Anzac Day

I have gotten a bit slack on the blog, and this post isn't even going to mention running.   It's about how we spent Anzac Day last Saturday.

Ever since I can remember I have always gone to an Anzac Day ceremony, way back in a past life I played with a brass band, back when I played with FYCB we would attend three Anzac ceremonies on the one day.  Even now I still go, and I probably will forever more.

So last Saturday was an early start.  We had gone to a function on the Friday night and by the time we got home and got to bed it was 12.30am !!  With our alarm set for 4.00am.  Ouch!    Bleary eyed we got up, had a coffee, Mike got himself ready and then we drove near on the hour to get over to Penshurst as Mike was playing pipes.  We have gone to Penshurst for many years now, with Mike piping for them, it's a lovely community event.  This year instead of the 10am service they were going for a dawn service commencing 6am.

The night was still and cool, but not overly cold (certainly scarf and jacket weather with hands firmly in my pockets).   The service was lovely, very moving, a local woman sang and she had the most incredible voice it cut through and then hung on the air.  Mike played his lament as the wreaths were being laid, the lone piper.

I reckon the entire little town turned out.   And afterwards they put on a sausage sizzle and hot coffee breakfast, it was nice to have a chat, as usually we are racing off.

So home we went, Mike flaked it on the couch for an hour or so, and then we headed off for the 10am Mortlake service, as spectators.   It involved a parade, a wreath laying and then a service.  I assisted with a collection for Legacy whilst "Onward Christian Soldiers" was played, I was amazed people were throwing notes in the tray.

Look at that wee little girl on the left there, marching along holding onto her daddy's kilt.  Every now and then her hat (buzzby is that what you call them) went slippy sliding on her head and someone would come out from the gathered crowd and upright it again!

There was a memorabilia display at the RSL, some amazing old newspapers and artifacts.  I really enjoyed it.  Our CWA decorated the hall with poppies and red, blue and white streamers.  The hall looked great.   The crosses were a reminder of the people from the Mortlake area who died in WWI.

And our CWA ladies and other helpers did not disappoint, there were two huge tables groaning with good country fare.  And whilst I didn't run on Anzac Day, I did do laps of the morning tea table I'm afraid to admit!  I did then go for a run on Sunday morning, in the rain.  Impressed?

Geelong Half Marathon - the wrap up

So I've had a few days to reflect on my achievements of last Sunday.   Another half marathon under my belt.  I think back a couple of years to when I started running, having never been sports orientated EVER (apart from spectator sport).  Who would think that at age 49 and age 50 I would run two half marathons.  Geelong was always going to be a good one, home town, beautiful course, and this year I had a time to beat.   Last year was 2:49:53.

So I stayed in Geelong the night before and mum, my brother Trevor and I went out for pasta for dinner.  Well *I* went out for pasta, they tucked into pizza!

Early night for me, I was in bed by 9pm I think with my alarm set for 5.45am.   Up and toast for breakfast, many nervous visits to the loo, and we were out the door heading over to Belmont just before 7am.

The morning was sensational.  I cast my mind back to last year and I remember we were a tad cold on arrival.   Not this year.  It was a gorgeous still overcast morning but it wasn't cold, in fact I was able to take my jacket off fairly early.  Note that I'm wearing the same running top as last year, my fave, from Skirt Sports Australia.   Funnily enough I was feeling really calm, not at all jittery.  I had mum as my entourage (and darn it I forgot to get a photo of us together) and we started chatting to a lass who was there by herself, she was grateful for the company I think.  She was feeling the nerves having only signed up the night before! 

A few messages to Alison and Leah, our Warrnie girls who were also running, and although they were there we didn't find each other.  They gave us the round up to move to the starting line and I hear a call and there's Alison with Anna-Jane.   They too hadn't found Leah.   A quick pic about a minute before the start.

You head down under the bridge and then around the soccer field I think it is, as you circuit the field you see the front runners heading back to the river and at that stage I hear a shout and it's Leah and she has her hand up for a high five.   Now I knew we were all on the course.  It really is a beautiful course, down one side of the river, across, back the other side of the river, across then back to the start again.  Once we were on the other side of the river from the start, I could see my mum waving madly and heard her yelling out across the very wide river, her little voice carried "Goooooo Carol" !!   You run alongside two golf courses.  At one stage one up near Queens Park around about the 15km mark of the golfers yelled out to me "looking strong, keep up the good work".  The organisers say no headphones and I ran naked (so to speak) for the first 10 and a bit km, but by that stage I was so far behind and I was sick of listening to the drivel going on in my head I grabbed them out of my pocket and plugged in some music that put a beat back into my step.

