New Goal

My training is going to be summarised here for reflective and productive purposes.

If anyone has any suggestions on style of what I should be keeping track of let me know. Does anyone think HR is a good indicator? How is this best utilised if so???

21weeks to my next marathon. So Training officially starts in 3 weeks!

Format:

Distance: xxkm
Time: xx:xx
Effort: hard/easy/tempo
Detail: PCRG speed / Long run / Midweek long / Hills

CANBERRA MARATHON 2009

Its over for another year and I can't believe it.

During the race I thought I would be lucky to finish...lucky to not hobble over the line or collapse at the 40km mark. As it turns out...a few days later i am wondering why I did not run harder or look at my time so I could go faster??

I am determined to run hard in my next marathon and give it some guts.

Canberra was always going to be a training event, not necessarily just a training run because I was keen to do as best as i could...but I knew I did not have the legs or fitness to run a hard sub 3:30 as I wish to do this year.

The 42.2km didn't get me. I finished in 3:37:19 and with a strong finish. But I hurt...I hurt alot and for a long time from 20km onwards. I have been thinking of why and how and what for...so here are some thoughts I have come up with as well as a quick summary of my training in the week prior.


On my last 30km training run I developed a sore foot. A very very sore foot. I ended up going to a podiatrist and then for an MRI. I had my shoes altered and after 10 days of no running and lots of mental stress about what to do I was happy to come away with a diagnosis of blunt force trauma (from shoe).

Hence the taper was really that - a no running taper. I didn't get to race my half marathon or my 3k time trial so mentally I had no good indication of what I could achieve in speed under pressure. Though I was happy to not have the stress of racing on me!!!

The week before Canberra I did a speed session at Pats and some light runs over the Easter weekend with no more than 12km each time and at an easy pace finishing at race pace.


THE MARATHON

The night before was a shocker - I had 2 hours sleep thanks to screaming babies and a head cold that came out of nowhere. Flu tablets had zonked me out but my heart rate was going so fast I could not relax even when the babies were quiet.

Race day dawned however and I was feeling relaxed enough. None of the expectations of performing were on me and I had slept well the night before (Friday) so I was in good spirits.

bang the guns went off and Tesso and I were giggling and on our way again!

Okay I admit - I went out too fast. The 3:30 pacer was way ahead of me and I just wanted to keep him in sight. The balloon was out of sight by 6km and I had just ran in under 29mins...so he OBVIOUSLY was way ahead of his 5min/km pace!!!!

Everyone around me was telling me to forget him but I couldn't. My goal hadn't been to watch the clock..I was not prepared to calculate splits or pace..I had just wanted to run with the pacer in sight and see what I could do. So mentally I was at a loss and just kept running as best I could. Unfortunately going out to fast I hurt when I finally caught up to the pacer at 16km as he had started to ease up by now. I got in front but was hurting so just sat with him. At halfway mark we were at 1:43:00. I sat with him till perhaps the 30km mark and then sagged behind. My foot was really hurting and I had to stop and adjust my shoe. I think it was an excuse to stop running.

I loved my gus at 12k and 25k and the V i had at the 35km mark. Not sure if I should have taken anything else but my stomach was great and no upsets at all which suprised me! The V was a bit hard to swallow but it switched on the strong finish I badly needed.

Somewhere in the last 7km I did a 6min km - Not sure if this is where I adjusted my shoe or not but the garmin tells a shocking story. The last few km after I saw my family and then Katie I got really revved up and ran home in reasonable form. I even managed a strong run in the last 1km to finish strongly.

I was very dizzy afterwards and really sleepy...finally the flu tablets were closing my eyes and I excused myself from the celebrations and went home to sleep the sleep of the dead.
Thankfully I was back a few hours later to get some drinks into me and see everyone else and hear their stories.

Canberra is such a wonderful event and it is more about your own personal race...it is the race of so many others out there that affect you too. I recall two other runners on the course that made my day - a girl who was in front of me the whole way and stopped with just 4km to go (sore leg). I made her run again and she took off which gave me something to follow..also a guy who was really struggling and I held his arm and pulled him along. I am sure he was swearing at me..but he continued on to and I have some hope that I was able to get them through their thoughts of their own pain to continue on to finish.

Then there are all the wonderful, exciting stories....Luckylegs looking so strong...Uncle Dave finishing FIRST in a time of 2:26..Tesso trying to sneak up on me....Eddie trying to sneak up on Glenno (and succeeding!!!) Bad Andys first marathon, Wattos fastest marathon, Glennos PB for ages, Robbies support and 10km race, Katie...well what can I say about her - BEST DAMN SUPPORTER YOU EVER DID SEE. (trust me - if you saw her on the day you will know what I am talking about!!!!!)

Over the hump I think...

Ran every day this week.

Thanks for all the comments and emails. I must have seriously misinformed you all.

This CANBERRA Marathon is not going to be fast. I am doing reasonable mileage and hopefully will finish in good form but the goal is just SUB 3:45. Not really in shape for anywhere close to my last run there. I just don't have any speed at the moment but am working on it and that will be my focus once this mara is done.

Monday - 5km QLD Masters 5000m Track Event - this was hard after a big week and the 38km on Saturday. I went out hard for the first 500m and then slammed on the brakes. Ran 22:00 exact. Happy I was able to finish though the legs were really really tired. Best of all - a GOLD Medal YAH!

Tuesday - 15km PCRG. Wore the garmin today to see how far I was running. Tess and I did a run of 4km before the session and then did some efforts in the gardens.
2min, 1min 2min 30sec rest then repeat. Then final 4min effort. The 4 min effort was tough. I was exhausted from the race the previous night but also it was at the end of the session. I went out a bit slow but was happy that I was able to bring it home strong.

Wednesday - 17km. Was meant to do a double up day today and run another 8-10km at night but never got the opportunity. I was very tired and my work was suffering. I just went home and slept.

Thursday - 15km. A great session. I was feeling tired but starting to get really used to it. Did the pre-warm up with Tess and this felt better than early in the week. Following that we did the PCRG warmup, some strides and then 3 x 1km and 2 x 500m followed by a cool down.

Friday - 8km. Was a good run. I love running this route. It is over so quick and doesn't take too much out of you but you can work it hard still. Today I didn't push hard as I was pushing the pram instead and that took all my concentration. I felt good but still felt like I was not taking it too easy. Including back to the car distance was 9km but we ran a solid 8km.

Tomorrow morning a final big one before I can settle into an easy week.

Toughest Week All Year!

Canberra is looming and the doubts are surfacing. I am not very worried as i just want to finish and am confident of a sub 3:45 goal. Hopefully on the day I will be in a better position to get as close to a 3:30 goal as I can. Here is my training 5 weeks out.


Friday - 8km easy

Saturday - 35km riverloop at 5:14 pace. Was very humid to start and turned out to be a long day at the office..I was just glad to finish this one and still be able to walk. The Riverloop is quite hilly in places which can be good and work all parts of your legs..it can also be hell and throw a hill at you just when you feel like walking.

Sunday - rest Was meant to run today but just could not be motivated.

Monday - 8km hilly

Tuesday - 14km PCRG speed session after 5km pre-run with Tesso


Wednesday - AM 20km - Ship Inn to Tennyson Tennis Centre and back
PM 8km easy run with Pram

Thursday - 7.5km hills Didn't look at the time but worked hard going up the hills and took it easy coming down. Ran easy the rest of the kms.

Friday - Rest

Saturday - 38km Avg 5:20 pace. From Ship Inn out via dockside to New Farm Park then beyond to Port of Brisbane and back. A few stops for water and a gu at 25km. Felt unreasonably good the whole way. Bit of a highlight for me this month. I actually really enjoyed this run!

Sunday - REST!!!!!!!!!!

95km Week from Monday to Saturday. I had the goal of getting to 100km but with sore legs on Saturday decided to rest on Sunday. Friday was also meant to run but I was a bit worried about the 38km run the next day - turns out it was the best run of the week! Looking forward to doing that again this weekend.

4 weeks to go~~~!

Tuesday and Wednesday

About 5 weeks to go to Canberra Marathon now.

12km Hill session at PCRG Tuesday morning after a 3km warm up with Tesso. It was great to do hills and I was pleasantly suprised to have this session so soon after the last one. I felt good running but was a bit confused about where to go-admittedly I just followed the person in front of me but my body kept wanting to go another direction! The last few hills were really painful trying to push a stitch out but I was getting my breath back on the downhills and pushing as hard as I could on the uphills. Legs felt great, just lung capacity was holding me back.

Wednesday - 20km Running Buddies headed out at 4:45am in the dark, cold rain. It was yucky. Normally I think i would have just stopped noticing it - I actually like the rain - however my skirt was getting heavy and nearly falling down with the weight of being soaking wet which made my run a bit awkward. Thankfully it made the full 20km with a few water breaks giving me the opportunity to yank it back up to my ears :)

Yah! I did it!!!

