Blog honesty...

In the interests of blog honesty, I confess that I haven’t done any exercise this weekend because I couldn’t be bothered. Very strange for me – even the thought of C2S in 2 weeks isn’t enough to scare me out and onto the road. Oh well. C’est la vie. I’ve had a lovely weekend of eating, socialising, sleeping, drinking and reading (now I’ve just got to do the housework – yuk!)

I think my slightly blah-type state (but only in respect of exercise) is not helped by the fact that I’ve been getting increasingly frustrated by the fact that the scales aren’t moving and my clothes haven’t been getting any bigger over the last month or so (despite the amount of exercise that I have been doing) – but then again if I’m entirely honest with myself, I have been satoaging my efforts over the last few weekends as a result of feeling frustrated...Having said that, losing weight has not, for quite a while, been my motivation to exercise - it is to move, to maintain my sanity, to manage stress levels and simply because I love it. However at the moment I am 2kgs above my ideal weight - the weight at which I feel most comfortable and confident. It's the same damn 2kgs that I brought back from Sth America; hence my frustration. But no more - I am not going to feel frustrated nor will I sabotage my efforts. My diet/eating will be back on track this week and I am setting myself the goal of losing the 2kgs over the next 2 months (by 1 October). I'm also going to spend more time reading. Reading is one of the great loves of my life (apart from Mr Jen of course) - the way I recharge my batteries and keep my sanity but something I have not been doing much of lately.

Week in review:
Spin: 2
Weights: 3 (Satan x 2)
Runs: 1
Walk: 1 (1hr)

Not a bad week (though clearly not enough running). Unfortunately no pilates class and I don’t think I’ll make it to one this week thanks to work. My quads been dead the last few weeks. I’ve hardly been doing any weights work on my legs so I think that during my cardio sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays I have to take a bit of the load off the bike and increase the RPMs – might help my legs recover a little better for the spin class on the following days.

The week ahead:
Monday: walk to work (1 hour) + Satan
Tuesday: cardio session (15mins run/15min bike) + massage
Wednesday: Spin + Satan
Thursday: cardio session (17mins run/15mins bike)
Friday: spin + upper body weights
Saturday: run 23mins

To finish on a high and to answer the question about Mr Jen’s good news. As some might know, Mr Jen moved out to western NSW for work about 18 months ago. Well on Friday afternoon, he was offered a job in Sydney so as of October he’ll be back in Sydney full time. Yippee !

You were always on my mind...

I was spotted today sans-CR gear ! Attended a breakfast function this morning. At the end, a woman approached me with a familiar face that I just couldn't place. Turns out it was CR Koala who lives not too far from my place. Talk soon turned to Tuesday afternoon runs around the lower north shore.....

I managed to escape from work (which is still manic) at 2pm to do an upper body weights session at the gym:
* single arm lat pull downs
* (machine) reverse flyes
* seated row
* single arm biceps curls (20reps @ 6kg - woohoo !!)
* single arm tricep pushdowns
* external + internal rotator cuff moves; and
* ab stuff,
2 sets of each. It's been a while since I've done this program so it was v. interesting to see how much stronger I've become during that time (v.!). A great session which I really enjoyed - and when combined with dinner with my girlfriends tonight and Mr Jen's great work-related news leaves me a v. happy gal at the end of what has been a pretty ordinary week. Happy days.

...in a one night stand

Up early this morning to walk to work. Approximately 8kms in 1hr 5mins. Is there a better way to start the day than walking over the Harbour Bridge on a clear, still winter morning? I think not.

PM: the plan to do a Pilates class at lunchtime is now, thanks to work, a hope of escaping in time to make the 6.15pm Spin class (however I will have to come back to the office afterwards). Fingers crossed. TBA

**********

Later: Well I made it out of the office in time for the 6.15pm spin class. Felt like shite (again) to start with. My quads again/still felt like lead even though they have had it reasonably easy (compared to my upper body) lately... About 10mins in, I started to pick up and really pushed it through the rest of the class. Would have been interested to check out my HR during one of the tracks. I don't think it's ever been much higher. 20mins of stretching to finish off and then, yes I'm afraid, it was back to the office....

Tomorrow I had planned a spin class but two meetings have brought an end to those plans. So I'm hoping to escape from the office at some stage tomorrow afternoon to do an upper body weights session before another big dinner with my girlfriend's tomorrow night.

23 positions....

Busy times.

