GOR Paradise Run - the recap

Saturday and Sunday this weekend was the Great Ocean Road Marathon Festival at Apollo Bay.    There were a 14km, 6km and a kiddies 1.5km I think it was on the Saturday, with the big one the half and full marathon on the Sunday.    I did the 14km Paradise run from Apollo Bay up to Paradise and back.

We got to Apollo Bay around 11.30am after a 2 hour drive.  Hubby surprised me as he decided to come too, ever the cheering champion for me.  As you can see we arrived to chilly and overcast conditions, no wind, it was perfect for running.  A kind man on the beach asked whether we'd like our photo taken.  

Some of the girls from our fantastic 12wbt Runners Connect group were going to meet at the bakery, seemed like an easy meeting point, so we found our way there but first I spotted Leah, one of our Warrnie girls, she was running the half on Sunday.  We were chatting and she pointed over yonder telling me my 'other man' was over there.  And none other than Steve Moneghetti having just finished the 6km race which of course he blitzed.  He was chatting to some boys who seemed to be a running group from Melbourne High.

And I was off!!!  If I was timed it was my quickest sprint ever.  After he finished talking to the boys he started walking off and I tapped him on the shoulder and asked if he minded a photo.  I didn't think it was prudent at this stage to remind him that this would be my fourth photo I had had taken with him!!!    A bit star struck I am.   Plus he chats to you as if you really matter, I love that.  

So as mentioned, meeting up with the runners from our Runners Connect group has to be one of the most funnest things ever.  We all have this online friendship and meet at various races around the country.  New friends and old friends from far and wide.  Not only that, but our club mascot has slowly become the cow (mainly of the black and white variety).  Sue and Shev weren't running until the Sunday, they told us they had something up their sleeves and oh boy they did.  They dressed up and were waiting at the top of the last hill.  I heard them before I saw them, there was a cow bell clanging and then I saw them, oh boy!  Talk about bringing smiles to everyone, plus they were holding a big sign "Run like a cow is chasing you".  I was so overcome they would do this for our 14km runners I will admit to bursting into tears.    Feeling the love!

So I got to catching up with them again, plus Anna, who I'd already met at runs before.  Then Katherine and Diala (who had come from NSW for the run) and Jo at the bottom tapped me on the shoulder at the start line so we were able to chat up until the start.

There's something almost calming about doing a run/event that I'd done before.  Parking no problem, knowing what to expect and look out for, or look forward to.  It made it a really enjoyable run.  I had mentioned it was overcast and chilly, well about a km into the run the clouds cleared and blue sky and sun and it got quite warm.

The runners spread out quickly and you do run through some beautiful countryside on this run.  Again this year we ran alongside a paddock of horses who were galloping up their paddock next to the runners, quite surreal.  You run by the most lush countryside and rippling streams and up into the rainforest where the trees were tall and the ferns were beautiful and it was cool and shady.

About 4km into the run the first wheelchair athlete came flying back followed not too long after by the first runner who had already run 10km to my 4km!  I broke out into spontaneous applause, as did everyone around me.

The elevation truly looks more scary that it was, it looks like we ran a mountain, but it was quite undulating up and down, you didn't realize how you had climbed.

I was almost down to the corner once I had gotten into Apollo Bay and saw my hubby taking photos, it was so good to see him, makes it so worthwhile when you see someone you know.  I rounded the corner to the main street and soon saw Cat waving crazily at me.   We have become friends from reading each others blogs, funny how that happens.  Check her out here, she was running the big one!  Marathon girl she is.   And I can't believe it but in the post race high I completely forgot to get a pic with her, sorry Cat!  Doh.

I ran over the line with a sprint, well I think it was a sprint, in my mind it was, but I may have been shuffling by then, and the people holding the finishers medals were all lined up.  There was a little girl, all of about five years old holding up a medal looking at me, I made my way over to her and she didn't want to just give it to me, she held it up so she could put it over my head, so I bent down low so she could do that, and she did it with all the care as if she was presenting an Olympic medal.  I think I'll remember that most of all.

Such a beautiful medal, they must make different designs every year, this is completely different to last year.  No doubt I'll go back next year just to get another different one! ha.  Maybe the half marathon next year, hmmmm.  Did I just say that out loud.

