I had a lovely week of training this week. Walked on Monday. Had the day off on Tuesday and didn't go to karate because of the enormous bruise on my leg and foot from last week. Ran on Wednesday. Cycled on Thursday. Ran and then cycled on Friday. Had a day off on Saturday. And ran 11.44km on Sunday. A good week for sure!
I am running well, with no aches and pains. The sprained ankle has almost returned to normal. I'm still keeping my heart rate low and definitely getting further over the same time each time I run. So Alan is a genius and all is good!
Next week I'm going to start on the stairs!
To the Great Wall and beyond....
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Note to self:STAY AWAY FROM THE CHOCOLATE!
Last night I tucked into a few mini crunchie bars because I felt like it! This morning I have a head ache, upset stomach, and generally feel hungover.
The annoying thing is that I know that this is the result of consuming refined sugar. WHY DO I NOT LEARN AND STAY AWAY FROM THE BLOODY STUFF!!!
So it's sugar free to the great wall and beyond.......
The annoying thing is that I know that this is the result of consuming refined sugar. WHY DO I NOT LEARN AND STAY AWAY FROM THE BLOODY STUFF!!!
So it's sugar free to the great wall and beyond.......
Saturday, February 13, 2010
It's another beautiful day!
I've just finished an awesome 10.5km run with Kevin and Massimo. We ran from the Botanical gardens in Brisbane, past Eagle Street Pier, over Storey Bridge, along Kangaroo Point, through South Bank, over the new bridge and along the river under the Riverside express way, through the botanical gardens, and back to Eagle Street for the best coffee I've had all week!
I FEEL FINE!
Who's joining us next Sunday?
I FEEL FINE!
Who's joining us next Sunday?
Friday, February 12, 2010
Love downhills, Hate snakes
I have much to say today, so bear with me:
Today I cycled over or around 5 snakes. The number is not so much the issue - I have cycled or run over more than 5 on a particular day, a number of times. Today's snakes, however, were particularly fresh. In fact, they were so robust that they could've been very healthy snakes, if they weren't dead! All of my previous encounters have been of the dessicated variety. And it's no secret that I hate snakes, so I nearly fell off my wee bike at each encounter.
I have also come to the conclusion that runners and mountain bikers are way more friendly than racing bikers. Now what makes me think this? I am a social tart and feel it my personal duty to greet all fellow runners and bikers. And so off I tootle, with a friendly "Good morning" to all and sundry. Most runners and mountain bikers will greet back, but the racing bikers are a different breed.
Alan (my training planner) says that I have to cycle 3 times a week for an hour each time. I try to do at least one of these mountain biking on Mt Cootha, but alas, on the other days I can't always find some willing sole to come to Mt Cootha with me. And I'm not keen to go on my own, as there'd be no one to call the ambulance for me if I fall off (I've had a ride in an ambulance with a fellow cyclist who broke his collar bone, so have some experience in this matter!). So I am forced to take to the road on my other one or two cycling days.
Here I have to explain my bike. I ride a mongoose mountain bike - bottom of the range, basic bike, but I love my mongoose and he has served me well. Due to budgetary constraints, the only tyres I have for mongoose are very knobbly mountain biking tyres. But even if I had the smoother road tyres I would probably be too lazy to change them. This makes my mountain bike the equivalent of a Dakota, while the racing bikes that go flying past me are the equivalent of stealth bombers. As such, when a racing biker passes me in the opposite direction I don't expect a "hello" because they are going way too fast. BUT, when they overtake me on a hill I am unaware of their presence until they are next to me. This generally gives me a heart attack (remember that I am on snake high alert!) and so once I've regained my balance, I yell a greeting at them, to which I get no response - just an emblazoned bum in the air in front of me. Yes Mr lend-lease-on-your-arse! It is common courtesy to greet someone when they greet you. So please, racing bikers, greet us poor mountain bike puffers and GET A BELL to warn us of your approach!!!
