Wet Wednesday

7am - Off to the gym for another upper body strength session. I started with a warm-up for 10mins on the cross trainer. Next I spent 50mins on the machines working on the shoulders, back, chest, triceps, biceps etc followed by a circuit of abs training and finishing with 1000m on the rower as fast as possible which currently is 5mins 31secs. My goal is to get this down to under 5mins eventually! It's quite hard to do at the end of a tough session. After the session I spent about 10mins stretching and when I headed home it was pouring with rain.

1.30pm - It continued to rain on and off most of the day. When it eased off a little I put on some running clothes and a spray jacket and took Teddy out for a run in a light drizzle. However, about 10mins into the run it began to rain heavily and we headed to a friend in Lyneham just over 3km away where I stopped for a cup of tea and Teddy had a big drink of water as we watched the rain through the window and towel dried. When the rain eased off we headed back home stopping briefly to chat to Maria through her car window when she spotted us. A hot shower was definitely required on my return. Teddy is starting to get the hang of this running. The break in the middle probably helped.

Total distance: 6.5km

Later I headed off to Parliament House to meet up with Chris, Ewen and Andy for our usual Wednesday run. It had stopped raining and the sun shone bravely and intensely for a short time before cloud cover caused intense humidity instead. In fact on our return the boys were wringing out their singlets making puddles on the concrete - eeeew! We ran our usual run over King's Avenue, to the War Memorial, Constitution Avenue and Commonwealth bridge with a little extra distance round the back of the War Memorial. We did spot some large hares running very fast near Commonwealth Park. I wish I could run that fast.

Total distance: 11.5km
Time taken: 1hr 14mins
Average pace per km: 6:26

Total distance for day: 18km

Tuesday's training

This morning (Tuesday) I decided to go for a swim to start the day. I managed 1300m so was pretty happy with that. Once I reach 1500m I will just concentrate on swimming a little faster but swimming is not a strong point for me and I will always be slow. It is however excellent cross training.

I needed to be home before 9am as I was on grandma patrol for the day. I had such fun. During the morning little Miss 8 and I went to see 'Tangled' in 3D at Dendy Cinema and it was terrific. We both loved it. We also enjoyed the icecream and popcorn!

In the early evening I went for my run from home. It was overcast and really pleasant out there. My schedule was to run 10km steady plus 6 x 100m strides with 100m jog between . This I did and then ran home to collect Teddy and squeeze in a quick and short run round the block with him before dark and dinner time. It was a good work-out.

Total distance for day: 13km

Time taken for 10km: 59:28

Average pace per km: 5:56

Photos taken on Christmas Day with my gingerbread house slowly being demolished! What fun :)

A Good Start to Week 2 of my Marathon Training

At 7am I headed for the gym for a strength program including a warm up on the cross trainer and a warm down for 1000m on the rower. I also completed abs and stretches. The whole session took 1hour 15mins.

In the late afternoon, as a little warm up before speedygeese training, I ran with Teddy for 3.4km from home just avoiding the raindrops. He is getting better at running on the lead and I'm looking at increasing his runs gradually so that I will be able to go for a decent run with him before too long.

I chose to meet Ewen earlier than the main session at Parliament this afternoon. We ran out for nearly 3km where we met up with speedycoach and Katherine, ran a little further and then turned and ran back to PH, a total of 6km. There we met up with the rest of the speedygeese including a new starter, Emma. There were only 14 of us tonight. Some are still on holidays.

After a warm up loop the main session consisted of:

12 x 100m hill sprints with a jog down to the start between each sprint

We then ran another gentle loop before heading for another hill for attrition sprints. The grand winner again this week was Joel. He is truly amazing!

Total distance for day including warm ups: 16km

The countdown has begun!

Early this morning (Sunday) I went out with Mr B to cheer him on in the Australian Triathlon Championships. He entered the sprint distance - 750m swim, 20km cycle and 5km run. There were heaps of people I knew there, both entrants and supporters. Lots of speedygeese runners also stopped to say hi and it was lots of fun. The conditions were perfect with a glass-like lake and cloud cover for the entire event. The rain started just as we packed up the bike at the end of the race. It was very exciting to watch as Flashdrake and Mr B were racing neck to neck in the same age group. Mr B was pipped at the post by about 30secs to achieve a 3rd place in his age group but he gave Flashdrake a run for his money! Of course the most inspirational competitor of the day was our Rad who is now 84 and featured in today's Canberra Times. He is such an amazing man with an incredible life story.

