Big Expectations

Goodbye Blogger

2007-01-03T14:10:00.001+10:30

Simlin has moved to here.

2006 review and an end to Big Expectations.

2007-01-02T15:01:00.000+10:30

It all started back on 10th February...I ventured into the world of blogging. My goals back in the early day were simple. Personal goals were to get healthier, lighter and fitter while running goals were to complete the City to Bay in under 72mins and complete a half marathon. My big expectations was that running regularly could help me reach those goals.
February - Started the month training at less than 20km a week bought a Garmin.
March - Ordered a CR hat and decided on my first fun run and set my first HM to be in May. Pulled out of fun run, ran 20k for the first time, weighed in under 120kg for the first time. Suffered my first battle with demotivation after some personal issues.
April - two 10km fun runs in April one at the start of the month and one at the end, which was my first sub 60min 10k. This month also included my first trail run.
May - Successfuly completed my first HM! yay me and bought my first pair of serious running shoes.
June - New shoes cause ITB issues and I started to get frustrated by lack of motivation and running time due to injury. This month included my first run to work.
July - Admitted to myself that I had an ITB problem after a failure to run out a 15k fun run.
August - Bought a new pair of shoes...brooks beasts, and dissapointingly only ran the 10k run at the Adelaide Marathon Running Festival...it was a 10k PB though. Started Corporate cup with some mediocre performances.
September - The big one...completed the City to Bay in 69 mins, an 11min PB and well below my goal!
October - concentrated on shorter distances during the corporate cup and ran a 9k fun run. This month included my first training run with CR company!
November - Started doing a few Pilates and training for the year really started to wind down as personal goals started to fall into place.
December - Training in december was dismal to say the least, but on a personal note many goals were acheived.

So there it is a summary of the year, to be honest I found that whole excercise pointless. I started this blog with Big Expectations for my training and now, at the end of 2006 have those expectations been met?
Well yes, although I didn't achieve any of my time based goals distances, I did acheived my two big running goals, which was complete a HM and go better in the C2B than 2005. Even though this fills me with great joy, I am a little dissapointed that I only got to complete one HM and that I missed quite a few other fun runs I wanted to do.
On a fitter, healthier, thinner side, I am pleased with the way this is going (especially the thinner side) and feel a lot more confident in myself. I am dissapointed in my second half of the year performance as far as thinner goes as I seem to have stalled at about 115kg thanks to a rather ordinary diet.
Personally 2006 has been a great year and I have acheived many personal goals, leading up to my proposal to my now Fiance. I wanted a few things in place to stabalise my life before I committed to also support another person, with the big two being a permanent job and a house to call our own. All these things happened in a bit of a rush toward the end of 2006 and so life goes on and one can only look forward to 2007!
As to my Big Expectations, they have been met and as such, instead of giving my currnet blog a facelift for 2007, I will preserve it in blogger for as long as they wish to hold it, while I begin a new road to my 2007 goals in a new blog in wordpress.

Dry Creek North East

2006-12-30T20:58:00.000+10:30

Exploratory run today, travelling roads or trails in this case never before travelled. Headed east from Walkley's road along Dry Creek reserve. Missed the "fork in the road", but found a third one, I left the creek at the fork and instead followed an open grassy drain (of which I thought were only common in Darwin) parallel to McIntyre road. It was a long slow uphill run out in 7min/ks and a swifter return in 6.30min/kms. Was stopped by a guy on a pushbike looking for his dog...obviously it had run away last night during the electrical storm. I said I hadn't seen it and which way I had come from and he was off again in the opposite direction. Anyhoo I kept my eye out for his "big, brown dopey looking" dog all the way home. All up 12.5km, and only 300m along roadside footpath! woohoo! I could have stretched the run out further but 12k was enough for me today, maybe next time I will do the loop up to bridge road and McIntyre and back home...I will have to plot it on gmap-pedometer and see how far it is.

In other news...I am posting this from home! Yes after improvising (following numerous trips to numerous shops) a car CDMA/GSM antennae for my mobile wireless usb receiver thingy I now have excellent reception where I otherwise had none! Fan-bloody-tastic!

So as promised picture of the bling ring...

Christmas Part II

2006-12-29T09:09:00.000+10:30

Managed to sign up to the Next G wireless internet with 2 bars of reception in my bedroom window. But no time to blog last night as we are still setting up the house and I had other things to do...plus I wasted half the evening running around town trying to organise an antennae for my mobile usb thingy to access Next G wireless. My rant can be found here, and the suggestion that Bigpond's tolerance of loss limits are excessively high and thus some other ISP might have been able to give me ADSL has lowered my mood today...I am too deeply invested in this whole wireless thing at the moment to try that avenue just yet.

Anyways, we got back from The Mount on Tuesday, the roads were free flowing enough, actually a lot better than a month ago when we last were down there. We came back to a house that was only half moved in. So aside from spending money buying extra furnishings and the like, I ventured out on my first run from Valley View, not going to work. Wednesday morning I set off on a run. 200m downhill to Dry Creek and I was off on the trail, I ran Dry Creek West (as it will now be called) to Bridge Rd and back. It was a welcome relief to be running a trail and not pounding the pavement down main roads with trucks and fumes and road crossings! It was Fantastic! plus I didn't have to run 5k to get there as per Enfield place. I could get used to this.
The trail to Bridge rd was 6km return and I am hoping that if I cross Bridge Rd and do a loop of the velodrome before returning it will take that route up to 10k, a nice 1hr run, but I will have to try that next week.
This weekend I have laid plans in my mind to try out Dry Creek East. I have only ever run 2k in that direction to Grand Junction Rd and I am keen to see how far the trails roam in the North Eastern Direction because from the maps it looks like they go a fair way and even fork into two different directions. It certainly looks like it has long run potential in that direction.
Running the trials around the lake in Mt Gambier definitely stirred up my interest in driving to Black Hill and giving those trails a bash...Freudian slip...I keep typing trials instead of trails...oops.
OK, with the internet working, if not patchily at home now, I will have to do a yearly summary post for 2006 on the weekend and lay down a plan for 2007 (which I have been forming in my mind on every training run for months.)
I have briefly thought about starting a new blog and retiring this one as a few people have done, but I don't think my circumstances are the same and warrant a change so I will stick with this old horse.

Christmas in The Mount

2006-12-28T14:26:00.000+10:30

Frustrations at the new residence of Simlin, crisis over my link to the running community that is CR. More on that later, today I am sneaking this post in from my work computer...lots to write about, but I will start from where I left off, which was Christmas.

Warning, this is pretty much a blow by blow description of two trail runs and may bore some people.

Christmas was spent down in Mt Gambier with future in-laws. I packed two running outfits, keen for a bit of a hit-out, especially with the anticipated Christmas Feast.
Having trouble sleeping past 6 o'clock most days I woke up early on the first morning in the Mount and left a silent dark house to head up to the Blue Lake. I parked on the Northern edge and after observing some other joggers/walkers headed off in an anti-clockwise direction as appeared to be the norm. The Blue Lake was definitely looking resplendently royal blue in the morning light. After a couple of hundred metres I spied a trail which appeared to head off up and around the Valley lake across the road, and harbouring a secret desire to run around their instead of the touristy concrete path around the Blue Lake I crossed the road and struggled up a flight of very narrow stairs...oh dear, this wasn't going to be pretty.
On the up side, there was no sign of a niggle in my right knee which had plagued me ever since the 15th of December (that date I will never forget...I promise...). I ran around the edge of the crate for a little while mainly across some grass past some look outs, then sped a track going down hill into the crater, alas it was Mountain Bikes only and looked narrow and straight down. Regardless 100metres later there was a wide walking track doubling back and down the hill...off I went. I pulled back a little on the down hills, not wanting to jar my knee etc too much or trip over a root or something. Running down through the trees I was running along a saddle between the Valley lake and a smaller crater within the large crater, soon it was up the other side and damn...too steep for me and I walked a little. After the gradient reduced a little I took up running again and could feel some fatigue in my Achilles, I stopped and had a rest at the car park reached to paw over the walking trail sign. I decided upon the "easy" grade track around the outside of the crater on the South side of Centenary Tower and back around to where I crossed over the road from the Blue Lake.
Setting off for the Centenary Tower car park there were a few more steep uphill bits along the edge of the Devil's Punchbowl and then it was the Easy grade down hill around the outside of the crater. This is where the term "easy" grade had me miffed, after the gentle slop down and around the outside of the crater the track turned and went straight back up to the rim (the steepest part of the whole route) Needless to say I walked most of it. Back up to the rim and it was gorgeous running along the exposed rim, the Valley lake on the right and Mt Gambier spread out below on the left. I had to walk one little steep bit up to the highest point of the run and then it was slightly undulating track all the way back to the Blue Lake.
Once I got back to the Blue Lake, there was no way I was leaving the Mount without running around it, so I went back over to the footpath I had left 7k ago and continued around it in an anti-clockwise direction. It was undulating around it but nowhere near as steep as some of the places earlier and I made it back to the car for a stretch after 1hr10mins and 10k.

Christmas was a glutenous affair with every imaginable roast meat and vegetable...not to mention the plentiful beer, wine and spirits consumed. Boxing Day I got up early again, this time just before 7am end before heading up to the lakes, nipped down to Target to pick up a post-Christmas sale bargain I had seen in the Catalogue (1000 thread count sheet sets if you must know).
Instead of doing both lake again I headed for the Centennial Tower car park and set off on a loop of Valley Lake as per the first half of the above run in a fine misty rain. This time I made it up at least half way back up to the rim after coming around the back only to succumb to walking, due to an EP* and mad look for a toilet around the Northern side of the Lake. I finished off the 4.5k run in 40mins and headed back down to town for a third go at the Roast meat and veg.

*Emergency Poo (often accompanied by a Whooooop! Whoooooop! Whooooop! sound)

Tooo busy.

2006-12-18T16:39:00.001+10:30

Where to start...
1st - went for my final run around Enfield on Thursday around a 9k routeI have travelled 32 times since January. It was not as hard as thefirst time and not as easy as the best time, but I made it.
2nd - Friday I left work just after lunch, picked up a rock, the keys to the house, some champagne and some red roses. Then I got down on the knee (which is now quite sore?) and proposed to my girlfriend on the threshold of our first home together as she was opening the door for the first time...obviously no time for running...she said yes.
3rd - Saturday was taken up lifting heavy things, moving oneself never gets any easier, especially when you keep acquiring more and more bigger furniture...obviously too weary for running.
4th - Got up Sunday and went shopping, bought running bag (bargain for $20) then to a Christmas lunch with friends, more moving and cleaning...obviously no time for running.
5th - Right, now that I am no longer on the main road to work I had to get myself there so I fired up the Foot Falcon this morning and rode it to work. The move cut off 5k from the run to work and this mornings trip only took 51mins for the 7.7km. Now to scab a ride home because I
am lazy...
More anon, work is too busy too do much blogging or blog reading (sorry)
and the internet is not on at the new place yet.

Edit: will follow up with a piccie for you becky when I can get my computer/internet set up at home, in the mean time you eill have to settle for this...it is the one in the bottom right corner.
After scabbing a lift home last night I ran in again this morning, left 3mins later so put in a little more effort and arrived at the same time as yesterday, 7.8k in 48mins. After not stretching yesterday and having my knee complain bitterly all day, I lay down on the grass next to our security hut and stretched out the knee for five minutes. It feels great now.

Work bash

2006-12-13T20:47:00.000+10:30

Today I headed out at lunch time for my second lunchtime run with Bill from work. Just 5k around the block in our lunch break. It took 33mins and wasn't as hot as last time. My right knee was a little sore this afternoon so I hope it doesn't affect my anticipated final run around Enfield tomorrow morning!
Yesterday I got up half an hour early and did some pilates...I must admited I cheated and skipped some bits at the end that I don't like...time was pressing you see...

Blowing out the cobwebs

2006-12-11T13:16:00.000+10:30

It has been over a month (6th Novemeber) since I last ran double digits. In between I have been running varying loops of the cemetery (5-7km) with only one 9k run thrown in. This morning I decided to blow out a few cobwebs and take off the shackles, setting out for the velodrome. I decided on the shortest and flattest possible velodrome loop and eased into the run with a 7+min first kilometre. Understandably the last couple of kilometres were a bit weary on the legs, but I came through and finished with that peculiar feeling when I stopped of "I should be puffing, but I'm not...did I just run 11.2km?" Then I started walking and could feel the weariness in the legs...illusion shattered.
During todays run, my mind was ticking over with goals and plans for 2007. I will put down on paper in good time my intentions, but as for now...back to recovery.

Busted a Gut

2006-12-09T22:25:00.000+10:30

Yep, waited till 8pm, but got out there this evening to try and arrest a downward slide in training and motivation. It was hot and took a while for my left kee to warm up but I got around the 7k route unscathed in 44mins. Post cold shower and the legs are still feeling it a bit, might go out again in the morning tiredness permitting.

Spreading

2006-12-09T13:08:00.000+10:30

I can feel myself spreading...

First things first, sadly I missed the end of the test match. I was at an information session at Adelaide Uni that I had all ready committed too. They are starting a Pharmaceutical Engineering degree out of the Chemical Engineering department and I had attended as a graduate working in the field. My 3 phone couldn't help me either as it appears that a lot of people were trying to watch it on their phones, so I had to resort to watching the score update on the scoreboard page on the phone. Bugger.

Next Second, on the title of my last entry "NB" a lecturer once relayed the story of a few international students who were taking his class. He is one of these lecturers who likes to tell you exactly what is on the exam, so he annotated all the stuff that was going to be in the exam with NB. The students thought it meant Note Briefly and as such when it came to study for the exam they ignored all the stuff he had said was going to be on the exam and failed...therefore the title of the last post was really a joke for me about being brief.

It has been a busy week, cricket and a training course. After tuesdays run my right knee felt a bit dicky. I tried a run on Thursday morning, made it to the end of the street then walked back home...total 100m and sour disappointment, so now it is Saturday, 41ºC outside and last night I went to Miss Simlin's work x-mas show where I ate half a pig and the whole rear end of a cow. I am trying to decide on what type of preventative action I can take today to stop the festive season spreading which I feel coming on. I am feeling disillusion with my running, and whole fitness etc, I knew it was going to be tough, because I am busy, it is hot, and there is soooo much food and beer to tempt me.

This week is packing time before settlement of our first house on Friday, so next weekend will be flat out moving stuff and this weekend is packing and I have been drafted into a top notch, first rate, A-level bowls team...we will see how that goes tomorrow at the RSL.

NB

2006-12-05T07:25:00.000+10:30

I am still alive. Barely...very long weekend at the cricket mainly, I have work training the next couple of days. Squeezed in 2 short runs since last time, but couldn't squeeze in any blogging. I have tried to keep up with most other blogs, but am starting to fall behind on blog reading too. I did 6k on friday morning before heading off to Adelaide Oval and then 7k this morning....more anon.