I managed to go further today on my little road ride, than I have before, and clocked a whole 20km! Before you scoff and the distance, remember what I've just said above, and then imagine Telly Tubby fields with a road winding through them - up and down and up and down. There are no dipsy's and laa laa's, but there is a pig postbox which is decorated seasonally. Today it is a Valentine's cupid and I promise to take a pic of it soon. It was quarantined a few months ago during the swine flu epidemic. Along this route is also a real English phone booth in the middle of a horse paddock, and a microwave post box - a real microwave!
All this exercise is starting to pay off. The thighs are looking less like a cyclonic stormy sea, and more like a little choppy. And if I look at my stomach in the mirror, while squinting out of the one eye, there is definitely a bit of washboard happening there!
And so it's all good! To the great wall and beyond...............
Today I cycled over or around 5 snakes. The number is not so much the issue - I have cycled or run over more than 5 on a particular day, a number of times. Today's snakes, however, were particularly fresh. In fact, they were so robust that they could've been very healthy snakes, if they weren't dead! All of my previous encounters have been of the dessicated variety. And it's no secret that I hate snakes, so I nearly fell off my wee bike at each encounter.
I have also come to the conclusion that runners and mountain bikers are way more friendly than racing bikers. Now what makes me think this? I am a social tart and feel it my personal duty to greet all fellow runners and bikers. And so off I tootle, with a friendly "Good morning" to all and sundry. Most runners and mountain bikers will greet back, but the racing bikers are a different breed.
Alan (my training planner) says that I have to cycle 3 times a week for an hour each time. I try to do at least one of these mountain biking on Mt Cootha, but alas, on the other days I can't always find some willing sole to come to Mt Cootha with me. And I'm not keen to go on my own, as there'd be no one to call the ambulance for me if I fall off (I've had a ride in an ambulance with a fellow cyclist who broke his collar bone, so have some experience in this matter!). So I am forced to take to the road on my other one or two cycling days.
Here I have to explain my bike. I ride a mongoose mountain bike - bottom of the range, basic bike, but I love my mongoose and he has served me well. Due to budgetary constraints, the only tyres I have for mongoose are very knobbly mountain biking tyres. But even if I had the smoother road tyres I would probably be too lazy to change them. This makes my mountain bike the equivalent of a Dakota, while the racing bikes that go flying past me are the equivalent of stealth bombers. As such, when a racing biker passes me in the opposite direction I don't expect a "hello" because they are going way too fast. BUT, when they overtake me on a hill I am unaware of their presence until they are next to me. This generally gives me a heart attack (remember that I am on snake high alert!) and so once I've regained my balance, I yell a greeting at them, to which I get no response - just an emblazoned bum in the air in front of me. Yes Mr lend-lease-on-your-arse! It is common courtesy to greet someone when they greet you. So please, racing bikers, greet us poor mountain bike puffers and GET A BELL to warn us of your approach!!!
I managed to go further today on my little road ride, than I have before, and clocked a whole 20km! Before you scoff and the distance, remember what I've just said above, and then imagine Telly Tubby fields with a road winding through them - up and down and up and down. There are no dipsy's and laa laa's, but there is a pig postbox which is decorated seasonally. Today it is a Valentine's cupid and I promise to take a pic of it soon. It was quarantined a few months ago during the swine flu epidemic. Along this route is also a real English phone booth in the middle of a horse paddock, and a microwave post box - a real microwave!
All this exercise is starting to pay off. The thighs are looking less like a cyclonic stormy sea, and more like a little choppy. And if I look at my stomach in the mirror, while squinting out of the one eye, there is definitely a bit of washboard happening there!
And so it's all good! To the great wall and beyond...............
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Find a spot that doesn't hurt...........
Well last night I went back to karate - after a month off! Note to self: do not take a month off karate! Warm up consisted of 50 x 10 squats - with legs wider apart after each 50. So the quads were jelly for the rest of the session. But I survived the 2 hours (will admit that I had some vague ideas of fainting/throwing up/running away a couple of times). Came home with a totally sodden karate suit (yes, I know it's 32 degrees here, but we still have to wear them) and some beautiful red welts. But all is good.
