Well in the end I decided discretion was better than stoopidity so I didn't ski or snowboard on the weekend - but I did have lots of fun - and food :-)
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Bunnies & angels
Well in the end I decided discretion was better than stoopidity so I didn't ski or snowboard on the weekend - but I did have lots of fun - and food :-)
Friday, August 17, 2007
These days turned out nothing like I had planned...
I had another wonderful weekend last weekend. On Saturday, after asleep-in & lounging on the couch reading the papers, I did 70mins on Apollo as planned before later in the afternoon heading in with R to pick Owly up, and then drop in & chat to Ellie before arriving at Chez Lulu ahead of evening of pizza, wine & catching up with some of my favourite people.
After everyone headed off to the start of C2S on Sunday morning, I walked down to Bondi, bought the papers & sat in one of the cafes on the south side of Bondi overlooking the water & had a lovely & leisurely breakfast. About an hour, breakfast, 2 coffees & 2 newspapers later, I walked down (up?) to the northern end of the beach to meet the rest of the cheersquad. A few memorable moments - though I could really have done without seeing 3 Borat's in, um, full flight though. Ick. After the race it was off to the pub to catch up with everyone & admire and covet a few nice shiny buckles ;-)
A swim (1.25k), laziness, chocolate souffle, tiredness & other 'stuff' (including of course my glute/core stuff) have been the order of this week. I sat down on Wednesday & wrote out a rough outline of a program (it still needs a few details) so I actually have some degree of structure to my training as opposed to my current 'whatever mood takes me' approach - particularly given that it will be some months before I am running long again. The program however somewhat resembles a program that a triathlete might have - well, except for the lack of running ;-)
Leaving work a bit early today (Friday) to head down to the snowy mountains & Canberra for the weekend. I have never been down to the snowy mountains (a disgrace, I know). So there will no training (except for my glute/core exercises) and my first skiing and/or snowboarding experience - though between you & me, I'd prefer to be climbing up the mountains... ;-) My hip has been feeling really good the last week - hopefully it (and all my other bones & ligaments) will still be fine on Monday morning :-)
After everyone headed off to the start of C2S on Sunday morning, I walked down to Bondi, bought the papers & sat in one of the cafes on the south side of Bondi overlooking the water & had a lovely & leisurely breakfast. About an hour, breakfast, 2 coffees & 2 newspapers later, I walked down (up?) to the northern end of the beach to meet the rest of the cheersquad. A few memorable moments - though I could really have done without seeing 3 Borat's in, um, full flight though. Ick. After the race it was off to the pub to catch up with everyone & admire and covet a few nice shiny buckles ;-)
A swim (1.25k), laziness, chocolate souffle, tiredness & other 'stuff' (including of course my glute/core stuff) have been the order of this week. I sat down on Wednesday & wrote out a rough outline of a program (it still needs a few details) so I actually have some degree of structure to my training as opposed to my current 'whatever mood takes me' approach - particularly given that it will be some months before I am running long again. The program however somewhat resembles a program that a triathlete might have - well, except for the lack of running ;-)
Leaving work a bit early today (Friday) to head down to the snowy mountains & Canberra for the weekend. I have never been down to the snowy mountains (a disgrace, I know). So there will no training (except for my glute/core exercises) and my first skiing and/or snowboarding experience - though between you & me, I'd prefer to be climbing up the mountains... ;-) My hip has been feeling really good the last week - hopefully it (and all my other bones & ligaments) will still be fine on Monday morning :-)
Friday, August 10, 2007
Two steps forward....
zero steps back this week - woohoo! I'm quite excited to report that after 5 weeks off running, I am finally making progress. I'm still not running but the pain/niggle/discomfort in my hip has decreased over the last two weeks and hopefully I'll get the ok to start running again in about 2 weeks time. That probably sounds like I've missed running - in all honesty, I haven't. I am not at all frustrated by the fact that I'm not running at the moment. I've been riding or swimming almost every day - besides, it's still bloody cold in Penriff at 5am!
Zoe, the Sydney to the Gong ride is just about the only thing on my radar at the moment :-)
Saturday 4/8
I had a fantastic weekend. Did 50mins LSDR on Apollo on Saturday morning as planned while watching The Last Samurai - IMHO the only decent movie that Tom has made other than Top Gun :-) The rest of the weekend was spent down the South Coast relaxing, eating & drinking :-)
Monday 6/8
Back to the gym for my now-usual exercises followed by a 1k swim.
Tuesday 7/8
40mins on Apollo at 75-80% MHR plus 5mins w/u & c/d at 5am.
Thursday 9/8
Interval session on Apollo at 5am -
5mins w/u
6mins - 30/30s
4 x 5mins efforts/2min recovery
6mins - 30/30s
5mins c/u
Total: 50mins.
Back to Brad the super physio on Thursday lunch where he loudly declared, after watching the video he had taken of me running, "now that is a runner", LOL. The difference is really quite incredible - significantly less curvature in my lower back (I have/had far too much) and less dropping of my right hip when viewed from behind (though it still drops a touch too far). I left with instructions to continue with the current program for the next 2 weeks with the addition of 2 more exercises to do on a daily basis - that gives me I think 7 exercises (2-3 sets each) to do on a daily basis with another 2 exercises (3 sets) to do 3 x per week. Good thing I'm not running - I don't have the time with all this strengthening stuff ;-) I will have buns & abs of steel by the time I'm running again! I've still got some way to go but his comments after seeing the video & the fact that I was able to run for 4mins on the treadmill almost pain free (for the first time in 5 weeks) has left me feeling really positive. My hip was niggling a touch later in the afternoon but a definite improvement after last week.
Today (Friday) 10/8
Back to the gym after work for the usual hammy/quad/butt stuff followed by a very scenic 1.5k swim.
Saturday morning will bring a sleep-in and a 70mins ride on Apollo followed by the usual glute/core stuff. Then later in the afternoon it's off to Chez Lulu. Lulu has kindly offered her compound to Owly, Miners, Go Girl, R & I for a pre-C2S slumber party. Of course I'm the only one not running so everyone else can watch Ellie & I drink on Saturday night - that's only fair I think given that we have to listen to them talk about their runs on Sunday. On Sunday morning while the others head into the city for the start of the C2S, I think I'll walk down to Bondi for a relaxing & peaceful breakfast overlooking the water and then head up to join the cheersquad before all those stinky smelly runners arrive ;-)
MTDS: 5.25k
Zoe, the Sydney to the Gong ride is just about the only thing on my radar at the moment :-)
Saturday 4/8
I had a fantastic weekend. Did 50mins LSDR on Apollo on Saturday morning as planned while watching The Last Samurai - IMHO the only decent movie that Tom has made other than Top Gun :-) The rest of the weekend was spent down the South Coast relaxing, eating & drinking :-)
Monday 6/8
Back to the gym for my now-usual exercises followed by a 1k swim.
Tuesday 7/8
40mins on Apollo at 75-80% MHR plus 5mins w/u & c/d at 5am.
Thursday 9/8
Interval session on Apollo at 5am -
5mins w/u
6mins - 30/30s
4 x 5mins efforts/2min recovery
6mins - 30/30s
5mins c/u
Total: 50mins.