Tuesday 3rd March
Time Trial this morning. I was going to push myself but when it turned out to be so hot and humid I decided to just run how I felt. As it turned out I ran the 12:30 (exact) that I wanted. Yah. Big thanks to Tesso who was in front of me the whole way and gave me something to chase. Also, big thanks to the fella who was pushing me all the way - clap on the back to Mat OBrien for his efforts and supportive words.

okay..so now what have I been up to since I last posted...mmmm

16/2 - Rest
17/2 - PCRG Hill Session
18/2 - 18km Hilly Run with Running Buddies
19/2 - 8km
20/2 - rest
21/2 - 23km..was meant to be 34km but totally died. Leg felt like ITB was coming on so I took the option to finish early.
22/2 - rest
23/2 - 10,000m Track QLD Masters Champs. Felt great, tough run but no leg pain.
24/2 - rest - BRUNO Massage oooohhhh boyyy
25/2 - 28/2 rest Not becuase of my leg but Billy was very ill and I just could not get out of the house.
1/3 - BRRC Half Marathon. I wasn't feeling too good for this but determined to do the distance because I had had so much time off. It was good to be running but I just felt crap for most of it. 1:46:44 including a toilet break.
2/3 - rest
3/3 - PCRG Time Trial (see first paragraph)
4/3 - 20km. Oh my gosh this felt good to be running but afterwards I was totally exhausted. Most of my runs lately have been races and it is really started to wear me down. The 5:15 pace we were running at seemed like sub 5min. It was very hot and humid so I expected it to be tough but I was tired for the rest of the day!!
5-7/3 rest days
7/3 - 7km warm up. Oxfam Half Marathon. I felt great running this so was happier than the race last weekend. 1:43:30
8/3 - 8km easy - gosh when was the last time I did an easy run????????????
9/3 - rest day

Friday was a rest day...then...WHAM!!!

No it wasn't disco 80s music I was hit by...it was the high mileage weekend.

Saturday we planned on doing a riverloop as per previously, though once we had gone past the Regatta (from Ship Inn) someone (aka MARK HEWITT) decided we should run into St Lucia Uni and then go out to Lone Pine Sanctuary...he gracefully acknowledged we would have to run the short way home.

When we got to Lone Pine it was approx 22km..that meant it was going to be a very long day indeed.

Back to the Regatta via the shortest route we all agreed on and then back to the Ship Inn. All up 37km. It was tough - raining all the way but saying that - it was cool and very enjoyable.

Sunday - BRRC had a 10Miler (16.1km). Tesso and I ran it just to get the long run out of our legs. It was, again, quite enjoyable. Tiring but good to be able to run and I certainly didn't feel like I should have with all that mileage in two days.

Now I just feel wasted. :)

Garmin = 53.5km

Thursday

Tested out the new tyre on the pram this morning - Man I am good!

Ran with Billy for 8km. It was slow but I was out for an easy run to get the hills out of my legs. Going to rest up now in preparation for a big one on Saturday.

Time to look at my food and how I am preparing for my big sessions in the way of diet and sleep and other issues.

As a wonderful nice point for me..I jumped on the scales this morning and am finally within a kg of my pre baby weight. I don't have the same shape.....and never will again...but my weight can now no longer be blamed on Billy :)
Lent is nearly here so time enough for cutting out all the foods I love which will aid me in my Canberra goal.

Heh guys - I won't be running GC Marathon. Am hoping to run a fast half. Goal for Canberra is still 3:30 which may change pending form closer to the race.

10 Weeks to Canberra

Gosh...not yet in single digit weeks...but getting there!

Last week as most of you know I was poisoned at work...okay so really I had some food poisoning or a 24hr virus and it had nothing to do with the guys at work :) Either way at lunch after the TT i was at my desk being violently ill. It took me all week to recover.

Saturday I went out for a run not feeling particularly good when I started but did the first 13km in good spirits and form. I turned around on my own thinking I would not make much further and sure enough soon after I felt terrible. I went home soooooo slowly I turned the garmin off in disgust. I even (ssshhhh) walked a bit!!!! NEVER!!! All up it was 26km (obviously) but a shocking run.

Strangely enough it seemed to be the corner I was waiting to turn.

Tuesday at speedwork was great. I felt really good throughout it all. My focus was on breathing and pushing my legs as fast as they could go as there was no way my breathing could get any worse yet my legs were quite comfortable and not 'burning'. All too soon the session was over so I was a bit disappointed but looking back - I had a lot of rest days and was incredibly pumped to run strong. Must remember to be sick more often (NOT!)

Wednesday - Today. Due to family reasons (aka BABY) I had to run around home this morning. Set out with Billy in the pram and laugh laugh laugh we had a flat tyre. I didn't even know that was possible. I somehow managed to shear off the the valve which totally deflated the wheel. I was veering to the left continuously and after 4km I got home quite annoyed but grateful I didn't go any longer as it was hard on the body to get a 16kg baby in a 7kg pram home that wanted to go in only one direction.
Tonight I have done a hilly 10km and feel really good for it. (1km warm up 3 x 2.5km hill loops, 2km warm down) I worked hard and though didn't push myself as I would if others were with me I was ecstatic at the chance to get out for a run so took advantage of it and didn't waste the opportunity.

Now off to bed! Need lots of sleep for the big 90+km weeks coming.

3k Time Trial

13:08 today.

Pushed hard but wasn't flat out. I ran consistently and was happy with my run after the mileage on the weekend. Hopefully...the goal...for next time....is SUB12:30. I am fairly confident I can do that.

All up 9kms. Legs are feeling quite worn out thank you very much.

Forrest Clairie

Ha Ha someome made that comment on facebook and it certainly felt like it. After two rest days on Thurs/Fri I was prepared to do the hard yards on Saturday.

Started out at Ship Inn at 5am with the crew, we moved out at a leisurely pace and it felt great to be running with the crew instead of sprinting!!
We were chatting and laughing and making fun of everyone so before you knew it the km's were fast ticking over. The weather was hot but overcast so just perfect in my opinion.

I asked if we could run via the uni and do the Riverloop. That way we didn't have to tack on the West End component at the end of the run. It was lovely to do a different run for a change. It was all very hilly and I was running by myself for most of it. Glenn was ahead with Andrew and I had two Andrews behind me. I was piggy in the middle....yes I was missing Tesso!

At St Lucia Golf Club the guys didn't believe me we were only at 11.5km - it felt like we had been running all day.

Much later at 21km mark we arrived at the BP in Yeronga and stopped for a quickie. Glenn and Andrew went in and got a cold gatorade...it was heavenly. After that we trotted off through Yeronga and along the river and up to the end of the Green Bridge. That hill up was a killer!

Going up Highgate Hill was ok, I was in the zone and just focussing on how last week I had to walk up it..this week I was just determined to get through it. So there I was in the zone when someone from behind grabbed me and yelled (really loud) "DON'T EVEN THINK OF WALKING" I thought I was being mugged or killed and just screamed. Andy Clowes won't be doing that again! I think I scared him more! Anyhow....interesting to see the boys up ahead didn't even blink an eyelid....

At the top of the hill was decision time. Straight home for a 28.5km run or West End for a 34km? I went to West End. I had promised myself it I could get through Yeronga in once peice I should keep going - so I did.

It was great running to Orleigh Park and then along Riverside Drive..but as soon as we got to the rowing shed I started feeling real bad. I stopped for water (even though I had some on me) and started going again. My legs were really heavy.

Along riverside drive and then all of a sudden I was at the walkway going around the milk factory. At the top of the temp path I just stopped. My calves were on fire..I stretched them out but thought there was no way I could run any further. At 31.5km I had reached my end. I walked for about 3mins and then could see the river again and the wooden walkway..it was a sign of nearing home. I started running and felt much better. What on earth was I thinking before...this felt good! I had some music on and was happy to be almost finished. Up ahead the launch of the dragon boat festival was happening. I was about to detour but a marshall told me to go through and they would give way to pedestrians. Well he should have mentioned it was in the middle of the blessing ceremony and the monks were all chanting. I felt bad running through so slowed to a walk and courteously went to the side...I smelt so bad I am sure and was red faced and sweaty..I wish I had detoured.

anyhow another km down the road and I had finished. 33.9km on the Garmin but I'm rounding it to 34km. The average km said 5:27min/km but with the walking and the hills I know we ran most of it closer to 5:15min/km. Along riverside I am sure I was running 6min/km for that last km. It certainly felt slow!
My longest run in two years! I was exhausted all afteroon with tired legs but as Tesso said it was a "good tired" that I was feeling!

Sunday was a rest day. The legs felt great and for that I was thankful.

Running Catchup

Wednesday: Hard run. 8km around home but it was hot and hilly and I was all over place. Not happy with this one at all. Only good thing was another few km to put in the bank.

Thursday: 8km easy run around home with pram. Much better feeling.

Friday: off

Saturday: 27km (thanks Tesso!) we got a bit lost on the short river loop so ended up doing another few km. It was all good and hours after the run I was glad we had done the extra distance. Though it was the hottest day I have ever run on in according to heat & humidity. Even though we started at 5am it seemed to be high on both counts. 3/4 of the way into the run I wrung out my socks and they were dripping with water. So squelching around the roads was not a fun experience but I got through it.
All up we did a decent pace for the conditions and I was really happy with this run.

Sunday / Monday: Rest days - not planned but due to travelling and drinking in Ballina it was necessary :)

Tuesday: Back at Pats. Session was 1min (30sec) x 4 then standing recovery. REPEAT. at the finish we did another 1min fast. I ran well and was happy with my pacing - which is what I was focusing on. I ran the cool down with Glenda and Matty so it seemed like a really long speed session. A great PCRG session and made me feel great all day.

Wednesday: OMG why do I do this??? Up early and out running. Did 19km in 5:05min/km pace. It was the Green Bridge loop home via West End (18.5km) plus a bit at the end. It was hard going and we were running fast. The course has some hills and inclines that make it interesting but also tax you when the weather is so hot and humid. I was really looking forward to finishing this run.