Late in the afternoon, before my beautiful local family joined us for dinner after their holiday, I met up with Ewen for a run from Parliament House. Of course it rained and it rained for the entire run. It was humid and I loved the feel of the rain to keep us cool although we had to run with due caution. Ewen was a bit tired as he had already run 10km earlier in the day but after the first few kms I felt fresh and really enjoyed the run. We were slow but it didn't really matter. Today was more about completing some more kms for the week.

Total distance: 10km

Time taken: 1:04:17
Average pace per km: 6:25

Total distance for week: 74km
Total distance so far for January: 96km

I have a lot of work to do as I really need to increase my weekly distance. The countdown to the Canberra Marathon in April has begun!

Just One More New Year's Resolution for 2011.....

Stress less!

This year I resolve to start preparing for Christmas early. I always leave everything until the last minute and then my stress levels rise as I try to do my Christmas baking, write my annual newsletter (or poem) and shop til I drop. I try every year to be organised but 2011 is the year I will plan to achieve this and avoid last minute panic. Hmmm, we shall see!

This morning I met up with Ewen and Andy at the War Memorial where we spotted lots of speedygeese heading off for the Mt Ainslie hills. Our plan is to pick up the distance and endurance before we start on the hilly trails. We still have hill training on Mondays in the meantime.

We ran down to the lake, turned right and ran right round West Basin and over Kings Avenue Bridge. Andy lost us after 12km as he took off as a speck in the distance. He was running well, we were running slow. Having said that we felt comfortable and I certainly felt better than last week, possibly because we had cloud cover all the way. I just need to 'up' that speed! However the company was good and of course the coffee and chat later, when we next met up with Andy, was great fun. During our run we spotted speedygeoff running in the opposite direction with two lovely young ladies. We also spotted a family of ducklings which were still fluffy although they were not tiny newborns anymore.

Total distance: 24km

Time taken: 2:39:13

Average pace per km: 6:38 (which is exactly the same pace as last week)

Calories burned: 1408

Photo taken with Ewen and Andy on a trail walk at the Gold Coast in 2010.

Resolution Number Five - Declutter!

I'm not totally sure that "declutter" is a real word but that's what has to happen around me. I have this immense accumulation of paperwork, unworn clothes and things to be done! Today, one day after the twelfth day of Christmas, I took down the tree, the decorations and the cards. It always feels a bit sad - that after-Christmas clean-up and I still need to vacuum all those bits of tree and tinsel that somehow are always left behind when the tree comes down!

This morning I swam 1200m before meeting Marg for a coffee to toast our daughters' birthdays which both happen to be today.

Later, a long walk with Teddy helped to work off some of the nibbling I had been doing during the day trying to "declutter" my refrigerator!!

Fridays are my non-running day in preparation for the long run in the morning.

Photo is of my two girls who live in Sydney - birthday girl on the right.

I did it - a PB at last!

Tonight at track I finally ran the 3000m in under 15mins. I was going to write that down as one of my goals for this season not expecting to run it on the first track session of the year. It was a combined meet with ACT Athletics which meant that Yelena could run the 3000m too. Speedycoach had promised to pace Yelena and suggested he pace me too. He managed to keep us on an even 1min or just under for every 200m. Yelena took off with about 400m to go and went through the finishing line in 14:46 which equals her PB. I ran through in 14:54 which is a PB for me by 4secs so I was very happy indeed.

Thank you speedycoach. You rule!

Total distance with warm-up and cool down: 6.2km

Time taken for 3000m track race: 14:54

Average pace per km: 4:57

Photo: speedycoach and his Jenny

Resolution Number Four......

Keep in constant contact with my friends, not necessarily just running friends!

This morning I cycled to meet Margaret (who is unable to run for some months due to an achilles infection) and we rode down to the lake for a great coffee before continuing on our way making a total of 30km. We had lots of catching up to do today but next time we will cycle faster. It was really enjoyable.

Just before 6pm I met up with Ewen, Chris and Andy for a run from Parliament House along Kings Avenue, round the War Memorial, Constitution Avenue, Commonwealth Avenue and back to PH. It was quite a strong wind in parts especially crossing the bridges but it was a pleasant run although my hamstring felt quite tight and sore.

Total distance: 11.2km

Time taken: 1:13:13

Average pace per km: 6:31 (I did forget to press the stop button on my Garmin a few times when we were waiting to cross roads which may account for a couple of minutes!)

Photo: Andy, Jenjen (from Sydney), Margaret at the speedygeese Christmas BBQ

Resolution Number Three .....

Keep up the Cross Training!

