Conquering Hospital Hill

12.33pm: lunchtime run out past Black Mountain peninsula, including Hospital Hill and Black Mountain peninsula hill
Distance: 10.2km
Time: 58.02min
Pace: 5.40min/km
Cals: 601
Weather: 19.4*c, wind – NW, 7kph; a gorgeously warm and sunny day with barely any breeze

Today I thought it was time to conquer Hospital Hill rather than go my usual way, around towards the museum. I have to be careful with running hills because it can aggravate my hip but today I felt inspired to do some hills – not sure why but I figured it couldn’t hurt. As long as I am conservative but consistent with including hills in my runs I hope to eventually regain my hill running ability, which I have to confess is sorely lacking at the moment. In fact, I can quite honestly say at this point in time, ie now, I suck at hills.

Anyways it was such a beautiful sunny day, quite warm even, with a glass off on the lake as there was very little breeze. It was stunningly gorgeous.

Trundling up Hospital Hill was a bit of an effort, as was Black Mountain peninsula. The downhills on the other hand were great!

Again I was starving all afternoon but I didn’t succumb to crap today. Though I did stand in front of the charity chocolate box in the work kitchen for what seemed like forever contemplating the range on offer. But instead I had an apple.

Well, I have printed off my nutrition plan for next week. On offer is apple & ricotta toast, Bircher muesli, beef stroganoff with pasta & beans, ginger salmon stirfry and chicken noodle soup, among others. But no chips or chocolate. And I’ve had a peek at my exercise plan. Best not to scare myself too much. Omg I think I’m going to experience DOMS next week!

And the best news of today and possibly the week is that…*drum roll*…Keren has got in to NY marathon. She’s coming to New York! Woot!

Happy days

Some days I wish I could bottle the joy, excitement and the pure happiness of the day so that when things aren’t going so great I can release the stopper and relive those same emotions. Today was one of those days.

Mind you, I had no idea that that was how today was going to pan out, when I woke this morning. However, the fact that I could get out of bed and not have to shuffle hunched over to the bathroom should have been an indication of good things to come! My back was behaving itself, after yesterday’s run. Woot!

Later in the morning I went to Flight Centre to try to work out our planned holiday to the States in November. I had tried sorting out the flights myself yesterday but found it very confusing and it would have ended up being a lot more expensive. So now flights are locked in and paid for – to New York, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Hawaii. Excitement plus!

Met Ruth for coffee at our favourite coffee place and for a chit chat – two of our favourite past-times!

And then received a phone call when I got home to find out that I am now a great aunt. My gorgeous niece Jess had a baby girl this morning. She was due next week so only a week early. Everything went to plan and both Jess and Lily are doing well. So now to do my great aunt duty and go and buy lots of baby gifts – I get the fun part!

Finally I went for a 14km run. I had been putting this off for as long as possible but eventually it was crunch time – suck it up and get out there. And surprisingly it was a really good run. Given that yesterday’s 6km was pretty bloody awful, having a good run was a bonus and just what I needed. It was very humid when I started the run and then the rain started in the last few kilometers – not that I minded, it was refreshing.

So it was a great day today. I wish all days could be like this but then again, if they were, then we probably wouldn’t appreciate these special days as much as we do, when they happen.

“What day is it?” It’s today,” squeaked Piglet. My favorite day,” said Pooh.” ― A.A. Milne

 

JFDI

The day started well with a weights session. But as the day wore on, the worse I began to feel. Not sick but tired, I think…..I hope. It was as if I had run out of oomph.

So I was seriously in two minds this afternoon as to whether to do the cardio schedule scheduled for after work. I reasoned that it wouldn’t hurt to miss a session after all it had been a hard week and I had done every other session. So I miss a session?  What harm would that do. I’d probably be better off resting instead.

Perfectly good reasons to just go home. Except that I didn’t. I changed into my gym gear at work, drove to the gym and tackled the session, one machine at a time. I wouldn’t go hard but I would do it.

It was a fugly session but I still managed to sweat it out. The rolling intervals were the hardest, especially when the incline increased every minute for 4 minutes, from an incline of 3% to 9% by the end. I seriously didn’t think I would have the energy to do it but I surprised myself. Ok, I was clock watching  those seconds tick over but I hung in there until I could reduce the incline and the speed again.

Tomorrow is a rest day. I need it.

The great news is that I received an email today to say that my place in the 2013 NYC marathon has been confirmed! 16 months and I’m off to New York. I can’t wait!

“Some pursue happiness – others create it.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson