A couple of days have passed since my last dodgy attempt to run… I’ve gotten over myself, a little. I figure with the stress of the last 6 months that I don’t need to willingly contribute to it and I just have to accept that my leg is doing what it’s doing… and probably for a good reason, and I just have to go with the flow. Focus, look longer term, and figure out how to tackle what is ahead. I panicked a little that with another setback I would run out of time to build my kms up safely; I’m worrying about something that may not eventuate. So, I took a deep breath and the sun came up again in the morning. That’s the good thing about life I guess; each day the sun comes up, and each day gives you an opportunity to start anew.
The leg is still sore, kind of majorly sore as now I feel it walking. I am still icing it and strapping it and I managed to massage it a little in the middle of the night when the throbbing woke me; ironically that didn’t hurt. So more rest is in need, and calm focused planning. I had intended to ride to work a bit this week, but am feeling a little scattered with the amount of stuff I’ve got going on and haven’t been organised enough to bring supplies of work clothes and the things I need to ride into work. Perhaps next week I’ll manage.
With the pool yard looking more presentable as the paving is half finished, and hitting over 35 degrees yesterday the pool suddenly looked inviting. I dug through the bottom of the laundry cupboard and found my swimming bag… from when I swam. I pulled out the goggles and my bungee strap and headed out to the pool; once I’d found bathers that fit me. Pleased to say I squashed into them and not too much bulged out. They were a pair from when I did ironman 6 years ago… so that was two miracles in one afternoon. Firstly that I squeezed back into them, and secondly that they hadn’t fallen apart. Chlorine-resistant bathers are definitely worth the extra cost; and more often than not they are cheaper because they don’t look so trendy.
I tied the bungee to a palm tree at one end and my waist at the other and got into the water. The air temperature was hot, but the pool still a little chill in the afternoon shadow and it took me a few minutes of woosie-ness to get wet and get going. CBoy decided to jump in with me! Being only a backyard pool it was interesting dodging the creepy crawly and having CBoy swim from one end of the pool to the other, pushing off each end and darting to the other along the bottom of the pool. It was a good distraction and he was like a moving black line underneath me. I easily fell into a rhythm which was good as it’s been about 2 years since I’ve swum laps (or on the spot in this case!) and it was nice to be wet for a change. As I swam I noticed all the flotsam in the water; the pool wasn’t the cleanest as all the paving and fencing that has been going on around it. I believe when the pool man last came time, the pavers were working and they told me that he left as it was “too crowded” and no point cleaning it if they were going to make it dirty again! Good point, but as I swam I wondered if the chlorine and salt levels were safe and then remembered all the “green” water I used to swim in when doing triathlons and decided the pool was like distilled water compared to that!
After 25 mins I was starting to get bored and decided to pack it in. My “black line” had hopped out of the pool a little while ago and it was getting dark… time to get inside and cook some dinner. The rest of the night was spent cleaning the laundry/bathroom and trying to figure out what I need to call the “space” now. Is it a laundry with a shower in it, or a bathroom with a washing machine in it? Is it a bathry or a laundroom? Either way it is great to now have a 2nd shower, CBoy’s “ensuite” as he calls it. Once the ceiling is painted on the weekend (by a real painter, as it’s all flakey and needs patching) and the rest is painted by me, he can start to use it!
Friday, November 19, 2010
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
November 16th – One legged woman in a hopping race…against time
After a big run on Saturday, and knowing my leg hurt a little, I decided to run Tuesday/Thursday this week, leaving the weekend open for another long run. I wanted to go just 7kms this morning… a measly 7kms!! I’d given myself Monday as an extra rest day, I’d iced my legs at least twice daily since the Saturday; I’d done all the right things, and this morning when I headed out on a run with MGirl my calf hurt from the very first step. I continued, hoping it would become better, but after 400m it was apparent that it wasn’t and we slowed to a walk. MGirl telling me “pain is for a reason”… didn’t help with the wave of frustration that came over me!
We continued for a 5km walk, even that was hurting my leg. I can’t begin to explain how scared I feel at this time, wondering if this leg will ever come good. I can’t afford to keep telling myself “I’ve got months yet until the race”… I need to be able to stabilise this injury and be able to run consistently. Late January is make or break; if it doesn’t come good by our return from holidays I might have to adopt MGirl’s suggestion of “cutting it off and running with a crutch”!
I am going back on Eastbay to buy some more Ariel running shoes today. I am still not convinced it is the shoe, but I have no other choice other than to go back to the shoe I always ran in. The calf problem was developing at the time I changed, but it had already begun in my old shoes which is why I don’t think I can solely blame the change in footwear. I am running out of options. I can only hope that the lower running load while away on holidays and going back to my old shoes will be what my leg needs to “sort itself out”. I guess I’m back to cycling for a while, at least another week to see how it improves. Not happy Jan!
