Och Aye for a wee run!

Bit of a catch up from the past week, one day at a time.  It's been a big week!

Last Sunday Mike and I headed to Ballarat to the Highland Festival.  Weather forecast was for a warm day but thankfully most of the day the sun was behind cloud cover so that was a blessing in itself.  Plan was we were to get there about 11am as with typical band jobs there's a lot of waiting around as Mike wasn't playing till about 3pm.  I really felt for them wearing all their clobber.

So we found where the band was set up and dropped our stuff, chair, picnic basket and the like, and my plan was to leave Mike there while I went for a run around Lake Wendouree.  

It's a beautiful running track, the Steve Moneghetti running track with a 6km loop round the lake.  What a jewel in Ballarat's crown.  The running track/pathway was well maintained and signposted every .5km with how far to the nearest public toilets, how far to the closest water drinking fountain, and a bit about the nearest landmark.  I must admit I did wonder if there was an unwritten rule that you needed to run anti-clockwise.  My first lap I ran clockwise and everyone was coming the other way.  So the second lap I changed and went anti-clockwise!  Two laps done for a total of 12km, warm, slow going, but done.

I mentioned the sign posting, I wasn't kidding, you couldn't miss it.  Oh how this would be so great to have in Warrnambool along the promenade, at least to mark the kms.

And of course this area around Lake Wendouree is also known for the famous black swans.  They can be mean and nasty and I tell you this one looked quite ferocious until it neared its arse at me!!

After changing and freshening up I had my picnic lunch and soon enough in the afternoon the band competed.  Ouch, just as the cloud cover cleared.  The sun was biting!  There he is...

Mike needed to hang around for the massed bands after the individual bands had all completed.  By that stage I had had enough of pipes, so I told Mike I was going to sit in the park in the shade and come get me when he finished.  I had a lovely chat to my bestie on the phone and just chilled listening to the pipes sounds floating across from the banks of the lake.

All in all a win-win.  Mike played at the festival, I got my run in, I got to support him and we got to spend the day together.  Yay for the moons aligning.

Me and the Elephant !!

So once again this year I took on the Elephant.  This is the third year they've run this event, and the third one I've done.  Mind you every year on the way up I say (or maybe grumble) to myself that I'm never doing it again, but I keep coming back.

I was going to be in two minds if I would run today, with my back issues.  About Thursday was when I felt a marked improvement, I did a light run on Friday and Saturday (when I say light, I mean light and easy and not many kms just to test things out).  I had made my decision Saturday afternoon that I was going to attempt it, take it easy, and see how I go.

It was going to be a hot one today, est temp 39.  Ouch.  This year there was the usual 5km (around the football oval, through town, up (yes up) the highway to the entrance of the mount area, along the gravel to the base of the mount, up the scoria cutting, dips down into the crater and then up the side of the large mound to the top.  The 8km race put on this year as well also did a lap of the base of the mount as well.

Here I am before the run.   Notice I'm wearing my Run Downunder shirt.  I'll mention more about that another time.     You can see it was already sunny and yep, that's where I was running to.

Now I took these following photos on the way back, so you could see what I saw in order of me seeing it.  I had my phone tucked into my spibelt on the way up and didn't wear headphones today.   Imagine we've run the oval, run through town and up the highway, and then we enter the Mount gates and run up this gravel road to the car park up yonder.  Nope, not much shade is there?  Mind you I kept the flies away with Nature's Botanical.  I swear by this product.   Just a dab on the legs and arms, neck and face.  No flies on me!

So I've passed the carpark and this is the first track, we are only really still at the base at this stage, the real work hasn't even begun.

At the race briefing they had warned us that the area had received 50mm of rain recently, good for farmers, but the first cutting up the front of the mount we had to stick to the right hand side.  The scoria had washed down and the left hand side was unstable.   This is where you really feel it in your calves.  I know for me there's no running at this point, it's physically impossible for me.  I don't know about others, but I did see a couple of people ahead of me walking it too.  No shame in that.  The scoria is rough under foot and the incline is relentless.

You get to the top of the scoria and there's a dip for a little bit, it's heaven on your calves.  I guess this is where you enter part of the crater where it dips.  And then before you know it you are climbing again.  This part of the climb is kind of like grassy hay and tracks.    Almost makes you want to belt out "THE HILLS ARE ALIVE!!!!!"    You head up this track and around to your left and then it climbs steeply to the top, round the knoll bit and hallelujiah you are at the top.  2km of climbing done.   I did a little run through the finish line, ha! 

The spoils of victory of this race is the magnificent view.  360 degrees of seeing forever.  It truly is magnificent.  It was so clear you could see the peaks at the Grampians well over 100km away.  It was breezy too at the top but that was welcome being that it was so warm.  Absolutely sensational.

You really could see forever.  Goodness it is so dry out there.  I had to keep photographing to the west as the sun turned Derrinallum into a glare trying to photograph to the east.  

