Bizeeeeeeeeeeee

But what's new! I'm working every day until I'm on that plane for the GC half. EEeek, it's come so fast and my preps been very disjointed the last month or so. Hope I've done enough ground work earlier in the year to hold me over :)

I'm sacrificing my whole weekend to work at a health expo being held here. 9am - 5pm both Saturday and Sunday, so I'm reshuffling all my training as I won't get my long Saturday morning run in, and will be pushing it to get to the Sunday arvo one. If things have wound down, I'm packing up early and getting outta there. I won't accept my training plan being disrupted into the last week! ;)

I've got sore sore sore hammys from leg training on Monday, and my bad shoulder isn't behaving after upper training yesterday and all the computer work I've been doing. I was booked in for a massage yesterday but had to cancel - in advance of course ;) - coz I was snowed under but she did the guilt trip on me "you need to look after your body you know, you have to make you a priority" so she convinced me to re-book for today. So I did. Then went straight to the beach for sprints near her house and I discovered some stairs I'd heard about but had no idea where they were. Or how many there were. So after already having sore legs, being pummelled at massage, then beach sprints, what better idea than to run stairs! It was better not knowing how many, as I just kept running till the top. 102. So I went back down and repeated that 2 more times. I couldn't even hold my right leg straight to stretch it, it was shaking so bad. It was not alot of fun pushing the clutch in all the way home, in peak hour traffic. It kept quivering and I could do nothing to make it stop! It's in shock ;)

Tomorrow's crazy busy as well, and Lyndsay is on her way through here, so we're catching up around lunch time!! YAY! She wants to check out where I get to 'play' all day ;) It will be good to see her again as god knows how long it will be till next time :)

Best be off, I'm in the middle of a really good book, which is the worstestest thing I could do when I really need quality sleep. I have a problem putting down a good book, although my eyes are drooping and its only 6 hours till my alarm goes off. I should have it finished tonite though, and that problem is solved! ;)

Lunch & Dinner...

Thanks to Kek!

I was st-ar-ar-ar-ving at lunch time yesterday after the mountain run and subsequent drive back to town.

Opened the fridge to...
NOTHING.
Bare, unexciting, nothing.

I could scavenge up something and not enjoy it and then continue to want to eat all afternoon as I wouldn't have had an enjoyable meal, or take time to prepare. Which is rare on a weekend for me - unless it's done FOR me ;)

Lunch ended up being the devine chicken enchiladas. With a few minor changes, as of course I didn't have all the ingredients. It was so worth the preparation time, they were the best thing since *insert food of choice* ;)

I had the same dilemma at dinner time.
Chicken? Nah, had that for lunch.
Salmon? Had that last nite for tea.
Other fish? None in freezer
Beef burgounion? Have that during the week for lunch.
BOooooooooooooring.

So it was sweet potato pancakes. I skipped the banana but it tasted great! My whey protein was *ah-hem* white chocolate flavour, as I have no vanilla, but whatever, my stomache was happy. And for me, that's the main thing. ;)

I'm also due to make up another batch of the mini quiches. They are a yummy snack to grab and go.

That woman knows how to weave her magic in the kitchen. And no, I'm not being paid to 'pimp' her food blog! ;)

So thanks Kerryn, my tastebuds were very satisfied this weekend ;)

The Elevation Chart...

max: 721m
min: 166m

MapMyRun.com View King Of The Mountain in Eungella Qld 4757, Australia

I was only trying to cut and paste the elevation chart...
Anyway I somehow linked to the route, so anyone is remotely interested, click on the link.
I have no idea if you have to be registered on the site to access it though.

*Shrugs* I'm just a newbie as of 30mins ago.

I Conquered the Mountain!

It was the run this morning. King of the Mountain. Woke at 6am, and needed a shower to wake up and get warm. Quick breakfast and into the car to the meeting point where 4 of us car pooled. Started the long trek. Had a stop about 20kms from the start line as that was the last time we had toilet access. It was sooo cold. Until we warmed up.

The run was the same as every year, I'm sure I blog the same stuff every year about how hard it was! So I'll just skip that, and say I got to the top in 46mins 41secs. Pretty chuffed with that. It's about 2 mins faster than last year, and a measly 15secs off my best time in 2006. If I knew I was that close, I would have pulled 15sec from somewhere! But you can never tell on that hill what corner turn will be the last.

