Running on empty

Rude is what it was when the alarm sounded at 4.10am! Needed convincing to get up and I did ............eventually, donning a thermal top and warm legs....................the interval session took 70 minutes (and 10kms) and I really felt like I was running on an empty tank. That's it, I had nothing :(

Let's see how I go tomorrow............already it will be a winner because it is a public holiday and I get to have some sort of sleep in!

Giddy up!

Rise & Run

My sense is that the pooch used my iphone this morning to check the weather before I finished getting ready for my interval session because there was NO WAY she was even remotely interested in joining me for my 83 minute run at The Tan. I think she even tried to velcro herself to the blanket to make it almost impossible for me to wrench her off it! I stepped outside and steeled myself against the rain, wind and cold :( It would appear that the pooch high fived herself at her stay-indoors decision when she saw me walk through the door upon my return!

Mission completed and now happily sitting in the warmth and dry of home after being drenched and wind blown but "When it's pouring rain and you're bowling along through the wet, there's satisfaction in knowing you're out there and the others aren't."
-Peter Snell

PS forgot to mention that I bought a new pair of wedges yesterday.................cheap and cheerful and guaranteed to bring some sunshine to my week at work :)

One Towel, Three Wet Bodies

After a much needed sleep in, we hit the pavement down at Newport running towards Williamstown and the heavens opened up. Coach Tippett told me the previous day to just go out and enjoy the runs, not to worry about pace and not to panic, my fitness/conditioning would be back again in a couple of weeks. So with that in mind, the run was an easy 40 minutes.....................although I couldn't maintain a conversation particularly well (and it wasn't because I had nothing of value to talk about!). I was happy that the wind was light and in my favour some of the way..............the only dilemma was which one of the wet bodies needed the towel most post run!
See you out there tomorrow :)

(And a shout out to my friend who is competing in a triathlon in Kalgoorlie in the morning.........you go girl!)

Time to Reboot

Morning :) I started back at training this week and oh my, what a shock to the body after 2 weeks of rest/recovery after the Melbourne Marathon.
The other afternoon after work, I laced up my runners and headed to Doggy Daycare to collect our 4-legged friend......legs felt heavy and running into the headwind almost felt like I was not moving at all. Tried really hard to not feel discouraged :(
This morning, the pooch and I headed over to Port Melbourne to join everyone else up and about...........my 40 minutes flat run took us from near where the Spirit of Tasmania docks down to St Kilda beach and back again. I added in a bit of beach running (not sure why I added in extra resistance!) and welcomed the 10 secs breaks every now and again to leash/unleash the pooch when normally doing that frustrates me because I am focussed on my purpose............I am trying to work out whether I still have some fatigue from the marathon OR if I have lost lots of fitness OR whether I was running on empty...........all I know is that whilst it felt good to be out pounding the pavement again, it certainly wasn't a walk in the park! OR perhaps I am just exhausted after a hectic week at work - case in point - I looked at my watch a number of times (keeps pace/time/distance) and thought to myself how consistent I was with my pace.........5 or so minutes later, I was still holding the same pace, albeit slower than my usual speed..........it was only when I glanced at it after I had stopped to leash to pooch (and was still maintaining a consistent pace) and realised that the reason I was so consistent was because I had stopped the watch and forgotten to restart it! Oh well :)

Here's to a super Thursday at work!

Toes in the water

This morning, I slid my gorgeous painted toenails into my Vibrams and headed down to the beach @ Williamstown to do a light interval session. I was hesitant................................ just in case my bruised toenails hurt but I can happily report that I suffered not one bit of discomfort or pain. YAY! And so the games will begin again :)

And..................................not that I need any convincing to wear high heels, the article below from an incredibly reputable Sunday newspaper (!) informs me that my high heels will save my knees which in turn will be a bonus for my running! And research suugests that heels can also do wonders for a woman's sex life.................................Touche

Tiptoe through the tulips

Day 4 (after the marathon) and I was able to walk without looking like my legs were in splints! Getting up and down from chairs and seats proved the most painful and difficult and I was thankful that no students needed any restraining or for me to sprint to break up a fight.................until Tuesday! And today I was able to wear a pair of my new shoes that I had hoped to wear on Monday...........better late than never I guess. My daily challenge has been to find shoes that don't touch my toenails.
Tiredness hit yesterday and I wore some cranky pants to school! Slumber didn't come readily on Sunday or Monday nights..............my legs felt like they were still running.
I am being gentle with myself and tiptoeing through the week. Aiming to put my runners on over the weekend and try a gentle run.

Toenails are for sissies! (apparently)



Mid stride between the 30-35km mark

"Toenails are for sissies" was a sign being held up about 5kms from the finish line..............I thought about how wretchedly sore my toenails were feeling, looked down at my shoe and expected to see some blood seeping through...............thankfully no evidence of torture.........yet!
Melbourne Marathon 2011 is completed for me.....................I looked back at when I started this blog, my goal was to run this marathon injury free..............achieved! I also wanted to beat my time from last year................check (by about 15 minutes...................go me!).................I didn't do the time that I had in my head (between 3.30 and 3.45) but I still came in under 4 hours, so I am rapt. Things were SO on track until I hit around the 26km mark and turned into a mighty headwind and it slowed me down.............and everyone else around me. One of the drink stations was completely upended by the wind with cups of water and gatorade flying into the air and over runners. Melbourne put on wind, rain and sunshine for those of us running and the supporters along the route. A big thank you to my supporters (online and real time) and to my fabulous supporter on route........makes a massive difference seeing a familiar face smiling at you :)
At home now, fed and watered and wearing compression gear on my thighs and calves. My poor toenails have been beaten and some are lifting from the nail bed..............always a good look..................they have only just recovered from last year's marathon :( I am booked in for a deluxe pedi next Saturday and am excited in anticipation of some love and care being given to them.
I am going to enjoy the next week or so off from running and await the next run training program to get me ready for some shorter distances before the end of the year followed by a 28km trail run in January and another marathon in March 2012.
My final thing before I sign off and recline on the sofa is that I saw a sassy pair of patent wedges on a spectator..........I should have asked where I could get me some!
Love my work!