Caught up with some of the girls afterwards for some post race pics, completely enjoying the endorphin high!  And then it was time to make the 2 hour trek home before it got dark, those windy roads could be treacherous.  Grabbed a chicken salad roll and a chocolate milk from the bakery to have in the car, I was starving as I did not have lunch before the race which started at 1pm and by this time it was 4 and my last meal was breakfast.  

Home and the best darn shower ever.  In fact at one stage I leant up against the shower wall thinking I could go to sleep right here, standing up, water running!   Flannel PJ's and compression socks were the order of the evening, and that's done for another year.    So so happy.  And I've pulled up great today.

Official time was 1:42:15   (2 mins 27 secs better than last year).   It's nice to get a bit faster, but for me now it's all about the enjoyment.  (And the bling) !!

GOR

Tomorrow I'm heading down to Apollo Bay to take part in the Great Ocean Road festival.   A terrific event, which has a number of runs on the Saturday and then the half and full marathon on the Sunday.  I am doing the 14km Paradise run again, inland from Apollo Bay to Paradise and back.  This particular run has gone down as my favourite most prettiest run of all time, it's beautiful.

So let's hope the rain of the past week, the chilling wind, the icy conditions disappear and the predicted 14C temp rings true.  Although looking at Elders Weather right now it says 20% chance of drizzle <1mm and 5km southerly winds.  

Pffft, I laugh in the face of drizzle!

As long as it's in the morning, as the 14km event commences 1pm!  ha

A couple of weeks ago I was approached by the GOR publicity machine to run a story in our local newspaper.  Just a 'feel good' story about my training and running at GOR.  I made it to page 2, on top of an advert for the Great South Western Sausage Roll competition!  Woo hoo, hit the big time!   

When he asked to take a pic of me running, all I could think of was ick, side on shot, stomach issues, bouncy running stomach issues.   Oh well, it is what it is right?   And no hiding how old I am, OH DEAR!

So will be back with a race recap.  The beauty of running the same event as last year is that I not only have a 14km PB to beat, but the 14km is exactly the same.  Catch you on the flip side!

I've turned Hard Core!!!

Crap,what's happened to me?  I go do one run in the rain and I've turned into Rainy-Amazon-Woman !!  I had a run planned for after work yesterday and mind you I hadn't been out of the office all day, just looked at the dismal weather through my window.  I got into my running gear and one of the guys at work says "you're not running out there now are you?"   I just looked and said "maybe ... or maybe I might go to the gym to the dreadmill".  But as soon as I said dreadmill I knew it wasn't going to happen.

So I walked out of work and hmmph, yeah it was cold but I had my running jacket, I could do this.  So I headed down to the waterfront and set off.  Well I was half way up the first road and down it came, the wind struck up and the rain started.  I kept on.  There was a lass who was in front of me who I passed, but only for a moment as the rain turned to hail.  OUCH!  I sheltered under a tree as she headed across the road.

We looked at each other and I said "this is called developing mental toughness or sheer stupidity".

She looked helplessly at me and said "I'm opting for sheer stupidity".

Hail stopped and I headed on.  Wind and intermittent showers continued.   Let's just say it wasn't a good day for men with comb-overs!

I rounded the Pavilion and there were sirens going at the Breakwater and on looking over, OMG, the waves were pounding over the top, and mind you that wall is probably 6 to 10 feet above the water level, maybe more.  There was no going near the pier tonight.

But I finished my run, only 4.2km but ended on a hill and the rain started again mid-hill which did make me try to go faster, reaching the car with teeth chattering in the cold.  As soon as I got home last night it was straight into the shower and then in flannel pj's !  Then all was right with the world and I had a certain smugness last night that was very enjoyable.  Hard core weather running, it's like you've yelled out to the universe "come at me" and well, the universe listened!  For once.

Mothers Day recap - a run, a lunch and a present!

Sunday just past saw Mothers Day in Australia.  It was Mothers Day in the USA too, not sure about other countries.  And Mothers Day in Australia means the Mothers Day Classic.   This is the third year I've done it and it's a great day (usually!!)  Everyone gets their pink on and there are Classics held all over the country.  I head down to Geelong and mum and I go down to Eastern Beach to participate.  Well *I* participate, mum is a very avid spectator.

