Thursday, May 31, 2007

My day......

Thursday Total: 6.9k
Week Total: 34.4k
Month Total: 220.2k
Year Total: 1162.4k

Time: 42.53min
Av pace: 6.11min/km
Av Temp: 2.6*c (5.46am)
Rel. Humidity Av: 89.4%
Wind Spd Avg: 11.5kph (NW)
Started with: Born To Run - Bruce Springsteen
Finished with: Ruby - Kaiser Chiefs

Got up. Ran. Slowly. Breakfast with Strewth and Mr B. Work. Farewell lunch with work colleagues at Chinese restaurant. Work. Home. Dinner. Blog and other stuff. Bed.

Good night.

4 sleeps to go......

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Michelin woman

Wednesday Total: 14k
Week Total: 27.5k
Month Total: 213.3k
Year Total: 1155.5k

Time: 1hr 15.17min
Av pace: 5.22min/km
Av Temp: 7.4*c (6.51am)
Rel. Humidity Av: 73.7%
Wind Spd Avg: 29.4kph (NW)
Started with: Lift - Shannon Noll
Finished with: I Don't Feel Like Dancing - Scissor Sisters

I was in two minds about running this morning after a wild, wintry and windy night. As I lay in bed this morning listening to the wind gusts and knowing it would also be cold, I was sooo tempted to give it a miss. But as per usual, that nagging little voice started - if its really that awful outside do a cardio session in the gym. I contemplated this option and decided that it couldn't possibly be that bad outside (I'm not a great fan of cardio machines). So on went the layers - tights, bike pants, short sleeved running top, arm warmers, long sleeved running top, windbreaker, headband, cap and gloves. And so Michelin Woman waddled out the door for a 14km run!

The run itself wasn't that bad - once I got going. The first half of the run was into the wind so it wasn't particularly pleasant but I kept telling myself the run home would be a lot easier....and it was. I also kept telling myself that next week I will be running in a hot and humid climate.

Liza - I will think of you when we are in Siena!

5 sleeps to go!

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

No need for speed....

...which is a good thing because it's gone AWOL!

Tuesday Total: 6.2k
Week Total: 13.5k
Month Total: 199.3k
Year Total: 1141.5k

Time: 32.24min
Av pace: 5.11min/km
Av Temp: 5.4*c (7.36am)
Rel. Humidity Av: 98.7%
Wind Spd Avg: 1.9kph (E)
Started with: Pump It - Black Eyed Peas
Finished with: I Can't Give You What I Haven't Got - The Living End

Tired. Very tired. It hit me while I was in the process of doing leg curls at the gym. I wanted to quit, have a shower and go home! However I was only halfway through my weights session, still had ab/back exercises to do followed by an interval run. I managed to get through the session but it wasn't sensational. Still I was glad to have done it.

Last night I had a near miss with a small truck, heading home after work. It was pulling over into my lane, not realising I was there until at the last minute, and the fact that I used the horn. It was a close one...

This afternoon I had a hairdresser's appointment and succumbed to Miranda's magical (head) massage....bliss!

6 sleeps to go!!!!

Monday, May 28, 2007

Supernatural

Actually, anything but.....(but that's the TV show that's on now).

Monday Total: 7.3k
Week Total: 7.3k
Month Total: 193.1k
Year Total: 1135.3k

Time: 44.35min
Av pace: 6.04min/km
Av Temp: 2.2*c (5.50am)
Rel. Humidity Av: 97.7%
Wind Spd Avg: 1.2kph (E)
Started with: She Kissed Me - Terence Trent D'Arby
Finished with: Dare - Gorillaz

I plodded around the streets in the early morning hours. If this was a Supernatural episode then I'd be a werewolf out on the prowl, or maybe a vampire, or at least possessed by something. Hang on, maybe I am possessed.....by madness to be out at 5.50am in 2.2*c temperatures when I'm not training for anything. But while I might have to sometimes fight the urges to stay in bed, pull the blankets over my head and pretend its really not morning, I actually feel so much better once I'm outdoors running. Well okay, some days the 'feel-good' factor doesn't take effect until after the run, like this morning, but basically if I don't run I feel very ordinary the rest of the day. Well that's my excuse anyway and I'm sticking to it!

7 sleeps to go!