We continued for a 5km walk, even that was hurting my leg. I can’t begin to explain how scared I feel at this time, wondering if this leg will ever come good. I can’t afford to keep telling myself “I’ve got months yet until the race”… I need to be able to stabilise this injury and be able to run consistently. Late January is make or break; if it doesn’t come good by our return from holidays I might have to adopt MGirl’s suggestion of “cutting it off and running with a crutch”!
I am going back on Eastbay to buy some more Ariel running shoes today. I am still not convinced it is the shoe, but I have no other choice other than to go back to the shoe I always ran in. The calf problem was developing at the time I changed, but it had already begun in my old shoes which is why I don’t think I can solely blame the change in footwear. I am running out of options. I can only hope that the lower running load while away on holidays and going back to my old shoes will be what my leg needs to “sort itself out”. I guess I’m back to cycling for a while, at least another week to see how it improves. Not happy Jan!
November 15th – Weekend frenzy…
Friday started the weekend with MGirl having two friends over for her “Friend’s Fest”. A long thought about weekend where they would stay up all night, eat junk and watch ALL the seasons of Friends. What she hadn’t counted on was the fact that it would probably take a week of sleepless nights to get through 10 seasons, and the fact that her friends could only manage one day and one night! With all the mucking around they did, their 10am start turned into a 2pm start, and by the time I got home from work they weren’t even through Season 1. We made home-made pizzas for dinner, which they could barely eat after all the chocolate and chips and junk they’d consumed. With an early morning start for me, I was organising all my running gear for the morning and realised I’d left my running shoes at work. After a late dash to work with CBoy to get the shoes, I left them to it after 10pm so I could actually get up when my alarm went off at 4.50am!
I have been trying to go running with the marathon club for weeks now. Each Saturday they meet in the “hills” and break into groups according to talent (ie speed) or lack thereof! I knew I’d be running with the C Group and hoped I wouldn’t shame myself. For the few weeks I’ve been back running I haven’t gone as I didn’t think I should run as far as they were running, typically 20+km. This past Saturday I learned that it was an out-and-back trail, so that I could cut mine shorter and turn around to only go about 15km. I vaguely knew where we would meet, but having not been there for many years I left home at 5.10am for a 6am start. I checked on the “Friends”… all snoring on the sofa bed when I left – weak, weak I say! After a 30 minute drive, I was the 3rd car in the car park and waited for the rest to arrive.
I only spied loads of men (finally) and knew that the C Group usually had mostly women in it. When a car pulled up with a woman I walked over to introduce myself… and it turned out to be a woman I knew (AGal) from years ago as our sons went to primary school together! What a small world. As the New York Marathon had recently been run and many of the C Group had gone over to compete, the C Group turned out to be me and AGal and another newby, RGuy who’d recently run his first marathon at Rottnest. With AGal having only attended about 3 times previously, we were really a group of newbies. Thankfully AGal knew the trail, an easy (but gradual and butt burning) climb out and back. Luckily that meant the way back was downhill.
RGuy is training for the Comrades Marathon in South Africa around May next year. He had a nice story to tell of his father’s involvement with the race, his special “green number” and how he hoped to run with his father’s number. RGuy swore this would be his one and only attempt at an ultra; but boy AGal and I suggested he might become addicted once he’d done one. It was nice to have all the chatter, it was keeping my mind off the fact that my calf was hurting. I knew I should turn earlier than the 10km turnaround, but by the time I got to about 7kms the pain had dulled to a throb and I opted to continue.
It was a really nice run, mostly shaded on wide gravel paths and we were overtaken a few times by mountain bikers out for the morning. There were plenty of pit-stops along the way with water and toilets, but I was still carrying my Camelbak… it’s just habit now. We stopped for a quick stretch and something to eat at the 10km and turned for home. There was a slight uphill, but the rest was downhill all the way. I ran out in front and cranked it up a little, bringing down to my regular pace I’ve been running. RGuy stopped talking so much, and the sun was warming up by then, and I wondered if I was running too fast but he said he was ok. We finished just over 20km in 1 hour 56+ minutes… and headed into the local bakery for a coffee. My hamstrings were so stiff with the start stop and gentle uphill gradient of the run… and I sat on the deck stretching while the others ate their pastries! I wasn’t trying to make them feel guilty I was trying to ensure that I would walk the next day! We talked about the Death Race and RGuy decided I was definitely more insane than he was, and he’d thought he was pretty crazy for committing to the Comrades!