Back to Brad the super physio on Thursday lunch where he loudly declared, after watching the video he had taken of me running, "now that is a runner", LOL. The difference is really quite incredible - significantly less curvature in my lower back (I have/had far too much) and less dropping of my right hip when viewed from behind (though it still drops a touch too far). I left with instructions to continue with the current program for the next 2 weeks with the addition of 2 more exercises to do on a daily basis - that gives me I think 7 exercises (2-3 sets each) to do on a daily basis with another 2 exercises (3 sets) to do 3 x per week. Good thing I'm not running - I don't have the time with all this strengthening stuff ;-) I will have buns & abs of steel by the time I'm running again! I've still got some way to go but his comments after seeing the video & the fact that I was able to run for 4mins on the treadmill almost pain free (for the first time in 5 weeks) has left me feeling really positive. My hip was niggling a touch later in the afternoon but a definite improvement after last week.
Today (Friday) 10/8
Back to the gym after work for the usual hammy/quad/butt stuff followed by a very scenic 1.5k swim.
Saturday morning will bring a sleep-in and a 70mins ride on Apollo followed by the usual glute/core stuff. Then later in the afternoon it's off to Chez Lulu. Lulu has kindly offered her compound to Owly, Miners, Go Girl, R & I for a pre-C2S slumber party. Of course I'm the only one not running so everyone else can watch Ellie & I drink on Saturday night - that's only fair I think given that we have to listen to them talk about their runs on Sunday. On Sunday morning while the others head into the city for the start of the C2S, I think I'll walk down to Bondi for a relaxing & peaceful breakfast overlooking the water and then head up to join the cheersquad before all those stinky smelly runners arrive ;-)
MTDS: 5.25k
Friday, August 03, 2007
The goldfish effect
Thanks to everyone for your comments, much appreciated. Thanks also to TD and FPT for your comments on bone scans. I am getting a wee bit concerned about my hip now. 4 weeks without running (5 weeks on Tuesday) & it still hurts to walk most of the time. I will see how it goes over the next 1-2 weeks but if there is no improvement, I'll be looking into the bone scan.
An update in brief - I've been swimming (3.75k this week) and done a lil bit of riding. If you want the extended version, read on -
Saturday 28/7 (Happy birthday Dad!)
30mins ride to test the hip. Good news is that Apollo doesn't seem to aggravate it so I'll be spending lots of time on him for the next little while. Stayed up to watch the TT at the TdF. Probably the best night of racing I've ever seen. Despite the drug controversy, I still think the TdF is the greatest sporting event in the world. And to top it off, we now have a rider who will one day end the race in yellow :-)
Sunday 29/7
After a sleep-in and a relaxing morning reading the papers, I went to the gym for the eccentric leg press/hammy curl followed by a 1k swim and then home for the balance of my glute/core exercises.
Monday 30/7
I had planned to get up and do a session on Apollo before work but the prospect of staying in bed proved far more enticing.
I don't think my arse has ever been more sore than it was today after using the 'unusual' leg press machine at the gym yesterday. Headed back to the physio at lunch and left with instructions to continue with the same program for the next 10 days. I ran for a whole 4mins on the treadmill. There was still a noticeable niggle in my hip but it had improved from last week.
Tuesday 31/7
40mins on the bike followed by glute exercises before work. My hip became very painful in the afternoon.
Wednesday 1/8
Back to the gym after work tonight for eccentric leg press/hammy curl followed by 1.25k swim and then home to finish off the glute/core exercises. Yawn. I'm like a bloody goldfish when I get in the pool. My mind drifts off and I can never remember just how many laps I've done. I could have done 2k for all I knew...
Thursday 2/8
After 5mins on the bike in the gym last night, I've quickly discovered that the setup of the bike has an immediate & noticeable impact on my hip. Fortunately it seems to like Apollo so I was back on him this morning. All of my sessions recently have been steady state rides in an effort to ease the pressure on my hip. So today I tried an easyish interval session to test it out.
5mins w/u
5mins - 30/30s
3 x 5mins efforts w/ 1.30 recovery
5mins - 30/30s
5mins c/d
Total: 39.30mins
I didn't push the intervals too hard - my only goal for this session was to test out the hip & thankfully it went well.
Friday 3/8
Back to the gym after work for eccentric leg press & hammy curl followed by a scenic 1.5k swim and then home to finish off my glute/core exercises.
Tomorrow (Saturday) I've got an LSDR for 50min on Apollo planned before heading down the south coast for a relaxing weekend with R.
Interestingly I feel much more philosophical about my injury than I was when eg I had my ITB problem 18 months ago. Perhaps that comes from so much experience with injury. Yes, I am frustrated but hey, the world won't end tomorrow because I can't run, nor will I wake up fat tomorrow cause I haven't run for 4 weeks. I'll just keep doing what I'm doing & eventually I'll get there. Besides, my thoughts recently haven't been so much on a return to running but building a strong & function body for a few other adventures I have in mind...
MTDS: 2.75k
An update in brief - I've been swimming (3.75k this week) and done a lil bit of riding. If you want the extended version, read on -
Saturday 28/7 (Happy birthday Dad!)
30mins ride to test the hip. Good news is that Apollo doesn't seem to aggravate it so I'll be spending lots of time on him for the next little while. Stayed up to watch the TT at the TdF. Probably the best night of racing I've ever seen. Despite the drug controversy, I still think the TdF is the greatest sporting event in the world. And to top it off, we now have a rider who will one day end the race in yellow :-)
Sunday 29/7
After a sleep-in and a relaxing morning reading the papers, I went to the gym for the eccentric leg press/hammy curl followed by a 1k swim and then home for the balance of my glute/core exercises.
Monday 30/7
I had planned to get up and do a session on Apollo before work but the prospect of staying in bed proved far more enticing.
I don't think my arse has ever been more sore than it was today after using the 'unusual' leg press machine at the gym yesterday. Headed back to the physio at lunch and left with instructions to continue with the same program for the next 10 days. I ran for a whole 4mins on the treadmill. There was still a noticeable niggle in my hip but it had improved from last week.
Tuesday 31/7
40mins on the bike followed by glute exercises before work. My hip became very painful in the afternoon.
Wednesday 1/8
Back to the gym after work tonight for eccentric leg press/hammy curl followed by 1.25k swim and then home to finish off the glute/core exercises. Yawn. I'm like a bloody goldfish when I get in the pool. My mind drifts off and I can never remember just how many laps I've done. I could have done 2k for all I knew...
Thursday 2/8
After 5mins on the bike in the gym last night, I've quickly discovered that the setup of the bike has an immediate & noticeable impact on my hip. Fortunately it seems to like Apollo so I was back on him this morning. All of my sessions recently have been steady state rides in an effort to ease the pressure on my hip. So today I tried an easyish interval session to test it out.
5mins w/u
5mins - 30/30s
3 x 5mins efforts w/ 1.30 recovery
5mins - 30/30s
5mins c/d
Total: 39.30mins
I didn't push the intervals too hard - my only goal for this session was to test out the hip & thankfully it went well.
Friday 3/8
Back to the gym after work for eccentric leg press & hammy curl followed by a scenic 1.5k swim and then home to finish off my glute/core exercises.
Tomorrow (Saturday) I've got an LSDR for 50min on Apollo planned before heading down the south coast for a relaxing weekend with R.
Interestingly I feel much more philosophical about my injury than I was when eg I had my ITB problem 18 months ago. Perhaps that comes from so much experience with injury. Yes, I am frustrated but hey, the world won't end tomorrow because I can't run, nor will I wake up fat tomorrow cause I haven't run for 4 weeks. I'll just keep doing what I'm doing & eventually I'll get there. Besides, my thoughts recently haven't been so much on a return to running but building a strong & function body for a few other adventures I have in mind...
