I got up this morning after thinking briefly about hitting snooze and going back to sleep- but then I realised that I should run every chance I get because so often I am not able to run- and amazing people like Em and Alison remind me of that- they would probably love to be out running in the ohmigod freezing cold at 5am on a Thursday morning (maybe) and I hope it isn’t long before they can. I then briefly imagined that my joints hurt and that it was raining before I bit the bullet and got up.

I did 8:1 run:walk around the lake- it wasn’t as hard as I thought- then when I did the maths in my head I realised that by increasing from 6:1 I wasn’t actually increasing the amount of time that I was running by a whole lot at all- 6:1  for 40 minutes has 5 minutes of walking in it, 8:1 for 40 minutes has 4 minutes of walking.  (Man I hope that is right!)

Anyway the Lamington Dog (seriously what else do you call a black wet dog that rolls in a pile of dried grass clippings) and I had a great run- even though it was massively cold and TLD had to spend the whole side of the lake that houses possums on the lead.  We didn’t run down the little road, we stayed on the normal track but I still saw about 3 possums- TLD only saw 1- and nearly dragged my arm off. 

As usual I rode to work- I am in the swing of it now and the changing etc goes very smoothly and (tempting fate here) I have only forgotten my bra about 20 times.

This morning started poorly and ended up worse- just so you know, I love possums, I love all furry little animals- my cat Chester once killed a possum and ate it in my mum’s car, leaving only the bottom half which I then removed with a shovel and Chester dragged it around to the front of the house during breakfast whereupon we saw it was still moving- yep, baby possum still alive in the pouch- and I got up every four hours to feed it until sadly it passed away. I promise I love possums. Sadly, so does Bella, for breakfast.

It absolutely poured down when The Murderous Dog and I headed around the lake this morning- I was sure it was going to clear up and we kept going, it didn’t let up and at one stage the rain hurt my face and I sheltered in one of those little sheds. We kept going and finally it was cold and windy but not raining. I like to run down the little road that goes through the park itself that isn’t actually open to traffic, and even though it is pitch black I always feel quite safe with TMD. Sadly when we came upon a little possum on the road TMD was onto it straight away ( I like to think it was on the road because it had fallen out of a tree and was lying there dying and TMD just helped it shuffle off it’s mortal coil). TMD killed it straighaway- just crushed it in her jaws

It is really hard to chastise her for obeying her natural instinct (she is part Staffy and I think they are rat dogs) - like when she chases the cat- she didn’t look very happy when I made her drop it and leave it and I felt like a terrible dog owner. When I told the Well Dressed Sister she said “That is great” until I told her about what it looks like when a possum is crushed to death.

Anyway, we went home and then I rode to work in the rain also. Hope those dams are filling up as fast as my shoes.

I have been quite good for the past few week with my eating- and I just made a Chicken and Chickpea stew that just looked like soup but it had very little fat at all and wasn’t nice enough for me to over eat!

Congratulations to everyone who did the Sri Chinmoy run in the rain this morning- it felt quite warm when the Crazy Dog and I walked around the park at 5.30am- but then the rain started………. I had to ride this morning because yesterday I wussed out- I had a million excuses about sore knees, prevailing winds from the north, lack of warm cycling gear etc but the big one was that I couldn’t be ar$ed. I reasoned with myself yesterday morning that if I didn’t sleep in then I wouldn’t get a sleep in for another week. So I rolled over and went for another good three hours kip!

This morning there was no suck luxury and I headed down Beach Road with my new gloves and booties. I know I was raving about my arm and leg warmers recently, but I would hand them back in a flash if someone made me choose between them and booties. Warm feet, toasty warm feet instead of lumps of ice in my shoes- they are fantastic! But not that fantastic that I could stay on the bike for longer than 78km. I was cold and tired and I hadn’t really fed myself properly- one gel, some powerade and a honey sandwich were not nearly enough to keep me going.

I did decide to pack it in a little earlier, but as I stopped off to go to the toilet I realised how fat I was and how awful I looked in lyrca so I forced myself out for another 15km. Made all the difference.

The after lunch with a mate, a walk with the best friend I find myself here thinking of reasons not to go to bed.

I ran around the lake with my little shadow at stupid o’clock this morning- her light broke so I had to keep her near to me in case she snuck away for a toilet break in the darkness.  I did 6:1 and it actually felt really good-there was a little bit of ankle pain for about half the journey and that was it.  I rode to work after that and then I snuck off for an hour of pain with the Massage Therapist.  She is really happy with the hammies, but oh my lord the pain she inflicted on my calves!  Then she did my quads and kept reminding me to uncurl my toes but it was impossible.

