The Week That Was... & Still Going...

[co] okay crazy week! First big training week now back into it. So its the kind of week you look forward to and also dread!

Its day 5 and Monday went well... and then all downhill.

So I have had a delayed flight home Tuesday (shot training post work - home at 10)... burgled Wednesday - cramped training style (hours on phone... and well no door to close or lock made it hard to go run long that day).... and general training malaise... not sure what has that in. Maybe the lack of carbs in diet (yep its week post nutritionist visit).

Anyway the point of this is not to moan (well ok a little), but to then demonstrate the power of the list. At weeks end I am 2 sessions short going into the weekend (that's 2 on top of the already planned 6...), so as all triathletes do - its rearrange time to fit them in, with a sneaky gym visit. I can not let those sessions go... its crazy.

Luckily I am a nana and have no life... but even so...

Oh and did I mention tomorrow is cross country number 2. It really keeps on getting better!

Have fun out in there - enjoy that winter weather... I know I will

Running in Singapore

Ok, I know I've been absent from the blog for a while, but I have been running almost every day. So far so good. Am running 6 days a week, up to 70 mins at a time.

Had a small spanner in the works last week as I was in Singapore for work for four days. Had to resort to running on a treadmill in the hotel's gym - it was far too hot and humid outside to even contemplate it. Not to mention I wouldn't have known where to go!

To keep up my energy levels I ate huge amounts of food while I was there. See the evidence to the left. This is the remains of what was 'white pepper crab' at the No Billboard Restaurant - YUMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!1


LR

Winter's is here...

... and with it the rain!

[co]Now rain is part of the training course... no pain, no gain etc etc.

But this morning I have to confess to piking on run intervals this morning. All night I had been listening to the rain hit the roof, hoping it would disappear by 6 am.

However at 6.05 I was poking my head out the door - yep the rain is real... check the ran radar... yep it is here to stay. So I made the hard (or not) decision to do a swap...

...with the pool (the bed did call, but guilt won on the day). I figured might as well get wet while warm (???). So did some interval training tonight on my own.

So intervals is about warming up and down with some hard work in between. So I found a wee hill and ran up it or 7 minutes and down a few times (well 3 to be precise). A good workout... but never the same by yourself. Running with others (my usual Friday morning activity) just adds 5% to the mix.

But today was just too wet for me. Have to admit it there is a point where I admit defeat. Where is yours? Running in the rain is fun, except when you feel dryer going up and down the swim lane.

Ok time to relax. It is Friday after all.

Guts... No Glory

[co] Well cross country number one done.

Have to say I enjoyed it! Was different to what I thought... the terrain was not as crazy as I anticipated, but there was mud, cow pats and hills galore... so everyone was a winner on the day.

It was fun to have an adventure. Something completely different and a challenge (ida here being to practice running when tired and then legs with cross country running). So this morning up just after 5 to head down for a 6am brick session (that's a swim/bike/run) with the crew. A few of us were trying cross country for the first time and so there was nervous anticipation...

I have to say I was worried it would be really hard and I would be out of my league. But it was great - as most of these things are - and fears not founded.

So rocked up and it was hosing down!!! The threatened thunder storms arrived. Helen (also a cross country virgin) and I huddled under a small marque getting to know our fellow cross country runners in the hour before our 2 pm start (that's when us senior women going...). Lots of free advice was given, as we watched the under 16s get drenched and fight hypothermia! Looked great (at this time was thinking we can sneak out and leave. No one will notice! What many people don't know is that triathletes melt... unlike cross country runners).

[quick segway... have to say a lot of encouragement at this stage in the tent was from a fellow Auckland Athletics club member (who I joined to do this craziness)... who was lean and looked experienced. Yes a 'nana', but I knew she would burn my dust. Even after the obligatory 'you guys will do great'... I was not fooled; and so it proved. I followed her back for the first lap, her tantalisingly 2 metres in front. My cunning plan was to make a move on the 2nd lap...yeah right! She burned me (and deservedly so)into lap 2. Yes my fears were true in this sense. I was going to be left behind in the dust/mud of the nanas. Welcome to cross country! I look forward to more of the same in the weeks to come].

