Another week comes and goes. I am currently ensconced on the couch watching bad TV and thinking about being productive. I seem to do a lot of that recently - must get my act into gear.
I don't have a lot to update this week to be honest. Life is sort of cruising along, with no major dramas and no major high points. I have been a little slack on the exercise front, and I am really, really struggling for running motivation. But having said that, yesterday I decided to conquer the Mt Lofty trail. I'm not sure I can say I conquered it, but I did complete it. It's a 3.8km trail and it's damn steep. I finished it in 46:05 on the way up... bossman did it in 41:40 last week, damn him. It gives me something to work towards though. I was actually very close to throwing up about the 3km mark, so I really backed off the pace at that point. I have lots of work to do on my cardio fitness to improve my time - my legs held up well, but the lungs were burning. The legs aren't holding up quite so well today mind you, and my butt is SORE. Suck it up princess. I also ran back down the trail after a quick recovery at the top - 24:50 on the way down. It was surprisingly difficult to run down the really steep sections... but still a whole lot easier than on the way up.
And now the agenda for the week ahead. I want to get to the gym for a couple of pump classes and a Body Attack - I've been enjoying getting back into those. I also want to get at least 2 runs in, I really want to be back in the routine. It's also not as cold as it has been over the last couple of weeks, so my excuses are starting to run out.
As far as non-exercise plans go, my aim is productivity. I've got some crappy annoying jobs on at work that I just need to get done and out of the way. I need to stop procrastinating at home, and get shit done. And that involves getting off this couch right now!
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Still alive!
It has been a veritable eternity since I last blogged. A lot of "stuff" has happened since then, and I've got lots going on again now.
As you may have gathered, there ain't gonna be a race report for the HM. That is incredibly hypocritical, because I HATE it when other people don't put up a race report. But, you know what, a lot of time has passed, and I can't remember the intricate details of the race. What I do know is that I wasn't adequately prepared for the race. I ate badly in the lead up and was not hydrated come race day. I wasn't mentally prepared either. I will learn from the experience, and make sure the next one is much, much better.
On other topics, I've been on a 13 day cruise around the South Pacific. I love cruising, it's really the lifestyle for me. Tragically there is not a lot of employment opportunities for accountants in the cruise industry (well not at sea anyway)... so I'll just have to suck it up in the real world, and take the occasional cruise holiday when time and funds permit.
Work has been very up and down since I've been back. We're quite a lot more positive about the future now than we have been so far. We're doing well at building up a good client base going forward, which is fabulous. However, we are having some trouble with former business associates, and the hotels are still a minefield. But it feels like we're making progress and things might be finally looking up. I certainly hope so!
Fitness wise, I've really struggled to get back into running. I went for my first run since getting back from holidays yesterday - it was tough, but it also felt really good to be back out there again. It's FREEZING at the moment, and so dark in the mornings... but I need to stop using excuses and just do it. I've got new running shoes, new running shorts, new running pants. Now to get new motivation and we'll be all set. I haven't been completely slothful, despite the lack of running - I've been doing some Les Mills classes, which I haven't done in years. My first Body Pump class resulted in me being pretty much unable to walk for the better part of a week. But that aside, I'm really enjoying it.
That might do it for now. There's plenty more going on, but I'll save it up for future posts. I promise to be more diligent in posting more frequently :)
As you may have gathered, there ain't gonna be a race report for the HM. That is incredibly hypocritical, because I HATE it when other people don't put up a race report. But, you know what, a lot of time has passed, and I can't remember the intricate details of the race. What I do know is that I wasn't adequately prepared for the race. I ate badly in the lead up and was not hydrated come race day. I wasn't mentally prepared either. I will learn from the experience, and make sure the next one is much, much better.
On other topics, I've been on a 13 day cruise around the South Pacific. I love cruising, it's really the lifestyle for me. Tragically there is not a lot of employment opportunities for accountants in the cruise industry (well not at sea anyway)... so I'll just have to suck it up in the real world, and take the occasional cruise holiday when time and funds permit.
Work has been very up and down since I've been back. We're quite a lot more positive about the future now than we have been so far. We're doing well at building up a good client base going forward, which is fabulous. However, we are having some trouble with former business associates, and the hotels are still a minefield. But it feels like we're making progress and things might be finally looking up. I certainly hope so!
Fitness wise, I've really struggled to get back into running. I went for my first run since getting back from holidays yesterday - it was tough, but it also felt really good to be back out there again. It's FREEZING at the moment, and so dark in the mornings... but I need to stop using excuses and just do it. I've got new running shoes, new running shorts, new running pants. Now to get new motivation and we'll be all set. I haven't been completely slothful, despite the lack of running - I've been doing some Les Mills classes, which I haven't done in years. My first Body Pump class resulted in me being pretty much unable to walk for the better part of a week. But that aside, I'm really enjoying it.
