
I thought I'd go a bit quicker in the swim - 19 mins was slow compared to what I do in the pool, but maybe I underestimated how much the kicks and punches to the head and body would take! I copped a few good ones over the first 250 metres (especially from one girl who seemed to be making a sport of it!), but I gave a few too. I felt fine during the swim, breathing every stroke and using other people as guides rather than trying to sight the buoy. It was comfortable - is it supposed to be comfortable? Triathlon's a whole different beast and I have no idea how the pacing thing works.

Bike - 1:03:05
Yes, OK - I know this is bad!! The first lap gave me a chance to feel things out and see how aggressive other people were going to be in the technical sections - I didn't want anyone too close as I was cornering in case I decided to be unintentionally unpredictable! I lost LOTS of time, and again, maybe I should have worked harder. The second lap was better than the first because I knew what was coming - still, people motored past me like they were on motorbikes and I was riding a shopping trolley. Funnily enough, it didn't worry me and I was enjoying myself. I found myself looking forward to the run because, as I said to myself, 'My body knows exactly what to do."

Run - 37.46
Yeah baby, that's right - 37:46. I had no idea I would run this well off the bike. I actually felt awful for the first four kilometres, I thought I was going really slowly despite the fact I was passing lots of people. My legs felt heavy and I had to concentrate to get myself moving. I took a few seconds in the transition area to drink some Gatorade, then popped a gel as I ran out, and by the first water station I was wondering how the hell people do IM!!

By the second lap I got a bit of rhythm, but I certainly felt like I was working hard. Part of me was thinking, 'Oh god, please don't let me run over 40 minutes because this is feeling harder than that." When I finished I had no idea of the split, and I thought I'd done about 39 mins. I hadn't been keeping my eye on my watch so I wasn't sure what had gone down.

It wasn't until later that afternoon that I logged on to the results to see my run split. To say I was pleased is an understatement. I was over the moon! I haven't got a 10k PB - I've never raced a 10k before, so I've only been able to guess what time I'd do by looking at splits from longer races. And this is where we come to me not feeling like a real runner.

There's a part of me that (very honestly) doesn't feel like I am a runner. I know I can put together a decent marathon, but I think there's a big difference between being able to run long and being able to perform well at the shorter distance races. 10k has always scared me because I think it would be a confirmation of me not being a 'real' runner. I know that 37:46 isn't a super time in the top Australian women's scheme of things, but whenever I hear of someone who runs about that time I think, "Wow, that's good." And if I heard they'd done it off the bike, I'd think, "Wow, that's even better."

So now I have a 10k time that I would have considered 'good' before I'd done it. And I'm really, really pleased with that. And I feel like a runner. (Which is good because I'm certainly not a cyclist!!!).

j 

Wanna, Wanna, Wanna

Clearly, now my PB is closer to 2:50 than 3:00, all I can think of is getting a time that begins with 2:4X.