Vatican City on Mr B's Birthday

Continuing Friday
After a long journey Mr B and Mr CJ returned to join us for lunch after successfully negotiating their way round the Clinic only to find that the rabies section was closed until Monday! I have been studiously watching Mr B for signs of frothing at the mouth or howling at the moon but so far he seems as sane as possible!

At lunch yesterday CJ and I ordered cafe freddo (iced coffee). It was a hot day and it sounded refreshing. Of course we expected tall glasses of coffee with icecream, but alas no, this is Italy. They were tall glasses certainly but only a quarter full of black sweet cold espresso. It was surprisingly pleasant but we ordered aqua minerale naturale (plain water) immediately afterwards! The paninis that we all ordered were delicious although the service was slow!

After lunch the boys decided they needed a siesta after all the morning's trauma so CJ and I went for a successful shopping trip. Travelling light for me has meant I am a little short of the very necessary light weight tops and 3/4 pants. Both of us managed to buy lovely sandals today and a couple of tops and I did find a pair of 3/4 pants so it was most satisfying. Again we did lots of walking but it was fun popping into shops along the way. Much later after showers and a change of clothes we met up with the boys and went to a very popular pizza place for dinner. The street is lined with tables but they were full so instead we sat inside on a long table and from here had a great view of the enormous ovens and the incredible production line of pizza making on marble benches. It was an art force in itself - fascinating to watch!

After dinner our passagiata took us to the night market place by the Tiber - far different from the daytime and a hive of activity. There were crowds of people and lots of different stores with fascinating little knick knacks, jewellery, food and clothes. It was another late night after midnight again. Our days here are very full. We wake before 7am to the church bells, usually out for a run at 8am and we are never in bed before midnight.

Mr B's Birthday at Vatican City - Saturday
I wondered about naming this post Bootcamp at Vatican City. Further explanation of this comment is coming!

This morning Mr B stayed in bed instead of running with us - a little sleep-in was allowed today. I met up with CJ and we ran down to Circus Maximus for our run. It was another hot day and rivers of perspiration were running down my face within the first few minutes. It was a great experience to run in that venue surrounded by Roman ruins and running where the Roman chariots used to race. It was exciting and fun. We ran different directions back and forth along the tracks - hot, but fantastic.

Distance: almost 9km
Time taken: 52mins
Average pace: approx 5:54

After a shower and a cappuccino with the CJs at their local bar we walked by the river bank to Vatican City. There we spent some time in a winding but fast moving queue to enter the Vatican Museum where we joined an English speaking tour run by a fast-talking American from Ohio. He was excellent and we were supplied with head sets so that we could easily hear his explanations. The first part of his tour was free and very informative. Everything was pretty mind boggling and we were very glad we decided to have it all explained. The next part of his tour was fairly costly but we felt it would be well worth it. Now he did warn us that the Sistine Chapel was due to close at 1.30pm and would not re-open until Monday. If we joined his tour he would try to ensure we got through before the gates closed - we had ten minutes! Now we had no idea how far away we were and off we set. This is where the Bootcamp name came to mind. It was hot and we were flying. We did have to keep him in sight and in order to do so we had to basically break into a trot. The boys were slower than us and just made it through the doors before they were closed behind them. It was a close call and everyone on that tour was very very red-faced. However, believe me it was well worth it. We had about an hour and a half with our guide and he explained everything about the amazing ceiling and Michelangelo's story before we entered the Chapel. When we finally stepped in the door there was a united gasp of awe. Wow, it was absolutely fabulous - quite impossible to describe. The light on the ceiling and the walls and the detailed frescoes were awe inspiring - all the stories in each picture and the gorgeous walls. Again - totally fabulous. We left there with the guide, probably the last people inside before they closed the doors after us and exited our visit through the tombs where previous Popes are entombed. It was so amazing, the whole visit was amazing. We were hot and exhausted and very hungry. We walked through the Vatican city heading back through the crowded streets and finally found lunch at a pretty ordinary venue at about 4pm!! We then headed back towards our apartment stopping on the way at the Cafe della Arancia which Mr B had spotted yesterday, where we enjoyed long tall glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice with bowls of ice to add to each drink - very delicious and refreshing. It was a fantastic day.

Tonight we are heading off to a restaurant of Mr B's choice, just below our apartment. It has been highly recommended so we are looking forward to our evening celebrations. Tomorrow we will not run as we hope to visit the Sunday market before collecting the hire cars and heading for the Amalfi Coast. Tonight we will enjoy some more of the great Italian vino which is dangerously easy to drink!! I am hoping too that I will find a pastry or cake shop which sells a birthday cake. We need to sing Happy Birthday to Mr B!!

Rome has been a fabulous experience. We have enjoyed living La Dolce Vita - early mornings or late evenings leaning out of our high shuttered windows to watch the happenings below us. It is always fascinating in the mornings watching those solid doors opening to reveal hidden surprises behind each one. Sometimes it is a grocery shop, a boutique or a greengrocer. Sometimes it is a bar, a tobaccanist or a newagent. During siesta the doors are shut and the streets are quiet and it looks as though the doors hide apartments but when the street becomes alive we are surprised by what those doors reveal. The bars are where we enjoy our coffee or pastries and there are many delightful restaurants. Then there is the "amore" and those Italians know all about "amore"! And the motorbikes and vespas everywhere and the crazy drivers. It is always an art just to cross the road and always a huge surprise when someone stops to let us cross! The language is beautiful, so romantic, and it frustrates me that I had such trouble with my Italian lessons. I want to know more, to be more a part of this beautiful country and these fascinating people. Yes, I have enjoyed our short stay in Rome - exhausting but wonderful.

Saluti di Roma!

Buongiorno - we are here in beautiful Rome and finally I have a small window of opportunity to post on my blog. Mr B has just visited the emergency department of the local hospital and has been sent to the Rabies Clinic as he was bitten by a wild dog on our run by the Tiber this morning!! Hmmm and the dogs here are normally so placid too. Could it have been that we decided to run in the shade on the "wrong" side of the Tiber this morning where many homeless people were lying stretched out with their dogs loose to roam? Out of nowhere the brown mongrel dog leapt at Mr B's juicy thigh and took a bite -yummy flesh. CJ and I realised he was in trouble but didn't realise immediately that he had been bitten. So we detoured to the hospital where he was given an antibiotic injection, a tetanus injection to self-inject and a course of antibiotics! Now CJ and I in the internet bar while Mr CJ accompanies Mr B to the clinic on the other side of town! Welcome to Rome - another city of contrasts!

First Impressions of Hong Kong -
Hot, polluted, crowded (wall to wall people), busy!

We arrived in Hong Kong early on Monday morning after a long long day driving from Canberra in mid-afternoon and flying from Sydney at 10pm Sunday. The hotel in HK was friendly and efficient. Although it was only 7.30am they allowed us to book in an hour later. After a human making shower we walked to the ferry and went over to HK island. There we took all sorts of transport. We went by double decker bus to The Peak where we caught the cable car straight up and up to The Peak and from the top took several escalators to the viewing area. On a clear day it would have been magnificent but unfortunately it was a murky grey day where people wore masks to block out the pollution from the numerous fumes from buses and cars. It was however amazing to be so high up and to be above so many high rise apartments and office blocks.

After this we wandered round HK island and travelled by trams and buses walking through many market places and seeing many interesting and strange sights. We noticed ladies with masks emptying the street bins, men wheeling trolleys full of bags of raw meats presumably to the local market places, meat being chopped up on the ground at the market stalls, red taxis (toyota corollas) absolutely everywhere.

In the evening we were very tired with jet lag settling in so we decided to eat the banquet at the hotel - a mix of Japanese, Chinese and Vietnamese - really yummy with great desserts. Then later we walked it off by visiting the night markets - so many people, so many stalls open very late into the night. Then off to bed at last after such a long long day.

Tuesday

This morning we took a bus to Stanley to visit the famous Stanley Markets - huge and busy. We were caught in the rain and it poured in bucket loads. We were absolutely drenched. Everywhere people carry umbrellas but we just loved the rain. The temperature was so humid and the rain cooled the air temporarily and we revelled in the coolness. However it was all over in ten minutes and we were dry in another ten!

Today we travelled the world's biggest travelator. It was amazing. At first it was flat then it gradually sloped upward and then it reverted to endless escalators which went up, up and up. Apparently at peak times in the day the down escalators button is switched over so that you travel by escalator downwards whereas we travelled upwards to the very top where there was disappointingly little to see so we just walked many many steps down again. This plus the amount of walking we did in HK (and we haven't stopped since) could account for the sore calf muscles I have been experiencing since our arrival in Rome.

Tonight we ate in a true local restaurant using chopsticks and struggling with chicken bones. We spent little money in HK. We were weary from travelling and overwhelmed by the heat and crowds. However we have another day here on our return journey so may be tempted if we have money left at that end of our trip! We did pass many interesting shops and noted more places to visit. The many markets were certainly fascinating and I did make one very extravagant purchase - some beautiful gold earrings to match a pendant my sister sent me once from China with the double happiness symbol. They made them up for me especially and I am quite excited to find them.

