Magic Mountain

I'm seriously tired today. Three days and three runs totaling 36k and not enough sleep has made me this way. I had to rearrange my run schedule with my medium-long run on Wednesday instead of Monday (it was raining and I was a little pathetic) and, because I have the Sydney Half coming up in just over a week, I decided to push my 16k a little harder to see if I could still run faster than plodding pace. That run went quite well. I got down to the low 5:00 min pace for at least half of the run but today I'm paying the piper.

Today's run was hills!! Coach Chris was sick and had texted me yesterday to say I would be in charge with another of the regulars. Did all that power rush to my head? Did I go out and buy a megaphone and whistle? No!! My fellow runners are self-starters and need no real motivation. They may whinge and complain sometimes but they turn up and do the session and today's session is one of my favourite. It was the round-the-mountain run where we start at the parking bay and run uphill for about 2.2k then the road undulates and weaves around the top of the mountain till we reach a trail which is basically all downhill. It's a magic run, surrounded by trees and bushes where you hear the bird calls and see the sun rise over the city. Seriously the best way to start the day.

I'm going to try to sneak in a quick nap before I start work. Recovery is so important and so much fun (especially when you can get a bit of reading done.) Another 36ker is ahead of me on Saturday and I think I'm going to need all the strength I can muster for that one. Fingers crossed that it'll be cooler and I don't get an aura this time.

Another Award.

Happy 101 Award rules:

1. Thank the Giver - Thanks to AJH from Age Groups Rock.

2. State 10 Things You Like - 1. Running (don't we all?!)
2. Spending time with my family
3. Spending time with good friends
4. Dogs - especially watching them play
5. Coffee
6. A big healthy breakfast after my long run on
Saturday
7. Reading a good book on a rainy day
8. Finishing a rhythmic gymnastics leotard and seeing
the look on the owner's face when she tries it on.
9. Travelling (except for the flying part which can
freak me out a little)
10. Honesty

3. Give This Award to 10 Others
1. Giorgio @ Giorgio's Runner Blog
2. P @ Adventures of An Average Athlete
3. Anne @ Asthma and The Gift of Running
4. Tricia @ Endurance Isn't Only Physical
5. Jamoosh @ Last Mile Lounge
6. Misszippy @ Misszippy1
7. Johann @ Run Tall, Walk Tall
8. Stefano @ Run With The Black Knight
9. Jamie @ Running Diva Mom
10. Zaneta @ Runner's Luck

My last 'like' is of particular significance today. I've just had the most stressful morning with son #2. He couldn't find his laptop anywhere. Now this is the laptop that has all his work for his final year prac subject and this is the son who's been having a rough time of it lately. He could remember using it on Friday evening at uni. He didn't use it all weekend and hadn't even unpacked his bag since then (yukky, smelly lunchbox!!) He was getting really stressed and so was I by extension. We decided that he needed to go back into uni and retrace his steps and I told him to just take it one step at a time and not to jump to the worst conclusion that it was gone forever.

So he went off to uni and I waited ... and an hour later I got the best news. Someone had found it and handed it in! Yay for honest people!!!

36k - Yuk!

That's it - my new longest distance ever is completed to make up my new longest mileage for a week. 36k yesterday and 72k for the week!!

Can I say right here and now that I did not enjoy yesterday's run?! I'd had an unsettled night (Josh was not feeling great and misery loves company so I was happy to supply it) and when I woke up yesterday it was hot. Not as hot as Summer but 20 degrees is twice the temperature of last Saturday's long run. Coach Chris had drawn out a new course which involved running up the very same hill that I'd run down the previous week. And while I was running it last week I'd been thinking - 'I'm glad I don't have to run up this.'

The first 8k were pleasant enough. I had good company. But my two running companions were only going 12 and 20k respectively. I resigned myself to a long time running solo but a couple of wrong turns and double-backs left me running with another couple of friends. I had a nice 6k or so of catching up and trying to solve the problems of the world before they turned back.

The course took me along Oxford St in Bulimba. It's cafe central and the coffee machines were doing a roaring trade. The smell was so enticing. And then I ran past a bakery - yum!! It was so tempting just to call it quits, buy a coffee and a bun and catch a ferry back to our start point. But I couldn't. I had a job to do (and I'd just run past Coach Chris and he'd seemed so impressed at how I was going)

I stopped for water at the turn around point then headed back past the caffeine temptations and in the distance saw Andrew, another of our group. I caught him up but, because he'd run a 100k trail race the week before and his legs were still feeling the effect, I ran on without him.

It was getting hotter and hotter and I was wishing I'd bought water with me so I was on high-alert for any bubblers. I think I stopped at least 6 times on the way home to guzzle water. I got back to Southbank and headed over the Goodwill Bridge but knew if I headed back home at this point I'd be a little short on distance so I turned out to do a lap of the Botanical Gardens and it was here that I realised I was getting an aura. For those of you who get migraines you'll know what I mean - it's the visual disturbance which is a precursor to the most awful headache you can get. I had 6k to go, couldn't see properly and I knew what was coming.

I'd actually made it to this point pretty well but now I just wanted to give up. But giving up's not really an option if you want to get home so I just sucked it up and plodded onward. My legs had tightened up and my shoulders were so tired and tight. I felt like I was running so slowly but once again, up ahead, I saw Andrew. He hadn't done the extra loop around the gardens. I actually managed to catch and pass him despite feeling like I was running on the spot. I made it back to the start point just as the aura was receding.

I'm feeling a little ordinary today so I'm going to take it easy and rest as much as possible. Week 4 is finally over.

