Recipe for success?!

Took part in the MS fun run this windy cold Sunday morning after having gone out the night before to a dinner dance - not something I usually do. It was a fun night, the food was great and the wine was flowing - I only had 3 glasses but its been along time between drinks so I'm a cheap drunk!

However I felt fine this morning and so had no excuse not to do the fun run even though it was cold and windy and not very inviting weather at all. Strewth and Mr B picked me up on their way through to Tuggeranong and we made it to the start of the run with only minutes to spare.

Session - MS fun run
Distance - 6.5km
Time - 28.25min
Av pace - 4.17min/km
AHR - 169; MHR - 178

I thought I started conservatively though my first kilometre was 4.32min/km. I think the wind was behind us for the first couple of kms which made it a whole lot easier. Trouble was you knew that was going to change and sure enough around the other side of the lake it happened - running slapbang into the wind. And I enjoyed it! I think my gym sessions have helped because I felt really strong and managed to pass a few people at this point. Either that, or it was the glasses of wine I consumed last night! I passed Susan in the last couple of kms. I think my time was a PB for me - so maybe going out the night before is a recipe for success?!

After the run chatted to Trath, Tugggeranong Don, Susan, Rae (actually I spoke to her during the run) and Caroline, who had run a PB. Strewth,Mr B, Mr CJ and I had coffee at Black Pepper cafe some time later.

Some info about MS:

Its a common disease
An estimated 2,500,000 people around the world have multiple sclerosis. These people are generally:

*Young adults - symptoms first appear between the ages of 20 and 50 years.
*Female - 70 per cent of people with MS are female.
*Caucasian - 98 per cent of people with MS are Caucasian.
*Living in temperate zones - MS is generally more common between latitudes 40° and 60° north and south of the equator.
*Have a relative with MS - between 10 and 20 per cent of people with MS have a relative with the disease, suggesting a genetic link.

MS occurs when the protective sheath (myelin) around the nerve fibres in the brain and spinal cord becomes damaged, causing random patches called plaques or lesions. These patches distort and interrupt the messages that are sent along these nerves. ‘Sclerosis’ means scar, and the disease is labelled ‘multiple’ because the damage usually occurs at a number of points.
(fact sheet - MS Society, Vic)

Saturday

Session - long run
Distance - 18km
Time - 1hr 37.59min
Av pace - 5.26min/km
AHR - 150; MHR - 172

It was very overcast, windy and cold but that wasn't enough to stop me doing my long run early in the morning out at Stromlo. Actually given the inclement weather I was surprised at the number people out there walking, running or cycling. I'm not the only crazy person! Ran part of the Thistle run course which means climbing gates and coming across cows grazing. There was also a large group of kangaroos, though most bounded away when they saw me...except for one who stood his ground and eyeballed me. I also kept a close eye on him.....just in case. However he never budged and I continued on. On the return I must have disturbed a mother and young joey because the mother kangaroo bounded off a little way and all you could see sticking out of the pouch was a little head and feet - the joey must have made a quick leap into pouch - he didn't look very comfortable!

All was going well until I headed out to Gunbarrel Hill and I came across a sign - "CONSTRUCTION SITE - NO ADMITTANCE". Hrmmmmmph - this was my running route. So I continued on cautiously keeping a close eye out for trucks. However I never sighted one - probably the previous day's rain had kept them away.

The weather was deteriorating and I decided to call it a day after completing 18km. Running into a headwind for some of it must count for extra?!