I must admit, far from being a maths lover, I do tend to start doing maths sums in my head while I run.  And it's not for want of getting the run over, it's kind of a game I play with myself.  Like I divide the run up into 4 x 5km fun runs (and a bit), or I get to 7km and think right a third is done, I also start thinking of my time and if I can get to X km by whatever time, etc.  I really wanted to get my time down from last year.  I had written 2:40 in my shoe (yeah yeah I think I've mentioned that on my blog before).  Even with the maths games going on in my head, I reckon between about 14km and 18km I ran in a daze, I don't remember a lot of what was going on.   I was mindful of the really great helpers on the course, the water tables, I made sure I thanked everyone, they would give such encouragement too.

Hmmm a couple of the official photos here.  Okay so we all want an air shot right?  Both feet off the ground.  Well I saw the photographer and think I went a bit overboard!  He was cackling up a storm after he took the photo too.  Excuse the crazy eyes!   Well ... there is air, you can grant me that one!

And the official 12wbt Runners Connect salute!

So when you look at the map, it's a bloody long way!   This map  is from Runkeeper.  My official time was 2:43:51.   Yahoooooo I beat last year by 6 minutes and 2 seconds.   I got a PB!   I was ecstatic.

Some pretty impressive splits in the first 6km for this ol' plodder.   I remember hearing Runkeeper in my spibelt when that first km was run and thought oh jeepers, I'm in trouble, this is way too fast for me.

So I'm approaching the finish line, 50metres to go and who do I spot, but Leah and Alison and Anna-Jane on one side of the road, and my mum (who didn't know them, and they didn't know her) on the other side of the road, all screaming for me.   I'm yelling out "hey mum these are the Warrnie girls, and hey girls this is my mum" - nothing like calling out introductions while running in the last 50 metres of a half.  Can't believe the girls waited for me, they could have been in the car and half way back to Warrnambool by the time I came over the line, being they are all super fast.   Made me feel very humble that they did that.

So over the finish line and they direct me to the table for a bag of lollies, as much fruit as I wanted, a bottle of water, and ... what was this ... NO FACEWASHER this year!!!!  We got BLING!!!!!!     I saw Leah talking to my mum and I almost dropped everything to put it on, cute little dog tags with Geelong Cross Country Half Marathon 2015 on it.  Really REALLY liked it!  You may be able to tell from my expression.

And here are the lovely Warrnie girls - Leah, Anna-Jane and Alison.  We all so missed our friend Kellie who had a bad ice skating accident the week before and hurt herself to the point she was having trouble walking, let alone running.   I thought of Kellie many times during my run, knowing all the training she had put in to get there.    But as I mentioned to her, the races/events are the icing on the cake, we don't always need that icing, she has gotten far more out of the camaraderie and support and friendship that she has received over this journey from her Saturday morning long runs with these girls.

We are a bright coloured bunch aren't we?

So we all parted our separate ways, mum and I ended up at a little cafe down Pako for breakfast, with dreams of eggs benedict in my head.  Ordered quickly but breakfast took an age in coming as forgetting that with Geelong AFL playing at home the place was packed.  No matter.  I was a half marathoner and I was wearing my dog tag to prove it!

I popped my compression recovery socks on after a shower back at mums, got my things together and then drove the 2 hours home, still on a high.   Ended up sleeping in my long compression tights that night, Mike took one look at me thinking I'd gone nuts wearing running tights to bed, but he knew better than to say anything!   And I've pulled up surprisingly well.  I was even walking up and down stairs at work on Monday.  I have had a pain across my abdomen though, I think is more from a weak core than anything, so that needs to be worked on.  My runs this week have been on tired legs, but I've already put in two short runs since the half.   So bottom line, I feel great.

And this makes me giggle - I had seen something like this on facebook before but wanted to use my own pic - so this is a pic I took during the run which I used the Waterlogue app on.  Cool huh?

