Awesome August

After a tough interval session this morning....tough because I wasn't really in the mood to do it...........I calculated the number of kms run during the month of August........221.49! Out of the 31 days in August, 24 days were running days! The remaining days weren't necessarily sleep-ins! A couple were planned rest days and the others were days lost in transit................these totals are just the lift I needed!

Stopped in my tracks

Haile Gebrselassie's says his No.1 training advice for marathon runners is, "Discipline. Not only in training, but resting and eating." This quote stopped me in my tracks when I was hunting down something savoury to eat.......I wasn't hungry, wasn't thirsty, just (dare I say it?)........bored! Perhaps I was work avoiding.............whatever it was, when I read this quote, I quite literally stopped hunting down foodless food (something Mr Raw Muscular Therapy bangs about) and grabbed the shiny read pink lady apple to eat!
What stops you in your tracks?

Repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat

That is what this morning's session was about.........hill repeats........it made me think of what the aerobics instructor from years gone by would say in step classes " repeater knee".....as one would move up on the step and lift the knee high and do something tricky-dicky with the hands and then do the same action on the other leg/knee!! Does anyone else remember that being called out in step class? 
The only 'repeater knee' action I was doing was lifting one knee up and in front of me as I climbed small inclines, long inclines and steep inclines to complete a 70 minute session. Gorgeous Melbourne morning, hands didn't thaw until about 30 minutes of running but the skies were clear and everyone around me looked happy. Made me think about how easy it is to talk yourself into OR out of something...........I didn't feel like getting up for the run and it was getting crowded in my head with all of the reasons, or shall I say excuses, being thrown around up there as to why I should just stay at home.........none of them overly convincing and knowing that it is getting closer to the marathon, missing training sessions is not an option, so I got my groove on. I recall looking at my watch during the warm up and thinking to myself, "Sheesh I still have 65 minutes to go"..........I started the internal discussion with myself about what my goals are and why I was out running rather than lounging around in bed, yada yada.......next thing I knew I had knocked off 25 minutes............then I focussed on the placement of my foot as well as changing pace as I ran the inclines.......I mixed it up, changed direction, told myself 'You can do this" and bugger me, I only had 10 minutes left!
Hope that your day has been one of fabulousness x

Break in

Another run session, another new pair of running shoes to break in! A loooonnnnnnggggggg interval session - almost 15kms - in a new pair of runners = burning feet soles.............. So I could say that I was on fire but not in the way I like to be! Need less to say I enjoyed the brisk walks between the running sets to allow my feet to have some respite from the burn on the bottom of my feet.....the burn happens to me when I am breaking in new runners................does anyone else experience this?

I'll huff and I'll puff........

and I am not sure that I had anything left in me to blow any house down during my hill session this morning. Doing sessions like this morning's makes me feel happy that I don't smoke! It was a sweaty run doing hill repeats.........................and I had tender calves as a result of running yesterday in the Vibrams.......apparently because I was using 'new'/different muscles............so I wore a low pair of heels (instead of higher ones) to be more comfortable strutting around at work.................aahh what we girls do in the name of fashion!

PS the story behind these fab red shoes is that when I was principal of a school in Collie, I headed downtown to pick up some cartridges for my office printer.........there was no parking outside the shop that sold the cartridges so I parked around the corner......in front of the shoe shop.........I figured this was a sign that there were shoes that wanted to live with me.............I was correct......................this pair, a pair of red slingbacks and a pair of long black leather boots with a small heel and buckles! I did get to the cartridge shop just in case you wondered!

Maiden Voyage

Ok, so I am not referring to a ship or anything remotely nautical.......today I took my new Vibram Five Fingers running shoes out on their first run...........here is a look at them................

They don't have the cushioning and padding that regular runners have. They are about 1mm thick on the bottom and the top is made of wetsuit type material........the theory is that running barefoot strengthens feet and calves and allows you to run more freely and further with less injuries because land on your forefoot, directly below your centre of gravity, resulting in optimum balance, increased stability, less impact and greater propulsion........blah, blah, blah.............heavy on theory (for me) and I was keen to try them out.........this morning I had a 75 minute interval session and ran on soft surface track (compacted granite)...........surprisingly, it was a comfortable run! I really thought I would feel every stone or stick under my foot, but I didn't...........neither did I feel some of the usual twinges in my legs, which was great.........I caught myself having a giggle whenever I looked at my feet......keen to see if my technique changes by wearing them.........fun!