Our plane left from HK airport at midnight. HK airport is purportedly the best in the world and has many duty free shops. However we found that Sydney Airport's prices are very competitive and although we perused the shops we were not tempted. This trip was slightly more comfortable than our first flight. It took 12 hours and we managed a little sleep.

We arrived in Rome about 6.30am feeling drained. We took a taxi to our apartment at a standard cost of 40Euro (about 50dol Aust). From there we rang CJ and Mr CJ who were staying round the corner as our apartment was not yet available. With Mr CJ's assistance we wheeled our bags along the cobbled streets (quite a challenge) and were so happy to see our friends. Their apartment is amazing and after a great coffee and a shower there we felt a lot more human. We left our bags there and walked with them to a bar for a pastry and our first Italian cappuccino (pretty damn good) then walked across the bridge to explore our local area of Trastevere. There is so much to see here, cobbled streets, Roman ruins, tiny shops, amazing shoes, large doors with hidden surprises behind each one. Did I mention the shoes - some are to die for. We ate paninis for lunch and enjoyed the sunny hot day with friends.

Later we rang our host and returned with our bags to where we will be staying for the next few days. We were full of anticipation as CJ's apartment is so divine but our apartment is quite different. For a start we are on the third level up 50 steps (yes indeed I have counted and re-counted them - large concrete solid and winding stairs intended to keep us fit I'm sure) - difficult to negotiate with all our bags and we were very glad of Mr CJ's assistance. Although it is a lot more basic our apartment has a character of its own. The walls are covered with paintings of cars - many Cuban cars - interesting artwork indeed. The bathroom is very small but we have all we need and it is fun to lean out the barred windows and watch the many sights below us. The smell of the local bakery wafts upwards and we are woken at 6.45am every morning by the church bells. This afternoon we put on a load of washing and had a siesta for a couple of hours before meeting up with the others and walking more. There are so many bars and restaurants to choose from and so much to see and explore. It is mind boggling to know we are here in Rome among all this history.

This night we ate in a little restaurant just below the CJ's. I selected the veal scallopine with a divine sauce. The choices were difficult. Everybody's meal was beautful. We know we will like it here.

Thursday

Mr B and I met up with CJ at 8.30am and walked down to the Tiber River to run along the riverbank.

Distance: 6km

Time taken: 38minutes!

Yes, it was slow and painful - our first run since leaving home. My legs were leaden, my body was slow and my calves were sore - must be all those HK downward steps! It felt very hot even at that hour and tomorrow we will run a little earlier. I certainly did not feel great at the end and appreciated the shower and brekkie later. We had done a small shop in the local grocery store, for cereal, juice and milk so can make our own breakfast. After this we went on a two hour bus tour of Rome from the top of a double decker tour bus with an English commentary plugged into our ears. It was extremely hot and I did mange to become a little sunburnt. We drove past so much history - our main landmarks being the monument to Victor Emanuele, St Peter's Basilica, The Vatican City and the Colosseum. We will definitely return by foot to explore some of these places further.

We met up with the CJ's at Castel Sant Angelo and walked for quite some time before finding a spot for a delightful light lunch of pasta and rice salads at Piazza Campo dei Fiori. After this we walked and walked in search of the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps for great photo opportunities. There were lots and lots of people everwhere we went and the weather was hot and sunny. I cannot begin to describe how it feels to be part of so much history. At the Spanish Steps we walked to the top and went inside the Basilica where I covered my bare shoulders with the prerequisite scarf before entering to stand in awe in front of all those detailed frescoes.

We walked along via dei Condotti which is Rome's fanciest shopping street. It's full of designer shops with every name you can think of thrown in - Armani, Gucci, Prada, Yves St Laurent, Burberry, Ferragamo etc. Then on to via del Corso which is Rome's busiest shopping street.

We walked so far today. Aside from the short run and the two hour bus ride the rest of the day was spent walking. Our lunch was not until nearly 3pm and dinner was booked at Da Enzo near our apartment at 8pm. It is a highly recommended local restaurant and we understood why. Tonight I ordered pasta - carbonara unlike any I had ever tasted. It was in a bright yellow buttery cheesy sauce and we ordered mixed grilled veges which were amazingly delicious. Each dinner meal is presented with complimentary Italian bread in large hunks and it's seriously divine. We always order the local white wine and it is also very good.

Running here is a necessity. We want to eat, to fill the senses with the aromas, the local flavours, the whole Italian scene. It is beautiful.

In the evening after dinner we walked again. It is customary for 'passegiata' to occur each evening. Even on the cobbled streets it is surprising to see many ladies in high heels. We managed to become lost this evening and a short walk past many fascinating shops, became a very long walk. When the streets became flat and cobbled pavements disappeared we knew we had walked too far. So after much discussion we finally found our way back home towards midnight. On the way we stopped at Piazza di Santa Maria where we were entertained by some incredible fire throwers and dancers which were fascinating and talented. Tonight I had my first unbroken sleep since leaving home and was not woken until 6.45am by the church bells nearby.

Friday - today!

This morning we met up with CJ and started our run at 8am. It was still very hot so we decided to run in the shade (see start of blog) and that is why we are now waiting for the boys at this internet shop so that they can join us for lunch.

Distance: 8km

Time taken: 54mins

Average pace: 6:47

This is possibly the slowest run ever! However we did have to run up and down several lots of steps and we did have to circumnavigate many unsavoury sights and smells during the course of our "interesting" run! Now CJ and I are starving and thirsty so will detour for coffee and I will leave this for now.

I just need to add that we have been accosted by many beggars and even very young children asking for money. We have been confronted by stark poverty and immense wealth in both HK and Rome. It is so beautiful here but there is another side too of which we have become very aware. We have walked past a cat sanctuary which exists on charity and there are many many cats lying there in one of the Roman Ruins which has been converted to a rescue haven for cats of all sizes basking in the sunshine. There are so many fascinating sights.

An Hour Before we Leave!! Arrivederci!

We ran a last run this morning at a respectable hour which hopefully will make us sufficiently tired to sleep on the plane tonight. Miss B has taken Mr B to collect the hire car and we will drive to Sydney in about an hour. Our flight to Hong Kong leaves at 10pm tonight. I received a text from CJ at 3am this morning (!) to say they have arrived safely in Rome and their apartment is gorgeous. How exciting!
This morning's run was very pleasant. The weather was sunny and still - not warm but not too cold either - stunning actually. It would have been good to run a longer run but we thought we should allow ourselves plenty of time for last minute family visits and packing.
Distance: 10.40km
Time taken: 57mins
Average pace per km: 5:30
Calories burned: 600
I was quite happy with that pace for a last run before take-off. Watch this space for updated blogging whenever an opportunity arises. Yes, Ewen there will be desserts, afternoon cappuccinos (hmmm) and there will also be running - never fear! And photos will be posted on our return unless I can work out something technical while I'm away!! Arrivederci for a little while my friends.

It's Almost Time to Go!!

Thursday morning I rose early (again - what's new) and ran round the block telling myself in the dark and cold that in three sleeps I would be much much warmer!
Distance: 6km
Time taken: 36mins

Guess what the pace per km was for that lot - hmmm. The cold must have been getting to me. The morning run was because I knew I couldn't go to training this evening, as a friend is moving to Queensland and I went to her farewell dinner at Banana Leaf. This time I was brave and ordered the kangaroo. It was very tender - delicious. Lately my life seems to have been made up of a series of breakfasts, lunches and dinners - very social indeed and also far too many calories consumed - more taken in than worked off I think!

Friday - Gym
Yes, another early morning as I struggled to an RPM/cycle class this morning early after a rather late night last night. It was such a hard class. I was dripping wet by the time we finished. We do lots of tough hill climbs, that is we stand up on the bikes turning the level up high then have to sit back on the seat and sprint for 90secs staying at the same level then repeat that several times. There are seven music tracks and they are all various levels of difficulty - some hill climbs, some sprints and all very aerobic. It always feels like a really good work-out and a good alternative to a run.

Today, Saturday, we had a family lunch (see what I mean - more food) at Poachers Pantry on the road to Murrumbateman. They make a lot of smoked meats there and wine on the premises. It was a delightful setting and the food was yummy. The wine was also very good indeed. On the way home we bought a birthday cake as Mr B has his birthday just a week after we leave so everyone returned to our house to finish the early celebration.

Tonight I packed! My bag weighs 17kg Ewen so I'm within the range. I'm still contemplating taking a few things out but it's a bit tricky as I really have cut right down, honest. There's always so many chargers and gadgets - mobile, garmin, camera, ipod, international plug - it's ridiculous! So one more sleep and possibly a run in the morning just to give us a good start to the long day ahead! Thank you for all your messages. I will continue to blog at every possible opportunity. On Wednesday we will meet up with CJ and Mr CJ - woo hoo!