So what's next?  No more events planned this month, just want to keep the fitness up and not fall back into a slump.  May is shaping up to be a busy month of running, what else is new! ha.  

Getting itchy feet

Taper is hard.   After running some long disances of late being forced to wind it back a bit.  I've stuck with the plan and done just that.

Packing for an event is even harder, remember I don't call them races any more, they are events.   "Race" is such an intimidating word.

So the culmination of the past three months of training, the sore backs, the aching legs, the Osteo appointments, the flying lunches (okay so only one flying lunch!!) it all comes down to tomorrow.    Last year I did it in 2:49:33.   Will I come in less than that, I hope so, I want to make the cut off.  Last year was my first half marathon.  This is my second.  It's a course I know so that's a positive.

So bags are packed, I've made a checklist I can keep referring to now, it's helped.  And I'm ready to go.  Pasta dinner booked in tonight with mum and my brother and early night for me.  

And this little man is one of the reasons I want to keep on this health and fitness path, I want to be someone my grandson looks up to --- hey nanna look at you run --- that kind of thing.  Sure sure, I'm doing it for me, of course I'm doing it for me, but I'm doing it to stay fit and healthy so I'll be around a long time with his Grumpy for this little man.  

Not long now and he'll be off.   They grow up so quickly.   I look forward to the days I can chase him around and he can chase me around back and I won't be puffed after a few minutes and want to sit down, but I'll go as long as the little man will go.

Righto, signing off, back on the flip side with some stories, hopefully !!

Attack of the flying chicken!

So yesterday I went out for my last longest longest run before the Half Marathon.  I was planning to do anything between 18 and 19km.  Ouch!  I knew I wouldn't have a chance on Saturday or Sunday as I had two 5km fun runs to do, so my day off Friday it was to be.   Except I woke up and it was raining.  I mean REALLY raining hard!  So I had some brecky and decided to go out a few hours later.  Also I realised with a distance like that unless I wanted to go stir crazy running round and round and round town, I would do an out and back.

I was also trialling my new Nathan Sports Speed Draw Plus water bottle which arrived that morning in the post ... see there must have been a reason it was raining or I would have gone out before it arrived!

So an out and back of this distance means I was going out through some countryside, long road, running on the side of the road.   I run against the traffic, and always pop a hand up if I hear a car coming from behind me (albeit on the other side of the road) or I see a car up ahead, just so they know I've acknowledged them, they know I am aware of them, and I get over into the grass verge and when they pass I'm back on the side of the road again.

So I'm halfway back into town, and I see a dirty white tray truck ute approaching and like normal pop my hand up to acknowledge him and as he (I'm going to say he, not from what he did, but it was a REALLY dirty tray truck ute, no right minding girl would be driving it) ... so as he got closer I thought for a fleeting moment that something white had flown out from the back of the ute and came flying in my direction.  Until it landed a few feet in front of me and bounced and exploded and half eaten fried chicken and chips went flying everywhere, not to mention a cup of dipping sauce.  It was then I realised that hadn't come from the back of his ute, that came from him, aimed directly at me!!!!
I was shocked, did that really just happen, I looked back but couldn't get his rego number and he went up and over the rise.  Then I panicked, I was in the middle of nowhere, still a couple of kms from the outskirts of town, what if he did a u-ey and came back, so I grabbed my phone out ready to call Mike, just in case.  But no, he was long gone.

You know it's never entered the equation that someone would deliberately throw something at me while I was running.  It's not something that has been on my radar.  And when discussing it with the Runners Group I've realised I'm not the only one this has happened to, some far worse.  One lass had an empty beer bottle aimed at her, and another had a glass bottle smash in front of her spraying her legs with broken glass, and a fellow from my work had a Macdonalds parcel thrown at him.

WTF is going on people????

Anyway result was I made it home, 18.2km so was thrilled, after eating/showering I put my compression socks on and left them on till I went to bed.   The hand held water bottle was a rip roaring success, it didn't worry me having it in my hand, and I was able to pop two GU's in it with room to spare.  It goes say it fits all iPhones, I have an iPhone 5 and without the case it would fit with a squeeze, but I prefer to wear my Spibelt for that anyway and have my headphones up through my shirt.