A couple of panorama shots, we are on top of the crater here, it's hard to get a feel of how high up we were but trust me, by now my legs knew it !   

Here's that nasty elevation where you can see that whilst it's a steady rise throughout the start of the run, those last 2km are tough.  Real tough.  The tough that makes you say, "nope, never doing this again, this is the last year" tough.   And then you are elated being at the top, and then by the time you get down and decide to ditch the shuttle bus and run back to town, and then have a sausage in bread for breakfast at the market, and eh, you tentatively book it into your calendar for next year.  You know at this stage you'll be back next year.

Congratulations once again to the Football Club and the volunteers and the little town of Derri who always ALWAYS makes everyone feel so welcome.  I am very big on supporting local events.  It takes a stack of behind the scenes work to put on something like this and bravo to them for doing so.   So if you take anything out of this blog post, support your local events.  There may not be bling, there may not be huge accolades, it may just be 5km, but they're putting it on for you.  They had paramedics there, plenty of water stations, a big smile and cheer when you crossed the line at the top and besides there's a bonus drink bottle and t-shirt now added to my ever growing collection!  ;-)

Woman down !!

I've been quiet and haven't come back with a review on the new Brooks as promised.  That's because from Friday night everything went downhill fast.  My back has played up again.  I felt it this time when I was washing my car courtesy of the cows that wee'd on me!    Getting stuck behind a cattle truck really isn't good, do you know how far that stuff sprays at 100kmh!   I was just about finished washing my car and I reached and could feel it straight away.

Saturday morning I did attempt to head out and ran awkwardly for a km and walked a km back home with gritted teeth.  I was walking bent over like a little old lady.  Ouch.  

Okay so this time I've been to see about it, being that this is the second time this year already I've had a bad back.  What's the go with that anyway, I turn 50 and start to break??!!  And anyway from someone who has no idea, what do you do - go to a doctor, a physio, an osteopath, a chiropractor.  Who knows?   Being that there is an Osteo round the corner from my work I made an appointment for Monday.

Well seems that I have a Locked Facet Joint  (this article I have linked up explains it perfectly).     After some manipulation and massage which included a tough tug on my leg it has unlocked the joint but since then I've felt quite sore around the muscles.  Getting better each day I will admit and I know it's not but its kind of the feeling of being bruised if that makes sense.  Every now and then though I catch myself and it's almost "stitch" like.   

Feh!  Stupid body.  Anyway the Osteo was quite certain I could go for a light run about 1 or 2 km by today but I think I need to wait another day.  Oh the fitness is waning for sure.  He also was quite certain I'd be okay for my fun run on Sunday.  The jury is still out on that one.

This really just plain sucks.  

Just got to remember this one, I need to get this back healthy again.

Meet my new pretties !

I went to a funeral down Geelong today, a dear friend who I worked with 30 years ago lost her husband.   But oh how wonderful as well as myself, four others from the old crew back in the HQ days were there too.  Instantly 30 years were stripped away seeing us all together again.  I mean I have caught up with these ladies individually, but to have us all there at the same time, wow.

After the funeral I had plans to hightail it out to Geelong West to visit The Running Company again to get fitted for some new runners.   The tread on my old ones had really worn, and looking back on this blog I got my Mizunos back in May.  So there's been a heck of a lot of kms run between May and now.  It was time.

I can't speak more highly of The Running Company or the service they give.  And sure I know you can buy runners online or overseas cheaper, but nothing gives you more assurance than actually seeing what they see.  They live what they sell.  And they know what they're talking about.  You are filmed running barefoot on a treadmill and I could see the pronation, my ankles were really rolling in, although I feel not as badly as last time I was there.  Maybe my Mizunos have corrected my landing somewhat, who knows.   And you can see what the various runners they suggest do to your running, it's right there in front of you (yes, cankles and all!)  Why oh why did I point out my cankles on the film!!   While I waited like a bower bird I was drawn to the coloured runners.  It was like a rainbow wall.

So after checking my running on the tready, and the wear on my soles of my current runners, Bree analysed a number of runners she thought would be ideal.  All were equal to the task but each brand having their own little idiosyncracies I guess you'd say.

She started me off on a pair of New Balance (I didn't get the model name though), boy they looked like Herman Munster shoes, they looked big.  And they felt big too.  Although they were the right shoe in length I felt like my foot was slip sliding in it.  

I tried some Asics something or others, they felt good, I was really happy in those.  And then I tried the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 15.   Adrenaline, gotta love a name like that.  And they felt as equally as good as the Asics but much better in the toe box.   The pair I had tried on were white with blue/green trim and I was resigned that once again I would be wearing a mainly white pair of runners.  Oh well.  

We decided though I would need to go a half size larger and she came back with a box and mentioned that the 9.5's were a different colour they had in stock, something about being a limited edition colour (but I may have got that wrong).  Then she opened them.  