Four more sleeps!

Wednesday - Run
The wind cut through me like a knife as I ran before 6am today. It was so cold even though I wore gloves, leggings and ear warmers. Brrrrr! I was warmish by the time I finished but I didn't run very far - just around the Kaleen block. I was looking forward to my nice hot shower!

Distance: 5.9km
Time taken: 35:14
Average pace per km: 5:58
Calories burned: 560

Tuesday - Gym
Bodypump class at 6.15am. Today I increased my weights by an extra kilo and boy did I notice the difference. So many squats and lunges - ouch!

Monday - Run
Training at Parliament House.

After a couple of warm-up loops of PH we ran to the grassy loop in front of PH for the main set which was 15 x 40secs on 2 minutes. Of course the 40secs repeats were on the uphill slope and 15 was 5 more than last week - pretty tough. It was a very cold night and although I rolled up my sleeves I didn't strip down to my singlet top tonight.
I decided against running the cool down loop - unusual for me but I wanted to be home a bit earlier as there's still so much to do!

Total distance: 8.8km

A Sunny Run Before Party Time!

Mr B and I decided we really should go for a run this morning before joining lots of small people with parents and being tempted by far too much party food! The sun was beckoning us and although the cold air hit us the sun warmed us up quickly and it was a stunning morning for a run. We ran from home, round the lake and back home.

Distance: 15km
Time taken: 1hr 26mins
Calories burned: 875 (probably not enough to counteract the calories eaten!)
Average pace per km: 5:47
Incidentally Sam's party was a big noisy messy success and they all loved the cake!

Golly Gosh - another weekend is here already!

Where on earth does the time go? How did it turn into Saturday already? This has been such a full-on week and I really don't think I'll ever have time to pack. Tomorrow there is only one more week before we leave and quite soon I'll be in panic mode! CJ and Mr CJ leave on Monday for Singapore. We had coffee with them this morning after bumping into them in the Mall. I think they are almost ready - only a week on Wednesday until we meet up with them in Rome. Wowee!

Today after shopping for all the appropriate ingredients I made a train cake for grandson Sam's first birthday party tomorrow. I had help from four year old grand-daughter, Talia and my eldest daughter, Mandy and her friend. It was fun but it took us about five hours!! We constantly nibbled on naughty little scraps such as licorice, smarties, jubes, icing, marshmallows and choccie bikkies. We also made lots of chocolate crackles! Me thinks a run is in order tomorrow or I will burst out of my jeans! The cake looks pretty good though and I can foresee some very hyperactive children tomorrow!

And so back to my week. On Tuesday night the same daughter took Mr B and me to the Rubicon for dinner. Speedygoose told me at training on Monday night that it was her favourite restaurant. It is also my daughter's favourite and I can understand why. The service, the atmosphere, the location, the food and the wine could not be faulted. Yes, speedygoose, we had the champagne to start in those gorgeous tall glasses along with complementary zucchini balls. After the garlic bread, we all chose something different for mains so we could taste each others! Mandy chose the lamb, Mr B the duck and moi the chicken. Now I might add that each meal was superb - delicious sauces, veges and great presentation. We also had a good semillon blanc to accompany it. Then on speedygoose's recommendation we all selected the upside down apple pie with caramel topping for dessert - talk about heaven. I drool now just thinking about it. It was a fantastic evening altogether.

Thursday was training at Dickson oval on a very cold and unpleasant evening. We ran a couple of warm-up loops and at that stage I was the only female in a field of very fast men. In fact it was slightly intimidating even when another female joined us after the warm-up as she was another speedysprinter. All the runners tonight were fast sprinters. The worst thing is it was another 2km time trial for the main set and I ran 15secs slower than the last time we ran this a month ago. How depressing! I felt blobby, cold and slow. Surely things can only improve. Having said that and read what I have just written about today's eating habits I think I need to run a lot in Italy!! Currently I have lost motivation - I think my focus may be elsewhere!
Total distance: 7km

Friday at 6.15am I took part in an RPM class at the gym. It was so hard but I knew I did a good work-out. When I went into the changing room I discovered I had forgotten a rather vital piece of underwear so I picked up my bag and clothes and returned home for my shower which made it rather a rushed start to the day.

In the evening from 6.45pm I attended a very large awards ceremony - 1800 people for some very prestigious awards. It was a huge night - entertainment including the Young Diva's. They were great. The band that played for the dancing later however, was pretty dreadful and soon after that I caught a cab home. It was after 1.30am however when I arrived home which meant a sleep-in was a pre-requisite this morning!

Vets Handicap at Oakey HILL

Sunday
Yes, this was definitely a hilly course. Mr B opted to compete in the duathlon happening at the same time as the vets' run but I collected CJ and we drove out to Oakey Hill. It was really cold at this time of day but later the day turned out to be absolutely stunning - warm and sunny! I ran off group 24 and came in at 78th place. It started on a hill which was ominous and every time I thought it was flattening out we started climbing again. At the 7.2km mark CJ came whizzing past me from Group 36 - I swear she sprouts wings! It was a tough run but I enjoyed it and at least I ran all the way even if it was pretty slow!

Distance: 7.5km
Time taken: 44:19
Average pace per km: 5:55

Later in the afternoon I met up with a couple of girlfriends for a coffee or two and a few hours catch up as two of us have a birthday a week apart. It was lots of fun. Then it was off to dinner at Belluci's with the family - all this food, all these kilos. Run rabbit run!!

Monday - speedygeoff's group without speedy!
I missed the warm-up loop again - damn work, most frustrating. However, luckily I caught the group just finishing the first loop (the normal way this time) and ran the second loop with them. Speedygeoff is on holiday in sunny Queensland but Ken led our group admirably in his place. After our warm-up the main set was 12 x 40secs uphill sprints on 2 minutes - more hills - it was exhausting! Then we ran a warm down loop of PH to finish off. I still have to figure out a few more logistics on my new Garmin. Back to the instruction manual I think!!
Total distance: 8.3km

An Exciting New Toy and One Very Spoilt Gemini!

Thank you so much for all those lovely messages. My birthday is going on and on. We changed the date for the family dinner which is now tomorrow evening. On Thursday morning I met up with Mr B and CJ for brekkie (where CJ gave me a fantastic Italian recipe book) before Mr B took me to the airport. The family did come over on Thursday night after I returned from Sydney. My daughter baked me a cake and there were pressies galore. My 'speedycoach' had even paid a visit during the day to drop off a "sweet" surprise. When I arrived at work next morning (after a birthday breakfast with a couple of friends and more pressies) there was an enormous bunch of flowers from the staff and of course we had more cake in the afternoon.

Last night Mr B and I went to the movies to see "Paris je t'aime". It was a series of short stories - a mix of funny, sad and weird! We enjoyed it. Today another friend visited (more pressies) and this afternoon we sat with the CJs at a coffee bar and planned last minute details of our trip. The CJs leave in a week on Monday and we leave a week after that!

Tomorrow afternoon (after the vets' run in the morning) I'm going to yet another afternoon tea with two other friends. On Tuesday night No 1 daughter is taking Mr B and me out for dinner at a fancy restaurant to thank us for letting her stay so long while her apartment is being completed. All this food - I haven't a single hope of losing the extra kilos before I leave the country!

One of my friends has given me a yoghurt maker so I have yoghurt making happening right now. I'm looking forward to trying it out. I love yoghurt.

For my birthday Mr B gave me the very latest Garmin 305. He will inherit Gandalf of course! It's very exciting and now I will have to think up a name for my newest toy. This morning I went for my first run with him. It was a slow and painful run actually. The weather was stunning but my throat was very sore and I was very tired and slow. I do hope my Vets' run in the morning is considerably better.

Distance: 10.06km
Time taken: 1 hour (ho hum)!
Calories burned: 744

I have changed all the mile readings to km readings on my new Garmin and have been fiddling with it for ages. I still have to adjust a few more settings. It's very fancy! I am very spoilt indeed!

Brrrr - a crisp early morning run

Distance: 9km
Time taken: 53mins

It was difficult venturing into the dark cold air before 6am this morning. I wore gloves, leggings, a long sleeved top, a bright yellow sleeveless cycle windbreaker, headlamp and cap. Yes, I warmed up after a few km but I was never actually hot. It was 3deg so it will be much colder in a few weeks (when I am enjoying summer in Italy) and will no doubt be frosty in August when I will be back here still running in those early mornings - yeeek! At the 5km point my ipod decided to stop. Nothing I could do would make the music return so hopefully it's only the battery which is now charging. It was a very quiet 4km home - nothing but the sound of heavy breathing and fortunately it was my own!
I'm having trouble deleting the old records from Gandalf and as a consequence he is not working well at all. Poor thing has used up his memory - I know the feeling!!
Tomorrow I am a year older and I have to fly to Sydney to attend a meeting. At least it's a day out of the office and I'll be home in time for a late dinner. We will celebrate with a proper family dinner on Friday night instead. I really don't want to be a year older!! In my opinion after we reach a certain age we should start counting backwards instead!

