I'm baaaaaaack ... just!

Well after a horrid two weeks I feel like I'm starting from scratch again, which annoys me no end being that I was so happy completing my goal in June.  I have coughed and spluttered, and choked and sore nose from blowing then the sneeze days started and yes, it has been horrible.  Both of us have never got the flu shot but we are re-thinking that now, I know people who get the flu shot can still get the flu, but apparently the symptoms are not as bad.  This has hit us both for six.

So after my mild freak out at my half marathon plan slipping away, and even though I wasn't 100 percent better last week, Mike kicked my sorry tail out on the road and I was so glad I did.  Small runs.  3.25 km in the rain on Monday complete with hat and raincoat so I remained nice and dry.  Followed by 4.4 km on Wednesday running blockies around the neighbourhood, heck I picked the darkest night with no moon to speak of, looks like I'm about to head down into the mines.  Followed by a decent 5km run on Friday which although cold started out dry, but I got a drenching about 1 km in, I thought briefly about taking the short cut home but on my headphones came the song 'What have you done today to make you feel proud' and seeings I was already wet, I kept on going to put 5 km into the leg bank, and yep felt pretty proud.  Amazing the power of music.

Then today the Athletics Club had a 6km run.  Oh how we laughed and laughed.   Last time we all got together we all turned up wearing pink.  I swear we don't do a gear check before hand.  When our jackets came off we just looked at each other and cackled like the four yellow chickens we looked like.  How funny!   You weren't going to lose us in a crowd, that's for sure.

I toughed it out today, started off on the knocker in the handicap and was the last across the line.  I had some wheezing in my lungs so there were a number of walk breaks to catch my breath.  So glad I did it, and this Athletics Group is so encouraging, there's nothing shameful about coming last.  In fact Leah's hubby and another very encouraging lady Sally in the group came back to me and ran the last 200 metres with me.  High five to them.  Very much appreciated.

Got home and Mike had gone to art group so tried to light the fire, I just couldn't get myself warm this afternoon.  I think I went through almost half a box of fire lighters.  Would probably have helped if I actually cut some kindling instead of using the smallish looking logs.  But got it going and just took it easy this afternoon.

Want to get back into it next week, the first half marathon is eight weeks away, gulp!

Too late!

When I hoped I wouldn't catch Mike's dreaded man flu it was too late I reckon.  Ticklish throat had started.

And here I am after coming home from work Monday afternoon and a couple of days off work and still feeling dreadful.  Although of course not as bad as any man who had had man flu right?? Ha

My little buddy has not left my side.  I can't make a move without him following along and then settling down by my side.  Precious boy.

I'm already freaking about how many runs I've missed, my last run was last Friday so I've missed my all important weekend LSR.   I'm week 3 into my next half marathon program and can't even contemplate when my chest will feel ok to run.  After being so on track and kicking training goals I'm now in Panic panic mode.

PS I wasn't squishing Lucky in that pic it was just a pic together.  I wouldnt use him as a pillow!

No LSR for me

Firstly this happened ...

Yay I did it, 29 June this was my total.   I set out to run 100km over June, the hardest month of the year I find to run, and I did it - through rain and wind and cold mornings and cold evenings and darkness and rainbows and a little bit of winter sunshine thrown in.  

Then this happened ...

And let me tell you, when he gets sick, he REALLY gets sick.  Yes we joke about man flu but he's on antibiotics, he has no energy, he has been barking up a storm.   

And a lot of this has been happening ...

Aided of course by Nurse Lucky making sure he stays put.  He's coming out the other side now, still a bit weak but the barking has stopped.  Just in time as we are going to an American Theme Night at a local restaurant for 4 July tonight.  

However I feel like I'm on the beginnings of it.  Just a tickle in the back on my throat that I can't shake.  I'm on the Olive Leaf Extract courtesy of advice from my bestie, urrrgh it tastes horrid.   But I woke this morning thinking hmmmm I was planning my LSR (long slow run for non-runners reading this) today and I thought I would be tempting fate.    Will see how I fare tomorrow, although I want to be up super early cheering my friends on who are up at the Gold Coast this weekend for the marathon festivities.  Love that we can live track them and see how they are going too.