That might do it for now. There's plenty more going on, but I'll save it up for future posts. I promise to be more diligent in posting more frequently :)
Monday, May 2, 2011
HM: The aftermath
I'm not sure if I mentioned it, but I completed a half marathon on Sunday :P
Jokes aside, I am struggling to write a race report on this race. This might be partly to do with the fact that I am working 14 hours a day at the moment :( But it's also a lot to do with how I feel "after the fact".
The people I've been talking to about the race - my lovely blog peeps, friends, work people... well you're all a whole lot prouder of me than I am of myself. I don't get it - if this was someone else's blog and I was reading about them running 21.1km for the first time, I would be offering massive congrats. It shouldn't matter that the time was slow. It shouldn't matter that I walked maybe a kilometre along the way. I finished the course and I should be proud of the achievement. But I'm not.
Maybe with all the work crap going on, I'm just not giving myself time to sit and dwell on the achievement of it. Maybe it will hit me while I'm on holidays and finally having some down time. I hope so. But in the meantime, I feel... well, disappointed. I'm annoyed with myself that I didn't train harder in the lead up, and skipped too many scheduled runs, especially in the last few weeks. I'm also really pissed that I didn't get my act into gear and lose some weight, which would have made the run so much easier (and faster, no doubt). I really need to get my head straight, sort through these feelings, and move on. I'll come back faster and stronger... I'm just not there yet.
Jokes aside, I am struggling to write a race report on this race. This might be partly to do with the fact that I am working 14 hours a day at the moment :( But it's also a lot to do with how I feel "after the fact".
The people I've been talking to about the race - my lovely blog peeps, friends, work people... well you're all a whole lot prouder of me than I am of myself. I don't get it - if this was someone else's blog and I was reading about them running 21.1km for the first time, I would be offering massive congrats. It shouldn't matter that the time was slow. It shouldn't matter that I walked maybe a kilometre along the way. I finished the course and I should be proud of the achievement. But I'm not.
Maybe with all the work crap going on, I'm just not giving myself time to sit and dwell on the achievement of it. Maybe it will hit me while I'm on holidays and finally having some down time. I hope so. But in the meantime, I feel... well, disappointed. I'm annoyed with myself that I didn't train harder in the lead up, and skipped too many scheduled runs, especially in the last few weeks. I'm also really pissed that I didn't get my act into gear and lose some weight, which would have made the run so much easier (and faster, no doubt). I really need to get my head straight, sort through these feelings, and move on. I'll come back faster and stronger... I'm just not there yet.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Brief update
HM status: COMPLETE!!!
Race report will follow this week, but let me just say, the blisters on my feet are out of this world, and I'm spending the day at work sans-shoes!
Race report will follow this week, but let me just say, the blisters on my feet are out of this world, and I'm spending the day at work sans-shoes!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Freakin' out
My HM is in 4 days time. And I'm freakin' it. I am most certainly NOT having the best possible lead up to my maiden HM - but I'm going to do it, come hell or high water.
Now as you know, I missed the last long run of my training program, because I was having a mental meltdown. Well, that was plaguing me and I decided to do something stupid. The program called for a moderate-effort 8km on the weekend before the race. Because I was feeling underprepared and feeling like I know better than the program (which is written by marathon runners and coaches who clearly don't know what they're talking about eh?) - I decided to do a longer run. A much longer run. From home to work, 15km and trending uphill. I just put it into mapmy run, and it's a 65m climb over the 15km, including a constant uphill from 7.1km to 12.2km. No wonder I was buggered. I then road my bike home an hour or so later.
Was this run a good idea? On the whole I'm thinking not. It was good for my mental state of mind and my belief in my ability to finish the HM course. But possibly not so good for the body. I was having major pain in the arch of my left foot until yesterday, but fortunately that seems to have subsided. My legs pulled up very sore (and were made much much worse by the full day of gardening/landscaping with mofo heavy bricks that I did on Monday). I still have a very sore left hamstring, so I'm wondering if I slightly pulled the muscle whilst gardening, not sure. I also did the Saturday run in new attire... and let me just say... chaffing. I now have a massive bandaid stuck to the underside of my boob (sorry, but that's where it is!), and I am hoping that it will heal a little more before the weekend rolls around.
Just to top it all off, I'm like a rat on a wheel at work at the moment, no matter how many hours I work, stuff just keeps flying at me. It's often like that with a holiday on the horizon, but with all the crap that's gone down this year, it's worse than ever.