I'm Just a Girl Who Can't Say No - to Cake!!

This morning was absolutely bitterly cold. I'm not much looking forward to running tomorrow morning. This morning I joined in a Bodypump class at the gym at 6.15am. I find some of those moves really tough. On the up-side my gym workouts do include breakfast and that does make a great start to the day. My day at work consisted of a meeting all morning, a lunch, conducting an interview and consuming a large piece of birthday cake for one of our office colleagues. As a result of all that time wasted (or was it "waisted") I needed to stay rather late to put the work load back in control. This is not a good month for eating the healthy stuff. There's far too many birthdays. Tomorrow we have an 18th in the office - more cake! And when it comes to the sweet stuff I'm just a girl who can't say no!!

Better Late than Never!

I was five minutes late for speedygeoff's training at Parliament House tonight and everyone had already left so I set off in the opposite direction of our usual warm-up lap thinking I would meet them coming back. A whole loop - nobody, so I waited for a while then set off in the other direction and coming from down amongst the dark bushes I heard a faint whistle - aha - that sounds familiar. I ran down into the dimly lit pathways and finally came to a bunch of our runners coming towards me - yippee. They had already started their 10 x 40secs sprints but I joined them and managed to fit in quite a number - lost count so it must have been a few and I felt pretty hot and puffed by the end. We then ran the warm down loop back to PH and Maria, Helen, Adam and I decided to run one more warm-down loop as we had finished a wee bit earlier than usual to allow for a meeting. We had a great chat on this loop and it was very pleasant.

Total distance: 8km approx
Gandalf tells me his memory is almost full and I have to delete some entries so that way it may work quicker - I'll try that soon!

Walk for a Cause and a Bit of a Run!

Friday I went to an RPM (cycle) class at the gym and as I haven't been to one for ages I really had a good work-out. It was HARD work to say the least.

Sunday(today) Mr B and I participated in a walk to raise money for the family of Evan Hourigan who died tragically about six months ago while competing in a triathlon. He was only 34 and left a 15month old son Kai and a wife who is expecting another baby in July. It was a sad but uplifting occasion and there were heaps of Canberrans out there on a sunny, but cool and slightly windy morning. There were a large number of walkers also participating in the Million Paws Walk for the RSPCA at a similar time so we saw lots of dogs of all shapes, sizes and breeds having the time of their life! Our walk was 5.5km long and was over in 53 minutes so Mr B and I decided we needed to add a bit of run to the end of it. Thus we ran from the finish at Commonwealth Park to Molonglo Reach and back again - a total of 8km - at a comfortable pace fighting a head wind for some of the way.

Total distance walk: 5.5km
Total walk time: 53minutes
Calories burned: 280

Total distance run: 8km
Total time taken: 46:28
Average pace per km: 5:48
Calories burned: 460

After a sausage in bread (!) we headed for a restaurant where we enjoyed bread and butter pudding with cream to regain all the calories we just lost!! Hmmm - it was just that sort of day!

Thursday's "speedy" pyramids!

Thursday speedygeoff's session was a pyramid session. I arrived on time for the full warm-up. In fact when I arrived (just on time) I was the only female and had a moment of panic when I thought I was amongst all those fast men (no pun intended). However just as we started the warm-up Kathy, Annette and Marg joined us and soon after Yelena arrived - phew, much better! The main set was a set of pyramids - 400, 600, 800, 600, 400 on 5 minutes. Conditions were good although there are a number of potholes in the grass track at Dickson Oval and I'm always a bit cautious in case I roll my ankle! After the main session we had another warm-down loop to finish.

Total distance. 6.5km

Canberra Half on Mothers' Day and food galore!!

Sunday was a lovely day. I do hope all the mothers out there enjoyed their day as much as I did! Admittedly no sleep-in was permitted as the Canberra Half Marathon was held today. Mr B and I both competed and there were heaps of friends to socialise with after the event. It started quite cold but we soon warmed up and in fact the conditions were ideal. I wore my ipod shuffle and felt comfortable and good for most of the run although I started to struggle towards the end. However there were definitely times during the run when I felt absolutely fantastic. I kept thinking how lucky we are in Canberra to have so many beautiful places to run, how stunning the Autumn colours were and what a fantastic running community we have. Yes, I think I was on quite a high and although I ran a bit slower than the Weston Creek Half (that was 1hr53mins) five weeks before the marathon I did enjoy myself. I always find I run this half (five weeks after the marathon) slower than the Weston Creek, probably because I'm not training as hard. I did however beat last year's time for this run by 4 minutes! I also won a lucky barrel draw at the end and what a beaut prize - a commemorative coffee mug, a bottle of wine, a finishers' medal (which was every bit as good as a winner's medal) AND a $30 voucher from the Runners' Shop! Wow - how about that - I was pretty happy! Mr B ran a PB by 50secs running in a time of 1hr41:50. His goal is to go under 100minutes.

Distance: 21.1km
Time taken: 1hr 56mins (to be confirmed)
Average pace per km: 5:33 (TBC)
Calories burned: 1243
Fastest km: 5:11

Splits:
1km - 5:22
5km: 27:55
10km: 55:50
15km: 1hr:23
21.1km: 1hr:56:34

Later Marg, Barb, Mark, speedygeoff and I had a very pleasant lunch, chat and coffee at Hudsons. Then it was home to shower, change and go to afternoon tea with my daughters - yummy cake and more coffee. Later still my son and grandchildren came over and we ordered in pizzas. With all this food it's a very good thing I run!!

Monday I did not run. Training was cancelled and instead speedygeoff's group went out for an absolutely beautiful meal at The Banana Leaf (a Sri Lankan restaurant in the city). The food, company and service was fantastic and I would strongly recommend this venue to anybody. I have eaten there when it was previously an Italian restaurant but not since it changed ownership. I was definitely impressed. It was a great night indeed - excellent decision speedygeoff!

Tuesday - today - I went to the gym in the early hours of the morning and participated in a Bodypump class - ouch - but I'm sure it does me good doesn't it?

Dickson Oval without Gandalf

I actually arrived on time for the warm-up loop tonight but I did forget to pack Gandalf so it was a bit weird running without him. However speedygeoff tells me the long warm-up loop is 1.8km so I can work out the approximate distance. We ran a shorter extra loop before starting the main set which was made up of 5 x (700m on 2mins) . We then ran another cool-down loop. There were a few less people tonight for some reason and some of the usual suspects were not there. However, I was happy cos Marg was there and as we run at almost the same speed it's good company. At the end of our main session speedygeoff explained to each of us the errors in our running style - constructive criticism I believe it's called. I need to concentrate on running on my toes.
Distance approximately 8km

Mid Week Slow Run

Distance: 8.61km
Time taken: 52:29
Average pace per km: 6:05
Calories burned: 510

It was damp underfoot as I set out before 6am this morning. I had to be careful of the slippery autumn leaves. There was a slight drizzle to start although it stopped fairly early into the run. Actually, it was more of a plod than a run but the music was good. I wore my headlight and avoided a few dogs but on the whole, although slow, it was quite an enjoyable run with a surprising number of walkers and runners out there. I was more interested in just running a few kms than going for speed (obviously)!

A Sunny Start to another new week!

It was a gorgeous sunny day in Canberra today and was still very temperate when I set off for speedygeoff's training. I made it in time for the warm-up tonight which made a pleasant change. We ran two warm-up loops of PH followed by Fartlek training on the undulating stretch in front of PH. After our session we toasted Ewen and speedygeoff's birthdays with champagne - very civilized!

Distance: 9.2km
Calories: 600

Italy - Here we Come!

Saturday's Run
Distance: 20.61km
Time taken: 2:01
Average pace per km: 5:53
Calories burned: 1225

Next sunday is the Canberra Half Marathon and I needed to put a few more km in the bank. I also had to attend an Enjo Party (haven't been to one of these before!) at 10.30am which meant I had to run early to be back in time. Thus no sleep-in this morning as I set off at 7.15am in a singlet top and shorts. It felt a little chilly at first but didn't take me long to warm up and my music kept me going. I didn't run fast but I quite enjoyed the run and was surprised at how many people were out there walking their dogs or running in the opposite direction. There was a bit of a head wind at one stage which had an adverse affect on my already pretty average pace! I ran from home to Lake G, round the lake and then on past Giralang, through the tunnel on towards Gungahlin until reaching the 15km mark when I turned back towards Kaleen, along the cycle track and home.