It was like "ALL HAIL THE COLOURED RUNNING SHOE" !!!  I swear even music played as that shoe box was opened.   Look at my new pretties.   I tried them on and I was like freaking Cinderella at the ball.  Perfection!

Can't wait to take these babies for a spin.  

The Brooks website says:

From the minute your feet are in a pair of Brooks Adrenaline GTS shoes, you'll notice the incredible comfort they provide. We've designed this range to be the ultimate training buddy for overpronators, with a particular focus on a smooth transition with the Extended Segmented Crash Pad giving you full ground contact.All in all, Brooks Adrenaline GTS is all about providing the stability, durability, and comfort you'd expect from a leading performance shoe. 

Stay tuned for the verdict!

Brisbane and back !

Since my last post I have had a lovely long weekend up in Brisbane with my bestie and family.  It was just what we both needed, not having seen each other in three years.  How has that happened?  We have become so reliant on the instant technology of phones and emails and texts and facetime, that time passes us by and we don't realise how long it's been since we were face to face.  Added to the fact we don't live in the same state kind of has something to do with it to.   We have vowed never to leave it that long again.

A couple of pics of a fantastic few days which we packed a lot into.  Brisbane however is hot.  Steamy hot.  Steamy hot like you've just walked into the bathroom where someone has had the hot water going in the shower hot.  I guess it's something you get used to, but the same temps down here feels nothing like what I experienced up there.

So on the Saturday I had my first foray into Costco, oh my goodness.  It was nuts!  And Saturday night we went into Southbank to eat and enjoy the riverfront and market.  So many people, it was fun to people watch when we were at the restaurant.  Remember, they sit the beautiful people outside (that's always been my motto!!) and we were outside!!

Candid pic of S and family at the market.  Tee hee, they didn't know I took this and got them all in it.

Brisbane by night is beautiful.  I even got a few light sparkle flares in this pic, 

even without the tripod - I had balanced my camera on my camera bag.

This Brisbane sign was really lovely, the colours of the letters kept changing.

A bit mesmerising.

And we went up the Wheel of Brisbane.  Such a gorgeous night time view from the top

although the windows of the cabin things we were in were a bit gritty so

it was hard to take a clear pic.   Having said that, how gorgeous does it look

in all it's green and gold splendour.

And we had a very unique icecream from Nitrogenie.

Icecream using Liquid Nitrogen.  And it was amazingly delicious!

On Saturday we hit the road.  Can I say, thank goodness for a car with Air Conditioning!

The weather was like a steam bath outside. 

We got a gorgeous view (according to my notes but I stand to be corrected)

somewhere in the Blackhall Range area.

We exercised our legs on a fantastic walk through the Mapleton Falls area.

Absolutely gorgeous.

Love this pic of my fave family.

And we saw the beautiful Glass House Mountain Range.  

So unique, these mountainous structures just popping out of the ground.

Thank you Mark, will treasure this pic!

Despite over the weekend I was missing my furbabies big time,

I did get a lot of puppy cuddles from Otto.

How beautiful is this face, he's too pretty to be a boy!

And the shy Miss Tilly with the white eyelashes.  

Now THIS is a pretty dog.

Australia Day we made pav, had roast lamb, how patriotic

and just hung out and created great memories. 

I got my Lego on with Daniel.

And Eliza played the piano for me, it was so beautiful she brought me to tears.

I wish I had taped it, classical piano playing of the finest.

And Sonia and I were definately not couch potatos, we went out for a walk.

There was no running in Brisbane.  I've been told if you want to run you need to be out

at 5am to beat the heat.  This was 7.30am or so and honestly by the time we got home

it was as if I had jumped into a pool fully clothed, my running gear was wet through.

Now I need to tell you a wee little story about my trip home.   And I will ask you for your honest answer.  If you had checked in, and your boarding pass had your gate number printed on it, would you have bothered looking at the departures screen?  Not I !  Why would I.

So I'm sitting there at Gate 23 a bit early (mind you I was at the airport nice and early so I had just meandered about a bit) and the flight was going to Sydney at that gate was just boarding.  No matter, my plane must be the next, so I sat myself down and waited.  And waited.  I suddenly thought hmmm there's no plane taxiing up to the gate here, maybe I better go look at the board, there's only about 10 mins till my flight takes off.

Then I hear my name over the loudspeaker, Passenger G, last call for Passenger G, your plane has boarded at Gate 17.  And even then I thought, huh, there's someone here with the same name as me!  Until the penny dropped, it was me they were calling.  And I was at Gate 23.  Well no one was safe in my path, I ran like there was no tomorrow and got to the Gate out of breath.  She told me to calm down, breathe, okay and board.  So I got on the plane, averted eye contact with everyone, mind you the hostesses were getting their show and tell stuff ready in the centre aisle for the safety demonstration.

We live and learn huh?

Thanks for a great weekend my bestie, we will NOT leave it so long until the next one.  XX