Tuesday 26 July - 30mins cardio

Why is it that I had double the amount of sleep that I had the night before (7 hours cf 3.5) but I felt twice as tired ?? I could not get out of bed so I had a bit of a sleep-in and headed to the gym at lunch for my 30mins run/bike cardio session. Easy 15min run (7min/km) followed by 15min bike (L8 @ 100RPMs). Legs/shins felt good.

Wednesday 27 July - Satan x 2

6.40am 30mins spin class with the Satanic Spin Instructor. Felt like shite. Quads felt like lead even with very little resistance on the bike. Even thinking about the TdF or picturing SC's arms weren't enough to lift me. Simply felt like crap. About half way through I decided not to stress about it and just take it (reasonably) easy. I have been eating well over the last few days so I'll just right it off as one of those things (particularly given how I felt during my session with Satan later on), perhaps due to dehydration and/or my interrupted sleep patterns over the last 3 weeks...

2pm session with Satan. I must have woken up by the time I saw Satan but I felt fantastic during this session. Again another largely upper body session - a circuit of:
* straight arm lat pulldowns
* reverse flyes
* assisted chin ups
* push ups
* step ups
* kneeling on the swiss ball,
repeated 3 times. Highlight of my day came when Satan commented on my shapely shoulders and arms. Woohoo. On my way to SC arms !!

I had planned to run tomorrow but I've since remembered that I had earlier decided to do 2 runs/wk every alternate week in an attempt to convince my shins that they like running 3 times/wk. So I've decided tomorrow to walk to work instead (about an hour) and then try to get to my pilates class at lunch (work is crazy again/still). With some sleep and lots of water, I should be back on track for a tough spin class on Friday.

Vive le Tour

A strange day - despite:
(a) 3.5 hours sleep thanks to the TdF and an early meeting;
(b) arriving at work to discover I had no 'work' shoes there and spending the day in my friend's extremely high heels - I could feel my calve muscles shrinking with every step (I have been known to wonder around the office sans shoes if the bosses aren't around or after hours. However today I spent the day walking between my office and that of my boss - and past a meeting room that had a continual flow of client traffic all day...hence it was not a non-shoes day);
(c) working through lunch instead of seeing Satan at 2pm;
(d) having to reschedule a coffee with a client because of the amount of urgent work on my desk; and
(e) having my client pull out of a deal that I have been working on almost non-stop for the last 4 weeks (grrr),

I was in a fabulous mood all day (think someone spiked my coffee....). I am however sad to see the end of the TdF (my fav sporting event of all - can you tell?) and LA's career (my (sporting) hero). What an amazing athlete. And I'm happy to see that Jen's Boys (my team in the CR Dream Team comp) finished second in the KOM and third overall. Woohoo !!

Fortunately I was able to reschedule my appointment with Satan to 6pm. Probably my toughest session so far (clearly these names are mine):
- bench step up/knee up with shoulder press;
- jackknives;
- glute/hammy exercise that kills me;
- barbell chest press on swiss ball (17.5kgs to exhaustion, then 10kgs to exhaustion);
- row (17.5kgs to exhaustion, then 10kgs to exhaustion),
repeated twice. Very tough but once again, another great session. I saw a photo today of Sheryl Crow at the TdF - she has the most amazing arms. Might stick the photo on the fridge to keep me out of it!

Food glorious food

A late night (again) thanks to the TdF. I don’t think I’ve ever felt more stress nor more emotional than I did watching the TT last night. Ok so it was late, I was tired and I’m female – I’m allowed to be irrationally emotional (that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it!).

Today I have done nothing but eat. First I met the C2S trial runners at Bondi at 9.15am for breakfast (took me 1.5 hours to get there – I love public transport timetables on the weekend...not). Then after laying on the grass to read the newspapers overlooking Bondi for an hour, I headed to Maroubra for a BBQ with friends... A great way to spend a day.

Week in review:
Monday: Satan
Tuesday: pilates + cardio (15mins run/15mins bike)
Wednesday: Satan
Thursday: cardio (15mins run/15mins bike)
Friday: spin (45mins)
Saturday: run (30mins) + walk (40mins)

Thanks to all the support I’ve received from the amazing CR community this week and the fact that I’ve managed to run 3 times this week (total of 60mins) without any shin/calf issues, I’m a happy gal right now.

