Ah the serenity..

Well, I'm here in Brisvegas. Finally. Just. Work was feral on Friday & I had a meeting on Friday afternoon which lasted much longer than anticipated so I would have come close to missing my flight but for the fact that my flight was delayed by over an hour. We were almost 2 hours late by the time we landed in Brisvegas at 9.50pm where the lovely Cirque was waiting to pick me up.

Two glasses of wine later & 4 hours of sleep, my alarm went off at 5.10am this morning. No sleep-ins for this girl this weekend. Undercover Bro had very kindly offered to pick me up at 5.40am for a tour of the fabled trails around Mt Coot-tha. After escaping the traffic that was a large group training for Kokoda, we headed straight for the top of Mt Coot-tha before heading off on firetrails on the other side. Don't ask me exactly where we went - apart from the Kokoda trail (and that memorable hill!) I have no idea. But I did notice a sign to the "Powerful Owl trail" :-)

I felt really flat & tired to start with - perhaps unsurprisingly given the lack of sleep I've had this week & the fact that we headed straight to the summit of Mt Coot-tha first. But I quickly settled into it, assisted greatly by the Bro's company, tour guiding & conversation - thanks D!

1:52 later we were back at the car. Nothing like a great run on a beautiful trail to put a crap week at work behind you. Finished with 13.61km (av 8:16m/k!!)

Will add the elevation graph when I get home - should be a pretty picture ;-)

Edit - as I said, a pretty picture !



Total for June - 91.87k

Are we there yet ?

Normal transmissions will resume once clients stop removing things which have been on their desks or in their in-boxes for 3 months, sending it to me & expecting it to be finalised by COB Friday :-)

40mins hilly run around the hood at 4.45am this morning - 6.33k (av 6:19m/k). Felt very flat - perhaps 're-hydrating' with red wine & coffee (but no water) after getting home from work last night was not the best idea....

MTD: 78.26k

Are we there yet?

I. Hate. End. Of. Fn. Financial. Year.

Up at 4.30am today for a session on Apollo in front of the telly -

5mins w/u
5mins - 30sec effort/30sec recovery
6 x 5mins efforts/2mins recovery
5min c/d
Total: 57mins

In the shadows...

Quote for the week: Important events - whether serious, happy or unfortunate - do not change a (wo)man's soul, they merely bring it into relief, just as a strong gust of wind reveals the true shape of a tree when it blows off all its leaves. Such events highlight what is hidden in the shadows; they nudge the spirit towards a place where it can flourish.

It's been a crazy week - too much work, not enough sleep & even less training. It will be even crazier this week - so much so that I'm a wee bit concerned that I might not make my flight to Brisvegas for the GCM on Friday night......fingers crossed.

Monday was a rest day - I was rather sore & tired (physically & mentally) after the weekend's activities. Tuesday & Wednesday were a write off - Tuesday because I rolled over & went back to sleep after waking at 5am to the sound of rain & Wednesday due to work. Thursday I finally got moving again. I was due to run from Rozelle to work but stuffed up the logistics so had to settle for an interval session on the bike at the gym-

5mins w/u
5mins - 30sec effort (135RPM/L6)/30sec recovery
6 x 4mins effort/2mins recovery
5mins - 30sec effort (140RPM/L5)/30 recovery
5mins c/d
Total: 51mins

I was rather 'glowing' by the time I had finished.

Went out yesterday (Saturday) for my long run around the Glenbrook National Park. I honestly don't enjoy doing my long runs on Saturday mornings but I can always get myself organised - eventually - for a trail run. So it was 11am before I left the car & started running. The causeway at Glenbrook had been closed for over a week due to Sydney's crap weather but a call before leaving home confirmed it had re-opened & that there was about 200mm of water over the road & about 100mm over the footpath. What they didn't tell me was how icy it was - I actually couldn't feel my toes for a few minutes after passing through it!

After leaving the car I took the Ironbark - Euroka - Mount Portal & return loop, finishing with 16.13kms in 2:00:39 (aver 7:28min/km). Think I'll call this one the Rollercoaster in future.