Thank god that's done for another year. Next year will be my 5th one - I'm considered a veteran then! :)

Now time to focus on the GC half which this time in 2 weeks will be all over :)

Edit: Let's see if I can work Map my Run and transfer the data here...

King Of the Mountain

I've had the worstestest week in a long time, and I can't wait to see the end of it. Tomorrow is our show holiday here - if it wasn't for the fact my infectious boyf and I were going on a road trip tomorrow for the day, I'd be in at work ploughing through the kazillion items on my desk.

So I'm focusing towards the weekends run - Sunday morning is King of the Mountain. 6.4kms of pure torture. Every year I swear I will never ever do it again...

At the bottom. The break in the trees at the top is a chalet. I have to run up to that.

This is the 'reward' from the top. Just above the shadow you can make out the road - it's the little squiggle.

So think of me on Sunday morning when it's still dark, crawling out of bed, to drive an hour out of town, only to then park my car and run up the mountain.

Yea... no logic in that.

Banned from my Boyfriend

How ridiculous hey! He's one big infectious disease...
Let me start from the beginning.

One month ago - got a boil on his leg. In heapsa pain, went to doc, given antibiotics. Called back 2 days later to get different meds as the first lot he was given he was immune to. Boil ran its course, all good.

2 weeks later - boil appears on his arm (this was one I've mentioned). I took him to doc. His usual wasn't there, so saw a locum. Was given antibiotics again - same as the first lot the first time. He told the locum they would do no good, doc said "it'll be OK. These will kill it". Didn't argue. Boil got worse, became infected, ended up in hospital under general anaesthetic for them to clean it up as they were concerned the infection may have gotten into the bone (bad news).

That one is still healing and he still has to strap it as the skin is very tender as it grows back over. It's below his elbow - if you pull your arm up to look at your elbow, it's just few cms in. Not much skin there huh. Well he had a massive crater in there. Looked like a flesh-eating monster had a big chunk. Being a boy, he took some great pics which I could post ;)

This Sunday - has a 'pain' on his arm that feels like a boil. I had a look and said it's prolly only an ingrown. Lucky I'm not a doctor as on Monday he went, and sure enough... got it taken out there and then to save the pain of another one. Blood test ordered to see what's going on in his system.

Tuesday - back again, another one appears on his arm and his stomache. He's really p!ssed off by now. Doctor had to ring the 'infectious diseases' specialist to see what's going on. He's given a massive course of antibiotics - taking 2, four times per day - over $200 worth of meds.

Although we've done it all many times lately - we have to disinfect all the bed clothes again, the towels again, disinfect the bath again, and he's even bathing in some disinfectanct stuff. I'm not allowed to sleep in the same place as him till it's sorted.

He'd never had a boil till a month ago, and I've never had one, and certainly don't want one. So if I have to be banned from him I will.

Makes my poor boy sound grotty, germy and gross - he's not!! I just hope the blood test can get it sorted so they can go away and STAY away!!!

So I'm at mum and dad's for now :)

When You Really Don't Want a Photo to be Taken

Professional pics I found on the website today from the half marathon 3 weeks ago.

Gee Woman, show some leg hey!?

Although it doesn't look like it, I am moving! ;)

Why oh why can't running be a glamour sport?!

Lucky!

I didn't read the comments telling me to REST before I ran this morning ;P

I took some night cold and flu tabs and slept like a baby. It was what I needed, I haven't been getting much sleep during the week, with work and training and just being SO busy lately. I think that's part of the reason I got a bit sick - rundown.

But I was up at 4.50am this morning, all stuffed up in nose. Best thing would be to run in the cool weather and clear it all out, right! So I did :)

I did 1hr 30mins, 30secs. (I'm so anal with the time) It was roughly 16kms. Certainly had the nose running, but the more I ran, the better I felt for it. But the nose wasn't the major problem this morning - there was an emergency toilet trip I had to make. So in the almost-still-dark, in a secluded area, other runners about 50m ahead of me, I ducked into the cane paddocks. AHhhhh. The others wondered how I got so far behind ;) LOL!