And the best part of all of this, I pulled up fine.  My legs were tired of course, but I remember last year when training for the Half, I was doing distances like this and I could barely walk after it, and there'd be a big lie down on the couch.  But all good, tired legs, but not achey.

Just as well as I had a 5km fun run on Saturday, I'll do a blog post about that tomorrow, right now my bed awaits!

Running a deux

Pardon my French, no I mean REALLY pardon it.  No idea what that means apart from there's a two in there.  

So back track a bit - I did my long run on my plan on my day off on Friday this week as I knew I would not have time for it over Saturday or Sunday, with a plan to do Friday's run on Sunday.  Got it?

Saturday I went to a terrific master class, if you will, on preserves, relish, chutney, sauce making with the CWA.  It has really got me thinking.  I've had a foray into making jam before, those luscious Timboon strawberries, but I resorted to using jamsetta to set the jolly thing.   I got to taste test lots of different flavours that she had there, plus now have the recipes.  Family, you can expect many jars of chutneys and relishes this year, once our tomatoes finally turn red!   I did taste test a green tomato sauce but didn't much care for it.

So anyway today rocks around, eh, I slept in, a well deserved sleep in I might add.  I decided to do my run later.  Pottered around, Mike picked one of the humongous Lebanese Zucchini he has grown and I set about making zucchini fritters for lunch and to freeze.  Well I could hardly run just after lunch so I'd wait.  Gets to late afternoon and I told Mike I just couldn't be bothered and my run was off the cards.   He asked me how far I wanted to go, which was anywhere between 5 and 8km and I'd be happy.   So okay, "lace up" he says, "I'm coming with you".

He literally had to push me out the door, but actually once I was in my gear I was semi-happy about it.

Techno nerd working out his tunes, then decided the reason he couldn't hear was because his earphones were playing up, so he ditched the music.   We would just run and walk and chatter and run again.

He decided to venture further afield and came one of the stock routes with me.   Ouch, there are some hills up there.  But I was so proud of him, he was doing a walk run and I was doing a bit of a joffle and we were keeping up with each other.  It was warm this arvo!

I swear though he has Chariots of Fire music going on in his head, he seems to have perfected the hands in the air running style.  Running like a champion.

Then he spots the cows and made me stop for a shot!  It's a giggle with our 12wbt Runners Connect group that we get selfies with cows.  Goodness, even Mike is now in on it.

Got to the lake and around the side of the caravan park and he spots the sprinkler system so decides to do a run through to the delight of a lady standing nearby who chuckled loudly.

Then down to the main road and back home.  End result 7.4km.  Longest run ever for Mike, he was knackered mind you, but so so proud of himself.  And me?  Well he got to say 'I told you so' as I was delighted I could tick off my training run tonight, so so happy to have done it.   He just knew that the pain I would feel of not doing the run was far worse than the pain of actually doing it.  And it was so much fun running with him tonight, it really was.

Mind you, after dinner he sat down and polished off two bowls of icecream and then a bag of chips.  This running gig makes for a hungry husband for sure!    

So so happy with our efforts tonight.

The Great Rail Run - Queenscliff to Drysdale

I've left off blogging about this as I was still processing my thoughts about last Sunday.   I had entered the Great Rail Run - Queenscliff to Drysdale 17km..

I got down to Queenscliff nice and early about 7.15am, after having stayed in Geelong for the weekend following the line of traffic heading down the coast.   Lots of people milling about as they were accepting race day entries also.  It was chilly but up on the platform it was out of the breeze.   Mood was great and the train was getting steamed up, two engines and a handful of carriages.  There was probably about 350 runners I guess.

The race consisted of the full 17km, a 10km (starting from Suma Park, where those competitors got on the train and it dropped them at Suma Park) and a three team relay.  A few spots of rain which soon stopped, and I sucked it up and bagged up my jacket to put in the van to meet me at the end.

Once the race started I soon warmed up.  There was a lovely tail wind and overcast conditions.  The train starts about 5 mins after the runners.   Mind you end result was that 25 runners beat the train, it came in 26th place.  But soon enough it chugged on past and it's smoke was merely a spot in the distance.