The view from Mount Portal is one of my favourites in Sydney -

(c) Spud 2007

I've pulled up pretty well. Shins are a bit tender as most of the steep downhills on this course as on the road. But otherwise a-ok :-)

MTD: 71.93kms

Up, up & away !

I headed up to Katoomba today for my rock climbing course. From misty, foggy & downright cold Katoomba we headed to Mount York which is on the very western edge of the Blue Mountains where it was cool & fortunately dry - the sun from time to time came out before hiding behind the clouds again.



Let's see - the first thing I did was step sideways off a ledge & abseil down a 25m cliff - the first time I've ever abseiled. And then I climbed back up said cliff - the first time I've climbed outdoors & we started on a 25m climb. OMG. The second climb I struggled with & didn't make it to the top. And the third - the subject of the photos - involved my instructor climbing up first & once he was at the top, I followed, removing the equipment from the wall as I went. It is such a head game - I kept telling myself that I had to control my thoughts - I was safe, I had to trust the rope & footholds (some of which were no bigger than a 50c piece) & to use technique rather than sheer strength to get me up the wall. I came off the wall twice & have a rather large lump on my right shin to show for it. Quite simply it was scary & exhilarating - talk about an adrenaline rush !

I am absolutely exhausted now - mentally & physically. After a baked dinner (thanks Mum!) I am going to sleep very soundly tonight :-)

A few photos - further evidence of my insanity Tesso :-)







This woman was climbing the same wall - of course with more skill, efficiency & technique than me. But this photo gives you an idea of the height I was at when the other photos were taken....

Happiness is...

...running along a trail, not having seen anyone for over an hour, in the pouring rain with glasses which are half fogged up & half rain splattered, it's bloody cold (wearing long skins, long sleeve top, 2xu jacket, hat & gloves without overheating), the water that inundates your shoes as you run through the puddles is icy cold & yet still thinking to yourself that there is nowhere else you'd rather be right now :-)

It is also waking to the sound of rain falling - and turning off the alarm, rolling over & going back to sleep for another 1.5 hours :-)

I headed up to the Oaks Fire Trail at Woodford today (basically the start of the W2G course) for my long run today. I really enjoyed it. I felt strong but took it easy because it would have been a long, cold walk out if I'd hurt myself. The track wasn't in the best condition - it was alot more exposed than I recall & thanks to all the rain, the sandstone slippery & even the clay was soft. I nearly went A over T several times when what appeared to be sandstone actually turned out to be soft clay! I didn't see anyone else for the duration of my run (who else would be that crazy!) - the time to myself was exactly what I needed after a feral week at work. Combined with the weather (my favourite running conditions) & it was like soul food. Finished with 16.36k in 2:00:54 (aver 7:20min/k) one happy gal :-)

MTD: 55.8k

TFIF

What a week. Sooo much has happened since Monday :-)

Since I got back from Nepal, I haven't really been feeling the cold very much. But Wednesday was, by the far, the coldest morning out here at Penriff yet - my windscreen was still covered in ice when I tried to leave home at 7.15. I headed out at 5.15am in a long sleeve top, lightweight jacket, hat (CR of course), gloves & skins & promptly overheated. An easy 30mins around the hood - my legs felt a bit dead after a massage the day before but otherwise there were no probs whatsoever. Finished with 4.95k in 30:44mins (aver 6.12min/k).

Thursday morning I was up at 4(fn)30 & on the trainer at 4.45 for an interval session. After a lateish night, I wasn't that enthusiastic about getting up so early but the need to be at work early (earlier),Willy2Billy only being 10 weeks away & 2p's words ringing in my ears (the only place success comes before work is in the dictionary) proved to be sufficient motivation. Despite feeling really tired when I crawled out of bed, I felt surprisingly alert, strong & full of energy by the time I got on the bike -

5mins w/u
6 x 4mins efforts/2mins recovery
5mins c/d
Total: 46mins

then 15mins stretching & into the shower, all before 6am ! I was supposed to run this morning but instead of getting into my post-run shower at 6.15am, I was in my car on the way to work. Grrr. End of financial year is not my most favourite time of year.....