I feel GREAT now, almost all better! Not tired, and legs aren't lethargic.

I just cooked up a bit batch of food for lunch for the next week or 2. I love being organised, there's no way around it at the moment :)

OH is at work today, so I'm doing the leisure thing. After I've cleaned, I think it's time for a DVD or a good book or something.... Oh the choices ;)

BLEUGH...

I'm ill, with the flu :( Not the full-blown flu but not far off it. I'm sure it would be if I wasn't consistent with taking my vitamins and supps. Everyone around me - OH, Mum, bro, trainers at work and clients have had it lately. I thought I avoided it but unfortunately not!

Nearly wagged upper body training today coz felt like crap, but my training schedule is so full on that I wouldn't have fit it in anywhere else! So I sucked it up and got on with it. Ended up being quite a good session, and I felt heaps better after it. Always helps to sweat a few germs away :P
I did however skip my planned run training this arvo :( Naughty.

I'm running 2 hours in the morning - last long run before the GC half! YAY!! The taper starts ;) I'd prefer to have fresh legs for that as it's going to be a bit of an effort me thinks! I'll be taking my hanky on that one. Tissues are good for nothing!

I survived another crazy week at work. We also get a 4 day week here next week - it's our show holiday on Thursday, so that's another 5 days jam-packed into 4. Not complaining though, it is the last pub hol for the year!

That's me for this week, its blanky time for me! :)

It's Official, I'm IN!!

I just received my rego confirmation for the Gold Coast Half Marathon.
I am H2233. That's nice and easy to remember! Yay! No turning back now ;P

I've been MIA again, so busy! Just finished having professional pics taken - of staff and some clients doing stuff in the studio and in the park - to use on all my marketing material. It was fun, can't wait to see them tomorrow :)

Gotta run, more clients coming...................... I'lllllllll be back!!!!!!!!!

Pics from Rogue Traders Concert

Nice dress :) Very short, but she wears it well!!

Stage lighting was cool :)

Second dress - very funky!

And a snippet of the concert from my sis' camera. Sideways sorry!

I'm In Love!!

With Natalie Bassingthwaite! ;) She's gorgeous!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wanna be just like her when I grow up! ;) The concert last nite was great!!!!!!! Had to wait around for a very long time before it started, and lots of people were getting irritated, more drunk, and well I was just getting sore feet from standing! We were about 3 people deep, and at times, had I had inspector-gadget arms, I would have been able to touch her :) And the not-too-bad looking guitarist!!! ;P They sound great live as well, she's got a great voice, and a hot body. My OH had the most enthusiasm of the whole nite she came out in the shortest dress, and got lots of photographic evidence on his phone. I'm sure all his mates are enjoying it at the moment as well ;) My sis also got heaps of pics on her camera so I'll post some pics tonite when I see her again :)

Baby baby baby, you are my voodoo child, my voodoo child....

Close Your Wallet WOMAN!

I've been on a money-parting roll lately!! If I see something I want/need I've been going for it, with not too much thought involved. But, a girl's gotta get what a girl needs!!!

This has been my spree of the past week...

LJ Singlet - I did manage to walk out of there with only that. And changing topic here, did you know they have massive sales on at the moment, up to 50% off some stock!! Minimum of 10%. Refrained again today, I think I have most of the shop anyway.

Kambrook Omelette Maker - I did have one of these that I stole from my nan, but someone at work used it, didn't clean it properly, food particles were left on the surface, was put back in cupboard not to be pulled out and used again for a few months, when I did, the paint stuff had all crackled and peeled off from the food... No good to anyone. So to cut a long story short, I bought a new one. Good Guys had 15% off, so even better! I make my PANCAKES in it today, soooo easy and no mess!!

Nearly Knee High Boots - This was a total spur of moment thing. I went shopping for some cool stockings to wear with my new suede ankle boots, but walked away with new bigger boots. (and no stockings!) They are sooo comfy! They've got the pointy heel and pointy toe, which is oh-so-in at the moment. I've had a pair of the thicker, squarer toe ones which I bought when living in Canada years ago, so I was definitely due for an update!

Stockings - didn't get them the day I went looking for them, but picked up a pair today. Not sure if I like them, but someone will wear them if they aren't right.

