Sharla's Log

[Sharla]

Am glad to see you quit your training log. Because you are actually posting more now. haha

I think this is exactly the right reason to be here. For training and health related stuff, and using the logs as a check and balance on yourself. This does sound like fun, but I still maintain ther is something wrong with marathoners, like...in.the.head.

..........And boxers aren't the least bit nutty?


OK update

Last Sunday:

12 km trail run with a trail running group - was meant to be 11 but I was silly enough to run alone for some of it and missed a turn off.

I had to double back and find the right track again, Seriously when you yell out "cooooeeee" a few hundred times don't people know you need them to yell back so you can work out where the hell they are! Apparently not!

Monday - Legs killing me from the hills so I did a 1 hour walk in new "earth" shoes. I'm wearing these for work too. They have a negative heel which balances pretty much all other shoes which have the heel raised above the toes.

They let your calves and hamstrings stretch out properly and do a lot to help correct poor posture. I plan to stick to this brand for all shoes except my runners from now on because my lower back doesn't get as sore wearing them.

Tuesday - 20 min walk warm up and 30 min jog - still have really sore legs.

Wednesday - the day off - needed to let my legs recover. The Sunday run was really hilly on rough terrain and my legs just were not used to it!

Was meant to go to yoga in the morning but underestimated how long it would take to walk there and missed out. Ended up starting work early instead. I could have cycled but my bike has really been pissing me off lately.

Thursday - After work I caught a bus to uni to do some work there and ran home. About 20 mins walk walm up and 40ish minutes run home. It's downhill which isn't the best. I have to hold my core muscles as tight as I can to stop my pelvis rocking forward and tightening muscles in my lower back.

Friday - Cycled to meet the road runners for a 6 am run. Got there too late! Had no where to put my stuff - would normally get it locked in a car - so I couldn't do it.

I had allowed 30 mins to get there which should have been heaps! I got overtaken by a really obese guy pedalling at a third of the pace I was and decided my bike is definately ready for the junk yard!

Saturday - Went for another trail run. Had the option of turning to the finish at the 15 km mark for a total of a 16 km run or going on to do 22 km.

The terrain was harder and hillier than last time by a looong way. I did 16 km and a lot of people who had planner 22 decided 16 would be enough after all. Really I would have been stupid to jump from 12 to 22 anyway!

Not just because it's a big jump but also because I didn't carry water. The 12 km without water was fine but while it started off being really chilly it warmed up quickly and the long sleeved running top I wore was real overkill!

I decided early on if I really had to I could rest at the tops of hills if I ran up them. As the run went on I cursed that decision! Everyone else would walk up the steeper slopes and I would try to run with teeny tiny little steps and buurrrrrrning gluts! I made it though.

Some of the down hill slopes were pretty steep also though. The terrain often included a lot of slippery sand/pebbles which would slip out from under you at the wrong time. I really couldn't run down them and had to climb down holding onto shrubbery with white knuckles for dear life. At least I got my breath back from the up hill parts!

I had some good luck too - at one stage where the track ended for a hundred metres going through a pine plantation area I had to walk over logs etc and weave my way around areas with lots of branches etc. My S sensor footpod worth AUD $150 got snagged and came off. I didn't know until my heart rate monitor beeped at me and I thought it was gone for good.

Everyone behind me in the group started looking for it though and we found it. This little silver pod amongs all those sticky and old bark and greyish dirt! I could have kissed the woman who found it! I didn't though.

Also another runner was nice enough to share his water with me closer to the end. Everyone was so friendly and staying with a group rather than running at exactly my pace paid off as far as not missing turn offs this time! I'm really enjoying it! I'm going to try to run with these people every weekend from now on.

My mother's partner Micheal meawhile had been working on my bike (slept at mum's Friday night to get a lift to the run).

We found out The rear wheel thingy holding the ball bearings etc had frozen up so it didn't turn properly, the front brakes were gone, the rear brakes only worked on one side.

The chain had stretched and the tyres were on backwards which is apparently like "stroking a cat the wrong way" plus half flat. The tape inside the wheel beneath the tube had worn and moved so the tyube would get punctures where the spokes joined the rim easily too.

He spent all day fixing it all except the chain which i need to buy and he put some better tyres on which are a bit slicker than the thick mountain bike ones for me to try. He had them sitting in his shed so i can buy them if i decide i'm not going to ditch my bike and buy a new one after a month.

He's an absolute legend! Does more for me without expecting anything in return in one day than my real father did ever total!

The thing which I thought was really bad about my bike though was I had the seat too high and I didn't even know. I was rocking my hips from side to side to pedal rather than just using my legs.

Being bent over to reach the handle bars with my lower back bent and my pelvis basical training itself to be unstable had to be really really bad for me! What an idiot I am!

It's Sunday morning now and I don't feel too sore so hopefully I'll get a bit more in this coming week and make up for the two yoga and one pilates class I missed!