MTDS: 2.75k
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
We have the technology to rebuild her...
Well the good news is that my physio doesn't think I have a stress fracture :-) He thinks that I have tendonitis (or is it tendonosis - I forget) in my hip flexors, TLF and/or psoas together with some irritation or inflammation in my hip socket. All I know is that 3mins 30sec running on the treadmill at the physio's on Monday just about crippled me for the next 48 hours. So...all future races have been wiped from my diary (again) & with a medium-term view in mind, we have kicked off "Operation - Rebuild Jen". I'll spend the next month - at least - focusing on rebuilding my recalcitrant "postural habits" (thanks ET) and body - which basically means not only strengthening my glutes & core but getting my glutes to fire when they are supposed to and getting my pelvis back to a more "runner friendly" angle. So ahead of me I've got a daily glute/core strengthening session, a trip to the gym 3 times a week for a few more quad/hammy/core exercises and (hopefully) a few very short runs. I'm not sure whether the bike will aggravate my hip or not but I'll find out this weekend. I'm also planning to get back in the pool a couple of times each week to try
and keep at least some degree of aerobic fitness.
Talk about Groundhog Dog. Ho hum. Still it will give me time to focus on a few other rewarding & fulfilling projects I have in mind....
and keep at least some degree of aerobic fitness.
Talk about Groundhog Dog. Ho hum. Still it will give me time to focus on a few other rewarding & fulfilling projects I have in mind....
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Home sweet home
Don't ask !
The battle of the flags...
Canola fields..
More canola...
What can I say - there was a lot of canola !
Meet Rocky...
and Bullwinkle :-)
Momma moose & baby moose
Sunset on Clear Lake in the Riding Mountains National Park
Dusk at Clear Lake
Saturday, July 21, 2007
I'm on the road again....
Sitting in the Plaza Premium lounge at Vancouver International airport. Happy days. Why there aren't more pay-per-use lounges in airports around the world is completely beyond me. All for the cost of $CAD30, I get unlimited food, drink & internet use, comfortable lounges to relax in (as opposed to the usual hard, uncomfortable plastic ones found in airports the world over) and - perhaps best of all - a shower; a particular favourite given that I'm already 10 hours into my journey home with another 5 hours here in Vancouver before my 19 hour flight home.
A crazy amount of travelling in a period of 10 days but completely worth it. There were tears when I left M & E this morning (both M's & mine) but plans are in the making for me to make a return visit for my first white Christmas. At least with the weather getting down to -50 degrees, there won't be much running on that trip either ;-)
A few photos to follow once I (get home before we return to regular broadcasting with a new blog name - Jen_swims.....
A crazy amount of travelling in a period of 10 days but completely worth it. There were tears when I left M & E this morning (both M's & mine) but plans are in the making for me to make a return visit for my first white Christmas. At least with the weather getting down to -50 degrees, there won't be much running on that trip either ;-)
A few photos to follow once I (get home before we return to regular broadcasting with a new blog name - Jen_swims.....
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Safe & sound eh?
Well I'm safe & sound and back in small town Manitoba after spending the last four days at the town of Wasagaming at Clear Lake in the Riding Mountains National Park. To use the word 'mountains' in the name of the national park is more a reflection of the fact that it is slightly elevated & somewhat hilly when compared to the rest of the province rather than as a descriptive term. The province of Manitoba is beautiful - dead flat, 'prairie' country with fields of canola, which flowers in an almost fluorescent yellow colour, in full bloom. Our cabin at the lake was beautiful and the lake itself is stunning - (as the name would suggest) clear and clean, surrounded by a national park full of elk, moose, deer, coyotes, bison and squirrells (all of which I've seen) and bears and skunks (which I didn't see). I've basically spent the last four days eating, drinking, sleeping, going on walks around the town (most of which included a trip to the ice cream shop), going on drives through the national park in the hope of seeing some of the wildlife & catching up with both families. The weather has also been perfect - Sunday morning we had rain (perfect for testing out the fireplace in the cabin & curling up in front of it with a good book) but otherwise the weather has been clear, still and in the high 20s to low 30s. After getting back this afternoon, we spent a couple of hours in deckchairs at M's place overlooking the river with a glass of vino - or two - in hand while the weather hovered in the mid-20s. Ahhhhhh. What a way to spend a week.
As I mentioned, there were fortunately no encounters with either bears or skunks - though the fact that I only ran once for 20mins somewhat reduced the odds. My hip is not happy - the less the said the better right now. I did make it to the gym on Friday for an upper body weights session and will get back there again before leaving for home on Friday. And yes, the gym is located in a women's clothing store. Strange but true. I've done nothing but eat since I got on the plane - E's mum is a great cook and has fed us pineapple upside-down cake, butter tarts, raspberry & coconut tarts and banana muffins to name a few things over the last few days. With my hip the way it is, it looks like I'll soon be a regular visitor at the pool to work off some of the weight that I've packed on. Oh well, life is short & I'm on holidays :-)
As I mentioned, there were fortunately no encounters with either bears or skunks - though the fact that I only ran once for 20mins somewhat reduced the odds. My hip is not happy - the less the said the better right now. I did make it to the gym on Friday for an upper body weights session and will get back there again before leaving for home on Friday. And yes, the gym is located in a women's clothing store. Strange but true. I've done nothing but eat since I got on the plane - E's mum is a great cook and has fed us pineapple upside-down cake, butter tarts, raspberry & coconut tarts and banana muffins to name a few things over the last few days. With my hip the way it is, it looks like I'll soon be a regular visitor at the pool to work off some of the weight that I've packed on. Oh well, life is short & I'm on holidays :-)
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Maple syrup, maple leaves & me - greetings from Canada !
Surprise :-)
I am writing this from the beautiful state of Manitoba in Canada. For those who don't know where that is, get an atlas ;-)
My "baby" brother and only sibling M turns 30 this Sunday. M moved to Canada last year to live with his Canadian girlfriend, E. We are a very close family so my folks decided that M couldn't celebrate his 30th birthday without them. Just after I got back from Nepal, I decided that there was no way I was missing out on the big party so I applied for unpaid leave & booked myself an expensive flight - 6 weeks, 5 plane meals, 4 hours hanging out in Vancouver airport, 3 flights and a 2 hour drive later, here I am :-)
I flew into Winnipeg (via Honolulu via Vancouver) after about 28 hours travelling at about 8pm last night (Thursday) where my folks were waiting to pick me up from the airport (they have been travelling in the USA for a few weeks) for the long drive to M's house. With the assistance of E, we had managed to keep our visit a sekrit so you can imagine my brother's surprise when he answered a late night knock at the front door and discovered my folks standing there - I was hiding in the garden around the corner & walked in the house about 5mins later for a second surprise :-) What came out of his mouth when he saw me will be part of family folklore for years to come ;-) Due to a distinct lack of annual leave, unfortunately I only have a few days here before heading home but my folks are staying for a few weeks before continuing their travels.