PCRG - a struggle

Was busting to get out there and do some hard work today... Didn't quite work out that way.
I was running with the pram and due to the large number of people I ran at the back..however these people tend to be slower than what I am capable of so I was stuck with 2 choices:
Run past them and get amongst those running at my pace (possibly dodging legs with the pram)
Hang back and run conservatively

I did the second option but got shitty about it so turned around and did some hill work on my own. Tried to do 10 reps but I was only halfway through when Pat finished the session. He had a final 90sec out and 90sec back, not everyone was doing it so I was able to get someone (thanks Sara) to watch Billy whilst I did that leg. It was great and I wish it could have gone on longer (ha ha no I don't what am I saying!!!)

After the cooldown I was feeling good but a bit unsatisfied.

Next time I will just take the first option. If anyone complains I will reassess. Mostly the group is very understanding/accommodating with Billy and I but I am hearing more and more regulars complaining about the crowds at the Tuesday sessions. I guess that includes prams too heh!

Weekend Running

Saturday was a great run, we managed to get out early and do just over 4km before meeting back up with everyone at the Ship Inn.
All in all we finished after a couple of hours and completed 23km. It was extremely humid at the beginning of the run but I drank heaps and maintained my hydration which made me feel great for a change.

Sunday - BRRC 14k Club Champs.
I wasn't too keen to get out there again after the heat and distance yesterday but once I was running it all eased into place. We had to do 3 loops, 1 x 4km and 2 x 5km. I was feeling the pain of it all on the second loop but funny enough came good again in the final loop. Nothing like the smell of the finish line to motivate you!
After the run I felt really good and was glad I had got out there. I didn't do the time I wanted (was planning to go 5min/km) but I was still happy to finish without walking and feeling relatively good.

Monday - rest day. I feel great and am looking forward to speed work tomorrow. mmmm maybe I could have run faster yesterday..!!??

Mid Week Murder

After skipping out on the PCRG run yesterday I felt guilty enough to motivate me to get out for a run in the arvo heat.
Managed 7.5km in 5:30min/km pace. I was happy because it was a very hilly run and I felt comfortable the whole way. No pressure and really enjoyed it. The body was still very sore from the massage though.

This morning I met up with the buddies at 5:15am for a 15km run. Good thing I had the garmin...we got to the turn around to find it was only 6.2km so we heading out further until it said 7.5km and then came home. All up 15km at 5:02min/km pace. I was pushing it the whole way, mostly because I was stiff and sore but also because I have not done much speed work so the run felt like I was in a 10km race most of the way!! I hung back and put the ipod on for 3 or 4 songs to get me motivated to finish strong (ie mute my heavy breathing from my ears).

Despite the hard run I am sitting at my desk feeling bloody wonderful and wondering why I even stopped running. I love this high and wish I could bottle it so I can remind myself in the middle of a long run.

NOTE: It was way cool in a 'runner' type of way to say to my work buddies this morning..."since you saw me yesterday I have run a half marathon..." Well I had to say something to explain why I am moving so slowly around the office!!!!!!

Weekend Running

Got my new Garmin 305 and took it out for a test drive on Saturday.

We did 18km in 5:17min/km pace. It was a good run. I kept feeling like needing to go to the toilet the whole way but I think it was the lack of good food the day before. Will try to fix that this week.

Sunday I raced at BRRC. It was a 10k - No Watch Run...arrgh. I had programmed the Garmin to do a 48:30 training run with me but with no watch allowed I decided to run at what was comfortable but faster than long run pace. I ended up with a time of 49:21 which I was disappointed with. I certainly am dreading how I am going to do a whole marathon at 4:55 pace..which is what I would love to do. But that was a secret so keep it to yourselves please :))))

After a rest day Monday this morning was supposed to be a PCRG speed session. However with Billy having food poisoning and being up all night..the rest of us have a mild case of it but nothing serious...I was not able to leave him with the kids. I will get out tonight to go for a run but it is never as motivating as Pats Group.

Been for a massage today with Bruno...geez Lousie that was tough. Feel like I have been hit by a train so running over the next two days will be just getting through the km with no focus on speed.

9km PCRG Session

Second speed session in a week woohoo.

It felt great to be out there again. Just like I was a real runner :)

After the longer warmup we ran out along the floating boardwalk 2min (30sec walk) 2min (30sec walk) 2min stop.
Race back to the beginning but with only 6min on the clock and try to get to where you started from. It was a tough session, I guess you could go as hard as you wanted depending what you wanted to get out of it. I figured I was there for a reason and that was to get faster so fast I went. It was hard and I was no-where near where I would have been a couple of years ago....but I was working it. I know I won't be able to get to two PCRG speed sessions every week!

On the warm down coming home I ran with Tesso but I was struggling. The session started to really hit me and I just held on to the pace she was running.I couldn't talk so just kept nodding as we went along.

Right now....I feel great and very much alive.

8km - PCRG

Speed session in the gardens. Worked my butt off. It was hills hills and more hills...but I loved it. I really like hill work.

The recovery on the downhills were VERY welcome but still I loved being able to do something that was pushing me to my limits. Even better was having others to run with to chase and motivate me when the going got tough.

Happy New Year: 2009

Time to get serious and that means blogging. I always train better when I have to record what it is I actually do!

Lets just so the past few months have been erratic in my training. Whilst I have continued to run weekly, it has been hit and miss. Some weeks I trained 6 days. Other weeks just once. Not really the best for someone trying to get back into a habit and get focussed.

This year the goals are:

Canberra Marathon - complete it in one piece
Brisbane Marathon - sub 3:20
Gold Coast Half - sub 1:35

I would honestly be happy if I just got through this year with no injuries and being able to run regularly with at least one PCRG session each week, and a decent long run.

Currently here is a summary of where I am at now for the record:

Long run - 2hrs comfortably but suffering with heat a bit. Enjoy the long runs but love stopping for water every 20mins for a few sec!!
Can't handle Gu or anything in the stomach so must do some runs with that in mind.
No speed whatsoever. Can't really run fast anymore. Working on this by getting to more speed sessions and slowly building it up. Don't have time to build mileage and speed seperately if I want to run a sub 3:20 later this year....so throwing both into the mix...in a reasonable manner.

Love running with my buddies on the weekend so that will be my main run each week.

Have goals for the time trials on the first Tuesday of each month but I'll keep them secret for now.

Have done training program for Canberra to get me across the line. Will note down here what I manage to achieve each week.

Hope everyone has a great year of running and training and meets their goals and expectations...see you out there on the road.

240km - 7km - 16km - 9km - 8km = 200km

Couple of boring runs around the local neighbourhood because I could not get to Pats for any speedwork. Billy turned 1 (can you believe it has been a year!!) and rada rada rada...

Long run last weekend was quite short at 16km but fast! Was under 5min/km and I hurt the whole way and the whole week after!!

Tuesday was 9km - including 3km Time Trial. I am so pleased to report I ran a PB PB (thats a Post Baby Personal Best). Thankfully I was paced by Matt and Scotty who were still healing after Melbourne Marathon and they kept me honest the whole way even though I sounded (and most likely looked) like I was having an asthma attach. Ended up crossing the line in 12:43. Incidentally Pat called out 11:43 by error and I was transported into another space and gaped and Matt and almost hit him for making me run so fast...until Pat laughed and corrected himself. Not having a watch on I had no idea how fast we had gone.
First km was 4:03min, second was 4:29!! then brought it home in 4:11..still think we went out too hard but who cares - I was happy with the result!!!

273km - 18km - 15km = 240km

A big weekend and I am feeling fantastic...because I just love that exhausted feeling! It has been sooo long since I have felt like this.

Saturday - 18km Green Bridge loop - first 5km was a bit fast and I was just clinging on for dear life...but after a water stop and a slackening off in the pace I was pretty happy with the run. Best thing? Finishing!!

Sunday - BRRC 15km. Was crap to be running with Tesso on the sidelines cheering me. Apart from that it was fun to be out there again. Having no expectations and just wanting to back up from yesterday I was very happy with a 1:16:20 give or take a few sec. I didn't wear a watch and just ran how I felt..I wasn't go as fast as I could but I lasted feeling good and maybe if I had gone faster earlier on I would have crashed and burned on concrete legs? Who cares - I finished and was very happy! Thanks to Fi for putting up with all the whinging about the music on my ipod :)

299.5km - 9km - 8km - 9.5km =273km

Tuesday - 9km speed session. Totally forgot what it was like to turn up to a speed session on tired legs from a race on the weekend. Even though I didn't run fast on Sunday...it was hard and long for me. The legs feel it now.
The long warm up made me wish I had stayed in bed but once the faster stuff started I felt better. A short cool down and I was done!

Thursday - My hip has started to ache so I gave up the idea of running this morning and rang Bruno for a massage instead.

Monday - 8km running with the pram. Tough stuff. Why does this running caper seem so hard all of a sudden?

Tuesday - 10km. West End 3 x 4m with a 3k warm up/down. I started to get a headache at the last rep and was very red in the face but apart from that I was enjoying the session. I think maybe dehydrated??

329.5km - 10km - 20km = 299.5km

Thursday - back at Pats. It really hurt today. I busted my gut and I know that is what speedwork is all about but honestly....tell me it gets easier!!!!
2min, 3min, 2min, 3min 4min, with 30sec rest in between (yeah right!). It was good but the long warm up/cool down was killing me by the end and I was ready to sit.

Sunday - BRRC 20km. Not quite the middle of summer but you could have fooled me this morning. I was hot out there! Didn't drink nearly enough water and felt unwell for the majority of the race. Due to the lack of female competition I ended up coming in second place which was amusing. 1:48 dragged the feet in the first and last lap and ran around 5:15/5:25 pace for the middle two laps.