CD - love the fast-paced remix CD's. Nick Skitz's remixes are my faves. The boy at work has every single album he's done. Except the new one. I beat him to it. Nick Skitz - Come Into My World. Lots of old stuff remixed on there in with new stuff. My kinda old stuff. Melissa Tkautz does 2 songs! Who else remembers her, she was my FAVE actress on E Street - then how excited was I at 10 or so years old when she brought out a song. Or two. That did any good. She does a remix of the Transvision Vamp song - I Want Your Love. Who remembers THEM and THAT song!! LoL. That'll keep me busy this weekend transferring them to my i-shuffle.

Hmmm I think that's it... that's not so bad after all. I just haven't stopped after my spree in Brisbane 3 weeks ago, and that was a scare when the credit card bill came through.

Oh and how could I forget!!!!!!!!!!

Tonite I'm going to ROGUE TRADERS!!! So tix for me and the boy is another spend! (He's fine btw, got out of hospital last nite, is at the races at the moment!). Plus the few drinks I'm going to have tonite. :) And I did say only a few. No big, important race tomorrow, so I'm kicking back :)

Addictions...

I've become an RPM nerd. I'm going through the addiction stage again. It's all I want to do!!
I didn't run at all this week, just did the few RPM classes. My pain memories of the half have scared me off ;P I booked in with myself to go to the RPM Extreme class this morning. I planned it all week - I'll just have Saturday morning off running.
Last nite I got the guilts... 8am is toooo late! Half the day is gone. I really should run. No I really want to do RPM, just this week. The guilt won. I got up at 4.50am to fly to the other side of town to meet my usual training buddies for our normal Saturday morning run. We did hills. Lots of hills. The steepest hills you're gonna find in our town. I really shouldn't have had the week off running. I forgot how much it hurts when I do. Or my legs still haven't forgiven me for putting them through the half. I wasn't in good shape when we finished (story of my life lately), in fact the other guys asked during the run if I was a bit sick today. Err no, just feeling really unfit. My legs are tired I can't keep up with you guys! Anyway after 30mins of hills no addiction to RPM was going to have me rocking up there to repeat it all on a bike, in an hour. No sireee.
Had a nice warm shower and make protein pancakes. Enjoyed them at 8am when I should have been RPMing. Not once did I feel guilty! ;)

I recovered...

What a week.
I was shattered from the half marathon, so Monday was tough. Spent an hour and twenty minutes (yes that's right) just WAITING in the doc's surgery for my OH to get in to his appointment. Then he had another 15mins in there. It was a great way to spend my break! ;) His 'injury' that kept him AND ME awake all Sunday nite, is a boil. A very large, disgusting boil. He was given the strongest painkillers, antibiotics, and a week off work as he can't drive or operate machinery when under the influence.

Tuesday was work, CPR update - gee I love them - decided at last minute as my legs were still sore that I needed another recovery day. More like i-just-ran-21.1kms-on-the-weekend-i-don't-have-to-do-jack-so-nerrr kinda day.

Wednesday got my butt back into it for the lauch of the new RPR Extreme - the one hour class.
Lurrrved it! Had all intentions of a run that afternoon, but I came up with another excuse.

Thursday - work, had TV cameras in as my business is going to be part of an ad airing soon (at no cost to me which is a bonus!!), so cleaned like mad. Only found out on Wednesday nite that they wanted to use us. Got to RPM last night as well, I absolutely smashed myself, I was sweating madly at track 2... Maybe coz I got there so early that I had time to do about 15mins cycling before the class? Maybe coz it was later in day so I had less energy left? Whatever, I caned it, and lurved it! My OHs aunt and uncle are up from Sunny Coast and he's an insurance broker, and I'm a slack woman and have never arranged income protection or life insurance or anything (nothing major of course!!), so chatted to him. The company he deals with don't insure personal trainers for life insurance....
UMMM???? What?!?! Woudln't they be your target market?? Fit, healthy and conscious of staying that way? Not very smart are they! Anyway, I've got a few more options I'm working on, it's only been in progress for four and a half years. ;)