Of course it's summer over here at the moment which makes a nice change from Sydney's weather. Today it will be in the high 20s with weather in the 30s expected. Bewdiful :-)
Despite sitting on my butt for 30 odd hours to get here, my hip has improved considerably. I was tempted to head out for a run this morning but decided to give it another days rest & stretching before heading out for a short (test) run. I have been warned to keep an eye out for skunks when I do head out for a run. Ai ai ai. M & E live in a very small town - there is a 'gym' but it is apparently part of a woman's clothing store. Weird. I'll head down there a little later to do my physio-ordered stuff & an upper body weights session check it out.
We are heading off tomorrow to spend a couple of days at cabins by a lake in the national park a couple of hours drive away. Apparently the park has 400k of trails so finding somewhere to go for a run (assuming my hip co-operates) should not be difficult. However this is Canada and you know what that means...
Yes, that's right.
Bears.
Black bears to be precise.
Holy guacamole Batman.
I have closely studied the 'You are in Black Bear Country" brochure issued by the park, paying particular attention to the "If you encounter a bear" and "If an attack occurs" sections - did you know that there is a very big difference between what your response should be if it is a defensive or offensive attack? No? Me neither. I also have to carry a bear bell - yes a bell designed to warn bears of my presence in the area which makes an incredibly annoying yet hopefully effective noise. I must
say the prospect of coming across a brown snake along a trail somewhere close to home doesn't seem so scary anymore....
I'm off to have a jet-lag induced nana nap before getting ready for M's birthday party tonight. We are heading up to the park tomorrow morning so if a bear happens to mistake my bear bell for an announcement that 'dinner is served', it's been nice knowing y'all ;-)
I am writing this from the beautiful state of Manitoba in Canada. For those who don't know where that is, get an atlas ;-)
My "baby" brother and only sibling M turns 30 this Sunday. M moved to Canada last year to live with his Canadian girlfriend, E. We are a very close family so my folks decided that M couldn't celebrate his 30th birthday without them. Just after I got back from Nepal, I decided that there was no way I was missing out on the big party so I applied for unpaid leave & booked myself an expensive flight - 6 weeks, 5 plane meals, 4 hours hanging out in Vancouver airport, 3 flights and a 2 hour drive later, here I am :-)
I flew into Winnipeg (via Honolulu via Vancouver) after about 28 hours travelling at about 8pm last night (Thursday) where my folks were waiting to pick me up from the airport (they have been travelling in the USA for a few weeks) for the long drive to M's house. With the assistance of E, we had managed to keep our visit a sekrit so you can imagine my brother's surprise when he answered a late night knock at the front door and discovered my folks standing there - I was hiding in the garden around the corner & walked in the house about 5mins later for a second surprise :-) What came out of his mouth when he saw me will be part of family folklore for years to come ;-) Due to a distinct lack of annual leave, unfortunately I only have a few days here before heading home but my folks are staying for a few weeks before continuing their travels.
Of course it's summer over here at the moment which makes a nice change from Sydney's weather. Today it will be in the high 20s with weather in the 30s expected. Bewdiful :-)
Despite sitting on my butt for 30 odd hours to get here, my hip has improved considerably. I was tempted to head out for a run this morning but decided to give it another days rest & stretching before heading out for a short (test) run. I have been warned to keep an eye out for skunks when I do head out for a run. Ai ai ai. M & E live in a very small town - there is a 'gym' but it is apparently part of a woman's clothing store. Weird. I'll head down there a little later to do my physio-ordered stuff & an upper body weights session check it out.
We are heading off tomorrow to spend a couple of days at cabins by a lake in the national park a couple of hours drive away. Apparently the park has 400k of trails so finding somewhere to go for a run (assuming my hip co-operates) should not be difficult. However this is Canada and you know what that means...
Yes, that's right.
Bears.
Black bears to be precise.
Holy guacamole Batman.
I have closely studied the 'You are in Black Bear Country" brochure issued by the park, paying particular attention to the "If you encounter a bear" and "If an attack occurs" sections - did you know that there is a very big difference between what your response should be if it is a defensive or offensive attack? No? Me neither. I also have to carry a bear bell - yes a bell designed to warn bears of my presence in the area which makes an incredibly annoying yet hopefully effective noise. I must
say the prospect of coming across a brown snake along a trail somewhere close to home doesn't seem so scary anymore....
I'm off to have a jet-lag induced nana nap before getting ready for M's birthday party tonight. We are heading up to the park tomorrow morning so if a bear happens to mistake my bear bell for an announcement that 'dinner is served', it's been nice knowing y'all ;-)
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
The nutcracker suite
I'm allowed to run Lulu but I can't because it (still) hurts to walk. My hip has however improved today but my plans to do the Bush Capital 25k are looking a little shaky right now - at the very least, I hope to be able to do the 16k option. Not being able to run or ride is really starting to annoy me - not least because I have been rather"undisciplined" when it comes to my eating habits since I got back from Nepal and I am about 2kgs heavier than I would like. Let's just say that watching yourself on a screen running on a treadmill wearing only a croptop & bike shorts is somewhat confronting.
I headed into the gym before work today for my glute/abs/quad/hammy physio-ordered session. I have to admit that I felt like a bit of a goose doing my 'movement exercises' in public. I'm basically trying to teach my body to (properly) transfer weight from one foot to the other. Who knew that I was able to get through 32 years of my life without knowing how ;-) I also spent 5mins on the treadmill practising my new running style. Don, it's not so much hips-forward as tilting my pelvis in the opposite direction to which it likes to sit,LOL. It feels very unco but the effects are immediately noticeable. The amount of rotation in my upper body - particularly in my arms - decreases considerably when I do it (properly). I was hoping to do an upper body weights session as well but ran out of time. After doing my glute/abs physio-ordered stuff at home on Tuesday night as well, my butt is toast - I think it's about to fall off in protest. One can only hope;-)
Thursday brings another long and busy day - is it too early to think about the weekend yet? :-)
I headed into the gym before work today for my glute/abs/quad/hammy physio-ordered session. I have to admit that I felt like a bit of a goose doing my 'movement exercises' in public. I'm basically trying to teach my body to (properly) transfer weight from one foot to the other. Who knew that I was able to get through 32 years of my life without knowing how ;-) I also spent 5mins on the treadmill practising my new running style. Don, it's not so much hips-forward as tilting my pelvis in the opposite direction to which it likes to sit,LOL. It feels very unco but the effects are immediately noticeable. The amount of rotation in my upper body - particularly in my arms - decreases considerably when I do it (properly). I was hoping to do an upper body weights session as well but ran out of time. After doing my glute/abs physio-ordered stuff at home on Tuesday night as well, my butt is toast - I think it's about to fall off in protest. One can only hope;-)
Thursday brings another long and busy day - is it too early to think about the weekend yet? :-)
Monday, July 09, 2007
Choc mud scones :-)
One of my many discoveries from the weekend.... ;-)
No Owly. Unfortunately the pinching in my hip didn't subside over the weekend so I had a very relaxing weekend, lounging around doing bugger all (except eating & drinking). Exactly what I needed after a few busy weeks.
I went to the physio this afternoon to go through the results of my biomechanical assessment. Ai ai ai. I have come away with a stack of glute, quad, hammy & abs strengthening exercises to do on a daily basis as well as a new running style which I need to practice on the treadmill at the gym. I basically need to focus on keeping my butt tucked in/under & is (surprisingly) bloody hard work right now. Of course I feel terribly unco. Still I have changed my running style before, I can do it again :-) Thankfully he didn't think it was necessary to back off the training at this stage so I still have my eye on W2B.