Today, Sunday has been a gorgeous sunny autumn day - fantastic weather. We had a bit of a sleep-in this morning (luxury) after a late night babysitting and then visited the markets before CJ and Mr CJ came over for the afternoon so that we could talk all things Italian. Our trip is now only 5 weeks away and we had some organising to do. Thus after sitting on the deck in the sunshine eating too much and drinking too much coffee we pored over maps of Italy and gooed over gorgeous villas and bed and breakfasts on the web, making a few bookings and planning our itinerary. It was quite a productive afternoon and we finally feel as though we really are going and very soon, what's more! Woo hoo!

Speedygeoff's Dickson Oval Session

I was caught on the telephone by a client just as I was trying to leave the office and as a consequence missed the first warm-up lap of the Dickson Oval. However, I was on time for the next lap before the main part of the training session. The toilet block wasn't opened tonight and I felt decidedly uncomfortable as we set off for our 2km time trial followed by sprints. However, having set a pretty average pace for my first time trial I should not have too much trouble beating it next time hopefully. Speedygeoff intends having a time trial every four weeks.

2km time trial - 10:30
Average pace per km: 5:07 (next time I will aim for 5min ks)

Total distance run: 6km

This was followed by 9-12 x 50m sprints in relay teams of three. Normally this would have been fun but I was still pretty uncomfortable. After this we had a warm-down loop before singing "Happy Birthday" to our speedy leader for tomorrow he turns 59 - one more year before a new age group speedygeoff. Have a great birthday tomorrow - don't run too far!

Woeful Wednesday Waddle!

This morning the alarm woke me at 5.10am but it was 5.45am before I emerged into the brisk morning air with headlight and ipod attached. It was actually quite a still pleasant morning in spite of the lack of light. I had intended to run 10km but had to make a mad dash home to finish at the 9km mark instead as I was suffering intense tummy cramps. My run was decidedly slow - more like a plod when I look at my pace but I guess it's a few more kilometres in the bank or something! I just ran part of the Kaleen block then out on the cycle track (a little dark here) past Giralang towards the tunnel heading for Gungahlin then back home. I did have to avoid a couple of dogs which were off their leads and heading my way - a bit scary - but fortunately they listened to their owners and left me alone!

Distance: 9.07km
Time taken: 54:34mins
Average pace per km: 6.01
Calories burned: 540

Parliament House Monday

Early this morning I returned to the gym spending 15mins on the treadmill (boring) before doing some weights and abs exercises. I found it difficult as I have definitely been slack about my gym sessions lately!
After work I just made it to training to join the back of the pack for the two 1.7km warm-up loops of Parliament House before heading for the sloping grass in front of PH. There speedygeoff blew the whistle every two minutes. The main set was two minutes fast, two minutes jog six times. Murphy's Law was that I kept landing on the upwards hill for the sprint - ouch! It was quite a long tough session but good and it was followed by another warm-down loop of PH.

Total distance: 10.12km
Calories burned: 635

Disappointedly our plans for surprising Ewen with some birthday celebrations were thwarted when he disappeared before our warm-down loop. He started early and consequently finished early. I think the real reason he left early was to dash home to watch BB which started at 7pm. Then again maybe he suspected something! We'll catch you Ewen. You can't escape that easily!!

Running between the raindrops!

This morning I rolled over at 6am, listened to the steady fall of rain, stuck my pillow over my head and went back to sleep! Yes, I wussed out on going to the Cotter and snuggled down in bed instead. It was sooooo good to sleep in and then to lie there listening to the rain. I ate a banana at 8am and at 11.30am Mr B and I started off on our run.

We ran down to Lake Ginninderra more or less together then took off in opposite directions running round the lake. The light rain soon stopped and it was pleasantly cool but not cold. I wore a long sleeved running top but took it off and wrapped it round my waist over the last 6km. I tried to keep up a reasonable pace but had to be a bit cautious running on the slippery Autumn leaves as I wanted to avoid "doing a CJ". The colours of the trees by the lake were stunning. It really is a very beautiful time of year in Canberra and the grass is already turning a wonderful green after 20ml of gentle rain overnight. As I ran up the little hill heading past Giralang I was very pleasantly surprised when Marg appeared beside me and we ran together for a few km before I turned towards the home stretch. She had run to Page to visit her parents and was now running back to her home (a 20km round trip). She too is running the Half in a couple of weeks. It was a good run but I have been feeling tired, hungry and thirsty for the rest of the day.

Distance: 20.17km
Time taken: 1:57:26
Average pace per km: 5:49 (not quite fast enough but better than the last run)
Calories burned: 1167
Fastest km: 5:19

Happy Half a Century Ewen!

And so today Ewen turns 50 - hope you're enjoying your day Ewen - very pleased to read you had a rest from running! I've been thinking of you and hope you make the most of the top of the hill! Cheers!!

Yesterday, Anzac Day, Mr B and I met up with Jill at Lake BG and ran the 16km loop relatively slowly but it was very pleasant company and the Autumn colours were just stunning. However, I really noticed those hills.

Distance: 16km
Time taken: 1:35
Average pace per km: 5:56
Calories burned: 962

Thursday
I have now entered the Canberra Half Marathon and as it loops around the lake like yesterday's run I'm a tad worried as I did struggle on those hills yesterday. My left hamstring is not liking this much. This afternoon after work I managed to go to speedygeoff's training at Dickson oval. I was about 5 mins late and the group were already well into their warm-up loop so I joined them in the finishing stages and ran the second warm-up loop.

The main set was 3 x 1km laps made up as follows:
200m strides
100m float
400m fast
200m strides
100m fast

or something like that!

Inbetween each set we had a 600m float. After this we ran another warm down loop of the oval.
Total distance - 7.6km (for me, as I missed most of the first warm-up loop)
Calories burned: 462

Return to Parliament House

This evening I was on babysitting duties from 6.30pm so I decided to leave work early and go to speedygeoff's training group at 4.30pm instead of the usual 5.30pm start. Geoff and Ewen joined me and we ran about 6km down to the lake and back round the loops of Parliament House. It was lovely having such good company. The rest of the group arrived at about 5.30pm when we continued our run with a couple of warm-up loops in and out and roundabout Parliament House. It felt great. I had to leave before the main set began but I was happy to have run 10km and not to miss out completely. I did enjoy the company and the conversation!

Distance: 10km
Calories burned: 600
Time taken: 59mins

A Bit of a Challenge

Marathon Photo courtesy of John Kennedy



Distance: 15km
Time taken: 1:28:45
Average pace per km: 5:55
Calories burned: 905

Today I ran my first run since the marathon. For the past three days I have been in Melbourne at a conference so missed Thursday at the oval with speedygeoff's group. I had intended that to be my first run. However this morning I made a lazy start at 9.15am and took off with Mr B. I'll rephrase that. Mr B took off and I trudged behind him with my little ipod shuffle trying to keep me moving. It was a stunning Autumn day - beautifully sunny with no wind but not too hot. However I was doing it tough. I ran in my new Brooks Adrenaline off-road shoes for the first time and it took about 7km before I suddenly realised they were light and comfortable. Initially I kept tripping over my right foot and they did take a bit of getting used to.

It was a slow run and I'm glad I opted not to run the Cotter this morning. I would have really struggled. However, next week I'll be back there giving it another go. There's only four weeks until the Canberra Half Marathon. After that I will focus on Italy!!

Canberra Marathon - A Day of Mixed Emotions!

Time: 4hours 7mins 10secs! :(
Average pace per km: 5:50

5km: 27:02
10km: 54:01
15km: 1:21:50
20km: 1:51
25km: 2:19:20
30km: 2:48:11
35km: 3:20:09
40km: 3:52:08
42.2km: 4:07:10

Well, it's over for another year. I gave it my best shot but something just wasn't right on the day. The atmosphere was great, the support amazing and the CR cheer squad and friends helped tremendously with their enthusiasm and loud cheers of encouragement. It was a warmer than average day with little wind and blue skies. The balloon festival was in full swing and balloons of all shapes and sizes were colourfully floating in the sky. It was really quite a lovely Canberra day.

I kept the 4hour pacing balloon in my sights sometimes even running ahead of the pacer but at the 30km mark I started to lose my pace. Checking my splits after the marathon I see that I was well on target for a sub 4hour prior to 31km but at that stage I lost the pace and slowed considerably finishing slowly and painfully at 4hours 7mins and 10secs. Disappointed? Yes, I definitely am but on the positive side I have now completed 7 Canberra Marathons in a row and only have 3 more to become a Griffin and that after all is my ultimate goal! And I finished it, so next year will be better. My training was erratic - January was disastrous and I had not been 100% for some time so I guess it all adds up to a less-than-perfect run on the day. However, I am happy that I finished, that I met and became re-acquainted with so many wonderful people from the running community, both locally and interstate.

After I ran through the finishing chute I felt less than ordinary. My children and grandchildren were there to meet me as of course was Mr B who had been cycling out there and popping up in all sorts of places on the way. I also saw Ewen and Aki popping up all over the place. They were running in between spots and it was great seeing them and hearing them. Steve was there too with his arms waving and his enthusiastic and encouraging smile. Katy from Queensland was that wonderful colourful character dressed in amazing gear holding up intriguing signs and keeping us all amused. She was such fun and made us laugh which is so important at times like that.