End of Movember

2006-11-30T13:47:00.000+10:30

Well, a decline in blogging means a decline in running. Fate was against me all week. Monday was a planned rest day (check), Tuesday I couldn't get up due to lack of sleep bought on by too much coke the night before, when I haven't had coke in sooooo long. Damn cafeine and sugar kept me buzzing till the weeee hours of the morning. Wednesday morning, planned run, alarm went off at 6am, but made no sound, so when I woke up it was too late to go for a run. OK enough winging, what did I do about it!

Yesterday arvo after the morning debarkle I stepped out into the warm afternoon air and took the old canoes out for a lap of the cemetary, only 6k but at least it was something. This morning I got up and did the pilates DVD, well as much as I could anyway, damn thing is still hard but I can't wait to see how it helps my running. At lunch time today I went out with a guy in my department for a 5k loop around Salisbury, it was only 33°C but I still look like I have stepped out of a shower now.

Tomorrow is the first day of the Adelaide Ashes test. yay. While today is the last day of MOVEMBER! I raised $95 for men's health. Thanks to all those that contributed, 2P, Ewen, SparkDriver, Rachel49.

I will sign off now, I am not sure if this post makes much sense so I might edit it later, when I have cooled down a bit.

Clearing the bugs

2006-11-26T09:32:00.000+10:30

Went out for a tentative 7k this morning, hoping to drive the last remnants of the unwelcome invading bugs out of the system as Ewen suggested. Felt drained on up hills but apart from that this mornings trot was quite pleasant.
One thing I can say about this damned mustache is that it increases the wicking factor of my face...it is quite pleasant cool feeling actually...but it won't be staying past Movember. Now I just have to get a bit more normality back into my routine, but with the ashes, moving house and Christmas coming in 3 out of the next four weekends I don't think normality will return until 2007.

And this one is for 2P

2006-11-24T08:46:00.000+10:30

BOO!
Well, where have I been?
Squeezed in the Pilates DVD on Tuesday morning, then at 11:45am BAM! head, nose and through get hit simultaneously in a surprise raid by an army of angry germs, no warning...very Pearl Harbour'esc. Needless to say, no run Wednesday morning, or work for that matter. A lot of time spent on the couch, or in bed. Thursday, feeling over the worst of the attack, ventured back to work, disgusted in the fact that I have to miss the start of the ashes on TV. By yesterday evening I could feel the germs trying to fight there way down into my chest, hopefully I have some strong defence now built up there and they won't be able to get a foot hold leaving me free to do a light run on the weekend! yay.

This one's for SD

2006-11-20T10:39:00.000+10:30

This one is for you SparkD Thanks for the donation. The second time around I have gone for the big "Chopper" style Mo. Actually it is just a goatee with the middle bit shaved off.
2P - I generally weigh myself in the mornings before going for a run too...I just don't record it, so I have a pretty good idea about where I actually am. I also play the game where I predict what I will weight at the end of a run, I generally lose between 1.0 and 1.2kg for a 7-10km run.
Confession time...goals were thrown into dissarray yesterday...over eating on cheese and gourmet sausages and rissoles at a Christening BBQ and then was just feeling too lethargic for a bit of pilates. In fact I have been feeling really rundown lately...maybe my iron levels are low, seems to be the popular thing. I will go home tonight and eat a nice juicy steak wrapped in spinach.

Can the motivated Simlin come out and play?

2006-11-18T10:42:00.000+10:30

Only the second run for the week this morning, 9k in 57mins. I just couldn't be bothered, I have so many other things on my mind right now. The strange thing about my apparent laziness is that my weight is still on a nice downward trend. I think this might be due to the fact that instead of running I have been including other activites ie exercise bike and pilates. So even though the workouts haven't been as intense, there have been just as many and I heard/read somewhere that variety is good for weightloss because your body gets used to / efficient at doing one type of exercise.
My motivation for running training has hit a new low these last two weeks, probably due to the fact, as 2P, pointed out I have no goals set for the rest of the year. I was planning a crack at my remaining 2006 goals but as fate would have it I realised 2 weeks ago that the two races left in the year are both on morning when I can't make it. One was last weekend when I was in Mt Gambier and the other is in two weeks when I will be at a breakfast before going to the third day of the Adelaide Ashes Test. Therefore I think I might stick to the current routine and see if I can't weight in at less than 110kg before Christmas...this morning was 112.25kg (remembering I cheat by weighing in after a run...before rehydrating....WHAT A CHEATER!...but it makes me feel good.)

Piles

2006-11-15T20:39:00.000+10:30

No, I haven't been sitting on cold concrete.
I have been wading through piles of paperwork...a contract at work to become permanent...check...I officially start on the 1st of December.
Loan forms...check...need to complete.
Convayencer forms...check...need to complete.
Forms to open a new bank account...check...need to complete.

I have been cross training lately instead of running, don't know why, just a change in mood. I did the pilates DVD on Monday, it didn't get any easier and my mind was wandering so much, I don't think I was concentrating on my T-zone and breathing enough to get maximum results. Yesterday I jumped on the stationary bike for the first time in a while and did 45mins.

Today was the fun run for corporate cup but it was horrid weather out and everyone piked, so instead I did a loop of the cemetery straight after work. It felt like a struggle, must be the non-running I have been doing lately. I think I will put it down to running in the afternoon, I hate running in the afternoon.

Tomorrow I will run in the morning and everything will be back to normal.

Thanks SparkD for the MOnatory donation, it was not a MOment too soon. Photos toMOrrow of the new MO.

Jelly Belly

2006-11-12T20:42:00.000+10:30

After a long weekend, involving the involuntary (I swear) shovelling mountains of food into my mouth, late nights and a lot of driving I set out for a horrible 4.2k this evening after returning some DVDs. I could have sworn I was wearing a fake belly full of rocks and was running through water.

Update on Movember, being a family weekend for miss Simlin, she donated to Movember for me to shave it off, so I have to start again. Alas.

Edit: SD - It wasn't just a good donation, it was the only donation made so far...my Mo was feeling un-loved and un-appreciated, so when the opportunity arose to actually add a donation to my registration there was no objections from my dejected Mo.

Woof! You Bloody Choir.

2006-11-10T07:25:00.000+10:30

Sorry, stole the title. (apologies to Augie March)

The title comes from running down Main North Rd in the pre-dawn light, when even McDonald's windows are dark, and the only company you have is the car yard guard dogs. Main North rd is like one long car yard, and every one has at least one Rottweiler or German Shepherd, some have 2 or even one of each. Some mornings they are either too sleepy or I don't smell so bad and there is silence. While other mornings, like this morning, I set the first one off and then for the next km there is constant barking and gnashing of teeth, even from the other side of the road. Each guard dog decides to say hello in a friendly way and then Back Off Bitch! in an unfriendly way while baring teeth. Maybe it was my Movemeber Mo which made me look like a criminal this morning?
Not a great photo, but it was taken before 7:30am and I don't have my happy face on yet :).
Though I should, because our mortgage broker called at 8pm last night to tell us that our loan was going to be approved! Now we just need to get the paper work from the financial institution.
Yay, I am a home-owner (*he says in as serious a voice as he can muster*) of course if you are reading this you are most welcome to the housewarming!
Anyway, to todays run, seeing as I only have a month left running in Enfield, I decided to go over an old route that I haven't done in a while, so it was 9k in 55mins. Following the run I did my usual 15mins of stretching, minus the sit-ups...my T-zone / abdominals have not yet forgiven me for that devilish pilates work-out...what they don't know is that I am planning on giving it another go on Sunday evening...muhahahaha (*he laughs, an evil laugh, while going into a deliriously happy state of insanity*)

Damn T Zone

2006-11-08T07:42:00.000+10:30

Reluctantly rolled out of bed this morning for a lap of the Cemetery hoping my legs weren't too sore. The legs felt quite loose and relaxed as I started out on a surprisingly chilly morning. Then I got to the first hill. I could feel the tiredness in my legs as I started up the first incline. Luckily the tiredness I felt in my legs didn't phase me as the only thing I could think of the entire time was "am I pulling in my T zone?" "Is my T zone OK?". Damn pilates, now all I can think about is my damn T zone.
Garmy died trying to display my 4k split, so I had to guess my pace over the last 2 k, 6k in 36min50sec.

Edit: I found this definition: "t-zone" (pilates geek for inner abdominals = tummy muscles)
The t-zone is basicaly a line from hip bone to hip bone bisected by a line from your pelvic bone. I am not sure if the above definition is correct, I thought it was more the pelvic floor muscles etc. (those used when you need to go to the bathroom but are holding on)

the other, other type of workout

2006-11-07T21:03:00.000+10:30

This is the Pilates DVD , I first heard about it on Ellie's blog I think. I got it from here, which just happens to be 200m up the road.

Well tonight I whipped it out gave it a go. Concentrated on my T zone. Damn it was tough...I can tell doing this regularly will really benifit to running. From my first pilates work out two things are obvious:
(1) my core strength is poor. very poor.
(2) my flexability is poor. very poor.

Wonder how long it will take that to improve?

Movember

2006-11-07T08:47:00.000+10:30

Ok this is what I got so far...my facial hair tends to come through ginger over time, so doesn't look very full. My rego is 15981.

Anyway, set the alarm for 5:30am this morning. Didn't get up till 6:45am. Ooops. No running. Maybe I will try out the Pilates DVD I have finally found, Studio Pilates for Runners and Cyclists, this evening. It looks hard.

Lazy Sunday

2006-11-05T10:31:00.000+10:30

Who said anything about a lazy Sunday?
Didn't go in the Black Hill Challange. If I had woken up in time I might have considered it, but instead I awoke at 8am and set out to just do a loop of the horse paddock and back (10km). Well that went out the window, once again my auto-pilot had other ideas, which involved running past the horse paddock and down to the Torrens, along the Torrens to Lower Portrush road and then up to hampstead and home. It was a route I mapped out a very long time ago but have never done. Till today. Overall it was about 14.5km and I finished it in 1hr35mins. When I stopped to have a walking warmdown to the end of the block and back as usual my right ITB was very tight, so taking extra time on each of my routine stretches it now feels ok, but I won't be running tomorrow, two days in a row over 12k was how I set it off last time as I recall. Mmm stupid me.

Split Personality

2006-11-04T10:23:00.000+10:30

I think over the last year I have developed a split personality. One is lazy, the other, not so lazy. For instance. This morning I really didn't feel like getting out of bed, but the brain said different so 15 minutes later I found myself plodding down hampstead road with a grumpy look on my face. This is not the first time I haven't really felt like a run but somehow have ended up out pounding the pavement, I didn't even take my mp3 player this morning (and haven't for a while) because my lazy personality hasn't been bothered charging the batteries in a while. I had other things to occupy my mind, waiting for approval for finance is making me nervous. What happens if they refuse us finance, what do we do then? there won't be time to approach other lenders.
But anyway, today I did the velodrome loop, pretty much on auto-pilot 12.5k in 1hr20min, tomorrow morning I might go for a run in the other direction just for something different.

Let the excuses begin

2006-11-03T17:50:00.000+10:30

Didn't get up on the alarm this morning, the legs, especially knees were still complaing after two hard days over shorter distances (tue and wed). But to the excuses, now that I am planning to have a mortgage I have decided to opt out of Sundays Black Hill Challange, maybe I will leave that one for next year. Instead I will know doubt head out on my own, solo, free run, because today I am feeling a bit flat and won't make it out.
Couldn't even get up the energy to jump on the stationary bike now either, instead I am reading blogs/posts etc being lazy in front of the computer...maybe I will feel different tomorrow?

Corporate Cup - Run 7

2006-11-01T15:26:00.000+10:30

Run 1 - 24mins36sec - 5:41 pace
Run 2 - 24mins30sec - 5:40 pace
Run 3 - 23mins01sec - 5:19 pace
Run 4 - DNS
Run 5 - 25mins34sec - 5:52 pace
Run 6 - 22mins30sec - 5:10 pace
Run 7 - 22mins29sec - 5:10 pace

Didn't have the ideal preperation leading up to this run, nutrition etc, consequently I was incredibly flat over the last kilometer falling away to only improve by a solitary second. I think I struggled with the mental barrier of pushing myself when I felt tired going around on the second lap. I finished the first lap in 11min10sec then dropped 19seconds on the second lap, mostly in the final kilometer.

Other news: It's official, I am a home owner...well if someone decides that they will lend me a rather large sum of money anyway...all ready planning some new runs, but settlement is a month and a half away.

Let Movember begin.

Let's get physical....physical

2006-10-31T07:38:00.000+10:30

Got out on this fine All Halows' Eve to enjoy a lap of the cemetery. 6k in 36 mins. I attacked the hills from the start, so by half way around my legs felt a bit shakey.
Anyway, house hunting on Sunday went well and we are going to try and buy a place tonight in fact, well at least meet with the real estate agent and draw up an offer, how is this running related? Well, when buying a house you have to consider the running route possabilities and this one has it all. When I say it all it is 200m from my new favourite run, Dry Creek. that is a little closer than the 5k it presently takes me to get there.
Other news, after being a contractor for just shy of 2 years work are finally going to offer me a permanent role. Now how is this possibly running related? Well there was no running yesterday, instead I had to undergo occupational testing or whatever they call it. Basically it involved lifting pushing, bending, squeezing, pinching, blood pressure, hearing, eye sight, height, weight, dexterity.
This is the first kind of physical type exam I have ever had. The Results as I remember them:
I have a weak right grip, I have a stronger left pinch than right pinch (finger strength).
Height: 198cm
Weight: 115kg (classed as overweight)
BP: Normal
Resting HR: 70 bpm
All my strength is in my legs (lifting waist to knee) and my upper body strength is weak (lifting shoulders to head)
I have good fitness (first time on a treadmill, how do people stand it...though I was incredibly unsuited to the set up of the old one they had...ratings were good/satisfactory/poor)
hearing: a little anomaly at a higher frequency, though I think I heard more than I pressed the button, just coudn't tell if I was imagining it and didn't want to appear crazy.
Eyesight: 20/20, I must have stuffed up one of the letters in one of my eyes so not quite 20/15

Month in review:
165km in 17hrs16mins, second biggest month and starting to build some consistency after that mid year slump.
Year to Date:
1177km in 128hr07mins.

More statistics and possibly graphs later from Sportstracks.

Edit (much later):

This month (last month)
Num of Activities 17 (16)
Ave Distance 9.72km (9.83km)
Ave Time 1:00:56 (1:01:58)
Pace 6:16 (6:18)

And the all important:

Will I, Won't I LSD

2006-10-29T12:02:00.000+10:30

Set off this morning at 7am, or was it 8am...damn daylight saving. Didn't really feel like a long run when I was lying in bed so set of thinking about just doing a velodrome loop, alas after 1k I had plans of extending it just a bit down dry creek. When I got to Dry Creek I decided that I would finally go for an explore into the Stockade Botanical gardens. WHAT AN OASIS! I never new it existed right under my nose, there is a waterfall, nice grace, toilets, bubblers (which I would take advantage of later) I ran up and around the waterfall and out onto Dry Creek. I just went down to Walkley's Road and back today wanting to do about 18k. On the way back I stopped off at the bubler in the botanical gardens for a few gulps of water and then set off for the hill behind the belodrome. With the Black Hill Challange coming up I was looking for as many hills as possible, alas I think My brain was playing tricks on me because all the short hills I normally run up today just looked and felt like little lumps on the landscape (even after 18km). I fear I am going to crash and burn going up Black Hill next week, oh well you only live once. 18.3k in 2hrs today.
Now I am off to look at houses and maybe buy a beanbag to fall asleep in tonight.