Have been at the RAAF Open Day at Amberley watching the last of the F1-11 scare the crap out of Billy. We had a great day out but my legs are burnt and I am so tired and sore from the run this morning and all the walking around. I am scared if I lay down I will never get up again.....

Time for a days rest!

357km - 10 - 17.5= 329.5km

Tuesday - 10km Man a hard speed session this one! Honestly felt like I was going to throw up. Tesso was walking around the gardens with Billy so I was able to focus and put in some effort. I was really happy with how I was going...it was just how I was FEELING that made me realise how further I have to go to get back to good fitness.

Saturday - 17.5km Slowly inching my way up to some decent mileage for the Saturday run. I will be happy when I can run 25km and finish without collapsing for the weekend.

Had Sun/Mon off to ease the legs before the time trial this morning but due to home circumstances (aka teething baby...departing husband...school holidays...end of quarter) it all got too much and 5mins from leaving home I broke down and stayed wiht my sooky bub. I was wrought at the time but dealing with it all now.
Having a tea break at work (busiest day of the year), Billy's temp is down and he seems happy when I check in on him and (very importantly) I have promised myself I will get out for a run tonight.

I have to stop feeling like I have to achieve everything and select a few things that are important to me and focus on them and not put so much onto the day to day training/racing....in other words the focus should be on things like KURRAWA and CANBERRA!!!

390km - 7 - 10 - 16 = 357km

Tuesday - 7km. A Hill session with the pram at PCRG. OM! You have not lived until you attempt this one...I had to cut short the cool down due to dead legs and lack of energy.
Thursday - 10km Toughest Speed Session Ever. 3.5km warm up. 3min x 4 sprints (Pat stood there and yelled at us so there was no slacking off) A final 500m effort before the 3.5km trek back. I was rooted. It was so exhausting and did no talking on the way back. Tesso was great - she came along to the session just so she could walk Billy in the pram. They both went off and did their thing (she was teaching him how to say TESS and PAT...) and I went off on the speed session. We joined up at the finish and had a chat...and yes she did give Billy back to me :)
Saturday - 16.3km - 5:45min/km. A tough run around the Green Bridge loop in the 94% humidity. It was a hard day out there but I was sooo happy to be able to have company on the long run I didn't care. i enjoyed this one and the feeling of exhaustion afterwards was a pleasant one. i just still miss Tess :(

411km - 12 - 9 = 390km

12km Sunday - 9am very hot!!! Felt like a riverloop so kept it shorter than what I had intended. Slow Run.


Tuesday - 3km Time Trial 13:15 woo hooo 45sec faster than last month. mmm will enjoy the big improvements as they come because they will be slowing down reaaalll soooon!!!

A bit of a slack week after the TT...was resting up for B2B but a neck injury (incurred on the dance floor Friday night) saw me crippled for the weekend.

Really looking forward to speed training this week - my first week I was hoping to make a big effort in the long road back to serious training.

424km - 13km=411km

A great way to start the day...running with the Running Buddies around Brisbane watching the sunrise on yet another beautiful day in paradise! 13km around the city...only thing missing was Tesso :(

440.5km-16.5km = 424km

Robin Flower Memorial 10Mile Club Championships + a bit to warm up.

Ffffreeezing first lap eventually got warm...then eventually got worn out ha ha

Not used to the long distance and feel like a train wreck - but incredibly happy to make this race and finish with some satisfaction in 1:20 exact.

448km - 7.5km = 440.5km

so bloomin cold!!!

456km - 8 = 448km

Toughest run yet. Had to walk/run the uphill...but it was SO GREAT to be out running. GPS went a bit haywire but I know the last 2.5km took me 19mins!!

464km - 8km = 456km

Man if only I had said 500minutes not 500km....!!! I'd be there already I am sure!!

469.5km - 4.5km = 464km

..slow but steady. Hilly...very enjoyable.

478km - 8.5km = 469.5km

8.5km around Ballina

486 - 8km = 478km

3km Time Trial...Woohoo. Made myself sick with worry about this. Was soo hoping to get under 15mins and suprised myself with a 14:01. Very happy about that....and very thankful to the fantastic trio - Tesso, Matt and Andrew for getting me across the line and encouraging me the whole way. Thanks Guys - you rock!

490km - 4km = 486km

around the block....yes its a BIG block :)

496km - 6km = 490km

Just a jog around the neighbourhood.

500Km - 4Km=496km

I won't even begin to talk about the pace I ran at :)

500km Challenge

In order to give me a focus and some motivation to get out of the house on these cold chilly days I have decided I want to run 500km. Before you all fall out of your chairs with laughter....read on.

I intend to record my running each day/week and will consider me back in training once I tally the runs to be 500km. This will be a way for me to ease back into running but still encouraging myself to get out the door at least every second day.

It should be interesting as I have avoided blogging about any of my boring run-around-the-blocks and then some days I have just stayed in bed because no one but me cares if I don't run...so hopefully my virtual friends out there will pay me out if I appear to be slacking off too much.

*Waves to you all*

YABBADABBADOOOOOO......

I'm Back...aaaarrrrr FLASH....AAARRRRRR Clairie....(sung to the Flash Gordon music of course...)

mmm okay so it wasn't really that much of an achievement...but it was Fantastic.
I got a stitch, couldn't breathe, my legs were aching and I was smiling the whole time. Weird what we put ourselves through in order to have some fun heh?

Alarm went off at 4.10am this morning and I thought I was nuts. However with Tesso waiting on me I decided I had better get moving. My fat arse hasn't done anything for exactly six weeks since the op so today was MOVEMENT DAY. I got Billy up, fed him, changed him and threw him (= placed gently) in the car. Off we went to PCRG for our first session post op.

Ran with Tesso for the 3km warm up and felt great. Okay we were at the back of the pack and she was almost walking to stay with me but it was wonderful to just be out there with everyone. I did a few minutes whilst everyone went off and did their speed session but I didn't want to push it too much. I mean really if I follow the rules of getting back into it I should'nt be doing more than 10% each week....though how do you start if 10% of nothing always = zero :))))

The cool down was better for me because I was used to the action of running now and I felt I could go forever...until about 500m out from the end and a slight rise (remember I WAS pushing the pram) caused me to groan and ease to a walk for a bit. I didn't have the energy to do any pushups (my arms would have hated me) so I stretched, had a coffee and raced Billy off to care and me to work.

I feel fantastic, exhausted, tired, sore. But this is what I have been missing.

WOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOO

Alls Well...

No it wasn't an April Fools Joke :)

All good in my household. Well apart from being hit with a revolting virus that had the whole household floored. literally I spent Sunday laying in a daze on various beds/floors around the house in between running to the bathroom to be violently ill. This morning I woke up and it was all over THANK GOODNESS I can't bear to be sick.

So now is the good side of recovery. Getting my energy back up today from the Virus and hopefully by the end of this week I will be out for some longer walks to try to regain some fitness. The operation meant I had to have 6 weeks off from any strenuous exercise. For the first two weeks I couldn't even lift my baby - which drove me crazy. Having to wake hubby or my sister up in the night to bring my baby to me was hilarious. I felt like a queen but in reality it was not fun and I wasn't relaxed at all.

Now I am trying to work out how quickly I will be able to build up to a good 2 hour walk and from there onto a run. At least this time I will be able to run from middle of May - which I am sooooo excited about. I can't explain how it has made me feel to be fit but not able to run. I am already starting to dream about the exhaustion and endorphin rush of doing a long run. Man it has been a long time coming but I am going to thoroughly enjoy all the pain of training and slogging it out in the weeks to come. Not taking a single thing for granted any more :) well not for a week at least!!!!

Out of Action

Well tomorrow Wednesday 2nd April is the big day for my operation.

I know enough from my time in nursing to not be a big sook but perhaps too much to know that things can go wrong.

Tomorrow is my first time under a general and I am literally terrified. I have not been able to accomplish much this week and have been teary and/or manic in an effort to avoid thinking of it.
I know it is just one hour of my life and afterwards I will be well looked after with pain relief and hopefully a quick recovery...but nonetheless the thought of something going wrong and me not being here to see my kids grow up, to hear Glenda do a PB at Canberra or even share that bottle of wine with my best buddy Tesso is just gut wrenching.
I have had to consider where I want to be buried, what my husband should do with the kids, what to do with the money (aka debt) and so many other things. Yeah you could be hit by a bus tomorrow and not have all this planned out but knowing in advance something may need you to have this things detailed makes you think about all these things and prepare for the worst scenario.

Anyhow so this post is simply.....a big thanks to all my running mates out there (I am not sure if anyone still reads this blog or not...) and thanks for being there for me and for letting me read all your blogs even if I don't comment much heh heh.

I love you all and please please please....someone make sure Tesso runs her guts out in Canberra and puts all her hard efforts to work.

xxxxx
Clairie

STEADY PCRG RUN

After a relatively sleep deprived night I decided to turn up to Pats for training anyhow....I can't keep using the excuse of not sleeping well to avoid getting out for a run.

Hubby was kind enough to offer to go to work late and hence allow me to run without bub. Though having to wake him up at 4.30am to feed him so I could run empty was a bit tough of the little one :)

I picked a good session to turn up to, it was a 45min steady run. We ran from the Ship Inn over to Dockside, over the Story Bridge and back along the river to the gardens.

The first 20mins was okay but I started to get a stitch/need a break/die of thirst at 25mins so I pulled back a bit and let the faster runners go by.

I had two small walk breaks going over the bridge which really helped. I can honestly say that I am looking forward to doing a hard run and saying at the finish "GOSH THAT WAS TOUGH"... in other words I am waiting for the day when I don't mutter "f*&K THIS IS TOUGH" after just 15mins of running!!! At least it seems more acceptable to say it AFTER the run.