As I struggled to maintain my equilibrium I was led to the steps to sit down and after that I don't remember a lot except I know there were a lot of people helping me. I know speedygeoff lent me his bag for my head and Roy, Emma, Alice and numerous others were helping me. I was carried away to the First Aid Tent on a stretcher and there I was gradually aided to recovery. I don't know quite what happened to me, I know on the way I drank at every drink station yet still felt dehydrated. I had difficulty breathing at the finish and had pins and needles in my feet and hands. When I tried to stand I cramped severely but finally I was able to walk out of the tent with my children and recovered quickly after that. I have so many people to thank for their concern and care - the first aid people, the medical student and doctor in the tent and most importantly all those people who assisted me then and sent me messages and rang me all through yesterday and today. I was overwhelmed by so much kindness and feel quite humbled that there are so many caring people out there.

Big congratulations to those who achieved their goals and PBs, to the first time marathoners and to all those runners who just went out there and did it. Well done! speedygeoff's geese - Maria, Charlie, Griffin, Roger, Emma, CJ and of course speedygeoff himself are legends! Tesso, Liza, iliketoast, Mr Lulu and so many more inspirational runners setting so many PBs - wow!

In the afternoon CJ and I went to the Rydges after party where we met up with lots of the CR community from interstate. It was great to get to know Katy and Mark. They are such lovely and interesting people. We also caught up with Tesso and Jen and of course Ewen and Aki were there too. It was fun. We left in time to quickly go home, collect Mr B and go to Belluci's for dinner with Aki, Ewen, Joseph (from Q'land) and CJ - another great meal with great company although the service was abysmal!

Today I took a recovery day off from work - heaven! In the morning I soaked in a herbal bath and at lunchtime I met up with CJ, Lulu and Mr Lulu (who ran 3hrs 3mins in the marathon) for a two hour lunch at Tossolini's. It has been a lovely marathon weekend.

Oh and one more thing. I left before the medal presentation yesterday and after I left my name was called out as winning the silver medal for my age group in the masters' athletics! Ewen collected it for me and brought it to dinner last night - unreal, considering my slow time!! I believe the gold medal winner in my age group ran the marathon in 3hrs 30mins - quite a time difference!

And way over there in Boston Tuggeranong Don is about to run the marathon of his dreams in freezing wintry conditions possibly in the snow. Don, we are thinking of you in your gloves and beanie and hope so much that you will fulfil your goal and live your dream!

One Sleep left!

With less than 12 hours to zero hour I am feeling more than a tad nervous. Good luck everybody out there competing tomorrow. It was fun today out there cheering on the 5km and 10km runners and catching up with a number of our CR friends from interstate. This morning I ran a gentle 20minute run just to keep my legs moving. They (my legs I mean) stood in one spot several times this afternoon but we had good company to share the spectating and cheering. It was quite warm today and I felt glad that we are running early in the morning hopefully before the temperature soars to 26deg as per the forecast.
Thank you for all the lovely comments and special thanks to speedygeoff for his creative poetry and Tuggeranong Don sending messages all the way from Boston. I just have to pin my number on my singlet and then there is nothing more I can do except hope for a good night's sleep and a great run for everyone tomorrow! Bring it on!!

Carbo loading time!

This morning I ran the Kaleen block before going to meet Mr B and CJ for brekkie. I stayed on the main lit paths and wore my headlamp as well to ensure I didn't lose my footing! I have made the decision to run in my older running shoes as I noticed a few twinges while stretching after training in my new shoes on Monday night. So, hopefully I'm making the right decision and my feet won't suffer too much. I guess it's better to be safe than sorry. I'll wear the others in the Canberra Half Marathon in May.

Run at 5.30am
Distance: 5.93km
Time taken: 34:12
Average pace per km: 5:46
Calories burned: 342

Today I started carbo loading - jam sandwiches, jelly snakes, yoghurt, gatorade, rice, lots of vegies as part of the plan. I already feel rather bloated at the end of day one of three.

Had to do a CJ!

Ok so it wasn't quite a CJ as I now seem to be almost totally unscathed but I did have an awful fright. I was running in the dark with new batteries in my headlight when a cyclist approached in the opposite direction. To avoid her I decided to veer off the cycle path onto the rough grassed area next to the road. So far, so good, but unfortunately as I returned to the path I tripped on a stick and landed on my side, saving my fall with a bit of a somersault reaction. It was a freezing cold morning and I think the cold dulled the pain a bit but ouch, my hand hurt like crazy and I was a bit worried I may have done some damage. Although it stayed red for a long time it appears to be fine now. I was just a bit frustrated with the slow run. I almost didn't run this morning either as I went to bed with a sore throat and kept waking during the night either too hot or too cold. Perhaps I should have just stayed in bed!

Distance: 8.25km
Average pace per km: 5:52
Calories burned: 475

Easter Monday - Tapering Training

After a lovely couple of hours at CJ's drooling over Italian plans, Mr B and I reluctantly sped off to change and drive to Parliament House for speedygeoff's training. It wasn't that we didn't want to go to training, it was just that we were just getting into the research on interesting places to rent and amazing cars to hire at all sorts of costs in all sorts of exotic places! CJ had baked some yummy little chocolate cupcakes and beautiful banana bread. Since she has had her new kitchen her culinary skills have excelled and it's always a treat to visit for her highly impressive afternoon teas with her home baking skills.
Mr B and I arrived a little late to Parliament House but managed to catch the others half way round the warm up loop. We then ran down to the oval where we ran 3 x 1km undulating loops of the fitness course doing push-ups on the way. Then it was just the cool down loop back to the start.

Total distance: 8km
Calories burned: 480

Eight More Sleeps!

Distance: 15:59km
Time taken: 1:28:06
Average pace per km: 5:39
Fastest km: 4:57
Calories burned: 950

This morning was quite brisk, in fact one could call it positively cold. Mr B, CJ and I started off together just after 8am from the ferry terminal at Lake Burley Griffin running with long sleeved tops. By the time we reached the yacht club our tops were tied round our waists and we were running separately as we found our own pace. It was a bit windy but it certainly felt quite warm enough to run in singlet tops. There were quite a number of runners and cyclists making the most of the autumn weather and I recognised a few of the runners out there obviously in training mode. I ran with music today as I knew I would be running the majority of the distance on my own although I did keep Mr B in sight and he waited for me to catch up a couple of times. I felt quite strong and ran in new shoes which actually felt fine so now I have a decision to make. Do I run in two week old shoes or four month old shoes? Hmmm, dilemma!

After the run CJ, Mr CJ, Mr B and I drove into Civic and had a very long wait for a disappointing coffee. However the company was good which always helps!

This afternoon I visited the Runners' Shop and bought some Brooks off-road running shoes. I can't wait to try them out after recovering from the marathon. They should be fantastic at the Cotter.

Happy Easter Fellow Bloggers!

Happy Easter to everyone and, if you are travelling, stay safe. There's a lot of crazy people out there! This morning Mr B and I went for a fairly gentle run in the pleasantly cool air at the civilized hour of 8.45am.

Distance: 10km
Time taken: 58:03
Average pace per km: 5:48
Calories burned: 594

Later in the morning my brother and his wife stopped for lunch on their way from Newcastle to Albury. My son and grandchildren came over to join us and we had a yummy pumpkin and ricotta lasagne (I was experimenting with a new recipe) followed of course by hot cross buns! After they left my little grand-daughter stayed on to watch Harry Potter followed by nine Little Miss Books read to her by a now croacky-voiced grandma! It was a lovely way to spend a fairly cool, cloudy Good Friday afternoon. The temperature only reached 18deg. Tomorrow I plan a 16km middle distance run round Lake BG - only one week before the Marathon!

Wednesday - 5.45am -Run
Distance: 10.05km
Time taken: 59mins
Average pace per km: 5:52
Calories burned: 564

This was not such a good run. My hamstring hurt and I struggled a bit. However, I managed to complete the distance, albeit slowly and at least the mornings are still reasonably light at this time now that daylight saving has ended.

Monday Training

Distance: 7.5km

I struggled through the training session tonight. I had to make regular loo stops after each loop! After the warm-up we ran round the fitness circuit doing push-ups and sit-ups on the way. I avoided the chin-ups! I ran gently as I was fighting my tummy but it was great to see everyone. We ran the loops about three times before a warm down lap of Parliament House.

The Cotter Experience!

