Flash, crash and down came the rain!!

We had a fantastic weekend at the coast with lots of sunshine, surf, good company and far too much good food, wine and cocktails! However we did manage a 12km walk, a 10km run (average pace per km 6:15)and a 5km run (av pace per km 6:05)while we were away and lots of beautiful swims at the beach. Yesterday I was on duty at the cross country race at Stromlo and after it was over I ran a short couple of loops (4km) with Ewen, speedygeoff and Rachelle just because I love that surface and of course the company was lovely.

This morning I went to the gym and did a weights session followed by a 15mins abs class.

After work I ran from home at about 6.30pm and apart from a few niggles I felt great. In fact I felt as though I could have continued running except for a little glitch. On my return run there were sudden flashes of lightning, huge rumbles of thunder and the sky became very dark indeed. Just as the first raindrops fell I had to detour for a nature stop at the shopping centre. When I emerged the rain was falling heavily and there were huge puddles outside the door. I stood there for a while along with other drowned rats before I finally succombed and used my mobile to call Mr B to collect me - wuss! I know if I hadn't stopped I would have just continued on in spite of the rain but after stopping it's difficult to head right into it when it's pounding down. It wasn't a gentle fall by any means and the thunder was still rolling.

Distance: 10:33

Time taken: 1:02:45

Average pace per km: 6:04

Calories burned: 605

I was very happy with this run as it felt much more comfortable than it has for a long time. Perhaps next time I will try for 12km and gradually progress. At the moment I feel much more positive and will keep my fingers crossed. I have another appointment with Jimmy on Friday. Now on to my exercises!

Off to the Coast

Woo hoo - tomorrow I'm flexing off work and we're driving to the coast, one night in Batemans Bay and two nights in Narooma for a weekend birthday party - should be fun, fun, fun! here's hoping the sun is shining and the sea inviting. It's my first visit to the coast this summer and I'm having withdrawal symptoms. I'm hanging out for the sea.

Today was my appointment with Clinic 88 and Jimmy. He's lovely and spent a full hour prodding and working on my leg and groin area. Yes, it hurt like crazy but it felt good afterwards. I have special exercises to do every night and another visit in a week. I will cancel (or at least postpone) my ultrasound appointment for a few weeks to see if this works. In the meantime I am allowed to run as long as I don't push further or faster this week so it looks like constant 10km running for a week. He still seems to think he can fix me in time to train for the marathon but I think it's just a little late to build up the long runs unfortunately. However, I won't say a definite "no" just yet. Now I'm off to do my exercises before bed. At least I've packed! Happy Australia Day to my Aussie friends! Have a safe and fun weekend.

I know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly .......Perhaps She'll Die!!

6.15am - Gym
This morning I actually did a 45min RPM/Spin class at the gym - woo hoo, it's been nearly 2 months since I attempted that and I really truly did it - I didn't push it too hard but I still managed to build up a sweat (how indelicate) and felt quite good.
Then I did a 15mins abs class - ouch!

6.15pm - And tonight - wait for it - I ran 10km
Yes, finally I'm running a bit further - still slow Ewen but now it's down to 6:16 per km pace. When I reach 6min km again and run 16km I'll consider myself back! In the meantime I'll keep plodding on.
As I ran towards home this evening a nasty little fly flew straight into my mouth and right down my throat - I tried to spit it out - eeeeew - but nah, this old lady certainly swallowed that fly so I sang to myself instead and decided I definitely did not want to swallow a spider to catch the fly. Now just in case you haven't lived long enough to know what I'm talking about here is the song!

I know an old lady who swallowed a fly I don't know why she swallowed the fly Perhaps she'll die

I know an old lady who swallowed a spider That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her She swallowed the spider to catch the fly But I don't know why she swallowed the fly

Perhaps she'll die
I know an old lady who swallowed a bird How absurd to swallow a bird She swallowed the bird to catch the spider That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her She swallowed the spider to catch the fly But I don't know why she swallowed the fly

Perhaps she'll die
I know an old lady who swallowed a cat Imagine that. She swallowed a cat. She swallowed the cat to catch the bird She swallowed the bird to catch the spider That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her She swallowed the spider to catch the fly But I don't know why she swallowed the fly

Perhaps she'll die
I know an old lady who swallowed a dog What a hog to swallow a dog!

She swallowed the dog to catch the cat She swallowed the cat to catch the bird She swallowed the bird to catch the spider That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her She swallowed the spider to catch the fly But I don't know why she swallowed the fly

Perhaps she'll die
I know an old lady who swallowed a goat Opened her throat and down went the goat! She swallowed the goat to catch the dog She swallowed the dog to catch the cat She swallowed the cat to catch the bird She swallowed the bird to catch the spider That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her She swallowed the spider to catch the fly But I don't know why she swallowed the fly

Perhaps she'll die
I know an old lady who swallowed a cow I don't know how she swallowed the cow She swallowed the cow to catch the goat She swallowed the goat to catch the dog She swallowed the dog to catch the cat She swallowed the cat to catch the bird She swallowed the bird to catch the spider That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her She swallowed the spider to catch the fly But I don't know why she swallowed the fly

Perhaps she'll die
I know an old lady who swallowed a horse

She's dead of course!

