Postie's here!!!!

AKA my online orders have arrived.  Yipppppeeee!  Actually it's kinda bad when you have ordered something and it arrives and you forgot you even ordered it, haha!

First things first, I hadn't forgotten these babies.  Checked out my wonderful new running tights from Run Amok Tights.    Made by a runner (and an awesome one at that) for runners.  And well you know the fascination we have for cow print from our online 12WBT Runners Connect group.  Char was gracious enough to source some rocking cow print material for us too.

As soon as I opened the parcel I quickly put them on to take them out for their maiden voyage.  A run - sniff - pee - walk - scratch - hang on what was that - go backwards - nope nothing interesting - keep going - and repeat with Lucky!  tee hee.  We start off running but well it is what it is.  He was happy, look at that face.  He's saying "one more sniff pleeeeeeeease mum!"

Dropped him home after doing the 1.5 km blockie that we do.  I have learnt not to take him over 2km.  Once he hits the 2km mark he just knows and that's it, no more, carry me the rest of the way.   Then I hit the road myself for a run.  Yep these are the bomb.  They are silky smooth so my spibelt did ride up a bit, maybe I don't have so much of a spare tyre these days to hold it in place!!  I'll tighten it a bit more next time and see how that goes.  Plus they are 7/8 length.  I don't believe I've ever owned tights in that length, mine are usually 3/4.  And I'm liking that little bit extra now that it's coolish.

Trying to get a pic of myself !!

Check it out, this cow just stood and looked at me (I'm going to say) in awe thinking I've gotta get me some of those tights for winter!  hahahaha   Heck I love living in the country, I can run to the end of my street and around the corner and see sights like this.  Superb.

My neighbours saw me as I got home from my run and called out "Good on you, supporting the dairy industry".  They had noticed the tights (I mean really, wouldn't wouldn't notice them!!)   I just nodded, it's easier than explaining the fascination for cow print.  And yes, I completely wholeheartedly support the dairy industry, I know too many dairy farmers going through hard times.  

So that's not all, my other package was some new socks.  Which I had forgotten I had bought, so this was indeed happy mail.  I'm alternating between Balega and Lightfeet at the moment.  I like the extra padding that both socks give.  So these were on sale so I got three.   I wonder if red will go fast!!

And so tomorrow I have my Great Ocean Road half marathon present to myself - an hour long relaxation massage is booked at my favourite spa in town.  Everyone does this don't they?  Give themselves a congratulatory present after a big big event?  Yes?  Please tell me you do.  And if you don't, please don't tell my husband! ha.

Hello my pretties......

Well a girl needs a reward for running a goal event right??   RIGHT????   So we headed down to The Running Company in Geelong, main reason is that Mike is really wanting to get back out into it and try the C25K (couch to 5k) program again, but he has been having all amount of trouble with his runners that he was 'fitted' elsewhere.  To the point he was clamping the soles of his shoes ovrnight the insides were hurting so much in his instep.

Sooooooo, while he was fitted, I decided I needed a new pair also.  I got them to check on their computer how long I'd had my last faithful runners for and it was Feb, so they'd done about 800k's!  Time for retirement.

So Mike went off with Bree and I had the store manager Julian fit me.  Despite being super happy with my Brooks Adrenaline 15, he brought that one out, plus some others he thought might suit, after seeing me run on the treadmill.  Love that they check so thoroughly how your feet land, what your ankle is doing, etc etc.

So I think I ended up trying 5 pair on, and couldn't go past it, another pair of Brooks Adrenaline 15.  I will say though that a pair of New Balance were a very close second, but I figure why try something new, when I was already super happy with Brooks.

Mike was still going with his appointment so I sat in and watched (and took a couple of sneaky pics).  Here he is being studied by his sales expert on the computer, it's a video of his feet landing.  He looks the part doesn't he, flannelette shirt and all !!   Kudos to Mike, he'd never been on a treadmill in his life, he handled it well.

And can you believe after both of us tried all the shoes that were recommended for us, we both end up with - Brooks Adrenaline 15 - the male and female versions.  We are a Brooks family, RUN HAPPY is their motto!

I took my pretties out for their maiden voyage and it was love at first run!  I just don't want to get them dirty!!!!   I've run in them a couple of times now since this pic was taken, and it's like putting on a glove, they truly are the best shoe for me.  Although I am glad I was able to try some other comparable shoes from the other companies, just to check.  

And Mike has been out in his (lily white legs and all) got to love this man.  And he reports that the shoes are brilliant, he is having none of the trouble he had with his old ones.  However he is still having a bit of ankle pain which he thinks is just a beginners problem now, he just needs to get stronger.  He has found running on the grass verge much more comparable than running on the road.

So stay tuned for many more running adventures.  I did my second Parkrun this weekend, and am tempted to go next week too, despite the hour drive there and back, as it's a dress up Parkrun, wear a halloween costume.  You just know the thought of dressing up appeals to me big time!!!   Still to be decided.

