Work Sucks But I Need The Bucks!

I had a full on week - I was at work most mornings by 6am which didn't impress me much and was lucky to get out before 5pm. Thankfully, my running didn't suffer and I still managed to stick to my routine.

I read alot of Blogs this week and was amazed at how many people are out of action with injuries or carrying injuries. It made me think about my short running career. I've been training on and off for almost 2yrs now and can happily say I've never been injured - apart from little things like an annoying ingrown toenail or sore ankles and knees and as shameful as this is I must admit I never stretch before a run (apart from the obligatory try and touch my toes once) or after a run. Most mornings I wake up the day after a run feeling like I've been hit by a bus but nothing that ever prevents me from continuing to run. Touch wood I continue to be injury free.

Today I went out to the Pyramid and decided to run up to the half-way point. The legs felt like lead weights for the first 2mins but after I warmed up they weren't too bad. I was breathing like a racehorse and I noticed now that I must have cleared all the crap off my chest because I've got a bit of a cough. I ran to the half way point in 30mins (not too shabby) and stopped and had a drink and short talk to a couple who were coming back down from the top. I always find running back down to be hell on my knees and ankle and today was no different - it took me 20mins. When I got back home this afternoon I went for a 30min run to finish off. The annual Pyramid Race is August 19th (week after City 2 Surf) and after todays effort I'm 90% sure I'm going to have a crack at it this year. Stay tuned.

2 weeks until City 2 Surf and I'm starting to get excited! Turn up the thermostat Sydney because I'm a bit of a nancy boy with the cold now that I've been living in the Far North for almost 2yrs.

Sunday 22nd:
17.00kms
94.55

Monday 23rd:
8.00kms
45.15

Tuesday:
Rest Day

Wednesday 25th:
8.00kms
42.59

Thursday 26th:
8.05kms
40.00

Friday 27th:
8.00kms
43.11

Saturday 28th:
8.00kms
43.48

Total Kms 22nd July - 28th July:
57.05kms

Well That Was Embarassing!

I've had a couple of embarassing moments in my life and this is definitely up with the best. Late yesterday afternoon I was at one of the suburban shopping centres getting some groceries. I came back and put the grocery bags on the roof of the car and tried to open the door of the car with my keys - it wouldn't work, no big deal as this happens sometimes because the key is slightly bent. I took the key out and gave it another go, still no glory. By this time one of the girls working at a Brumby's Bakery was looking at me very curiously - mind your own business and get back to work I thought. I tried again, still no luck and I was starting to get a little bit worried now as I only have one key on my keyring for the car so I couldn't try another one. I gave it one more go and it just wasn't going to work. I tried to bend the key a little thinking that yeah this will make a world of difference. Brumby's Bakery girl was still looking at me and wondering what on earth was taking place here. I tried to unlock the door with the now straightened out key - NOPE. I was both agitated and perplexed and with Brumby girl watching me feeling a little uncomfortable. I looked around and suddenly saw the rim covers on my wheels which looked a little bit different - I took a step back and had a good look at the car when it suddenly dawned on me 'this is not my car!' It was identical in every single way except for the rim covers. I looked around and sure enough my car was three parking spaces down. I casually walked away and went towards my car when I turned around and saw Brumby's Girl come out of the store to watch me I didn't know what to do so I turned to her and said 'thats not my car it just looks like it' - now the poor girl was even more confused and must have thought I was either a hopeless criminal or an escapee from a psych ward. She continued to watch me as I finally got next to MY car and I opened it with the key and said to her 'see? this is my car ' and thankfully she let out a laugh and turned around and went back into the store.

Anyway now to matters running. Ingrown toenail is fine. I couldn't get an appointment to see a podiatrist until Tuesday so I hacked it out myself with the surgical tools of a steak knife and stanley knife. It was a job well done and as good as new. I didn't run on Thursday as I didn't perform this procedure until Thursday night. Friday was a public holiday here and I think that may have been the last one for the year (yikes). I did an 8K circuit around home which incorporates heaps of tiny little hills and one mean mother hill. I felt fantastic for this run - probably due to the fact it had been a pretty easy training week up until then. I felt comfortable going up the hills and strong coming down. For the last 1K I practically sprinted it. Yesterday I did exactly the same circuit. I really didn't feel like running it and it took all of my willpower to get the shoes and gear on and get going. Its amazing how in the space of 24hrs you can feel so different about running the same course. I felt fat and like I was a big loping elephant who had no co-ordination. With about 10mins to go I thought to myself that my time would be about 5mins slower then the day before. When I finished and looked at my watch I nearly fell over when I saw that I was only 30 seconds slower. Bizarre!

