Yes, forgot to write yesterday. Always intended to. Actually ran, too. Did you miss me?
I did a nice 14k. Nothing too daunting, even got out there fairly early. Lovely. It’s nice to occasionally go harder/further than I really need to, it makes me feel like I’m running because I love it and not because I have some event or another in my sights. Not that it’s an issue to have something to train for. Quite the contrary. I love to have an event booked. Fun runs are the coolest thing ever, no matter how much I may curse myself for my masochism during one of the said fun runs. It’s just not the be-all and end-all. I would still run if I didn’t have races, but I wouldn’t feel that sense of achievement you get from running at race pace.
I’m so tired today. I forgot what I was talking about. What was it? Oh yeah. I had a nice easy 14k yesterday, even though I probably could have done with some of the energy I expended, later in the day. It has been quite a tiring weekend, all things considered.
Looking at the title of this post, I suddenly remember the point I was supposed to be aiming for. I’m currently looking for a costume for the Canberra Times 10k, and I’ve found a cute little dress, pink and green and brown with little bows and things. There was another that was cuter but it was all in white with a maroon skirt. I know I’ll be wearing a sports bra underneath, but all the same I’d feel self-conscious about it. I feel like buying my costume now but I’m still hesitant. Maybe a little red riding hood outfit would be more fitting, with a little basket to carry? I don’t know. So many choices.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Speedy Gonzales? I think not.
I had serious difficulty getting out of bed this morning, probably due to my less than early night last night. My alarm went off at 6:30, which is a perfect time for running, at least at this time of year. Not too dark, and it’s not too late when you get home, depending on your mileage of course. However, I didn’t get out of bed until 7, and when I finally did get out there (at 7:45 or thereabouts) I was not really in my best form. I ran slow the whole way, seven minute kilometres for the most part, but nothing hurt and I wasn’t feeling out of sorts. I was just slow. Probably due to the race last Sunday, but I’m not sure.
It was an uneventful run for the most part. The only thing I was curious about was that my fastest kilometre was the second to last one, bizarre in that it’s all on a pretty steep uphill. Could I have taken eight kms to hit my stride? Or am I just a masochist who speeds up on hills? Maybe it’s due to the fact that prior to the hill I was listening to a podcast (Sex Nerd Sandra, from the Nerdist) and then I switched to the new Zumba release. Music might be the key here. All in all, a fairly disappointing 10 kms, but at least I’m getting out there.
It was an uneventful run for the most part. The only thing I was curious about was that my fastest kilometre was the second to last one, bizarre in that it’s all on a pretty steep uphill. Could I have taken eight kms to hit my stride? Or am I just a masochist who speeds up on hills? Maybe it’s due to the fact that prior to the hill I was listening to a podcast (Sex Nerd Sandra, from the Nerdist) and then I switched to the new Zumba release. Music might be the key here. All in all, a fairly disappointing 10 kms, but at least I’m getting out there.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Meep meep!
Official City2Surf Net Time: 1:24:55
Many thanks to mum for acquiring the time for me and texting it to me at work. I couldn’t wait to find out!
As you can see with the time above, I managed to beat last year’s time for the City2Surf.
In the most eloquent terms - YEAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!
I was, I admit, a little hungover at the start line. I had about five or six glasses of champagne the night before in the Club Lounge at the Sheraton on the Park (my home away from home when I’m in Sydney) and hardly any water to chase them. I also ate a hearty breakfast prior to the start, and if you’ll excuse a little too much information (I apologise in advance) my breakfast kept on coming back up to say hello over the first ten or so kilometres of the race. I never actually vomited, which is a plus, but I had a bit of... unpleasantness.
My legs felt like crap as we crossed the start line, and my lungs started to give me hell after the first kilometre in a way that made me think I was going to be walking a large portion of the way. I felt disheartened, like I’d cheated myself out of a good race. The first little hill (just as you head toward the tunnel) was way harder than it was supposed to be.
I’m going to assume that these issues came from not being warmed up, at all. It was also a bit cool at the start - in Sydney standards, mind you. Canberra folks are made of hardier stuff. It was grey, and it drizzled a little before the start, but I was too focused on my own pain to care even if it was raining (and I don’t think it really was raining). At the first drink stop, I got a cup of water and poured it down my neck and back as I walked through, drinking another. As soon as I got back into my stride, I felt good. Actually, I felt great. The cold water gave me the shock I needed to harden up and get on with it.
Heartbreak Hill? More like a speed bump. I noticed coins on the road, a fifty cent coin here, a five cent there. They started halfway up the hill (or at least that’s where I noticed the first one) and I followed them all the way up the slope. A welcome distraction. Actually, there were coins on the road all the way down to Bondi. Someone had a hole in their pocket, methinks.
Mum didn’t catch me at the finish line, but I didn’t catch her either, unfortunately. It was a great run though, and even though there was no live rock band on the pub roof this year (something I always keep my eye out for) there was a jazz band (or maybe two), cheerleaders (multiple), some very well dressed drag queens and the obligatory smurfs, presumably drinking at nine am on a Sunday.
Recovery wasn’t too much fun. I was tired as hell after the race, and that continued until yesterday. Starting to feel a little more like myself now, but I’ve still got the pain in the front of my thighs that comes with a two kilometre sprint at the end of a race at what was at least for me a blistering pace.
All in all, very happy with this year’s race.
Very happy indeed.
(ps. Love this pic, but unfortunately my medal was flipped around so you can’t see it. It’s a pity. And yes, I’m a dork. I’ve cross-posted this pic everywhere because it’s awesome and I look like a big awesome dork in it.)
Many thanks to mum for acquiring the time for me and texting it to me at work. I couldn’t wait to find out!