Distance: 28.7km
Time taken: 3hrs 9mins
Average pace per km: 6:40
Calories burned: 2000

It was a perfect morning for a run in the hills. It was cool, clear and still - a beautiful Canberra Autumn morning. Six of us met at the Cotter to start our run just after 7.30am. Jill, Steve, CJ, Ewen, Chris and I set off together although pretty soon Ewen, Steve and CJ ran ahead. We ran up a gradual incline at the start for about 3km up a gravel road and it felt quite steep and seemed to go on for ages and that was before we even reached the real run. The surface then changed and was much easier on the feet. There were lots of ups and downs with some very steep hills. CJ, Steve and Ewen waited for the rest of us at the 9.5km mark where Jill and Chris branched off to run a shorter loop. The views from this spot were amazing. Without the trees, which had been destroyed in the bush fires a few years ago, you could see all the hills and undulating tracks and we had a perfect view of Black Mountain Tower in the distance.

CJ and Steve took off again at a faster pace and Ewen very generously offered to run with me otherwise I was in great danger of becoming lost out there in the great beyond! At Vanity's we ran ankle deep through water keeping our shoes on so for a while after that my feet felt like lumps of lead but the socks soaked up the water surprisingly quickly and felt ok. I've never run through water in shoes before so that was a new experience and not too unpleasant as the water was icy cold and quite refreshing at that stage in fact. After that there were only a few kilometres left but that included a number of steep uphills and they felt so tough at that stage. In fact when there was only 3km left to run Ewen and I looked at each and said "pity we can't phone for a ride from here!" However, that last couple of km was actually quite pleasant as it was slightly downhill and fast.

We found CJ and Steve sitting in the cold river in the sunshine and we were quick to join them. The water was absolutely freezing but gee, it felt soooooo good - damn cold, yes, but it numbed the aching legs and butt and was beautifully refreshing. Later we just sat, talked, nibbled on fruit and drank refreshing drinks (Ewen and I had our favourite ginger beer). It was a lovely morning.

So now I have experienced the Cotter and I feel encouraged and quite enthusiastic to give it another go some time! That was my last long run before the marathon - only two weeks to go - scary!

From Windy Queensland to Cold Canberra!

Training Interruptus!!

I've just spent a lovely few days at a wedding in Brisbane then on to the Gold Coast for a few days relaxation. The weather was warm but very windy and certainly not conducive to swimming in the ocean. Even Mr B struggled to swim against the very strong current. It has been a week of overeating, socialising and not a lot of running! Yesterday I had to fly to Sydney for a meeting so squeezed in a short run before my flight. Tomorrow the plan is to run at the Cotter which should be an interesting experience for me!

Thursday 29 March
Distance: 10.09km
Time taken: 1hour
Average pace: 6:01
Calories burned: 585

Slow run, sore hamstring and tired body - not good at all, but I guess I at least made the distance before heading off to catch yet another plane.

Monday 26 March - Gold Coast
Distance: 35.4km
Time taken: 3hours 42mins
Calories burned: 2046
Average pace per km: 6:22
Fastest km: 5:26

This was a very boring run. Fortunately Mr B kept me company for the first 20km and my ipod shuffle kept me company the rest of the way. It was really a run along the boulevard by the beach for 5km in one direction with a tail wind then turning and running back against a very strong head wind. It was so difficult fighting the wind and sometimes it felt as if I was hardly moving. Yes, it was tough and seemingly endless and at the end the relief was immense. My legs ached and I pulled off my shoes and struggled into the ocean. However I could barely stand up against the strong current and had to keep Gandalf and my ipod from getting wet. The water wasn't cold enough, not like our Canberra lake water, to ease the aches and I was happy to find a cold beach shower to wash off the sand and ease the muscles a bit more. I felt glad I had managed the distance but oh boy, in spite of myself, I think I prefer hills!!

April looks like being a series of short weeks for me. I can cope with this! This week I had one day in the office, next weekend is Easter so that's two short weeks, the following Sunday is the marathon (how scary) and traditionally I always take the following Monday off work to recover, then the following week is broken with Anzac Day. What a month! May will be a full month but in mid-June we are off to Italy so that's another six weeks out of the office. Then in September I plan a week in Perth as Mr B will be spending a couple of weeks there at a squash tournament and I will join him for a week afterwards. I think I'm in training for retirement!!

Final Cross Country and a Medium Run!

Cross Country Race - Acton Ferry Terminal - 6pm

I decided to run to the start from work and join in the final Cross Country Race for the season, then run back to work to collect my car before rushing home for a shower and heading off for a Vets' sub-committee meeting - bit of a rush and did arrive half an hour late but all was forgiven! The conditions were surprisingly humid and I discovered it was a mistake to wear the Cross Country singlet. It's not as light as the Cool Running singlet. However it was only 5km so not too bad. My Gandalf told me I actually ran 5.21km but the official distance was 5km so I will go by the official time according to the results.

Distance: 5km (Gandalf distance: 5:21)
Time taken: 26:07
Average pace per km: 5:13 (Gandalf pace: 5:01 - doesn't that sound so much better!)

Total distance including warm-up and cool down - 7km

Wednesday - Medium Run - 5am

An early start this morning as I woke just before the alarm at 4.25am. I waited that extra five minutes before rolling out of bed and ran out the door at 5am with ipod shuffle, headlamp and flashing armband attached. After leaving the main road I ran down to the lake where it was pitch black. I was so glad I was wearing my headlamp but it really wasn't sufficient to see much and I still ran with extreme caution. It was so very dark. The intention was to run 20km but I felt quite uncomfortable in the dark and I also had stomach cramps so opted to run only the 15km distance instead and headed for home the shorter way. Bit wussy I know but I seriously prefer at least a little bit of light. It also meant I ran quite slowly as I didn't want to trip over. I think my headlamp must need a new battery (or maybe I do)!

Distance: 15.07km
Time taken: 1hr 33mins 59secs
Average pace per km: 6:14 (oh dear me)
Calories burned: 891

And It Rained and It Rained and It Rained!

Total distance: 13.2km!
Yes, it was a public holiday in Canberra and the heavens opened! However, training was still held and Mr B came with me to the early start at 4.30pm as he didn't have squash tonight. Due to the rain we ran round and round the underground carpark which still has undulations on each side. However, running round the carpark ad infinitum can be pretty boring even though once we started the main session speedygeoff made it more interesting by incorporating alternating fast laps with slow laps. Altogether I ran 35 laps x 377m including the warm-up.

Long Run, Lovely Lunch and Party Time!

Saturday 17 March - St Patrick's Day!
Overnight there was lots of rain and the ground was quite wet as just six of us set off from Molonglo for a run round the base of Mt Ainslie. About half way round the loop it started to rain again, just a lovely refreshing light rain to cool off the humidity in the air. The run was pleasant, chatty and taken at a comfortable pace. In fact, it was so comfortable that I sprinted back to Molonglo just before Steve and Ewen (who were recovering from the Six Foot) - absolutely unheard of in the normal course of things. Back at Molonglo I attached my little ipod shuffle, had a loo break and then set off on the next leg of my run. Just after I passed the boathouse Mr B cycled out to meet me and cycled beside me for the rest of my run. It was great to have both music and company and it made me try that little bit harder.

Distance: 34km
Time taken: 3hrs 29mins 52secs
Average pace per km: 6:10
Calories burned: 1995

Back at Molonglo I went for a beautiful paddle in the lake water to ease the aching muscles. Then it was home for a quick shower before going to meet CJ, Ewen, Lulu and Mr Lulu for lunch at Tosolini's. It was fantastic to catch up with Lulu and meet Mr Lulu. They are such a lovely couple. Two and a half hours later we reluctantly parted company (nothing like a long lunch with great company after a long run to make one feel totally relaxed) and I rushed home to make a rice salad to take to Griffin's 50th birthday party that evening. It was a great night in a beautiful home with loads of fantastic running friends, an excellent band, amazing food and new people to meet. In fact altogether it was a really good day!

Not a Drop of Alcohol passed these lips!

Tuesday

I decided to go for a 12km run after work. However, the best laid plans .......! I ran out the door, down the street, turned to adjust the volume on my ipod shuffle and WHAM I ran straight into a pole - owee! Who needs a car to run into poles - I can do it just as well on my feet! I was momentarily stunned but fortunately it was my shoulder that hit the pole and not my head - (although it may have knocked some sense into me)! I ran on but the momentum was gone. I ran to Lyneham then turned and ran back and investigated a short distance of the new road going towards Gungahlin. I felt decidedly blah and extremely hungry. My hamstring was really worrying me so I opted out and ran home only managing to struggle through 6km - half the distance planned!

Distance: 6.04km
Time taken: 36:45
Average pace per km: 6:05 (slooooow and painful)
Calories burned: 340

Thursday

Yesterday I decided to give my leg a rest which means my distance is not what it should be this week. However, after work today I decided not to go to track but instead attempt a longer run again and see if I could last the distance. I ran from home and down to and round Lake Ginnnderra and back home via Giralang, by which time the sun had gone to bed. Although the hamstring was painful for the first few kms I found it improved gradually with distance and I started picking up speed in the second half of the run.