My goal is to regularly attend the gym for upper body strength work at least twice a week and attend RPM, Body Balance and abs classes each week. I also aim to cycle and swim at least once a week to maintain overall fitness and of course take Teddy for his daily walk. Judging by my absymal effort at the hill sprints at training last night I also need to incorporate hills and trails in my long runs. 2011 will be the year to make me stronger!

This evening I went for my run at 7pm when the temperature was cool and pleasant. I ran from home and out towards Gungahlin on the cycle track turning at 4km.

Total distance: 8km

Time taken: 47:44

Average pace per km: 5:57

Photo: Teddy before and after grooming! Yes, it IS the same puppy!

Resolution Number Two ......

Stretch, stretch, stretch!!!

Yes indeed, I do not stretch enough after my runs. I stretch at the gym but it is so important to warm up before a run and stretch afterwards. This year I am going to aim to stick with my plan of stretching after every run to try to avoid injury. After my long run yesterday my left hamstring has been playing up again. I took Teddy for a long walk in the afternoon but the hamstring continued to hurt.

This morning I headed off to the gym for a work-out as follows:

ten minute warm-up on the cross trainer

super sets x 4 of the following with the 1st set 15 reps, 2nd set 12 reps, 3rd set 10 reps, 4th set 15 reps. The 1st and last set have the same weight and the weights increase for the 2nd and 3rd set.

Assisted chin-ups + push-ups

Barbell chest press (15kg) + tricep dips with leg elevated

DB alternating bicep curls + French press (5kg)

DB rows x 15 on each side (6kg)

Abs - 30 secs each of the following repeating the circuit x 2

Side plank right

reverse plank

side plank left

plank

double crunch
I finished with 1000m on the rower.

This is one of my Michelle Bridges routines and takes about an hour. The photos show CJ and I with Michelle after "pain in the domain" in Sydney and later at the celebration party.

Later today I headed off to Parliament House for the speedygeese running session. I was too late for the early session but too early for the 5.30pm start. However, I had time to run just over 4km down to the lake before the main session started.

There were only 12 of us there tonight - 9 guys and 3 girls. Others must still be on holiday. After the warm-up loop we headed for a hilly bank where we incorporated a fast sprint up a steep short hill, a slower run up the rest of the hill and a windy loop, as fast as possible, then a short rest before repeating this three times. This was followed by an attrition sprint running to the top of the hill. Last person to the top each time was out. Joel won the last sprint and Andy came second. We finished the session with a warm down loop of Parliament House.

Total distance including warm-up: 11.3km

AND I finished the session with stretches!

New Year's Resolution Number One .......

....To keep my blog updated!

On that note, Happy New Year to anyone out there who hasn't given up on me. Here's to a fantastic injury-free, healthy and happy 2011.

Some highlights for 2010 have been:

• Running my 100th Veteran's Handicap run
• Winning the first place trophy in the Adler Spiral Handicap series at the track
• Being support crew with Ewen for Liz at the 100km Tan in Melbourne
• Running in my 9th Canberra Marathon
• Changing age group and celebrating Mr B and my 60th birthdays with a trip to Bali
• Becoming a proud mother to Teddy, my labradoodle
• Being interviewed and appearing in the Canberra Times with speedycoach and Roger
• Having fun at the Gold Coast with lots of speedygeese entering in lots of races
• Winning a medal in my age group in the Vets' Half Marathon
• Completing a 12-week Total Body Transformation program with Michelle Bridges (from Biggest Loser) on-line and meeting her in person at the culmination of the program in Sydney

I'm quite sure there are heaps of other golden moments which I can't currently recall but all in all 2010 was a fun year and I'm hoping 2011 will be even better and maybe I might be able to run a little faster! Hopefully my hamstring won't give me too much grief.

Total kilometres run in 2010: 2,651

It's been so long since I last blogged that I won't bore everyone (including myself) with all the details of the last few weeks. Suffice to say I have been running, going to the gym regularly, cycling a little and swimming about once a week. I now need to 'up the ante' as the YCRC (YMCA Canberra Running Club) will now be conducting the marathon in April and more training is required. As this will be my 10th marathon in Canberra I have my fingers crossed that Griffin status (ie acknowledgment of ten Canberra marathons) will still apply.

Temperatures in Canberra have risen excessively in the past few days. Summer seems to have finally arrived and this means running earlier or later in the day to avoid the heat. We have had heaps of rain this season and the grass is green and growing rapidly.