Dress Like a Nerd

2006-10-27T08:21:00.000+09:30

Struggled out of bed this morning for 6k in 36mins. It was a fight but once I felt the morning air gently pushing against my face as I set off, I knew I had made the right decision.

Now, today at work is dress like a nerd day, so I put on my normal get-up and headed in. Plus it looks like some-people might actually find my blog entertaining? What's the deal with that?

Edit: I wish people would stop saying that this outfit suits me :)

Run to Work

2006-10-25T08:49:00.000+09:30

Last night I discovered I wouldn't have the car to go to work in this morning, and my normal ride was on the first plane to Melbourne, so I decided to run to work, oops, still had on my steel caps...they won't fit in my hydration pack even without the bladder.
Solution: I grapped an old backpack and an octopus strap to use as a chest strap, then I put about 5kg of stuff in it, clothes, steel caps, and food and set off. All was going well until about 2k when I felt it swinging around wildly...only to look back over my shoulder and find the pack almost completely undone, but luckily lunch etc was still perched there...miraculously! So after stopping, doing it back up and using my lanyard to clip the zips together I set back off again and was trouble free. Before stopping I had been feeling great and cruising, but after stopping it felt like a struggle to maintain an even pace. I am sure the extra weight on my back contributed to the struggle but I ended up making it to work for 12.5k in 80mins, including the couple of minutes fixing my bag.

Race Report - Race 4 Life

2006-10-22T20:40:00.000+09:30

That's right people, I made it out of bed this morning to head down to Elder Park...and what a crowd, way more people than I was expecting, I'd estimate a couple of thousand. Registered and stood around in the sun soaking in the glorious day...and there was pink everywhere. Rundave came over to say hello and I also met CR Derwood after he noticed my cap. After a very uncoordinated (for me) mass warm up the walkers set off to the beat of some drums, and as I watched the long trail of walkers snaking off along the path around the Torren's I wondered if I would catch them at the 1k mark or 2k mark. 15mins passed and us 9kers lined up and were away, I coasted along in the crowd, not really having any other choice really and it was like that for a while, and then we caught the walkers. It was generally a single file line of runners on the right and the walkers on the left. I pity anyone coming the other way.
Still just cruising along there were quite a few people passing me at this stage, one pair who I heard talking behind me when we were single file said they finish C2B in 70mins, so they were my targets. I continued to cruise the first lap while they and many others got away from me. The first 4.5k lap was a tick over 26mins. Cruised for a little while longer, and then surprised to still feel good in the legs after yesterdays 18k I began to boog it a bit, I started reeling in people one after the other, catching my target with about 1k to go and stretched out my legs with some long strides home passing about 20 people in the last kilometer. Finished still feeling surprisingly good in 51 mins, so a 25 min second lap average pace of 5:40 (which is faster than my 10k PB). Couldn't stay around afterwards for a free breakfast etc...had some shopping to do.
Now for shopping, I spent $250 on work pants and shorts...It felt fantastic to try on clothes and then go, wow these don't fit very well, they are TOO large! Get me the size smaller! Henve the $250 spent, it was all the endorphins.
Then as 2P has his mow-the-lawn patented, I will patent the, help-on-a-building-site recovery...today i moved wood for frames stacked in one place to another place.

Non-Race CR sighting

2006-10-21T09:55:00.000+09:30

Again No Blogging = No Running.
I have spent more time a work than at home since my last blog entry, so there has been no time for running or blogging. This morning as promised I met up with Lulu
for an hour easy tour of Adelaide's running hot spots. First I had to get there so I set of from home at a recovery pace (6:45ish). After 2k and with 2k to go, I thought I was going to be late so I booged it over the next 2 k at 5:20ish pace. Luckily I made it on time and Lulu was waiting patiently out the front of her Hotel in a CR singlet for me. We set off at 6:30 pace and first took in a bit of the Horse paddock, then crossed over melbourne street passed the Park 8 and 10 (no Buster sighting like Rundave) to the Torrens at Hackney road. We then ran down the North bank to the weir, crossed over and ran back to the footbridge on the south bank. From there we went straight up from road and through North Adelaide to her Hotel. It was probably the most pleasant run I have ever had...thanks Lulu. The weather was great, the company was great and judging by Garmy the Pace was the most consistant 6:30ish pace I have ever seen.
After saying goodbye, I set off for the 4k home and boy was that a tough little stretch, but here I am blogging about it so I guess I made it...all up today 18k in 1hr54min...now for te Race 4 Life tomorrow, I think I might enter in the 9k and just cruise around...depends how I pull up.

Edit: so after all it was a Non-race CR sighting, though I cheated and had it pre-arranged.

Corporate Cup - Run 6

2006-10-18T14:32:00.000+09:30

Run 1 - 24mins36sec - 5:41 pace
Run 2 - 24mins30sec - 5:40 pace
Run 3 - 23mins01sec - 5:19 pace
Run 4 - DNS
Run 5 - 25min34sec - 5:52 pace
Run 6 - 22min30sec - 5:10 pace

No lunch straight before the run this week and cooler temperatures (22°C). The wind was half as strong as last time and a lot cooler. Got out of the metaphorical blocks fairly well with a 5:03 split mostly into the wind and then a 4:59 mostly with the wind. Came through for the lap at about 11:10 (10sec faster than last time). Second lap I slowed a bit to 5:10 pace and came home with a positive split (11:20). Coming up to the line I had slowed down for fear of the gurg, but renewed my efforts to make it across the line bang on 22:30. Right, my mission for the next fortnight before the final CC run is not to fade over the last lap and come home in a 20 second negative split to break 22mins! I don't think I have it in me, but I will certainly give it a crack even if it means the gurg...what I really need is someone to chase, it is not easy pacing yourself.

...says someone who says they were aiming for 22:30 and finished it in 22:30. HA!

No blogging = No Running

2006-10-17T08:24:00.000+09:30

That's right, after spouting off about determination blah blah blah, my motivation has hit one of those low points. I am used to this now but, is knowing that I will get my motivation back delaying the return or just easing the anguish? Lying in bed in the mornings thinking, should I get up or shouldn't I, nope I have no motivation...but it will return soon. How am I going to snap out of it with that attitude.
This morning I just made it out of bed, but a planned 9k turned into a planned 7k which eventuated as a 6k run. For added incentive I also ran a new route, which I will call the Cemetery loop (It is basically a lap of the cemetery). I think the turning point this morning was the prospect of a run on Saturday with Lulu and not being able to keep up.
Corporate Cup tomorrow, hopefully I have a fast one in me and the weather stays mild as forecast. I will be aiming for 22:30.

House Spoiler

2006-10-14T11:20:00.000+09:30

WARNING: If you love the TV show House, and you do not want to know what happens at the start of season three...DO NOT read the last paragraph. It contains a spoiler for the first episode of season 3.

Finally got in my velodrome loop this morning, I got up a little later than intended due to a reasonably late night out so by the end of the 11.5k loop I was a little hot to say the least. But that is ok, now that I am home, showered, fed and watered I am feeling great. I cruised around the velodrome loop at an easy pace coming home in 71.5 minutes.

Now, as for House, I watched the first episode of season 3 last night at a friends and it started with quite a funny, and relatable scene. For those who don't know (not those that ignored the warning above) House is a Doctor and had massive muscle death in his leg leading to cronic pain and limping etc. At the end of the second season they hinted at being able to cure it...so the start of the third season starts with House running to work.
Cuddy: Did you run to work?
House: Yep, all 6 miles.
Cuddy: It's been 16 weeks. You realise the standard recovery time for a gunshot wound to the abdomen is 8 weeks?
House: But after 8 weeks I could only run 3 miles...I never would have made it to work.

Shame Shame Shame.

2006-10-13T10:18:00.000+09:30

I wasn't the not so little Aussie Battler this morning. I slept in. Last night went on a little longer than intended, out to dinner with work colleagues, so after a few bevies and then dinner it was late when I got to bed and the determination I had on Wednesday obviously evaporated quickly when I realised how tired my legs still felt. Perhaps I have not fully recovered from the weekends long run. Regardless my legs are still aching now and maybe a program of gentle cross training and stretching tonight will see me right for two medium length runs on the weekend.

Rundave asked

How much of a hassle was shifting to beta blogger? Did you lose/change anything?

Blogger Beta is now running quite smoothly with commenting finally sorted out. The extra funtionallity is cool too (including post labels) and customising is even easier with a GUI type arrangement. When changing you can revert to your old template or simply change to a beta template (to make use of new cusomising ability, widgets etc) which also allows you to view your old template code so you can copy and paste code into the new template.
Another feature which I have found useful is in the edit posts page you can now view posts (in a sort of preview pane below post title) which makes it easy to find the post you want to edit etc without opening up the blog to try and find it.
There may be some other fantastical things that are too advanced for me to know about, eg flicker accounts (whatever they are) and so on.
All up they seem to have ironed out all the problems and the new Blogger is great!

Edit: oh yeah, if you are logged in it is also easy to edit your blog without having to go through dashboard as you can edit a post/element on the page just by clicking the "edit post" or "edit element" button which appears on the blog (when you are logged in)

Trudging on

2006-10-11T08:34:00.000+09:30

On waking this morning, I really didn't feel like getting up. My legs were tired, my brain was tired, in fact I don't know what possessed me to actually get up. Halfway through getting ready I was walking to the door and paused a minute, contemplating going back to bed, and yet again I dismissed it a little too easily. Once I was out of the door nothing improved, I trudged off. The only consession I made myself was to only do 9-10km and save the longer midweek run for friday. Today I was trying a new route into north adelaide and then around the horse paddock, so I didn't take my mp3 player either. Oh boy what a dreadful run, 300m up the road I had one of those...bugger this feelings where I almost stopped and turned back to go back to bed...yet I continued on. It was slow hard going and I finally trudged home 9.82km...then kept going to the end of the street to take Garmy up to 10k (why? after so much complaining?)...total time 1hr10mins.

...I am freaking myself out this morning, where on Earth did this insane determination come from? Luckily tomorrow is a rest day so my legs can rejuvinate...I wonder if I will feel like doing any cross training.

Racing the bus.

2006-10-10T11:02:00.000+09:30

Set out this morning for a recovery 7k (as per my schedule :O) ), with some new tunes on the MP3 player, the time wizzed by. (I succumbed to buying them on the internet because on Saturday at Target, I saw the new release stand and there was at least 4 albums there I wanted, couldn't afford that, so I bought them on line.) Today it was Evenescence, Sunday it was Jet, and now it is The Killers and Scissor Sisters. Regardless it has become my habit of late (with miss Simlin catching a bus to work at 6:20ish that I get around to Main North Road, near the end of my run and I decide, I might just go pop a kiss on her cheek before she goes to work, but because of the lateness of my leaving home I have to bolt down Main North rd checking over my shoulder every 30 seconds to see if the bus is coming yet. Just beat it this morning, landed a kiss on the cheek as the bus pulled up but had to really motor over the last 50m.
Glad I didn't pull anything in the mad dash.

Further musing from a dull mind.

2006-10-09T13:15:00.000+09:30

I was rummaging through my C2B bag last night to actually see what was in it and cam across the SARRC half price membership form. So I started to fill it in...that's right people I am finally joining a club! It's about time too really, also with the membership comes free entry to the Christmas Frolic fun run, so more money saved there too! Now all I have to do is get off my arse and send in the application.

We got a another turtle to keep Mr Fanta Pants (so named for the orange around his shell and in honour of gingered haired people) happy as he seems to be moping a bit after the loss of Squirt, Milly (definitely a girl as the breeder incubates at girl temperature) is a little larger than Squirt was and has a few eccentricities but Mr Pants and Her seem to be getting on fine, yay!

On the training front, the discovery of the new Dry creek and velodrome trails have made increasing the mileage easier. Last month was my second biggest month, only the month before my first half was bigger. My current training cycle spans over 2 weeks and is looking like this.

WEEK 1
Monday - Rest
Tuesday - 7k (recovery)
Wednesday - Velodrome route (11-12k) or run home from work (12.5km) (easy)
Thursday - Rest
Friday - 9k Reverse route (including long hill...tempo style)
Saturday - Rest
Sunday - 9k-12k or Hills run (~6k) (relaxed)

Week 2
Monday - Rest
Tuesday - 7k (recovery)
Wednesday - Corporate Cup 4.3k (race)
Thursday - Rest (or cross training)
Friday - Velodrome route (11-12km) (relaxed)
Saturday - Rest
Sunday - Dry Creek Long Run (~20k) (LSD)

This will most likely be the training structure for the next month or so to the Black Hill Challenge because it seems to work and I have got into a good rhythm. My aim with this training regime is to meet my goals by simply getting fitter and being at a lower weight...I don't feel the need for speed sessions or hill repeats etc because it just takes too much out of me and puts too much pressure on the legs at the moment. With two more CC races to go over the next two fortnights, I feel that if I can crack 22min30 there, I will be a chance to crack my 25min 5k goal on 12 November (Sri Chinmoy). After that another 3 weeks to get the fitness up to have a go at 10k in 55mins for the SARRC Xmas Frolic on 3 Dec.

All up exciting times ahead, the other two events I will be entering are 22 October Run 4 Life 9k event and the Black Hill Challenge 12.5k on the 5 November.

OK time to end the drivel now.

"Do you want to come to the pants party?"

2006-10-09T07:10:00.000+09:30

Starting with Friday night, I was desperate for a drink, so much so that I walked the 5k to the Lion Hotel to meet friends in 43mins dressed in jeans, a shirt and some pub/club friendly shoes. I was quite impressed with that effort and had a few celebratory drinks, won a few games of Darts...here I come London 2012!
No running Saturday.
On Sunday morning, out of sympathy for those competing at the Melbourne Marathon or HM, or just shear stupidity, I set off on a long run with the intention of running 20+kms. I took with me my hydration pack this time so there would be no excuses for turning back early. The weather was much milder than Saturday thankfully with low temperatures but blustery wind at times. This week I made it to the end of the Dry Creek section at Grand Junction Road (10.5k), Here I stopped for a minute or so, had a drink and did some stretching, before heading back toward Bridge Rd. Trip back was uneventful, but there was another bastard head wind going up behind the velodrome. Grrr. Made it home, via the undulating route (no wrong turn this time) for 21.5km in 2hr23 mins, which would make it my second longest run ever! (With the longest being 25k). I son't think I will try lengthening my long run at the moment, I am quite happy running around 20k and with no longer distances planned in the near future I think I will stick with it. As for the rest of the day...shopping. Just what I need, walking around Rundle Mall all afternoon.

Now as for the title of my last post, it is from a David Lynch movie "Mullholland Drive" and I would highly recommend it. And todays post title, something a little more comic.

