The monkey is dead

That is, the PB monkey that has been sitting on my back for the last 2 years, OK, maybe not dead but I did bitch slap him around a little bit today.

Damn it was cold and bleak out at Sandown today, about 8 degrees, windy and almost constant rain, though it did ease slightly when we started at 230 this afternoon. For this first time ever I did a warm up in my tracky pants, I went out and did an easy 2km along the course just to roll the legs over and see how I was feeling. Besides being about as cold as I ever have been I was happy to note that I was feeling pretty good

For anyone not familiar with the venue, the Sandown racecourse is used for motor racing and there is also a grass infield for horse racing, however today it was the venue for the Australian 10km championship. It is also quite open and when the weather is bad there is just no protection from the elements, so when it is cold wet and windy you bear the brunt of it.

Back in the grandstand I started to peel back the layers and acclimatise. I was tempted to wear a crop top, mostly because if it was going to pour rain then my singlet would just get wet and drag down, it certainly wouldn’t help me feel warmer. In the end though the rain had backed off somewhat and I opted for the singlet. With 5 minutes to go it was time to be brave and off came the tracksuit, Brrrrrrr.

Standing on the start line I was feeling remarkably calm, I think mostly because I had not built this race up too much in my mind and it was so damn cold it had the advantage of distracting me from most other thoughts

Alright, you don’t need a long drawn out description of a 10km race, needless to say it is not the most interesting course, being 3 laps of a 3.1km track as well as a bit extra along the straight at the start and end to make up the difference. It was mostly flat, some small gentle downhill stretches and a slight uphill of about 700 metres along the back straight that really started to bite by the last lap.

I settled into a good pace early and was initially worried that I was not running fast enough because it felt too easy, I was really surprised once I started going through the splits considerably under goal pace. I also kept up a steady stream of really positive self talk, I kept reminding myself of all the 3 lap progressive sets I had run around The Tan (which has a much steeper 700 metre hill) and I kept telling myself that the downhills and flats were coming up. As I was ahead of plan this allowed me to slow a bit on the uphill and not panic which also helped keep my spirits up. Mostly I kept repeating over and over, “run tall run strong run tall run strong”, sounds daggy I know but it worked.

I think by far the hardest part was the run to the finish, it was about 800 metres along the front straight, I had my cap on so I kept my head down and pushed though, damn finish line kept moving away from me though! I had checked my watch at 9km so I knew a PB was a certainty unless I fell over so I just concentrated on running strong and didn’t see the time again until I stopped my watch on 45:40!

Finally, 2 years less 11 days since I set my old PB of 48:14 I was able to set a new 10km PB. Since that time I had only run 10km once more, that was an appalling 53 something in October last year off the back of rehab and a bad dose of the flu.

I was so happy when I finished that I had a little cry, someone asked if I was OK, of course I was, it was just relief.

Here are the splits
1km - 4:24
2km - 4:48 (9:12)
3km - 4:34 (13:47)
4km - 4:29 (18:16)
5km - 4:52 (23:09)
6km - 4:35 (27:45)
7km - 4:30 (32:15)
8km - 4:31 (36:46 - 8km PB by almost 2 minutes)
9km - 4:37 (41:24 - was getting pretty excited by this stage)
10km - 4:16 (45:40)

It was so bloody cold out there today, from about 2km onwards I could barely feel my legs, I am not kidding they had gone almost completely numb, I am pretty sure this helped

A very relieved and happy runner this afternoon, my goal time was 47 minutes but by about the 3km mark I was becoming optimistic about going better, with some consistent training behind me I am sure that this PB will not be with me for another 2 years.

One last thing, I only got overtaken by about the first 20 men and Troopy only caught me at around the 5.5km mark.

PS - the OH is doing OK today, the Police told him that the woman he ran into has been charged with something but they won’t say what.

I spoke to soon

Hmmm, how do I write this post without excessive use of expletives?

It will be extremely difficult, perhaps if you are of a delicate disposition you may wish to stop reading now.

