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.......................................