Time traveller

OK..................will concede that I am probably suffering from slight jetlag and had another restless night's sleep so I am trying really hard to not beat myself up about missing my run session this morning..........ever hopeful that I will feel on fire later today and wonder if I could do the 80 minute run after work.

Hit the ground running

Back in Melbourne after a fantastic holiday in The States........less than 24 hours on the ground, I was out doing an interval session at 5am this morning.....with my committed running partners! This is a heavy week of running, so fingers crossed that jetlag doesn't hang around too long!

PS..........In my hours of wakefulness last night I recalled some of the holiday sights I neglected to share.......out running at 6am on the last morning in Santa Monica, some dude was walking ahead of us smoking his joint..........the wheelchair bound homeless man with kermit green prosthetic legs wildly racing (himself)back and forth along the pavement in Santa Monica and the incapacitated granny sitting in a wheelchair spinning in circles on a decline while her Hispanic carer (hired help??) turned her back to order food....you just can't good help these days!

Final hurrah

Last run before getting on the plane tonight......no doubt many kms will be walked between now and our shuttle ride to LAX. Cool, cloudy morning.....ran past many outdoor training sessions. Has been a great holiday and a pleasure discovering new cities on foot. Will definitely be a cold and dark return to running before work come Monday........just over 7 weeks until the Melbourne Marathon........watch this space x

PS to Hammer Time or these feet were meant for walking

Who did I think I was kidding.......wearing sandals would = less walking and in a strange way some recovery time for my legs. Another 10kms travelled.......headed into downtown LA a strangely quiet and soul-less city to check out the spectacular Walt Disney Concert Hall, a gleaming and curved silver landmark. A little further down the road was MOCA with a small, actually very small- but still impressive- Andy Warhol exhibit.
We decided to head back to Santa Monica and hunt down some Vibram 5Finger Toe Running shoes......you will have seen them I am sure...they don't look dissimilar to the photo of my feet in Injinji socks that I posted a little while ago...apparently wearing them is like running barefoot, which has many benefits such as allowing the foot to move freely and building strength in the foot and lower legs......they are certainly not a fashion statement, rather a new aspect of my running program. They are blue and will enhance my blue eyes!
We decided to walk back along the beach front, from Venice and Muscle Beach, all of which was alive and kicking.......I thought it was an urban myth that the boys pump iron on the beach but I can confirm that it really happens......overly tanned and with bulging muscles, the boys were primping, pumping and posing for anyone who snuck a look! One guy was spruiking that he would work for a bag of weed, another rode by with a massive blue macaw on the handlebars. It was sensory oveerload.......whichever way you looked.
I have spied my next pair of runners........I was set on the pink Asics but I am drawn to the green ones........back to the shops tomorrow to buy them!

Hammer time

Legs felt heavy this morning and it was indeed a very slow run........along the beach in Santa Monica.......when we got back to the hotel I tallied the number of kms that have been run in less than a week.......68! On top of that are the many many kms that have been walked each day as well as we discover the cities.......so no wonder the legs are heavy and that I feel hammered.......plan on wearing sandals out today........guaranteeing that less kms will be covered...........hammered but happy!

