Wow, so much time has passed since my last entry. I know few of you will have been waiting with baited breath, but at least some of you will be relieved to know I am still alive and not drifted off into outer space!
It became such a challenge trying to update the blog while we were travelling, that I decided not to bother. I would simply have been updating you about the fact that it was incredibly challenging to run while travelling, and how bummed I was about not running more. I decided that I needed to let go of the idea of running in exotic places as it wasn’t happening. If I kept thinking about how much I wanted to run, I would’ve just brought myself down which isn’t the emotion I wanted to have during our amazing holiday! In Paris CBoy got a cold, the passed it onto me, which I then gave to MGirl, who kindly gave it back to me a week or so later while we were in Kiel Germany. I couldn’t shake it then and ended up traveling with it for the remainder of our trip…coughing and blowing my nose for about 4 weeks, which also made it harder to run. I dosed myself up on various products from different continents and ‘soldiered on’. Although it affected my ability to run, it didn’t stop me from having a great time, albeit carrying a box of tissues wherever I went.
And it was truly amazing. I have returned with a renewed soul; happier in my life (though I was pretty happy anyway), happier with my kids and glad to be home. I really didn’t want to leave Oregon (our last stopover) as we were having a wonderful time with friends of old and it felt like I hadn’t left (I lived there in the early 90’s). But, home we came and I must admit it was nice to be home…except for this weather! It turned into summer while we were away and after spending weeks in minus temperatures the first week was a little tough to aclimatise to!
The sum-total of exercise while we were away, though not running, was pretty impressive. In London, Paris and New York (where we spent 4 nights in each place) we must’ve walked 10kms a day. It was the best way to see each city and when I had managed to find some scales, I’d actually lost 2 kgs in the first few weeks. Thankfully I found them again in Oregon, where we were visiting the “people” and not the “place” and didn’t do any sightseeing. A few days into our stay in Oregon I was sleeping so soundly and for about 10-12 hours a night. I realised how relaxed I felt and realised how stressed I had been prior to this trip. It was such a physical change and probably why I didn’t want to get home to routine too quickly, even though I was itching to run. MGirl claimed her favourite place as London, where we ran twice through Hyde Park. It was such a lively place, even with the cold weather and frozen lakes and old snow on the ground. I know CBoy’s favourite place was the Kennedy Space Centre in Orlando Florida. It was a mind boggling place and he was in his element. Even MGirl and I thought it was pretty cool.
My favourite stopover would have to have been Oregon. I loved all the cities we went to and the sights we saw, but Oregon was a chance to catch up with friends I hadn’t seen for nearly 20 years…and they all remembered me! It was enriching and renewing. A close 2nd would be New York; I’d love to experience Central Park and the city during the warmer months. Central Park was lovely…so romantic! A good spot for a honeymoon I think.
We arrived home on January 20th and the pace has been chaotic since! With CBoy starting at a new school this year we were book and uniform shopping to get organised for a start this week. I also had my sister JGal arrive on the day we got home with her partner for a week’s stay to coincide with MGirl’s 18th birthday and party. A few days later our cousin, JGal, arrived for 2 weeks for the same reason. Then my best friend DGal arrived on the said birthday night for the weekend and the 18th party itself! All but JGal have returned home, and the house is mostly recovered…me, I think I will take a week of early nights to find my bounce again.
My program started Monday January 24th, a 27 week program that I’ve written myself. I’ve asked a few people to have a look at it, and so far the consensus is fairly positive. I’ve already decided to tweek it a little, realising I need some strength sessions in there also. It has 4 weeks of build and then a rest week @ 70%, on and on, until 3 weeks until race day with taper and travel time to Canada. I’ve started back at 5 km runs last week, with a 9km long run. I missed one run on Wednesday as it was 30C degrees when I woke at 5.30am, so now I am looking at indoor training options for running, like buying a treadmill. Running on a treadmill will also help with pace and have hills programs, so I think it will be a good investment in the long run…haha!
After such a busy weekend of family and birthdays I was determined to not let it derail me at such an early stage. I set the alarm for 5.30am this morning for a 5.5km run and woke wondering what time it was and why the alarm (or FD#1) hadn’t woken me. It was just before 7am and I realised the volume on the radio was turned down so I hadn’t heard the alarm go off. It was good to get the extra sleep and I got out of bed having decided to go anyway. I figured I’d fit it in and still get to work on time as I had no one else to wake up and get out of the house this morning. It was much cooler this morning, and more humid. My runs last week have shown me I’ve lost about 45secs/km on my fitness and I bounded off trying to prove myself wrong.
I found out that it is possible to go out too hard on a short 5.5km run, and that by the time I got back home I was as slow as I was last week. Although frustrating, I’m not focusing on it…as I’ve slowed down I know I will speed up again and I will just focus on the program and getting everything done…fitness and speed will take care of itself as a consequence of the training.
Yesterday I went to an ultra running seminar put on by the WA Marathon Club. It was a packed house, and encouraging seeing all shapes, sizes and ages there. It really is a sport for everyone. It was interesting to listen to the speakers, and though I’d have liked some more technical information, I feel more excited about my journey this year. I just have to get on to fundraising…again! That is where I seem to struggle to make time to organise things, but I shall persist!
My focus this year for my life, other than a looming 125km trail ultra, is to make more time for me, especially socially. So tonight I am going to a beginner’s ballroom dancing class with a couple of girls from work. Honestly, I feel way too tired to bother, but I suggested it to them and I will probably want to go next week…so I have to toughen up twinkle toes! I need to increase my social circle if I’m ever going to run into Mr Right…though there were a lot of freakishly fit men at the ultra seminar! Maybe I need to go to more WAMC functions!
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