Last chance training

6.01am: easy run
Distance: 6.2km
Time: 35.21min
Pace: 5.41min/km
Cals: 361
Weather: 11.9*c, wind – N, 7kph; some fog

Last run before the marathon! An easy 6km run before breakfast this morning. Everything seems to be holding together okay so deep breath, fingers crossed and here’s hoping all goes well on Sunday.

There’s not much more I can do now, except focus on carbs. Oh, and what I’m going to wear on the day…decisions, decisions!

Tomorrow is Mr N’s birthday so we’re out to brunch in the morning and then the boys are coming round for dinner. Mr N’s meal request: roast pork and veggies for dinner, followed by baked rice pudding. I think I’ll pass on the roast pork as I’m not sure it will sit ok the night before a marathon. I’ll make myself a pasta dish instead. However the rice pudding will go down a treat

“Be the kind of woman who, when your feet hit the floor in the morning, the world says ‘oh no, she’s up’.”

Good morning!

Lunchtime run

12.40pm: lunchtime run with Mr B
Distance: 10.6km
Time: 58.24min
Pace: 5.29min/km
Cals: 600
Weather: 24*c, wind – N, 11kph; sunny, blue skies

Second last run before Sunday. I was meeting up with Mr B down at the lake for a bridge to bridge run at lunchtime.

My Garmin took forever to locate satellites. I was almost at the lake before it had finally located one.
I couldn’t see Mr B at this point so ran a little way towards the museum before backtracking to the ferry terminal – the agreed meeting point. He was there waiting for me.

We set off at a steady pace for a pleasant clockwise run around central basin. There were plenty of other people out enjoying the fresh air and sunshine. It was a beautiful day, and quite warm. It was nice to have company for a change for one of my lunchtime work runs.

We went our separate ways back to our respective workplaces once we’d crossed over Commonwealth Avenue bridge. I briefly thought about Sunday and how I’d be feeling when running along the bridge, not once but twice, as part of the marathon circuit.

Back at work, I had a shower and changed and then finally I could have my lunch. I was starving by this stage

Tomorrow morning I will do my last run, an easy 6km, before the marathon

“We runners are all a little nutty, but we’re good people who just want to enjoy our healthy, primitive challenge. Others may not understand running, but we do, and we cherish it. That’s our only message.” – John J Kelley

Another gorgeous morning

Slow &…….sluggish

5.58am: easy run
Distance: 6.2km
Time: 37.12min
Pace: 5.59min/km
Cals: 361
Weather: some fog, clear; 6.5*c, wind – NNE, 6kph

I so did not want to run this morning but I needed to get it out of the way early because of other (work) commitments. One consolation – it’s at least light at 6am….for the time being.

But it did seem like an awfully long 6km and that it would never end. Though going at the pace I was running, it was taking longer than usual, that was no trick of the imagination.

2 more runs before the big one on Sunday. A tempo run on Thursday and another easy one on Friday.

Tomorrow: brekkie with my favourite gal pals

A glorious start to the day

The best way to eat a strawberry?

4pm: easy run
Distance: 13km
Time: 1hr 15.94min
Pace: 5.46min/km
Cals: 756
Weather: cloudy, 23.6*c, wind – SSE, 13kph

Got up at 8.30am this morning, then changed the clocks back! So it was really only 7.30am – an early start to a Sunday. Not that I went for a run – that didn’t happen until 4pm. Still it was a leisurely start to the day – corn fritters and oven roasted tomatoes for brekkie while reading the local paper. Then later on I met Ruth for coffee and lunch.

Back to the run. By the time I got around to doing this it was getting on for time – 4pm. I ran down to Lake Ginninderra and around to Ginninderra Dve bridge before retracing my steps and returning via the cycle path that runs parallel to Ginninderra Dve, then running through the tunnel to come out near Melba oval and running home from there. It’s a different route to what I normally do but I enjoyed it so must add that to my list of regular run routes around home. I also noticed how dark it was getting near the end of my run, around 5.15pm, now that daylight savings has finished.