Silencio

2006-10-06T09:10:00.000+09:30

Taking Miners lead, I have used a movie quote as my post title, If you can guess what movie it comes from you now know, along with Donnie Darco, one of my top five favourite movies. The haunting Spanish rendition of a Roy Orbison song in this movie is chilling.

Well anyway today, I ran the velodrome loop and felt pretty good too after Wednesday’s debacle. Coming home I was tossing up whether to turn left at the cemetery for an undulating last 3k or go straight ahead for a gentle downhill last 3k. I made up my mind early to take the undulating route but after tuning out and day dreaming, I found myself following a footpath veering away from home…where the hell am I? Took the next left and found my way to the cemetery, where I picked up the undulating route home. All up 11.8k in 71 minutes.
Wanted to run to work this morning for walk to work day, but I would have had to carry my steel caps with me and that would have been silly.

Now time to add to my list of 100 things, this is number 101 and is probably the stupidest thing I have ever done…reading Plu’s blog reminded me of it. Walking on a beach in Darwin (from Lee point to Casuarina beach) we got to the creek half way and the tide was right in and the creek was swollen. Instead of turning around and going back I jumped in and swam across, the v.large Deer Hound we were walking started to swim across too, but gave up half way and climbed onto my back to ride the rest of the way. Why is this stupid you may ask…ever heard of crocodiles? They pull over a hundred crocodiles out of Darwin harbour every year…no doubt I would have made the front page of the NT News.

100 things

2006-10-05T08:28:00.001+09:30

OK, so here it is. No laughing at my boring, goody two shoes life OK!

1. I was born in Bourke, NSW.

2. That’s right I am a New South Welshman by origin.

3. I have also lived in Warren, NSW, Carnamah, WA, Port Lincoln, SA, Palmerston, NT and Adelaide SA.

4. Never been overseas.

5. I have seen more than my fair share of the Australian Outback.

6. Was always a tubby kid.

7. In early primary school (living in Country WA) I won numerous medals for swimming at both school sports day and inter-school country carnivals.

8. I always won Butterfly and Backstroke, the same kid (best friend) always beat me at freestyle and breastroke.

9. Despite our swimming prowess, our school always got slaughtered at the inter-school country carnival athletics…we could swim, just not run.

10. After being in what could be termed a swimming squad with regular after school training etc (I lived across from the pool) we moved to Pt Lincoln and swimming training was at 6am a couple of ks away…bye bye swimming L

11. I have only once dived off a 10 metre platform. I did a pin drop.

12. Tip: when doing a pin drop from 10 metres ensure feet and legs are as close together as possible.

13. As a kid I only got grounded once. During which time I went to a birthday party.

14. I got grounded for splitting my brothers head open with a rock, which I propelled at him from quite a distance, so really it was quite a good grenade (throw).

15. I am the son of a preacher man…go Dusty.

16. My brother blames me for his inability to wrestle.

17. I am not a fighter, when we were kids I sat on him so we didn’t have to fight.

18. The one time I fought my brother, dad said take it outside, so we did…needless to say my brother ended up with a bleeding nose (I think it was over who got to sit in the bean bag?).

19. No one has ever tried to start a fight with me, probably due to a number of factors, I am large and imposing and some of the people I hung out with you really wouldn’t want to mess with…no one thankfully has ever worked out that I would most likely stand there and take it or run away.

20. I was the dux of my primary school.

21. I am into music, both making and listening.

22. Some instruments I have played seriously: Piano, Clarinet, Bassoon.

23. My favourite number.

24. Some instruments I have played but not so seriously: Saxaphone, Trumpet, guitar.

25. I have been in numerous bands at school, jazz ensembles etc and have therefore by association played with musicians such as James Morrison and Don Burrows.

26. Things related to music I have been payed for: Jazz background music, a few background piano gigs at dinners, weddings, teaching piano and I have also won a $300 composing and arranging competition.

27. The first CD I ever owned, Diesel - Hipfedelity….ouch (actually I have this on my mp3 player at the moment.)

28. The best I have ever done in a running event was 10th at a primary school cross country event

29. I have never stolen/borrowed a pig.

30. I am a shy person around new people.

31. I am overly friendly and inappropriate around people I know. (which must be why I like the internet so much ;) )

32. My first car was a Layland Mini.

33. To get into it I had to bend like a corkscrew.

34. I had it up on two wheels once going around a 90° turn at 100km/hr.

35. I have never been drunk to the point of vomiting.

36. I just get bored of drinking or spending the money.

37. I’ve always thought that I am just a control freak and afraid to let go.

38. I love Pasta.

39. I am sure I could easily eat a whole 500g packet of pasta cooked with a tasty sauce.

40. Was a very fussy eater as a kid.

41. never ate anything but meat unless it was with mashed potato.

42. Now I eat anything (I think it was due to college food)

43. I live with my Girlfriend.

44. We have 2 turtles named: Fanta Pants (a long neck) and Squirt (Murray River Short Neck)…edit: Squirt passed on last night. L

45. We have 2 frogs named: Frits and Beans.

46. I can’t stand doing anything wrong.

47. That includes breaking any rules or laws.

48. I never got detention, time-out or withdrawal at school.

49. I have only ever had two operations

50. once I had to go to the ER to remove a 1 inch tree spike from my head

51. I have also had ingrown toenail.

52. Patience is my biggest virtue.

53. I have to eat my favourite food first,

54. I can’t stand those that leave it till last…when it is cold and they are full.

55. Sometimes I drive like a grandma.

56. I ranked in the top 10 of the NT at the end of year 12…big whoop.

57. I always wanted to work in the pharmaceutical industry.

58. After 5 years at University, doing a bachelor of engineering (Chemical) and a bachelor of science (majoring in Organic Chem and Physical & Inorganic Chem) I came to the realisation (probably in second year) that a career in the Pharmaceutical industry was very unlikely.

59. After applying for a one line job advertised in the paper I landed my first job out of Uni…it just happened to be in the Pharmaceutical industry.

60. It’s funny how life turns out.

61. I Left home (Palmerston NT) when I was 17 to go to uni in Adelaide and stayed at Lincoln College.

62. Living in a residential college is a totally unique experience. (and would need another 100 things to explain why)

63. I have a younger brother and an older sister.

64. My favourite TV shows are House and the biggest loser.

65. I have made a conscious effort this year not to watch pointless TV shows and become a TV zombie.

66. It seems to be working, I get bored if I try and sit down and watch too much TV now.

67. I was once in a barbershop nonet - we were called The Flapping Sphincters - Enough said (though I could upload the video of our performance to youtube?)

68. I think running is now the most committed I have ever been to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

69. The Heaviest I have been was about 135kg.

70. I will be happy when I hit 100kg.

71. I have a freckle on my lower lip.

72. I practically lived as a vegetarian for the year 2002.

73. I go very red in the face when too much attention is placed on me.

74. I had the derogatory nickname Rudolf for a while in primary school.

75. I’m also a positive person and cling to the belief that everything works out in the end.

76. I have worked in childcare (vacation and afterschool care) - mostly my job was to run around like a silly bugger playing with all the boys outside.

77. I have worked for the NT government - mostly sorting core samples from that years drilling expeditions, they bagged a sample every 3 metres. We had to dry it and put it in a labelled vial to go to the core library.

78. My favourite movie genre is comedy.

79. I hate Horror movies, I just can’t see the point in watching something to get scared.

80. Everything else is ok and I don’t mind chick flicks…oops did I just type that out loud.

81. I like and appreciate all types of music, especially aussie rock.

82. My year of birth.

83. I love cooking.

84. I hate vomiting and can’t remember the last time I did.

85. When the last Olympics were on My brother and I had two TVs set up side by side, one with SBS and the other channel 7.

86. I have had my back naired once and my chest waxed once, I would not do either again.

87. Waxing hurts.

88. The best presents I have ever received are: Garmy, Runner’s World subscription and 2 tickets to Cirque de Soule.

89. I will be running my first marathon next year.

90. I love living in Adelaide (just a big country town) but can’t rule out a move interstate sometime in the future.

91. I have never been on A Current Affair

92. This list has taken me 3 days to compile.

93. I firmly believe that every situation can be related to either a Simpson’s Episode or a Seinfeld episode.

94. For the most part I am quite happy the way my life is turning out.

95. I really want to get back into swimming.

96. I am deathly afraid of going to a doctor and being told I need to have an operation; eg tonsils removed

97. As one of my yr 12 teachers famously said, I am a floater, I do enough to get the job done and no more.

98. I want to be one of those 70 year olds still out on the road running in fun runs

99. The penultimate thing

100. I am quite sure I will be bald and grey by the time I am 30.

Corporate Cup - Run 5

2006-10-04T17:37:00.000+09:30

Yep did a PW.
Louise was right, it was over 23min...but there were extenuating circumstances...
What a surprise, some contractors turn up late and it doesn't look like I will be able to make it to CC again, I sneak in my post race pasta at 12:45. At 1 o'clock the contractors decide they are having lunch so I nip out down to the CC course and register 2 minutes before cut-off. The first lap was sensational, I was flying, feeling good. It was warm, overcast and very windy. My first lap was 11:20, on target for that 22:40 2P! and then it hit...the pre-race post-race pasta reared its ugly head as I had feared when I started and reduced me to a gut cramping crawl. There was no need to guts it out so I walked a bit around the back end of the course when it was clear my race was over, coming home with a wet sail in 25:34, a PW by far.
Time for some renewed vigour, get the training pumping and have a fair crack at 22mins next time I think.

...I am still feeling quite ill.

fiddle dee dee

2006-10-03T09:23:00.000+09:30

Felt like a bit of a lay in this morning and seeing as I have run the last two days, I felt only a 5k trot was in order...with a Corporate Cup dash scheduled for tomorrow lunch in 30 something degrees.
Shuffled rather stiffly through the first kilometer and then settled into a bit of rythm, the left knee was a little tender to start but soon warmed up and the only other niggle was the occasional jolt of pain on the top of my left foot? Maybe my shoes were too tight.
Anyway, after missing the last CC run it has now been 4 weeks since I ran 23 flat so I am looking for some big improvement...that is unless running 4 days in a row takes it toll along with the heat...eeek. I won't be too dissapointed if I don't improve but I will give it a good crack!

Edit: OK to formalise 2Ps sweep, the prize will go to the closest.
Prize: TBA

Time(Name)
>23min flat
22:50 – 23:00
22:40 – 22:49 (2P 22:42)
22:30 – 22:39
22:20 – 22:29
22:10 – 22:19
22:00 – 22:09
<22min flat

Tralalalala its labour day

2006-10-02T11:11:00.000+09:30

Well, labour day here in the good old S of A. After dropping Miss Simlin off at work at 9:30am I stopped off at pinky Flat to do a lap of the Torrens. The sun was out, the birds were singing...and of course there were people everywhere! Bikes, paddle boats, roller blades. After a few creaky strides it turned into a rather fast 7.3k loop averaging just under 6min/k. I wore my sunglasses for the first time while running, and although the reduced glare was good, I can see me getting a head ache from wearing them too long on anything of significant distance. All up a glorious day off, with a very relaxing stretching session under a tree on the river bank afterwards, now what to do with myself for the rest of the day. Cleaning the house no doubt. (I did the lawns yesterday!)

Oh What a Night!

2006-10-01T17:45:00.000+09:30

Well, another heart pounding game, but I always had faith...we're talking about AFL grand final here, what else...THE EAGLES ARE THE 2006 PREMIERS! Needless to say, yesterday I drank waaaaaaaayyyyyyy too many pale ales and when it came time to go home we caught a ride which meant I had to get out of bed this morning and trot over there to pick it up so that we could be at an open house at 11am. The night before in an alcohol induced stupor I had judged the distance to be about 5-7k, and this morning, dry in the mouth from dehydration on a cloudy, humid morning of about 26°C I trotted the 6.3km in 39mins...not bad I thought! Must still be flying high...

Great start to October!

Finally some running action

2006-09-29T22:02:00.000+09:30

Got home from work and went straight out for a velodrome loop yesterday afternoon. felt really cruisy for the first 4k, glad to be out there and going along like a real athlete... Then the two handfulls of mini cheesels I scoffed before heading out the door finally made it to my stomache and I had to grind out the next 4k waiting for the cramp to subside (really who leaves a bowl of cheesels lying around?). By the time I got to the hill up behind the velodrome the cheesels had been digested, though very painfully, and the boost of energy they gave me had powering home completing the 11.5k in 6min/k pace. After stretching etc moving around, I felt a slight twitch in the right hammy...hopefully nothing really, but there will be no running today...GO EAGLES!

September was a really good month for me, I got my mojo back and got in some decent runs following on from a month or two of injury.

Total number of runs was 16.
Total Kilometers was 157.3km (ave 9.83km per run) - my second biggest month...yay!
Total Time was 16:31:20 (ave 1:01:58 per run)
Average Pace per run 6:18min/k (fastest 5:19min/k)

#&% $&^$ #%$& %&^!

2006-09-29T08:01:00.000+09:30

Damn stupid alarm!
Was all set for a 11.5k velodrom run this morning at 5:10am but when my alarm turned on, set to radio, nothing came out...hence I didn't wake till 6am...hence I didn't have time for a run...hence I now have the shakes (is this normal or is it just runners withdrawal?)...hence come rain hail or shine I will be out there tonight!...hence there will be another post run post.

Swimming with the fishes si.

2006-09-27T08:06:00.001+09:30

Edited for Ewen's tired eyes :)

Felt like I had concrete shoes on this morning...

Last night I was late home from work due to a long conference call and therefore didn’t have time for a run before dinner. Instead I jumped on the bike for 15mins after dinner to warm up before doing some stretching and strengthening exercises and then half an hour of DDR. (PS if you don’t know what that is I am not telling you because you will only laugh.
Had planned the velodrome 11.5km run for this morning but a longer than usual internal battle (why does 1 late night affect my whole week) took place and I only had time for the 9k loop. Any hoo that loop was of course enough to tick over to the mega ton…1000Km this year (which was an un-stated goal for 2006). Running down the last hill my legs still felt like they were full of concrete and my mouth was stretched into a wide smile as Garmy ticked over 8.5km. No jumping up and down, or fist pumping (OK there might have been a satisfactory clenching or two). This week is definitely my taking it easy week for the month and my knees are still feeling a little tender following Sundays marathon (well almost half marathon anyway.)

K.O.

2006-09-26T07:42:00.000+09:30

Well, that never ending mental battle was quick this morning, but not in favour of running, in favour of staying in bed. There were contributing factors of course, I had stayed up watching the Brownlow Medal Count and yesterday my knees were feeling a little tender from the 20k run on Sunday. My left hemisphere (which I like to call my lazy side) put this argument to my right hemisphere (which I like to call my running side) at 5:30am and the right hemisphere folded in about 2 seconds and I was dozing again. Won't be cracking the MEGA-ton this morning.
Wouldn't you know it though, after a nice warm shower, some peanut butter on toast and a glass of juice I was walking out the door and my legs felt great! Oh dear, what have I done the right side thought...guilt starting to build, while the left side caused half my face to contort into a smirk.
Now that the right side is in control again an afternoon run is all I can think about...now to come up with a plan to get out of the house.