The Sports Doc kept her needles away (saving them for Em she said with an evil laugh) and told me to take Voltaren (50mg!) for a week then every time I run.  She is planning on getting my bike set up looked at (but she has said this for a while now so I might have to email her and remind her) and I am not allowed to ride up hills yet (I don’t know whether to be happy or sad about that!)

The best news of all is that my iphone arrived today and for just a split second I am the envy of teenagers everywhere!  Can’t wait until I can get one of those teenagers to show me how to use it.

The Cheerleading Dog and I might be going for a walk around Princes Park on Sunday morning, I wonder if we will see anyone we know????

The Running Dog and I did a lap around Albert Park this morning- let me know when you are tired of hearing about my crap run/walks around the lake, I know I am tired of writing about them.  I decided that I would just do 5:1 instead of 6:1 because of the pain the last run caused me.  My ankle does feel better now but it took a while for the pain to disappear this morning while I was running.  I am going back to the sports doc tomorrow night and I don’t know what to expect- sometimes she thinks everything is great when I can’t believe how much pain I am in, other times she sticks me with needles when I think everything is going well.  I have also booked in for a massage on Thursday- I missed out last week with all the time I spent trying to break up the monotony for my sister in hospital (and there is nothing that reminds you of how well you are when you visit hospitals)

Hmmmm, trying to think of something to be cheery about…..Mum gave my sister and I some enormous pieces of pumpkin to bring back (she thought we should go thirds in a pumpkin) and I just made a carmelised onion, roast pumpkin, olive and fetta tart for dinner…… my electricity bill arrived today- the one that included that week I spent in Perth with the heater on at home and it was quite normal and still only a 3rd of what it would have been if my ex was living here in his t-shirts in winter……… there was no wind this morning for my ride into work and the Yarra looked almost inviting (almost)…….. maybe the sports doc will tell me all the stupid pains are in my head and I will emerge from this psychosomatic fog like a butterfly……..yeah I know, that last one pushing it.

My iphone was supposed to arrive today but it didn’t just gives me something to look forward to for tomorrow I guess- now I sound like bloody Pollyanna.

Home again

Just got back from the farm and I am pleased to report that for the first time in my current cycling campaign I have glutes and hammies that are complaining about my ride yesterday.

I got up when it got light, took The City Dog and my brother’s little pup for a walk (pup is being sent over to Perth very soon- apparently you can’t buy dogs in Perth so they bought one in Horsham and now the dramas of moving the pup to Perth are being handled by my very tolerant and patient Mum- I named the pup Hassle but my sister prefers to call her Logistical Nightmare).

I then headed out the road to Mirranatwa Gap- I couldn’t really remember how far away it was but I recall cycling there a few times.  It took me about 1hr 46 mins to get to the base of the climb because of the massive head wind, it was so strong I thought I was going nowhere several times.  I just thought WWAD- What Would Alison Do?  so I put my head down and kept going! The climb is only 3.5km up - but it is really hard and the road twists and turns.  I stopped after the first kilometres because I thought I was going to max out my heart rate monitor- then when I started back again I was okay and kept going.  Finally I made it to the top and had a breather.

The ride down should be enjoyable, but it was freezing cold and the road is really rough so I was struggling to hold onto the gear levers as I flew down the road, I felt like the vibration was going to shake my hands free from the handle bars even though I was only going 53k/hr.  I had tears streaming down my face when I finally got to the last bit which is dead straight and I decided to get off the brakes and start pedalling- that is when my tyre pump shook itself from its holder and made a break for it! I hit the brakes again and wandered along the roadside looking for it.  A local farmer stopped and offered to help me look but I declined and found it quickly- he then did a u-turn and came back and asked me in for a cup of tea with his wife- their son was a few years older than me from school and he knows Mum and Dad but I thought I should keep going home.

I flew home with a gorgeous tail wind- though I was absolutely knackered- I could feel myself starting to “bonk” so I had another gel and picked the pace up again.  I made it home from the base in 1hr 18mins so you can imagine the difference with a tail wind.  I only did 72 km but it was so much harder than any of the rides I have been on lately- they are all so flat that this was a bit more challenging.

I then had a lovely afternoon knitting in front of the fire watching “To Kill A Mockingbird” with my sister and mother followed by a fantastic dinner and just enough red wine to put me to sleep watching the Tour.

Ouch!

The Stinky Dog and I went for a run yesterday in daylight!  Amazing I know.  I wasn’t sure if my legs could run in daylight, but then I remembered that I had run for the tram in daylight so I gave it a go.  It was pouring rain and blowing a gale at 5am when I first got up so I happily went back to bed for several hours.