The wheels on the bus go round and round

What a day!
The interval session (12km) got us to Venice Beach and back to Santa Monica. Once again it is an honor to watch the world wake up and get moving........there was the usual community of early birds blading, running or walking. No muscles were on display at Muscle Beach (too early) and I was keeping my eyes peeled for David Duchovny or even the slightest sniff of Californication.......there was an edgy vibe about Venice Beach so it was just as well it was turn around time!
Today was Hollywood day.....we jumped on PT and headed away from the beach into tourist town......nuts is the best way to describe it. Took the big red bus tour, starting and finishing at Sunset Blvd and taking in Sunset Strip, Beverley Hills, Rodeo Drive, Paramount Studios and the famous Chinese Theatre. Damn hot sitting in the sun on the top deck so we moved downstairs to escape the blazing sun and heat. We jumped off once to have a look around, and no it wasn't the Rodeo Drive stop........I knew how hot and flustered I looked and I knew there was no way that I would have been allowed into any of designer shops......huge crowd was gathered and that meant only one thing....a celebrity was around........today Mario Lopez, celebrity entertainment reporter was interviewing someone unknown to us......possibly a basketball player based on how some of the kids were screaming out at him! Tour done and we
stopped for a champagne and were offered tickets to be part of the live audience for a sit
com, The Exes, with Newman from Seinfeld, some dude from Scrubs.......of course I gasped and grabbed the tickets.......we had almost an hour and a half to get to the studio, so took the
train only one stop away to Universal City, I repeat, one stop away from Hollywood and followed the instructions to a tee about how to get to the studio.......we jumped onto the bus and off we went........mmmmmm something was not right........30 minutes later and no sign of the studio......our attention was diverted a tad by one of the passengers who was providing some laughs and trying to share his popcorn...eventually I walk to the front of the bus and ask the driver........he says " Radford St, as in R-a-d-f-o-r-d". I nod. " Radford is back about 4 miles" I sigh. We jumped off the bus, tore across the street and waited for a bus to take us back to where we started......unfortunately we missed the start of the taping........all in all we were on the bus for almost 2 hours.........the wheels of the bus go round and round........
Back in Hollywood we decided to call it a day and head back to our hotel.......another bus trip......no cabs around.......once again, unique souls were on the trip and provided a break
from the monotony of the hour trip.......the retired pirate provided some crooked opinions about anything and everything whilst the drama-queen grump gave an Oscar winning performance about being bumped into on the crowded bus.......the wheels on the bus go round and round..........
What a fabulous day!

Anything Goes

Early flight out of JFK airport to LA leaving behind wet weather and welcoming sunny rays. No run this morning because of the transit and I have to say I was looking forward to slipping off my funky pink Diesel trainers that have walked many miles this trip to the Big Apple and sliding on sandals to get into the beachy feel of Santa Monica........however my toenails have taken on a carrot coloured stain from walking in drenched said trainers the other day in NY.......it looks like a case of tragic self tanning! My desire to have my tootsies free won out and I put up with my new foot look..........after a tempeh wrap at The Veggie Grill we headed down to the beach front to check out the famed Santa Monica Pier......rides, foods, sideshow stalls, swimmers, fishermen, families, mystics, sculptors.....a wander back through Third Street Promenade with every high end shop possible, I got very excited to stumble (not literally) onto the set for Private Practice.......I would have given my right arm-or in the very least my orange feet-the chance to be an extra on set.......it appears they cast the extras days ago......shame...their loss!
Frivolity aside, the homeless and mental health issues are confronting. DC and NY both have these issues but today's amble through the streets of Santa Monica seemed to magnify the issues. The USA doesnt have a welfare state like we are familiar with in Australia and the result is that they don't have the right to welfare.........other than short term........

Tomorrow's run is an intervals session out along the beach front....can't wait

I heart NY

Beautiful morning for long run in New York.......straight up 5th Ave past the Empire State Building, Rockefella Centre, Trump Tower, too early for breakfast @ Tiffany's, the Guggenheim Museum to the top of Central Park. We headed back through Central Park up and down inclines, through wooded areas, over bridges, around lakes and past the zoo, knocking out 90 minutes of running. Having a rest day from running certainly gave some freshness to the legs. The city was abuzz early with the start of a work week....the heartbeat is one of the reasons I love this city......it really is the city that never sleeps.
A highlight of today was heading over to Queens to see 5 Pointz-not a museum or gallery, 5 Pointz is a living collage of graffiti art covering a converted warehouse full of artist studios. The art of famous and novice graffiti artists covers the building's facade, all done with the encouragement of the building's owner. It's a well-known sight from the elevated 7 subway, which runs behind 5 Pointz.
Enjoyed a glass of champagne at Union Square, perched on bar stools overlooking the passing parade.......people watching with all it's colour and movement is the best! Hang on, almost forgot that we had pizza!