Being a rest day I was home at a reasonable hour this afternoon, just after 5pm. The OH was not home from work, even though he had finished at 330pm, instantly my spidey sense was tingling. Sure enough at about 530 I get a call from Sunshine Hospital (he was at work in St Albans, no, I don’t really know where it is either, I do now though after driving 90 bloody minutes though peak hour to get there). It would seem that some stupid fucking bimbo idiot bitch who clearly got her drivers license from a fucking wheaties packet decided that it is OK to execute a U-Turn from the fucking LEFT LANE and bugger using anything as innovative as an indicator and let’s not worry about the guy on the Moped making his innocent way along the road.

I am sure you can figure the rest out.

Considering it was a pretty full on accident he has come off pretty lightly, a fractured wrist and a sprained knee, along with a collection of scrapes and bruises.

Another visit to the Emergency room, another bloody and battered OH, this time definitely through no fault of his own, just the victim of an idiot driver who shouldn’t be behind the wheel of a car.

The Moped has been towed away and I hope to Christ it has been written off because I was never happy about the thing in the first place and will be happy to see the back of it.

Brilliant preparation for tomorrow’s race, stressed, tired and too much red wine

Now, some comments on the comments

Ewen, very intuitive, you are right on the money and I really do need to keep telling myself that I need only focus on my own progress and not bother with those who I train with who are much faster than me. I have a very bad habit of holding myself up in comparison against others and I know I need to stop this. I have also been reflecting too much on the fact that I have now passed the anniversary of last years injury and the fact that I feel that I have not achieved much since getting back on the road to recovery. Told you I think too much.

JH, I am quite good at bashing out one 4 minute km, I can even string a couple together if I can recover for 90 seconds before tackling the next one, but I have to disappoint you here I am yet to reach the point where I can string together 10 in a row. Maybe one day but definitely not tomorrow, I am going to have to content myself with 4:44 splits at this stage.

God, I need to hit the sack.

I’m back

I am feeling much better today.

Just easy running today, something around 10km in total.

A shorter run this morning warming up with the group I am helping train and then just over 6km at an easy 5:20 per km pace this afternoon after work.

With the 10km on Saturday today was supposed to be easy and then tomorrow will be my rest day.

I originally intended to do an easy group run with the squad today and then a strategy session for Saturday’s race. In fact right up until the afternoon that is what I was going to do but then the chance to get home and have dinner before 8pm for a change just seemed too enticing and I ended up running straight after work and then getting home just after 6, a real luxury for me. Also after the last couple of days I am pretty tired and just wanted to relax this evening instead of rushing about.

I have a rough plan mapped out anyway, I have my goal in mind and will write some splits on my arm (must remember to use indelable ink this time), I am going to see how I am feeling at 7km and if I am feeling good I will see if I can go under plan.

So where did I get to these last couple of days? I was planning on spilling, even had most of it written up in my head while I was running but now I just can’t get the words right so maybe some other time. Let’s just say I have my moments, has been a problem all my life, I have never sought help and probably never will so I am not going to give it a name, I just call it “The Family Legacy”. It crops up from time to time, generally passes in a couple of days and I have leant to just ride it out, though it can be pretty exhausting.

That was pretty hard for me to admit.

None of us are perfect

Especially not my great big fat cat Asterix who loves to hang out in boxes, even if they are woefully too small for his bulk.

See how I do that, deflect the serious part of my post with humour, very smooth Em.

I am going to add one more song to my favourite song list, totally cheating I know but I have decided that it just needs to be a double CD - The Needle and the Damage Done - Neil Young.

The best and the worst

6km easy pace after work, change into sponsor kit then off to run leading.

5.2km very easy as run leader

11.2km total

Just checked weather for Saturday top of 12 and rain, it’s gonna be bleak out at Sandown, should run a PB just to get the hell out of the weather more quickly

The blogger Musical Challenge has been doing the rounds, he is my contribution (as drafted during a long teleconference this afternoon, in between taking the minutes)

1. Name your all time favourite song that you will never get sick of

Easy! Halleluja, the Jeff Buckley version

2. List the ten songs that would make the “sound track of your life” i.e. your other favouritist songs that are not your bestest ever