Another busy week ahead - I am itching to ride or run but think I will have to settle for working on my soon-to-be glutes/quads of steel & a few upper body weights session. At least the weather will warm up soon :-)
No Owly. Unfortunately the pinching in my hip didn't subside over the weekend so I had a very relaxing weekend, lounging around doing bugger all (except eating & drinking). Exactly what I needed after a few busy weeks.
I went to the physio this afternoon to go through the results of my biomechanical assessment. Ai ai ai. I have come away with a stack of glute, quad, hammy & abs strengthening exercises to do on a daily basis as well as a new running style which I need to practice on the treadmill at the gym. I basically need to focus on keeping my butt tucked in/under & is (surprisingly) bloody hard work right now. Of course I feel terribly unco. Still I have changed my running style before, I can do it again :-) Thankfully he didn't think it was necessary to back off the training at this stage so I still have my eye on W2B.
Another busy week ahead - I am itching to ride or run but think I will have to settle for working on my soon-to-be glutes/quads of steel & a few upper body weights session. At least the weather will warm up soon :-)
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Muse me
Thankfully a quiet week after the craziness of the last few weeks. I felt really tired & flat all week - not surprising I suppose given that the alarm went off at 3.20am on Monday morning so I would be ready for my 3.50am transfer from our hotel at Main Beach to the airport for my 6am flight! Needless to say, Monday was a long day at work...
After my run on Tuesday I have been experiencing some pinching in my hip - it feels like the head of my femur & hip socket aren't getting on very well - so except for an upper body weights session on Thursday, I've rested all week. R & I are heading down to Shellharbour for the weekend - my running shoes are packed but right now, I think the odds are stacked against a long run. Oh well, I'll just have to stay in bed instead ;-)
Today I went to see a physio recommended by Easy Tiger for a biomechanical assessment. ET suggested that while I was (relatively) injury-free, it might be a good time to get an assessment as he isn't convinced (nor am I) that we have solved the underlying source/cause of my (persistent) injury problems. I am very impressed with the physio - he takes a holistic approach (training, strengthening and running style) rather than just focusing on the symptoms. I'm heading back to see him on Monday to go through the footage he took of me running on the treadmill today & a program. I'm feeling positive that finally we might just be getting to source of my underlying problems - then look out world ;-P
After my run on Tuesday I have been experiencing some pinching in my hip - it feels like the head of my femur & hip socket aren't getting on very well - so except for an upper body weights session on Thursday, I've rested all week. R & I are heading down to Shellharbour for the weekend - my running shoes are packed but right now, I think the odds are stacked against a long run. Oh well, I'll just have to stay in bed instead ;-)
Today I went to see a physio recommended by Easy Tiger for a biomechanical assessment. ET suggested that while I was (relatively) injury-free, it might be a good time to get an assessment as he isn't convinced (nor am I) that we have solved the underlying source/cause of my (persistent) injury problems. I am very impressed with the physio - he takes a holistic approach (training, strengthening and running style) rather than just focusing on the symptoms. I'm heading back to see him on Monday to go through the footage he took of me running on the treadmill today & a program. I'm feeling positive that finally we might just be getting to source of my underlying problems - then look out world ;-P
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Living strong
Thanks for the toast Cirque ;-)
Not long after my post on Saturday, Cirque & I left Brisvegas & headed for the Gold Coast. Just as we arrived at Main Beach, we spotted Nando, Rags & Ellie out for a stroll. After lunch with them and some time spent by the pool reading the paper (ah, love Qld in winter!), it was off to the surf club for dinner. Sunday morning was a typical morning for a CR cheerleader - early start, walk to the start & then 5+ hours of cheering at the GCM. It's funny - people kept asking me why I wasn't running. For once I could say that I wasn't injured ;-) But having done all of my long runs on trails over the last 4 weeks has really reaffirmed that road races hold absolutely no appeal for me - if I have choice (as I did this weekend) between a trail run & a (road) race, well there really is no contest.
After the race it was back to the unit for a shower before heading back to the surf club for some more food (an overwhelming theme of the weekend) and catching up with some of my favourite CRs. I had a wonderful weekend though it was somewhat overshadowed by news that a friend had a rather nasty stack off his bike on Sunday - thankfully he is ok :-)
Today I was very tempted to stay in bed but managed to drag myself out just after 5am for an easy 30mins. A few lil tight spots but nothing that an hour with the Tiger didn't solve. Finished with 4.59km in 30:12mins (av 6:34m/k).
MTD: 4.59K
Not long after my post on Saturday, Cirque & I left Brisvegas & headed for the Gold Coast. Just as we arrived at Main Beach, we spotted Nando, Rags & Ellie out for a stroll. After lunch with them and some time spent by the pool reading the paper (ah, love Qld in winter!), it was off to the surf club for dinner. Sunday morning was a typical morning for a CR cheerleader - early start, walk to the start & then 5+ hours of cheering at the GCM. It's funny - people kept asking me why I wasn't running. For once I could say that I wasn't injured ;-) But having done all of my long runs on trails over the last 4 weeks has really reaffirmed that road races hold absolutely no appeal for me - if I have choice (as I did this weekend) between a trail run & a (road) race, well there really is no contest.
After the race it was back to the unit for a shower before heading back to the surf club for some more food (an overwhelming theme of the weekend) and catching up with some of my favourite CRs. I had a wonderful weekend though it was somewhat overshadowed by news that a friend had a rather nasty stack off his bike on Sunday - thankfully he is ok :-)
Today I was very tempted to stay in bed but managed to drag myself out just after 5am for an easy 30mins. A few lil tight spots but nothing that an hour with the Tiger didn't solve. Finished with 4.59km in 30:12mins (av 6:34m/k).
MTD: 4.59K
Saturday, June 30, 2007
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
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
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
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
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
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
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
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
Saturday, June 23, 2007
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.
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
Sunday, June 17, 2007
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....
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....
Saturday, June 16, 2007
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
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
Friday, June 15, 2007
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
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
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
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 ! :-)
Monday, June 11, 2007
...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
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
Sunday, June 10, 2007
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.
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.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
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
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
Sunday, June 03, 2007
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 !
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 !
Friday, June 01, 2007
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
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
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Stirring
Back into the consistent training - it's been a while. Feeling very tired tonight thanks to a combination of a bit of insomnia, crazy work loads & a few late nights & early mornings. But I am slowly but surely getting my groove back. I just hope it arrives before Sunday....
After skipping yoga on Monday morning after a restless nights sleep, I headed to the gym at lunch for a weights session (back/bis/core). I was surprised at how strong I felt given that its been over 5 weeks since my last weights session. But thinking about it, using a walking pole to pull myself through the Himalayas for 3 weeks was probably a good substitute!
Tuesday morning it was back to the gym, this time for an interval session on the bike -
5mins w/u
6 x 4mins efforts (L10) w/ 2mins recovery
5mins c/d
Total: 46mins
Today after another late night, I dragged my butt out of bed for a run. I'm glad I did - it was a beautiful mild, clear morning - very different from the pea-soup fog that I drove through at the same time (5am) yesterday morning. I really struggled to get going but eventually got my act together. I also managed to get lost (again) - the second time I've done that since I got back from my trip. As 2P would say, I zigged when I should have zagged - all the roundabouts & McMansions around here look the same! So much for being mindful - next time I must pay attention to where I am & not dream about great adventures..... Finished with about 6kms which I think is probably my longest niggle-free run since Six Foot. About bloody time too...