;O)

Crow Pain.

2006-09-24T18:15:00.000+09:30

Today was LSD day and I concentrated on the S as this last week has been a little speedy and it was time for some L D. So after screaming myself hoarse at the football watching the eagles thrash the crows (scores were close due to inacuracy) I planned to run to the start of the dry creek trail I found a fortnight ago and then run down it and back.
Alas when I woke up at about 5am it was squally and raining which continued for an hour or so but when I had been awake for 10mins at 7:30 and it was all quiet outside I ventured out of the warm bed and into the morning gloom. It was still a bit windy but it wasn't raining and the clouds looked a little light so I trotted off at a slow pace (7min/km). Two things that I didn't take that inevitably made the run harder than it needed to be I think was my mp3 player and my hydration pack. It was 5.3km to the start of the trail and I only got drenched once, but damn it was chilly with the squally wind that came with it. I ran to the end of the trail (where I started a fortnight ago), but this time I did not get my feet wet across the crossing as I am quite sure I could have been swept off. Anyway I found there was a tunnel under walkley's road and although partially flooded I ran through and continued along the trail on the otherside. Before long Garmy was telling me I was getting closer to 10k so I decided to turn around (without hydration I thought it would have been a little silly to continue on). After getting back to the start of the trail I headed for the path behind the velodrome. Going up that long slow hill was torture as a gale force wind was whipping straight into my face. As I was approaching the top the feeling of needing to walk was almost overpowering but I shuffled on. With 2k to go the heavens opened up and the cold rain and wind re-invigourated the tired legs and I even ran a couple 100 metres past home to take Garmy up to 20k (as I thought all the effort was worth 20k)
Anyway after that ramble it was an LSD of 20k at 6:45min/k pace.
ooohh I just noticed my milage todate is 991.5k...I will crack the megaton (1000k on Tuesday!)

Friday Morning Ho Hum

2006-09-22T07:44:00.000+09:30

Lay in bed for 4mins this morning contemplating how tired my legs were, but then remembered what I ate yesterday and snapped out of it. As it turns out I am still a bit of a speedy and instead of taking it easy on some tired legs, those same legs carried me around a reverse 9k loop in a course record 6min/k pace. Today I cruised Main North Road, Attacked the hill up Grand Junction, coasted down Hampstead road and then cruised home along Regency Road (attacking the last little bit down main north).

For those confused by my terms of effort:

Coasted = just ran comfortably - no exertion.

Cruised = tried to maintain a reasonable pace - minimal exertion.

Attacked = tried to maintain a fast pace - exerted myself.

Flat Out = Tried to maintain maximum pace - Full exertion (normal followed an overwhelming desire to regurgitate).

Now I feel the need to explain my love of the West Coast Eagles. From (edit 1985 to the end of 1989 thanks sis) I lived in a small country town in Western Australia called Carnamah. It is here... I was at a young and impressionable age and moving from NSW when the Eagles formed in late 1986 (playing there first game in the 1987 season) I became a supported and participated in eagles clinics etc when they came around.

Now if it league allegiances that you want to know, my state of Origin is NSW (Bourke to be exact) and I am a Manly Warringah Sea Eagles supporter, though enthusiasm for the game waned during the whole super league debacle.

Enough about non-running topics now...time to start planning a LSD for the weekend. :)

Edit: for those who still can't comment with normal blogger accounts - do you preview your comment before posting it? This is supposed to work damn it!

Self punishment

2006-09-21T07:49:00.000+09:30

As a treat for not being able to run in the Corporate Cup yesterday I got up this morning a little after 5am for my second outing around the velodrome route. For some reason this route, so far, has brought out the speedster in me and I have completed it at 6:10 pace and now this morning 6:20 pace. For a training run this is fast for me. It must be the new route.
With the Black Hill run and the long lasting battle with Spring Gully Road at the forefront of my mind I belted up the hill behind the velodrome and then, as if that wasn't enough for the day, I changed the end of the route to include two more short hills. Damn those hills felt good. Maybe I will challange Spring Gully Road to a duel this weekend...now if only I had a glove...
On non-related topics, my brother secured us tickets to the Eagles v Crows prelim final on saturday arvo. I just bought an Eagles Gurnsey on Ebay for $50 (probably not an official one but who cares?) I hope it arrives on Friday but I am doubtful but I will be able to wear it the following weekend for the GF! My brother is a Port supported so will be, not so much supporting the Eagles, more like badgering the hell out of the crows fans.
Enough about football.
I don't know what it is, but now that I have successfully smashed my main goal for the year, nay, my whole reason for existing/running, I have been injected with a renewed, fervent need to run and train...what for? The Black Hill challenge isn't a real goal, I just whimsically threw it out there...I would like to smash Spring Gully Road though (have I said that enough yet?). Now I suppose reflecting back on my long term goals the next big thing is getting a marathon under my belt...August next year I am thinking. (I'll then worry about going under 4hrs to qualify for six foot track). So why the renewed vigor for running? Acheivement of a year long goal does wonders for the confidence and I suppose now I am base building. Between now and August '07 I want to remain injury free and run 2 Half Marathons (hopefully sub 2hrs).

Oh yeah, I am still to get a decent running picture to stick in my profile...that can be another goal.

No CC

2006-09-20T18:45:00.000+09:30

Well, it was a let down. After a vendor turned up late due to delays in Melbourne Airport I was ket busy till after 3 in the afternoon and could not make it out to the CC today :(
Now what do I do?
I think the best thing is to get up and go for a 12k run in the morning!

Top Half Finisher!

2006-09-19T07:54:00.000+09:30

YES! my DAG worked this year and my time was officially recorded.

Official Position: (Equal) 3710th out of 7425!
Official Time: 1:09:05

Quite happy with that result! So what is the next challange, apart from trying to reach my goals for 5 and 10k and improving my CC time, I think I will aim for the Black Hill Challenge, Paradise/Athelstone. 12.5km Run from Thorndon Park Reserve 335m ascent on the 5th of November. Might need to get a few more training runs in the hills under my belt and conquer Spring Gully Road!

Went out this morning for a nice and easy 7km, didn't look at Garmy at all and just cruised around the neighbourhood in the warm morning air. Ended up taking 46:35 for the 7.1km, hopefully I pull up all right for tomorrows CC and can put in another good time!

Race Report - City to Bay 2006

2006-09-17T17:08:00.000+09:30

The Preperation - Spent last night watching my beloved eagles smash a lack lustre bulldogs eating all the wrong things, sausage rolls, wedges, cocktail frankfurts, chips, cheese. I restrained myself to 1 beer and 6 glasses of water, In bed not long after midnight.
I got dropped off at a friends house at 7am about a kilometer from the start and walked down in the warming morning air...it was going to be warmer than last year. Caught up with Sunni at the start lookng to go around 55mins I think, then Wardman joined me and the crowd swelled. Snaps to the organisers for seperating the runners and walkers. It took about 5 mins to get to the start line once the gun had gone and then we were away, I started with a guy from work, Wardman and his friend. The guy from work took off ahead and Wardman and co followed up beind me.
I took it easy for the first k, just thinking how smooth this start was not having to jump around walkers and squeeze past them. I voiced this out loud and a woman running next to me said she was just thinking the same thing. The first K went by and it was a little slow so I stepped on the gas a little, a bit overzealously though, not wanting to lose the gay from work in the crowd up ahead.
I was starting to feel a bit thirsty but at the first drink station the tables were 3 deep so I forged on swapping to the partially shady side of the road. I counted down the metres to the next drink station and grabbed 2 drinks - one for the head and one for me. Taking a couple of gulps I ran on - unfortunately the water did not agree with me and I was soon feeling quite off-colour and the sun was starting to get to me.
5k to go and I was having an eternal battle as my pace was slipping out to greater than 6min/k. I really wanted to walk, and I mean really really wanted to walk...there is always next year I kept thinking and I had lost the guy from work somewhere in the distance. The only thing that kept me going then was the shame of having to take a walk break this year when I ran the whole way last year. Don't be stupid I told myself, if you did it last year you can shaw as hell do it today!
At the last drink station the water was only for my head - 2 cups. and when I looked up and got back into stride, there was the guy from work not far up on the right, I increased the pace a little and had caught and overtaken him by 2k to go.
From there I cruised to the finish just trying to go with the flow without the need for a flashy sprint finish.
I got a shout of "GO COOLRUNNER" with a couple hundred metres to go but could only manage a thumbs up over my shoulder, round the bend and over the finish line in 1:15:xx gun time...stopping the watch at 1:08:59...avoiding the girl doubled over vomiting and throught the throng, aahh. Goal Acheived! I think If I had run a smarter race I could have dropped a minute off the time but what can you do? bring on sub 60mins next year!

Comments about the race...so much better than last year, 3 gold stars to organisers. Passing 6km the announcer was explaining to the waiting mass of walkers that when they think about the people going past, hey I can walk faster than that, then that is when he will let them start! Fantastic, no new wave to deal with...

Edit: SORRY THAT WAS AN 11:30 PB!

See if you can spot me...Finish Line

unnofficially flat out

2006-09-15T08:03:00.000+09:30

It was the last run before Sunday this morning and I decided to go reasonably flat out, as fast as I could, to the limit of my capacity...over my usual 5km route. I don't remember the last time I did this so though I think I might have run 29mins. I have never run a 5k race so my PB is taken from the first 5k of my 2nd 10k race and was 28:27. Today I "sprinted" around for a route PB and an un-official 5km PB of 27:00 mins...wooohoooo! getting closer to that goal. So average pace was 5:24, and my splits were from memory (will confirm later) 5:58, 5:40. 5:30, 5:06, 4:35. As you can see from this and my 10k PB splits I like to go out at a reasonable pace and then build up the speed finishing in a flurry of legs, arms and heavy breathing with that "I feel like vomiting" feeling in my throat.
More later...maybe some pretty graphs and Garmy splits etc.

Edit: Just as I predicted:

Splits actually were 5:55, 5:41, 5:26, 5:09, and 4:37...giving 26:49 for the 5km on garmy.

Recovery

2006-09-13T13:05:00.000+09:30

This morning I had an internal battle on my hands which lasted 6mins before I got out of bed. The deciding factor was the apparent warm nature of the air and outside it was lovely and mild. The sunrise this morning was also spectaculer, lovely deep red then orange. I creaked around my usual 7km route on a much needed recovery run and will only do another 5k on Friday before the C2B on Sunday. I am feeling quite worn out so the resting will do wonders and I can be fresh for Sunday.

On Blogger related matters, I can't seem to find anywhere to email blogger about my commenting problems. For some magical reason Ewen is the only one that can comment using a normal blogger acount? What is he doing special I don't know, and I beleive the security alerts are because they have switched to a google account for greater security esp. with third party applications or something...it is all techy speak to me. It is interesting though the different ways in which people have left comments, Coolrunning Personal Messages (PMs) emails through the cool running forum etc. Thanks for caring.

Wardman, in terms of the SA Walks book, it is ok as a reference to lots of different runs, the maps aren't great there is lots of historical/touristy information. If I was looking for something specific eg heyson trail or other then I would probably get a specialised book/map/pamphlet. It is ok for little local trails and others around the state.

Yipee!

2006-09-12T09:14:00.000+09:30

Well unless Ewen is a Beta Blogger I think normal bloggers can now post comments! (Though I tried this morning with my alternate normal blogger commenting account and it didn’t work?)
This morning I headed out to try a new route, having measured the distance all ready I knew that just adding the Velodrome loop to my normal 9k loop would make it over 12k so I ran directly there and then directly back through the backstreets as I did on Sunday for a total of 11.3km according to Garmy. It was a beautiful morning and running a couple of ks through parklands was a refreshing change and good for the spirit. Although I don’t really like weaving through back streets the quiet nature of the suburbs was also peaceful (except for the loud stinky garbage truck) compared to the trucks hustling and bustling along the main arterial roads. One of the main reasons I have not venture over Grand Junction rd previously is that I hate crossing main roads on runs if I can help it…for some reason I am fully against un-warranted stoppages ruining my training run, I think it was worth it this morning and I caught the lights too so no stopping for me!
In terms of pace, started out at over 7min/k working out the tired muscles from Sunday but had it cranked up at the end with steady 5:50 min/k splits.
Two more runs before next Sundays C2B. 7km tomorrow I think and then 5k on Friday.

Proper Entry

2006-09-11T09:04:00.000+09:30

Now that I am not feeling so tired I will recount Sunday's run in more detail:

So after reading the walking book I bought Saturday I set off in search of some suburban trails. The plan was to run around to the end of the trail and run back along it for a total of 15km. I wasn’t planning to take any water so this run was going to be an easy LSD at about 7min/km. it was 7km to the end of the trail, which runs along dry creek through what is known as the Yatala Labour Prison because prisoners used to quarry along the creek. The trail was awesome! As soon as I got down into the gully, away from civilisation, my legs took over and my pace dropped to almost 6min/km. I even got to run across a weir with two inches of water running over it (there was an alternate board walk route but where is the fun in that…I wouldn’t have got my feet wet) at the end of that section of the trail, Bridge Rd, instead of turning for home to complete the 15km I continued across to see where dry creak went. It wasn’t too interesting and when the track veered away from home and across the creek I turned for home. Luckily I seemed to be following the Levels to City Bike route. Knowing that this runs close to my house I followed the signs through the back streets and soon came to another trail/path through parklands/paddocks past the velodrome…awesome I have been looking for this (not seriously obviously because it wouldn’t have been that hard to find) it ended with a long slow climb back up to Grand Junction Rd, where I decided to keep following the bike route through the backstreets until I got home with Garmy reading 17km.
What a great run! I had my mp3 player with me but never felt the need to turn it on, didn’t even feel dehydrated either, which was a surprise. This exploring has now set me up for two new runs, a 15km half trail run and a 10km extended loop (I will have to check google maps first to get the distance right.) a third possible run is to do a figure 8 incorporating the two hills for some hill training so I can beat spring gully road! Running up to Hampstead rd along Grand Junction as per normal but then circling around and running up the velodrome track, basically running up the same hill twice from different directions. Will save this one for later as now I had better take it easy before the city 2 bay next Sunday…hope the weather is as good!

Under Construction

2006-09-10T18:47:00.000+09:30

Still rejigging the blog playing with the new features and haven't had much time to read other blogs.
Quick run-down of weekend.
Eagles lost...BAH!
End of Fashion and The Living End rocked!

While sauntering around some outdoor shops on Rundle St on Saturday I came accross a book called Walks SAand bought it. This morning I set out from home at an easy pace to find one of them, with the promise of a 3.5km long trail. Well I found it and it was great! Who knew there wasa trail 4km from home! I think I could incorporate into a 15km run, 4km to the start, up and back on the trail and then home. That is a 15km run with 7k on trails!
Also did a little bit of exploring after running the trail and found another nice path which I had heard existed but never found! I might include it into my usual 9km loop to make it around 10km.
So instead of doing 15km as planned today it ended up being 17km at 6:40 pace.
More later. When I am not distracted by the reconstruction of my blog.