But it cleared (Auckland weather) and it was 10 to... time to get to the start.

Off we go... it s fun running on grass and different. But 'it' struck during the last 1/4 of the first 2.5 km lap (only 2... a sort hard fast 5 km blast). My stomach cramped.

Now I don't want nor look for excuses.

I have had this before on and off. Where particularly if I push myself running (and often if there is not a gradual increase in effort) I cramp up and need to fight the need to find a toilet and the like.

So theories abound on Google and in my head re diet, body adjusting to hard training again, period etc... but it all adds up to frustration. So I am putting it out there: Who else has been struck with this? Ideas?

(Think I am getting to be fan of HTFU approach... just need to find the HTFU pills to take with me on the course).

So with my fear being last - I think I might of been. Or not far off it... From a 13 minute first lap to a 30 minute finish... so its time to try different tactics, to get a good race out of myself.

But despite that it was 'fun'... but frustrating day!

Onwards and upwards (2 weeks till next mud fun)

I’m Back……

[co]Well after putting it to the test… re when one should return after feeling under the weather, the answer is… not too soon!

So hence not much blogging action… last week was a little bit up and down… ended up only training 3 days out of 7… as needed another 2 complete rest days to shake this virus.

It is fair to say the girl flu turned into man flu (I only say this as the severity and seriousness of it seemed to exponentially multiply… and well, I also seemed to need to talk about it a lot more).

So that’s the ups and downs of it… finally into my stride and then frustrated.. but that’s training… so fingers crossed, so far so good this week. Was able to hit bike class last night and get power level outputs somewhere near what I would of hoped for… yay!

Though with this break in training I am a little trepidatious about the coming cross country this weekend. It isn’t too long I think about 4 kms. But it is all sheep paddocks and hills etc… I will be hoping there are enough grannies at the back so I am not too far behind when I am running in to fight for last place.

But I am resolved that change is a good thing to shake up my training… really help my running… so I wait and see!!!

Go the Carlton Blues

(Ry) Ok, it's official. After living in Melbourne for 11 years, we have finally committed to AFL. Saturday morning was spent at the local Aus Kick oval, and we have one family member signed up as an official Carlton Blues http://www.carltonfc.com.au/ member. Now all we have to do is learn the rules and start watching the games. Last night was our first attempt, we managed 10 mins of the North Melbourne v. Collingwood game. Not sure who ended up winning, but the Magpies were slaughtering the Kangaroos by the time we changed channels.

Enough about AFL. I finished my first week of my official marathon training schedule today. All good so far. Managed to run all six days, for the correct amount of time, and I feel ok! I am not sure about my knee, so off to the physio tomorrow.

I tested out my new running playlist, and no surprises, Lady Gaga was the best music to run to, her song 'Telephone' in particular.

Best music to run to

This picture has nothing to do with music, but I love tomatoes.

Ok, I am officially tired of all of the music on my iRiver. Someone gave me an itunes card for Christmas, time to use it. I am thinking that Telephone by Lady Gaga will be a good one to run to.

I find that Madonna generally puts a spring into my stride, but Ben Harper (who I really love) sucks the energy out of me. Over to you, which songs/musicians help you get through your daily run?

(ry)

List-itis

[co] Righto after battling mini flu for the last 3 days back into a bit of running tonight... kept it super easy (think I would of walked faster!), but heart rate still about 10 beats higher than normal... but good to start working through the list again.

So next few days become a little mad as I try to hit a decent amount of sessions to feel better about it all. It is an addiction - give me a list to tick off and I can not help myself...

How do we cope with this? As I think its a common goal orientated persons issues...

In fact I am surrounded by lists, work, home, in my head... can get a little much. Which reminds me I need to go and put my work list into my calendar for tomorrow morning (as every time I run I seem to create a new work list I had forgotten about before I started)...

