bang goes the 5kgs :) yay!

Got on the scales this morning to find I now weigh 79.8kg - despite having cake last night with the lovely Sam ;) Got my first 'reaction' from eating high fat food on Xenecal... not too bad (not as bad as I had been led to believe!) but not something I really want to repeat *L*

Total weight loss is now: 5.2kgs! (in a week - holy crap!)

Today I've done nothing except potter around in my unit, unpacking stuff and putting together my kitchen table from IKEA. I had thought that IKEA stuff comes with everything you need to put it together (usually an allen key!) but apparently not. I had to go out to Bunnings to buy a screwdriver. On my return, I got a flat tyre and a lovely man changed it for me! Restored my faith in men, somewhat! ;)

I'm feeling good from yesterdays run. Slightly sore glutes, but nothing major. Feeling better and better about running as you can probably tell from the sudden blog increase! I'm currently contemplating having a go at both RPM (spinning) and BodyAttack (aerobics or something) this week... time to try some new stuff at the gym...

Plan for next week (still messing around with this schedule):

Monday -
a.m RPM
p.m Social Run

Tuesday -
a.m
p.m Track

Wednesday -
a.m
p.m Medium Long Run (may even attempt to hop up a group again!)

Thursday -
a.m Body Attack
p.m Yoga

Friday -
a.m PT session
p.m Balance

Saturday -
a.m 5km TT

Sunday -
a.m Bribie Beach Bash 15km? 30km?

2 hours and a new place!

Met Sam at 4.30am this morning to go for a two hour run. It reminded me of GCM training, running along the brissie river with the water soooo still. We met so early because I had to be back by 7am for my sofa to be delivered.

The good news is that I'm now in my new unit and just sorting through stuff and getting settled. Hopefully I should be able to read more blogs and comment a little more! Sorry, guys ;) I feel terrible not answering questions or leaving you all comments. Still, new house, new start!

The two hours was done at a very slow pace and was a bit of a struggle towards the end. I can't believe not so long ago I was running 42.2 on the flat and feeling fine for at least the first 3 hours. Oh well. My legs remembered how to work so with a few more repeated efforts, I'm hoping my form (such that it was, ahaha!) will reappear. Sam is a bit quicker than me normally, so once I get back into it, she's going to start upping the pace on me a bit. That should get me faster!

I have now lost 4.8kgs - monday marks a week of xenecal. I feel fine - actually, I feel heaps better without the extra weight. Now all I have to do is keep up the good work for a few more weeks and I'll be back to fighting fit in time for summer :) Naturally, when I eat low carb diets it tends to drop off me at the start. I have no doubt that now I'm hovering back towards where my weight has stabilised in the past (76-79kgs) it'll slow right down. But, the emphasis will always be on healthy eating. I'd love to get to 70kgs, but we shall see! Not up for starvation to get there LOL!

3.2kgs down and feeling better :)

Feeling better :) Have lost 3.2kgs of the extra 5kgs of doom. Xenecal is interesting stuff. I admit, I found it a bit scary that they would give me the stuff that easily - I was right on the threshold of not having a big enough BMI. I only qualified for it because of the family risk of diabetes. I had a bit of a mental fight with myself because using it feels a bit like 'cheating' - but at the end of the day, I was spiralling back the way I used to be and needed to take control again. So I'm not going to feel guilty about using dietary aids. I've got nothing to prove any more ;)

In the end I bought a 2 week supply because it's as expensive as all hell and will see how I go. Really, I'm just looking at it as a kick start. If you eat a very low fat diet (which I do normally) it doesn't really make any difference. Except it makes me extra cautious about not eating the wrong stuff. Another deterrent is always good.

I feel so much better being 3kgs lighter again. Did track last night and though I still ran badly, it wasn't so much of a struggle. I did the whole session which I haven't done in a few weeks.

Tonight is medium long run and I'm looking forward to it! I really must be picking up again!

Two laps of Mount Cootha and White Goods

Again, a huge gap in blogville, sorry guys! I should hopefully be moving on wednesday, so fingers crossed, by the end of the week everything will be back to normal. For the curious, I'll be moving to Wooloowin, just near clayfield/nundah on the northside - very near a lovely park and prime running area! (though, is also smack bang in the middle of crazed-brisbane-runner-rapist territory, so we'll see!)

On the plus side, I've spent most of the last week or so trying to get my head straight about everything. Mostly freaking out over the fact I'm 5kgs heavier, which, I must say, is a sterling effort, even for me! Still, nothing to do but get it off again.