Sunday, May 27, 2007

A Tale of Two Runs

Sunday (1) Total: 9.8k
Week Total: 43k
Month Total: 178.3k
Year Total: 1120.5k

Time: 57.15min
Av pace: 5.49min/km
Av Temp: 1.2*c (6.35am)
Rel. Humidity Av: 100%
Wind Spd Avg: 1.6kph (NNE)
Started with: Wake Up - The Living End
Finished with: Good People - Jack Johnson

I decided to split my long run into two runs - a slow run early in the morning, followed by the monthly vets run at Oakey Hill. What I hadn't quite anticipated was how chilly it would be this morning - it was a cold 1.2*c when I headed out. However I lost myself in my music and before I knew it I was home again, looking to have breakfast before part 2 of my long run.

Sunday (2) Total: 7.5k
Week Total: 50.5k
Month Total: 185.8k
Year Total: 1128k

Time: 35.52min
Av pace: 4.47min/km
Starting group: 36
Finishing place: 77
Av Temp: 8.2*c (9.30am)
Rel. Humidity Av: 83.6%
Wind Spd Avg: 0.5kph (E)

It had warmed up by the time of my next run, though it was still chilly in the shade. Strewth picked me up and I navigated to the Oakey Hill run, down at Woden. I was familiar with this run as I run most of the course on Wednesday mornings. The big difference was that I usually run it at a far more sedate pace. I was in group 36 along with guys who run a helluva lot faster than I do, even when I'm at my fittest. Naturally when it was our time to start they all took off and left me in a cloud of dust and I never sighted them again! Not only that but then the guys in groups starting behind me flew past at regular intervals, including Steve who had run in the GH80 the week before, not that you would have known, the way he was running. Very cruisy. I eventually did start passing people, probably around the halfway mark, and then passed Strewth not too far from the finish! hehehehe!

8 sleeps to go.....!!!!!

Friday, May 25, 2007

When you know you need a holiday.......

Friday Total: 6.2k
Week Total: 33.2k
Month Total: 168.5k
Year Total: 1110.7k

Time: 31.08min
Av pace: 4.57min/km
Av Temp: 3.4*c (7.46am)
Rel. Humidity Av: 87.1%
Wind Spd Avg: 3.7kph (E)
Started with: Plastic loveless letter - Magic Dirt
Finished with: Addicted to bass - Puretone

But first, today's workout sans ugg boots - an upper body gym workout, core strengthening and stability exercises plus an interval run outdoors. There was a sprinkling of frost on the ground this morning plus it was freezing. I keep telling myself that in just over a week I will be wearing summer clothes again.

Some signs that tell me I need a holiday:
* heading out for a run still wearing ugg boots (Wednesday)
* spilling coffee over my section manager's paperwork before a meeting (yesterday)
* and this morning's effort - putting berocca in my green tea.....

"Cat-Poo Coffee"
And changing the subject, I read an article in the paper the other day about the world's most expensive 'coffee' (@ $50 a cup) - Luwak coffee or kopi luwak. It is made from beans that have been eaten, partly digested then excreted by a small cat-like marsupial called the luwak or Asian palm civet.

The digestive juices in the luwak's stomach remove the bitterness associated with some types of normally processed coffees. Apparently, "people who willingly pay the $50 are uplifted by the thrill of the experience". Customers are rewarded with a 'certificate of experience', dated and witnessed. Comments have been "99% favourable" and include the following, "It's as good as my private life is bad. This is the kind of coffee you renounce your religion and sell your child for." Apparently its only available in Australia at the Heritage Tea Rooms in the Hervey Range, west of Townsville. Hmmm, don't know about paying $50 a cup though......

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Running in Ugg Boots

Wednesday Total: 13.7k
Week Total: 27k
Month Total: 162.3k
Year Total: 1104.5k

Time: 1hr 17.42min
Av pace: 5.40min/km
Av Temp: 3.5*c (6.41am)
Rel. Humidity Av: 91.2%
Wind Spd Avg: 7.4kph (SE)
Started with: Road to Recovery - Midnight Juggernauts
Finished with: Leaving Home - Jebediah

Sometimes late nights and early starts can have a strange effect on me. Essentially I'm still in sleep mode, even after several coffees and it takes me a while to realize that yes, I am awake, yes, I am out of bed, and yes, I'm about to head out the door for a run. The danger in all this is sometimes the autopilot malfunctions and things go awry.