The week ahead:
Monday: Satan
Tuesday: pilates + cardio (15min run/15min bike)
Wednesday: Spin (30mins) + Satan
Thursday: cardio (17min run/15min bike)
Friday: Spin (30mins) + upper body weights
Saturday: run (23mins)
Sunday: rest

So the plan includes 2 x spin, 1 x pilates, 3 x weights sessions and a total of 65mins of running (note I’m obeying the 10% rule)...might also try and squeeze in a massage or a trip to see the Witchdoctor. Busy week but I will be able to get back to normal sleeping patterns as the TdF ends tonight :-(

Life is beautiful

It's hard to remember that sometimes when work and 'shite' gets in the way.

Had a fantastic night last night - dinner with my closest girlfriends. Plenty of red wine (pinot - my fav!), sensational gourmet pizza and (my other fav) mud cake!

My dad stayed at my apartment last night and woke up at the unearthly time of 6.30am this morning (I like my weekend sleep-ins!) but made up for it by bringing me a coffee while I was still in bed (Mr Jen, are you taking notes ?). After Dad left, I was feeling decidedly flat and ordinary so I decided to run later in the day and sat down to catch up on my blog reading. An hour later I was up and ready to run. Reading about the lives and experiences of my fellow bloggers always lifts my spirit and mood.

During the walk down to the trail (my fav place to run), I noticed that both of my soleus (whatever the plural is) were very tight. Must work on that. A beautiful Sydney winters day; calm, clear and still. Ran very easily and slowly for 20mins. A very comfortable run on a beautiful day. I took it particularly easy through a couple of rocky areas as it was the first time I had run the trail since I got my orthotics (which I realised very quickly after my shoe didn't 'give' on a rock - don't worry, I was very careful). No shin pain or even tenderness before, during or after to report but will ice tonight just to be sure. A great way to start the weekend.

Tomorrow is my rest day (except for calf/shin stuff). I'm meeting the C2S trial runners Owl, Go Girl, Lulu, Caro et al in Bondi for breakfast - looking forward to it !

Spin

45mins spin class at lunch today with a different instructor - my first spin class in 2 weeks. Felt shattered afterwards. Quads felt like jelly. Could hardly walk.

Tomorrow - my long run of (wait for it) 20mins. Shins seem ok but LHS ITB is a little tight I think...

Same again

Thank you to everyone for your comments. I appreciate it. I guess I just don't feel (mentally) like a runner at the moment...

Same as Tuesday. 15mins easy run on the treadmill (7min/km) followed by 15mins on the bike (L8 @ 100RPMs). Shins are fine but I felt like shite.

Edit: C2S race number arrived today (#19904). Groovy. Ran 15mins tonight. It's going to be a long day

Satan

Had planned to do a spin class with the Satanic Spin Instructor this morning but the TdF (or more specifically my lack of sleep because I've been staying up half the night to watch it) got in the way. Oh well. Evans was just inspirational last night; such a determined ride in such sad circumstances.

A date with Satan at lunch again today. I've decided to see Satan twice a week for the time being to give my body a bit of a kick. Oh boy, does it get a kick. Another largely upper body weights session with Satan but a glute exercise thrown in the middle for good measure. Session include lat pulldowns (2 different versions); reverse flyes; push-ups; the glute step-up exercise and trying to balance on my knees on a swiss ball. I fear in the not-to-distant future Satan will be throwing at me (and no doubt expecting me to catch without falling off) a medicine ball....yikes. Her eyes also lit up when I commented that I didn't seem to be doing anymore push-ups. Satan then said that I was doing them better than I was in the past and that she hadn't really been pushing me to increase the no. of push-ups after my shoulder problem last year...but I suspect that I have put the idea in her head. Double yikes. However on the good side, I discovered that I actually have abs which are visible without sucking my stomach in and twisting into a strange angle. Very cool.

Think I will delete my blog from the CR list of bloggers. As Wombat pointed out yesterday, it really has very little to do with running anymore...

Bend and stretch....

Pilates class AM today. My first in about a year since my back problem last year. I was a bit concerned how tough it would be after my session with Satan yesterday as my abs were sore when I woke up this morning. But it was a great class. It was amazing to see how much my core strength has increased over that time (thanks Satan!) Great class with a new instructor. Will definitely be part of my weekly plan from now on.

I headed back to the gym for my run/bike session. After a warm up, I ran for 15mins on the treadmill. I took it very easily (7min/km @ 140HR) as it was my first run in almost 2 weeks thanks to my shins. My hammies were/are sore after yesterday's session with Satan and for the first 3mins my calves, hammies and hips felt sore and tight. Once I warmed up they were fine. Will ice tonight just in case. In order to make it a half decent session, I then did 15mins on the bike (level 8 @ 100RPMs; 160HR). While it was a very easy session, I am so far off being ready for C2S next month, it's not funny. Fudge.