Yoga monday, did a track session tuesday (still feeling crappy) medium long run wednesday (now tracey is back it's fab, yay!) PT on friday and then my long run (!) today as it was pouring saturday. I used the alone time to think about everything - I ran about 2:45 and did two sloooow laps of mount cootha at a walk/run. Felt reasonable, although I'm half dead from my trainers attempt to kill me on friday still. My thighs are in agony!

I do love the changing smells on mount cootha - warm eucalypt, cool air wafting through the trees. Yummy. And, I got SPOTTED! by a cyclist cool runner - I must have looked amusing - It took me a while to process the fact that a cyclist was yelling 'GO COOLRUNNER!" at me - I thought they were yelling, "GET OFF THE ROAD" or somesuch! LOL! Not sure who it was - didn't recognise them with glasses and a helmet! Anyone?

So, my trainer has a nifty idea about getting me to drop the extra weight - firstly, I'm going to eat the same thing for an entire week. I admit, I'm a creature of habit, so that's capitalising on that fact. Have to get me out of my bad habits again.

Even though I find it incredibly embarrassing to admit, I talked to him a bit about my comfort eating issues and his solution (which is quite clever, actually) is to take the emotion out of food - get the focus back on food being something I have to do to live, rather than something to live to do. Simple really, but we shall see if it works. I'm also contemplating going on Xenecal. Nearly took it when I was much heavier, but then even when I was seven kgs lighter than I am now, I could never shift the last five kilograms. So maybe it'd help, we shall see! My other strategy is possibly going to see the Psychologist - can get three free appointments through work - might help, who knows. Maybe some good strategies for breaking myself of the habit once and for all, dealing with the issues or whatever.

Now seems like the best time to be doing all of this stuff - while I'm moving, it's a perfect time to break old habits and form new ones. New stage in my life and all that. Accordingly I spent a TON of money today on white goods, gods help me. Tomorrow shall do the same at IKEA. But, at least my new place will look beautiful!

My plan for the week is to get up and do **something** every morning - even if it's just a slow jog/walk for 30 minutes. Will do track and medium long run and long run as per usual - just want to start throwing in other stuff, other classes and things as well.

sorrrreeeeeee

I have *never* been as sore as I was on monday. I hobbled into work and actually felt nauseous when I moved. I took four ibuprofens during the day.

Thankfully I felt infinitely better the next day. Currently I feel pretty much back to normal, although I haven't yet attempted to run or do any sort of exercise - I will try and do a gentle run on saturday.

The unit I thought I had got in Hamilton, fell through :( so I'm back to unit hunting, which is why I'm a little quiet... but I'll get there!

50km at Glasshouse! We did it AND we got bling!

Wellll, I'm alive! We made it. Today we ran 50km :) I must thank the amazing Suzannah for being brave enough to have a go at it with me. I couldn't have done it without her! Now for a bit of a race review...

Woke up this morning at 2:00am after having absolutely no sleep. I spent the whole night (ha! make that, interlude!) tossing and turning and waiting for my alarm to go off. Thankfully no late-for-race dreams! Got up, got myself together and waited for Suzannah to pick me up at 2:30am.

We headed off up the coast and shared our mutual sense of holycrapwhatonEARTHarewedoing and general panic. I don't think I have ever felt as nervous for a race as I did today. Absolutely packing death would be an understatement.

Arrived at the starting point, the local school at about 3.45am and met up with a very bleary eyed looking bunch wrapped in blankets. The mosquitos were absolute murder but managed to borrow some much needed bug spray so all was well. Saw Lady Jove who completely inspires me with the way that she is so independent out there. Sister doing it for herself! The time went by so fast that before we knew it we were off.

I was soooo glad to have Suze with me - my sense of direction is terrible at the best of times let alone in the pitch black. Thankfully Lady Jove was able to point us in the right direction several times and thus we avoided doing 50km back to Caboolture!
Directions aside, I actually didn't mind running in the pitch black. The advantage is in not being able to really see how far you're going. The disadvantage is not being able to really see where you're going either at times - I was soooo close to doing THE most spectacular face plant, ever. I narrowly avoided falling head first into a deep pit of muddy water, piroetting gracefully and leaping to one side, then doing a bit of a out of control drunken sideways tiptoe for a couple of meters. Suzannah nearly wet her pants, as did I. *L* We had a blast.

The first loop was short (8km I think) and ran out over "hamburger hill" which surely has THE best view in the entire universe, through the macadamia farms and beyond. We passed through the school checkpoint, grabbed some water and waved at Clairie, Cindy and Sam who had arrived for the 30km. It was starting to get light which made things a little easier. We headed out for the biiiigggg loop and gossiped our way through.
We made a rare sighting of what we think was a giant, black cat eating cockatoo - they were ENORMOUS... beautiful things. I continued my usual habit of tripping over every two seconds. Usually as we broke into a walk on the rougher, muddier sections and just as I expressed how you couldn't really run on them without breaking your neck. There was a lot of walking up the hills and through the mud - it was just impossible to go any faster, really. That and I had another bad case of the gold coast 'be conservative' approach that told me even though I could've run up many of the smaller hills, I should save my legs.