Running Log Book

2006-09-09T09:24:00.000+09:30

MONTH	2006			2005
MONTH	km	h:mm	kg	km	h:mm	kg
January	16.0	1:37	124.7	-	-	-
February	84.4	8:51	124.2	-	-	-
March	148.7	16:58	120.9	-	-	-
April	172.6	19:48	118.6	-	-	-
May	120.2	12:59	116.8	-	-	-
June	121.5	13:44	115.5	-	-	-
July	56.2	6:08	116.3	-	-	-
August	135.9	14:11	116.5	-	-	-
September	157.3	16:31	115.6	58.7	6:18	-
October	165.3	17:16	115.0	23.5	2:18	-
November	84.2	8:50	113.7	37.3	3:33	-
December	102.0	11:03	114.4	22.12	2:11	126.0
Y.T.D.	1363.4	148:01	117.7	141.6	14:22	*126.0*

SCARY MOVE

2006-09-08T13:59:00.000+09:30

I just made the switch to Blogger Beta! I am scared...I hope everything went OK, and nothing was lost...should have backed up...but I was lazy...now to check to make sure everything is OK!

Edit I: OK Blogger BETA is cool! Will have more of a play tonight or tomorrow and add all the stuff that was in the old one (you have to update the template, but it saves a copy of the old one). I was planning some reworking of the template but this just makes it easier!

Edit II: Bugger! WTF

Unfortunately, you cannot post a comment on a non-beta blog or claim a mobile blog using your Google Account. These features are coming soon.

Damn, what on Earth do I do now! Plus I don't think anyone without a blogger Beta account can comment on my blog. Please feel free to comment using the other if it doesn't work!

Edit III: for those using bloglines etc, my RSS feed has changed so you will need to re-subscribe.

Edit IV: OK editting the feel, look etc is SO EASY with this new beta blogger! you guys should all migrate! It is a bit scary though, I feel like I have fallen off the face of the blogging universe and no-one knows where to find me! hopefully they sort out this traditional blogger acount commenting soon because I feel lonely.

...Fridays...

2006-09-08T10:47:00.000+09:30

Yesterday I was feeling a bit flat and mentally drained when I got home from work, so after laying on the couch for ½ hour we trundled up to Pizza Hut and got Pizza, they stuffed up our order too, so when I returned after the 15mins wait the duty manager said there would be she went and checked on our order. From the conversation I overheard they got the toppings wrong and so 25mins after ordering we ended up with a free garlic bread and thanks to a snide comment or two about how long 15mins was a free 1.25L drink too. Dinner did perk me up a bit, refuelling some enthusiasm so I jumped on the stationary bike for a ten minute warm up then did some stretches and strengthening exercises etc following that up with some more exercise biking. I looked into getting the Pilates for Runners et al that Ellie raves about as a form of structured cross training thingy.

This mornings run was 10k. I set my alarm 5mins earlier to fit in the extra k then normal and only had half the internal fight as last time, also forgot my CR cap...no wonder I felt naked. Finished the 10k at a little under 6:30 pace in 1hr4mins. An easy run and when I stopped for a cool down walk to the end of the block it felt as though I had barely run a km. I am unsure as to whether I like this feeling or not. Does it mean I am getting fitter? Or does it mean I took the run too easy and it had no benefit, I should have done more or gone faster? I suppose in the end I think it is how you are supposed to feel after an easy run.

Corporate Cup - Run 3

2006-09-06T13:40:00.000+09:30

Run 1 - 24mins36sec - 5:41 pace
Run 2 - 24mins30sec - 5:40 pace
Run 3 - 23mins01sec - 5:19 pace (THAT's WHAT I'M TALKING 'BOUT!)

Well, third corporate cup run today and after my success at the Adelaide Marathon 10K and subsequent thoughts I was fired up to give this one a decent crack! Made sure a did a few little warm up 300m or so. Started out by myself in windy conditions, a head wind for the first half a lap and tail wind for the back half. I went out easy for the first couple hundred metres and then turned up the speed to what I thought was a good pace, especially into the wind. First kilometre ticked by in 5:30min…right where I wanted to be. Added incentive on this run was that my closest rival in terms of pace started 1min behind me so everytime I turned a corner I could see how far behind, or closer he was. Second k ticked by in 5mins flat…good effort with the wind - now in a good position to get my target time and through the first lap in 11:30 1min faster than the last two runs. Now all I need to do that first lap again I kept telling myself, but around the first bend and I could see the guy chasing me was closer than the first lap…damn and that bloody wind. First k of the second lap ticked by. In 5:15min, YES! Better than the first lap definitely in for a good time now. As I was starting to over heat charging home around the back half the heavens opened and a nice cooling shower came down, that was enough to spur me through another 5min kilometre and over the finish line in 23mins1sec…damn didn’t break 23mins…but still 1min30sec PB. Now that is more like the time I thought I should be doing…now how do I improve that! Oh yeah, must have blown off the guy chasing too as he finished 1min30sec behind (30sec slower overall).

Might add splits here later…when I get home.

Split (km)	Run 1	Run 3
1	5:49	5:23
2	5:51	5:05
3	5:19	5:14
4	5:22	5:14
4.32	2:15	1:46
Total	24:41	23:01

Just another day

2006-09-05T08:39:00.000+09:30

Well motivation was down this morning and despite forgetting to turn on my alarm last night I woke up at 5:20am before having that eternal battle in the mind…will I get up…won’t I get up…do I really need to get up…I could sleep in an extra hour and half…I don’t really need to get up do I?...I can go for a run this evening after work…no honestly I will…all I need to do is reset my alarm….OK I’LL GET UP! The actual run itself wasn’t too bad, it started off very slow with short strides covering the first 2km in a touch over 14mins. Things started to tick over a little more down the back straight and by the time I got around to the home stretch I powered up the hill finishing the last 5km in 30mins. Now I am quite glad I got out of bed and hoping that tomorrow brings more speed than the opening 2km of this mornings little overture.

Spring Gully Rd v Simlin, 3-0

2006-09-04T08:07:00.000+09:30

Yep, that is right I tussled with the dreaded Spring Gully Rd again yesterday and it beat me again but more of that later.

First to Saturday, got up and had a hit of tennis with the brother. I don’t know what was going on there, I lost my second ever set of tennis to him (the first was after a trip to the dentist when I couldn’t feel half my face. I went down in the first 6-3. OK now I was mad and suddenly my mind went from a sieve to a 316 stainless steel bowl, focusing wholly and squarely on not repeating that performance. Finished him off 6-0, 6-1 now that is more like it! Following tennis it was back to my house for a late brunch and then into the city, Rundle St markets and movies. We saw Thank You for Smoking, very amusing, I would rate it 4 Stars.

Saturday night Miss Simlin and I met up with a group of people from my work at a Greek restaurant and feasted on meat, meat and more meat before heading to Thebby Theatre for a Gig. Tonight it was Eskimo Joe supported by Josh Pyke. Eskimo Joe sounded pretty tight and performed well, I must say though that I like their last album better than their new one but even then it still isn’t high on my playlist. I am holding out for The Living End, End of Fashion and the Red Riders next weekend…now THAT should be good!

Now onto yesterday, headed up to the Hills at about 2:30pm feeling a little worse for wear with DOMS from the previous days tennis exploits and was out on Old Mt Barker road shortly after that. There was some light drizzle around but the fresh mountain air always gives me a natural high. After 10mins the high had been replaced by a low in the depths of my stomach as lunch started to rear its ugly head and by the time I reached the start of Spring Gully Rd my mind had lost all focus on the task ahead and had turned inward to the growing feeling of regurgitation. Needless to say Spring Gully Rd won this bout very easily but I will return again another day with the determination to run this 5.8km loop without walking up Spring Gully Rd before years end. I have also heard whispers of a longer steeper hill, but it will have to wait until I have scaled Spring Gully Rd and can call it my Be-yatch!

Finished the day with a long soak in a hot bath listening to some soothing tunes from Van She and Epicure.

this morning + musings

2006-09-01T10:42:00.000+09:30

Started September with a 9k run in the early hours of the morning and I guess my legs have finally got the message that I want to go slow because today it felt like I was running in slow motion. It was a feeling of every move being heavy and laden while taking an eternity for the legs to turn over.

Pseudo-running-related gossip:
I have witnessed the birth of two types of running personalities over the last couple of weeks,

Person 1: Probably used to be an OK runner (by ok I mean running at less than 5min/km pace) but now is about 6min/km pace, likes to talk up how fast they once were and boast about the training they are doing. Which incidentally is 2 runs a week for a total of 15-20km. How do I deal with this, just nod and smile, say “that’s great” and don’t divulge anything about my training because if they beat me I don’t want them rubbing in my face how good they are.

Person 2: Complains no end about not being able to run 2.2km non-stop but doesn’t seem to take on any advice I offer, Is it because I don’t look like a runner? Because I am on the heavy side? How do I deal with this, just ignore the complaining and don’t offer anymore advice.

Edit: ok better put a positive one in...person 3: knows I am into running so asked my advice about how to get faster over 4.3km on 2 runs a week. I told them do a long run and a speed session, they were all ready doing fartlek like runs. They took my advice on board and implemeneted it in his own way. Better than the personal trainer who said "you want to get faster? just jump on the treadmill and go flat out all the time!"...welcome to Injury Town - population you.

I guess the best thing to do with running lately is that corporate cup has started which has gotten a lot more people from work thinking about running and talking about running. This goes back to one of the reasons I started this blog…no-one I know is a runner, jogger or would even contemplate running in a fun run, or consider running "fun". Therefore I started my blog to have a conversation with myself (and obviously you, if you are reading this) because there was just no-one else to talk to about running related news/issues/training…or chit chat. LONG LIVE THE BLOG!

Another Run Home From Work

2006-08-31T08:41:00.000+09:30

Now that I am getting up to appropriate distances again, I ran home from work yesterday. 12.5km. It was quite warmer than 5:30am with a top of 24°C today and even though I thought I drank a lot at work today I felt like I became dehydrated very quickly and wouldn’t you know it forgot my water bottle. Luckily the last 4km home are all downhill so I could basically roll home from there. So it was tougher than I remember but then again I did run it more than 5 mins faster than last time, it was hotter and I was coming off a half marathon last time.
All good excuses, but all still bodes well for a sub 72min C2B with that course having a gentle downhill gradient as apposed to rolling hills.
Wow, reading back through some posts you can really tell when my brain is scatty and when it is focused…today it is scatty.

Oh yeah it is the end of the month! It has been a steady comeback from injury this month with surprising totals as it included no long runs and a longest run of well 12.5km last night!
August 135.9km in 14.2hrs.
Average weight for August 116.5. (still on the slide but has been on the improve the last week or two, helping the average)

YTD 854km in 94hrs (ooo getting closer to the millennium! Maybe I will break through it next month! I’M EXCITED!)

Not Faster. Just smarter.

2006-08-29T08:38:00.000+09:30

5:30am this morning and 5°C outside I went out for a supposed recovery run. It started out at a reasonable pace to try and warm up, especially the fingers and once I was warm I made the conscious decision to slow down, well my brain did anyway, my legs interpreted this as - Go Faster. They were still in top gear from Sunday and changing down to the recovery gear was proving elusive. My pace had dropped down to 6min/k and with a few downhill sections the 7k recovery run ended with 42 mins on the clock (probably a route PB - haven’t checked yet), so much for the recovery run.

Now to yesterdays thoughts, I have compared my three 10k races and come to the conclusion that I have not got faster, just got smarter!
OK the first 10k, my first real race, the Carisbrooke Classic, I took off and went out way too hard especially in the second kilometre then crashed in the middle part holding on for a time of 1hr 2mins.
The second 10k and my second race I again went out even harder (got sucked in by the crowd and my overconfidence) started crashing but put in one last effort in the 9th kilometre to ensure breaking the hour, and coasted home as I was stuffed.
Now for Sunday, obviously with another 4 races under my belt I new how I should go, I went out easy gradually increasing my pace until a last flourish over the last 2km (instead of the first 2). Therefore I conclude my argument that I have not got Faster or Fitter, just Smarter with more experience to draw on.

Purging my brain of all thoughts running related

2006-08-28T10:48:00.000+09:30

OK, reflection time, thoughts on yesterdays run.
1) I was disappointed that I didn’t get to run the half, it all looked so exciting, but it was also nice to watch the marathon etc finishing, and the fact I ran a PB for the 10km certainly helped to quell any disappointment I was feeling.
2) The difference between this 10km PB and the last was most definitely the final 2km. Last time I was basically running by myself for the last 5km and yesterday I always had people to chase and as such powered out the last 2km shaving over 1min off my PB with a 5min last km (Maybe I will add a comparison split chart here on an edit tonight). This basically comes down to the fact that I also ran a smarter race, I started out slow and built up the speed saving the big effort for the end and not going out too fast and just trying to hang on.
3) What the hell am I doing in Corporate Cup? I just ran 10km at an average of 5:40min/km, my fastest time for the 4.32km CC run is also about 5:40min/km? Just looking at my splits from yesterday, I ran the last 4ish kms at an average of about 5:25min/km and that was after all ready running 6kms! So that’s it! That is the difference, I need to warm up first, a good 6k hit out! OK that might be a little overboard but I think I might do a short 300m warm up next time and now that my brain knows that I can go faster, maybe the rest of me will follow!
4) Next target and my reason for running, nay! My reason for living! Bettering my City to Bay time of last year, ok unless I succumb to some kind of mid run injury I will better that time (80mins for the 12k), hell I hope to break 70mins (traffic permitting) It has been a year since I started my running quest to C2B 2005 began and boy has it been fun, my only regret is that this might be the only goal time I achieve for 2006. Not that I am complaining, I just ran a 10k PB off what I thought was being under prepared, and I am more than half way to my goal time (55mins) my first 10km race was 1hr2mins in late April.
5) Powermax running tights of the short variety, I wore these yesterday in the 10km. I must be getting used to them as I didn’t seem to notice any restriction and damn my legs feel great today. They were achy last night trying to go to sleep but today they are awesome. I washed the tights yesterday and am now wearing them to make sure recovery is good. I might yet buy some full length ones for recovery and keep the shorts for running in.
6) Damn I am thoughtful today!
7) The plan pre and post C2B. I might go for a recovery 7km run tomorrow morning and then an easy run home from work on Wednesday and a 9km easy run on Friday, Sunday I would like to get a long run in (15km), but might settle for a hilly one in…the hills. Next week will be mostly an easy one with CC on Wednesday and then the C2B on Sunday. Following the C2B I might keep my focus on the 10-15km range with some fun runs and a goal to improving my CC times and including more runs home from work…and stay on top of niggles.
8) The next big thing…well I haven’t scoped out the horizon yet but it will probably be next year and most likely the Green Belt Half Marathon for my 2nd taste…then I might think about the big one…going all the way!