On New Year's Day (when I started this entry) I swam 1.1km at the pool instead of venturing out into the 37deg heat after rather a late night on New Year's Eve! Instead I ran my first run of the year today (Sunday) with Andy at 7.30am from the War Memorial. We ran down to the lake and round the East Basin, through Kingston and back to the lake, down to the yacht club and on to Yarralumla Bay where we turned and ran back to the carillon before returning to the War Memorial to loiter over coffee.

Total distance: 22km
Time taken: 2hrs 25mins
Average pace per km: 6:38

Yes, this pace needs work but it was decidedly humid out there this morning and we may have to start our long runs earlier to avoid the heat of the day at this time of the year.

Photo shows some of us having fun at Maria's Heroes and Villians Party on New Year's Eve.
From left: Kerry (Cruella), Drew (Phantom), strewth (Batgirl), Kelly (Supergirl), Mick (Dracula) and Andy (Gunslinger)

Fun Times Abound!

There is no doubt that this is a busy time of year preparing for Christmas and all that entails. I have been busy making gingerbread men and decorating our Christmas tree this afternoon. Just before lunch I sped off for a run in the sun - yes, that yellow ball in the sky bravely appeared today and it was hot and humid. There were still huge puddles and fallen tree branches to avoid and as I had scheduled a 1km time trial it was difficult to find an unbroken km stretch. In the end I ran two 1km time trials and chose the second one which was marginally faster.

This is my last week of my 12week body transformation program. I'm not exactly transformed but I have definitely lost weight and am eating much better. Next weekend is the culmination of all that hard work when CJ and I head for Sydney to take part in "pain in the domain" before the celebration party that night with an after party to follow. On the Monday night Mr B and I have tickets to see U2 in concert at Homebush. That too should be an amazing experience. Good times, fun times!

It has been a couple of weeks since I blogged and the weather has been wet. That is an understatement. We have had the wettest spring on record and since the start of summer it has rained almost every day and more is expected. The grass and gardens look amazing but I have to admit I love it when the sun shines and we can run without heading for cover when the thunder roars.

Back to my blog continuing on from my last entry -

Tuesday 23 November

I started the morning with yoga before work.

At 6.15pm I headed for the last official ACT Cross Country Club spring series run. It was held at Weston Park and after a 1km warm up on rough ground the main event was 5km. I ran it even slower than the week before in 28:51 which is an average pace of 5:52 per km. After the run Ewen, speedygeoff and I ran a 4km cool down to make a total for the day of 9km.

Wednesday 24 November

Because I went to a gingerbread house making class this evening I couldn't make my usual Wed group run after work. I did however go to the gym in the morning for strength work followed by the abs class.

Thursday 25 November

I wasn't feeling 100% when I went to track tonight (probably from nibbling at the lollies while making the gingerbread house) and as a consequence didn't compete in the walk or the 1500m events. Instead I ran the 3000m and the spiral at the end of the night. My 3000m time was slower than usual 15:19 (average pace 5:06per km) - no PB tonight! However in the spiral I felt much stronger and ran the 7 laps (2.98km) in 14:48. I must have had a second wind (no pun intended)!

Friday 26 November - Bodybalance or my weekly stretching class - great!

Saturday 27 November

I met up with Ewen, Andy, Jen and CJ at the War Memorial from where we ran round the Mt Ainslie track and down to the lake and round the wetlands, Kingston etc. It was good to have all that company and later Liz joined us for coffee at the Campbell Shops.

Total distance: 16km

Sunday 28 November - Vets' Handicap Run

It was not a pleasant day weather-wise and not many people lingered afterwards as the heavens opened. The last handicap of the year was held at Weston Park and because the ground was soggy and the weather had been so bad the course was changed slightly to an out and back course. It was fun to catch up with people but it was also very muddy and slushy and I ran with due caution as I didn't want to slip and fall. Later I enjoyed a very pleasant coffee with some of my running mates at the War Memorial cafe where we warmed up again after shivering in the rain.

Handicap group: 27

Finish place: 57th out of 87

Distance: 7km (plus 1km warm up)

Time taken: 39:44

Average pace per km: 5:41

Age percentile: 72.7%

Monday 29 November

6:30am - strength work at the gym

7:30am - swim 600m

5.30pm - speedygeoff's training at PH

As it was still raining when it was time to start the training and a few soggy runners had just returned from their early run we opted to train in the carpark - round and round for the warm up and cool down and the main session was hill repeats as fast as possible for one side of the carpark which slopes upwards - 12 of them. We ended up racing each other in pairs and it turned into an excellent workout. Naturally we all prefer to be outside in the fresh air but preferably without the rain!