Today I always planned on doing an 80/90min run at a very casual pace. I wore my heart rate monitor as I wanted to take this run very easy. I started out well and for the first 20mins I kept the heart rate steady but felt like I was almost walking. Then I had a steep incline and thats when the heart rate monitor almost ended up in the cane fields. The heart rate got up to about 175 and thats when it starts beeping - no big deal as I figured once the hill was conquered I could ease up and the heart rate would drop down again. I eased back in pace and thought that everything would be cool bananas again but no, the watch kept beeping and beeping and beeping. At one stage I looked at it and it said my heart rate was at 206! No way! I put up with this crap until about 45mins when I took it off and shoved it in my fuel belt. Up until then I had just been plodding along and at that pace I felt like I could have run for 12hrs. I picked up the pace a little and came out onto the Bruce Highway (Highway 1) with a zillion cars zooming past me. I really picked up the pace at about the 60min mark and was alternating between running on the side of the highway and the grassy headlands of the canefields - not good for the ankles! I felt really strong from about 60 to 80mins and would love to know what pace I was going - felt like I was flying. Then about the 85min mark I hit the wall. I was absolutely knackered - I would have hate to seen what I look like because I felt like I was all haunched over and no longer upright and just struggling to put one foot in front of the other. I eventually made it back to my place in 94mins and 55 seconds. As for the distance - I have no idea but I intend on measuring it tomorrow. I got a feeling the body is going to be aching all over tomorrow.

Thursday:
Rest Day

Friday:
8.00kms (some hill work)
42.37

Saturday:
8.00kms (some hill work)
43.06

Total Kms 15th July - 21st July:
46.30kms

Ingrown Toenail

Ouch! This popped up overnight. All day it was bothering me and when I put my running shoes on this afternoon it nearly killed me. I know I shouldn't have run because all I did was make it worse and I think because it was causing me so much discomfort my action was all out of whack - which will probably result in an injury. Tomorrow I'm going to try and get an appointment with a podiatrist and see what can be done - if need be I will hack away at it myself. There is no way I am going to let this stop me from running City 2 Surf. A couple of days break from running is now on the agenda and I will jump on the exercise bike so I don't lose any fitness.

On a postive note I did a sharp 40min run on Monday night at just under 5min/k pace and tonight I ran 40mins at 5min/k pace complete with sore toe. Yesterday was a rest day as I was absolutely beat - work is chaotic at the moment but thankfully its a short week with Friday being our Show Holiday.

Monday:
40mins
8.1kms

Tuesday:
Rest Day

Wednesday:
40mins
8kms

Longish Run

I did a longish run today and this would have been the longest I've run since September last year - 14.2kms in 75mins. I was pretty chuffed with the effort and felt good at the end apart from being a little heavy in the legs. At least now I know that I can run the City 2 Surf and its just a matter of trying to improve the fitness level and shed a bit of weight before then.

My Asics have officially died and I've been running in a pair of New Balance that were dirt cheap that I just use as a casual shoe. Surprisingly I really like them! Before I switched to Asics I used to run in New Balance - the only reason I changed was that I noticed the majority of runners wore Asics so thought 'whats good for them is good for me'. A trip to the shoe store may see me change back I think.

Todays Run:
Distance - 14.2kms
Time - 75mins

Solid Training Week

Thank god its the weekend! I had a crapppy week at work - very busy and I was feeling pretty lethargic and fatigued. Apart from Wednesday night I think I fell asleep by 8pm every night. Despite all that I still had a pretty solid training week. I had thought about doing my runs in the morning but when I woke up at 5-30am on Tuesday morning and it was cold and still dark that idea went right out the window! I applaud anyone who runs in the mornings - I honestly don't know how you do it.

Not much chatter about City 2 Surf on the CoolRunning message boards. I must be the only one who gets so excited by this race. Hopefully when bibs get sent out the anticipation will build.

Monday:
8.8kms
45mins

Tuesday:
7.7kms
40mins

Wednesday:
7.7kms (some hill work)
40mins

Thursday:
Rest Day

Friday:
7.95kms
40mins

Saturday:
7.7kms (some hill work)
40mins


Total Kms 8th July - 14th July:
51.35kms

Back Blogging ... Again

Its been about 6mths since I last blogged and with City 2 Surf fast approaching I thought I would make an effort again. Not much running happened in the last 6mths - I got laid up with glandular fever and that put an end to my running and I'm really struggling to get back into it. I'm also as fat as a fool now and feeling pretty depressed about everything.

Good old City 2 Surf can always get me motivated - so in the last 2 weeks I've started some running again. First week just involved plodding along for 30mins, second week I moved it up to 40mins and today I managed to stagger my way through a 60min run. I'm definitely running City 2 Surf - but I don't expect to come anywhere near last years time of 66mins. I've set my sights on trying to go under 75mins so I can keep my Red Bib for 2008 - fingers crossed.

The weather in Cairns has been beautiful the last few weeks - an absolute treat. Beautiful blue skies all day with max temps of about 25º and mins of about 12º. I wish it was like this all year round. That sunrise pic is one I took in the last week but the photo doesn't do it justice - it was amazing.

Todays Run:

Distance - 11.5km

Time - 60.00