1 X 50km!

Took the opportunity of a cool morning, early start & no rain to do a first 50km run.....jog 1km/walk 2 mins. Same course as last week...down & back up Macquarie Pass. 2X25km.

Took the usual 2 Nutella sandwiches, 1 container of sports drink & 1 with 2 cans of de-fizzed 'Red Bull' & a pocket full of 'snakes'! Sandwich #1 at 25km; from then on it was dangle the carrot before the donkey trick... I promised myself rewards at various stages of the return & delivered on the dot! At 35km (just before the climb back up the Pass) I could eat the 2nd sandwich...& I did! At 40km I could eat as many snakes as would fit in my mouth & wash them down with 'Red Bull'...& I did! At 42km I could eat all the snakes I could find..& I did! At 45km I could finish the last of the 'Red Bull'...I did & then it was a case of 1km at a time; I walked k49-50 because I was feeling too tired to watch the traffic speeding on the downhill bends into town.
50km is a very long way!!! I felt like I'd been going for a week!

I hope to do another 50km & 1 or 2 x 40km. Total time today 6hrs 45mins. No wonder I feel really, really tired! So now, it's Good Night from Chickybabe!

Feb. = 349km
Jan. = 348
Total = 697 km

Rest & XT

Went to the gym to do some time on the elliptical trainer & bike.

Tomorrow I must be out by 6:30 a.m. at the latest, otherwise I have little chance of being back before dark! So, please God! Don't let it rain on Chickybabe's parade tomorrrow!

Running & Flying!

I put the 'flying' part on the main message board, so only a brief mention here.

12km with strides was the run. At 3km I stopped to watch a glider circle & land on Mittagong airstrip; called out to the pilot that he looked like a bird landing, and asked me if I'd like to go up! Faster than a speeding bullet I was at the side of his 2-seater motorized glider; we introduced ourselves, put on one of his jackets, earphones & helmet & after doing all that clearance & checking bit like in the movies, we were racing down the tarmac & soaring into the air, eventually getting to 2000ft.

If I'd died there & then, I'd have done so with a big smile on my face, such was the adrenalin rush as we soared over the ranges, flew down low over where I pointed out my house, up again & out over Bowral, Berrima & Mittagong. It was so cool, clear & beautiful beyond anything I could have imagined. Can't wait to go up again when I get the phone call!

"Down to earth" & completed the running session, light as a feather & smiling all the way !

Continuing With Endurance - Medium Long Run

I slept in till.......!!! and didn't get out to run until 11:00 a.m. It was too hot & humid by then; however, to be positive they (whoever they are!) say you should do some running at the times of day you'll be out on the day; that's why I need to experience everything from dawn to dark; and, for that matter, all sorts of weather changes as well! Because, on long runs I'm out of contact range by mobile, I must also learn how to send out distress signals (smoke?) should I ever again be overcome by darkness or the elements!

Today 16km; Avg. HR was 65% of max.; dirt road in the bush ..unfortunately a lot of soil erosion from recent heavy rain, but wonderful bush smells, especially when crossing some old wooden bridges over flooded creeks.

5 X 600m intervals

Solved the problem of being able to do today's session with as little pain as possible ! : (1) Cut the legs off a pair of panty hose, keeping just enough to cover chafed parts; (2) lathered areas with vaseline; (3) carefully put on modified pantyhose & an old pair of thigh length shorts. It worked & managed to do 3km warm up, 5 X 600m reps. with 90 secs intervals, 3km cool down.....on a treadmill at the new gym in Mittagong. Count as 10km.

Not bloody likely to ever let chafing happen again!

Week 7 Begins...getting closer & closer!

It had to be a day off.....can't run, can't walk properly, can't even sit down in comfort! A 'step back' week is in order with less kms than last week.

A Very Long Run!

Oh, Bloggers! Where else, but here, could I leave for all to know, what a Chickybabe puts herself through on the road to Canberra!