So, as I say, not ideal preparation. But no matter, it will be great to get this race under my belt. I'm already making tentative plans for my next race, so stay tuned for that :P
Now as you know, I missed the last long run of my training program, because I was having a mental meltdown. Well, that was plaguing me and I decided to do something stupid. The program called for a moderate-effort 8km on the weekend before the race. Because I was feeling underprepared and feeling like I know better than the program (which is written by marathon runners and coaches who clearly don't know what they're talking about eh?) - I decided to do a longer run. A much longer run. From home to work, 15km and trending uphill. I just put it into mapmy run, and it's a 65m climb over the 15km, including a constant uphill from 7.1km to 12.2km. No wonder I was buggered. I then road my bike home an hour or so later.
Was this run a good idea? On the whole I'm thinking not. It was good for my mental state of mind and my belief in my ability to finish the HM course. But possibly not so good for the body. I was having major pain in the arch of my left foot until yesterday, but fortunately that seems to have subsided. My legs pulled up very sore (and were made much much worse by the full day of gardening/landscaping with mofo heavy bricks that I did on Monday). I still have a very sore left hamstring, so I'm wondering if I slightly pulled the muscle whilst gardening, not sure. I also did the Saturday run in new attire... and let me just say... chaffing. I now have a massive bandaid stuck to the underside of my boob (sorry, but that's where it is!), and I am hoping that it will heal a little more before the weekend rolls around.
Just to top it all off, I'm like a rat on a wheel at work at the moment, no matter how many hours I work, stuff just keeps flying at me. It's often like that with a holiday on the horizon, but with all the crap that's gone down this year, it's worse than ever.
So, as I say, not ideal preparation. But no matter, it will be great to get this race under my belt. I'm already making tentative plans for my next race, so stay tuned for that :P
Monday, April 18, 2011
Head in the game
I have got a lot of "stuff" going on right now. Mostly not good stuff, but stuff which occupies my mind day and night, and is trying very hard to suck the lifeblood out of me. This all culminated on Friday with me having a minor meltdown at the end of the day at work. Fortunately nearly everyone had left for the day and didn't see the carnage, but one poor lady (who I know very well and work closely with thankfully) got the unpleasant task of trying to soothe me while I sobbed uncontrollably. Now I am NOT a cryer. Tears make me uncomfortable. But it all came flooding out on Friday, let me tell you.
On the weekend, I engaged in much therapy to heal my poor sorry self. There was a trip to Harbourtown with several clothing purchases. There was a trip to the kitchen shop to buy an awesome little machine called a Magi Mix (a kick-ass food processor for the non-bakers among you). There was a hair cut and a massage, and there was much baking done. Do I feel better for all this pampering? Hell yes I do. My mood has lightened and I'm feeling like I can cope with the crap that life is going to throw my way again. It was well worth the investment I think (just as well, because the investment was $1000 just in monetary terms...)
But on the flipside of all of this - I didn't do my last long run of my HM program. Saturday was supposed to be a 19km circuit before I start tapering down for the HM on 1st May. Physically I didn't feel like I could do it, and that might have been right, because I haven't been sleeping at all well, and my eating has been appalling. But moreso than physically, I was mentally burnt out and simply not up to facing it on Saturday.
I'm trying hard not to beat myself up about it, but I am a bit worried that I'm going to be too far underdone with my preparation for the race. The furthest I've done is 17.1km, so come race day I'm going to need to add another 4km onto that. Having said that, I know now more than ever that this is a mental game at this point. If I can physically do 17km, I can physically do 21km, it's not THAT big a difference. The difference is in my head, and that's what I need to work on over the next couple of weeks. I need to be feeling mentally tough and be confident in my ability to make the distance. At the end of the day, it's really not going to matter if I have to walk part of the race. In reality, who cares if I walk the whole freaking thing? I'm doing this for me, and all I can expect of myself is to do the best I can do on the big day.
On the weekend, I engaged in much therapy to heal my poor sorry self. There was a trip to Harbourtown with several clothing purchases. There was a trip to the kitchen shop to buy an awesome little machine called a Magi Mix (a kick-ass food processor for the non-bakers among you). There was a hair cut and a massage, and there was much baking done. Do I feel better for all this pampering? Hell yes I do. My mood has lightened and I'm feeling like I can cope with the crap that life is going to throw my way again. It was well worth the investment I think (just as well, because the investment was $1000 just in monetary terms...)
But on the flipside of all of this - I didn't do my last long run of my HM program. Saturday was supposed to be a 19km circuit before I start tapering down for the HM on 1st May. Physically I didn't feel like I could do it, and that might have been right, because I haven't been sleeping at all well, and my eating has been appalling. But moreso than physically, I was mentally burnt out and simply not up to facing it on Saturday.
