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Showing posts from July, 2011

Karen writes: waxing lyrical...

Visualise running comfortably along the centre of a narrow country road in Northland, there is a nice track in the middle where the car tyres have pushed the gravel to one side, the dirt is hard packed and level and ever-so slightly damp so there is no troublesome dust, it is a perfect surface for running on.   You run on with the dense native bush crowding in on one side of the road, farmland stretching away on the other, and admire too the sky which is a beautiful clear winter blue.  The distance is measured by mouldering wooden fenceposts, its a perfectly picturesque setting for running.   And it feels fabulous, the air is cool and fresh, there is the lightest of mild breezes, and with the only sounds being the birds and your feet scuffling the road surface, how peaceful.   In 70 minutes, no cars go past while you enjoy the rolling terrain, and each new and spectacular view as you top each rise.  How can you resist turning up a road called “blue horizon” into a steep and challenging

Karen writes: multi-tasking

To add lots of endurance training to your life you end up multitasking for everything.  I get asked how I fit children, work, home, study, training, etc in, well, the first answer is 'badly', things drop off like the housework, but the other answer is never do one thing at a time.  This has its disadvantages when it comes to ever taking time to slow down, I find that impossible to do.  Anyway, an example is driving to work, this is my opportunity to catch up on the news on the radio and think.   This morning there was a live report from a reporter walking around snowy  Christchurch streets and she commented on a lone brave jogger, wondering how they were managing not to slip over in the ice.    I reflected that I complain about a bit of wind and rain, at least I don’t have to worry about whether anyone should invent chains for running shoes or freezing to death in a snowdrift.  Yet one more problem for poor old Christchurch, and one more reminder that we don’t know how lucky w

kate writes: underwire bra or not!

This might seems a strange question but when you have a bust that is a double d it is a question I keep asking. Where can I get a bra that gives me support, stops them jumping up and down and stops the sores. I was shopping in Botany yesterday and went in the Nike shop. I usually stay clear of it as I,m not an athlete  and it looks expensive. But the lady in there was lovely. Firstly we looked at socks. I now have a pair of socks with L and R on them. Being dyslexic this could be a challenge. We then went on to try some new bras. They were all large, some fitted , some were too large and some too small. One was just right. But it squashes me all up and I have fat in some very strange places. I went running last night, in the hail, and feet and boobs felt good. Will have to see how they go after a longer run. Thanks to the nice lady in the NIKE shop.

Karen writes: Monday gym at home

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Home gym routine tonight using the exercises I learned last week (well I hope I got them right, might have forgotten some).   30 minutes of light cycling was prescribed to sort out my tired legs, and after that, I alternated high resistance on the spin bike, with doing a specific exercise, aided by the kitten who was all wound up for some reason.   It is bad enough when you are doing a press-up and something small a fluffy runs underneath you and out the other side, it is even worse if it stops underneath however.   I made myself up some flash card things with pictures of the exercises so I can work my way through the pile, otherwise I would lose track,  get bored and wander off or at the very least skip the ones I didn't like.  It seemed to work ok, it became a bit of a game to shuffle them and promise myself I would definitely do them in the order they turned up.   I did them all but I admit I did cheat and rearrange the order. But I feel surprisingly good today, I had no muscle

Karen writes: 30km...just

The 30 km this morning was hard work.    In spite of catching a few hours of perfect Auckland winter weather I wasn’t feeling all that great to start with so getting to 20km was just ok.  Fortunately the company was good and I was pleased to catch up on some ancient history about people I had been to primary school with over in Beachlands.   25 km was bearable, but the last 5 km where I actually had to turn back and re-cover some ground to get the full distance was really hard.   Nothing hurt particularly, the camelpak was nearly empty and it jiggles around and chafes when the weight of water isn’t holding it steady, my legs felt heavy and sluggish too and I felt towards the end like I was running with a gait like I had just climbed off a horse.   I just wanted to go home by that stage.    I finally got there and hobbled up the driveway, it is one seriously steep slope which does stretch out the tendons and calves but covering that last 30 metres can seem the longest part of the whole

Karen writes: Big run tomorrow

So Kate sent me a text this afternoon to say she had run 25km and afterwards was doing housework, I was impressed, she still had the energy to do the domestic stuff after 25km.   I felt a bit guilty, I was doing nothing…but then I am on an exercise day off, and I tell myself that’s pretty important because tomorrow I have to run that 30km.   So to make sure tomorrows effort  (which I expect to take over 3hours) doesn’t do me any harm and mean I have to have recovery time interrupting the rest of my training, there is some preparation.   First is taking today completely off exercise and second is having a good dinner tonight with quality carbohydrate and vegetables just like I would before a big event.  Third, I will have a bit more for breakfast at an earlier time (weetbix and milk 2 hours before running instead of just 1 ½) and fourth I will be wearing only well tested gear, applying antichafe in all the risk places (especially important if it is raining), and taking the bigger 1.5 li