Shopping!!!

Got to love my Fridays off work, best thing I've ever done!  And perfect for today.  My brother's birthday is during next week and I bought a gift that was way too big to mail.  Doh!  It was one of those lovely furry rugs in a leopard print.  Love Catch of the Day! ha.  But when it came it was in one of those suck-you-in-vaccuum-type-bags.  Which I undid to wrap up the rug and poof, it was kinda huge!   Wrap it I did and it ended up being 2.5kg without even being placed in a box (and in any case the biggest box I could buy from Australia Post was still too small) ... I really don't think these things out do I?

So what's a girl to do but take a trip down to Geelong to deliver said present in person!  Plus a spot of shopping while there.

First stop the yarn store.  Love Twisted Stitches.  Ended up with some beautiful Silk Noro which I will make into a scarf for the CWA competition next year.  Starting with the crafts early.  

A visit to Kathmandu to buy yet another beanie, Mike liked the beanie I bought for myself yesterday for running so much he wanted one too.  Lucky for him there was only one black one left, otherwise he may have been sporting a lilac one! ha.

Then lunch at the Pickled Duck ... or was it the Pickled Rabbit ... it was the Pickled something.  Corner Malop and Yarra.  Lovely little cafe I had never been to before and the most delicious cauliflower and bacon soup.  Yum.

After a bit more shopping, headed over to mum's for a surprise visit and to leave the pressie for my brother, so he could collect it after work.   And on the way home, what's a visit to Geelong without a quick stop in at Rebel.   Sale on too!  Bonus.   Stocked up on some GU as they had 8 for $15, yay!  I've been told the peanut butter and chocolate one is nice, so I added that to the stash of GU.  Jury is still out till I try it.

And look at this little number, wooo hoooo, no I'm not off to a disco, this is my new reflective running shirt.  By day a mild mannered black number with greyish white dots on the sleeve.  By night with a bit of flash added in, whooooosh!  I become a super hero, haha.  I was so in love with it I started running round the back yard with a torch.  Mike was mega impressed, he didn't even gulp at the price when he could see how well it worked.   Too bad at the moment it's that darn cold that my bare arms will not see the early mornings without a jacket on too, but all in good time.

So I would call this a very successful day's shopping.  And now I can hear torrential rain outside tonight so lets hope it rains itself out so I can go out for a shuffle in the morning.   Half Marathon training is back in full swing.

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!

Shopping !

I went a bit nuts today and bought a new running top.  Yeah yeah so I already have many running tops every colour of the rainbow, it's been a bit of an obsession.  Well now I have one top that IS every colour of the rainbow combined in the one top!  win-win.   Isn't it beautiful !!!!   Mike would probably say it looks like a pizza with the lot on it, but I adore it!   Can't wait to wear it.

I think this might mean my running top obsession is now complete.  I mean to say, how can I beat this beauty.

So on the scrapbooking front Designer Digitals has an All About Me challenge going at the moment to scrap your anthem.   Well perhaps not my anthem as such, but do you remember the Sunscreen Song?  And I'll cry if you say it was before your time!   I remember when it came out I played it over and over and over.  The words just resonated and maybe that's attributed to my cup is half full attitude to life.  This is my page.

And if you'd like to read the words for you younguns who have no idea who or what this song is about, here are the lyrics.  It was originally an article written by journalist Mary Schmich, to which Baz Luhrmann put to lyrics.

Ladies and gentlemen of the class of '99
Wear sunscreen
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it
The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists
Whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable
than my own meandering experience, I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth, oh, never mind.
You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth
until they've faded but trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back
at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now
how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked.
You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future
Or know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum.
The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind,
the kind that blindsides you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.
Sing.
Don't be reckless with other people's hearts.
Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss.
Don't waste your time on jealousy.
Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind.
The race is long and in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive, forget the insults, if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch.
Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life.
The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives.
Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.
Get plenty of calcium.
Be kind to your knees, you'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't.
Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't.
Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the 'Funky Chicken'
on your 75th wedding anniversary.
Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much.
Or berate yourself either.
Your choices are half chance, so are everybody else's.

Enjoy your body, use it every way you can.
Don't be afraid of it or what other people think of it.
It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.
Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your own living room.
Read the directions even if you don't follow them.
Do not read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents, you never know when they'll be gone for good.
Be nice to your siblings, they're your best link to your past
and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go,
but for a precious few, who should hold on.
Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle
For as the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once but leave before it makes you hard.
Live in northern California once but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths.
Prices will rise, politicians will philander, you, too, will get old.
And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young
prices were reasonable, politicians were noble
and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you.
Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse
but you never know when either one might run out.
Don't mess too much with your hair
or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy but be patient with those who supply it.
Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past
from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts
and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.