The weather has played havoc with my rockclimbing course - tomorrow's session has been cancelled but at this stage, Sunday is still on. The idea of rockclimbing scares me - but I'm not that disappointed that tomorrow has been cancelled - it means I get to go for a trail run instead :-) Now I've just got to decide where.....

MTD: 39.44k

Unrecognisable

Sometimes I don't recognise myself. I don't think that I've changed in the last year so much as grown closer to the 'real' me - or perhaps I have just learnt to be true to myself. Amongst many other things. I am now doing the things & living the life that I have always wanted but, for one reason or another, never allowed myself to do or have. Or maybe it is just that the old me was kidnapped & this 'new & improved' Jen has been left here in my (her) place, ; -) The 'old' Jen for example would not have signed up to do this in September and she sure-as-hell would never have signed up to do this (*gulp*) this weekend ! :-)

...and I aint seen the sunshine since I dont know when...

A very nice quiet & relaxing (long) weekend after what can only be described as a feral week at work (with another to come next week). After a sleep-in & lunch with my mum, on Saturday afternoon I headed over to the pool for a swim. I have no idea why there weren't more people there - the water in the pool was much warmer that the stuff falling from the sky
outside. Finished with 1.5k - I'm not sure how long it took as I had left my watch at home. I then headed home to do some core work on the swiss ball, my glute exercises & stretches. Phew.
Sunday morning, I had planned to go for a run but quickly discovered that my glutes were rather sore after yesterday's session. Given my ITBs are a bit tight at the moment, the last thing I need to be doing at this moment is running on fatigued glutes - so discretion won out & I rolled over & when back to sleep :-) I spent the afternoon watching a show on Foxtel about an Everest expedition so I dusted Apollo off & spent 75mins on the trainer in front of the telly. Let me say it has been a long time since I spent that long on my bike (*ouch*).

Today, it was time for a run. I opted for a short run this weekend as I have been a bit plagued with tight calves since the Nosh. I headed out on a 10k loop around scenic & smelly Llandilo. Finished with 9.61k in 63:53mins (6.38min/k av).

I have decided not to do W2G in 2 weeks. My only goal for the next 11 weeks is to get to the start line of W2B in the best possible shape & I'm not convinced that W2G at this stage of my preparation serves that purpose. Instead I'm planning to head to Canberra in July for the 25k Bush Capital trail run & am looking forward to catching up with a few people (*waves*).

MTD: 34.49k

Magic

I have felt displaced since I returned from Nepal - as though my world has been shaken. I am seeing things - life - people - much differently now. Until I read this yesterday, I haven't been able to find the words to describe how I have been feeling -

Most people in our society will never experience the adventure that still exists in places other than King's Cross and, for a privileged few, in space rides to the moon. This is our world. Its benefits are enormous, but so are its dangers. The dangers are those of existing for personal security and comfort, of remaining unaware of other sides to life. We worry whether our clothes and cars and emotions and opinions match the current fashion. We allow these things to assume more importance than the magic of being alive. Meanwhile most people on earth manage to live full lives with only the simplest of trappings. Living the city life it is easy to forget that humanity is not the centre of the universe.

Beyond the suburbs the bush begins. Our lifestyle does no more than acknowledge the existence of wild places. For most, the bush is seen as the distance between two towns, or as a place for a picnic, or to drive through for a change of air. Yet the stillness of green forest smells of life so much more than the noise and haste of concrete jungles. Mountains radiate a sense of timelessness. They are harsher than the forests, less malleable to the whims of industry. In the high mountains there is no question of values. Humans are simply insignificant. In the wilderness we can feel that something larger than us exists, and it is detached from our petty ambitions and frustrations, independent of our complex society. Reality "is", although we cannot describe it with words or photographs or mathematics. The need to seek out this essence has driven people from the comforts of civilised life to the remotest mountains and widest oceans. The struggle for the right to live is the ultimate challenge of life. People in our society are fortunate to be able to choose that challenge, when so much of the world faces the fight to live every day.

Fishnets, Dumplings & Depp

What more could a girl need or want? ;-)

Thanks to everyone for the comments & the reminders that it was actually a pretty good run under the circumstances.