After skipping yoga on Monday morning after a restless nights sleep, I headed to the gym at lunch for a weights session (back/bis/core). I was surprised at how strong I felt given that its been over 5 weeks since my last weights session. But thinking about it, using a walking pole to pull myself through the Himalayas for 3 weeks was probably a good substitute!
Tuesday morning it was back to the gym, this time for an interval session on the bike -
5mins w/u
6 x 4mins efforts (L10) w/ 2mins recovery
5mins c/d
Total: 46mins
Today after another late night, I dragged my butt out of bed for a run. I'm glad I did - it was a beautiful mild, clear morning - very different from the pea-soup fog that I drove through at the same time (5am) yesterday morning. I really struggled to get going but eventually got my act together. I also managed to get lost (again) - the second time I've done that since I got back from my trip. As 2P would say, I zigged when I should have zagged - all the roundabouts & McMansions around here look the same! So much for being mindful - next time I must pay attention to where I am & not dream about great adventures..... Finished with about 6kms which I think is probably my longest niggle-free run since Six Foot. About bloody time too...
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Me, myself & I
Well I've been home 2 weeks now. I have found it hard to adjust to life here again. I am finding it very distressing as I realise the extent to which we fail to recognise our blessings & the opportunities we have. But I also recognise that there is nothing I can do here except ensure that I live a rich & full life & use my resources - my blessings & opportunities - to enhance the lives of those less fortunate. Stay tuned because soon I'll be asking anyone reading this to do the same....
The first week when I wasn't working I was lying on the couch or sleeping. Between the chest infection, post-holiday fatigue & a dose of "Bangkok Belly" that I picked up in, well, Bangkok on the way home, I wasn't a particularly well girl. So I made the difficult decision not to travel up to Brisbane with Owly for the Warwick Penath-run weekend. It is a fantastic weekend & I was very sorry to miss it. However it was the right decision - after 4 days of resting, I headed back to work on Tuesday morning (I'd taken Fri & Mon off due to Warwick), I was feeling much better.
This week I've slowly been easing back into the training. After not running for 6 weeks, I headed out last Sunday for a short run. I was surprised that despite having trekked around 250k up & down the Himalayas, a short 20mins run left me with some DOMS. A good reminder of the pounding that the body takes thanks to running - and to resume my stretching regime. I've followed this up with another 2 short runs this week - the longest being 30mins this morning - and an upper body weights session on Thursday. No complaints from the body and with my cough slowly residing, the effects of all that altitude training is becoming noticeable which should come in handy with the Great Nosh (a 15k trail run) next Sunday. I've done bugger all running since Six Foot so it's gunna be interesting.....
The first week when I wasn't working I was lying on the couch or sleeping. Between the chest infection, post-holiday fatigue & a dose of "Bangkok Belly" that I picked up in, well, Bangkok on the way home, I wasn't a particularly well girl. So I made the difficult decision not to travel up to Brisbane with Owly for the Warwick Penath-run weekend. It is a fantastic weekend & I was very sorry to miss it. However it was the right decision - after 4 days of resting, I headed back to work on Tuesday morning (I'd taken Fri & Mon off due to Warwick), I was feeling much better.
This week I've slowly been easing back into the training. After not running for 6 weeks, I headed out last Sunday for a short run. I was surprised that despite having trekked around 250k up & down the Himalayas, a short 20mins run left me with some DOMS. A good reminder of the pounding that the body takes thanks to running - and to resume my stretching regime. I've followed this up with another 2 short runs this week - the longest being 30mins this morning - and an upper body weights session on Thursday. No complaints from the body and with my cough slowly residing, the effects of all that altitude training is becoming noticeable which should come in handy with the Great Nosh (a 15k trail run) next Sunday. I've done bugger all running since Six Foot so it's gunna be interesting.....
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Encore
Ewen - the sky is the limit :-)
Cho La pass (5420m)
Stay tuned - we return shortly to our regular programming...
Cho La pass (5420m)
Stay tuned - we return shortly to our regular programming...
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Back by popular request....
Welcome home David Hicks.
And a few more photos -
The stupa at Bodhnath (Boudha) in Kathmandu, one of the world's largest. It is believed that the first stupa built on the site was built around 600AD.
Lukla airport. Someone described landing at Lukla as 'thrilling'. They weren't kidding.
At Everest Base Camp
The view from my tent after an afternoon snow fall at Monjo (el.2835m)
The view from the tent the next morning after the weather cleared..
The Gokyo valley from Gokyo Ri (el. 5360m)
Chomolungma - Everest - from Gokyo Ri (el. 5360m)
Cho Oyo (the 8th highest mountain in the world) looking down over the Ngozumpa glacier.
On the Cho La pass (el.5420m), looking down the valley to Ama Dadlam. Our next campsite is the orange dot in the centre of the valley.
Another view from the tent, this time at Dzongla (el.4830).
And yes Tess, I have plans to get a little higher than Base Camp :-)
And a few more photos -
The stupa at Bodhnath (Boudha) in Kathmandu, one of the world's largest. It is believed that the first stupa built on the site was built around 600AD.
Lukla airport. Someone described landing at Lukla as 'thrilling'. They weren't kidding.
At Everest Base Camp
The view from my tent after an afternoon snow fall at Monjo (el.2835m)
The view from the tent the next morning after the weather cleared..
The Gokyo valley from Gokyo Ri (el. 5360m)
Chomolungma - Everest - from Gokyo Ri (el. 5360m)
Cho Oyo (the 8th highest mountain in the world) looking down over the Ngozumpa glacier.
On the Cho La pass (el.5420m), looking down the valley to Ama Dadlam. Our next campsite is the orange dot in the centre of the valley.
Another view from the tent, this time at Dzongla (el.4830).
And yes Tess, I have plans to get a little higher than Base Camp :-)
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
The Nepal report 2007
The body roams the mountains and the soul is set free
I saw this quote on my last day in Kathmandu. It sums up perfectly how I felt during my trip to Nepal.
I struggle to describe my trip to Nepal as a holiday. It was - by far - the hardest thing I have ever done (both physically & mentally) – ultimately we trekked somewhere around 250km. But it has been more than a holiday for me – more like a life changing experience. It taught me a lot about myself, how strong I am, how blessed I am & about the type of life I want for myself. As incredible as the scenery was, it was the people of Nepal who truly touched my heart with their generosity, compassion & passion for life.
I saw this quote on my last day in Kathmandu. It sums up perfectly how I felt during my trip to Nepal.
I struggle to describe my trip to Nepal as a holiday. It was - by far - the hardest thing I have ever done (both physically & mentally) – ultimately we trekked somewhere around 250km. But it has been more than a holiday for me – more like a life changing experience. It taught me a lot about myself, how strong I am, how blessed I am & about the type of life I want for myself. As incredible as the scenery was, it was the people of Nepal who truly touched my heart with their generosity, compassion & passion for life.
A 'few' photos - first we spent a few days in Kathmandu….
Downtown Kathmandu – being a Hindu country, cows are sacred in Nepal - you can serve jail time for killing one - so they basically have right of way & can often be found walking or laying down in the middle of major roads, completely oblivious to the traffic.
The first time I saw the recluse Chomolungma – Everest - on the trek from our camp to Namche Bazaar (el.3446m ) As I said, she was being a bit shy that day.