Satan + sleep

Only 4 hours of sleep last night thanks to the TdF. Last nights stage was simply tortuous. Think I woke up the whole building cheering for Hincapie and he's not on my team!!! I can't begin to describe how much watching the TdF inspires me. Just the punishment they take day after day is nothing less than mind-blowing. Fortunately it is a rest day tonight so I can catch up on some sleep...

Had a lunchtime date with Satan today. Strangely, my legs felt dead and heavy. Always do after a rest day. No idea why. Today was a really tough session:
* step up/knee up things for glutes
* jack knifes on the ball for abs (ouch)
* a ball-based glute/core/hammy exercise I don't know the name of (I haven't done this exercise for over a year since before my back problems last year. Today proved how much stronger I have become. The first time I tried it, I rolled off the ball and landed in Satan's lap..not this time. 10 reps each set. Easy. I am strong, I am invincible...)
* barbell chest press
* reverse row thingy.
Repeated 3 times...

Right now, I just want to curl up under my desk and go to sleep. I wonder if anyone would miss me....

Photos from our GC weekend….

Part of the CR cheersquad planning its assault on the GCM...


The Owl and I planning, over coffee, the best spot for the cheersquad to establish itself (the glass of wine to the right belonged to Cirque!)


No alcohol had been consumed the day this photo was taken; I promise. The Owl and I taking advantage of the sensational weather to enjoy some ice cream!!

At dinner the night before the GCM...


Could I stand between 2 skinnier girls ?? I think not. Vespa, Lil 'Elf and yours truly...


Minersrun, yours truly, Plu and The Owl

On the big day...


The cheersquad escorting LuckyLegs to the finish
(L-R: yours truly, The Owl, LuckyLegs, Bellthorpe and Tim)

I'm back !!!!

Friday 15 July - Sunday 17 July: "time out" week

End of my "time out" week. Between work, my cold getting worse on Friday and low levels of motivation, this "time out" week has been great timing. The only exercise-related activities to report are:
(a) watching the TdF;
(b) going to the tennis (Davis Cup) on Saturday;
(c) buying a Livestrong wristband;
(d) seeing Marty and Genene when I was having brunch with my girlfriends this morning;
(e) doing my calf/shin exercises today,
so just your typical couch-potato activities.

It's funny how a lack of exercise plays with your mind. I'm feeling very much the lardy-arse at the moment - I feel like I've put on 20kgs. I know I haven't but that doesn't stop part of my brain playing tricks with me...

So the "time out" week in review looks like this (v. scary):
Satan weight sessions with Satan: 2
Spin: 0
Run: 0
Stretch/pilates: 0
Time spent watching the TdF: lots!

The week ahead - I'm back !!!

My cold has subsided, work should (I hope) ease a little this week, I'm feeling very motivated again and looking forward to my mental health day (otherwise known as a sickie that my boss has approved in advance) later this week (not to mention the fact that Lance will have retained the TdF title by the end of the week!). Goals for the week are: (1) to add a pilates class to the usual plan; and (2) ease back into the running after 10 days off.

Monday: Satan
Tuesday: Pilates + run (15mins)
Wednesday: Spin + Satan
Thursday: Run (20mins)
Friday: Spin + upper body weight session
Saturday: rest
Sunday: run (25mins)

Satan + shins...

Made it to the gym at lunch for a session with Satan. Another largely upper body session with a glute exercise in the middle to break things up. I felt a lot better today than in the past - stronger and more energetic than I have anytime over the last week. I was a bit bummed earlier as I had an email from the organiser of the fun run I was supposed to be doing on Sunday :-( :-( But despite that, both my cold and the blahs are finally lifting - bring on the weekend !!

Lots of calf stuff tonight after I finally got home from work - calf raises (3 * 15) plus two new exercises thanks to Chundachick (2 * 10 each). My shins/calves want to curl up and die right now so that can only be a good thing... Have dumped the spin class I had (sort of) planned for tomorrow. Let's just call this week a 'time out'. I'll be back on track next week...

Blahs be gone !

Well work is still terribly busy but despite a desk that looks like a rubbish tip, my blahs are (slowly) lifting. Still sick - not getting worse; not really getting better either

Slept in this morning (stayed up late last night watching Lance make the rest of the TdF field look like amateurs) instead of doing a spin class so today became another rest day....