On the way home around 9.00am (cool to think I’d already run 20kms at this point of the morning!) I deviated past the 2nd hand brick and paver yard looking for another 10sqm of the pavers I am using around the pool. My main objective was to match size more than colour, but I was lucky enough to get a near-on perfect match. With the pavers coming back on Friday to finish off, hopefully the pool yard will be beautiful just as the weather is heating up!! Brick pavers purchased, I headed for home. I pulled up at a red light to watch a car going the other way brake suddenly for the light changing in his direction. As quickly as he’d braked, 50 lengths of jarrah skirting board he had strapped to his roof rack went sliding down over his bonnet! He’d obviously on secured them from left to right, and not front to back. As my line of traffic headed off on a green light, I spied the man getting out of the car in front of the skirting board car to help the poor man collect his shopping! Some of those pieces had skidded over 20-30m down the road. It was kind of hysterical, and reminded me that when you think you’ve got it rough, there is always someone who is in a worse position… like in the middle of a main road collecting skirting boards and your wife sinks in the passenger seat and buries her head into her hands!
While icing my leg after the run, downing some breakfast (part 2) to combat the 1380 calories I’d burned, I attempted to also get ready to leave the house again for CBoy’s baseball game. His game had been moved forward this week until 1pm; he had to be there at 11.15am so we left the house at 10.30am. I am learning to score (baseball that is) this season, and it was my turn to do so for this game. Sitting for 2 ½ hours after running 20kms turns out isn’t a very good thing. My legs were twinging and getting stiffer as the inning progressed and I couldn’t wait to stand up and stretch them. CBoy and I headed home and the rest of the afternoon was spent pottering… can’t remember specifically what I did I just know I was busy at home. Probably washing and the like, but the house doesn’t look any more organised!
Sunday morning was another early start, this time for MGirl’s baseball game. I left the house at 7.30am with a bleary-eyed daughter and a bouncing-out-of-her-skin great dane! FD#1 got walked 4 times during the week, but she was still chasing her tail on the bedroom floor the minute we both woke up. Kind of funny really as she has no traction on the floor…circling and sliding after her tail. I knew she needed to get out, and as I was only watching for this game I could take her for a walk as the team went through their warm up. The weather was gorgeous and I was happy to sit with the Sunday paper and the dog, while enjoying MGirl’s game.
Home again by lunch time and the afternoon focused on the house again. The inaugural mow of the new lawn was conducted, after going to buy another gerry can as the old one has rusted through and gone in the bin a year ago. With the tank full, I crossed my fingers the mower would start as I’ve not had a lawn for more than 12 months. I pulled on the cord repeatedly with no luck, but as it had half-spluttered once I asked CBoy to have a turn before I admitted defeat! He got it going right away and was disappointed when I turned down his offer to do it. It was new, it was mine… I wanted to mow it! I told him he could do it next time. It looked fabulous! I love looking out in the yard now, green grass, new garden and paved properly. It looks lovely.
After the lawn mowing I would’ve been fully within my rights to flop. I was fairly tired after what I’d already accomplished for the weekend, but I was busting to get some more paint on the walls. Then the prep work… that was nearly enough to put me off, but I pushed through it and by the early evening I could see the inside all coming together. The family/kitchen area is still a pigsty with loads of things out of place and waiting for a new home, but the colour on the walls told me that it was all coming to an end! It is so gratifying to look at.
I have been trying to go running with the marathon club for weeks now. Each Saturday they meet in the “hills” and break into groups according to talent (ie speed) or lack thereof! I knew I’d be running with the C Group and hoped I wouldn’t shame myself. For the few weeks I’ve been back running I haven’t gone as I didn’t think I should run as far as they were running, typically 20+km. This past Saturday I learned that it was an out-and-back trail, so that I could cut mine shorter and turn around to only go about 15km. I vaguely knew where we would meet, but having not been there for many years I left home at 5.10am for a 6am start. I checked on the “Friends”… all snoring on the sofa bed when I left – weak, weak I say! After a 30 minute drive, I was the 3rd car in the car park and waited for the rest to arrive.
I only spied loads of men (finally) and knew that the C Group usually had mostly women in it. When a car pulled up with a woman I walked over to introduce myself… and it turned out to be a woman I knew (AGal) from years ago as our sons went to primary school together! What a small world. As the New York Marathon had recently been run and many of the C Group had gone over to compete, the C Group turned out to be me and AGal and another newby, RGuy who’d recently run his first marathon at Rottnest. With AGal having only attended about 3 times previously, we were really a group of newbies. Thankfully AGal knew the trail, an easy (but gradual and butt burning) climb out and back. Luckily that meant the way back was downhill.