Like this morning....it was only as I was heading down the front steps that I realized that while I had managed to get dressed in my running gear, for some reason I was still wearing my ugg boots. It was funny because I had had this nagging feeling that I had forgotten something but couldn't quite put my finger on what it was! Until I looked down at my feet and instead of seeing a pair of filthy grotty Asics (I really must buy a new pair) I saw ugg boots! Hmmm, not quite running gear. Not sure if anyone saw me but I backtracked inside pretty quickly to change the footwear.

The run itself was uneventful. The temperature is dropping though - 3.5*c this morning....brrrr.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Lolly Gobble Bliss Bombs and other random thoughts


Tuesday Total: 6.2k
Week Total: 13.3k
Month Total: 148.6k
Year Total: 1090.8k

Time: 31.10min
Av pace: 5.01min/km
Av Temp: 7.8*c (7.45am)
Rel. Humidity Av: 64.3%
Wind Spd Avg: 25.5kph (WNW)
Started with: Dead! - My Chemical Romance
Finished with: Daddy I'm fine - Sinead O'Connor

First it was a lower body weights workout plus abs and core stability/strength exercises in the gym followed by an interval run. It was a hard slog this morning because I had increased the weights for my leg exercises so consequently when I hit the outdoors for the run the legs felt like lead.

And for some strange reason I started thinking about Lolly Gobble Bliss Bombs. Anyone remember these? - really sweet toffee coated popcorn (butterscotch and caramel flavours), and lots of kids made themselves sick on them....I know I did and so did my kids! But such a cute name! Can you still buy them? And chocolate crackles.....something else that I made my self really sick on when younger and haven't touched since!

And then before I knew it, I had finished my run!

Monday, May 21, 2007

I wish I was a rich girl......

then I wouldn't have to get up early on a Monday morning for another week of work....*sigh*

Monday Total: 7.1k
Week Total: 7.1k
Month Total: 142.4k
Year Total: 1084.6k

Time: 39.40min
Av pace: 5.33min/km
Av Temp: 10.2*c (5.52am)
Rel. Humidity Av: 70.6%
Wind Spd Avg: 14.5kph (NNW)
Started with: Reflections of a sound - Silverchair
Finished with: Rich girl - Gwen Stefani & Eve

It was very much a meandering run this morning. I had planned on running along the cycle path through Florey but it seemed to remain darker for longer and rather than risk doing a CJ, decided to stick to the streets. So I ventured down streets I had never bothered with before and even included one street that I hadn't run down since I was threatened by Cujo's relative several years ago. Anyway it did seem like I was running around in circles and the music reflected this with: You Spin Me Round (Dead or Alive), Round and Round (The Bodyrockers) and Can't Get My Head Around You (Offspring).

Now to go and check out how Tesso, ihatetoast and iliketoast went at Warwick Pentath-Run, Ewen at the SMH half marathon, and Twofruits at Glasshouse Mts. Any news?

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Week that was

Saturday Total: 16.2k
Week Total: 51.1k
Month Total: 135.3k
Year Total: 1077.5k

Time: 1hr 26.47min
Av pace: 5.20min/km
Av Temp: 12.3*c (7.05am)
Rel. Humidity Av: 67.8%
Wind Spd Avg: 16.4kph (NNW)
Started with: Deeper Water - Deadstar
Finished with: Sam's Town - The Killers

Last run for the week, before a well deserved Sunday sleep-in. Ditched the original plan of running to the Black Mountain nature park because the weather looked too dodgy. Stuck to the safer option of running down to and around part of Lake Ginninderra before heading home. Even then, there were a couple of flooded creek crossings I had to make resulting in wet shoes and socks....yech.

Monday 14 - 9.8km run in 54.13min
Tuesday 15 - Lower body weights at the gym followed by a 6.4km, 31.53min interval run.....fun!
Wednesday 16 - 11.8km run in 66.31min, parts of Oakey Hill and the back of Curtin.
Thursday 17 - 6.9km run in 39.47min before work and then a 25min interval session on the bike at the gym after work. Double trouble.
Friday 18 - it was raining so after an upper body weights session it was a 30min interval session on the stepper....now that was hard work.

Saturday, May 12, 2007

So that's how its done.......

Friday Total: 6.4k
Week Total: 29.4k
Month Total: 68.4k
Year Total: 1010.6k

Time: 31.42min
Av pace: 4.57min/km
Av Temp: 6.6*c (7.43am)
Rel. Humidity Av: 85.2%
Wind Spd Avg: 5.6kph (SSE)
Started with: Play That Funky Music - Wild Cherry
Finished with: Don't Walk Alone - Bob Evans

I started with an upper body weights session in the gym followed by an interval session outdoors in the cold crisp morning air - beats the dreadmill any day. And today I rediscovered some of my speed with a sub-5min/km session. Woo hoo! Not that I felt that I was running any faster than usual - in fact I felt really uncoordinated. Still its a positive sign.

