I am exhausted = best feeling in the world!!!!

I can't believe the difference a week makes (and some kick ass drugs!!!)

Thursday - 5.5km no pain felt good
Friday - rest day
Saturday - 13km. First few were okay but then felt niggles for the rest of the remaining 10km. Didn't get progressively worse but made me consider I wasn't as in good shape as I thought I was.
**Started Celebrax today**
Sunday - BRRC 10 Miler Race. All up I ran 21km. A good warm up and a little cool down. Took the race steady and didn't go any faster than 4:30min/km. Had a toilet stop but felt really good and NO niggles.
Monday - 39km (double up day - I'm not THAT Crazy)
Tuesday - rest day...go figure!
Wednesday - 14km @ 4:55 pace

So out of all the above I guess I am now feeling like I am actually going to really make it to NY!

The Monday session was amazing. I have some very crazy friends who - despite racing on Sunday a half marathon - came out to run 27km on the 27th August for my birthday. It was a tough run as we were all three of us exhausted. But we did it. It felt so good to stop!! The protein drink afterwards didn't hit the sides - just went straight down. My feet were blistered but that was left over from the run yesterday and some strange footwear I wore. I think all over my body was just tired.

Here we are at 6am halfway through our 27km run.

THEN
I had a great idea to double up and do another 12km that afternoon so it was 39km for my 39th Birthday. Woohoo what a great idea. Wait...where are my friends?? Ha in all seriousness I could never have done that on my own and I will always treasure that evening run with them. It was a very special time.

DESPITE THE FACT that after a pint or two at the pub we were ready to head off and Mark decided he would decorate us all in something he had 'prepared earlier'. So off we trotted all glammed up in helium balloons and Happy Birthday banners (and a big fucking badge!) to run 12km across the Story Bridge and through the CBD. AWESOME.

 At the Ship Inn ready to rumble.

On the Story Bridge with the view of Brisbane City in the background. And my big Fucking Badge@!! (you try run with it for 12km and see what you call it!)

All the Support in the World....

So much for a running blog - there's not been much of that!!!!!

Saturday No running
Sunday No Running
Monday 8 x 100m - pain free
Tuesday No running (2nd Phsyio appt)
Wednesday 2km pain free + 60min brisk walk as a warm up

Massage today with cupping and finally I am feeling like I am getting on top of this.

I have the all clear to run now after doing my appointments and the improvements being so drastic. I have one of the lucky bodies that will throw an injury when things are out of whack..but it doesn't take long to get back into whack and the injury to hide itself until next time.

The focus is regular massage, core strength and for now - a gentle increase to my mileage as I come back.

The coaches at NYRR have been great and have come back to me with a revised program to ignore all speedwork for 2-3 weeks My flex day must be a rest day (so only running 4 days a week). I am to do all the prescribed sessions in my program but only following the mileage (ignore the pacing and/or hill efforts). They have dropped me back to the Conservative program (uuugggh) until I am fully cleared and back up to running 65+km a week (ie 5 days). I'm guessing if I do this sensibly that will take me three weeks. Knowing me next week will be a big week.
Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk

I really really really want to be a runner!

Being injured is mental torture. I seriously am doing all I can to avoid focusing on anything negative. My beautiful husband has assured me that walking the New York Marathon is going to be an amazing experience. I don't WANT to friggen walk a marathon. (but bless him for trying to make me feel better) I want to push my body till it drops from exhaustion and I have the endorphin rush and a sense of achievement from accomplishing something truly amazing. I want to run!!!

Being injured it is more important that I blog what I am doing.
Saturday - 20km easy 5:10 pace. Felt great to be out there running.
Sunday - 4km easy - working at the Brisbane Half Marathon. Such an inspiring day!
Monday - Rest
Tuesday - 21km with Tesso @ 5:05 pace. A great run to remind me why I love running and that I have great friends.
Wednesday - Rest - still working on running every second day
Thursday - 19km @ 5:12 pace. Had planned on running further but my calf felt a bit weird and Tesso and Gooner were quite tired and wanted to turn back. They had big days yesterday.
Friday - Rest

August 11-17th
Saturday - 8km easy 5:13 pace. Felt great to be out there running. Getting excited about tomorrow.
Sunday - 11km including 4km easy 5km BRRC Race (20:59) and 2km cool down.
Monday -  14km @ 5:22 pace. Had to drop the car off to get serviced so ran into work. Woohoo what fun!
Tuesday - 11km. 3.5km warm up easy 6 x 1km repeats on the track (4:30 pace to mimic race pace) 100m sprint in which I felt my hammy curl up in pain. I stretched and we ran a few laps very very very slowly to cool down and get the pain out of my leg. FURIOUS WITH MYSELF for doing the 100m sprint.
Wednesday - Attempt to run. Did 9km before the hammy refused to budge. It was on hills out to Lone Pine so again - I was silly. Walked a few km before the ambulance came to get me (thanks Gooner!)
Thursday - Rest Injured
Friday - Rest Suicidal

Off to physio in a few hours to get correct diagnosis and onto a course for treatment. mmmm how to tell the boss I'll be away all afternoon.....