But then this happened...
The weather.
The icky icky weather.
And for once the Weather Man got it right.  

I was staying down at mum's and I remember waking up at 2.30am to the sound of torrential rain outside.  It was bucketing down.  Oh joy.  I bundled back down under the doona.  My alarm went off at 5.30am and it was still raining, albeit drizzly now.   I had a coffee, I didn't intend to eat brecky this morning before the run as I wanted to be down there by 6.30am, the 8km run was to start at 7.30am.

I took one look at mum and told her not to come.  She probably would have ended up with pneumonia, mum only has one kidney and has had pneumonia before.  I told her to stay home in the warm, I was still going to head down there.  I'm kind of glad it worked out this way, as much as I love running knowing mum is enjoying the festivities down there, this particular year I know all I would be worried about would be mum standing around freezing.

So I got down to the Eastern Beach area at 6.30am and there was a hive of activity setting up.  Umbrellas, people sloshing around, the ground was wet.  I was bundled in my rain coat and took shelter under one of the tents where the volunteers were meeting.   I got chatting to a few people and as the time ticked on I was thinking I was going to have to ditch the raincoat to take with my things to the bag drop.  I can't run in this thing, I get wetter from sweat inside, it's a raincoat, not a running jacket.   But ah ha!  I also had with me in my bag a tricks one of those plastic disposable raincoats that you see people at the footy wearing.  So the plan was to ditch my bag at the bag drop and pop the disposable thing on to stay dry then ditch that in the nearest bin once the run started.

Well it was a good plan, except I couldn't get the jolly thing on to start with and when I did I had it on backwards.  But it worked and it did indeed keep me dry and semi-not cold, I'm not going to say warm, because everyone was cold.   I put my tribute card up on the tribute wall.  I was running for my bestie's mum Helen who passed away last month of a brain tumour.  Yes I know it's not breast cancer and this race was all about breast cancer, but it was my run and I could do what I wanted.

There was a balls up at the start.  They had a lady on stage leading the warm up exercises and they were running slightly late.  She was ready to start the next exercise and a few people realised the run had already commenced and soon she lost everyone as we all headed over to the start.  But it had started and people were already making their way up the hill.  Bah!  I look forward to the anticipation of the start and the count down or the gun going off but none of that.  Miscommunication between the two areas I'm thinking.

The run was rainy and cold, and when we came along the bay front it was freaking windy!  That air came right out of the antarctic I'm sure.  The volunteers were great though, they were cold too, at least we kept somewhat warm by running.   My official time was slightly slowest of all the MDC I had done, but in trying conditions I would take it at 57:28 .   I was mega proud I ran up all the hills, even the Eastern Beach hill.

Came over the line to get my key chain medal and a banana and water and was surprised with this Garnier box full of samples, which everyone got.  That was a lovely surprise.

The 4km walk and run was about to commence as I was heading back to the car and down the heavens came again, it was relentless, I was so glad to make a dash for the car and head back to mum's for probably one of the top 10 best hot showers in my life.

A bit later on we got ready for lunch, we had booked once again at Empire Grill and this year my brother also came.  Mum was delighted to have us both there.

The three course menu was just magical, my choices were pumpkin soup with almonds for entree, crispy skin salmon with a saffron sauce and apple and fennel salad for mains, and then this magical cocoction for dessert - lime cheesecake with mango sorbet and what they called caramel dust which was almost sherbet like with a taste of caramel.  It was AMAZING.  Thank goodness I had run 8km so there was only a little guilt with this.

So after all that a long drive home, but here's a little collage - a pic of me and mum, and then a pic of me and my furbabies.  :-)

And then they "surprised" me with a present.  Hee hee.  Well when I say surprised, I had heard via our 12wbt Runners Connect group of an amazing deal 70% or something ridiculous off and sent the link to the menagerie (via Mike) !!    Yay for me.  A terrific pack containing a Nathan belt/bottle, a Nathan water bottle, socks, earphones, a running shirt, a phone case to hook onto your belt, and gel/protein bar goodies.  Clever menagerie!

And that's how I spent Mother's Day.  A huge day, but oh so enjoyable.

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 !!