Did I just interval train???

Well the weather this afternoon is still pretty ordinary (read pouring with rain!) so I decided to make the best of a bad situation and to try to get my head straight re training and hit the treadmill.

Side note: the gym at work whilst it is well equipped it has SHOCKING ventilation (ie NONE!) and so you end up drenched in sweat no matter your activity.

Keep on keeping on...

With two runs remaining in my trek around Australia I am finding that my love/desire for running is waning a little.

Post the City to Surf on Sunday I ended up going to see the physio about this pain I have been getting in my foot. It is on the top of my right foot, pretty much under the laces. Doesn't really give me any grief once I get going but sure does ache once I am done.

Perth City to Surf and my lack of hill training...

Perth City to Surf kicked my butt!

Phew – my lack of hill training shone through in all its glory this weekend.

The Perth City to Surf is a well organised and huge event in Western Australia. I have read that initial numbers are 48k registrations (new record) and that about 39k competed. The weather at the start of the day was pretty ordinary with a couple of squally rain showers pre-start which I am certain put some people off - sensitive folks here in Perth ;).

Be that "someone else"!

source: Cuz It's Hilarious - Facebook page

Darwin running and fire alarms

So I am still up in the beautiful city of Darwin in the Northern Territory this week following the Alice Springs Running Festival on the weekend.

 Knowing that I was going to be up here for most of the week and that I have the Perth City to Surf Half this weekend coming I planned to get a couple of runs in. I had given myself Monday as a rest day and set the alarm for 05:15 (and the second alarm for 05:17!). It gets really hot and humid here in Darwin. Yesterday the temps hit the mid 30’s (degrees C) and humidity was in the high 90%’s hence the desire to run in the morning. Pretty different to my usual stomping grounds in Perth.

Alice Springs - race report

Sunday August 18^th saw the fifth race in my quest to run in every State and Territory in Australia this year. It was the turn of the Northern Territory (the NT).

This was a small event (240 total runners across 4 events – Ultra, Full Mara, Half Mara and Half Mara Walk). This is by far the smallest event I have been in to date so I will admit to having some level of nerves about coming in last…

HTFU*

Yesterday, I woke up early (…ier than planned) with toothache that stretched up into my ear and down the right side of my throat. Sad to admit that I am still technically teething at 36 years of age. Yup it is one of my wisdom teeth moving about. The odd this about this is that it only really gives me grief when I am stressed or at a low point. I am not at a low point and yesterday was a particularly “special” day on the hamster wheel so I know it was stress induced. Nothing to do except suck it up and carry on. The ear ache though is a new twist….anyway.

Clothing cleardown

The excuse given to me for this horrible task was that my family needs to know what I need for my upcoming birthday (October!) and as I have so many clothes we "needed" to clear it out! I think that my wife was just sick of the piles of clothing touching the ceiling.

Gee it is a miserable task. Well while part 2 (youngest - one year old) was napping the wife, part 1 (6 year old) and I got to task. I was surprised to see how much was actually taking up space in the wardrobe. Once the area was clear it completely covered our queen size bed.

Weekend long run and no thank-GU...

...not my 1st choice in running fuel.

So last week I did something that I have never done before. I went for a run at lunchtime on a work day...what a new experience. I mapped out a 7 km route and in between rain showers (been a really wet week here in Perth) I dashed out. Despite feeling "heavy" on the run I blitzed it :) 36mins. Amazing the motivation of needing to get back for the afternoon shift in the office can be. Was I productive in the afternoon....hmmm I plead the 5th ;)

The Mental Game...damn you brain!

When I started typing this post I must have deleted the opening sentence 3 or 4 times…..why?? Mental Games…something that is uniquely personal yet is such a common trend in all of us. So how can I type about it?

"I can’t…I won’t…I shouldn’t…I hurt…I’m tired…sheesh why bother…."

Brisbane Marathon Festival

Early start Saturday morning (4:30 alarm) to enable me to wake up and get to the airport by 6:30 for my 7 am flight. HUGE temptation to hit snooze but common sense prevailed and I dragged my carcass out of bed.

 

Uneventful flight (although a spare seat next to me – SCORE!!!!). Landed and caught the airport shuttle to the city and after a short detour of taking the wrong turn out of the station and doubling back I found the hotel and checked in. There I met one of the nicest hotel staff ever. She showed genuine interest and enthusiasm over the fact that I (with many others) was there for the run. She seemed so genuine and nice – it was really refreshing! Cab over to get my race number (on advice of nice hotel lady – wish I had gotten her name!) then took a walk from the hotel to the start line at the Botanic Gardens (12 mins!). Beautiful gardens and a really nice walk through them on my mini explore.

Well its been a while....

Last posting 8th of January – wow…I have no excuse! I wish I had something cool or hip or dramatic on which to blame the absence but I have none. Sorry.

 What has happened since Jan 8….