An Olympic Effort

Today was truly amazing. If you can just ignore the times for a moment and consider all the action - it truly makes for such a fantastic day out.

I arrived early to Brisbane Road Runners for a 5km Race. With my injury and complete lack of speedwork for three weeks I had to complete a 5km race to get my NY Marathon Plan realigned with where I was at. So regardless of what I would like to have achieved I just had to run my hardest and do the best I can. I was given a target of 1940-20:30 to aim for. Holy Moly that is fast (for where I am at).

I did the prescribed warm up of 4km very easy. Toilet break, some run throughs and was feeling eager to see what the body could do.
Standing at the start line felt a bit silly. There was less than 50 people in the race as most had decided to do the 10/15km option that started 30mins earlier. Regardless I was not here to compete, I was here for a time.

The time came and off I went. First female out of the block (I honestly was worried about the young little girls lined up in front that seem to run SOOO fast!). 
The slower runners in the earlier race (on the same course) proved to be good targets to just keep passing. It was amusing to be overtaking so many people so early on.

At the halfway mark I took note that I was first female. There was a group of men only 100m ahead of me so I tried to keep with them. I lost a bit of time at the turn around as it slowly goes uphill for a bit and I mentally sagged as I had no one chasing me and no one really to chase but then I picked it up. Soon I past the guy that was coming third. The other two were in front of me. They grabbed water at the water station - so I did too. Mistake of mine but I was trying to do everything they do. It didnt go down so well - even just a mouthful that it was - as I was running so hard. I didn't need water so was just a silly move.
With 1km to go I overtook the second male. Woo hoo this was just like the olympics. I was having fun and the feeling was amazing that I just felt so strong and like the fastest woman in the world. (great imagination heh!!).

I gave it everything I had and crossed the line 50m behind the lead male very happy to have finished. Not so happy with the time. It was a slow race - I did 20:59 and subsequently the coaches at NYRR have dropped my goal marathon time and relevant training paces to meet my current standards. A bit devastating but reality hurts and humility is a good teacher. Its an honest snapshot of where I am at and what I am capable of doing. Now to try to work on improving it. I have another race in two weeks and I really really would like to be showing some improvement by then.

It was pretty awesome feeling to be called out as the winner and go up and collect my trophy (sugar bowl). Great way to start the day I must admit.

Now to sit back and enjoy my dinner with the showing of the Olympic 2012 Men's Marathon...after all I know what they are going through. bahahahahaha

It's been a long week

Since last Wednesday I have been struggling to find the secret of healing. I think I have it. I should patent it. I call it DISTRACTION. If your body needs to recovery over time. You need to distract yourself. Get a hobby. Book yourself solid at work. Join a gym. Go on holiday. Whatever it takes.
Next time I might even follow my own advice.

This time around I have done the following:
Wednesday - awesome massage by the Demon (aka Jodi Willett) who pressure pointed my hammy but also rubbed the ITB raw.
No NSAID until I really knew what the issue was.
Thurs - rest
Friday - 6km easy in new shoes
Toasty sent me a book (aka long email) about injuries and what I should be doing etc. I then scoured the internet for information on hammy/ITB injuries and self diagnosed myself.
Saturday - rest. Massage and cupping with the Witchdoctor - Billy helped (my4yo) awwwww
Sunday - 8km easy (at night to extend the rest period). Felt pressure at 3km mark. Pain at 4km mark. Stopped and stretched then headed home. It actually started to get better on the way home. Likely it just didn't get any worse and I was warmed up now and close to home and mentally willing myself to heal and feel no pain.
Monday - Rest
Tuesday - 5km on treadmill and strength session at gym.
Wednesday - Rest. Full body massage more for overall relaxation. Company shout after hectic travel schedule.
Thursday 5km and strength session outdoors. No niggles during run but still not 100% when walking.
Started Celebrex - 2 x 100mg a day for a few days.
Friday - 10km new shoes and great run. Feeling fantastic and like I am actually getting on top of things. This coming week (Sunday to Saturday) in the NYM plan that the NYRR did for me was a down week - ie with low mileage and speed. So I might just throw myself back into that plan (60km week) and then get back on track.

I'll keep you posted.