Our hotel at Namche Bazaar. The helicopter crashed there about 2 years ago but it is too expensive to remove it (it would need to be broken down into parts & carried out by porters) so it’s stayed.
Our campsite at Dole (el.4200m). False advertising I think 'cause I was looking but didn't find any yetis...
The view back down to the village of Gokyo - and our camp - el. 4790m, from the 'hill' known as Gokyo Ri (el. 5360m) which took us 3 very long hours to walk up. By far the hardest single thing - physically & mentally - I have ever done. I suppose the fact that at 5,500m there is only 50% of the oxygen at sea level didn't help either....
Still climbing...
Finally! On the top of Gokyo Ri (el. 5360). Everest is the peak over my left shoulder. And yes, it is as cold as it appears...
Contemplating Everest.
Snow climbing my way up to the Cho La pass (el.5420m). Yes, it is as steep as it appears!
On Cho La pass. I’d made the mistake of skipping through the snow to get in position for this photo. As I discovered, not an easy thing to do at that altitude...
At the top of Cho La, about the drop down into the next valley. Ama Dadham is at the head of the valley. Our next campsite is the dot of orange near my right hand.
At the top of Kala Pattar (el.5550m) Everest is trying to hide in the cloud immediately above my left shoulder. Everest Base Camp can just be seen to the left of the photo.
Everest poking her head out to say hello (over Nuptse) on the walk to Everest Base Camp
At Base Camp (el. 5364m)
Couldn't resist !
The view from our tent back at Namche Bazaar!
As I said, just a 'few' photos. If anyone wants to see a "few" more, email or PM me...
Righto, 'bout time this blog resumed its normal transmissions I suppose...
The first time I saw the recluse Chomolungma – Everest - on the trek from our camp to Namche Bazaar (el.3446m ) As I said, she was being a bit shy that day.
Our hotel at Namche Bazaar. The helicopter crashed there about 2 years ago but it is too expensive to remove it (it would need to be broken down into parts & carried out by porters) so it’s stayed.
Our campsite at Dole (el.4200m). False advertising I think 'cause I was looking but didn't find any yetis...
The view back down to the village of Gokyo - and our camp - el. 4790m, from the 'hill' known as Gokyo Ri (el. 5360m) which took us 3 very long hours to walk up. By far the hardest single thing - physically & mentally - I have ever done. I suppose the fact that at 5,500m there is only 50% of the oxygen at sea level didn't help either....
Still climbing...
Finally! On the top of Gokyo Ri (el. 5360). Everest is the peak over my left shoulder. And yes, it is as cold as it appears...
Contemplating Everest.
Snow climbing my way up to the Cho La pass (el.5420m). Yes, it is as steep as it appears!
On Cho La pass. I’d made the mistake of skipping through the snow to get in position for this photo. As I discovered, not an easy thing to do at that altitude...
At the top of Cho La, about the drop down into the next valley. Ama Dadham is at the head of the valley. Our next campsite is the dot of orange near my right hand.
At the top of Kala Pattar (el.5550m) Everest is trying to hide in the cloud immediately above my left shoulder. Everest Base Camp can just be seen to the left of the photo.
Everest poking her head out to say hello (over Nuptse) on the walk to Everest Base Camp
At Base Camp (el. 5364m)
Couldn't resist !
The view from our tent back at Namche Bazaar!As I said, just a 'few' photos. If anyone wants to see a "few" more, email or PM me...
Righto, 'bout time this blog resumed its normal transmissions I suppose...
Friday, May 11, 2007
Alive, well & showered :-)
Namaste!
Thanks to everyone for your comments - I have really appreciated them. A bit of 'home' during an adventure that has well & truly pushed me outside my comfort zone. Nothing like not showering for 17 days to make you feel 'precious' ;-)
Just a quick post - I am alive, well & back in Kathmandu after our trek. After seeing nothing moving faster than a Himalayan trail (ie a convoy of yaks) and hearing nothing louder than the bells they wear around their necks for 3 weeks, polluted & chaotic Kathmandu is proving to be somewhat of a culture shock.
I'm really struggling to find the words to describe the trek - I certainly can't in the time I have available now - suffice to say that it was by far the most difficult & challenging (both physically & mentally) thing I have ever done - but also the most rewarding & fulfilling. Nepal & particularly its people have touched my heart & soul. Apart from the scenery, it has been the interactions with the locals that have truly touched my heart. The Nepali are by far the most generous, humorous, good natured & beautiful people I have ever had the privilege of meeting. With porters who don't speak a word of English, I have played cards and also cricket with a bat made out of a tree stump - cricket I have to say becomes very difficult above 4,000m! I have been called 'didi' our young porters - kids under, say, 25 for whom western woman are still an object of fascination. The smiles on their faces when I responded with 'bhye' (meaning younger brother) were priceless & something I will always treasure.
I can't believe my time here is coming to an end - but I am already planning my next 2 visits here. This place has made such an impact on me that I know it is somewhere I will continue to visit time & time again. In the last few days I have also put into place plans to give something back to this wonderful country & to a few very special people which I am very excited to be involved with.
I'm flying back into Sydney on Sunday night so a full 'trek report' & photos will follow soon.
Thanks to everyone for your comments - I have really appreciated them. A bit of 'home' during an adventure that has well & truly pushed me outside my comfort zone. Nothing like not showering for 17 days to make you feel 'precious' ;-)
Just a quick post - I am alive, well & back in Kathmandu after our trek. After seeing nothing moving faster than a Himalayan trail (ie a convoy of yaks) and hearing nothing louder than the bells they wear around their necks for 3 weeks, polluted & chaotic Kathmandu is proving to be somewhat of a culture shock.
I'm really struggling to find the words to describe the trek - I certainly can't in the time I have available now - suffice to say that it was by far the most difficult & challenging (both physically & mentally) thing I have ever done - but also the most rewarding & fulfilling. Nepal & particularly its people have touched my heart & soul. Apart from the scenery, it has been the interactions with the locals that have truly touched my heart. The Nepali are by far the most generous, humorous, good natured & beautiful people I have ever had the privilege of meeting. With porters who don't speak a word of English, I have played cards and also cricket with a bat made out of a tree stump - cricket I have to say becomes very difficult above 4,000m! I have been called 'didi' our young porters - kids under, say, 25 for whom western woman are still an object of fascination. The smiles on their faces when I responded with 'bhye' (meaning younger brother) were priceless & something I will always treasure.
I can't believe my time here is coming to an end - but I am already planning my next 2 visits here. This place has made such an impact on me that I know it is somewhere I will continue to visit time & time again. In the last few days I have also put into place plans to give something back to this wonderful country & to a few very special people which I am very excited to be involved with.
I'm flying back into Sydney on Sunday night so a full 'trek report' & photos will follow soon.
Monday, April 23, 2007
A grand old dame
It's our rest day here at Namche Bazaar so I thought I'd take the chance to post again because it will be quite a while before I can again.