RGuy is training for the Comrades Marathon in South Africa around May next year. He had a nice story to tell of his father’s involvement with the race, his special “green number” and how he hoped to run with his father’s number. RGuy swore this would be his one and only attempt at an ultra; but boy AGal and I suggested he might become addicted once he’d done one. It was nice to have all the chatter, it was keeping my mind off the fact that my calf was hurting. I knew I should turn earlier than the 10km turnaround, but by the time I got to about 7kms the pain had dulled to a throb and I opted to continue.
It was a really nice run, mostly shaded on wide gravel paths and we were overtaken a few times by mountain bikers out for the morning. There were plenty of pit-stops along the way with water and toilets, but I was still carrying my Camelbak… it’s just habit now. We stopped for a quick stretch and something to eat at the 10km and turned for home. There was a slight uphill, but the rest was downhill all the way. I ran out in front and cranked it up a little, bringing down to my regular pace I’ve been running. RGuy stopped talking so much, and the sun was warming up by then, and I wondered if I was running too fast but he said he was ok. We finished just over 20km in 1 hour 56+ minutes… and headed into the local bakery for a coffee. My hamstrings were so stiff with the start stop and gentle uphill gradient of the run… and I sat on the deck stretching while the others ate their pastries! I wasn’t trying to make them feel guilty I was trying to ensure that I would walk the next day! We talked about the Death Race and RGuy decided I was definitely more insane than he was, and he’d thought he was pretty crazy for committing to the Comrades!
On the way home around 9.00am (cool to think I’d already run 20kms at this point of the morning!) I deviated past the 2nd hand brick and paver yard looking for another 10sqm of the pavers I am using around the pool. My main objective was to match size more than colour, but I was lucky enough to get a near-on perfect match. With the pavers coming back on Friday to finish off, hopefully the pool yard will be beautiful just as the weather is heating up!! Brick pavers purchased, I headed for home. I pulled up at a red light to watch a car going the other way brake suddenly for the light changing in his direction. As quickly as he’d braked, 50 lengths of jarrah skirting board he had strapped to his roof rack went sliding down over his bonnet! He’d obviously on secured them from left to right, and not front to back. As my line of traffic headed off on a green light, I spied the man getting out of the car in front of the skirting board car to help the poor man collect his shopping! Some of those pieces had skidded over 20-30m down the road. It was kind of hysterical, and reminded me that when you think you’ve got it rough, there is always someone who is in a worse position… like in the middle of a main road collecting skirting boards and your wife sinks in the passenger seat and buries her head into her hands!
While icing my leg after the run, downing some breakfast (part 2) to combat the 1380 calories I’d burned, I attempted to also get ready to leave the house again for CBoy’s baseball game. His game had been moved forward this week until 1pm; he had to be there at 11.15am so we left the house at 10.30am. I am learning to score (baseball that is) this season, and it was my turn to do so for this game. Sitting for 2 ½ hours after running 20kms turns out isn’t a very good thing. My legs were twinging and getting stiffer as the inning progressed and I couldn’t wait to stand up and stretch them. CBoy and I headed home and the rest of the afternoon was spent pottering… can’t remember specifically what I did I just know I was busy at home. Probably washing and the like, but the house doesn’t look any more organised!
Sunday morning was another early start, this time for MGirl’s baseball game. I left the house at 7.30am with a bleary-eyed daughter and a bouncing-out-of-her-skin great dane! FD#1 got walked 4 times during the week, but she was still chasing her tail on the bedroom floor the minute we both woke up. Kind of funny really as she has no traction on the floor…circling and sliding after her tail. I knew she needed to get out, and as I was only watching for this game I could take her for a walk as the team went through their warm up. The weather was gorgeous and I was happy to sit with the Sunday paper and the dog, while enjoying MGirl’s game.
Home again by lunch time and the afternoon focused on the house again. The inaugural mow of the new lawn was conducted, after going to buy another gerry can as the old one has rusted through and gone in the bin a year ago. With the tank full, I crossed my fingers the mower would start as I’ve not had a lawn for more than 12 months. I pulled on the cord repeatedly with no luck, but as it had half-spluttered once I asked CBoy to have a turn before I admitted defeat! He got it going right away and was disappointed when I turned down his offer to do it. It was new, it was mine… I wanted to mow it! I told him he could do it next time. It looked fabulous! I love looking out in the yard now, green grass, new garden and paved properly. It looks lovely.
After the lawn mowing I would’ve been fully within my rights to flop. I was fairly tired after what I’d already accomplished for the weekend, but I was busting to get some more paint on the walls. Then the prep work… that was nearly enough to put me off, but I pushed through it and by the early evening I could see the inside all coming together. The family/kitchen area is still a pigsty with loads of things out of place and waiting for a new home, but the colour on the walls told me that it was all coming to an end! It is so gratifying to look at.
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