Harder to narrow down - in no particular order

True Faith - New Order
Tupelo - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Been Caught Stealing - Jane’s Addiction
Picture of You - The Cure
Protection - Massive Attack
Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
Holiday in Cambodia - The Dead Kennedy’s
Blow up the Pokies - The Whitlams
Tangled up in Blue - Bob Dylan
Higher Ground - The Red Hot Chili Peppers version

Honorable mentions - if I was allowed to make a double CD
Epic - Faith No More
Bizare Love Triangle - New Order
Lithium - Nirvana
The Mercy Seat - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Take on Me - Aha
Beautiful People - Marilyn Manson
Sweet Dreams - The Eurthymics
Golden Brown - The Stranglers

3. The one song that you love but are too embarrassed to admit it to anyone

Yikes

Toxic - Britney Spears

Chin almost up, the haze is starting to clear again……..

Intervals

1km Time Trial - 3:56
This is an equal best 1km TT time for me, however this was on The Tan on a slight downhill. My previous TT was just weeks before being diagnosed with stress fractures last year and was set on the track at Olympic Park.

6 by 300 metres - also on The Tan so can’t be 100% sure of accuracy of distance
63
62
63
63
63
63

Feeling good about these as they equate to around 84/85 400s, I have not done 400s on the track for ages but prior to injury I would run about 89/90 for my 400s so this looks like good progress.

Still keeping my head down, just trying to regain some self belief.

……………..

I struggled a bit last week, it must have been the weekend of hill racing but my glutes were really sore and I spent quite a bit of time sitting on a tennis ball, it’s OK, I can say this, runners get it.

I redeemed myself with a pretty good 8km run this afternoon, around 5 minute kms or sub all of the way, finishing in 40:15 and I felt much freer than I had about a week.

I am over thinking things at the moment and am most definitely spending way too much time checking out the trees, so, you know, can’t see the forest for the life of me. Basically I am having a bit of a crisis of confidence which is resulting in me being rather boring to be around so I think I might reserve further comment for a couple of days and just keep the training updated. Articulating what is bothering me is never something I have been very good at

A fun run for fun

Due to AV commitments I had to miss the Mother’s day Classic last year so I was happy to be back there again this morning.

My sister and I were entered in the 4km event and Mum was along to cheer. We had no trouble parking and were there in plenty of time to sort out our numbers and timing chips and to get get Mum a hot coffee. This is a massive event with runs and walks and they do a very good job of staggering the starts which ensures there is not a massive congestion problem.

I had already decided I was not in this one to race, rather I would run with my sister and enjoy the atmosphere. It was an odd feeling standing on the start line with no nerves what so ever, though it was also quite hard for me to hold myself in check, especially when people started overtaking me (the damn cheek of it!), nice to know that I have not lost my competitive streak. We were running The Tan anticlockwise, which was unusual and out on the road not on the path. The first 2km went by in perfect 5:30s and the second 2 were just a wee bit quicker, even though my sister was bravely battling though a stitch, being only a 4km run the finish line was looming before I knew it and I told Sis that she was looking at running under 22 minutes if she picked up, so she managed to sprint out the last 100 metres and we ran under than banner in 22:47 (my stupid ego wishes I didn’t wear my timing chip though). She was pretty pleased with herself as I had made her run faster than she normally would have and she survived

So now she has a 10km on the Gold Coast in about 6 weeks where she wants to finish under 60 minutes, hopefully with some consistent running over the next couple of weeks she will be able to do it.

After the run we headed back to Hawthorn and took Mum out for a champagne breakfast. I had a big plate of pancakes and my Mum and Sis watched on in awe as I easily cleaned my plate, when it came out they were convinced I wouldn’t manage it, they don’t know me very well do they I am heading back out to Mum’s tonight for more wine and Thai takeaway with the family. My sister has to stay at my Mum’s house because she is allergic to my cats

I have just got back from my second run for the day, an easy 11km on the Dandenong Creek trail to round out 15km for the day and 64km for the week (finally a half decent week of running).

I had a doctors appointment yesterday for another blood test, I have been feeling pretty good lately so I am confident that I will be able to escape another iron jab for a couple of months. It occurred to me at the time that it must be almost a year since my first visit with the stressies, Dr K checked her records and sure enough, yesterday’ appointment was a year since I had first seen her! So glad I am only there for blood tests and injections these days

Some pics from today

Mum and Sis

This is what happens when I let Mum use the camera (Sis in black top, me in white)

Yes, we both wore the same shoes

I chose to be nice today

Very excited, I am picking my sister up from the airport tomorrow

Not much to report today, it’s Friday and I am tired.