Approximate distance: 8km

Tuesday 30 November

It was another very wet day and instead of heading to the cross country run at a soggy Stromlo I headed for the RPM class at the gym - probably a wise decision! It was a really good work out.

Wednesday 1 December - First day of a wet summer!

6.30am - strength work in gym followed by 15mins abs class

No running tonight as our Wed group had a party instead which proved to be heaps of fun - lots of food, laughs and charades which turned into an absolute hoot. We have such a great little group.

Thursday 2 December

Another really really wet day and this time track at the AIS was officially cancelled. Instead I once more headed for the gym and ran 5km on the dreaded treadmill. I did hill intervals and I absolutely dripped. I felt like I had run 20km by the time I ran 5km. I am not at all used to the treadmill and it felt like really really hard work, not something I would ever choose over running outside but it could happen more often if the rain and storms persist. At least I have the option.

Friday 3 December - my usual body balance class - I love Fridays.

Saturday 4 December

I met up with Ewen and Andy at 7.45am for a run to the lake from the War Memorial. This time we ran an out and back course to the hill near Scrivener Damn and just past the ferry terminal we met up with speedygeoff heading towards us. He turned and ran another 5km out and back with us which was great. The best part is it didn't rain. It was overcast but very very humid as obviously a storm was brewing later in the day. We were all dripping wet (especially the boys) on our return journey. We left speedychief at the ferry terminal and continued on back to the war memorial to meet up with CJ at the cafe for a great coffee and chat. It was a slow run but good to be building up the distance again.

Total distance: 20km

Time taken: 2hrs 12mins

Average pace per km: 6:37

Later in the afternoon I had just left the house to take Teddy for his walk when the thunder started rumbling in the distance. I had no jacket or rain gear with me so we started to run. Then the heavens opened, the rain pelted down and the inevitable happened. Teddy ran across me, I tripped on his lead, sprawled on the soggy ground, partly landing on him. He yelped and pulled away on to the road - eek, fortunately I still had hold of the lead, pulled him back, scrambled up and we jogged on to the corner and home. We both looked like drowned rats, literally. Teddy has very long shaggy hair and it was all sticking to him and as for me, when we finally reached our front door and Mr B let us in, he burst out laughing at the sight that greeted him. I had to peel everything off before daring to go any further indoors. Oh boy, wet, bruised and very sorry for myself I towel dried the poor dog (who didn't seem to mind one bit) and headed for a hot shower! Not great timing - so lucky to get in that beautiful run this morning!

Sunday 5 December

This is where I started this blog entry and my total distance including two time trials was 8km.

Monday 6 December

This morning I headed for the gym to spend over an hour pumping iron and working on my abs before going to the pool and swimming a km. Woo hoo, I was very happy to manage a km as that's the furthest I have swum in over twelve months. Tonight is the speedygeese Christmas party at Pialligo - we are so lucky to have a wonderful venue. Here's hoping the rain stays away. It has rained again today of course but currently the sun is struggling through. It should be another fun night.

This is my last week at work. Yay, I may finally be able to keep my blog up-to-date and catch up with all the Christmas "to do" list after we return from Sydney on Tuesday.

Photos: Richard, Ewen, Andy at our Wed group celebration.

Gingerbread houses

Sunday

I cycled 23km today on cycle paths but at least it was a cycle. Half way I stopped and had a coffee with CJ and Mr CJ - not a good place for coffee as it happened but great company and a chance to have a chat before CJ later headed for the final run leg of the triple tri. The only other exercise today was a long hot walk with puppy Teddy.

Monday

7am

This morning I headed for the gym for an hour's weight session including abs and 10mins on the cross trainer. Next I went to the pool for a swim and managed 500m in the 50m pool. Woo hoo - it's been so long since I swam properly as a shoulder injury had prevented me swimming freestyle. It felt wonderful to finally be able to swim again. I will continue to try to increase the distance gradually every few days.

5.30pm - speedygeese at Parliament House

It was hot today, much hotter than what we are used to and it will take a little while for us to acclimatise to the warmer weather. The temps are gradually rising all week.

Today after our warm up lap of PH we headed for the rose garden and ran around the 750m course where we were to do our main session. We ran this loop four times, running fast on the uphills and slow on the downhills. The first 120m was fast, then we ran slowly before speeding up for the next 160m, slowing down on the downhills again and running fast up the hill and the steps before a short warm down back to the start. We repeated this loop five times with a little rest between each interval until speedychief blew the whistle every six minutes at the start.