And with 4th July upon us, there were lots of American style goodies in the Designer Digitals store this weekend so I put them to good use.

Goodies I used from Designer Digitals

Take that universe!!

Firstly I'm going gangbusters on my #100kmforJune.  Will I make it, time will tell.  But every run I've taken a photograph of my run and continued the tally, you can see I'm still steadily rising.

I have run around town, with an audience of cows...

I have run along the foreshore after work in the cold chilly air.  Who am I kidding, it's cold nearly every morning and evening now, and all through the day!!

I have found incidental runs, like when I had to pick up my car after it got it's first 1000km service (yep, how quick that rolled around), so decided to change in my gear and run from work, and then drive back to pick up my bag, coat, etc.   I'm sure they thought I was quite mad, they kept saying "but we could have sent the courtesy car to get you".  

I ran during early weekend hours, while the town was snoozing, I saw the sunrise.

I felt the cold and the long tights have been the order of the day, brrrrr.

Take that universe ... I became completely tough hard core bad ass and ran after work in the rain and wind and rainbows and unicorns.  Okay okay, there were no unicorns, but I did feel like the universe was throwing everything at me.  I got to test out my new raincoat and gave it the thumbs up, very comfortable.  Someone mentioned to me I was glowing with health and vitality here.  Errr, more like the setting sun was making my sweat glow! ha.

And as of tonight's run I ran when I got home from work until it was too dark, heck the nights come in early now...

Actually I was desperate to run tonight.  Last night's rainbow run had me running till dark around Warrnambool, actually I was just about to my car and ACDC's Thunderstruck came on my headphones so I ended up doing another blockie, ahhh the power of music!  But when I got home I realised my yearly tally was 499.23.  WHAAAAAAT????  If I'd known that I would have run up to the corner and back.  

So as of tonight I'm into the 500's.  June hasn't yet finished and I'm halfway, that was where I wanted to be.   But still I've got just shy of 18km to run in the next seven days.  Can I do it?   One thing is for sure, this 100km for June challenge I set myself has had a marked improvement on my fitness.  I'm feeling great.

100 km for June

Well I must say it's adding up.  Nothing like having a goal and working towards it.  I've been taking some pics of my journey in clocking the k's (and then putting fun filters on them through apps on my phone.  Fun to keep track.

Bridge down near Lake Pertobe, have worked out a good route to run after work.  Was up to 29.24km on this run.

Running after work lately means getting back to the car on dusk, or at times when it's dark.  Don't worry, making sure I'm parked in a well lit area.   And the dark part of my run is through town under street lights.   34.38, building the k's.   

Thank you Warrnambool for a beautiful end to the working week, this was Friday's big just shy of 9km effort after work.  Able to see the sun go down.  It was a superb evening.   So as of right now I'm up to 43.14km as at 13th of the month.   I'll be happy to be at 50km by the 15th, that will mean I'm on par.

I'm feeling pretty positive.  Kinda.  Sorta.   ;-)

Happy birthday Lizzie!!

Got to love a long weekend, particularly with my Friday's off it makes it a long LONG weekend.  Jam packed.   So firstly Thursday night this happened ... Oooo eeee, said goodbye to my old car and hello baaaaaby!   Another Honda Jazz, honestly wouldn't go past them, they are a terrific car.

Friday off and headed into Warrnie (bah there were spots of rain on my new car!!) to meet up with Melissa who also had a day off so we could go for a run.  You really do put a better effort in when running with a friend.  A bit of chit chat, I'm not much of a talking person when I run, I get too breathless - not from running too fast, but just co-ordination, head, mind, feet AND talking???  I might be a multi-skiller but it just about does me in.   So we ran 6.87km, ridiculous really that we didn't go to 7km, I just had nothing left in me to round it up, but it still added to my 100km for June total.    Also we had a challenge in Run Downunder this month to take a pic with a running buddy so I have entered this action shot in, excuse the crazy eyes.