Is the last night in NY tonight......heading to LA early in the morning......new sights, new
smells, new running tracks!

Raining on my parade

Ater the mammoth efforts of pounding the paths for the last 2 days in NY, clocking up almost 30 kms each day (between morning runs and sightseeing/shopping), today we took advantage of the wet wet day and made today a rest day-in more ways than one........1. no run so that our legs had some recovery time (ready for the long run tomorrow), 2. a sleep in and 3. we made use of the subway to cover more distance for the day's activities........still managed to stride out about 8 kms in-between subway stops......
First stop was Grand Central Station with a stunningly beautiful domed (and lit) roof painted with the signs of the zodiac.....never mind that they are depicted backwards. From there we headed into the Village to buy cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery (Sex and the City fans will know this landmark).......I was mesmerized by the artistic skills of the cupcake decorator working her magic applying lavender colored buttercream to cakes. The sweet smell of the bakery was enticing as was the kitsch look.......we walked away with 2 chocolate cupcakes slathered with rich buttercream and sprinkles AND a huge slice of coconut cake topped with fluffy marshmallow meringue! Subway to Brooklyn and then a walk back over to Manhattan............We took in a ferry ride to Staten Island, past the mighty Statue of Liberty (cue music for 'put your hands up in the air') and once that jaunt was over we jumped onto the subway to Soho and headed out of the rain into shops.......
New York is wonderful wet or dry!
Night for now :)

Buggered!

Wow the scheduled 50 minute run ended up much longer as we took in the former World Trade Centre site, historic Battery Park and the financial district. We stumbled onto a summer event where the street from near the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park is closed to vehicle traffic and opened up to (as the police officer explained to me), "people like you who run and ride". Amazing sight to see hundreds of people on rollerblades, runners, cyclists, people on scooters and walkers using a major road to get their exercise. There was even a whole foods street picnic complete with tables, chairs, beach umbrellas and fake turf!
11.7 kms later the run was done. We headed out to meet a friend for brunch at Bread, a fantastic cafe in Soho and clocked up another 14km of walking........and 3 pairs of shoes later....pics soon!
Angelica Kitchen hosted us for dinner tonight........I ate here on my last time in New York and tonight's dinner was just as fantastic.........a shared meal of 3 bean chilli, with jalapeño salsa, vegetable kofta balls on brown rice, with side of steamed veg........

Total number of kms covered today: 29.7!!!!

Runner's Digest

I know this blog is about my shoes and my running but I am excited about the foods that we have found to eat......vegan, organic and fresh.
In Washington, Cafe Green had the most delicious mung bean pancakes accompanied by sweet sesame soy dressing......mmmmmmm.
We called into the Wholefood Market after dinner to buy fresh fruit. Trawling the aisles was a sensational experience-shelves packed high with everything vegan/raw/gluten free and everything in between. Today on the way to NYC we ate Brad's raw chips (red bell pepper)-made from carrots, red bell peppers, flax seeds, sprouted buckwheat groats, scallions, olive oil, garlic, Himalayan sea salt and lots of love, they are dehydrated below 46 degrees, not fried or baked and retain active enzymes and nutrients which aid digestion. Essentially we were like human vacuum cleaners and couldn't get the chips in quickly enough! Check them out at bradsrawfood.com
After checking into our NYC hotel we took to the streets and checked out the Flatiron building, Union Square, wandered into Greenwich Village and then grabbed a scrummy sandwich from Space Deli, an organic eatery and sat in leafy green Washington Square Park.....was packed with young funky people.....although there was a lady out walking her 2 cockateels.....true. We headed from there to The Highline, in the meatpacking district, an amazing win for nature in the biggest highrise jungle that is New York.......www.thehighline.org.......
Dinner tonight.......not sure yet what will be on the menu but I will keep you posted

Happy eating!

