102kms

Last week was a great week of running. I started with 30km on the Monday, which was not as planned.  I originally wanted to do a 42.2km run on the Monday followed by a 30km run but it was switched around. I plan on doing this for my next back to back runs instead. It was a good run, very warm, great to be outdoors and I never get sick of the view from Mt Ainslie. 

The 42.2km run was very challenging, it was nice and cool for first few hours but then started to warm up very quickly, expecting a top of 37 for the day. I Found a track I hadn’t been on before heading up Mt Majura and I loved it! It was a nice walking trail, very enjoyable!  I also saw my first snake for the season! It was a Tiger snake, which is exciting because they aren’t often sighted in the ACT.  There was lots of ups & downs on this run, feeling great and refreshed then feeling tired and worn out, legs started to hurt towards the end, but this was the good kind of hurt! I was pretty buggered arriving at home, but also elated to have completed two solid back to back runs!  I managed to consume plenty of food and drink! My Favourite was lemon iced tea, it was divine! I also enjoyed a red bull which went down quite well.

After some well-deserved rest, on Saturday I smashed my 5k PB at Parkrun. I managed a 4:03min/k for the first km, I went out hard! I started to tire towards the middle and end, but it was worth it. This run hurt quite a bit, but I am so happy with my PB! 

For the week I completed 102kms which I was very happy with, and feeling pretty good about it! Not as much elevation gain as I would have liked though! Will have to push harder next time!

Happy New Year!

I have been incredibly slack posting a blog for the past couple of weeks, but lucky I can’t say the same for my running!  For Christmas week I did back to back runs which weren’t as long as I planned but they were very enjoyable.

On Christmas day I woke up at 4:30am and started my run in the dark. I didn’t feel like ascending Mt Ainslie so I was happy to just climb Mt Majura instead. It was a very peaceful morning at 4:30am and It was bliss! I am still getting over my fear of running in the dark, but the glistening lights in the distance were breathtaking and made it all worthwhile! 

There was countless roos out and about, and I saw two having a boxing match! As the morning went by, I came across many other runners & walkers, so there was plenty of hellos & Christmas wishes! This really made my day! There was just something magical about this run, that I will only feel again this time next year!  

I stopped at McDonalds for a raisin toast & coffee.  Had a lovely chat to a Cyclist who said he was a triathlete. 

This run was the first time I got to test out my new pack by Ultimate Direction and I love it! The weight is much better distributed compared to my old pack, it feels so much lighter to carry. I also wore my Santa hat for the entire run, I should have taken a photo to share!

So it was 32km overall and a fantastic start to the day!

I was a bit disappointed at the end of the week, feeling like rubbish I did a 13km run instead of 23km. I finished on just over 80kms for the week, not the 90 that I wanted, however I only planned to do 80 anyways! I was feeling more tired & lethargic for this week’s lot of training and also gave myself a bit of a break with less elevation gain overall.

The following week I was gearing up to bring in the new year, and a new challenge! I joined the Run Down Under event, all my runs are sent in each week and get to compare myself to other runners and see who runs the farthest in the year! 

I started with a 26km road run which I was very pleased with and gave me a bit of confidence leading into the Canberra Marathon in April. I felt comfortable and although I won’t get to do many road runs during my training, so every now and then it’s great to see how I’m travelling on this surface.I backed this up with a challenging 38km run on New Year’s Day! There was plenty of walking, and I even had a stopover at the shops on the way home to grab some groceries! I’m sure I looked a little bit silly carrying my groceries home whilst running, but who cares! 

I had a well-deserved rest after that and on the Saturday I volunteered as tail runner at my local Parkrun and enjoyed my morning!  It was a great way to finish off the week. 

Last week I had some forced rest, by the weekend prior, I already knew I was in a bit of strife with my teeth, I was in agony! I managed a small run on the Monday, but after that I quickly got worse!  I managed to get into the dentist, but it took a few days for the infection to start clearing and it wasn’t until Friday that I could run again. I’m up for an expensive few trips to the dentist, but well worth it! 

I did 43km for the week, I am glad to be feeling much better, and ready keep on going!