I had a couple of emails today from Chundachick (thanks to Clairie) who has - and continues - to battle spin splints and yet manages a heavy training load. I'm feeling much more positive about my shin problem now, how to manage it and how to increase my training load without stressing them too much. No doubt part of the reason my blahs are lifting....

Off for acupuncture this afternoon for my neck/back problem. I also had him have a look at my calves. Turns out my soleus are particularly tight on both legs(who knew I even had one!). After an attempt to set a new world record for the number of needles inserted in various parts of my anatomy, an hour later I was walking gingerly down the stairs. I always feel a bit out of it after an acupuncture treatment; but I think it's more do to with the fact that I almost fall asleep on the table rather than the effect of the needles. Tonight my calves, neck and back are a bit sore which is usual. A heat pack tonight (a nice change from the ice!) & some magnesium and I should be right for my session with Satan tomorrow.

Might do a spin class on Friday morning (which would be my first cardio session for the week, yikes...don't panic Jen, you are sick right now...) depending on how I feel tomorrow...

Go Lance !

The 'new' plan

Today I've realised that it is my 8th consecutive day in the office. No wonder I'm still sick and tired and blahish. Another rest day today. Was planning to do a spin class tomorrow morning but in all blog honesty, I couldn't be arsed right now...

After reading Plu and Tim's blogs and Gronk's sad news today, I've decided to delete (for now) my upcoming races table. The evergrowing list of DNS is doing nothing for my state of mind - and I think I need to go back to basics and straighten out and deal with my shin/calf issues before even thinking about racing. Depending on how I go over the next few weeks, I think I'll do the Bay Run (7km) at the end of the month as a training run rather than a race. The "Training Slow" thread on CR also has my attention - might be a good time to work on both issues. Now I've just got to get a HRM...

Off for acupuncture tomorrow for my usual neck/back condition but I'm going to mention my shins as well and see what he can do. Failing that, I'll be off to the (in)famous witchdoctor very soon.

Once I finish my snazzy new mag (R4YL), I think I'll start on Lance's second autobio (Every Second Counts) - in serious need of some inspiration right now...

JOCS rock

My mood is not much better than yesterday. Got into the office at 7am and finally ate (my lunch) at 4pm - pretty much sums up another crappy day.

Finally escaped from the gym at 5pm to see Satan for a(nother) tough session (after which I promptly when back to the office). Given my lack of food today, I felt surprisingly strong. Nothing like adrenaline to keep you going through the tough times I suppose. Largely an upper body session with 2 glutes exercises thrown in for good measure. Shins seem ok today - will ice them tonight (while reading my R4YL mag which arrived today!). I'm supposed to be making my fun run debut this Sunday (Red Cross 8km)......we'll see. Given my shins flared after running on a treadmill and grass, I'm not convinced my shins will appreciate it...

This week....
I have a shite load of work and a cold at the moment so I'm not expecting much...
Monday: Satan
Tuesday: dunno
Wednesday: spin (30mins) + acupuncture
Thursday: Satan + somethin'
Friday: dunno
Saturday: rest + cheerleading practice at the Davis Cup
Sunday: Red Cross 8km (my fun run debut)...
Geez, how blase do I sound. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah...

Blah

In the interests of blog honesty it will be short cause that's how I'm feeling today. Sick. Tired. Shins are sore. Not at all in a good head space. At work. Not happy. Rest day. Blah.

Kebabs and witchdoctors...

My shins, and the right in particular, are (still) sore today. Yesterday I was frustrated. Today I’m trying very hard to feel blah as I watch the clouds roll in from my desk here at work (the fact that I have spent most of the day at my desk has not helped my mood). I probably haven’t stretched or strengthened my calves as much as I should have recently – but otherwise I don’t know what else to do right now. I’ve been obeying the 10% rule, taking things very easy, doing a lot of running on softer surfaces (grass & treadmill), I have new shoes and orthotics but my stoopid shins still aren’t up to it. You’d think that after a year I would have managed to get past 8km without breaking down... Off for acupuncture on Wednesday for my usual neck/shoulder treatment but I might mention my shin problem as well. Otherwise I think I’ll take myself off to G’s witchdoctor to see if he can whip up a spell for me...I'll try just about anything right now.