Independence Day

I take it on good authority that the monuments around Washington aren't really blown up in the movies Independence Day or Mars Attacks. Mighty and magnificent the buildings stand tall against the clear blue sky. This morning's interval session allowed me to once more marvel at how BIG everything seems to be here in The States! Heading out from the hotel before day break and a balmy 22 degrees we gave a wave towards The White House, ran past the Washington Monument, down the Mall, up behind Capitol Hill and an assortment of congress buildings and then continued on the way back to the hotel.
Big badonkadonks, big voices, big flags, big serves, big strawberries, big manners (ma'am), big this big that but little squirrels.

Run DnC

Good morning Obama. Good morning Lincoln. Top of the day to you Roosevelt. Howdy Jefferson. This morning's run through Washington took in The National Mall past museums and galleries, war memorials and monuments to past presidents. I showcased my squirrel whisperer skills coaxing one to within an arm's reach.
Running 11kms was hard work, after my delayed and missed flights I managed 6 hours of sleep, combined with the humidity and a warm 22 at 6am but it was a sensational way to kickstart the day. Incredible numbers of runners out and about!
Off for a shower and will head out to see what is on offer but at a much slower pace!

Have a super day

Lead Foot

Felt like I had cement shoes on today and I ignored the little minx on my left shoulder that tried to talk me into staying in bed, pulled on my warm running gear and headed into The Tan to do some run throughs followed by a 50 minute run. The minx sat on my shoulder with her feet dangling over my collarbone and pulled on my ear lobe, trying to convince me that we should go home! However I am proud to say that regardless of feeling like I had heavy feet, I resisted temptation and kept at it.

SCOREBOARD

Leanne    1              Little Minx     0

Simple Pleasures

Out on my long (easy) run along the bay this morning it was just sublime to watch the world wake up. The easy pace let me take stock of what was around me and let me smell the roses :) The simple pleasures experienced today....................talking to my beloved (who is over the other side of the world) when I woke up, the glassy sheen on Port Phillip Bay, the Indian Myna birds being very busy and important, the seagulls making their presence known, the early morning runners greeting me good morning, the walkers pacing along, the pooches loving life, the smell of freshly baked panini, muffins and ciabatta at the cafe near Port Melbourne Life Saving Club, the oldies holding hands, the smear of cloud above the city that changed from grey to cream when the sun rays hit it, the cyclists travelling solo, in twos and in groups, dads pushing prams, the fishermen setting up for the morning, the creaminess of my soy cofee and to top it all off, the leaps and bounds of the pooch so happy to see me when I got home!

may you get the chance to smell the roses today.

Figure Fixers!

This is a spread "The Best Shoe for You" in the latest NW mag that I stumbled (no pun intended) upon. When I read it I had to LOL.................the best shoes for you are the shoes you choose to wear!

Fancy suggesting that Keira Knightley's sporty calves need to be disguised. Did you see her running around in "Bend it like Beckham"? Great legs! Luckily I know where my calves finish and my ankles start, so I don't need to figure out how to hide cankles like Katie Holmes. Unfortunately I will never know the blessing of long lean legs bestowed on the likes of Whitney Port but strappy shoes absolutely suit my short strong legs. No drumstick legs like Mischa Barton's live in my house (and I would like to dispute the line that Mischa has lean calves - she has NO calves).

Don't get me wrong, the fashion advice makes sense and I have taken note of some of the rocking shoes and will google stockists - some of them are HOT, HOT, HOT but whatever I want to wear on my feet I do, regardless of my height/shape/eye colour/whether I have knobbly knees or not.............by my reckoning, all shoes look fab on my tootsies!

Doggone it!

This morning's run was NOT what my furry (some say hairy) 4 legged running buddy wanted to participate in. She dragged her feet, then surged when she thought she saw a cyclist that she knew (go KW), then dragged her feet, then surged again. I am sure that her fur coat was not the best running attire given that it was an unseasonally balmy 12 degrees at 4.45am.I swear that I could hear her saying (high pitched gravelly voice) "This is not my run day biatch - it is my rest day on my program. And besides, I have sore pads from doing nutsy runs in the front yard."
So after 2 laps of The Tan, I led her to the car to cool off and finished my final lap. Not my best run session but I can check it off this week's training. As I type this, the pooch is giving me evils - I think she knows that I have written about her!
Have a great day!