My legs are getting used to running again but I do have to get into the habit of stretching and possibly see what I can do about scheduling a few massages in somewhere to ensure I don't injure the hip or ITB too much this year.

Slow and Steady....

It was a lovely Sunday morning in Brisbane...by that I mean hot, humid and drizzly :)

It was a special farewell run for one of the members at PCRG so we all met up at 5:30am at the Ship Inn to run the Sunday run together. We started out at a nice easy pace - I have to admit to being quite nervous about actually being able to get through the first three kilometres with this group!!! By the time we hit the 5km mark and stopped for a quick top up of water I knew I was not going to last much longer so I decided to turn around with some of the others and head back. I was pretty proud of myself in getting to 5km maintaining a nice steady pace and not walking or gasping for air or anything.

The last km was a killer. We were running past the beach at Southbank and I just wanted to stop and not go any further. However I had to make it all the way back to the start and then turn around and finish at the beach to make it the full 10km. The watch recorded 54mins so I was pretty happy with that - bear in mind I did stop it for the two water stops we had!

So my longest run in many many months and I feel great. The legs are tired, I am tired but I am confident now that I can handle this running caper again. At least I will gain some fitness back before I go back into hospital. I am not looking forward to starting speed training but with me heading back to work this week I guess all good things must come to an end.....and that includes my couch lifestyle of the past 15 weeks!

Another Saturday Passes By....

Again, met up with the Brisbane Running Buddies after several weeks of doing nothing at all. I struggled through but due to time constraints Katy and I managed to do quite a fast (okay we flew) paced walk/run session for just under two hours.

We did the green bridge loop which is around 12km and after sitting down for breaky for 30mins I was almost unable to get up and move again I was that sore!!

Billy joined us for breaky but stayed in bed with Daddy for the run so it was nice to be able to push the pace and see what it felt like without the pram.

I can't wait to be able to do a long run and go for two hours running. I am so far away from doing that but it is a dream that I am clinging to right now.

My Uterus and I

I finally did it - I went out for a run. Not just a pretend jog across a bridge or fast paced walk dressed as a runner. I actually did a run!

I titled the blog post My Uterus and I, because we are separate entities now. With the easy birth of Billy came some internal trauma that I was not aware of. This has obviously affected my return to fitness and will result in me having a hysterectomy in the next two months. I'm okay with that so I thought I would blog it for anyone's future reference to return to running after such an operation.
Anyhow when I have attempted running in the past few weeks I have felt like I was a handbag with coins inside rattling around. I am glad the coins will be soon removed and I can just be an old bag again :)

This morning after the doctors approval I decided to turn up for the Brisbane Road Runners 5km. I planned on attempting to run 6min km. A big feat for someone who hasn't run for 6 months. Whilst I have returned to pre-pregnancy weight almost I am still "soft" and the habit of running has been forgotten by my lungs. It was an interesting experience.

Some things don't change and as soon as the gun went off....so did I. After 200m I slowed it down a bit. The body decided to do that for me anyhow. The first km couldn't come fast enough.....and what the hell was playing on my ipod? I think the kids must have been using it in my absence from running. I almost fell over from the lyrics I heard - and hoped no one else could hear - coming through the earpeices. Will have to find the culprit and put them on a music appreciation course.

Just before the 2km mark there was a water station and I stopped to walk and grab some water. I felt okay but I knew this was going to be real hard. I managed to get walking again - mainly because it was at the start/finish line and people were watching me ha ha. Soon enough the 3km mark came up and I was breathing very hard. A girl running beside me checked her watch and said "15:50" I was running faster than I had intended but was comfortable. Still, I decided to walk for a minute and get my breath back. People went past me and I vowed to try to catch up to them. When I started running on the home stretch I easily caught up to those who had gone past and overtook them. That made me feel good and I knew nothing was going to let me stop now. I started to wheel people in - I had a goal on a girl in pink 500m ahead of me. Secretly (can you keep secrets from yourself???) I knew I couldn't catch her but I thought it would be good spirits to attempt it. Before I knew it I had gone past the corner which signals to me the last 500m. I was out of breath and was hurting. I wanted to sit down and stop this foolishness....but I couldn't. Any second now Tesso would be coming to save me and I had to be at least standing when she did.
Seconds later Tesso and a group of runners came up over the hill on their cooldown to come and bring me home. I got the spirit to run a bit faster and finish the run off. At the top of the hill I could see the finish line and Tess and Liz were cheering me on. It felt awesome and I knew I was going to finish. I just hoped I didn't kill myself in the meantime. Running fast through the finish line just about did kill me! I had a chuck on the grass and alarmed myself at the red vomit...can you run so fast you bleed? Then I remembered the plums I had for breaky ha ha ha.
A glass of water later (thanks Tesso!!!) and I was raring to go again. Well not quite :)

Now I am sore, tired and exhausted - but you know what. Today I got the high I have been looking for the past 6 months. If nothing else that was what I wanted. I'm thrilled to be able to run 5km and just hope that soon it will be less of a task and without the pitstops.

A post baby PB of 26:38 for my uterus and I today for the 5km. Happy with that.

Back at PCRG

Might have only been a 4km walk....but it was a start. My first day back with Pat's group.


It was the first Tuesday of the month so it was Time Trial day. Hence I just walked to the start and then watched and then walked back again. Aside from a pitstop to feed Billy....it all went well. Can't wait to be back in the swing of things and for this to get easier! I was so jealous watching Tesso and others race in to the finish line.


My simple plan (I am a VIRGO so shortly there will be a more complex plan outlined...I just love plans!) is as follows:

Week Beginning:

3rd December - 30km walking
10th December - 30km walking
17th December - 25km walking 10km running
24th December - 25km walking 15km running
31st December - 30km walking 15km running
7th January - 20km walking 20km running
14th January - 30km running
21st January - 40km running
28th January - 20km running
4th February - 45km running - including first speed session
11th February - 50 -60km running
18th February - 50 - 60km running
25th February - 50 - 60km running

The idea is from January any walking that I do is just for fun/fitness and not something I will necessarily keep track of - unless it is intense or overly long.

February I have nominated as the date to start speed work. I had planned earlier but that is just silly and wishful thinking. Best to have a plan that will work without injury. A couple of weeks I have planned to drop back to give the body a rest and I will ensure the following up until March:
2 Rest days a week
1 Rest week a month
No timing aside from general interest in fitness improvement.
As I will be running with Billy in attendance for most of my runs (yet to work that out with hubby) I won't let any weather interruptions upset me. Can someone remind me of that if it rains for a week and I don't get outdoors and go beserk on you all again!!!!

Oh yes and new years resolution is - STICK TO THE PLAN

Coming Back Run # 1

Not quite 6 weeks postnatal but I thought I would go out in my running gear and see what it all felt like.

BIG MISTAKE

After a 10min warm up I decided to try to jog a bit with the pram up the hill...a few things to remember next time:

1: Wear a better sports bra
2: Wear a tight bra OVER the sports bra...just in case
3: Don't try to run until the bra thing is worked out

I expected to feel all loose and flabby but feeling bouncy is a new one for me as I have not had the pleasure of having to cope with running with boobs before.

Apart from that it hurt all over as well and my hips and tummy felt like they were pulling - a weird sensation and not one I would like to repeat. I just am not ready for a run quite yet. I turned the run into a walk and covered 45 mins at a very fast pace. This worked well and my legs felt great and without the bouncing I could have been out there for ages.

I decided I would track my progress for my first 10 attempts at running and watch how I improve.

I'll wait a week before I attempt another run but in the meantime I will look at the bra situation and also continue to do a 45min walk each morning. Fitness first they say :)

Looking forward to meeting up with the Running Buddies this Saturday for a run (walk for me and Billy) and breaky.

oooh progress is going to be oh so slow........ :(((((((

I need help!

Anyone got any great links or tips for me?

I want to start easing back into it next week (4 weeks post baby) and am only allowed to start with walking 1-2hrs a day. That's okay by me, but I was wondering if following two weeks of that, should I just start on a couch to 5km program? Or do I just run easy for as long as I can a few times a week?
I won't be adding in any speedwork until January but am desperate to get out and run and NOT injure myself.

Any advice would be appreciated to assist me to come back, I feel like I have been away forever but when I walk I am really holding myself back from breaking into a run...so I feel ready.

WELCOME TO BILLY BELLENGER

The big event finally happened on Tuesday. Thanks for all your messages on my blog, email and through Tesso. They were all received, it not acknowledged, and got me through the last few days and then the labour itself.

Born at 2:13pm 23rd October weighing in at 8"9oz or just under 4kg. Billy came quickly into the world but not without some pain to his mother. Trust me...being fit does not help you in labour....it actually causes difficulties because all your stomach and pelvic floor muslces work against the contractions and not with them - or so the Obstetrician decided to inform me halfway through.

Billy is beautiful - yes I am very biased and his father and I are proud as punch of our new addition.

Photo below of Mum, Dad and Billy's first night out...Carbo loading at Arrividerci's.

Now...thats it folks....back to a running blog and for me to start my training for Canberra.

BRING IT ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

40 Weeks and Counting.....

If you are wondering why I am looking so harrassed it might be because I sort of thought I would have had this baby by now!!!!

My beautiful little baby has decided to not come out and greet the family so anxious to have a cuddle so doc has scheduled me in for an índucement' on Wednesday 24th October at 6am.

So whilst you are all out there doing a speed session or a mid week run....just think of me huffing and puffing just as much but not really moving far.