I'm trying hard not to beat myself up about it, but I am a bit worried that I'm going to be too far underdone with my preparation for the race. The furthest I've done is 17.1km, so come race day I'm going to need to add another 4km onto that. Having said that, I know now more than ever that this is a mental game at this point. If I can physically do 17km, I can physically do 21km, it's not THAT big a difference. The difference is in my head, and that's what I need to work on over the next couple of weeks. I need to be feeling mentally tough and be confident in my ability to make the distance. At the end of the day, it's really not going to matter if I have to walk part of the race. In reality, who cares if I walk the whole freaking thing? I'm doing this for me, and all I can expect of myself is to do the best I can do on the big day.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
New update
Wow it's been a while. First things first... FALSE ALARM, FALSE ALARM. All is well (and thank goodness for that!!)
So, back to regular programming. I am currently in the midst of a sloth week - completely unplanned, but it's happening anyway. I ran on Tuesday morning (and pretty fast too actually - 4.8km in 28:33... I really should have gone on another 200m and got my coveted sub-30 minute 5k, but such is life). Today I was supposed to ride to work, and didn't. Monday I was supposed to cross train, and didn't. Tomorrow I am going to run in the morning though. Friday is a scheduled rest day, but I'll try and do something light, because I am feeling a bit slack. Having said that, I am going to make a concerted effort to be kind to myself. I am going through a really, really crap time right now, and putting extra expectations on myself is not helping anyone. Work is a whole new level of stressful, the family is being demanding, and there just aren't enough hours in the day at the moment. Such is life - I'm just going to do the best I can with what I'm facing, and hope for easier and happier times ahead.
Anyway, back to the running. We are now less than 3 weeks out from the HM, and I'm varying between excitement and freaking out. I did really well with my long run of 16km 2 Saturday's ago, including a pretty hilly circuit. But last Saturday's 17.2km was a bit of a disaster, which has dented the confidence a little bit.
It was pretty dismal weather and started raining not long after I set out, which didn't help my mood any. The biggest problem though was the pain in my legs - my right shin in particular. I've had shin splints before in my long distant gymnastics past, and I really don't want to go there again. I've had some soreness in the shins from time to time, but it usually passes pretty quickly as I warm up into the run. This didn't happen on Saturday though, and it just got worse. I eventually stopped about the 6 or 7km mark, and discovered I had a big egg on the side of my shin. I did some self massage and found a spot a bit above the egg which absolutely killed to push on it... so I pushed on it and rubbed it (and swore a lot), and managed to release whatever was causing the problem. Then I resumed the run, and about 3km further along, I was pain free. Weird.
So, by the 10km mark or thereabouts, I found my rhythm and did pretty well for the last 7km. Seriously, a 10km lead-in to the comfortable section? That's ridiculous. Anyway, the final time was 1:50, at an average pace of 9.3km. I have one more long run (19km) this Saturday, then it's taper time and the big race the following weekend. And then 2 weeks after that, I'll be sailing the South Pacific :-)
So, back to regular programming. I am currently in the midst of a sloth week - completely unplanned, but it's happening anyway. I ran on Tuesday morning (and pretty fast too actually - 4.8km in 28:33... I really should have gone on another 200m and got my coveted sub-30 minute 5k, but such is life). Today I was supposed to ride to work, and didn't. Monday I was supposed to cross train, and didn't. Tomorrow I am going to run in the morning though. Friday is a scheduled rest day, but I'll try and do something light, because I am feeling a bit slack. Having said that, I am going to make a concerted effort to be kind to myself. I am going through a really, really crap time right now, and putting extra expectations on myself is not helping anyone. Work is a whole new level of stressful, the family is being demanding, and there just aren't enough hours in the day at the moment. Such is life - I'm just going to do the best I can with what I'm facing, and hope for easier and happier times ahead.
Anyway, back to the running. We are now less than 3 weeks out from the HM, and I'm varying between excitement and freaking out. I did really well with my long run of 16km 2 Saturday's ago, including a pretty hilly circuit. But last Saturday's 17.2km was a bit of a disaster, which has dented the confidence a little bit.
It was pretty dismal weather and started raining not long after I set out, which didn't help my mood any. The biggest problem though was the pain in my legs - my right shin in particular. I've had shin splints before in my long distant gymnastics past, and I really don't want to go there again. I've had some soreness in the shins from time to time, but it usually passes pretty quickly as I warm up into the run. This didn't happen on Saturday though, and it just got worse. I eventually stopped about the 6 or 7km mark, and discovered I had a big egg on the side of my shin. I did some self massage and found a spot a bit above the egg which absolutely killed to push on it... so I pushed on it and rubbed it (and swore a lot), and managed to release whatever was causing the problem. Then I resumed the run, and about 3km further along, I was pain free. Weird.
So, by the 10km mark or thereabouts, I found my rhythm and did pretty well for the last 7km. Seriously, a 10km lead-in to the comfortable section? That's ridiculous. Anyway, the final time was 1:50, at an average pace of 9.3km. I have one more long run (19km) this Saturday, then it's taper time and the big race the following weekend. And then 2 weeks after that, I'll be sailing the South Pacific :-)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)