We finished with a cool down loop making a total of 9km.

Here we go "Loop the Loop"!

Monday

Today's speedygeese session at Parliament House avoided the rain again. We have been very lucky fitting in our sessions between showers. Tonight after our warm up we ran a 950m loop six times - three fast loops and three slow loops followed by a cool down lap round PH.Total distance: 10km

Tuesday

This evening the Cross Country Spring Series run was at Barrinjoey Drive - another true cross country accessed via a long windy dusty road. It was a looped course which we had to run three times. Parts of it were uneven and stony but it was certainly interesting. The climate was perfect but my run was still slow. After the race I ran a 4km warm down run with Ewen and Jen.

Total distance for day: 9km

Time for 5km race: 28:31

Average pace per km: 5:36

Wednesday

6.30am - Gym - strength work

7am - abs class

5.45pm - I met up with Chris and Ewen at Parliament House for our mid-week run. We ran and talked and did not break any records. Chris stopped after 10km but Ewen and I continued on for a loop of PH to finish making our total 12km.

Thursday

This evening was the track and field session at the AIS. I arrived on time to compete in the 1500m fitness walk (10:56) - always fun then I thought I would eat a banana and relax until the 3000m event later in the evening. However, just after I had finished eating Maureen approached me and roped me in for the 4 x 800m relay team. I am definitely not an 800m runner. However, the W55s needed me to make up their team of four and I agreed very reluctantly to join them. Although I am in the next age group apparently one person is allowed to run in a younger age group. I ran in number two spot after Kathy and passed the baton to Maria, followed by Maureen. It was hard work but fun to be part of it. Of course I was the weakest link, my time for the 800m being 3:40. After the race I started coughing and even after sucking on peppermints I just couldn't stop.

I lined up at 8.15pm for the 3000m event. I didn't break my PB but I guess I had already run and that may have slowed me down.

Time for 3000m: 15:10

I managed a short warm down after the run before announcements and supper were held.

Friday

I went to Body Balance class this morning which always makes me stretch heaps. I'm quite sure this is a good thing! Friday is my rest day from running.

Saturday

It was a stunning day today and at 7.45am I met up with Ewen and Andy at the War Memorial. There were quite a number of runners there who usually run at the Cotter and have moved to the War Memorial now to run at Mt Ainslie. They started off before us and we saw some of them at various spots throughout the run. We ran a loop of Mt Ainslie then headed over a stony rough trail where we hadn't run before. Part of the hills were unrunnable but it was great to be on the trails. The view at the top was stunning.

It was a lovely morning and later we met up with CJ for a coffee at the War Memorial cafe.

Total distance: 15km

Weekend Fun!

Friday

At 6am I went for a bike ride, on the cycle track, before work. I managed to squeeze in 18km to try out my nice new gatorskin tyres which supposedly are tough and should not puncture easily - good plan!

Saturday

My schedule demanded that I had to fit in a 1km time trial today and I decided to do this before my longer run a little later. Thus at 6am I ran 2km gently before turning and running back as fast as I could for 1km and jogging back home. I ran along cycle tracks from home as this is the time trial I have done on other occasions. I managed 1km in 5:03 - not exactly earth shattering but at least the time was recorded.

I then whizzed home, had a piece of toast and a quick shower before driving to the War Memorial to meet up with CJ, Ewen and Andy for a run round the base of Mt Ainslie and past Molonglo Reach through the wetlands and back for a total of 15km. It was tough as my legs objected and by 12km I had really hit the wall. Fortunately Ewen wanted to run slowly too so I had company when I was tagging along for the last few km.

Total distance for day: 19km

Sunday

This morning I met up with friends at the Yacht Club as we had entered the Tour de Femme, a 20km all women's bike ride. Six of us entered as The Motley Crue. We all wore pink tops and tried to stay together for the duration of the ride. It was heaps of fun. We had only had one training ride together and for me the only other riding I had done this year was on cycle tracks. We felt quite happy with our time of 48mins. There were about 650 women and the start was a bit hairy and about 3km into the run one of our team had something caught in her wheel so we waited to fix it, probably losing a couple of minutes. That was the only snag and at times we were cycling over 42km an hour - great fun indeed!

In the evening we all met up for dinner at a local Balinese restaurant where far too much wine and food was consumed but the company was fantastic!

Slowing Down!

I made it to track with about five minutes to spare for a warm-up before the 3000m event at 6pm. It was really hot tonight compared to what we are used to, still 27deg at 6pm when we ran. Because we are not yet acclimatised for the warm weather it felt really hot and muggy after all the rain we have experienced lately.