Kate writes:no longer an athena

You might ask what is an Athena? It's when your weight is more than 75KG. This morning the scales read 74.6kg. I had to try it again to check. Not been this wt for 10 years. I lie in the bath and the stomach is in 2 rolls now not 1. Paranoia checks in, I must be ill! I mean I'm not doing anything different! I'm just doing what I tell my patients, eat less, drink less and do more exercise. Well it works but I think its extreme. Just ran/walked 24 km it is feeling much easier. Just need to keep it up.

Karen writes: 36 days to go to Perth

As I write this the Perth marathon website records "036 days, 10 hours and 32 minutes" to go.  That's only just over a month. But things are going fine, I did my hill repeats successfully last night, eight times I ran up the big hill on Maraetai drive, a 300 metre distance with the elevation going up 12 metres. 8 times I ran down it again (yes, obviously), the lady watching out of her house window further up the road looked a bit anxious seeing me go back and forth,  perhaps she thought I was casing the place.  A shocking pink polyprop clad burglar gasping for breath. Tonight I spent 60 minutes on the road, with some satisfaction I think I burned off the cake from morning tea.  I now carry in my head what is on the training programme for the whole of the next week and my focus is on getting it done, I am…shockingly…organising my whole LIFE around  achieving what is on that piece of paper, that's an obsession!  This is how you get close to an event though, but I know

Kate Writes: Running with Charl

Wednesday evenings I run with my friend Charl. I tend to txt her to check. It went like this : Run Wednesday? Yes please so fat and unfit. Me skiny lost wt.Oh god help me ill b dead at the waste station, It will be ok Ill call an ambulance! Well we met and Charl ran 5k with only a few huffs and puffs. Its nice to run with friends and a good time to catch up. I never thought I could run and talk at the same time, but most of the time I can. It maybe that I need to put more effort into it, but its got to be fun.

Karen writes: The positive and the negative

I am very pleased to report that I found a hipbone this morning!   A tiny bony prominence rising above a sea of me, and it turned out to be a hip…it’s been a few years since I had one of those.   Of course it disappeared when I stood up, probably won’t be there tomorrow, but hey…that’s progress! I have also found a cold.   Not so pleased with that. Tonight the task is hill repeats x 8.   Already looking for excuses where none exist, hill repeats are just plain hard work.

Karen writes: Different routes to the same thing

In case anyone hasn’t noticed yet, Kate and I have very different ways of approaching our training.   We could be training for completely different events if you compared what we are doing, what we prioritise and focus on.  And this is the thing, we actually spend quite a bit of time talking about what we have done, running ideas past each other, planning and trying to figure things out, and still we end up going completely our own ways to suit our very different lives.    Kate is finding swim club, spin sessions, and her running group provides the impetus to get out and get fitter, it’s working well for her.   I need more time flexibility, finding it impossible to commit to more than one activity planned at a specific time in a week, if that.   I also am a creature who when they enjoy something they like to do it again…and again…and again. Currently that thing is running, I don’t want to cycle or swim right now so I am going to have to work hard to catch up to where Kate is with the

Kate writes: Tour De France

Tuesday night is spin night. I have missed it the last week due to ... well life getting in the way. So last night I was going for it. I was a little stiff from the run the night before so I thought I would get there early to warm up. Terry was already going for it and the screen was showing the bike race. They were going up mountains. We watched the riders going over a very old bridge and the commentator said and you can see where they have to go. It was a huge mountain behind them. So we got into the swing and started peddling with the riders, out of our seats trying to get up hill with them. They were going so fast and up 45degree slopes. we huffed and puffed but could not catch them. It was great fun watching these amazing men with thighs the size of tree stumps. I must work harder at my hills.

Karen writes: Gym

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Well I continue to get deeper into this ‘taking exercise seriously’ thing.   I went for a strength training session last night at an excellent little gym setup in Clevedon. I got there a bit early and enjoyed watching people support each other doing a circuit of different activities, for example, the person on the treadmill was timing 1 minute intervals for the others then they all moved around.    It had a really nice atmosphere and I spent the briefest of moments reflecting about the days long ago when I used have ‘evenings’ (rather than ‘routines’) and I sure didn’t use all that time for something useful like these people were. Anyway, then it was my turn.    Warmup on the recumbent stationary bike, felt like I was sitting in a chair which was a very appealing way of exercising, nothing to interfere with reading a book on that one!    Then 1 minute harder work on the bike, 1 minute doing an exercise and this went on alternating for what seemed like ages.   I learned that my arms ar

Kate Writes: lung buster

It has been a hard week with a night in Middlemore with a friend, I was tired, but Friday came and it was swim club. The last session was doing a fast back stroke with no arms but using flippers. Then a 25 meter lung buster. Now a lung buster is swimming the whole length without a breath. Arms stretched out and clasped, chin  tucked in and flippers on. You dive down to the bottom of the pool and stick to the floor and go as fast as you can. I have not managed to do this until this week. A whole length under water, what an achievement. Yep I must be improving.