Today - busy busy. Had heaps of back to back clients and I don't get a chance to drink my water as much as I'd like, and always end up with a sore throat, from talking too much (not yelling of course), and not sipping. It's still a bit husky, but whatever...
Had hassles with Fitness Qld with re-registering so was on the phone to them for a bit. I've got more than enough CEC points but things have changed... I had no issues re-registering that way last time, but this time, dramas dramas. I didn't know some of the rules had changed, how rude! ;) (Had I taken the time to actually re-search, I'm sure I must have been sent some form of notification in the past 2 years!).
AND then to top the day off, I got a call at 3pm, my OH is in hospital having surgery tonite. Right now in fact! His boil has gone from disgusting to SUPER-feral. The doctor prescribed the wrong anitibiotics which has made things quite messy...
It's huge and gross (gore isn't my thing, I'd never make a good nurse), infected, and it may have infected the bone. Went to the doctor today to get it cleaned out, and was admitted to hospital. Right now he's under general anaesthetic. I'm just waiting for my call to get back there.
Never a dull moment in my life this week!!

Gotta love him...

I asked my boyf to take a few happy-snaps of the half mara yesterday. This is what I flicked through my camera later that day to find...

WHY THANKS SWEETHEART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was when I was at my worst (obviously), I couldn't even remember seeing him, never mind knowing he was taking a photo.

This is the shot 10 seconds before, I was in a world of pain... Get me to that damn finish line...

Results are up on the website today. I came 73rd of 122 participants. Donna came in 52nd!! Thanks everyone for the kind comments you left, I am happy, don't get me wrong, I just have high expectations!!!

I had a rotten night's sleep. My legs were aching sooo bad I had trouble sleeping. Not even my usually-life-saving skins were helping! My efforts were made no easier as my OH has an injury and that was so painful for him he couldn't sleep. I remember our half asleep conversation..

What's the time now? 12am. Crap woman, get to sleep

What's the time now? 3am. Dammit only 2 hours left

Then it was time for the alarm...

I didn't have a sickie today of course. Did manage to re-arrange some bookings so they worked in my favour... only as I was leaving my other trainer said she was too sick to go on, and she looked it too. So who had to stay and take over?? Nevermind, I again re-arranged as much as we had too so there weren't too many germs being spread.

I've got a sore throat, so am having an early nite and drugging up. 2 hours of running in the rain then standing around cold isn't a good idea for staying WELL!

Half Marathon Round-up... (cripes this is a long post)

The home-made healthy pizzas were great last nite! Just what I was looking forward too. I got to bed at about 9.30pm, of course had problems actually getting to sleep but I'm guessing I was out to it by 10pm. At 2.15am, heartbroken, distraught, drunk little brother called me for big sister advice. I didn't get to sleep until well after 3am, then the alarm was off at 4.45am. I felt terrible before I'd even started! :)

Conditions - Bit cool. It was still dark when we started, really overcast.

Bang, gun went off. Donna (training buddy) and I took off, yes, just a little too fast. First km done in 4.37. We headed straight out to the breakwater, as due to popular demand, the windy route along the beach was done at the front end of the race, which was a lot better than having to struggle with it when feeling really ratsh!t.

Uh,oh... legs aren't feeling very good at all. Quads tight as rocks, breathing through the roof. Into the 3rd km and chest is tightening up, heart was going insane that I was a bit worried. Slowed the legs a touch, although it's hard to make yourself slow down...

3kms, Donna's cruising, about 50m ahead, I just cannot get my legs to move. That was the last we saw of each other!!

From there it just got worse for me. Into a strong headwind for a few kms, and tried to keep the pace but the legs weren't liking it at all. Felt like 2kg ankle weights were strapped on.

By 8kms, it was all over. I was way over the time I needed to have been at, and there was no way I was going to be able to do negative splits at the back end of the race!! 'Just maybe', I thought, I could come good and still do it. Do I surrender now and enjoy the run, or bust it to the point of discomfort like I currently am, and give myself every opportunity'. I did slow the legs, only they got faster again to that max happy-discomfort spot.

By now it was raining as well, nice and cool, but slow drizzly rain that the wind blows into you. It never stopped. Donna in her bright shirt (thanks D, just so I could see her from the great distance!!), was nowhere to be seen. Just way too far ahead.