We are actually staying in a teahouse here in Namche. Very basic accommodation - with a crashed Russian helicopter in the front yard (wait til you see the photo!) but after 3 days of trekking (not to mention using a toilet tent), I can't begin to describe how exciting it was to discover that we have an ensuite in our room - with a proper toilet. And a mirror. Amazing how the simple things in life can mean so much :-) By the way, I no longer smell - I had the longest, hottest shower I think I have had - I feel like a new woman :-)
As today was our rest day, some of us set out to walk to the Everest View Hotel which was not only a chance to see the great lady herself but to assist with acclimatisation. Our teahouse sits 100m higher in elevation than Namche and the Everest View Hotel sits another 300m higher than our hotel. Sounds easy but at 3,500m, it's not - it took us 2hrs 15mins to get there!Unfortunately Everest (Chomolungma to the Tibetans & Sagarmartha to the Nepali) was feeling very shy again, hiding behind more clouds. But we still spent an enjoyable 30mins sitting in the sun (mind you it was only 7 degrees!) on the balcony taking in the view of the Himalayan ranges. I can't begin to describe how stunning this place is. Luckily for us we should be able to see Everest tomorrow - and for most of the next 10 days:-)
Tomorrow is a hard day - 6 hours of trekking including climbing to around 4,000m before heading downhill for 2 hours to our camp. My ITB is gunna love it. After that we continue our slow ascent up to the Gokyo lakes region, at an average height of 5,000m before climbing up to Gokyo Ria at around 5,400m. From there, we have a high pass to cross (again around 5,400m) before heading in the direction of Everest Base Camp. Although a visit to Base Camp isn't in the itinerary, our guide has said that if everything goes according to plan we should just a chance to visit it. Lots of prayer wheels are being turned by everyone in the group - we are all excited at the prospect of getting there. But first, we have a few more hills to climb :-)
Will post again when I can.
We are actually staying in a teahouse here in Namche. Very basic accommodation - with a crashed Russian helicopter in the front yard (wait til you see the photo!) but after 3 days of trekking (not to mention using a toilet tent), I can't begin to describe how exciting it was to discover that we have an ensuite in our room - with a proper toilet. And a mirror. Amazing how the simple things in life can mean so much :-) By the way, I no longer smell - I had the longest, hottest shower I think I have had - I feel like a new woman :-)
As today was our rest day, some of us set out to walk to the Everest View Hotel which was not only a chance to see the great lady herself but to assist with acclimatisation. Our teahouse sits 100m higher in elevation than Namche and the Everest View Hotel sits another 300m higher than our hotel. Sounds easy but at 3,500m, it's not - it took us 2hrs 15mins to get there!Unfortunately Everest (Chomolungma to the Tibetans & Sagarmartha to the Nepali) was feeling very shy again, hiding behind more clouds. But we still spent an enjoyable 30mins sitting in the sun (mind you it was only 7 degrees!) on the balcony taking in the view of the Himalayan ranges. I can't begin to describe how stunning this place is. Luckily for us we should be able to see Everest tomorrow - and for most of the next 10 days:-)
Tomorrow is a hard day - 6 hours of trekking including climbing to around 4,000m before heading downhill for 2 hours to our camp. My ITB is gunna love it. After that we continue our slow ascent up to the Gokyo lakes region, at an average height of 5,000m before climbing up to Gokyo Ria at around 5,400m. From there, we have a high pass to cross (again around 5,400m) before heading in the direction of Everest Base Camp. Although a visit to Base Camp isn't in the itinerary, our guide has said that if everything goes according to plan we should just a chance to visit it. Lots of prayer wheels are being turned by everyone in the group - we are all excited at the prospect of getting there. But first, we have a few more hills to climb :-)
Will post again when I can.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Everest baby!
Hello :-)
So much to tell you but so little time.
I am now on day 3 of our 20 day trek. I find it hard to believe that I've been on holiday for less than a week - it feels like I've been away for a month already.
We are now in Namche Bazaar (el. 3346m). The trek today from our campsite at 2,800m was tough - we followed the Dudhi (milk) river before climbing 700m up a trail. It was relentless. Think Pluvio :-)
I am having an absolute ball - our group & team of porters & guides are all fantastic. Unfortunately my ITB is not so great - it is not enjoying the downhills at all - but fortunately we've got another 15 days of going uphill before I have to really worry about it ;-)
Yesterday was pretty special. It got very cold at camp in the afternoon & rained for about 2 hours. Once the rain stopped & the clouds cleared, we found that it had snowed on the high ranges surrounding our campsite. We are sure to get snow the higher we go. Cool :-)
And then there was Everest. I saw her today for the first time. She is beautiful. :-) She was very shy - the peak was just hiding behind some cloud. Hopefully she'll come out to play tomorrow. We have a rest day but as part of our acclimatisation, we trek to a higher point above Namche where will (hopefully) be able to get a better view of her.
Apart from the ITB, I'm feeling great. No problems with the altitude so far. I am somehow already losing weight despite eating my weight in food. It's the best diet ever :-)
We have a rest day tomorrow & stay here in Namche tonight & tomorrow night & before setting off for even higher places. It might be 10 days before I get net access again so I'll write when I can.
Gotta go. My first shower in 3 days is waiting :-)
So much to tell you but so little time.
I am now on day 3 of our 20 day trek. I find it hard to believe that I've been on holiday for less than a week - it feels like I've been away for a month already.
We are now in Namche Bazaar (el. 3346m). The trek today from our campsite at 2,800m was tough - we followed the Dudhi (milk) river before climbing 700m up a trail. It was relentless. Think Pluvio :-)
I am having an absolute ball - our group & team of porters & guides are all fantastic. Unfortunately my ITB is not so great - it is not enjoying the downhills at all - but fortunately we've got another 15 days of going uphill before I have to really worry about it ;-)
Yesterday was pretty special. It got very cold at camp in the afternoon & rained for about 2 hours. Once the rain stopped & the clouds cleared, we found that it had snowed on the high ranges surrounding our campsite. We are sure to get snow the higher we go. Cool :-)
And then there was Everest. I saw her today for the first time. She is beautiful. :-) She was very shy - the peak was just hiding behind some cloud. Hopefully she'll come out to play tomorrow. We have a rest day but as part of our acclimatisation, we trek to a higher point above Namche where will (hopefully) be able to get a better view of her.
Apart from the ITB, I'm feeling great. No problems with the altitude so far. I am somehow already losing weight despite eating my weight in food. It's the best diet ever :-)
We have a rest day tomorrow & stay here in Namche tonight & tomorrow night & before setting off for even higher places. It might be 10 days before I get net access again so I'll write when I can.
Gotta go. My first shower in 3 days is waiting :-)
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Namaste from Kathmandu !
Just a quick post from Kathmandu.
I only arrived yesterday lunchtime but I feel like Ive been here a week already. And I mean that in a good way. I've visited some 'interesting' places in Sth America but Kathmandu is by far the poorest & most polluted place I've ever been. And yet, it's wonderful & fascinating. And I'm not even in the mountains yet :-)
We fly out to Lukla tomorrow & then start walking. Without wishing my holiday away I am very much looking forward to getting into the mountains & starting the trek. Garmin Elektra has come along for the ride so the elevation profiles should be interesting ;-)
Off to enjoy my last shower for a few days - I'm going to make the most of it ;-)
I only arrived yesterday lunchtime but I feel like Ive been here a week already. And I mean that in a good way. I've visited some 'interesting' places in Sth America but Kathmandu is by far the poorest & most polluted place I've ever been. And yet, it's wonderful & fascinating. And I'm not even in the mountains yet :-)
We fly out to Lukla tomorrow & then start walking. Without wishing my holiday away I am very much looking forward to getting into the mountains & starting the trek. Garmin Elektra has come along for the ride so the elevation profiles should be interesting ;-)
Off to enjoy my last shower for a few days - I'm going to make the most of it ;-)
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