I did not run well taking 15:23 (5:10 per km average pace) which was almost 14secs slower than last week. I think I run better when it is slightly cool. However, it wasn't windy and it certainly didn't rain!

Immediately following the 3000m I took part in the 2000m fitness/race walk. This took me 14mins but was a great warm down.

My final event was the 6-lap spiral handicap. My handicap group was 28. I felt slow and sore initially but by the final couple of laps I felt much better and put in a bit more of an effort. There wasn't a breath of wind and the sun had gone down but the air was still very warm. Of course Bronwyn raced me to the finish as did Maria who just raced me over the finish line. It is always a fun event.

Total distance with warm-ups and cool downs: 9km

A True Cross Country Run

Tuesday
6.45am - Yoga class before work.
6.15pm - Cross Country spring series at Weston Park

It had been raining on and off most of the day but when we ran at 6.15pm the rain had stopped and humidity had taken over. It was sticky weather and the course was "cross country" in the true sense of the word. It was undulating, grassy, potholes and uneven surface. I ran carefully as I do have a habit of tripping over. I found it much more difficult than last Tuesday and my disappointing time reflected this.

Total distance of run: 5km (plus 1km warm up and 4km cool down)

Time taken:29.1mins

Average pace per km: 5:45

Total distance for day: 10km

Wednesday

6.15am - Strength work at gym

7am - Abs class

6pm - Run from Parliament House with Jen, Ewen and Chris.

We just ran a gentle run this evening. Again, it had rained earlier and the weather was sticky but the company was good.

Total distance: 8km

Gaining Confidence

Yesterday morning at 6.30am I met up with five other girls at the yacht club where we rode a practice run of the Tour de Femme course which is being held next weekend. I was very nervous as this is fully on the road and I haven't been riding on the road for years. However, we rode as a group and it was great fun. We have entered the event as a team. The course is 20km but we rode 22km with a couple of stops to regroup. It was good company and lots of fun. It certainly boosted my confidence for road riding and afterwards we had a beautiful coffee in Yarralumla.

Later, after taking Teddy (puppy) for a 45min walk/run, Mr B and I decided to go for a swim at the CISAC Pool. Again, it's been years since I went swimming, partly due to my left shoulder being painful. I swam in the 25metre pool and the water felt really warm, like a hot bath, not the most conducive start! However, I managed 30 laps and then we dashed home to change and drive to the China Tea Club for a delightful dinner with a couple of friends. Next swim I will attempt the 50m pool which will be much cooler.

Monday

Although I am supposedly working four days a week, today was an unexpected work day as I was asked to work an extra day this week as we are very busy. Thus I went to the gym early for my strength session and did not make the early speedygeese session tonight, instead arriving in time for the 5.30pm start.

The rain had slowed when I arrived and we were about to venture outside when thunder reverberated across the sky and the heavens really opened. Therefore we initially ran a 4km warm up under the carpark in the shelter. Then once the rain eased we ran to the rose garden and ran 4 x 800m undulating intervals as fast as possible before the rain started pelting down again. Then it was a quick dash to the underground carpark, as the thunder clapped around us, where we ran a couple of km cool down to finish off our session.

Total distance: approx 9km

The forecast is for showers off and on for the rest of the week, a bit frustrating for our running sessions.

Photo: Warrick and Chris at the speedygeese dinner in October

Adventures of the long-lost blogger!

Ok, here goes - it has been TWO months since I last blogged. I can't believe the way time slips past. Since that time I have been working four very busy days a week on a three month government contract which finishes at the end of November and I am now in Week 8 of a 12 week Body Transformation Course with Michelle Bridges on-line. She's the trainer from Biggest Loser. I've lost 5 kilos and feel much better and stronger.

However, leisure time has been at a premium and as a consequence my blog has definitely suffered from gross neglect!

Since September I have run 453km, resumed RPM/spin classes at the gym, yoga weekly classes, Bodybalance, abs classes and strength work. I have also very recently started cycling again and just crazily signed up for the Tour de Femme in a week's time. Considering I have only been cycling on cycle tracks it will probably be a bit scary. Tomorrow I am meeting up with friends at 6.30am for a cycle round the course on the roads. Hopefully most people will still be in bed and there won't be too much traffic!

A few of us went to Melbourne for the Half Marathon on 10 October (great date - 10th of the 10th of 2010). We stayed a few days and had heaps of fun. I ran the half a few minutes faster than the Vets' Athletics Half, in 2hrs 2mins. I still didn't break the two hour barrier but it will happen again.