Out at 6:30 a.m. (unheard of for me!), rain & mist above the ranges & below in the valleys.....d'lovely! I was carrying 2 raisin loaf sandwiches with Nutella spread, jelly beans, sports drink in one container & 2 de-fizzed cans of "Red Eye" in the other..."Red Eye" this week 'cos it had more caffeine than any of the others! So if I strayed off & got lost somewhere amongst the daisies & cows, I'd survive the day & even the night outdoors!

I missed some of the 1km paint marks I'd put on the road down Macquarie Pass & just went on & on ...jog 1km/walk 1minute; now that I'm home & have taken a look at the piece of paper where I've jotted down how far each mark is, I find that instead of doing 20-21km out & the same back, I'd gone 23 out & the same back...total 46km. That was OK; I was feeling great at halfway & most of the way back, enjoying the rain & the occasional burst of sunshine, until with 15km to go, from running in soaking shorts for so long, what did I feel? Chafing on both inner thighs! I can't tell you how terrible the pain became! Tried walking & it was sheer agony; so I just ran with no walk breaks & eventually, know what? I could feel nothing! No pain at all!

It gets worse though & don't read on unless you have a strong stomach! About 10km to go, looked down & both inner thighs covered in blood & running down to the knees....that's the first & I hope the last time I'll ever feel chafing like it ..trying to wipe the blood away lest I be seen by people in passing cars! Thank God, they're aren't many where I run!

And it still got worse!
After I got home & in the shower!....& that's when I started to cry....big sook! Truly, the burning pain was dreadful; inner thighs look & feel as if they've been cut with a razor blade! ...though I suppose if it hadn't been raining all the time, it may not have happened. I hope the pain goes away soon; right now I can barely walk or sit down for the burning pain....I've truly never felt anything like it.


Total for this week = 84km (Today's run took me 6 & half hours.. down the Pass & all the way back up in the rain & pain!)

Chickybabe is now going to lie down again & probably cry some more.. I'm so sore!

An Extra Rest Day

Called another day for doing nothing special because tomorrow, God and my legs willing, I plan to go 40 or 42km. Because of the hours involved in doing this, I will very likely need to take a packed lunch, afternoon-tea, the evening meal and possibly, a late supper! Oh, Chickybabe!

Medium Long Run

Cloud cover kept the morning cooler than the predicted 28 degrees; took a fairly flat course out & back, past the Mittagong air-strip for a total of 18km., keeping HR at Avg. 70%, Max. 75-80%. Even so, I was feeling weary from about 12km onwards....soles of my feet sore from running entirely on bitumen surface...oh well, Canberra is all bitumen, so must look on the positive side of everything that happens!

A Rest Day

Might go & take a look at the new gym that opens on Monday here in Mittagong; only a couple of minutes from home so could be more convenient than going into Bowral.

LT Run

Started out late (9:00 a.m.) thinking the day was to be very cool & I could sneak an extra hour in bed! Well, the breeze was good but the morning warmed up considerably. 21 hilly kms with the middle 12km pushed hard.. For the total distance of 21km : Avg. speed = 8km/H; Max Speed = 23.9km/H.

Recovery Run

Still in recovery mode after Sunday! A 10km 'easy' run is the order of the day; this evening we'll go into Bowral to see a French movie called "A Very Long Engagement", set in the period at the end of World War One......looking forward to it.

8 Weeks to Go!

Soon will be 'count down' time! Week 8 begins with the usual rest day.

A Longer Than Expected Run!

Ages ago I drove down the Tourist Road hopping in & out of the car at each km with my little can of white paint; a dab on one side of the road, run across the road & drop a dab on the other side; all this so that I'd know exactly how far I'd come each Sunday.

This morning the intention was to do 30 -32km & 34 if feeling extra good; something (legs) was telling me I'd missed a dab or two; checked when I got home & I'd done 38km!! No wonder I was like a walking zombie towards the finish! Fortunately I'd taken a handful of jelly beans, sports drink & a de-fizzed can of 'Red Bull'...gives a good kick too!