Karen writes: Fairies and naps

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I have just had a nap after lunch.  This does not normally happen in our house, so why did I feel the need to curl up and give in to postprandial oblivion?  Some of it was opportunity, with the children away at their Grandparents for the school holiday... children and naps don't normally go together.  Part of it however was having had a lunch fit for...a fairy (more about that later)... end result of a trip to the Clevedon Cafe to meet my urgent and justifiable need for eggs benedict and hot chocolate. The day didn't start out all that well, I got up extra early to get a few kilometers in before meeting up with the Te Puru runners, but as I headed down the driveway I managed to slip and fall heavily on the cobbles.  An advantage of tri-shorts and the habit of wearing extra layers (jackets) around my waist is the presence of some extra padding so the attitude was never mind, see how the first part of the run goes.  It was fine, as long as I didn't stop, stopping meant star

kate writes: how to make a grown women cry!

I have been thinking about adding in a massage to my training routine. I mean to say my shoulder hurts my hip hurts my knee hurts. So I booked in on Wednesday for a sports massage. A lovely lady called Jodi took a history from me, said I was very stiff and the session started. The tears ran down my face, but as I had my head in  a hole on the bed no one could see. Is this the pain you feel she said, no I said , is this it, YES!! I'm sure she had both hands under my scapular. An hour later I felt that I had a really good work out. I will be back for more but have been told to stretch. I'm not good at that but lets have a go and see.

Karen writes: Fartlek, F for failure!

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The plan today said ‘fartlek’ which was described thus... “for the duration of the session you will alternate between a run at 80% of your own personal 5km race pace for 1 minute and then jog for a 2 minute recovery”.  First consideration was this 5km race pace thing, as I have said before, I only have one speed normally.   Next, figuring out the 1 and 2 minute ratio.  In 45 minutes that’s a lot of watch checking but Grant had thought of that one, his suggestion was to use lamp posts, 3 posts for the fast pace, 4 posts for the slow.    Now that I am looking I have discovered that we don’t have reliably spaced lampposts around much of Maraetai, so I ended up counting footsteps.   I did really well in the first 20 minutes, faster…slower… faster… raincoat off…sort-of slower… faster….raincoat on… lots slower…raincoat off…. faster….faster… raincoat on…  slowslowslowslow…. comfy pace autopilot home.  I forgot what was fast and what was slow, I forgot to count, I ran too fast and got tired an

Karen writes: Jayne does Xterra

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Congratulations Jayne from the DPT on completing your first Xterra off-road event out at Waiuku forest.  I am most impressed, especially because you are planning on booking in for another one for an even longer distance!  Jayne says she was really impressed with the fact that all sorts of ages were there, including children, getting out and enjoying themselves.  Jayne laughingly says the main thing she learned was that she hadn't trained enough (the children were passing her), and the terrain was rougher than she expected, but she now knows what to plan for next time.  For anyone who hasn’t done one of these amazing winter series events, they are a serious challenge through some of the most beautiful wild(ish) venues Auckland has to offer.  If you are the sort to whom running up a riverbank as the sun comes up in front of you appeals, or to whom bliss would be pounding along ever changing bush trails through gravel, mud, sand and everything in between, or cruising along gorgeous

Karen writes: strength training

Another first.   I did ‘strength training’ last night, not a run!     I had a vague sense of discomfort that I wasn’t off clocking up more kilometres when I had no real excuses not to… I felt fine, I was rested because I had yesterday off, nothing hurt, so why wasn’t I out running?   The plan again.   That dratted plan which I have committed to do my utmost to follow.    So I did…lunges and sit-ups and press-ups and then some high resistance spin…until I broke the spin bike.    I felt like I hadn’t done enough, must have been doing it wrong! Back running tonight, there is a 70 minute 'medium' run, and given the current ongoing bad weather, I suspect it will be like Kate's experience last night.   Something to look forward to.