And what’s the best way to eat a strawberry? Why, picking them straight from the garden, when they’ve been warmed by the sun and are oh so sweet. Which is what I did once I’d got home.

Last long run :)

7.17am: long run inc parkrun
Distance: 17km (inc 5km parkrun)
Time: 1hr 33.36min (5km – 24.09min)
Pace: 5.30min/km
Location: Lake Ginninderra
Weather: (7.30am) 6.6*c, wind – calm; (9am) 11.3*c, wind – ESE, 7kph

Today was my last long run before the marathon. Of course, come Sunday week I’ll be running 42.2km.

It was another chilly start this morning and for a while there I thought I’d be heading off to the lake in the dark but the sun did eventually rise around 7am. Thank goodness daylight savings finishes tonight. It was great while it lasted but its so dark in the mornings now.

There was a large turnout for the Gindy parkrun this morning and the usual suspects were there – Ruth, Marg, and Gary, and Mr B even showed up. I was 6secs off my PB today though it did feel like I was running faster, obviously it was just harder! Then a casual cool down run home again afterwards – a pleasant way to end the run.

The rest of the day was spent familiarising myself with domestic duties once again because for some strange reason I decided to save some money by not getting a cleaner anymore. What was I on at the time to even consider this absurd notion?! As compensation for hard labour I had prepared Moroccan lamb shanks with pumpkin & mint for dinner tonight, with poached vanilla pears with chocolate sauce, vanilla ice cream & toasted coconut flakes for dessert. Recipes courtesy of Michelle Bridges and Weight Watchers Verdict? Delicious.

“I may not be the strongest, I may not be the fastest, but one thing’s for sure, I’ll be trying my hardest.”

Run for chocolate

3.24pm session: easy run
Distance: 11km
Time: 64.14min
Pace: 5.48min/km
Cals: 653
Weather: 20*c, wind – S, 11kph

Sleeps till marathon: 14 (yikes!)

There was not the blue skies and sunshine like we’ve had the last couple of days. In fact, this morning it looked quite bleak, as if it would rain. However, the sun did make an appearance eventually, but the clouds never really went away.

It was the exchange of easter eggs and chocolates today. All I can say is thank goodness I run – it does lessen the guilt of eating chocolate a teensy bit!

We also ventured out to the Kingston old bus depot markets this morning for a browse, and so it seemed did most of Canberra. There was chaos in the parking lot but eventually we made it inside to check out the wares. Not that we bought anything but still it was lovely to wander around having a look at what people had on offer.

Later this afternoon I managed an easy 11km run along the cycle paths down to Lake Ginninderra, before returning home. That makes it 73km for the week, with only 2 weeks left before the marathon. Am I ready? Not sure but will give it my best shot.

“What you see before you, my friend, is the result of a lifetime of chocolate.” ― Katharine Hepburn

Blue skies & sunshine

7.09am session: long run
Distance: 25km (inc 5km parkrun)
Time: 2hr 27.46min (5km – 25.48min)
Pace: 5.54min/km
Cals: 1,468
Weather: (7am) – 3.5*c, wind – calm
(10am) – 12.9*c, wind – NNW, 6kph

Wow, it was a chilly start to the run this morning, requiring a spray jacket until I warmed up. I was grateful for the 7km warm up run before the parkrun because it was so painfully slow. However by the time the parkrun started, I had warmed up and had a much more comfortable run. Met up with Ruth before the start of parkrun and also chatted briefly to Gary.

I was pretty happy with my parkrun this morning. The plan was not to knock myself out but to run comfortably as I still had to get home. Last time I ran this course I did precisely that (ie knocked myself out and ran a PB) which made the trip home long and slow. So I paced myself well today and finished with plenty left in the legs to run another 13km home.