Waddling On! (or is that waffling on??)

Sunday Run
Distance: 8.5km
Time taken: 53:50
Average pace per km: 6.25
Calories burned: 500

Tuesday morning Run
Distance: 8.05km
Time taken: 51mins
Average pace per km: 6.21
Calories burned: 480

My car went in to have the airconditioning fixed yesterday morning and they decided they needed to keep it overnight. Thus, no transport, which meant unfortunately I didn't go to speedygeoff's training last night. I also couldn't go to the gym this morning but at least this meant I could go for a short gentle run from home. The hammie didn't hurt until the 5km mark this morning, that's a bit better. This gentle short running is manageable but I'm very much looking forward to Thursday's massage. I'm sure the pain will be worth it. I want to run further and faster!!

Star sign for Thursday 17 January

Almost forgot - I just had to copy my star sign from the Canberra Times on Thursday. Maybe it's a good omen!! Here is tis!

Star Sign – Thursday 17 January

"Your goals have been pushed on to the back burner since mid-November, but you can expect to put them on full heat again from January 29. Action is stirring!"

Who said running was a cheap sport??

Thursday events

This morning early I went for a gentle run to test the pain level so I could describe it properly to the sports doctor!

Distance: 6.2km

Time taken: 39:35

Average pace per km: 6:24

Calories: 370

When I first started running I didn't think I would make it to the corner. However I persevered within my time limit as I was meeting CJ for brekkie at 7.30am in town. The pain worsened about the 3km mark but it was bearable and I think I may even have been able to run another 2km at that pace if time had permitted. Later however my leg felt quite uncomfortable and when I visited the sports doctor I could explain what was happening. Twelve minutes and $130 later I had a referral to Clinic 88 for deep massage therapy and a referral for an ultrasound ($580) followed by dry needle treatment ($15 a needle) if necessary. The theory is that it may be scar tissue and she does seem to think that it results from a torn hamstring. My appointment at Clinic 88 is next Thursday and if that provides good results I may be able to either delay or cancel the ultrasound. I have my fingers crossed! The dry needle treatment would be to break up the scar tissue if this is what the ultrasound indicates. I am allowed to run within my pain threshold, in other words, short distances off-road. I will continue to cycle and swim when possible. I may have to re-evaluate my goals but will see how the deep massage therapy helps before I say that a helper rather than a competitor may be the goer at the marathon this year - "sad face"!!

After work on Thursday I went to track to report for duty. I was given the eye-opening tasks of assisting at the pole vault and later the javelin for the rest of the evening. The age groups for the three competitors at the pole vault were M30, M70 and M85 - inspirational! The javelin throwers were an interesting group of people of both sexes and ages varying again from 30 to almost 85! It was good to finally meet the people belonging to the names appearing regularly in the Vetrunner magazine. Some dashed off to participate in other events inbetween their throws. My job was to ensure they did not step over the white line before or after their throws and to call their names and record their numbers and distances. I learnt a whole lot about their rules!!

Friday morning

Swim - 1.2km (a little further this time)

followed by 15 blissful minutes in the spa and a short time in the sauna.

Today, Saturday, the grandchildren have just left having spent the night here and the rain is coming down solidly. I can smell the rain, it's beautiful!

Results Pending!

Tuesday

This morning I swam 1km comfortably and followed this with a relaxing spa!

Wednesday 6.15am - Gym

I spent 40minutes concentrating on upper body weights and physio stretches (gently) and followed this with a 15mins abs class.

7pm - Cycle

My intention of going for a gentle bike ride turned into a struggle against a head wind but I did enjoy the ride especially during the parts when I was assisted by a tail wind. I rode 17km and I'm so glad I can at least cross-train to a certain extent.

I have made an appointment with the sports doctor on Thursday (tomorrow) afternoon. It will be interesting (?) to hear the verdict.

Gentle Runs Only

Since my last entry I have been to the gym doing Fitball and Abs Classes, upper body weights, a couple of cycles on mainly flat surfaces, a couple of swims, lots of physio exercises including another intensive physio session and on Saturday I ventured out to Stromlo Forest Park to attempt some gentle running with some of speedygeoff's group on the grass. I ran the warm-up of 2.5km with Ewen at a gentle pace then ran the 1km intervals at my own pace while the others did speed work. Rest assured "twofruits" - there was no speedwork for this little goose! Apart from the fact that I can't run fast the heat at the 9am start on Saturday was horrendous. I felt quite ill from the heat and I was only running at a very slow pace. I have no idea how people can run such incredibly fast intervals in that intense heat. Anyway I did end up with a total of almost 8km but it wasn't comfortable. The best part about the running was the company and the fantastic surface. It's certainly a lovely place to run but a bit of a trip to get there. I might manage to find the way quicker next time!!

