Celebration weekend Part 2 - City2Surf

Having done a little research into this famous run I was feeling a little intimidated. The little research I had done had uncovered the fact that the race really was just one big hill with very little downward bits!! I knew I could run up hills -- but I wasn't sure if I was up to a challenge of THAT magnitude!! However, I was not going to let it beat me -- I would give it a go!! I must confess that I was wishing I had done a little more practice on the hill runs... gone up the 1000 steps hill a few more times or something!! Haha!



Before...





After...



I had registered with the panadol rapid group but with my knee the way that it was I just decided to stay with my friends in the group behind them... I was delighted to discover a friend of a friend who sounded like she was a similar time to me!! I decided to run what I could of the race with her -- as I figured I needed someone to keep up with on the hills!! Worked out PERFECTLY -- we were very similar in pace and when I started walking on heartbreak hill she ran past me and told me I was doing well ... and of course, I couldn't let her run AHEAD of me now could I!! Haha!! Had to keep running up the mother hill... It really did get quite vomit worthy in a couple of places!! I have not felt the need to vomit during exercise for a VERY long time!! LOL! The rest of the run really was quite a good run though!!

I was happy enough with my time. 1:22:54... Not my best time -- but considering I did not taper at all and given the way I was feeling before it I was happy!! There was also the hill factor and the fact that it was wet and slippery too... LOL..

During!! LOL!

Bring on the next run!! YAY!! Funny how you look forward to something which you find such hard work -- and then at the time you wonder why on earth you do this to yourself... I figure it's a little like childbirth -- the brain forgets how bad it was so that your body wants to go back for another. Haha!

"Failure I can deal with... Regret I cannot."

Celebration weekend Part 1. A bridge to climb.

A celebration weekend. A celebration of many things - birthdays, actual weight loss and for me maintaining the weight loss!! And what better way to celebrate that to do a famous climb and a famous run!!

I am currently feeling very grown up! I have never gotten myself to and on a plane before -- and was slightly freaked out by the thought -- but I did it!! LOL! Parked my car in the long term parking, got the shuttle bus to the domestic zone, checked in and made it onto the plane BY MYSELF!! How good am I!! I even picked the RIGHT plane!! YAY! I then got off in Sydney and found the train I needed, put myself on it and managed to get off at the right station! EVEN BETTER!! Haha!! Was very thankful to have someone to meet me at the other end though -- would hate to have to find the hotel all my myself! Definitely would have gotten losted!!

I have to admit to being a little worried about the weekend given the status of my left knee. I have been realising lately how bad it has gotten. The eye opening moments were in a pump class when I looked in the mirror and saw myself doing a squat. I was leaning all the way to the right and basically doing a one legged squat and just having my left leg rest on the floor.... and the other was when I decided the way to go was to strengthen the left leg... I jumped on the leg press - stuck a 25kg plate on it and tried to lift it AND IT WOULDN'T MOVE!!! Bahahaha!!!! I had to take the weight off and do it with no weights -- and even THEN I could only get out 6 reps!! LOL!

Given that the 2 events I had on the menu for the weekend involved hills and stairs I was a little worried!! Saturday morning came around and one of the buddies who I was with marched me down to Priceline and got me to purchase a couple of knee brace things which I wore for the rest of the day - Let me just say -- Best. Things. Ever! My knees felt 100% better by sat night!! Which was good because I am not sure how comfy they would have been to run in -- and I make it a point to NEVER do anything different on race day!!

My only other problem was that I felt like I had been run over by a TRUCK!! Tafe both that week and the week before had us doing serious weights for HOURS!! OMGosh!! There was not one muscle on my body which had not been absolutely smashed over the last couple of weeks -- and I really don't think my body was recovering properly from it .... I felt like a massive semi had rolled over me a couple of times!! My particular problem on this weekend given the stairs and hills were my BUTT muscles and hamstrings... I seriously looked like the BIGGEST idiot I am sure as I spent most of Saturday and Sunday morning doing dynamic stretching and leg swings etc... If I stopped moving them they cramped up!! Haha!! At least I can now say I have a really intimate relationship with my butt muscles.  How many people can say that??

The actual climb was a really awesome experience. There was a moment at the start where I started to freak... but then I thought -- who cares if you die anyway... you wont be around for it to bother you and your only going to die once!! And then I was fine. LOL!!

Christmas in July.

I have been to the snow as an adult twice before. Once I was pregnant and was freaking out about falling over. The other I weighed 110kg and the waterproof jacket I was wearing didn't even do up and I was not fit enough to do much more than make a very sad snowman. Needless to say, this snow trip was a little different!!

A group of us were heading up to do a white Christmas -- yes, it was in July -- but who's counting the months anyway!! We still had ourselves some Christmas carols and a Christmas tree!! LOL!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBu1cJqKgVg

Somewhere in the car trip along the way we decided we would stop and check out the 7 acre rock -- given that our last 7 acre rock trip was ruined by torrential rains!! Haha!! It was a beautiful day -- awesome for hiking to the rock... Probably not so good for the poor snow -- I kept having visions of it melting away before we got there!!

We made it to the snow in time for a yummy lunch, and a kris kringle -- where the bear "Baw Baw" was born. No, he was not mine -- I just had a very brief affair with him. (Although Maz was very happy to share him around!) LOL!

Our new friend "Baw Baw", our full tummies and us all ventured outside to play in the snow soon after lunch. Tobogganing and snow angles were a couple of things on the list of things to do!! Soo much fun!! Typical of me (and also of Chloe as I discovered) -- we had to try and make it more difficult and STAND UP on the toboggans!! And we both fell on our butts!! Haha!! Awesome!! Woo!! Can't WAIT to try and snowboard!!

FUN!