We could see Lady Jove off in the distance for a lot of the way, but as we entered what I'll call the just-like-the-powerlines section (not sure exactly what it was called, but similar in difficulty and steepness) she got way ahead of us and we didn't see her again til the end. This section was full of massive, massive near-vertical rock cliffs. They were definitely the hardest part, but also the most enjoyable. I actually love going up them because they look so impossible. Great to really start puffing and working and using your hands and feet together in parts. I felt like neanderthal woman at times, my knuckles were almost dragging the ground at that point!

We climbed up and up, around and down and broke through into some easier track sections where we could run again. My legs started to feel it but I kept on keeping on. A quick loo spot (a very scenic loo stop!) at the top of the hill in the above piccie and we were on to the next section.

I think one of the nicest things about the GH trail runs is the peace and quiet - being completely away from any non-natural sounds. It smelt beautiful and just the chance to look at the flowers, brightly coloured agate rocks and fungi, the amazing variety of soil colours which change so frequently and the wildlife makes it really special. All stuff you'd probably never see if you didn't get right out there.

As we passed through the last checkout, Suzannah and I had practically exchanged life stories which was great and we knew we were on the way home with 12km to go. Tracey texted me to see how things were going, not knowing I'd taken my phone out with me so I texted her back ;) I keep forgetting my phone has a camera in it, so I tried to use it a bit this time. The photos I took were a bit steamy like the one above - from all the body heat in my fuel belt I guess.

The last 3km seemed to go FOREVER. Poor Suzannah had to humour me whilst I stopped to walk up some relatively tiny hills but once we were over hamburger hill again, I realised we were really going to do it. We hit a run down the very last track back towards the school and finished with a lap of the oval. Done, done, done in 7:29 - We got silver and bronze bling for our trouble, too!

Sam and Cindy had waited around to see us finish which was so lovely of them! Phil left his number and we rang him to say we were alive. After the presentations, we packed up and headed home. When I got in I had an amazingly good shower and a couple of hours sleep.

Tonight, I'm actually physically feeling *infinitely* better than I did after the GCM. I'm stiff and sore (and the next few days'll be fun!) but nothing like I was then. All that worry about running like crap and I felt fine, really. Perhaps it was something to do with all the enforced walking we did, but I didn't struggle nearly as much as I thought I would.

As we were running, I waa thinking to myself how absolutely bloody amazing the 100 milers were... infact how amazing the 100k-ers are too.... when I think about how hard it is to run 50km, then think about doing it three times and then some, it just blows my mind. It made me doubt if I'll *ever* be physically able to do that sort of distance but we'll see. My plan is to spend the next little while doing some quality, shorter training and getting stronger overall. Then I'll think again about goals.

This race has sort of marked the end of the racing season for me. Looking back on this year, it's been insane! I've done three marathon length events, two of them longer than a marathon. I've set myself a new half PB and trained harder than I ever though possible to get there. I've met some new and amazing friends, both on CR and off. (speaking of which, I met blue dog and horrie today! *waves*) All up, it's been fab. Who knows where the road leads next :)

the big 5-0 tomorrow!

Haven't blogged in ages! Haven't read blogs in ages... more to the point, haven't read CR in ages! What is the world coming to? ;)

Mostly, I've been working hard - unit hunting seems to have been successful. I found a great two bedroom unit in Hamilton. It's very run down, but that means the rent is cheap. With some TLC and possibly an argument with the real estate about needing a new cooker, it'll be fine. It's near kingsfordsmith drive, almost on the river - which has miles and miles of bikepaths and my fave running spots :) I went past the end of the road almost every week during my long runs for the coast... funny how these things turn out!

I've also been writing applications for exhibiting at various galleries around bris in 2007 and trying to put together a grant to fund the research and production for my book. Fingers crossed!

Soooo..... tomorrow (or rather, it's going to seem like tonight) is the big 5-O. I'm soooo unbelievably nervous. Way worse than the GCM. I haven't done much running at all in the last two weeks. I am feeling terrified, but underneath that I have some vague zen sense of acceptance in my impending fate, whatever that may be! ;)

I'm also looking forward to having a rest, truth be told. The more I think about it, the more the lets-have-fun approach for a while appeals. Wednesday night was the lovely Tracey's first run back after her stress fracture and torn stomach muscle and we've decided to kick back into things together. She has to ease back into it slowly, I have to recover from GH and work on running quicker than a slow lollop again. Together we shall be victorious, muahahaha!