Sunday the Athletics Club had an 8km fun run.  Once again with the handicapped system because I'm slow I was off Zero! ha.   Then it was up to the others to catch up to me.  I was ecstatic that I was about 6.5km in before the first runner passed me.  Usually it's about the half way mark, so I must have been doing something right, maybe consistency is paying off.  It was a beautiful bright winter's morning, but Windy Warrnambool lived up to its name, it was a tad blustery.   Looks like the Pink Brigade was out in force here!    So this now brings me up to 23.79 / 100 for June.  Yay! 

Mike got home Sunday after doing some family things and we went to the Inaugural art show in our town.  Good on them for trying something new.   

So it's been a lovely cruisey weekend.   Happy Birthday Queen Lizzie.

A bit of a mish mash post with the lot

Okay looks like I went AWOL but I have been here and still running, and cuddling my grandson, and working and scrapbooking.  And I even started this post yesterday and only finally publishing it today!

RUNNING

Well first day of June, means the first day of winter, which means going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark and heck, that means from past performances I slack off over June because it's usually cold and rainy.   So I've decided to set a goal.  Good idea right?  Okay my goal is ...

If I say it softly it won't hurt as much I'm sure...

Shhh ... to run 100km in June.

There it's out loud.  Crazy much?  I think since this running gig started I've only hit 100 twice and they were warmer months.  So to really make sure I was in for a penny, in for a pound, up on my facebook newsfeed popped one of the Oz Virtual Races.   And it was for the Brain Foundation, a cause close to my heart.  And there was a 100km over the month of June entry.

Well it was like the universe popped that straight in my lap and in a moment of complete madness on Saturday having a nice lay in bed, I paid my money and signed up.

As of tonight's efforts of a measley 3.23km, it got dark really quick!  [3.23 / 100]


GOR OFFICIAL PICS!

Official pics came back from the Great Ocean Road run.  As well as some dodgy ones, there were a couple I liked, so I bought the set.   No air shots but plenty of thumbs up!

Approaching that last hill back into Apollo Bay. 

FUNDRAISING THROUGH RUNNING

I've not brought this up on my blog before, or I don't think I have, but this year I am fundraising through my running for the Brain Foundation using Everyday Hero.   If you feel you might like to make a donation, it's Tax Deductible for the Aussies (coming up tax time!!), but just a love job for overseas peeps, you can't use it in your tax, very easy, you can pay by Paypal if you like, the money goes direct to the Brain Foundation and you get a receipt back direct from them.

FAMILY

So we got to spend some time with the little one last week.  Can you believe he's almost one!   Growing up before our eyes.    Grumpy is being very silly copying off everything he does.  One thing is for sure, Nanna and Grumpy will always keep him laughing.

His mum has him in this really cool Baby Club with Little Fish Photography, photos each month with a theme.  May's theme was 'Mothers' and his three grandmas were asked to come along.  Unfortunately one wasn't able to come but the other two of us were there.  What a lucky little boy to have three grandmas and grandpas!  So anyway time for photos and he cried and cried!  Poor little man was teething.  But anyway this photographer is a magician so I'm thinking she may have captured expressions between the cries.  I tell you if anyone had a video it would have been hysterical.  We were clapping, and clucking and waving behind her to get his attention away from crying.  So funny.  Can't wait to see the pics.   Here's a sneak peek I took for my Project Life.

QUOTE OF THE CENTURY

Now possibly only my running friends will get this but here goes.

We have two lovely gentlemen who live across the road, we love them to bits, and they were over on Saturday for a cuppa.  One of them mentioned that he was walking every morning, 5km, but he was starting to have problems with a part of his foot.   Mike, the know-it-all-know-nothing-at-all husband very seriously said "Well Bruce, it's like this, it all depends on if you are a pronator or prenatal".

I fell off the chair laughing.  Literally.