Hopefully the next post will have some exciting news to announce to the world :) Aside from Tesso being back in town................ :))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

Latest Update

Now 34weeks but femur testing through the ultrasound shows 35weeks.....mmmm it's all abit hit and miss I think. At least I am reassured bub will be okay if it does come early.

Anyhow all is good. Diabetes test came back negative yesterday and the baby has not grown in last two weeks so that means I won't have a giant....just a big big baby.

In regards to running - the 14k Club Champs are on at BRRC this weekend and as everyone will be running - I put my hand up to be Race Director. I totally forgot GlassHouse run was also on so now I am going to have a hectic weekend racing from Brissy to the North and back.

CR BlueDog and wife Bernie as well as Eagle are all up to run. Bluedog is not doing the 100Miler (thankfully) due to his injury but will instead be running 30km alongside Eagle to pace him and keep company in the last of his 100Mile effort.
Bernie is doing the 30km race that starts Sunday morning. I spoke to them this morning and it is wet and extremely muddy up there so not sure how well the racing will go. Still, it should be fun to watch.

On another note I bought the worlds most expensive pram...not because I am into labels or anything (quite the opposite) but because I am a RUNNER and I had to invest in the best running pram. At the very least I should get a lot of use out of it. I am pretty keen to get fit again as soon as possible. I won't push it (ha ha ha) to get back to running fast or anything but I'd love to be able to go 4km around the block again. I can't believe even walking at the moment is just tiring me!!!!

PS. Kerryn McCann had her baby delivered on Wednesday and is due to start chemo on Monday. I' got an update from Pat but haven't heard anything further about how she is doing. God Bless her and her family.

Big wave to Tesso whom I am missing terribly.......................................

Update - 33 weeks

I'm struggling to waddle at the moment let alone walk or run. I got off the phone from Tesso yesterday and walked in the front door to be confronted with the scary reality of my waters breaking.

With 7 weeks to go not exactly what you want to happen.

I spent last night trying to find someone who would talk to me on the phone whilst I twiddle my thumbs waiting for something more to happen. Hubby was at work and in an interview for some new staff so I coudn't reach him. My backup - ihatetoast/iliketoast were not answering their phone either. mmmmm found out today Tesso was on the line to them. I think she needs shares in Telstra! :)

The hospital staff were not very keen to talk to me despite the big bucks I am paying them. They had 7 women in labour last night alone and didn't want me in there unless I started having contractions or other symptoms.

As it turned out nothing progressed and a checkup today has given me the warning to TAKE IT EASY. ha ha ha ha do they know what deadlines I have at work????
I am having regular checkups now to ensure there is no infection but at least it scared me enough to get my hospital bag packed.

The upside of all this is I missed another chance to catch up with everyone at Pat's. Hopefully I will get through the weekend in one piece (literally) and make it to the 3km time trial on Tuesday. Just to watch and cheer of course.

Kerryn McCann

Tesso rang me yesterday with the devastating news that Kerryn has breast cancer.

It really amazes me the number of people surrounding me that struggle with cancer of one sort or another. It is never good news and I pray hard that Kerryn has successful treatment that can remove the cancer and quickly.

She is 32 weeks pregnant - same as me and due to give birth on 22nd October. However reading the bits of news it would appear they are going to put her into labour early so she can then focus on the cancer treatment.
After 34weeks the baby can be born with no ill side effects as their suckling relexes, breathing etc are all formed by this stage. Any earlier and there are risks the baby may have some difficulties but I am sure she will have the best support and team on hand to assist her through this. Another 10 days and she will be 34 weeks and at a good stage to give birth.

It makes me pause and consider how her family will get through the hard times of a new infant, two other young children and a mum with invasive cancer treatment. I wish the whole family a quick recovery for Kerryn and the strength and joy to all that a new addition to the family can bring.

Best of luck Kerryn. My thoughts are with you.

Bridge to Brisbane 12km

This is what happens when Tesso leaves me all alone....

Photo is in the last 500m of Bridge to Brisbane with Jordan doing her first fun run with me. We took it VERY slowly and walked most of the way. It got warm towards the end so thankfully the race numbers were stickers - which meant I could still get a photo when I took my top off. Also saved me some dignity by covering up the stomach that looks like I ate the runner in front of me.

Farewell Tessooooo

....and the winner is......S Y D N E Y...





The prize is......TESSOOOO





For some strange reason Tess has decided to abandon me and go where the weather is colder, the running is harder and the boyfriend is closer :)





It's okay she's coming back....well she had better come back. This little baby wants to know who Aunty Tess is that I keep talking about!





Was great to get out with the group this morning for a 50min run. Of course I only managed a few km before I had to walk - but I was pumped to find I was overtaking many other walkers out there so pretty happy with that. Tess seemed to think that overtaking people sitting down doesn't count but I'll take all the overtaking I can get these days.





After the jog we had a 1km dash. I got a head start of 1min so I wouldn't get trampled - or left behind. It was great fun to have the really fast people take a while to catch me but when they did it seemed like the whole group went by.





I finished around 5:40 but the last 100m I honestly sprinted hard. It was nice to know that we were finishing with a pancake breakfast in Tess's honour. Made the sprint worthwhile.

Went and picked up my race pack for the Bridge to Brisbane this weekend. If anyone sees a fat chick out there carrying a wide load....say hello because I love seeing you even if it is just as you go past!!!

Gold Coast Half Marathon

I just have to start with saying a big thankyou to Cato!!!!

I started the race very sad because I lost my Aunty in the carpark and could not find her again. We were meant to be running together and so I had not bought my ipod or considered what I would do running by myself for two and a half hours!!! My longest run since February!!!!

I saw a few coolrunners and said hello to them. Cato and I worked out in that first km we were running similar paces - what with LL not able to get her flights up. So he kindly suggested we run together. Obviously he was running much slower than he was able to run with me.

It was fairly easy going. I was not pushing it at all and actually really enjoyed running with no pressure and no desire to look at the clock. When everyone else started coming back it got very excited and I am sure I used up a lot of energy cheering everyone on....but I wouldn't have it any other way!!!

One of the hardest things to witness was seeing Allan going past as the second last wheelie. At PCRG we all see him every morning training near the river. He trains just for this race and I was sure he was out for a good time. To see him struggling and having a bad day bought home to me that no matter what you do in training.....it really does come down to the day!

Cato was great and made sure I walked the uphills. The amount of times I have run this race and never realised there were hills!!!!! He also made sure we walked every drink station and took two cups of water at each one. I was ok until the baby woke up at halfway and really jumped around. The pressure on my bladder and on my right side was terrible.

A quick stop at the loo (well there was a line so we actually had to wait for 2mins!!!) and we were on our way to the finish and i was feeling much better. I ran the last 2km holding my belly - which has given me the most painful glute and lower back muscles - but I am glad I did it as the weight was starting to really pull.

When I got home I found I my sports bra had cut into my stomach where the belly starts sticking out and I have a deep cut going across my belly which was weeping all Sunday and I woke up with it bleeding fresh this morning. Thankfully now with a day of rest and good ointment it is drying up and after a quick checkup booked with the doc tomorrow I am sure I will be back to running - albeit no more than 10km.

Cato and I were searching for the CR Squad for the last 5km...it really kept us going to think they would be there soon and we knew we would get a good cheer from them to get us across the line.

So many highlights of the day for me - aside from my wonderful run with Cato. I witnessed so many friends have either good days or bad days but no one regretted lining up to start.
Tesso made my day by stopping her race to give me a big hug just 500m out from her finish, she is really a wonderful person. It was good to see her have a great run.

Well done to everyone - it was great to see you all. Sorry we had to leave so abruptly....my husband became incredibly ill when he finished the half (with no training).....but that is another story.

Out with Tesso!!!

I have a new best friend now. We are even having babies together.......

Had a great night out with the crew from PCRG last night and got to relive Kerryn McCann's gold medal win. It was awesome. She is such an unassuming person.

We are both due in October but I was devastated to be standing near her because she is such a petite pregnant woman and I am a heffalump. Nonetheless we both have the big smiles pregnant women have and both are enjoying the time off serious training before starting again in the new year with some big goals.

I am only kidding you know....Tesso is still my bestest friend.

Just another day at PCRG....

Yes we all just attend the training group to watch Tesso undress.
Thats Pat in the middle, me on the left and Tesso in 'Transformation'.

Pat told everyone to get their gear off for the famous naked photograph.....only Tess got sucked in....nah just kidding she wanted her PCRG singlet to show so had to take her jumper off. But it made for a good story heh :)

Doomben 10000m Race

Yippee my first race in ages. I hate to admit it but I was actually nervous. Fancy being nervous before a 10km race!!!! I felt I didn't deserve to be especially with so many lining up to do the 1/2 Marathon!

I had a busy Saturday morning so laid down for a nap and woke up 3 hrs later.....unfortunately this mean I was not able to go to sleep that night until after midnight. So on only a few hours sleep Allan and I dragged ourselves out to Doomben to watch the half marathoners get underway. Due to the traffic we got there 5mins before they took off. I was screaming out to Tesso but she had her earphones on so didn't even hear me.

The 10k started 20mins later so I thought I would duck off quickly to the loo. Figures - the line up was so long I got out of there just as the 10k was about to start. I had enough time to take my jumper off and get in line. phew!