11km got the GU out. Psychological edge, anthing was going to help. 'Just get to the end, you're past half way'.

15km saw I was gaining on one of my fellow road runners. That's always a bit of a booster although it is the worst feeling to have someone pass you. And trust me, I had MANY of them today.

18kms, I'd overtaken him - giving him encouragement along the way (how I got words out I'm not quite sure) - and another girl who earlier overtook me at 5kms. (Still people are overtaking me though, so it's bittersweet).

19kms, knew there was NO way I'd reach my goal unless I did sub 5min kms for the last 2.1km... Also developed one of my infamous crippling stitches. Ran most of the rest of the race one armed, other arm pressing on the stitch. I may just make the low 51 mins...

20- 21kms - didn't dare look at the clock, I'd rather not know.

21kms - as fast as I could for the last 100m. (gotta make it look good over the finish line) ;)

21.1kms - 1.53:11. Disappointed. Absolutely shattered after run, had to hunch over, couldn't talk to anyone. Although my lovely supportive clients tried to talk to me, I couldn't even comprehend what they were so saying. Except to say "can't (deep breath) talk." Didn't even see my other half, who was right in front of me. My legs are aching, they've never felt so bad. I feel drunk, swaying, need to sit down. I was so depleted of everything. Will I pass out, crap can't do that in front of clients ;P

Conclusion
It just wasn't my day today :) I knew that from the first few kms, the body just didn't want a bar of it. Donna did AWESOME and I hugged her in excitement when she told me her news - 1.48:20. She smashed our goal!! And did say she kept waiting for me to join her... oops :P She shouldn't have run so bloody fast then ;)

I'm absolutely shattered still. I have never pulled up this bad from a race before... ever. My whole body is aching like I'm ill. My legs are heavy as logs. My feet are just caning in the arches, I can't actually walk on them yet. I came home and crashed for a few hours, and I still will tonight. Haven't got my ravishing appetite yet... what's going on there. I think my body's in shock.

I feel as though I've had my peak this year. The 17km race in April I did way faster and felt fantastic through the whole race. By the 8km mark today I was already slower than the pace I did in that one. I felt better and pulled up 10x better after the 28kms four weeks ago. I think had the half been 6 weeks earlier, I would have cracked the mark. So much long training for so long, the body's on the downward 'i want a break' spiral I feel :) I have been going hard at it weekly since November last year.

So what's next
'Unfortunately' I still have the GC half in four weeks time!!! So there's still some long-ish stuff in training, but there's nothing I'm going to be able to do in four weeks. The hard yards are done already, just need to keep the legs turning over. I will speak to coach about how I've felt the past few long runs and see what training we should put together this next 4 weeks. A few of my fellow road runners said today already "you'll go heaps faster in the GC one then". We'll see. I won't place any pressure on myself as that takes some of the fun away. I want to enjoy the atmosphere and the run!!!

What I can do better
- Watch nutrition a little more the last week leading in. Food for optimum performance, not pleasure, and no using 'I'm running a half, I'll need the energy' excuse...
- And following on from that, I need to get my body fat down, less to carry, faster I can go. I'm not being unreasonable, but it is a little higher than I'm comfortable with at the moment. Lean, Mean, Running Machine is the goal!!!
- Unless there's been disaster or another break-up, turn off my phone, so I don't get calls :P and can have a real sleep!
- Don't place too much pressure on myself
- Warm up better
- Don't go out too fast!!!!!!!!!!!!! But you just can't tell me that ;P

So that's that. I'm still in a comatose state, I really need to chuck a sickie tomorrow, what will the boss say ;) I'm not being a wuss, if I feel like this tomorrow still it won't be safe for anyone. Mentally and physically exhausted!

Hope I don't sound like a sore loser, I was disappointed only because with all the training I've done, I should have been able to crack the 1.50. I only knocked 4mins off last year's time, which was my first half so I went in blind - not knowing what I could pull out. 4mins over 21.1kms isn't a lot... I took 2m30s off my 10km time 2 months ago!

BUT I still have a NEW PB!!!! So I'm happy with that! I can only go better next time, and that's always the goal - CONTINUAL AND NEVER-ENDING IMPROVEMENT!!! :)