CR drinks last night was a fun night. After a very shitty afternoon at work and a purge which the lovely Owly listened to, I got myself a drink and tried to forget about 'stuff'. Met the delightful Lulu and Mr Lulu. Lulu, Owly and I have agreed to go for a C2S training run (obviously the alcohol had limited the pain I was feeling from my shins). I also met, and had a long chat, with Diane – absolutely lovely. Crawled into a taxi with Mr Jen as everyone else headed for the Lowenbrae (a wise move I think). Shared a kebab with Mr Jen on the walk home (which I must confess I really really enjoyed) and got home and turned on the telly just as Le Tour reached the last 5kms. Vegemite toast, coffee and Le Tour – not to mention Mr Jen’s company – nice way to end what largely was a pretty shitty day.

Woke up this morning feeling surprisingly good. Have spent most of the day at work but ducked out at 12.15pm for a session with Satan. I felt a lot better today – stronger and less lethargic than I did on Wednesday. My glands in my neck are still up and a have a slight sniffle but I seem to have avoided too much of a cold. Today’s session with Satan was tough – upper body session with step-ups between each exercise to keep my heart rate elevated. It worked. Was due to run tomorrow. Will have to settle for a walk instead. Bummer.

On debut

Thursday 7 July - On debut...

The lovely Owly offered me a lift to RunClub (my debut appearance) so I met her at Central just after 6. On arrival at RunClub, I was greeted by a very loud and welcoming "Jen" as I was getting out of the car from TigerAngel, shortly followed by another loud "Hi Jen" from all the other CoolRunning RunClub members. Once again I was humbled by this amazing community that I am a part of.

After meeting Tim, two laps of the oval and some stretches to warm up, my debut night of RunClub consisted of 3 drills (upright, clawback & high knees) each followed by 3 x 400m to practice form. Running 400m was interesting – I haven’t done any interval work in, oh, about 5 months now...The first few were hard until I started to judge my own pace. The last few were getting easier (!) but unfortunately at about this time my shins started to protest (!) so I sat out the last 400m. After a lolly or two, it was a few strength exercises and stretches to finish out the night. In all, a great session which I really enjoyed, both physically (well, except for my shins) and socially. It brought to my attention my form which I admit I haven’t really been paying attention to lately. The gals are organising a long run for Sunday but at this stage I don’t know if my shins will agree to let me play.

Now as for the shins, by the time I got home they were both getting quite tender to the touch (grrrrr) so I iced them & applied volarten before collapsing into bed. I’m (a) frustrated and (b) somewhat bewildered by my shins – my last two sessions (including tonight) have either been on the treadmill or grass and I have had to apply ice for treatment purposes (rather than as a preventative measure) after both sessions. I confess that I haven’t been doing as many calves raises & calf stretches as I have in the past so I need to up them both again. However I think my shins just don’t like doing 3 sessions in a week. They seem to be ok with two sessions but add an extra session and on week 2 I have troubles again. Grrrrrr. So the question is now – what sessions do I keep and where can I do a long run on grass... Grrrr. Maybe I should take up cycling...

Terrorists struck again this evening. We are still waiting to here from Mr Jen’s best mate. No news is good news in my book. What evil and hate there must be in the perpetrator’s hearts.

Friday 8 July - Shin update 1

I was due to get up this morning to do a spin class with the Satanic Spin Instructor but I woke up with a very sore throat so I rolled over and went back to sleep. Between my sore throat & shins, I’m fighting off the blahs at the moment. My shins are better this morning but the right is still a little tender to the touch (grrrr). Once I finally rolled out of bed, I iced my shins and did some calf stretches before heading to work.

Stretch class at the gym at lunch today (20mins) followed by another 20mins of stretching my lower body (shins and hammies in particular). CR drinks tonight!

Go Lance !!!

Really struggled to get up this morning - it was cold and I stayed up late (or should that be early) watching the TdF (Lance was on his way to the yellow jersey, how on earth could I sleep!)

Spin class with the Satanic Spin Instructor this morning (30mins). Another tough class in which I really struggled (which was pretty unusual - although I find SSI's classes tough, I've never really struggled before). Also never before have I felt like throwing up during/after a spin class. I did this morning. Not sure why. The lack of sleep probably didn't help.

Weight sessions with Satan at 2pm. A tough session of glute/hammy (3 sets), back and chest exercises. I felt very flat, weak and lethargic during today's session but strangely the reps & weights didn't reflect that. Need sleep I think.

Shins have pulled up well this morning - will ice them again tonight just to make sure - so it looks like I'm off to RunClub tomorrow night.

Back to life, back to reality

Back to work today after my wonderful weekend at the GC.