The gun went off and away we went. It was gut wrenching. The first km I was uncomfortable and was totally depressed when everyone just kept going past me. I had started at the back of the pack so where these people were from that kept going past?????? I think they were doing it just to make me feel bad - and I did. It was terrible and anyone that has been injured or come back after a long time off will know what I am talking about - where you have runners constantly going past you.
I settled down by the 2km mark and was getting excited as we started to see all the half marathoners on their way back so I was able to cheer up and high five everyone. The race just got better from there. I was calling out to everyone I saw and they were all being very supportive back. Bub settled down and stopped jumping around so I was able to enjoy the running at last. By 3km I had a lot of pressure on the bladder but looking at the toilet they had on offer I convinced myself I didn't really need to go it was just the bub pressing on my empty bladder making me feel I needed to.

The turnaround point was exciting because I thought yah halfway there. It all happened so quickly. Marianna and Kerryn from PCRG were running around the same pace I was so it gave me the opportunity to support them and encourage them to a good run - which they did.

I had several walking breaks during the run - at each water table (except first one) and then at about 6km for a minute to ensure I was not overheating.

The last km was great and I was looking forward to the finish but not because I was exhausted - because I wanted to get there quickly so I would see all the half finishers come in!!!

My final time was 0:55:28.1 according to official results this morning.

I hung around for a while after the race catching up with everyone but as soon as Allan put me in the car to go home I fell asleep. He couldn't carry me indoors but gently woke me when we got home. I was a bit dazed so he put me to bed (guest bed because I um needed a shower). He woke me up 2 hours later for a shower and some hot lunch. I felt much better after all of that. I can't believe I was that exhausted I slept in my skins & running gear! Gross.

All in all a great day!

8km

Another good run today.

Same session as yesterday but I felt much better doing it. I think yesterday I was suffering from having had several days off in a row - so it was harder to get back into the swing of running than usual.

I did the warmup, strides and then 2x 1km efforts. Not sure what time I did but happy to not know.

It was much colder today than yesterday.....not to mention my compression tights were like SOOOOOO TIGHT I was at risk of cutting of my circulation. Might need to put them in the 'wait till next year' basket and get some 'fat pants' for this winter ha ha ha

8km - woo hoo

Ran at Pats this morning and as he had 1km efforts on the menu I thought I could run them but just very slowly and not as many as the others were doing. A Team did 5 x 1km, B Team did 4 x 1km with a bit tacked on if they got back too early. Z Team (that consists of just me) did 2 x 1km at 5.30min/km pace.
I did the first km and came in last then stretched and decided to wait for the A Team to get back there. I timed them and asked the front runner how quick he was running - 3:22 / 3:24's was the response. THAT'S FAST. Especially as most of them were meant to be in recovery this week or are doing long mileage leading up to Gold Coast.

I then turned around just before they did and headed back to the start, they got me just at the 500m mark and it was good to be running amongst fast people (if only for 2 seconds or so).

I was uncomfortable on the cool down and had a stitch on my right side that I could not get rid of so I ended up walking at least 1km before starting to jog again.

All up it was a good day and I'm glad I got out of bed for some exercise. 19 weeks now- so halfway through pregnancy next week - Thanks Goodness!!!!!!

BRRC 10km Race

Sunday I was determined to run down at Brisbane Road Runners - it has been such a long time since I have been there FOR A RUN!!

Sunday seemed to be nice and cool and I was keen to run in those conditions. With the sun coming up later the start was not until 6.30am so again that was good news!

6:30am everyone had done their warm up (except me) and were toeing the line. Tesso was champion cheerer for the day - just watching us on the sidelines. Though I noticed she had her running kit on so I suspect that was just in case the addiction took over....and she 'had' to run LOL.

It took 3km for me to ease into a pace. I went out a bit hard (for me) but was quickly stopped with one and then the other shoelace coming undone. Warming up has its benefits in ensuring you are prepared for a race in more ways than one!

I didn't run with a watch so just kept plodding along and trying to remain in control of my breathing.
It got hot very quickly and though the last thing I wanted was to have to run in just a crop top it soon became evident that I would cook with my singlet on as well.

I did the first 5km loop in 26mins but on the second loop I stopped a few times to get my breath and take on board lots of water. I enjoyed the second lap better, I think this was because I was warmed up and in the rythym of running.

Finish time on the clock was 56mins. How depressing. I don't think I'll even look next time.
I went home and was completely exhausted for 90mins but after some breaky, a power nap and hot cup of tea I was raring to get to the footy and get a good park.

A great weekend.

Update from the Fat Chick

I wish my belly would hurry up and pop out - I feel so frumpy. This week is 15weeks but I don't have a 'baby belly' yet so I just look like someone who is carbo loading and not running ha ha ha

I have been running 3-4 times a week. My plan was to keep it at 5 times a week but with being so busy at work and home I honestly have not found the time. Sleeping in is a rare thing - but instead of being on the road pounding the pavement I am at work typing away at 6am.

At Pat's I am still running twice a week. Only 6-7km each time doing the warmup and cooldown but it is fun and keeps me social with everyone.

I am now in training for the Gold Coast Half Marathon. I am going against my ob's wishes but he doesn't realise that a 4hr shopping trip with my daughters is more exhausting than a gentle run on the weekend!!! I'll talk him around when he realises a half marathon to me is not a big deal. It is not something I am doing for the first time or taking too seriously! Appointment on Thursday to discuss with him and hubby is insisting on coming along to ensure he says yes. *groan*

I plan to run with my Aunty. She did the half two years ago in 2:20hrs so we are hoping to run between 2:30 - 2:40hrs. Yes for the Half!!!!!! Our strategy is to run 6km, walk a km etc. always ensuring that I am not breathless or getting too hot. Might have to take a backpack with me in case I get hungry along the way lol!!

I can't imagine what it will be like to run an HOUR slower than my usual pace. It will be weird but no doubt by then I will be willing to go at that pace or even slower :)

Now........to do the training. Need to get my long run back up to 14km instead of the 10-12 I have been doing most weekends.

Hope you are all well and running strong - sorry for the absence and lack of blog entries/comments on your blog. I have not even read anyones blog for weeks so will have a few big days catching up. Still love you all though :)

Easter Egg Run - 10km

Good Friday was fantastic - I got up early in the morning and could not rouse any of my family so headed out to the Family Easter Egg run on my own. That was the only bad bit of the day :)

The race didn't start until 7.00am so it was great to be able to just hang around and chat to everyone and soak up the fun race atmosphere.

Liz and I decided we were not in good enough form to race (well I won't be for another few months yet...) so we make a decision to pace Greg to his sub 50min 10km. He had been trying for more than 12months to do it and always failing for one reason or another. We both knew he was capable, he just needed to know it himself. We didn't tell him about 'our decision' as we knew he would just get really nervous.

At the gun we headed out reasonably slowly keeping just behind Greg. He had shot out and was racing ahead but we hoped he would pull it up soon. He was bang on 4:50 for the first km so we agreed he would just have to run that pace the whole way now. :) Just before the second km Liz and I caught him and told him to not talk and just follow us. We ran in front like bodyguards and kept telling him to stop looking at his watch. He was actually slowing down pulling paper from the back pocket of his shorts where he had his pacing table...and then putting it back. He did this every km for the first 4km then I wouldn't let him do it again. Did I mention I was the BAD COP. Liz was the GOOD COP. We had so much fun.

The second loop we could see that he was doubting himself so we just talked him through it and before you knew it we were coming up to the turn in the road - about 300m from the finish. I yelled out to his daughter who was official timer "Jen Jen we're coming" and she just looked up in disbelief. Then we told Greg to give it everything he had. Man did he ever. I was struggling to keep up - as was Liz - he really sprinted it in! Crossed the line in 48:31 with Liz and I pulling back to let him cross on his own. Jen and Greg (her dad) were crying and laughing and just so emotional. Liz and I were too - it was a great moment and I hope I have many more of them.

We got an email from Jen later that day:

>Dear Liz and Claire,
Thanks so much for pacing Dad this morning - you made his and my day. I was so overwhelmed to see that you both stuck with him all race, encouraging him all the way. When Dad started running about 18 months ago now he was overweight, over worked and unfit. Our first run together in Noosa was under 6km's, it took him ages and he threw up at the half way mark. After we finished the run, Mum told me I would give him a heart attack if we keep it up! Now he is running half marathons and sub 50 minute 10kms and has such a passion for running, he inspires me! We are so lucky to be a part of this community. I really appreciate what you did for Dad today. Anyway sorry to sound so gushy - I just really miss running at the moment, and today is what I love best about it!
Hope to be back soon,Love Jen.

A wonderful Life...

Something glorious happened to me today. For just a brief moment.....I was a runner again.

Todays session at PCRG was a 50min run followed by a 1km race - where you can't look at your watch and have to guess your time. I love this session because you can use both runs to go as hard or as easy as you like - either way you still feel like you are out there doing something.

After warming up I think we were running around 5:15 pace. We headed out along the river and over the floating bridge. We got to the end of the floating bridge where the water tap is and I was very breathless so I stopped for water whilst everyone else went on.

There were a number of runners still coming and some were turning around where I stopped so I jumped up when I saw Liz and we headed off back to the start together. She is coming back from 'overtraining' and also was testing out some new orthotics (they were giving her blisters) so she was running over 6min kms. It was ok and I was just enjoying the morning.

At the end of the run we were in the botanical gardens. When Pat said the run was about to start I told myself I wanted to run a 5min/km. I knew it would be hard but it was only for 1km.
We took off and I was quickly overtaken by the usual crowd of those wanting to run much faster. I settled into a pace that felt fast but comfortable. Towards the end I was able to really let fly and sprint around a few people to cross the line in 4:05. I was so way off target....but I was secretly really thrilled. Yah I can still run!
I knew I was running fast but certainly would not have thought that fast. It was good to be able to break out into a sprint and really feel like you are doing something.
I'm over the moon now with my run and celebrated by eating all the pancakes in sight at breakfast.

