Short and sharp

When my coach said that this week I would have less runs but the runs would be high with intensity he wasn't wrong. Having Monday as a rest day as well as today has been great because I have been able to fill my day with more stuff before the work day starts!
Yesterday morning's session was over and done with in less than an hour (this does not happen very often) but essentially after a warm up and some run throughs I was required to run like I was being chased (by an invisible being) for 10 minutes at a time! And there wasn't even the fun of being caught or of sqealing in my quest to escape my chaser!
When was the last time you were chased?

Back on the horse

I disappeared into a dark space for a few days dragged down by the unrelentless work tug-of-war but was reminded a number of people that it is only a job! But seriously.........................................work issues should not consume every waking minute and take you away from what really is important......................anyways in times like the ones I have had recently, I tend to 'beat myself up' because I am not running with a positive outlook and I find fault in everything that I do............trust me, being in my head when I am not being positive is not the funnest place to be!!!..............I am happy to share that "I am back on the horse" once more - had some time out, spent some time talking through the issues, made a plan to move forward and most importantly was out running yesterday with thoughts that did not pertain to work! YAY!
So yesterday's session was almost an hour and a half of interval running along the bay in conditions that I would normally moan about (windy and rainy) but I was just happy to be out and about doing my thing.

PS I wore a new pair of heels on Friday that I had purchased earlier in the week in an attempt to elevate my mood (the purchase worked!) and at our school's community market that evening, I cannot deny that I loved hearing several mums tell me that their daughters tell them all about my shoes........

Cry me a River

Sheesh.................no run sessions have ever made me cry as much as the past few weeks at work have. If only the energy I am expending dealing with work issues could be transferred to my runs.................maybe I would feel like I had some more energy to give my runs.
This morning I also realised, running along the bay, that I haven't been present to the beauty of nature around me because of my preoccupation with work. :(

Shoes elevate your mood

Today was a rest day from running................it was also an emotional day (of the work kind).........in an attempt to switch up my mood, I did some retail therapy to substantiate my theory that buying heels elevates your mood.................I would like to say I was correct!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCF3ywukQYA&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Later when your legs are straighter!

How BIG is BIG?

The answer is....................................today's run session was BIG! I calculated roughly that it would be about an hour and a half and in the end it was one hour 42 minutes and a grand total of 17.29km covered between Port Melbourne and Elwood. I had a warm up,10 lots of 1km efforts with walk-float in between each effort and a long cool down. Gorgeous morning with lots of people down at the triathlon in St Kilda.
Hope that whatever you are up to today is BIG too!

Wakey, wakey

After a super dooper (and long) sleep, I pulled on my running gear and headed over to the Tan for a 70 minute hill run. Evidence of last night's mighty winds and heavy rains everywhere.............................the solitude of the run allowed me to think (I never overthink!) about how to solve the problems of the entire universe in a single wave of my wand. Another hard run, made harder by the challenges I added to the mix but a sense of accomplishment when I finished my session.
May your weekend be full of magic :)

Another day, another run

Our little trio headed over to Port Melbourne for the run session.....................22 degrees at 5am = a sticky run. Hasn't been a great  for me work wise and today I really just couldn't get it together.........think I would rather have thrown myself in the water, a bit like the pooch did....................have another run tomorrow morning and another on Sunday..................with some luck I will run this week out of my system and start fresh again for next week.
How has your week been?

What's my problem?

Getting up for a run this week has been extremely hard..................not making excuses (or am I?) but the context of this week may explain some of the lack of motivation.................Monday and Tuesday this week I was at a strategic planning forum aimed to inform the next 3 years of work for the region I work in..............that equalled long day/night on Monday night and a taxing day on Tuesday (aka brain fry) followed by a School Council meeting and then yesterday was like Grand Central Station at work - my diary was booked out with appointments and then some..................with the BIG piece being a lunch interview/school walk-n-talk as part of the Ultranet Review................that was followed by a parent meeting. Throw in the reading of applications for a position that is advertised at work and the regular things that each of us do on a daily basis and I am buggered..................or is it a case of PMS - Post Marathon Motivation? I have no idea what the definite cause of my malaise is but it really messed with my head this morning. Couldn't haved asked for a better morning to be along the bay but today I truly felt like I was on a treadmill unable to go any faster and getting nowhere.............
Suggestions? Remedies?

Full Moon Rising and Heavy Breathing

I am writing this blog sitting in my car to get out of the chill in the air at Shepparton. I have been up since 4.20 this morning – all part and parcel of being a supporter at the half Ironman Triathlon. Am more than happy to be doing my bit.