An early meeting this morning meant that I had to hit the treadmill when I left the office tonight. 30mins @ 6min/km pace. Relatively easy. Right shin and ankle were a little tender to begin with but they settled down once I warmed up. Will ice tonight just to be sure.

Provided my shin pulls up ok, I’ve decided to head to RunClub on Thursday night to add intervals to my program. After discussions with a number of people over the weekend, I am thinking of joining SS but I doubt my fitness levels are up to Pain in the Domain at this point in time.

TdF update: I can’t believe that I took Boonen out of my team on Friday morning. Lessons to be learned – to trust my instincts, not to second guess my decisions and not to decide your TdF team based on how cute they are or how nice their quads are (*kidding* I didn’t really)...

The CR cheersquad is on the move...

Warning – one incredibly long update ahead.

Friday 1 July – off to GC!!!

Thanks to the end of the financial year, I only had about 3 hours sleep. Worked to midnight, then home to pack before meeting The Owl at the airport at 6am. When I arrived, the check-in queue stretched out the glass sliding doors (no doubt due to all the cancellations the day before thanks to the flooding on the GC). Anyway, 45mins later we had checked in, only to discover our flight had been delayed by 1 ½ hours...but we could hardly complain after the experiences of others like MPHaz in the last few days. Anyway, coffee & toast later I was feeling decidedly human again and after a chat with Allison who we bumped into at the airport and a read of my form guide (ie Official TdF guide), I had finalised my team for the Dream Team competition (otherwise known as Jen’s Boys – ok, not so inventive but it was early and I wasn’t functioning particularly well...) we were onto our flight and off to Brisbane.

Cirque met Owl and I at the airport which felt more like seeing an old friend after a prolonged absence rather than meeting someone for the first time. There was a short rain shower not long after we arrived but otherwise the weather was sensational for the whole weekend – warm t-shirt/singlet weather as opposed to Sydney’s cold-leather jacket-crappy weather; combined with the company, it made me a very happy gal.

After lunch, a long catch-up chat, pom-pom "fluffing" & lots of laughing, Skizzik (Mel) arrived and after a bit more laughing, Melski took Owl & I for a run along the Brisbane river while Cirque went to the gym. A relatively easy run (just under 5kms in 30mins) – that is, after our stomach muscles recovered from a comment made by Owl regarding a part of her anatomy... After picking up supplies, it was back to Cirque’s place for our gals night which started about 5.30pm. I confess to falling asleep on the floor in the lounge room sometime after midnight...Thankfully a cone of silence was erected around the house so no details can be recorded – suffice to say that ladybirds, Kinder Surprises, Mt Everest & "fluffing" will forever remind me of our gals night...

Saturday 2 July – Brisbane to GC...

I must confess to being more than a little rusty on Saturday morning. After a very slow start, Owl, Cirque & I set out for the GC. After checking into our very spacious apartment with sensational views over the baby-poo brown river and the beautiful ocean, we set out to walk to the Expo. Unfortunately we took the long way and it was very warm but we did have a few extra calories to burn off after last night. Eventually we made it and caught up with Bandanna, Vespa, Truckie and Karin. I think Vespa gets my award for quote of the weekend – in attempting to talk me into running the 10km, V said to me words to the effect of "...run the 10km; it’s only 30mins out of your day!" (maybe in my next life...) Cirque joined a queue in order to register Bellthorpe in the 10km and emerged an hour with her mission accomplished. By this stage, we were standing around chatting to Minersrun, Plu, Tesso, Clairie, JD, MPHaz and others but I was unfortunately fading quickly thanks to the effects of last night and my stoopid neck giving me the beginning of a migraine so Owl, Cirque & I left and headed to Australia Fair to pick up some drugs for me, supplies for us and an ice cream (you have to love a state where it is warm enough to eat ice cream during the day in winter!) We then caught the bus to the hotel and prompted spotted Plu in his CR gear heading back to his place (does that count as a non-race sighting ?). After a drink and nibblies on the balcony overlooking the ocean, we were collected by Cirque’s sister and Mr Cirque’s sister for dinner at the North Cliff SLSC where I met Hannah, Whale Boy and Elf for the first time and we were joined by Minersrun, Miss Skarmel, Larissa and a few others for dinner. Plu joined us a bit later for a drink. After a couple of glasses of wine, it was back to the hotel for another glass of wine and I caught the end of the Hell on Wheels while I did stretched.

Sunday 3 July – the big day had arrived...

My first thought when the alarm went off at 5am was "thank god I’m not doing the marathon; I would have had to get up an hour ago to eat". After breakfast, we all piled in the car to head up to the start.