As you can see with the time above, I managed to beat last year’s time for the City2Surf.
In the most eloquent terms - YEAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!
I was, I admit, a little hungover at the start line. I had about five or six glasses of champagne the night before in the Club Lounge at the Sheraton on the Park (my home away from home when I’m in Sydney) and hardly any water to chase them. I also ate a hearty breakfast prior to the start, and if you’ll excuse a little too much information (I apologise in advance) my breakfast kept on coming back up to say hello over the first ten or so kilometres of the race. I never actually vomited, which is a plus, but I had a bit of... unpleasantness.
My legs felt like crap as we crossed the start line, and my lungs started to give me hell after the first kilometre in a way that made me think I was going to be walking a large portion of the way. I felt disheartened, like I’d cheated myself out of a good race. The first little hill (just as you head toward the tunnel) was way harder than it was supposed to be.
I’m going to assume that these issues came from not being warmed up, at all. It was also a bit cool at the start - in Sydney standards, mind you. Canberra folks are made of hardier stuff. It was grey, and it drizzled a little before the start, but I was too focused on my own pain to care even if it was raining (and I don’t think it really was raining). At the first drink stop, I got a cup of water and poured it down my neck and back as I walked through, drinking another. As soon as I got back into my stride, I felt good. Actually, I felt great. The cold water gave me the shock I needed to harden up and get on with it.
Heartbreak Hill? More like a speed bump. I noticed coins on the road, a fifty cent coin here, a five cent there. They started halfway up the hill (or at least that’s where I noticed the first one) and I followed them all the way up the slope. A welcome distraction. Actually, there were coins on the road all the way down to Bondi. Someone had a hole in their pocket, methinks.
Mum didn’t catch me at the finish line, but I didn’t catch her either, unfortunately. It was a great run though, and even though there was no live rock band on the pub roof this year (something I always keep my eye out for) there was a jazz band (or maybe two), cheerleaders (multiple), some very well dressed drag queens and the obligatory smurfs, presumably drinking at nine am on a Sunday.
Recovery wasn’t too much fun. I was tired as hell after the race, and that continued until yesterday. Starting to feel a little more like myself now, but I’ve still got the pain in the front of my thighs that comes with a two kilometre sprint at the end of a race at what was at least for me a blistering pace.
All in all, very happy with this year’s race.
Very happy indeed.
(ps. Love this pic, but unfortunately my medal was flipped around so you can’t see it. It’s a pity. And yes, I’m a dork. I’ve cross-posted this pic everywhere because it’s awesome and I look like a big awesome dork in it.)
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Cough cough cough
Alright, one week out, I thought I’d give the rundown on the run-up to the City2Surf.
I took one step forward with my training, then I took a pretty big step back. Inexplicably, I got sick again. A viral lung infection, leading to a great deal of coughing, at times coughing up blood. Had to get a puffer as my old friend bronchial asthma decided to come back and say hello. I’ve been barely able to breathe, and I haven’t run in two weeks.
This morning I hoped to get a quick 14k in (as I was hungover yesterday from my birthday on Friday. My own fault, I’m not going to try to rationalise) but when I hit the turnaround point on the first bridge heading around Lake Gininderra I took stock of my breathing, took stock of my legs, and decided to go on back and leave it at 10k. My legs were fine, great even, but I had a tightness in my chest that I didn’t want to push. I felt like I had enough steam to confidently jog up College Street on the way back, didn’t even have an issue on the last piece of Hayden Drive, which usually pushes me into the anaerobic and is never comfortable. I think I’ll do fine in the big race, but I know it won’t be anything special.
On the costume front, I didn’t have time to source a costume online so I went to the Funny Shop in Civic to look for something. I found exactly the costume I was looking for, in brown, unfortunately, but the price made me pause. $90 or thereabouts, for a crappy cheap ‘sexy beer wench’ costume! Outrageous! I know I could get exactly the same thing, maybe even in blue or pink or purple, on the internet for maybe $30. So I made a decision. City2Surf, I’ll wear my usual boring gear. I’ll plan my costume for the Canberra Times 10k, and hope not to embarrass the crap out of my pal Dina, whom I’m going to be pacing in said race.
I took one step forward with my training, then I took a pretty big step back. Inexplicably, I got sick again. A viral lung infection, leading to a great deal of coughing, at times coughing up blood. Had to get a puffer as my old friend bronchial asthma decided to come back and say hello. I’ve been barely able to breathe, and I haven’t run in two weeks.
This morning I hoped to get a quick 14k in (as I was hungover yesterday from my birthday on Friday. My own fault, I’m not going to try to rationalise) but when I hit the turnaround point on the first bridge heading around Lake Gininderra I took stock of my breathing, took stock of my legs, and decided to go on back and leave it at 10k. My legs were fine, great even, but I had a tightness in my chest that I didn’t want to push. I felt like I had enough steam to confidently jog up College Street on the way back, didn’t even have an issue on the last piece of Hayden Drive, which usually pushes me into the anaerobic and is never comfortable. I think I’ll do fine in the big race, but I know it won’t be anything special.
On the costume front, I didn’t have time to source a costume online so I went to the Funny Shop in Civic to look for something. I found exactly the costume I was looking for, in brown, unfortunately, but the price made me pause. $90 or thereabouts, for a crappy cheap ‘sexy beer wench’ costume! Outrageous! I know I could get exactly the same thing, maybe even in blue or pink or purple, on the internet for maybe $30. So I made a decision. City2Surf, I’ll wear my usual boring gear. I’ll plan my costume for the Canberra Times 10k, and hope not to embarrass the crap out of my pal Dina, whom I’m going to be pacing in said race.
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