I went for a run this afternoon, it was supposed to be 10Km tempo but I was feeling a bit flat and switched to Fartlek. Finished up with an average of 5:14, some early slower kms and then some faster 5 minute(ish) kms.

Lately I have been thinking how much I would love to be riding to work every day again. Years ago when I lived in Kew I rode every day, I wasn’t far from the bike trail so I didn’t have to spend much time on the road. Now I live about 16km from the CBD, I have run this in less than 90 minutes and reckon I could probably ride it in 45, all I would need to do is trade in the mountain bike for a road bike. But, there is always a but, I am TERRIFIED of getting out on the roads on a bike again, to put it bluntly there are just too many morons out there and all I need is to get knocked off the bike, get injured and not be able to run.

It’s a shame really because I would save a bundle on petrol and the cross training would be great, something really needs to be done about linking up suburban bikes paths to give us a safe and direct route into the city. Maybe I’ll get the Melways out on the weekend and see how far I am from the Gardiner’s Creek trail.

Pardon me, I feel a little sick

Last night the Liberal Party held what is being referred to in the media as a “Love In” to farewell “retired” ex Prime Minister John Howard, personally after reading some of the quotes from the night of nights in the paper this morning I am more inclined to call it a circle jerk, but hey, that’s just the kinda reactionary, crass, left wing sorta chick I am

I can’t even bring myself to repeat some of the accolades from former colleagues
here, I can feel the bile coming to the back of my throat just thinking about them, instead I am just going to reproduce the gem of the evening delivered via video link from the soon to be ex President Bush.

“You’re a digger who is simple, direct and tough. And you have never let this cobber down”

Oh dear god!!!!!! Did he really say that? Did one of Little Jackboot’s sycophants e-mail him a script or was that his own work, cobbled together from his own copy of the “The Little Book of True Blue Aussie Clichés”?

And correct me if I am wrong (because I am off on one now and can’t be bothered doing my research) but I am fairly confident that Johnnie did not spend any time serving in the Army in his younger days (I am assuming that his mummy probably wrote him a note), therefore not only is it sick making and stupendously cringey to call him a “digger” but frankly I find it a little insulting to those who have served in our Armed Forces and seen action.

The piece of resistance (sic) though would have to be the gems that were up for the silent auction, amongst others -

a walk and coffee with John Howard (what, no muffin!)

a photo of Mr Howard and Mr Bush signed by the former PM (what, GB couldn’t grip a crayon?)

a pictorial of all six Liberal PMs (would look lovely in the Den I suppose)

Now here’s the thing, I am not totally biased and will have equal contempt if I hear any of this garbage coming from the current government, I have no time for such arse kissing nonsense.

Running
Yeah, when I am not spewing hate at our former government I do a bit of that as well. Couldn’t post last night because I wasn’t home until 8pm and being that I had to be up again at 5am sleep won the day.

6km recovery pace run before run leading last night
10km easy pace run (about 5:50 pace) as run leader for the easy group (easy group sounds kinder than slow group)
About 3.7km this morning as warm up/cool down with my Thursday morning victims (we made them work very hard this morning)

Rest day today and a much needed massage tonight.

Return to intervals

After allowing myself 3 weeks off after Trailwalker it was time to get back to the training track, or in this case the training Tan.

It was hard, I felt like a fat slow old cow, my legs were filled with lead and my glutes hurt after last weekends hills, but I was expecting all this.

Tonight’s session was 4 by 1km with a 90 second recovery, this was done along The Tan from the pillars to Government House Drive so one leg would be on an incline and the other a decline, the times in brackets are from when I last did this session at the start of April this year.

1 - 4:29 (4:32) uphill
2 - 4:02 (4:08 ) downhill
3 - 4:27 (4:32) uphill
4 - 4:00 (4:07) downhill

So despite how hard it felt the times were better than 5 weeks ago

The hard work begins again, I have quite a bit of ground to make up.