And so this morning I had to wake up to my 5.30am run! The quads and everything else complained horribly and did not stop for the entire 30 minutes of my run. The good news is that the foot, although still swollen, is completely pain free and coping with all I'm throwing at it.
So far this week I've endured an altercation with a hill on my mountain bike and have a purple bum to show for it; a root canal which started out as a look-see filling with no anesthetic for half the procedure and being beaten up in karate..............and it's only Wednesday!!!
So come on Great wall - bite me!
And so this morning I had to wake up to my 5.30am run! The quads and everything else complained horribly and did not stop for the entire 30 minutes of my run. The good news is that the foot, although still swollen, is completely pain free and coping with all I'm throwing at it.
So far this week I've endured an altercation with a hill on my mountain bike and have a purple bum to show for it; a root canal which started out as a look-see filling with no anesthetic for half the procedure and being beaten up in karate..............and it's only Wednesday!!!
So come on Great wall - bite me!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
A new week - a new start?
Monday is a day of promise - it's alike a mini New Years Day! Lots of good intentions and promises to myself! So here we are again: Monday, and all the body bits seem to be towing the line. So will this be a week where all the training goes to schedule?
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Just get over yourself!
Sometimes I think that parts of my body are just looking for attention. Yesterday morning I woke up with the most debilitating lower back ache. And that wasn't enough! By the time I'd done my chores and taken Erinn to school, it had spread upwards to a raging headache - one of those that makes you sick to your stomach. So I did something I never do, and climbed back into bed with the wheat bag. After about 30 minutes I managed to call the chiropractor who could see me right away, and so off I went.
A bit of a 'ruk 'n pluk', and some activation in the foot and under the rib cage, and it all felt right as rain. In the meantime, I had made a date to go mountain biking at 7 this morning. And so I told my back to get over itself, and it was perfectly fine by this morning - the head still feels a tad tender. Like I've been partying all week! Head: get over yourself.
And now we are back to the foot. This is my left foot we are talking about. I am an ex-drum majorette (don't hold it against me) and so I still favour my left foot. Do you hear that, left foot? I favour you! You are my favourite foot. So I'm sorry I put you out first when I'm about to fall of my bike, but that's because I favour you which means you are my favourite foot. So please, just get over yourself already! It's time to start running.........
Any other parts of the body wishing to fall apart, could you wait until June please. There will be plenty of time for pampering then. But until then, body, we are going to the wall and beyond.....
A bit of a 'ruk 'n pluk', and some activation in the foot and under the rib cage, and it all felt right as rain. In the meantime, I had made a date to go mountain biking at 7 this morning. And so I told my back to get over itself, and it was perfectly fine by this morning - the head still feels a tad tender. Like I've been partying all week! Head: get over yourself.
And now we are back to the foot. This is my left foot we are talking about. I am an ex-drum majorette (don't hold it against me) and so I still favour my left foot. Do you hear that, left foot? I favour you! You are my favourite foot. So I'm sorry I put you out first when I'm about to fall of my bike, but that's because I favour you which means you are my favourite foot. So please, just get over yourself already! It's time to start running.........
Any other parts of the body wishing to fall apart, could you wait until June please. There will be plenty of time for pampering then. But until then, body, we are going to the wall and beyond.....
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
No turning back.........
Today we booked the trip .... there is no turning back!
Bloody hell, now we have to actually put in some training for this thing!
Yikes!
What have I done? What have I done?
Bloody hell, now we have to actually put in some training for this thing!
Yikes!
What have I done? What have I done?
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Superwoman doesn't live here!
Went for my first run this morning, post stupidity, in my brand new glow in the dark running shoes! Shoes were great - ankle not so good!
Fine for the first five minutes, and then burning pain gradually worsening. Started walking after 20 minutes. This is not good...........have iced it and it's not swelling, so I live in hope!
Back on the bicycle tomorrow!
Fine for the first five minutes, and then burning pain gradually worsening. Started walking after 20 minutes. This is not good...........have iced it and it's not swelling, so I live in hope!
Back on the bicycle tomorrow!
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