After watching the start of the half, the full and the kids sprints, we headed just north of the start of the finish shute and set up camp in the sun to watch the day unfold. The weather was very ‘fresh’ to start with but I quickly discovered that pom-poms also make great arm-warmers!

I can’t begin to describe the day, nor can I list all the CRs that I met for the first time. It was a very long day for me - 6.5hours of cheering and (as it turns out) not enough to eat or drink during that time. I also seem to have picked up a cheerleading-related injury to my left wrist but it was certainly worth it. To see the smiles & reactions on the faces of competitors (and not just CRs) made the trip worthwhile. Highlights included the smiles and enjoyment on the faces of Truckie and Blue Dog in particular (who were much more low key when they passed the cheersquad during the SMH Half) and seeing Tesso fly past with a graze on her shoulder. I remember looking at my watch and realising she was going to smash 3.30! The highlight of the day however (and the weekend for that matter) was the cheersquad escorting LL to the finish. When the police officer arrived to tell us about a 50 yo woman (!) with a similar shirt as ours appeared to be struggling, the cheersquad (which consisted by that stage of about 15 people) just moved as one to pick up our bags and to walk down to meet her. When we arrived she sounded very emotional and tired but continued to run strongly to the finish. We walked with her until she picked up the pace, at which time I had to start jogging! I must confess to feeling a little emotional at this point in time at the thought of this amazing community I am a part of.

After making sure that she was OK, Plu, Cato (with a "c"), Owl & I walked to the Main Beach SLSC for post-event drinks where I met many other CRs for the first time and had a few interesting chats with people which started me thinking, and later in the evening committing to certain running related plans with The Owl (all for one...). I also scored myself a rather cute husband and a child ;-) At about 7.30pm a couple of us including Tesso, the Owl, JD, Truckie, Karin, V, Kelvin, Bandanna and a few others ended up in the Cavill Ave Mall for dinner where the great all-you-can-eat-ribs competition between Truckie, Kelvin, V, Karin and Bandanna was won by Kelvin (for the record, Kelvin ate 3 ½ plates of ribs. Bandanna and Truckie only (!) managed 3 plates each...)

Everybody was pretty stuffed by this point in time so the Owl & I headed back to our apartment for a post-mortem & clean up...both of us were very sad that this amazing weekend was coming to an end.

Monday 4 July – another early start...

Another early start – our alarms went off at 4.40am so that we would be ready for our shuttle bus to the airport which was picking us up at 5.25am. By 6am, we were sitting at the GC airport, drinking coffee, reading newspapers and not really saying much thanks to sheer exhaustion. However I did manage to say the word "suxty" (instead of sixty) – the combined effect of exhaustion and spending 3 days with the Owl I think :-D

In all, an incredibly funny, relaxing and inspiring weekend. Photos to follow shortly. It was great to place faces to names and get to know a few other CRs a lot more. So what did I commit to over the weekend (as inevitably happens to any CR when in a room with lots of other CRs):

* the next Striders 10km at Lane Cove next month (which was in the 'plan' anyway but I know V will remind of that one - I’m actually scared shiteless at the prospect of this...I think I've read too many horror stories about the Lane Cove course on blogs...)

* Owl and I have agreed to run a marathon together in 2007 – OMG, am I really putting this out there...

As for today, not long after I arrived home this morning a package was delivered for me – my C2S t-shirt that I ordered when I entered – woohoo! I’m really looking forward to running C2S with the Owl and Wobbly Man (who has very kindly agreed to pace Owl & I). I was due to see Satan at 4pm this afternoon but my cheerleading-related injury to my wrist is bloody sore. I can’t grip anything with my left hand so needless to say, I didn’t particularly want to be lifting heavy weights over my head. So today is now a rest day – but at least this injury doesn’t stop me from running ;-)

So week in review...
Monday: weights (lower body)
Tuesday: run (25mins)
Wednesday: spin (45mins) + Satan
Thursday: spin (45mins)
Friday: run (30mins)
Saturday: rest
Sunday: cheerleading duties

And the week ahead...
Monday: rest
Tuesday: run (30mins)
Wednesday: spin (30mins) + Satan
Thursday: run (30mins)
Friday: spin (30mins)
Saturday: Satan
Sunday: run (40mins)
I’m in serious sleep deprivation mode at the moment after our GC weekend but I can catch up on my sleep in 3 weeks time – the TdF has started !!! Woohoo !!