Saturday Total: 15.8k
Week Total: 45.2k
Month Total: 84.2k
Year Total: 1026.4k

Time: 1hr 26.09min
Av pace: 5.27min/km
Av Temp: 6.4*c (7.11am)
Rel. Humidity Av: 82.3%
Wind Spd Avg: 4kph (SSE)
Started with: Hallelujah - Rufus Wainwright
Finished with: Sisters are doing it for themselves - Annie Lennox & Aretha Franklin

It is getting a lot chillier early in the mornings these days which means wearing layers for my runs - tights, short sleeved top, long sleeved top and when its really cold, arm warmers, headband and gloves. Its times like these that I think moving to Qld would be a far better option. Still, even though it was cold this morning, there was quite a few people out walking.

So, in summary, this week I passed the 1000km mark (thanks 2P for pointing that out!), have run every day for a total of 45.2km for the week, and have managed one sub-5min/km session. Not bad for someone who isn't training for anything!

Good luck to everyone running in the half marathon tomorrow morning. I'll be thinking of you as I'm enjoying my mother's day breakfast!

And happy mothers day to all the mums out there!

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Pleasure & Pain

Thursday Total: 7k
Week Total: 23k
Month Total: 62k
Year Total: 1004.2k

Time: 40.49min
Av pace: 5.49min/km
Av Temp: 11.4*c (5.48am)
Rel. Humidity Av: 84.2%
Wind Spd Avg: 6.7kph (ENE)
Started with: What You Waiting For - Gwen Stefani
Finished with: No Way Back - Foo Fighters

Another early early start so I could get a short run in before meeting Strewth and Mr B for breakfast at Red Belly Black Cafe in Civic. I noticed my achilles was a little stiff to start with but did warm up the longer I ran. Running up Chewings St was a bit of a chore but I eventually made it! Not too many people out and about at that hour - probably still in bed, very sensible.

Had a massage at lunchtime - it was bliss. Painful, but bliss. She found all the sore spots and worked out the knots. And it took a while before my body registered that I was back in the office. But then sitting through a 2 hour finance meeting soon brought me back to earth with a massive thud.

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

So far, so good.....

Wednesday Total: 10k
Week Total: 16k
Month Total: 55k
Year Total: 997.2k

Time: 59.23min
Av pace: 5.52min/km
Av Temp: 12.7*c (7am)
Rel. Humidity Av: 90.7%
Wind Spd Avg: 4.3kph (SE)
Started with: Hips Don't Lie - Shakira
Finished with: Spare Me the Details - Offspring

This morning I drove to Woden early and ran part of the BBQ Stakes course - the reverse start and Oakey Hill part of the course. Aside from the hills it was a pleasant run and a great way to start the day...in fact, it was the best part of the day, but I'll spare you the details!!!!

CJ/TJ/BB and rescuing daughters - what is with all this?!

And Tesso, I wish I had snuck off to Italy but there are still 25 days before we fly out: Destination Singapore....then Italy with Mr CJ and 2 very good friends, Strewth and Mr B. Woo hoo! Can't wait! Amalfi Coast here we come! (and Rome and Umbria and Tuscany and Cinque Terre and Lucca and Civitavecchia)

Katy, I'm already wearing tights for early morning running but I might just hold off on the gogo boots and cape until it gets colder..and darker!!!

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Yes...No.....I think so.....I'm back!

Tuesday Total: 6k
Week Total: 6k
Month Total: 45k
Year Total: 987.2k

Time: 30.58min
Av pace: 5.10min/km
Av Temp: 8.8*c (7.53am)
Rel. Humidity Av: 97%
Wind Spd Avg: 1.5kph (E)
Started with: Wild Child - Iggy Pop
Finished with: Pump It - Black Eyed Peas

I'm back. The last couple of weeks have been really boring....I was sick but it was boring and so I won't bore you with the details....there weren't any.

So......this morning's session was done straight after a lower body weights session in the gym. If anything it warmed me up for the run and the run wasn't a problem. Plus its the fastest I've run since the marathon. In fact since the marathon I've been struggling to run faster than 6min/kms.

Yes I think I'm back....................