Good grief

No bugs, no injuries, no baking

(Ry). So today I got up early and went for an easy 40 min run. Dad sent me my first two weeks training schedule, and it starts tomorrow. I had to take a very deep breath when I noticed I have ONE - yes ONE!!! rest day (Friday). I am very excited though, I can't wait to start this training schedule. Unlike Co, all I have to do is concentrate on one event (no swimming or cycling for me). By comparison (to training for an Ironman), training for a marathon is child's play! I feel almost lazy..(not really).

Continuing with the Boston theme, this is a picture of Waldon Pond in Massachusetts.

When are you not feeling well...or just need to harden up?

[co] Just a quick note about this time of year and training... felt average yesterday (put it down to training again and all that) and in bed by about 6.30... no drama... felt the sore throat come on over night... so took the drugs and got up to do my long ride this am. Going for an easy 3 hours to tick the box.

Well manage 1 and a half... felt a bit crap, but not too bad... but end up sleeping the rest of the day (getting cabin fever).

The question is... when to push through and when to listen to your body and take it a bit easier?

I thought after a few gentle hills and efforts my heart was going crazy it was a sign so pulled out early (sorry the rest of team 1.5 this morning... just couldn't drag my ass round any longer). Now the guilt has set in... though to be fair still have a headache and on the aspirin...

Always a quandary? What do you guys do? When to call it? When to push?

Figured so early back into it not worth taking myself out for longer if push too hard...

Alrighty time for next drug dose...

May 1st - Breakfast at Boheme

(Ry). Ok, I think I see a theme appearing in this blog. I write about injuries and food, whilst my team mate writes about training and gadgets.

This morning we had breakfast at Boheme in Richmond, and I can highly recommend it. Good food, great service. excellent coffee.

My neck is better, thanks to extra strength neurofen. I am trying to resist the urge to tell you about my latest injury and bug combination story....but I have to get it out. Ok, so yesterday morning as I dressed to go for my run, a 1 inch long earwig crawled down my arm and fell on the floor!!! It must have been inside my running shirt. Once again, I impressed myself by not screaming (it was 6am and I did not want to wake up the neighbourhood). Then, 12 mins into my run, I landed funny and hurt my right calf muscle. I figured I only had about 35 mins to go to get to work so I rubbed it a bit and kept going. Feels fine today (or is that the neurofen?).

Today is rest day, tomorrow is my long run (maybe an hour - assuming no injuries or bugs!).

By the way, I don't have a photo of the dead earwig, so here is one of the John Harvard statue at Harvard University in Boston.

Running lesson....number 1

[co]... well it is a pretty easy lesson.... but taking a 5 week break and eating pies doesn't make you faster!!!

Had a 6 km running TT today thanks to coach O'Hagan (thanks for that) on the roads around Lake Pupuke... it sucked! not much else to say. A good 2 minutes slower than pre IM, which is a little depressing, but not unexpected.

The good news is that I can only get faster in 8 weeks time for the next one.

So on that note 2 things have happened.

1 - decided to join up and run some cross countries over winter. Peer pressure (from training crew) has worked and I have signed up with Auckland Athletics to do the cross country series. Apparently 6 km races over mud and cowpats.





see new shoes... you need spikes etc to do this... the good news is they are the right colour (orange!!)... bad news is that these races are with real runners so I am about to get my ass kicked in 2 weeks time!!! watch out ladies I will be fighting you all for last place :-).

Last time they will look that clean!

2 - Has solidified me in my nutritional goals i.e. lose fat! have put on about 3 kgs post IM... which I can live with, but now is the hard part losing it again (and then some). So booked in to see my friendly nutritionist (Ali Rainbow... don't be fooled by the name... is a strict diet task master... in a good way). So in 3 weeks (need that long to get into routine and be closer to IM weight.. trying to avoid being yelled at) the music will be faced.

In the meantime I think i will get myself one of these:





Auton will tell me to "stop being such a fat ba****d and put down the pie", or maybe "just harden up" (check him out, he's like a very big Tamagotchi, that you don't feed because he is on a diet!)

Alrighty need to go swim.... (that'll burn some calories!)...

Any good go fast tips out there? Let us know...

Over and out.