Race Report - Adelaide Marathon Festival - 10k

2006-08-27T12:11:00.000+09:30

Well after Rachel pulled out I headed down to Adelaide oval by myself to enter the 10k. I was a beautiful morning and I tried to keep a little warm by standing in the sun waiting for the start. The field looked about 50-100 strong for the 10k and we set off. I took it slow to start with falling in behind a line of runners. After about 1km I was feeling comfortable so started overtaking a few following another runner doing the same. Gave CR Sunni a wave before the turn around at about 2k and the headed back the other way still following the same runner, they appeared to be slowing a little so I put in a bit of an effort and was well past her passing the 3k. Up ahead there was quite a large group and I prettty much stayed 100m behind them over the middle 5km, picking of the stragglers as they got dropped from the group. Gave Sunni a shout across the river at about 6km then with 3km to go started to think about increasing the pace again. After the drink station at about 2.5km from the finish I started to motor a little more and caught what was left of the big group. Then it was on, I powered over the last km reeling in a couple of people before finishing with a 5min/km split and a PB of a tick over 57mins. I must say, I ran the last 2kms pretty hard and for the first time actually felt like having a bit of a chuck over the finish line but a few deep breathes latter and I was fine.
I thought the race was great. My 5km split was 29:12, which meant a nice negative split to finish. Great to see some other CR caps out too, Wardman, RunDave, Nando (I think and looking a little worse for wear)
Everything is looking good now for my goal time in a couple of weeks at the City to Bay.
Splits according to Garmy - only 200m off, not bad

Early morning speed test

2006-08-25T09:19:00.000+09:30

After a late night babysitting one of Miss Simlin's neices I was up at 5:15am (OK I confess that I didn't actually get up till 5:25am) for a 9k hit-out before Sundays 10km race. Eased into the run and the legs felt free not wearing the tights compared to Wednesday. I still felt really good coming home in the last 2kms so did a bit of a speed test cranking up to a sub 5min/km to finish. Average pace for the run was a litle over 6:20min/km.
Expectations for Sunday: not sure a PB is on the cards as I have only had one run of 10k or more since the disasterous River Run. I will probably go out at 6min/k and see what happens (obviously this could all go out the window on race day). Undecided on wearing or not wearing the tights, I have worn them for two short runs and found that they give me the feeling that I am working too hard. It would be nice to fly home on the last two kms like this morning but that means I haven't given it my all in the preceeding 8kms.

Crisis Averted!

2006-08-24T12:10:00.000+09:30

So after spending yesterday in the ICU being poked and prodded by electricians Garmy pulled through and is now fully charged.
I think I panicked a little because the "Charging in Progress" didn't appear when in actually fact I had run the battery completely flat and it didn't have the power to show it...just needed to be patient...don't I feel like an idiot.

Corporate Cup - Run 2

2006-08-23T13:29:00.000+09:30

Distance 4.32km

Run 1 - 24mins36sec, pace 5.41 min/km

Run 2 - 24mins30sec, pace 5.40 min/km

Well the talking down and excuses started yesterday, oh I am so sick, I am so injured, I don’t think I will be able to run, and as such quite a few people no-showed for the second run, my team reduced to three runners, But we all improved on our times.

Decided to do something different today, I went out at a faster pace than last time and tried to hold it, and increase it if I could on the second lap. Well I only managed a slight negative split (I think) and came home in about the same time as last time (but with Bill in tow this time). I think the difference on the second lap was that I had no one to chase, plus the feeling half way around the second lap that my legs couldn’t sustain the pace. I say I am only guessing here because Garmy, bless him, is giving me the Sugar Honey Ice & Tea! I plugged him in last night to charge and nothing…no charging in progress message…nothing…bought the powerpack to work for an electrician to test and it works fine…damn WHY DO YOU MOCK ME GARMY!!!!! Now I am at a loss as to what to do, but I think I might buy another power pack and see, or maybe a proper Garmin one for $60.

Incremental Time Building

2006-08-22T09:30:00.000+09:30

Have the new shoes done the trick?
Is it the stretching finally paying off?
Have my compression tights performed a miracle?
Or was I just having a good day??

All these questions need answering after an ordinary run this morning at 5:30am. I stepped out onto the porch to put my shoes on and noticed the ground was very wet and the sound of running water was prominent in the still pre-dawn air. Thrusting an inquisitive hand out from under the shelter of the porch I determined that it was not raining and I didn’t get out of bed for nothing. Other thoughts flashing through my mind at the time - “I could go back to bed for another 1hr…mmmm bed.” - “If I get rained on my white t-shirt will become completely see through”.
And then there was Garmy, only 1hr of battery life remaining, do’h, ok 7km it is.
For the first 4km I felt like I was taking it easy, but struggling still, and they went by in 28mins or 7mins/km, I started to pick up the pace on the 5th Km, helped mainly by the inertia of my 117kg and the slight decline in elevation, the 6th km was at the fastest pace for the run completed in 5min45sec again helped along by inertia and the increasing decline. I slowed it down for the last km not wanting to put too much strain on anything down the steepest decline. All up 7km in 46mins, so why all the questions?
The ITB didn’t feel as tight as normal this morning, it was quite bearable. I reflected on this while I stood outside my house in the dawn light, steaming up the atmosphere and doing some stretches. It never ceases to amaze me how good it feels after an early morning run with the rest of the day ahead and the blood all ready powering through the body and brain. In terms of answers to my opening question, I will use the phrase: “A little from column A, a little from column B”:

Second Corporate Cup tomorrow, in light of the 10k race on Sunday and the way my legs felt after the last Cup run I might take my camera, op for an easy run and snap lots of photos.

Note: Incremental Time Building or ITB is my new motto for getting back up to HM distance.

Pain in the Back

2006-08-20T20:22:00.000+09:30

Woke up this morning with a sore back, but still dragged myself out of bed at 8am for a run. Slipped on the new shoes, CR cap and Garmy and was out the door on a glorious day, the plan was to do 10k but in all it was a shade under 11km. I started up very slow and gradually built up the pace despite feeling the niggles. After the run I stretched and put on the compression tights,

Edit: went to some open inspections of houses and ended the afternoon digging trenches for the footings of Miss Simlin's Sister's house. Needless to say my blistered hands are feeling a lot worse than my legs at this point, damn desk job.

Now as promised my new shoes.

Brooks Beast
Size 13
Use 14km
Age 1 day

Nike Running Shoes
Size 13
Use 690km
Age: 1 year
Bought these shoes before the city to bay last year to replace some crappy xtrainers. They got me through my first Half Marathon and I am quite happy with the milage I got out of them. Scape Goat for niggle in left knee.

New Balance 719s
Size 13
Use 200km
Age 3.5 months
Bought after the HM and found them uncomfotable at times, especially down hill when my toes were painfully sqashed causing a black toe. Scape Goat for ITBS in right leg.

Grrrrr!

2006-08-19T17:31:00.000+09:30

Grrrr! that is the snarl of my new shoes. Guess what I went for? (Photos to follow tomorrow)
I also finally bought some compression tights, with the performax ones going for half the price of Skins, I was sold without a fight. So this afternoon I went out for a test drive of the new shoes and tights. The shoes are a little heavier than my old ones, but the cushioning is heaven! So 4kms just to break them in. I am yet to be sold on runnning in the tights, for now I think I will just wear them for recovery.

Frustration

2006-08-18T10:33:00.000+09:30

I am getting frustrated at the persistence of these niggles, I can only hope that some properly chosen/fitted new shoes will do the trick and I will make a concerted effort to get out and buy some this weekend (current pair at 800k). I also promise to take a camera to my next 10k (in a week and a bit) and take some photos thus updating my profile piccy, that one is getting old too!
Today I got up at 5:30am again and went out for 7km nice and easy except that the niggles still bothered me and making me doubt that at the moment I can go longer that 60mins without succumbing to them.
Seeing as yesterday I committed myself to work longer hours at work to try and bring forward the finishing date of one of my projects (from end of march to at least January) I am a bit worried that my running time will dwindle, luckily summer is approaching fast and these early morning runs will become easier. I can see myself getting up at 5am eventually to fit them in!
Time will tell and the extra doe-ray-me will be fantastic.

Touche

2006-08-16T09:30:00.000+09:30

Touche! Sparkdriver Touche! your wit astounds me. Now that I have said it (touche) 3 times (In my head, damn now 4 times) it kind of sounds like a ballet costume.
Was so keen to be motivated for a 9k run this morning that I woke up at 4:30am...which meant rolling around restlessly for another 55mins before I got out of bed and out the door. This mornings route was the reverse of the last 9k run and held a few bad memories from a previous failed run, but this morning the going was easy even up the hill. The right ITB was a little tight by the end but I was more worried about the left knee, which is still got the niggles one week on, I think this weekend it the time for new shoes.
With the 9k out of the way this morning, my focus is now on a 10k run on the weekend following a 7k easy run tomorrow or friday. This increasing milage slowly is so frustrating, but nescessary, I don't think my legs could have handled it any other way.

insert some witty title

2006-08-15T08:28:00.000+09:30

Well I settled on a 5km run yesterday evening, mostly because of my lateness home from work but also due to the flatness which kept me in bed in the morning and this morning I might add. Now I plan to do the 9k tomorrow morning, after the relaxing last couple of days I figure if I am not motivated enough to get up then my body must really need the recovery time.

I snuck one in

2006-08-14T13:56:00.000+09:30

It was a very busy weekend for me but I did manage to sneak a run in on Saturday morning, it was time to step up to my 9km course and I took it very easy, which meant the hills at the end weren't too tough. Slight aggravation of niggles both below my left knee and my right ITB meant I skipped a planned run on Sunday. Saturdays run was followed by half an hour of stretching and then icing and elevation. While in this position a friend rang and asked if I could help them move, so the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon were taken up with furniture removal before hitting the town.
Sunday was taken up by house work and open inspections of houses, haven't seen anything worthy yet, all too expensive or too run down, we are not too serious at this caper yet and I think it is about time to sit down and seperate our needs from our wants.
This morning I was planning to get up at 6am with Miss Simlin, but alas the mind was weak, instead I stayed in bed and watched Sunrise for an hour, oh well, either a 5k or 7k tonight, haven't decided yet. I want to do another 9k before the weekend because I am keen to get a 10k in on the weekend (The Adelaide running festival 10k on the 27th is looking a little too close for comfort).
This morning I finally got over my laziness and added some more bloggers to my bloglines feeds...so watch out (if you are reading this) some random comments coming your way!

Recovery

2006-08-10T21:46:00.000+09:30

Went out tonight for a recovery 7k, recovery mainly because I have a niggle below my left knee following yesterday and I don't wnat to aggravate it. The run started out pretty eventful, I darted out into peak hour traffic on Main North Road to help some guy push his car off the road into a side street, then I started running again but forgot to push start on ol' Garmy, not to worry, when I checked to see my split at the 2k mark I noticed that Garmy still said 300m! luckily it is a basically a straight line from where I pushed stop to the 2k mark so sportstracks was able to calculate the rest. The niggle is still there, it is tender to touch with a little pressure but I do not notice it walking around etc. I iced it and will keep it under close observation, but for now it is not hampering running, the ITB too seems to be on the improve with stretching and icing seeming to do the trick!

Corporate Cup - Run 1

2006-08-09T19:23:00.000+09:30

So today was the first corporate cup run at Mawson Lakes and I was entered as doing 2 laps totalling 4.45km. 14 people from my work making up 2 teams entered and despite being quite a friendly affair, reputations were on the line. Pre-race banter had me tussling with Bill and Shaun for supremacy of the slower runners. (ie not sub 20min runnners)
We all lined up together and were away! And yep, a bunch of novice races, boy did they go out fast. Needless to say I hung of the back and went at my own pace. After a 300m or so Bill looking around couldn't find me and dropped back to run with me but Shaun was away like a whippet and I remarked to Bill that I would catch him by the finish. So after cruising relatively easily around the lake for the first lap at 5.50 min/k pace I stepped it up on the second going for a big negatice split and to reel in Shaun. Bill could not go with me (but did take a little while to shake as he was cutting every corner possible) and I caught Shaun 3/4 the way around the second lap. I was wll and truly cruising now at 5.20 min/k pace and Shaun tried to go with me but blew up and had to walk. I crused it to the finish without feeling the need to hit top gear over that last couple of hundred metres...got to leave some room for improvement.
So rounded out the 4.45km in 24min36sec at an average pace of 5:31 min/k(which would have given me a 5k time of about 27min30sec but I think I could have cracked 27 at the pace I was going!).
The event was very fun and although I was the only one cheering and shouting encouragement across the lake at fellow team members I am looking forward to the next one. Hopefully someone will recognise the Cool Runner Cap and give me a yell of "GO COOL RUNNER!" but I think that is a little too much to ask.
Now onto the bigger questions: what should be my target time for the last run in 12 or more weeks? I would love to hit the 20min mark but I will be too busy training for longer events and I think that is unrealistic. Maybe just to finish at an average pace of 5min/km. That would give me a target time of 22min15sec.

Edit: ok Garmy was a little out...due to the erratic nature of the course around an irregularly shaped lake, not surprising. I just checked the official distance as measure by Life Be In It and it is 4.32km, so that gives me an average speed of 5:41min/km

Road to recovery

2006-08-07T20:13:00.000+09:30

hopefully a little more substance today in my post.
My road to recovery seems to be going smoothly, today was my second 7k run this week after 4x5k runs last week. After a few stretches of the ITB I was out the door taking it easy clockwise around my 7k route. ITB felt mostly good all the way around and hopefully is on the mend. Now I just have to stick to my recovery plan, including another 2x7k runs this week followed by 4x9k runs next week. After next week I will assess my recovery and prepare for the 10k at the Adelaide Running Festival at the end of the month. (I have a secret desire still to do the HM...shhh don't tell anybody...but hopefully cool heads prevail)

Oh, yeah...Garmy pulled his finger out too and made it the whole way around...good on you Garmy, I knew you could do it.

(wasn't really much substance, sorry)

step up

2006-08-06T19:55:00.000+09:30

Stepping it up this morning, just a little, to my 7k route. Nice and easy. Garmy froze up after 6km, don't know why, wish I did.

Un-winding

2006-08-04T08:02:00.000+09:30

Since the ITB I have run all my runs clockwise (where it used to be anti-clockwise). This morning I decided to un-wind and run anti, mainly because I didn't want my left ITB to suffer the same fate as my right and it was a little niggly yesterday. THe left knee was beautiful this morning but the right ITB did feel a little more uncomfortable than usual.

I had forgotten what a wonderful relaxing feeling it is to finish off a run and stand out the front of my house stretching in the per-dawn light, birds singing, the air crisp and clean. I gazed up at the sky this morning post run, steam gently wafting from my face. The serenity was intoxicating, now if only I can move to a rural area where I don't have to run on footpaths next to noisy, stinking hunks of metal with their lights blazing as they rumble down the road. The cold starkness of bitumen and concrete reflects the lonely desolate isolation of urban life (no wonder depression is so common), give me dirt, bushes, trees and wildlife anyday.