We ran around a local park- 6:1 run:walk and I am certainly feeling it today- my ankle is killing me and my knee is very sore.  I worked afternoon shift because my Well Dressed Sister (WDS) was hopefully being released with a big bag of drugs to get her through the weekend before having more tests next week.  She was finally released at 4pm and wasn’t too happy!  I dropped her home and got the tram back to work.

I forgot to take my ice pack to work so I am sure that is why my joints hurt so much, time for anti inflams and maybe giving this afternoons planned run a miss.

WDS and I are heading to the farm this weekend so I am planning a ride up Mirranatwa Gap - as a teenager my BFF and I would ride up and down for fun so I it will be interesting to see how I go some 16 years later.

Have a good weekend everyone!

No run this morning but only because I feel like a train wreck- I did ride to work in the freezing cold however and it was very refreshing!

I finally got to see some of the Tour De France live coverage on Monday night- in the emergency dept. at the Royal Melbourne Hospital after the Well Dressed Sister (WDS) was ordered by the bossy doctor to get her stomach pains seen to immediately (this was at 6pm).  We settled in to emergency, me knitting and watching TV while various nurses came and went and WDS was eventually given enough morphine for the pain.  We waited for some definitive answers but none arrived, so we just watched the TDF until they decided to admit her.  (She is still there and isn’t very happy! I have been visiting when I can and delivering various magazines and junk food to keep her happier)

I was completely enthralled by the TDF - so much colour and excitment, will the breakaway group be caught, will there be a big stack, will one of the spectators get too close and take out the peleton??

By about 2.30am WDS was being admitted and I got to go home and try to get some sleep- decided to work arvo shift but everyone rang to see how WDS was then they decided to repair the footpath out the front of the neighbours. 

WDS will be okay- she had a bone marrow transplant 5 years ago and there are a million complications that she deals with constantly- this is just another one. 

I am going to run tomorrow morning, then might try to squeeze another run in on Friday afternoon at the farm.

The Well Dressed Dog (has a lovely new pink collar!) and I ran around the Lake this morning- though I didn’t have my heart rate monitor or my footpod on so there is no evidence to support that claimat all.  But it does answer my question, if I run, and I don’t record any extra heart beats, did I really run? 

I took it pretty easy because my ankle was a bit sore this morning despite having the weekend off.  The pain didn’t hang around for long and it was a great morning for a run, if you like running in the cold and being blasted by the wind in the dark. 

I had a very relaxing weekend- got silly drunk on Saturday night with my friend Deb who runs- (and whose boyfriend recently won the Thailand Marathon) so we had lots of running talk.  I have known Deb for 12 years - we met working at Target Malvern as checkout chicks while we were at Uni and have been friends since.  In the olden days we would go out drinking and dancing and it was a lot of fun, now when we catch up for a drink it is far more tame and there is a lot less dancing.  Our night concluded with some serious red wine drinking at Vin in High Street (followed by a stop at the Scottish Restaurant).

After taking My Best Friend for a walk this morning I headed to Beach Road on my bike wearing every piece of clothing that I owned- well that is what it felt like and I was still freezing.  I didn’t take off the balaclava until I was 15km into my ride.  It was a beautiful morning and it would have been a perfect ride but for one thing- my first stitch on the bike and it lasted for 45km.  My right side was in absolute agony and every bump and breath hurt.  I tried stopping and relaxing, breathing through my nose (works when I run) and I even tried standing on the side of the road pretending I was looking at the view crying.

I made it down to Mordialloc and then I just couldnt go any further, I started cycling slowly home wishing that a car would side swipe me, or hoping that I would get two punctures so I could ask my sister to come and get me.  Finally after 2 hours of pain, it subsided and I was wishing that I had kept going at Mordialloc.  I ended up doing 82km which was a bit disappointing but there is always next week!

The stitch was most likely caused by the 2 pieces of toast and Powerade pre-sport drink I had- I really had to force it down and the stitch came on after about 2km.  Next time I don’t think I will worry about the sport drink- it doesn’t seem worth it and because it felt so bad I didn’t want to drink anything else while I rode.  Once the stitch went away I drank the Powerade sports drink and I felt 100% better.  I downed a gel at the 60km mark because I was starting to feel a little empty and I felt a lot better.

That concludes my Powerade experiment- I tried them all individually and thought the actual sports drink was the only one that really made me feel different- though I know that they recommend you drink a lot more than I was consuming.  Gotta love being given them all to try for free, but I would probably get the most benefit from the drink on the bike.  I have to be reminded to drink but having sports drink makes me feel better than just water.

Heading out for a drink tonight so not sure about cycling in the morning- my knee needs icing and might benefit from the rest.

I received the free 8 week cycling program designed to prepare for the SRAM Whittlesea Challenge - there are a lot of hours on the bike!  I am treating it as a guide- there is no way I can ride for 2 hours during the week.