Exercise-Induced Dementia

Is it my age or does training for a marathon cause exercise-induced dementia? Admittedly my mind is not the steel trap that it used to be but, honestly, in the last couple of weeks there's something sinister happening up there. I'm becoming forgetful!!! Just this morning I managed to leave my grocery list behind after telling myself repeatedly to PUT IT IN THE HANDBAG. And Tuesday I forgot to get the meat out of the freezer for dinner and when I did finally remember, it wasn't there. I'd forgotten to buy it!

I'm starting to wonder if being oxygen deprived for such long periods of time is having long-term and irreversible effects. But am I going to stop what I'm doing? No way!

Just this week a strange thing has stared to happen. I'm actually feeling good. I'm feeling fitter than I have for such a long time and I'm sleeping like a baby till the alarm goes off. (that's a baby who's sleeping through the night not a colicky one that's up every couple of hours) And I'm starting to feel a little confident. I don't think I've contemplated pulling out of the marathon ALL WEEK. Such a turn-around from last week when I was thinking of it daily and sometimes every few hours.

It's just as well I'm feeling so good because Coach Chris had the hill session from hell planned today. We ran the OTHER trail - the one that finishes on the up. He took us right to the bottom and made us run repeats on the steepest bit. We got to sprint (and I use that term loosely) then do drills which just trashed my quads .. and calves ... and glutes. And then we got to sprint again (an even slower sprint than the first time) And to round off the session we got to run the 2k back up the hill. My heart rate maxed out at 186!

Recovery day tomorrow and Saturday I have my new longest-ever-run of 36k to look forward to. No doubt I will be walking like an arthritic octogenarian by Saturday afternoon. And no, I won't be doing what the lady in my picture is.

Awards!

I've been tagged! Thanks Java Joggers and Giorgio for the award (Rule #3 in award acceptance.)

I must pass this award on to 6 others (Rule #2) So here goes -
Emz (If I can't Convince You - I'll at least Confuse You)
Rio (Her name is Rio and She runs)
Jill(Run with Jill)
Liz (Runner Mum)
AJH (Age Groups Rock)
and Marlene (Mission to a(nother) Marathon)

I have no idea how to link you guys in because I'm technically inept and non of my sons are here to help me pretend that I'm capable.

And Rule #1 - Answer this question : if you had the chance to go back and change one thing in your life, would you and what would it be?

There's actually not a lot in my life that I'd change except I would have ignored my fears and joined a running group way sooner.

Have a nice day!

Marathon School

I've been learning heaps in the last couple of weeks. Training for a marathon has given me a new insight into life and people. Just yesterday, when I was running my new longest run of 32k, I realized that people don't run marathons for fun. Running for hours at a time is not comfortable or enlightening. It can be exhausting and painful. But having finished my weekly masochistic ritual I get a smug feeling of self-satisfaction. I'm finding that I'm actively looking for opportunities in conversation to insert my new longest distance.

Another thing that I've discovered is that people's reactions to my new achievements vary according to their fitness level. The couch potatoes out there look at you with disbelief and caution. In their eyes there is a hint of insanity attached to anyone prepared to venture out at ridiculously early hours to willingly subject themselves to
prolonged torture. The exception to this group is couch potatoes who are related to you. They were always aware of your mental instability but love you regardless. Then their are the exclusive world of the fit. They are supportive and encouraging and happy to give advice when necessary.

Another fact I've discovered is that no matter how much you lubricate up, there will always be another place, a new place, that chaffs. And you won't discover this spot until you hit shower. Sometimes there are screams from my bathroom. ( my apologies to the neighbors)

And, finally, I've discovered that you CAN teach old dogs new tricks. It doesn't matter that I can see the big five-oh approaching at the rate of knots, my body can still adapt to new stresses placed on it. That's strangely satisfying in a glad-I'm-not-dead way.

So I'm three weeks down and six weeks to go. So far I haven't broken any bits of me yet and I haven't chickened out (although I've given it serious thought) Roll on week 4!

A Whiff of Freedom

There is only 12 more weeks to go! 12 more weeks until I finish high school for the fourth and final time. No - I am not an incredibly slow learner. Nor am I a perpetual truant. I just have lived and breathed and supported my sons every step of the way for the past 11 years.

And having done this 3 times before, I'd just like to say that year 12 is hard! It's a pressure cooker. A runaway train at the crest of the hill that gathers momentum as it heads towards the finish line. This week has been a prime example. We started with a pretty big weekend - a basketball game, a Maths assignment and a day at eisteddfod. There was no time to finish the Chemistry assignment that was due on Tuesday so Monday was spent with a quick trip to school to deliver the Maths assignment and then a full day doing Chem (and by full day I mean until midnight). Tuesday was early percussion ensemble practice, school then stay on after school to perform with the big band at a special dinner event for local businesses (home at 8:00pm). Wednesday was a regular start but stayed back late to go with the girlfriend to her debating final (They lost but she won the debater of the meet award). Thursday had an after-school symphonic band practice followed by soccer dinner (home at 10:30pm) Poor Luke! He looked so tired this morning as I dragged him from his bed.

I'd like to say that the worst is over but he has another big weekend (although I've banned him from the basketball match this week) and next Tuesday and Wednesday he has 2 full days of standardized testing. And I thought training for a marathon was hard! I wouldn't be 16 again if you paid me - well, maybe if you paid me a significant amount of money that would negate the need to go on to uni and work for a living.

So there is only 12 weeks until I finally taste freedom - no more lunches to make, no more frantic school runs and no more ironing of uniforms. I can hardly wait!