3km Time Trial

A good crowd at Pats this morning. Not sure of numbers but it was good to see everyone lining up to run instead of being injured or pacing because of upcoming races.

Even Jodi turned up - which was great to see her run again!

After the warm up I was a bit delayed in getting out to the marshalling spot 600m into the race - so I had to sprint up the road before the first runners caught me. I ended up getting there with plenty of time - obviously Pat had given one of his loooonnggg pep talks before starting.

It was just awesome to watch a swarm of runners coming straight for me. I was in awe of them all - fast and slow it was just great to see them all coming towards me - and 99% of them had a smile on their face when they saw me...aaawwww

Some great results out there and I enjoyed hearing them all on the cool down.

I must have worked a bit harder this morning because despite having a banana at 5am, then a piece of watermelon and pineapple at Pats at 7am I was starving when I got to work. I felt very sick and I had to eat cereal before I went for a shower (sorry to all my colleagues!!). It took me 30mins to feel normal again. I think I need to carry food around with me in the car so I don't get so low again.

Coolum Classic

For Allan's birthday he wanted to do something to get outside in the fresh air so we ended up doing something he has wanted to do for ages - climb Mt Coolum.

The sign said "Experienced Climbers take 2hrs return trip" we ran to the top in 20mins (that includes where you have to climb on hands and feet so it isn't a fast slope!!!). The kids were keeping up with us and we had a fantastic time at the top looking at the views and discussing life. We had loaded Allan up with a backpack full of yummy food and water so he had to grab a stick out of the bush on the way up to ensure he looked like the bushwalking signs on the way up. (the blue man with a stick and backpack)
He really did - it was hilarious!!

I challenged Matty to a race on the way down but slowed down as soon as he was out of view. He won the race but I was very happy with my run and totally enjoyed the experience.

Next up we hit the beach for two hours. It was now 3pm and the wind was quite strong so I sat on a towel and watched them brave the water. It was soooo cold.

All up it was a good day out - topped off a great morning where we had watched the Australian 1500mx4 relay record being smashed in the morning by the most talented Pete, Mark, Andy and Dave. An exciting race resulting in a further 22 sec off the Australian Record for the U50 age group. I was glad to be there to witness it.

Monday
Only 4km on the treadmill this morning. I could not get in to the carpark so had to be in and out by 7am or my car (in the street) would have been towed. I looked like a manic running from the treadmill to the weights, furiously lifting and then racing upstairs to shower before running out the door.
Totally exhausted now. Can't wait for Pats time trial tomorrow - so I can rest!!!! :)

Update

I have been so busy at work lately I haven't blogged - when you are pregnant you really try to work harder so that people don't label you with the usual stigma of pregnant women.

Anyhow two major tenders in two days. If they pay off, I'll be able to afford twins after all :) Just kidding.

Still running at Pats and am getting out on my bike more as well which is good for overall fitness. My weekly mileage is below 50km which is pretty miserable but then again - every run I am really enjoying and nothing is taken for granted anymore.

My knee still gives me grief every now and then but nothing I am worried about. In fact since being pregnant my hip has not been a bother at all - which is totally amazing. So I think the hormones have fixed that issue that has been plaguing me for over a year.

I'm sure I will be much better once Canberra is over with. It has been hard to watch all my friends continue to train for that event whilst I just plod around and have no (running) goals. Heh who knows once Canberra is over - that first week afterwards I might even be able to keep up with Tesso :)

I am starting to look forward to Canberra - because for me now it will be a holiday. Chance to catch up with the family and with friends. Watch some great running and eat copious amounts of pasta.......aaaah the life of a non-running marathoner :)

Update

Okay so now you all know I am pregnant and not just overeating...... :)

The road has been tough on me with Canberra so close away but really at the end of the day as my buddy Tess says - "there's always another one". Marathon that is!

Went along to Pats this morning and did 8km. Did the warm up and cooldown with a bit thrown in the middle. No actual speed work, just a faster jog than the warm up. It was fun because there was a crowd in the group who were going only 80% as they are racing on the weekend at Mooloolaba Triathlon so I was able to stick with them - better than running on your own.

I am really missing not running long distances (funny I am not missing speedwork too much hee hee) but after receiving an email from CR Queen (Dawn Tiller) I have a better idea of what I can accomplish during the next 30 weeks. A simple 10km a day is 70km a week - which is where I usually like to be at. After the last few low weeks I'd even be happy to be running 50km a week for the next few months.

Oh and btw if anyone has a cure for 'lunchtime sickness' please let me know. It seems to be between 12-2 when I feel most unwell. Aside from that - all is well.

Two Days Training

WEDNESDAY
Tutor Tesso said it would be good to go to the gym...so I did. Ran on the treadmill (=airconditioning) and it felt fantastic. The heat really has been rocking me around lately.
I ran for 8km and could have done a marathon (and more importantly WANTED to) but I had to go to work. Felt really positive after this session as it is something I can see myself doing for a long while.

THURSDAY
A nice cool morning so speed session at Pats was looking enticing. The warm up was good - I got the chance to catch up with Tesso (we hadn't spoken for amost 48hrs, excluding emails of course) and before you knew it the session was started.
5mins, 4mins, 5mins, 4mins.
I was running quite slowly and still found myself in the middle of the pack which really shocked me. There is a fine fine line between running fast and hurting and running slow in regards to the distance you cover in 5mins. I am so amazed that when I've run really hard I only gain another 300m or so to when I am running comfortable. Just like that person who is so far ahead of you and you just can't catch them in a race but you find out your times were only seconds apart!!
Amazing stuff and running slowly - you get more time to think about it all.

The head was pounding a bit on the return efforts from the exertion (ha ha) so I walked a bit here and there but overall was happy to just be out there running with no knee pain.
On the last effort Pat knew I was not at 100% so he asked me to take the music box (in a pram) up to the last hill where we would all be finishing. Yah...so I didn't have to do the last effort after all and just pushed the pram for 600m and sung and danced like a lunatic who'd just won the lottery.
.....anyhow I had fun and that's what it's all about.

Month to Date

I have only run 55km so far this month. That's just about what Tesso ran on the weekend *gulp*

Thurs 8/3 - 8km
Friday 9/3 - gym
Sat 10/3 - 15km 5:48 pace

Anyhow....I am really missing my running. Well I am still running - but I am missing the long long runs and the speedwork that I have been opting out of.
I was all geared up to go to Pat's this morning with my new fancy hat (courtesy of Tess) but after doing hours of vacuming and scrubbing last night I wasn't very well so decided to not run.

The Six Foot Track results have been amazing and I have been reading them over the past two days in awe. If anyone wants any motivation to run -you only have to look there. Some fantastic results and awesome performances. But when you realise how hard the run is - anyone that finishes is a champion in my eyes.

Now is the exciting time because the focus around Australia shifts to the next big race - CANBERRA!!!!

Easy Run

Started at the Regatta this morning at 5.30am - got there just in time. Staying in bed with the sun coming up later is already looking more welcome!

Tess was there - Toasty, Ciaran and Tara had already left to go and do more km's than what we were planning.
We ran out to the gardens and just kept a good 5:00 - 5:30 pace going the whole way stopping for the odd drink and to wring out the clothes from all the rain. Certainly got very cold and wet towards the end of the run - but neither Tess nor I were complaining, it was wonderful to run in.

12km all up and I am starting to feel that I will be at the start line of Canberra but will be taking it very very slowly. Maybe 4:30 pace. 4hrs 30mins that is!!!

CANBERRA ALL BOOKED

I was going to be driving down to Canberra for Easter with my family and then staying on for the following week for the Marathon.

Now I will be just flying in on the Thursday and coming home Monday afternoon.

I am really looking forward to the Marathon. I am having alot of problems running at the moment and have many niggles so it is unlikely that I will be running it on Doctors Advice - but I am still keen to go down there and watch JD, Toastie, Celeste, Blue Dog, Eagle, CJ and many others running it again. I am very excited.

My running partner iliketoast is not going to have the torture of running alongside me helping me achieve a pb of sub 3:20, so I hope that he works extra hard and runs a PB for both of us doing closer to 3:10. mmm no pressure!

I also hope Tess makes it to the start line. But if not it would also be fun to be together on the sidelines cheering everyone one.

Thanks for all your support.

8km Fish Run

8km Regatta Run - coach said to run 4km at 5min then turn around and run 4km back in 4:30min pace.

The first km was dismal at 5:12min - but I always warm up slowly so wasn't too worried.
Each km after that got faster so I decided to keep it going that way and I would be happy.

I knew I would have never been able to run 4km at 4:30min/km pace. I had 300ml of blood taken over the past two days which fatigued me a bit but moreso the weather was absolutely humid this morning. I thought I was hallucinating when another runner mentioned the breeze was really nice - obviously she was walking a lot - but thankfully Tesso backed me up and said it was one of our most humid days so far this year. Thank goodness - I was starting to feel like it was just me!!!

Anyhow, at the turnaround I was doing 4:50 and then got it down to 4:45, 4:40, 4:32 and final km was 4:31. I was very tired when I was running. My legs were really hurting and I thought I was going to spend the day in bed. My HR was also high for an 8km effort - around 165bpm.

But within a minute of finishing I felt great and wondered what all the fuss was about. Didn't eat for about 2hrs after my run - second time this week - which really annoys me as it doesn't help the diet or the recovery!!!!!

Now just one big bloomin long run to get through tomorrow and it will be a new week.......