My secret weapon

Silic, lube..................... call it what you will but it is the BEST barrier cream (and secret weapon) I have used and lathering my feet and skin with it will ensure that I do not get any chafing where my skin moves against fabric and more importantly I will not suffer any blisters..................having blister-free feet is imperative because I plan on wearing a new pair of shoes that I bought last weekend to work on Monday!

Today I am taking it easy, cooking another batch of granola and giving my legs and feet as much rest as possible. I am feeling pretty positive about what lies ahead but all going to plan, this time in 24 hours I will most probably be sitting in the same place on the sofa loving myself sick!

See you at the finish line!

Pill Popper

It is a wonder that you cannot hear the pills that I pop every morning before I run jiggling around inside me............I start with an anti-histamine to beat the pollen at it's game, Voltaren tablets to relieve infammation, 3 flaxseed tablets, a mulitvitamin and 4 Chinese herb capsules to regulate girl stuff! On marathon day I will add some pain killers to that mix as well as some caffeine tablets............sheesh!
So if you are cheering the runners on along the route and you don't see me, there is a good chance you will hear me!
Another run session along the bay.............ships were dotted out in the bay and their lights reflecting on the water formed lines of light and looked like massive bar codes on the water!
Had a session with Matt @ Muscular Therapies to help sort out some foot pain.
3 more sleeps :)

The Last Hurrah

The last long run session before the marathon was this morning..........all 1hr and 50 minutes of it. Calm Melbourne morning meant that the session could happen along the bay............albeit @ 4.30am! Felt a few niggles during the run that I hope will be ironed out on Thursday when I have a visit to Melbourne Muscular Therapies (http://www.musculartherapy.com.au/) to see Matt.
Sheesh it seems like only last week that I was starting the training for this marathon after a mother-of-all-migraines wiped me from the starting line at the Gold Coast.
Weather forecast for Sunday looks sweet.....sun (good) and light winds (even better).

Sleep talking

It would appear that running the marathon is on my mind................possibly more than I realised..........I was told that I talked about it 'being race day' in my sleep last night!
Today was a rest day which my hip was thankful for..............what's wrong with my hip I hear you ask? Who knows............gave me discomfort after the 16km hill session yesterday.
When a race/run day is looming, I get rather anxious. I have been known to be standing at the start line, with tears falling down my face prior to the gun signalling 'RUN"! Once I get moving, the tears stop and I get on with the task at hand, find my pace and run!
"Can I handle my goal pace? Will I make the time I am aiming for? Will any old injuries flare up?"
Apparently pre race nerves are totally normal and I can channel them to work for me.............mmmm..........seems visualing positive race scenarios in my warm up will work wonders as will reminding myself of the solid training runs that I have completed.................and telling myself that 'I'm trained, rested and ready to do my best". Coach Tippett just called and reminded me that clapping my hands everytime I have a negative thought will 'snap' me out of it. Mmmmmm
Aside from my 3 final runs this week, I will attempt to talk positively to myself - that in itself will be a mental marathon!
PS made two shoe purchases today and am not sure how it happened!

Ready, Set, Almost GO!

This morning was my last (undulating) hills session before the marathon next Sunday. 16kms of up hills and down dales.............so I made the most of a very quiet Melbourne morning (people were either nursing hangovers from the footy final or they forgot to change their clocks for DLS) and ran up and down the inclines in and around the CBD. Starting at The Tan, I headed up Anderson Hill and over near the Remembrance Shrine, around some blocks, over some footbridges, past Flinders St Station, up Swanston, in and out and around eventually getting to Treasury Gardens. Up inclines, down declines and over towards the MCG I was ashamed of how much rubbish from the finals was still on the ground.............shame, shame, shame. Down Punt Rd, over some more footbridges and back up Anderson Hill for a final lap of the Tan. Melbourne has a flat landscape so finding undulating hills takes some deviations and meandering.
Feeling pretty good.

No achy breaky heart

Dark clouds loomed menacingly above as I opened the gates to head over to The Tan...............were the heavens going to open and dump on me?..............I mean it's not as though getting wet would dissolve me like an aspro.....was I looking for a reason not to run? Possibly. Was it important that I do the session? Absolutely! With the marathon 8 sleeps away this morning's session was just as important as any of the other run sessions over the previous 12 weeks.
I have mentioned before that I love watching the world wake up and this morning had the added feature of die-hard footy fans moving about in the city early all heading in the direction of the MCG. My run took me around the Tan and through Southbank, across the Yarra, along past Flinders Street station and over near the 'G'. I had intervals as well as run- throughs and a happy little pooch running alongside me for just over an hour. I got a 'Hello Miss Leanne" from one of my lovers (of my rocky road!) and a double BONUS of no rain (and no subsequent dissolving) and no niggles /discomfort in my foot, calves or pelvis!
I say "GO LEANNE!" (and give a shout out to Trish who started her ultramarathon from Echuca this morning)