Ruth and I then ran part of Lake Ginninderra and the peninsular together before going our respective ways. It was nice to have company for 6km of the 13km run home. The rest of the run was uneventful and I felt fine. It was another beautiful day – blue skies and sunshine. I wonder how long this will last? Well, that’s our second last long run done before the big one, and next week’s long run really isn’t one – its only about 13km.

Met up with Ruth again a bit later for lunch at Kingston and Co. By then both of us were starving – my last meal was at 5am! It was crazy busy at the Mall – so many people obviously doing last minute Easter shopping. So it was nice to sit down, relax and enjoy a yummy meal and a great coffee. Mr B joined us a little later.

The hot cross bun run

3.30pm session: easy run
Distance: 14km
Time: 1hr 19.50min
Weather: 19.7*c, wind – W, 9kph; sunny, blue skies

I’m way over running in the twilight zone, ie running early in the dark, so I’m trying to plan the bulk of my runs to happen in daylight hours. So it was a nice sleep in this morning followed by a leisurely breakfast, a spot of housecleaning and washing, and then a coffee at Max Brenner’s.

Hmm, sometime today I’m going to have to get on my running gear and out the door. Today’s motivation – run the 14km and then I can have a hot cross bun when I get home. So hence today’s run being known as the hot cross bun run!

It was an absolutely stunner of an afternoon to be out running 14km – brilliant blue skies, not a cloud to be seen, a gentle breeze, not too hot, just perfect. Lots of other people thought so too as I passed many out walking their dogs, the occasional other runner and some cyclists.

Back home, I thoroughly enjoyed that toasted hot cross bun

Part 1 & 2 of today’s run

5.46am – easy run
Distance: 3.6km
Time: 22.36min
Pace: 6.09min/km
Cals: 218
Weather: 9.5*c, calm, no wind

Part 1 of today’s run: So why was I running such a short run so early in the morning? I asked myself exactly this, this morning at approx 5.47am . Though at that stage I wasn’t planning on running such a short distance. Anyway I could not come up with a good enough reason to continue running in the dark under street lights and yet, strangely enough, I could come up with lots of strong arguments as to why it would be so much better to run at lunchtime! And Michelle Bridges always said even if you don’t feel like doing a workout, at least start and then after 10-15mins if you still don’t feel like it, then stop. And so that’s what I did.

12noon: interval run
Session: 2 x (2 x 1min [1min RI]; 4 x 30s [30s RI]; 2 x 1min [1min RI])
Distance: 11km
Time: 61.34min
Pace: 5.30min/km
Cals: 664
Weather: 26.9*c, wind – NNW, wind – 20kph

Part 2! I felt so much better running in daylight hours, in the sunshine, getting my quota of vitamin D. Apart from the 10min warm up when I felt like crap (normal) the run went really well and at a much faster pace than yesterday (turtle pace). It’s also a great way of breaking up the working day. There were a few other runners out as well pounding the pavement, and lots of cyclists. I ran along the cycle paths that take me through Turner and Lyneham. Doing an intervals session also makes the time pass quickly and before I knew it I was back at the office, feeling very hot, sweaty and red in the face! Practically inhaled my lunch!

Turtle pace

Today’s session: easy run
Distance: 8.5km
Time: 54.11min
Pace: 6.20min/km
Cals: 502
Weather: 11.4*c, wind – E, 7kph, some fog

Is it possible to run any slower?! It was turtle pace this morning. And I had to cut short the distance as well. Oh well, at least I got out there and did something today.

I did have an excuse. As a result of a dietary mishap on Sunday, I’ve been experiencing a gluten attack, which is not pleasant. Running on Monday was totally out of the question, so the fact that I could get out there and do some distance this morning is progress. Hopefully tomorrow will be even better.

Another mishap involves my Garmin 310XT watch – the strap has broken. Which means I have to run holding my Garmin, which is a pain. I’ve been to some watch repairers here but no-one can help. I’ve emailed Garmin but so far….deafening silence.