Today - Monday
6.15am - Gym - Fitball

So many tricky abs exercises with the same relief coach we had last week. Oh boy, she really is tough but this week she suggested we let some air out of our fitballs and it made it much more possible to accomplish some of those strange contortionist exercises which we do!

4.30pm - Run from Parliament House

I left work early and joined the early starters for an interesting warm-up down to the lake and past the yacht club on to Yarralumla where we turned and Emma led us on an off-road route back. This was a great route and would have been even better if my hammie hadn't been causing me a lot of pain and slowed me down to almost a walking pace. In fact I did have to stop and walk a few times. Geoff ran back to the group start as did Emma eventually after ensuring I was ok but Ewen and his mate, Bruce from Sydney, jogged with me back to the oval where we thought we were training - nobody there, so on to the rose garden, nobody there so eventually (at 6pm) we found the 5.30pm group at the grassy hills in front of PH. The boys could still fit in 6 of the 12 speedy diagonal hill repeats but apart from a gentle jog I just did lots of stretching and called it a day.

Total distance: 10.5km (in pain!)

Question: Do I return to the physio or do I consult a sports doctor now? I can run about 3-4km pain free then it hits and it gradually builds up to be too painful to run.

At home I iced my hamstring and did still more stretches. Tomorrow morning I will go for a gentle swim in the pool.

No Improvement is Happening!!

Friday morning I went for another 1km swim before work and on Saturday I went for an 8km walk, deliberately not running for a couple of days and what's more I was a good little girl and did all the physio exercises. This morning I attempted another run. I managed a very slow, very painful 10.52km. From the 2km point on it hurt, yes indeed, it was definitely my hamstring (forget the back) and it hurt like crazy. I walked a bit on the hills and stretched but I ran (jogged really) 10.52km starting out with the intention of a 15km run. That didn't happen and I arrived home frustrated and disappointed. My appointment with the physio is on Tuesday at lunchtime. Let's hope he can perform miracles!! I have a marathon to run!

Distance: 10.52km
Time taken: 1:10 (that must be the slowest run in the universe!!)
Average pace per km: 6:47 (how embarrassing - practically walking in parts)
Calories burned: 620

I wasn't going to blog my time but I have decided I will after all. That way, I can watch the improvement (I HOPE)!!
In the late morning Mr B and I went to a premier of a movie at Dendy called Lust, Caution. It was in Chinese with sub-titles - a 2 1/2 hour very thought provoking movie - gripping and terrible in parts.

Stealing a Quote that Fits!!

Before Work 6.15am - Gym
Bodypump class
It's been quite a while since I've been to this class and I really noticed it. I also felt it a bit in my hamstring when we were doing some of the leg work.

After Work - 6.15pm - Run

Actually it wasn't so much of a "run" as an attempt to run. I was running in pain from about the 2km mark. I persevered for 10km but at that stage the hamstring was hurting too much to continue so I walked the rest of the distance home. I made several attempts to start running again but it just wouldn't happen so it looks like another trip to the physio is in order. Just as well I didn't attempt track running. I knew I wasn't ready for speed work again yet - to quote speedygeoff's palindrome - "dammit, i'm mad"!!

Distance: 10km
Time taken: 62:50
Average pace per km: 6:17
Calories burned: 590

Plus 5km Walk!!

Back to Work!

Early Morning Run - 5.45am
Distance: 12km
Time taken: 1:17:28
Average pace per km: 6:27 (slow)
Calories burned: 718

It was very difficult forcing myself out of bed bright and early but well worth it. The early morning temperature was pleasant without the intense heat which prevailed later in the morning. In fact it was just gorgeous at that time of day. It didn't make me run any faster but at least it was comfortable!

After work - swim
Distance: 1km
Time taken: 30:15 (slow)

My swimming is as slow as my running but I was pleased to manage the 20laps again tonight before dinner. I will sleep well tonight after my first day back in the office after the wee Christmas/New Year break. Tomorrow morning I plan to return to the gym.

First Day of 2008

What a hot sunny day in Canberra today. We had a bit of a sleep-in after wandering home at 2am this morning - yes, a great party. There was even half a band (the other half were interstate!) and they serenaded us to some well-known oldies. It was lots of fun. Mr B and I went for a bike ride late morning to Lake BG and round the bridge ride buying a yummy icecream on the way! It was only 24km but that was far enough in the heat of the day. Tomorrow I'm back to work and to normal routine and I'm not looking forward to it one little bit! The plan is to rise very early and go for a run before work before the day becomes too hot again. Here's to a healthy 2008 for everyone!!