Distance: 16.76km
Time taken: 1hour 37mins 37secs
Average pace per km: 5:49
Calories burned: 980

Tomorrow I have another brekkie and a rest day (another one of those too) before my long run on Saturday followed by brekkie with Lulu and CJ.

Training continues

This morning I went for a half hour relaxing spa before work. I didn't want to emerge from the pool. It was divine but I did discover that my hamstring was very tight and stiff. At lunchtime Mr B and I met with CJ and heard about her amazing day and adventures at Six Foot and she showed us some great photos. She looks so good and seems to be recovering really well.

After work it was back to speedygeoff's training session but a number of us chose to take it quite gently as we had competed yesterday.

Distance: 9km
Session: 1.8km warm-up
5 x 370m undulating loops (x 2) (first loop fast - in my case "not very")
with laps of the oval in-between (no stopping)
warm-down

I think this session made me realise that my hamstrings are definitely tight and sore and I may not run in the Cross Country race tomorrow. I'll see how the legs feel in the morning. A gentle longer run may be the way to go. I do need the distance.

Weston Creek Half Marathon

Yesterday morning (Saturday) Mr B and I ran a short run just to make sure the legs were working properly for today.

Distance: 4.06km
Time taken: 23:48
Average pace: 5:52

Sunday

And today, Sunday, we both ran in the Weston Creek Half Marathon. The conditions were perfect, not a breath of wind, cool and crisp early although later it turned into a hot sunny beautiful day. There were lots of familiar faces out there including Liza who came to Canberra from the coast especially for the run and ran a great time too. Mr B and I ran a very short warm up and then lined up at the start. I guess today was one of those runs when everything felt right - the weather, the company and for the first time ever I ran a race with my ipod. I wore a little shuffle which just clipped on to my shorts and it was fantastic. The only problem I had was that the ear phones kept popping out of my ears so I'll have to explore that further but I really think the music helps. I had the stitch SIX times but managed to block out the discomfort with the music and it really did help me run through it. I was very happy with my time. It was just 17secs off my PB for this course in 2003!

Distance: 21.1km
Time taken: 1hr 53mins 17secs (damn those 17seconds!!)
Average pace per km: 5:24
Calories burned: 1281

The exciting part was that I won the gold medal for my age group - woo hoo, amazing! And Maria won W50 and Helen won W45 so there were quite a few of us from speedygeoff's training group. Another three from his group won the team race and speedygeoff ran in under 90 minutes so was pretty happy. I caught up with Tuggeranong Don, Liza, Flaskduck, Peter, Aki, Barb, Marg and heaps of others. It was a great morning. Then in the afternoon we babysat the grandchildren so there was no rest for the wicked!

Congratulations to the awe inspiring CJ on a fantastic result in the six foot and congratulations also to Jen, Ewen and all those other amazing runners out there who had fantastic runs. You are all awesome! Wowee - it must have been such an amazing day.

We Lost the Net!! Good luck to all Six Footers!!

Now this has been a difficult week as I haven't been able to blog or even check out what has been happening in Blogland as our internet has been down. The Transact man came and replaced our "black box" yesterday and now we are back in action. It's been terrible not reading up on everyone's news, especially during the last week before Six Foot. Best of luck to everyone out there running tomorrow. It will be such an amazing experience and I'm so looking forward to reading all about it.

Now I have to go right back to Sunday to update this week.

Sunday - 8.20am - Run
After a nice little sleep-in I decided to go for a pleasant run from home.

Distance: 10km
Time taken: 56:46
Average pace per km: 5:40
Calories burned: 584

Monday - speedygeoff's Parliament House training - 5.30pm
Total distance: 8km
Calories burned: 400

I was running five minutes late and missed the start of the warm-up so ran in the opposite direction to meet up with the group on their return of the start of the warm-up lap. We then ran down to the start of our main set which was a follows:

8 intervals of 45 seconds, starting each on 2 minutes. We reversed direction each time, so as to ensure everyone did the full recovery. Each time we ran the 45secs my aim was to run a little further. speedygeooff blew his whistle at the 45secs mark so we knew when to jog back to the start to wait for the whistle again before running our next interval.

To finish we ran a few stride-outs on the grassy 200m oval. Then we jogged back to the start for our cool down.

Tuesday - Cross Country Run - 6pm
Location: The Boat House
Distance: 5km
Time taken: 27:01
Average pace per km: 5:24

It was a much better ran than the last time I ran a Cross Country but there was a head wind to struggle against on the second half return lap of the run. It was enjoyable though because there were heaps of friends out there and lots of people to talk to afterwards - very social and pleasant.

Wednesday - Middle Distance Run - 5.30am
Distance: 16.77km
Time taken: 1hr 36mins
Average pace per km: 5:44
Calories burned: 989

This morning I had a new playlist on my little shuffle (thanks to speedygeoff) and I really enjoyed my morning run. Although it was quite dark for most of the time, as the lights round the lake did not appear to be working, I watched my footing and was surprised at the number of people out walking with friends or dogs or both. I enjoyed listening to the music and it was a perfect temperature - a great time of day. However, I will have to hunt out my headlamp for running at these times as it really is quite dark quite late in the mornings now.

In the evening, after Italian lessons, I drove to Belluci's to meet up with Lucky Legs, Ewen, Flashduck and Flashdrake, Aki, speedygeoff and Tuggeranong Don, just in time for dessert and coffee. This time I chose tiramisu. Talk about heaven! I hadn't eaten and was really hungry and this hardly touched the sides. It was absolutely yummo! It was a lovely evening and such fun to catch up with everyone. LL looked fantastic. It always boggles my mind how absolutely amazing she looks and how much younger than her actual years.

Thursday - Track
The ultimate aim of going to track was to cheer on LL when she ran the mile event in an attempt to break the record. However I managed to arrive just in time to compete in the 3000m event at 6pm. It was extremely hot at that time of day, although it had rained heavily during the course of the afternoon. The sun had come out an hour earlier and the temperature had shot up and it was really really hot. I struggled in the heat and with the time of day which is not my favourite time for running. I felt heavy and slow and I did not beat my PB but I did beat Marg - just!
Event: 3000m
Time taken: 15:06 (TBC)

At 7pm LL entered the mile event. Unfortunately she had an off-day and although she looked great out there and we cheered her on loudly she didn't manage to beat her record. However we were all very proud of her for making the attempt and there will be other races and other opportunities to break records. The important thing is for her to keep enjoying her running. She is such an inspiration to so many people. I hope I look that good and can run like her in twenty years!

At 8.15pm the weather had cooled considerably. In fact we had jackets and long pants to take off in order to enter the 5 lap spiral. Now the spiral handicap is my favourite event so Marg and I decided to give it a go. I'm so glad I went in it as I ran so much better in this event than in the earlier 3000m.

Distance: 3.02km
Time taken: 14:43
Place: 16th
Handicap: 30
Average pace per km: 4:52 (so much better)!
Calories burned: 176

I felt good and all the run I felt someone just behind me which made me determined not to let him pass me so I kept pushing myself. I was so happy with the result and felt much more comfortable during this run. It must have been because the temperature had dropped and also because Aki was leading a group of school children from Gippsland in a very loud cheer squad from the sides. It was really fun!

A Most Enjoyable Saturday Run!

Friday
Run - 5.45am
Distance: 6km
Time taken: 36mins
Average pace per km: 6mins
Calories burned: 336

Disastrous run this morning. I was out of action yesterday as I had to attend day surgery but decided I was ok to run first thing this morning - on hindsight probably a mistake! I felt sluggish and definitely not 100%. I couldn't manage more than the Kaleen block from home and even that felt difficult. Tomorrow will be better!

Saturday - Today's Run - 7am
Distance: 20.4km
Time: 2hours 5mins (forgot to stop Gandalf when we stopped to wait for each other)
Average pace per km: Approx 6:10
Fastest km: 5:17
Calories burned: 1292

Today was perfect early in the morning for a lovely run off road. We met at Molonglo at 7am and ran to Mt Ainslie and round the loop in an anti-clockwise direction. The surface was wonderful because it had rained. It wasn't dusty at all for a change and although for the start of the run the weather was very misty which made it impossible to wear "misted" up sunnies after about half an hour the mist cleared and it was beautiful. There were lots of kangaroos and great company. I ran with CJ who was doing her last long run before 6' and we chatted and took it gently. I thoroughly enjoyed the run, hills and all and felt quite comfortable. Back at the start Mike ran with me for an extra 4km to make it up to 20.4km. I will probably have to run again in the morning to make up the kms but today I wanted to spend time enjoying the picnic afterwards with all the 6footers before their event next weekend. It was one of those runs where you just feel great afterwards and it was most enjoyable to sit and talk and share lovely fruit and goodies afterwards.
Later I met up with CJ and Liza for lunch in town then partook in some serious retail shopping with CJ - aaaaaaaah - beautiful red boots, gorgeous blue shoes, dress for a wedding - aaaaaaaaaaaaah (definitely a successful day)!!