A few Q&A's first -

Ewen - unfortunately there will be no Six Foot for me next year. A close friend has decided to get married on the same date. And unfortunately I'm not about to break the race record enabling me to run the race and attend the wedding :-(

Rags - no, I didn't catch Owly. She finished about 6mins ahead of me - I wasn't joking when I said she was flying!

Hamburglar - "Nosh" is unrelated to the post-race tradition (the consumption of bacon & egg rolls) but has something to do with the former name of the orienteering club which holds the event - but exactly what I can't remember now...

Some might call my week so far 'lazy' - I prefer to think of it as 'recovery' :-) Monday was a rest day. Tuesday I just managed to drag my butt out of bed at 5am for a 40mins spin (high cadence) on the trainer to get the blood flowing through the legs again while watching a doco on Everest :-) I pulled up from the Great Nosh pretty well actually - some lower leg tightness which an hour in the Tiger's lair later in the today sorted out. Wednesday became another rest day when work got in the way of my plans for a weights session. Today I had an appointment with Saint Andrew after work so I drove to Rozelle & then ran to work in slight, misty rain. 5km in 31mins felt surprisingly easy, at least until a touch of what Ellie would call 'vanity fartlek' which unfortunately coincided with a big hill…. ;-) Friday will be another rest day thanks to back to back meetings - ai ai ai. But I have a few things planned for the weekend which will get me moving again - including the re-introduction of the functional (glute/core strengthening) exercises which I have neglected since before Six Foot. If I am ever going to solve my ITB problems (which really has been an issue for me since I started running) then it is something that needs to become a priority.

I'm still undecided as to whether to do W2G (25k trail race) in just over 2 weeks. I do have a back-up 25k trail race in July planned as part of my W2B preparations. Perhaps it's not the best idea at the moment - but when has that ever stopped me ;-)

And in more news, my firm has agreed to sponsor its employees to enter the City 2 Surf this year. Noice!

MTD: 24.88k

NOSHing with mojo

It's been an interesting day - weekend - really. I've been a bit lacking in my running mojo lately - combined with being in a 'fugly' mood, I wasn't really looking forward to this race (despite the fact that it was one of my favourite races of last year). If it wasn't for the fact that I had arranged to stay at Owly's place on Saturday night & give her a lift to the race on Sunday, I would have stayed at home in bed instead. Thankfully Owly's company, advice & simple presence always manages to sooth a savage Jen - thanks (((Owly))) - so I arrived at the start, still lacking mojo, but at least somewhat closer to being on an even keel.

After starting at the back of the pack, Owly took off & I could not keep up with her - she was flying! I tried to settle into my run but I couldn't. I could spin it & say that I was running conservatively but the truth is that I was being lazy - I was happy to sit behind people kinda sorta running at my pace rather than overtake them, particularly on the sections I know that I run well. I just didn't really want to be out there.

Thankfully I found my mojo somewhere around the 8km mark after taking a wrong turn. I got back on course & found that I had no-one in front of me for a downhill technical section - I love running fast downhill - so I flew down there & suddenly remembered why I love trail running. My mojo returned shortly thereafter. I ran the rest of the race strongly, much better than I did last year. I set my sights on my course PB but finished in 1:55:18 (about 90sec outside last years time). I was annoyed that I missed my course PB but given my laziness in the first half of the race and the fact that I haven't run further than 6k in the last 3 months since Six Foot, I am happy with that result. My left PF is a bit tight but I'm pleased to say that there were no complaints from my ITBs :-)



12 weeks to go to Willy 2 Billy - a race I missed last year - today was a good start to my campaign.

MTD: 19.68k - it's only the 3rd & already more kms than last month !

What the hell are you waiting for ?

Hamburglar, yes I made it into double figures for the month of May -18kms :-)

My first full (5 day) working week in 2 months now - phew, no wonder I'm tired tonight :-)

An easy 30min run at 5.15am this morning on the first day of winter. Must remember my new Nepal-induced mantra about cold weather over the next 3 months - it's not cold until you can't feel your toes for in excess of 12 hours :-)

Niggle free & ready to nosh on Sunday!

MTD: 4.68k