Total for this week = 70km

Another Rest Day

Not planned at all, but feeling a bit "off" in the tummy; better to take today off & be ready for Sunday's long run......I hope!

A Rest Day

Slept in till.....late! Hope the cool weather lasts for Sunday's long run.

Recovery Run

Strange, gloriously cool day after 33 degrees yesterday! Dark clouds coming in over the tops of the ranges: more storms? Oh well, "Somewhere over the rainbow......".

Being so cool, did the week's shopping first & got out to run around 12:30 p.m. Today was just an 8km 'easy' run that I enjoyed a lot......and nothing tomorrow!

A Run with Intervals

Went to the gym this morning; did 12km with 5 X 600m reps. with 90 secs. intervals. I like the treadmill for intervals as it's the best way for me to keep the pace constant. A bit tiring, but a shower afterwards & finding the day much cooler when I got outside, gave me a feeling of having done a worthwhile session.

Aerobic Run

Of course, I would leave it until the temperature was over 30 degrees before setting out; must have been 35 degrees by the time I finished. Took plenty of water & refilled at taps.

14km run keeping HR at around 73% of Max.

Simply must get myself out of bed earlier in this hot weather; but this Chickybabe Blogger loves her nest!

Week 9 Begins

....with a rest day; happy with that, 31 degrees outside. Will see the movie "Finding Neverland" tonight & hopefully there won't be another power failure as happened in last week's storm during "The Motorcycle Diaries"!

Will also have one last 'going over' with the Physio this afternoon.

Long Run w/Marathon Pace

B'Gosh! But it was a glorious mornin' this mornin'!! Very cool breeze, sunny, not a cloud in the sky and I swear I could see Centre Point Tower in the distance!!!

24km with middle 20km @ marathon pace, except on the steepest hills where I slowed down somewhat!

Really enjoyed the run, being shorter than usual and only spoilt by coming across a bad accident amongst a group of about 50 'bikers', (who pass me every Sunday), where one had skidded off the road, awaiting the ambulance & police. Very friendly group to speak to, but those bikes!! Huge, shiny, colourful monsters that I'd give anything to have a ride on!!

Anyhow, that's it for this week : Total of 64km

Change of Plans

I'm taking an extra day of rest today instead of the planned 10km; reason : it's windy & cool & I have first signs of a heal cold; for some strange reason, the ordinary common cold knocks me out completely for several days once it takes hold & I don't want that to happen now; funny......because others I know seem to be not affected at all by the same thing.

I suppose being a Chickybabe makes me a little more fragile!!

"Late" Mid-Week Run

D'Lovely cool, overcast morning and able to get in the run that had to be postponed on Wednesday because of horrific storms.

22km @ around 73% of MHR. Have had a very painful big toe for several days & have had to cut a piece out of an old pair of runners. Taking a look later found a big blood blister under the nail & at the tip of the toe! Gave it a jab & out came a near tissue full of fluid; a bit inflamed around the base of the nail but not as painful as it has been for the last few days; hope it's not infected. Anyhow, an easy run tomorrow.

Run With Strides

Windy, very cool day after a stormy night! Did 10km with 8 X 100 m. strides.

Change of Plans

Today's mid-week long run postponed until Friday due to weather conditions ( managed 8km before skies darkened) : huge electrical storms; two people struck by lightning yesterday in Mittagong, one killed when a tree fell on a tent in which 2 school girls were camping; tagic accident.

Last night everything blacked out including half way through the movie we'd gone to see! No traffic or street lights driving home.

Will have another session with Physio tomorrow; do an easy 10km weather permitting & then the longer run on Friday, short run Saturday & long on Sunday...that's the plan anyhow!

Recovery Jog

Woke at 7:30 a.m., turned off the alarm and woke again at 10:30 a.m.! Haven't done that in ages!

Very hot out at 11:30 a.m. for a 10km jog; taking it very easy & felt no trouble with either knees or back....big sigh of relief!

Movies this evening to see "The Motorcycle Diaries"...all part of recovery for Chickybabe Blogger!