Slaying the demons

Today's session - long run, Stromlo

Time / weather - 7am / overcast, 15.6*c when I started, 21.4*c when I finished
Distance - 32km
Time taken - 2hr 54.06min
Av pace - 5.26min/km
AHR - 156; MHR - 178

To make my run more interesting this morning I mentally dealt with it in 5km sections, with an additional 2km at the end.

1st 5km - I really don't want to do this
I was definitely not in the right headspace for a long run this morning and so I spent most of the first 5km convincing myself that this was not such a bad thing. I ran part of the Jogalong course again including down the hill that used to give me all sorts of problems when I used to run the monthly Jogalong event. I started my run with "Sisters (are doing it for themselves)" by the Eurythmics - I needed all the help I could get at this stage of the run! I defeated the "I don't really want to do this' demon.

2nd 5km - Found my running legs
Started heading out to the cork plantation. Passed a couple of women heading up a hill - I still had spring in my step at this stage. Was feeling comfortable.

3rd 5km - Gunbarrel Hill awaits
I decided that today I was going to run up this hill and not stop. Its a loooong steep hill but I felt I was up to it. Disturbed some kangaroos as I was heading up but I didn't stop to take photos (sorry Rae but you do not stop running up this hill!). As I was going up "The Best of You" by the Foo Fighters was playing - very appropriate. Oh sweet jesus it was good to get to the top of that hill. Even better, when I was heading downhill on the other side "I Am Woman" by Helen Reddy was playing! I briefly toyed with the idea of running up Dairy Farm Hill (or whatever its called - I'm not very good with names) but commonsense prevailed. Anyway, another demon slayed.

4th 5km - Why am I even having this phone conversation?
This was the Thistle Run part of my run. There were more cows grazing today, though I'm sure they multiplied on the return trip - I couldn't for the life of me remember that many on the way out. My phone rang. "Did you ring me?" asked Mr CJ. "No". "Are you sure?" he asked. Excuse me, I'm running 32km on a very undulating course but I am still aware of what I'm doing and I know I wasn't make a phone call as I was running up a hill. A but further on a little stone somehow worked its way into my shoe - try undoing laces, then balancing on one leg and emptying said shoe, after running up and down hills for the past 17km. Not easy. After clambering over the gate I stopped to loosen my laces - had tied them too tight and was at risk of cutting off the circulation.

5th 5km - Giraffe and snake sightings
This was my zoo run - where I run down by the river/creek(?) to the zoo and then return the same way. Today I saw the giraffe - its not often I can say I saw a giraffe on my long run! There's also a nasty little hill near the zoo - very short but also very steep - not fun but I didn't stop. God I'm getting good at this! On the return trip I saw what looked like a long thin black-grey stick on the road. Funny I can't remember that stick being there on the way out. Then it moved. Ok, snake - well it had right of way as far as I was concerned. Once it had slithered across the road and into the grass I took off again, making sure the snake was not in hot pursuit.

6th 5km - A striking resemblance
Further along the road a huge gangly dog was heading toward me - ohmigod this dog was as big as me - what to do? Then the owner came running around the bend in the road. Ever heard the saying about the owner looking like their dog (or the other way around) - well these two were definitely related! Both were tall and gangly with goofy grins - perfect match! Glutes were feeling a touch tender by now and I was starting to have fantasies about coffee.

Last 2km - Why is this so hard?
The biggest demon yet to slay - overwhelming tiredness in the legs. It hit me in the 31st km - I didn't want to run the last kilometre, it was too hard, it was getting to hot, I wanted coffee, Evil CJ was playing all cards at this stage, it was too hilly (in reality at this stage they were very gentle undulations but felt twice as steep as Gunbarrel Hill). Oh god, I wanted to stop so badly.......but I didn't. And finally, Garmin Girl beeped to let me know I'd done 32km. Heaven! (Which was also playing on my Ipod at this point - very appropriate). I would've done a victory dance or cartwheels but I was too damn knackered. I walked to my car!

Week 9 completed
Total distance for the week - 94km
Next week - 100km
*******************************************
Looking back - Road to Ironman 2004
56 days to go

Sunday workout - long cycle (2 laps of the long course, inc Coppins Crossing both times), + 3 laps of the large loop + 1 lap of the small loop
Time / weather - 6am / warm to start with but hot and windy later, 35*c
Total distance - 170km
Duration - 7hr 39.56min
Av spd - 22.1kph (soooo slow!)
Workout rating - L8-9 (tired, hot, windy, so not enjoying it)

It was a hot and hard cycle - very tiring and I'm very sore. It was also boring, boring, boring so maybe good for me psychologically? So glad when it was over. I couldn't believe how tired I felt after the ride - just wanted to lie down and never get up again. Sore feet, sore arse [late edit - gosh it was all about me, what a whinge!] I drank heaps - 4 water bottles = 2.8litres plus I ate 2 fruit bars, 2 fruit sticks, 1 jam sandwich and 1 banana. Who was the bright spark that wanted to do an Ironman?!

Totals for the week:
Swim - 8.4km
Cycle - 281km
Run - 54km