Track has resumed at the AIS and the Cross Country spring series on Tuesdays will continue to the end of the year. My goal is to break 15mins for the 3k on the track (I ran it in 15:09 on Thursday) and 25mins for the 5km cross country. That will be tougher - my first run on Tuesday was 26.32 so I have a wee way to go!

Last Sunday the monthly Vets handicap was held at O'Connor Ridge, one of my favourite courses. It had rained heavily overnight and was still raining hard early on the Sunday morning. However, the rain cleared just before the run and the conditions were perfect - cloudy, cool and great off road running. Apparently this is the most difficult course on the Vets calendar but I prefer it to a lot of others and I felt really strong and ran comfortably for no obvious reason. I just had a good day but just before the finish Debbie came whizzing past me and scored a bronze medal. I was just pipped at the post and finished 4th eligible but consquently have now been re-handicapped back seven groups. Next month's handicap will be tough!!

I have been running on Sat mornings with Ewen and Andy and sometimes Jen. Last week Thea joined us and it was great to catch up with her. We always enjoy our coffee afterwards at the War Memorial cafe where the lovely Liz joins us after her long run. These are the best times - the coffee breaks after our runs.

My intention now is to keep my blog updated and to never let it get back to this state again. To sum up keeping fit and running with excellent company is keeping me healthy and happy. These are the best of times.

Photos: Jen and Richard; strewth and Yelena - at the speedygeese dinner in October

Mr B, strewth, CJ and her son Robbie at The Press Club for a sumptuous dinner in Melbourne

Rain, rain, go away!

Saturday

All night long and all today it rained and rained. Tonight it is still pouring down and the wind is blowing fiercely outside. This morning I drove to the War Memorial and met up with Margaret, Jen, Andy and Ewen for a very wet soggy run. We didn't end up starting the run until after 9.30am by the time everyone arrived. Fortunately the wind had not picked up at that stage but it was raining really hard with no sign of letting up. We ran from the war memorial along Anzac Parade down to the lake, over Commonwealth Ave bridge and on to the Wetlands detouring along the new path instead of the very muddy trails. Past Molonglo we took a shortcut through Duntroon - still very soggy underfoot. There were large puddles everywhere and we had fun splashing each other and ending up absolutely sodden right through to the skin - shoes and socks squelching! We only counted six other runners out there although we know there were lots of other crazy people running earlier.

After the run we all had to completely change at the War Memorial before heading inside the warmth of the cafe for great coffee, cake and conversation. We felt like we had run twice the distance we did. Here's hoping next Sunday is a lot better weather than this for the Canberra Times fun run! It was pretty dreadful weather today!

I am so glad I have hardy running mates because it would have been really tough running on my own today.

Total distance: 14.44km

Time taken: 1hr 39mins

Average pace per km: 6:50 (lots of stopping and clambering through mud and puddles)

Wednesday Run

Today was my first day back at work in a new job. I enjoyed the challenge and the company. I think it will be ok. I just have to get back into routine again. That could be interesting!

Today was not a wildly pleasant day weather-wise but the evening was not cold as I set off from Parliament House at 5.45pm with Ewen, Chris and Andy. We ran down to the lake, along Anzac Parade and on through Commonwealth Park where they are setting up floriade which will open to the public in a couple of weeks. It was good to have enjoyable company and the rain held off so that we could run slightly further than we have lately on Wednesdays.

Total distance: 11km

Time taken: 1:11

Average pace per km: 6:28

Thursday with the speedygeese

After work I quickly changed into my running gear in the very fancy changing area downstairs in our brand new office block before driving to Dickson Oval to join the speedygeese training. I haven't been to Thursday training for ages, the main reason being that the oval keeps being closed due to rain. We really have had a lot of rain over the past few weeks. There were 13 of us including our speedycoach.

After a couple of warm up loops of the oval the main session consisted of inverse pyramids with reverse recoveries. These were:

80secs fast/60 slow; 60fast/40slow; 40fast/20slow; 20fast/40 slow; 40fast/60slow; 60fast/80slow; 80 fast.

Fortunately we just listened for speedygeoff's whistle to know when to change speed!

After a short break we ran 440m fast/440m jog x two.

We finished with another warm down loop of the oval.

I felt like a bloated slug and was by far the slowest tonight. I had far too much soup at lunchtime and that was a big mistake. I'll remember just to have a sandwich next Thursday.

Total distance: 8km on a surprisingly warm evening.