Life…………….…actually that should read WORK has been ridiculously hectic………………resulting in me wondering if I actually have a life. Which leads me to why I am sitting in my car early Sunday morning typing up about my run sessions on Friday and Saturday……..I haven’t had the time or space to grab a few minutes to natter on about my running (let alone anything else)………………..let’s cut to the chase shall we?

Full Moon Rising…………………the full moon, glowing and hanging heavily near the horizon, gave muted light for the bay run sessionon Friday. I only noticed it on my return leg of the run. My initial thoughts were how eerie the morning light was and how the moon looked like a massive beach ball suspended just above the water………………..this peaceful thought was immediately overtaken by my realisation that this magnificent moon and all its fullness was probably a major factor in how manic and crazy my work week has been – to those that believe in the waning and waxing/ebbing of the tides, the lunar cycle and the impact on the body’s bio-rhythms, well my friends, I have lived that impact at school this past week. Some of the kids were not far off howling at the moon!

P.S. I feel the need to say that the shoes on one of the beauties from Beauty and the Geek (on Thursday night) did not suit the purpose or the occasion.

 
Heavy Breathing…………………..now trust me when I say I would prefer heavy petting but a 60 minute hills session on Saturday morning seems to lend itself to heavy breathing only! There is not much more to say…………………start run, climb hill, heavy breathing, heavy breathing, huff, huff, huff, downhill, puff, oh joy another hill, heavy breathing, lungs tight, want to stop to catch my breath, puff, puff, another incline, huff, puff and so it went for 60 minutes. I jumped into the car for the drive home with a thought that I would get lucky………………………..I had a vision of me buying a pair of shoes (or possibly a handbag) in Shepparton later on Saturday.
(PS no shoes were purchased but this sign was up in the only shoe shop I found in town)

Today

This week hasn't been a great week.................not loving the body I am in and I am hard on myself........................so this morning's run helped to set my mental tone for the day (as in feeling positive about the day). The pooch stayed indoors today and doing the run was a wonderful way to get the blood flowing.............and gave me the power to get through the day. And what a day it was!

Remnants of a Party Started

I'm coming up so you better get this party started
I'm coming up so you better get this party started

Warm spring morning for my run session this morning.................there obviously was much revelry along the bay last night, people making the most of the balmy Saturday evening...............

Get this party started
on a Saturday night

My run was the most 'scenic' I have had in a while, thanks to the evidence on the beach.................I ran past 3 guys face planted in the sand sound asleep (they were still there when I ran back about 40 mins later), lots of couples strolling along in party attire looking dishevelled (and faces smeared) and I have to tell you that I was privvy to one girl's pink bits.......true...............she was leaning up against her man on the rock wall down near the St Kilda jetty........................her legs were askew and apart and as I ran towards her, I copped the full view! And as for my run......................it was a good session :)

Pumpin up the volume,
breaking down to the beat
cruisin' through the west side
I'll be checkin' the scene

Biggest disappointment was the disgusting mess at the St Kilda foreshore - bins were over flowing and rubbish was stacked up against the bins, the beach was strewn with booze bottles, leftover takeaway, pizza boxes............was an eyesore....the seagulls were having a field day.......mine, mine, mine, mine.........shame on City of Port Phillip for not supplying enough bins and shame on the visitors that couldn't be bothered taking their rubbish with them.

I'm coming up so you better get this party started
I'm coming up so you better get this party started

Dive Bombed

Fabulous calm morning in Melbourne.............made our way to The Tan for a hills session..............one word................T.O.U.G.H.....................the hills may look meek and mild to the untrained eye but to my lungs it was a rough way to start the day! Afterall this was my first hills session since starting training again 2 weeks ago! And to add insult to injury, I was obviously (unknowingly) trespassing on 'enemy territory'............cranky Plovers dive-bombed with military precision for crossing the invisible boundary lines! Their swooping ensured that we did not linger.

And if this is what the hills did to the pooch, how do you think I pulled up?!!!

Busting

Well this morning's session is done.......................windy ol' morning in Port Melbourne..........my question for today is.......................why aren't public toilets open for those of us moving about? Not even the self cleaning/flushing/dispensing loos were working which created a dilemma for me..................I could either do as the dog does or not!

M.I.A.

Missing in action - that was me this morning :(
I went to bed last night visualising my run and was feeling pretty positive about it.........not that there was anything daunting about the run - an easy 40 minutes...............but when the alarm went off I just had nothing, no desire, no interest, nil motivation. So I stayed in bed. Dozing.
So tomorrow is another day and I I will be up and out the door.......................promise.