Daily summary: 5km 31min20sec

Ellie: your progress over the last couple of months has put me to shame

in the end i did the 5km (5.03 to be precise according to freddy - but that could be my slowness in pressing 'stop'!) in 26.21 which was an 8 second pb

I can only dream of a 5k PB like that and such a prolific blogger too! Can't wait for your C2S report as I can't wait for everybodies...I really will come over and do that one day.

August Already

2006-08-03T08:37:00.000+09:30

Where have the last couple of months gone?
I started August with a flurry of activity, on Tuesday (1st) I completed a 5k run after work at a comfortable pace. The stretching/massaging/icing routine I have been doing to aid the ITB seems to be working. The first couple of Kms were fine and the last 2 I definately noticed that my ITB was tight but it was relatively pain free (except for a troublesome swollen toe).
Wednesday (2nd) was my second stretching and strengthening day. I started with a 15min warm up on the exercise bike, followed by 15 min of stretching and then 15 mins of strengthening exercises followed by some more stretching. The massaging involved lying on a rolling pin, which I still have trouble with due to poor core and upper body strength, and results in carpet burns on my ankle and elbow and bruising on my outer thigh. Finishing off with Ice applied from the knee to the hip while the leg is elevated.
Thursday (today) I decided that winter was on the way out and so I got up at 6am for my first morning run since the start of winter. Another 5k in 30mins followed by 15mins of stretching then icing all went well except for the distinct feeling now in my nose and sinuses that I am coming down with my one cold for the year. It hasn't quite got me yet though!

So where to from here: more stretching, strengthening, and increasing km of each run starting with a 7k run on the weekend.

On related news, Corporate Cup is heating up. Last year only about 3 people competed consistently and this year we have 2 full teams. The talking up has begun around the lunch table, but I hope they don't expect too much out of me, I intend to take the first one or two rather easily and gauge where everyone is at before I start talking myself up against some of the back markers. :) I dare say there will be a few wagers.

Here's to beginnings II

2006-08-02T10:26:00.000+09:30

So to start off my 101st post I decided to go back and look at my goals from my first post.

Goals to achieve this year.
Get Fitter.
Get Healthier.
Get Lighter. (currently 125kg, lost 5 kg since I started running but still haven't got a handle on that healthy eating lifestyle)
Complete the City to Bay in under 72mins.
Lofty Goal...complete a half marathon.

So what have I achieved.

I am now fitter, (well you have to be to run over 50k a week, but I feel I have lost a bit since those days).
This in turn makes me partially healthier, but my food intake is still disgraceful.
I am definitely lighter, averaging about 116kg on the scales at the moment
My lofty goal was not so lofty. I completed my first HM, it is the second one I am struggling with as my running since the first one has been stagnant and sporadic.
Which leaves 'Complete the City to Bay in under 72mins'. This is my main goal for the next couple of months, but first I have to beat the ITB curse. Hopefully I will start reaching some of my PB goals along the way before the year end.

Now, I said my food intake is still disgraceful, but it is far better than this time last year. I only have occasional relapses into stupidity, my diet at work is great (mostly fruit) it is just at home that I need to improve especially on weekends.

100*

2006-07-31T20:45:00.000+09:30

He nicks one through the slips and there's the century, raises the bat towards the players dressing room and kisses the CR emblem on the front of his cap (ala Michael Slater).
Well it has been a wonderful century, I am still not out but just. ITB felt a tight all day but some stretching loosened it up and I got in a 5k in 30min jog followed by plenty of stretching, icing and massaging.
I meant to run yesterday but I was too sore from GoKarting, who new something like driving little karts really fast is so physical, my arms haven't forgiven me yet. Started at the back of the grid and finished 3rd, not a bad time for my first I thought, it also didn't help that I didn't get to bed till after 5am...oops.
I think I will reflect on my 100 not out when I have time to reflect on all my precious posts.

July in summary

56.2km (oh dear)
6hr 8mins
average weight 116.something (damn)

YTD 793.8km 83hr53mins

Self Diagnosis

2006-07-29T10:54:00.000+09:30

I found this Q&A and this is exactly what I have been experiencing so starting today I have entered into a stretching and strengthening routine this article was also encouraging. So yesterday I ran 4k, very slowly and was only in slight discomfort and today I ran 5k at about 6.30min/k pace with slight discomfort and applied the routine mentioned above afterwards. Looks good, hopefully in a month I will be running pain free! but only time, patience and obedience will get me there. next month I think I will continue with these easy short distances to maintain some conditioning, then really hit the straps heading up towards C2B.

Confessions of a serial rester

2006-07-27T15:49:00.000+09:30

OK so I have gone for a little run in the last week and a half, it was a 3min jog on the way back from the video store on sunday. Thought I would give my leg a little bit more rest though. A rest which included icecream and icemagic last night...mmmm ice magic.
Seriously, if I keep this up, resting is going to become an addiction...I NEED TO GET BACK RUNNING...and what inspiration just now.
I have now been registered for Corporate Cup starting in 2 weeks (its only 4.5k, which is the longest distance available). What a rocket to get me back out again. I was thinking 2.2k easy tonight to see how I pull up.

No doubt another post tonight. Hopefully it will be a running post!

Edit Later that evening.
I made it out for a 2.2km run. Took it nice and slow taking 14min36sec. legs felt a little grumpy but hopefully that is just due to lack of action, but I did start to feel the beginnings of the dreaded tightness. When I got home I stretched and used liberal amounts of dencorub and anti-infamatories...fingers crossed for tomorrow!

BTW downloading into sportstracks it told me a new version was available and DAMN! I am impressed with the update, it now does stuff I always wanted it to do like this:

(I haven't been weighing myself lately...I don't want to know!)

Decision Pending

2006-07-21T10:33:00.000+09:30

OK, have to get real now with no running since Sunday.

Cause: Discovered, what I will call, a knot in my right leg on the outside above the knee. Have spent the last two days trying to massage it out and bought some dencorub last night to assist. It gave me great pain on monday and tuesday as pain developed all the way up through the hip ending in lower back pain during the day. The area is now a little bruised and tender due to the harsh treatment.
I know, I know, I should probably go and see a proffessional Physio or something but I am determined to learn that lesson the hard way and am disinclined to use the time or money over something so trivial. (justification being that I am not a professional athlete).

Now for the getting real part: I am planning to put an entry in for the 10k at the Adelaide Marathon Running Festival as a way of preventing myself from training too hard going for the half. It is a bit of a bugger (did I say bit, I meant HUGE dissapointment) but I really, really want to run well at the City to Bay in September, so this way I am taking the pressure off to recover too fast and train too much.

So what now: For a start, I have said it before to myself and am saying it again...STOP EATING YOURSELF STUPID! Instead of getting home from work and going out for a run, I am now getting home from work and going, what can I do now? I am hungry. I might have a piece of toast with peanut butter. Ooo that was good, how about another... AAAAaaaarrrgghhhh!
Next I will continue treatment today and probably Saturday, assessing on Sunday with a light jog (probably 4k) then if all is well I will ease back into a routine, building up the k's over August for hopefully a decent base for the 12k City to Bay. Here's hopping everything goes to plan.

PS incase you can't tell frustration has definately set in.

The day after...

2006-07-18T08:46:00.000+09:30

OK just read Rachel's Blog and her race report is so much better than mine, next time I will try and write one when I am not totally exhausted and tired.
As expected yesterday was a day of penance for running on an all ready sore lower hip. Some great advice from Blkbox and Spark D, thanks for your support, I brought it upon myself and paid the price. My left leg was sore and tight from just above the knee on the outside of my leg all the way up and around to my lower back on the right side.
Luckily the next couple of evenings I have things planned so no temptation to get back out, even for a gentle jog. Best thing is my knee feels fine so now I am just waiting for the rest of me to catch up.

Time to sort the diet out I think, I have started a new "regiment" it involves two cups of water before every meal. This has two purposes:
(1) To keep me properly hydrated.
(2) To decrease my meal sizes.

oh, yeah and the final "regiment":
Stay injury free so that I actually feel like getting up and around the supermarket and shops to make a good dinner. ;o)

15k race report

2006-07-16T17:59:00.000+09:30

Well I did start and I did finish so that is a bonus. Cruised along for the first couple of Ks with rachel at a steady 6min/k pace, then she took off and I continued to cruise. It was a little cold but no rain and definately no hail to speak of. At 9k I stopped for a stretch because lower hip type area, will work out exactly what to call it later, was too much to handle anymore and the rest of the way back to the finish was spent shuffling and walking, up one of the sharp short inclines I was walking but it was too painful so I had to run up...don't figure? I must say that dispite the soreness I was also lacking a bit of conditioning and my preperation was far from ideal. Oh well my time of 1hr36 ish will be something to improve on next year.

Finally I saw another CR wearing a cap too, Coolrunner Wardman! he was succesful in breaking his goal time of 1hr30min and I think came in somewhere around 1hr28mins, Rachel came in 1hr22min or something, check her blog for a better estimate.

So in summing up my incoherent ramblings, knee was fine today and no problems there, but outside of top part of right leg, lets call it lower hip, was very stiff and painful.

Pre-run test drive

2006-07-15T17:36:00.000+09:30

Successful shopping trip this morning, ended up with a new balance running top. Then still keen to run the 15k river run tomorrow I donned the new top and headed into the cold drizzle for a 4k test lap. started out at 6.30min/k pace and got gradually faster coming home with a 5.30min/km pace. knee was fine, upper thigh was tight and causing some discomfort so after stretching, icing and anti-inflammatories I have made the decision to run tomorrow, but not go all out (I say this now but it will probably change tomorrow). Hope I don't crash and burn.

and off I go...

2006-07-14T14:33:00.000+09:30

some respite yesterday as I powered through 35 mins on the stationary bike. I must admit I was watching TV and taking it easy, but used the add breaks as a fartlek interval and powered through those with the tension set at 6 at all times.

Picking Rachel up from the airport in the morning before heading out to the Brooks outlet at Harbour town I have just found out exists! Then I might go for a test run before deciding if I will float through the 15k course of the river run on Sunday. If not I will go for support of Rachel anyway and wearing my CR cap for the first time to a run I hope to meet other Coolrunners like Wardman et al.

Driving home the past couple of nights I have caught myself daydreaming and fondly looking at the footpath as I drive along one of my usual routes. Oh how I miss pounding the pavement, I think I have been going through withdrawals and even though I run alone I have been feeling lonely without my freind concrete pounding my legs.

Time to get out there again and stop being a grumpy, short tempered sour pus.

1 Week

2006-07-11T07:52:00.000+09:30

It seems like I have yet again become a lard-arse. I haven't blogged for a week because I have no running to blog about and the very though of a non-running entry just made me depressed. Over the past week I have been doing stretches and excercises (not as frequently as I should) to try and get myself right, is it helping? I don't know and I am a little hesitant to check it yet incase I make it worse. I ran down the hallway last night and it felt fine, then I ran back and it still felt a little proppy. Of late I feel like a car you keep filling up with petrol but never drive anywhere so it is just swelling up and will eventually explode, I keep eating food, but without expending any of the energy (doesn't stop me eating the food though).

I can feel my goals for the rest of the year slipping away, the 15km Torren's Classic on Sunday, the Adelaide Running Festival HM in 6 weeks. Will I be right by then and have enough training in the legs to complete the HM? Today I am trying to determine the best way to make myself happy, do I skip the race on Sunday and take another week off to make sure my injury is beat and then only have 4 weeks get myself up for the HM. This might involve doing too much too soon and doing another injury, or do I let both goals slip and concentrate on my final goal of the City to Bay in under 72mins. So many possibilities.

When do I go out for a test run? I was thinking the weekend and maybe do some cross training on the exercise bike tomorrow and Friday...AARRRGGGGGGGGHHHH WILL THE QUESTIONS NEVER END!

The Gig is up!

2006-07-04T20:18:00.000+09:30

Time to admit to myself that I have an injury and stop saying, "nah, it will be all right". What bought this on? well I rested sunday and Monday and the leg felt better today than it has in a week, so after work I pulled on the runners and set off, didn't glance at the watch, so might have been going faster than I should have but after a couple of Kms I felt quite a bit of pain in the calf region and then knee...I stopped and stretched but that only eased the pain for a couple hundred metres...I was shattered and angry with myself that I let it get this far so I turned left and started the walk home, contimplating the next step. Managed to hobble out a few easy kilometers on the way home ending up running 6k. Now a weeks rest is definately in order and as much as I hate it, the excercise bike, is going to get a work out. Now time for some ice and elevation I think!

LSD finally

2006-07-01T11:44:00.000+09:30

First real LSD in months today. Managed 15km. The mp3 player ran out of juice at 6k and I was wearing my old shoes, but at least I beat the rain home. PS sports shield didn't work out on the twisties, I should have taken some backup bandaidsbut I was fresh out...yet again ouch.
15k is a good start as I am doing the 15km Torren's Classic in a couple of weeks so two more long runs of 18 and maybe 20k and I might feel at least prepared for it...good start to the august half training as well...goals for July are to develop a good base (40-60km/wk) for the HM in August and to try and remain injury free (that means managing the niggles).

Summary for June.
121.5km
13hr44mins
ave 115.5kg.

seems like I did more than it felt like I was doing and I was not happy with the way I ate my way through June...

Big Expectations

Goodbye Blogger

2006 review and an end to Big Expectations.

Dry Creek North East

Christmas Part II

Christmas in The Mount

Tooo busy.

Work bash

Blowing out the cobwebs

Busted a Gut

Spreading

NB

End of Movember

Clearing the bugs

And this one is for 2P

This one's for SD

Can the motivated Simlin come out and play?

Piles

Jelly Belly

Woof! You Bloody Choir.

Damn T Zone

the other, other type of workout

Movember

Lazy Sunday

Split Personality

Let the excuses begin

Corporate Cup - Run 7

Let's get physical....physical

Will I, Won't I LSD

Dress Like a Nerd

Run to Work

Race Report - Race 4 Life

Non-Race CR sighting

Corporate Cup - Run 6

No blogging = No Running

House Spoiler

Shame Shame Shame.

Trudging on

Racing the bus.

Further musing from a dull mind.

"Do you want to come to the pants party?"

Silencio

100 things

Corporate Cup - Run 5

fiddle dee dee

Tralalalala its labour day

Oh What a Night!

Finally some running action

#&*% $&^$ #%$& %*&^!

Swimming with the fishes si.

K.O.

Crow Pain.

Friday Morning Ho Hum

Self punishment

No CC

Top Half Finisher!

Race Report - City to Bay 2006

unnofficially flat out

Recovery

Yipee!

Proper Entry

Under Construction

Running Log Book

SCARY MOVE

...Fridays...

Corporate Cup - Run 3

Just another day

Spring Gully Rd v Simlin, 3-0

this morning + musings

Another Run Home From Work

Not Faster. Just smarter.

Purging my brain of all thoughts running related

Race Report - Adelaide Marathon Festival - 10k

Early morning speed test

Crisis Averted!

Corporate Cup - Run 2

Incremental Time Building

Pain in the Back

Grrrrr!

Frustration

#&% $&^$ #%$& %&^!

insert some witty title