There were five water spots, such lovely volunteers - I got offered champers at one and he promptly gave me my cup of water.  What a joker.  Also volunteers stopping traffic at the road crossings as the rail trail crosses roads in a few sections.  At one road crossing there were no cars, so the cheeky volunteer held up the slow sign to me!  I had worked out I'd be happy to finish in 2:20 and by the 10km I was going great and knew if I remained on pace I would be in well before that.

But it was not to be.  At about the 12km mark I came across an incident where a runner was down and having CPR done on him.  His face had cuts and blood and he wasn't breathing and his whole head was a blue/grey colour.  There were about eight runners in a line taking turns to do compressions with St. Johns Ambulance also on the scene.  So lucky it was a section of the trail that the ambulance could get down.  There were also two nurses and a paramedic runner there too taking a major role, what's the odds when something dire happens that you'd be so lucky having those professionals also running the race.

They had the defrib machine on him and when it came time for everyone to stand back and it shocked him, I have never seen that before apart from on TV, it was very confronting.   I and a few others stood comforting his wife helplessly looking on.   I had done CPR in First Aid at work many many years ago but none of it was in my head at all.   The MICA ambulance then arrived and they worked on him very calmly with drips and putting needles into him and he started breathing again thankfully and he would be taken to hospital.

The organisers told us if we didn't want to continue they would arrange a bus for us to take us to the finish but we all decided we needed to finish this.  But the heart of the event had gone by that stage.  I think those of us left were in shock and continued on very slowly.   I've never been more thankful to see a finish line in my life.   Now I will wear this as a badge of honour, but when I checked the results I had come last!  Some people did cross after me but they were part of a relay, so on times I took the wooden spoon.

The organisers had spoken to each of us in that tail end of finishers to make sure we wee okay.  I got a massage on my calves, had a veggie burger for breakfast and then caught the shuttle bus back to Queenscliff, found my car and had a good howl.

Such a fantastic race, it really was and I would do it again in a heartbeat, but this year, just a wee bit more than I bargained for.

In the race recap email, there was a lovely message from the Race Organisers and a message from the man's wife, it was great to read this feedback:

"VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU..

As some participants may be aware a runner in yesterdays event collapsed while on course. In what can only be described as a true demonstration of people coming together to support another in need, many runners stopped and worked together to help for more than 30 minutes. Peter is currently in Geelong hospital and we have been asked to pass on the message below from Peter's family. 

Peter's family would like to thank his fellow runners who came to his aid on the Great Rail run. Words cannot express our gratitude. Thanks also to St Johns volunteers and the paramedics.  Peter is now stable and receiving the best treatment at Geelong hospital."

And then I met her !

So still playing catch up on my blog but catching up posting by phone as I do believe I may have had the screen of death on my computer.  I'm calm as it's not the blue screen of death, it's slowly going through lots of checking files and my computer was fully backed up only last week.  But damn it!

So anyway back tracking to Thursday week ago.  And look what happened!!!  Our 12WBT Guru and the woman who has changed so many lives was in Gerlong at s book signing.   And of course I had to be there.

Now I've seen Mish at other events - at the 12WBT Finale parties, the group exercise sessions, I hightailed it up to Ararat to watch the filming of The Biggest Loser and time after time I have seen people on blogs and Facebook and Instagram who have had their pic taken with her time and time again, but apart from our big group team photo I've not.  And I don't mind saying I've been a little envious of people from time to time.

What I wouldn't give to meet her and tell her thank you for changing my life.  So I got to Westfield early, got a great possie and watched the exercise session and listened to her motivational speaking and lined up afterwards to get my book signed.   

So it got to me and I just looked at her and she was so lovely and asked me what was wrong and completely overwhelmed I said simply "I think I'm going to cry" then promptly burst into tears.  Oh way to play it cool Carol!!!!!

She told me "Oh come here" and gave me a big hug and told me to stop crying or she'd cry and her mascara would run! It was so genuine and real and as I blubbered my thanks to her for turning my life around and giving me the power to gain health and fitness my coherent speech was just completely out the window I rambled.  I remember telling her I was from the Warrnambool crew and she said "Are you kidding me, you've come all that way to see me" like she was genuinely surprised.

I did say to her that I'd seen her a number of times but never had my photo taken with her and she said "Well we're getting our photo taken today girlfriend!"

I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am thanks to the photographer from Westfield to have these lovely memories. (pics from the Westfield Geelong Facebook page)

Happy happy days!!