Kate writes: thunder and lightening

Monday night run with Waiuku running group. It started to rain. Thats ok I thought! then large flashes of lightening, counted to 16 before the thunder came. We will be ok and get home before the storm. We were exactly half way round when the wind and hail came. I could not see and I had to shield my eyes from the hail, the rain was sticking to my eye lashes. I huffed and puffed eventually having to walk to catch my breath. Then run as fast as we could back to the car. I have never been that wet , except when I swim. It was a different experience. Not one I would like to do again, I did think we were going to die with a tornado hitting us or get electrocuted with the lightening. When we got back to the cars, we were all taking off clothing, pants and bras were on view but no one cared. Except the passerbys off to theoffice next door. I had to drive home with my tri shorts on, that I love but the pad was very wet and I sat on a towel but the seat still got wet. But we were ok and now I&#

Karen writes: At last, a reason I'm not losing weight

This is one of those little gems which come around by email occasionally, clever author unknown.   It fits very well with my current obsessive mindset, trying to maximise the likelihood of a good performance in a race, one of  the ways is to ensure you are not carrying too many kilograms of extra baggage:      "What is a   calorie ? Calories are the little sods that get into your wardrobe at night and sew your clothes tighter.   MY CLOSET IS INFESTED WITH THEM! "

Kate writes: getting sick

Well I tried my best not to get sick. But Thursday down I went with a head cold. The worse thing happened I could not talk. For those of you who know me that was very difficult. All that came out was a little whisper. All the cold medicine was in good use. That has put my running  and training to pot. I am inside keeping warm and begining to feel better. The question now is "do I go to work tomorrow or stay at home and go for that long run?" Guilt will take the better part of me and I will go to work, but its Monday tomorrow and a run with the club will be on the menu.   

Karen writes: Saturday excuses almost won

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Sometimes things just don’t go right.  The excuses to not run today were stacked up, with sick children (now improving...just at the grumpy stage),  the kitten still sneezing  (recovering from catflu enough to become a hazard to itself again...leaving the toilet lid down is the new habit in the house), then this afternoon the water pump got a leak and drained most of the watertank before it was spotted.   I wasn’t going for a run if I couldn’t come home and have any water, but the pump-man up the road had a spare, and some very very careful water use should hopefully keep us going until the promised heavy rain (please let the rotten weather forecast be right!) arrives. Jax the SPCA kitten, well again Anyway, I went out for a 20km slow run and  enjoyed the effects of the windy weather.  I felt like my lungs had too much air when running into the strong wind, it’s the strangest feeling, and when I ended up in a dip or gulley with the wind roaring over the top it felt like the air was

kate writes: running with new friends

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I went to diabetes conference this week. Looked up the hotel I was staying at and found they had a gym. Planned to have a run on the running machine. Whilst discussing this over morning tea we actually planned to run around the lake. One of the reps, Nisha lives in Takapuna and knew the way. By 5 pm we had 2 more runners from Tauranga. Off we went and the heavens opened, wet in 2 minutes, but my new yellow jacket kept me dry. We did see the lake for about 30 seconds, otherwise it was a road run. That was fine but I had no idea where we went. Just tried to do Mapmyrun and I think it was about 8 km. Thankyou all it was great. We had a nice meal in and then a few wines and I met up with some of the nurses from Christshurch Diabetes Clinic. It reminded me how lucky we are not to have the issues they have. Many have poor housing due to the earthquake and then go to work and support their patients. I took this photo whilst there and wish them all well.  We will be looking at the fund raisin

Karen writes: Challenge to the Eye Clinic team

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Hey...team at Mangere Community Health Trust Diabetes Eye clinic. ..don't think the team at the Diabetes Projects Trust have forgotten we were going to challenge you to the Feetbeat workplace challenge this year  (actually Raukura reminded us!).  Starts 12 September 2011 with workplace teams registering to compete against each other over how much walking activity members can do in 8 weeks.   Anyone else up for the challenge in their workplace?

Karen writes: my first 'hill repeats'

I managed 6 of the hill repeats last night before I got bored and came home.   I mostly followed the instruction to warm up and warm down, then pushed my pace up the 250 meter hill (10m elevation), taking it easier on the way down with my huffing and puffing gone by the time I was halfway back to start.  Be interesting to see if that gets any easier with being repeated and next time I will remember to dig out the heart monitor to see what the exertion is doing to the heart rate.    It feels really strange to only go out to do what seems like such a small amount of work, I felt like I should be off clocking up kilometer after kilometer...but this is quality rather than quantity time now.    This morning I felt quite happy though,  I looked online at the elevations for the Perth Marathon and saw that the worst hill is at about halfway through and rises approximately 60 meters over the distance of 3km.  In the Rotorua Marathon the nastiest hill (which wasn't that bad really) rose by

Karen writes: Getting OUT the door

Last night it was so cold outside!  Well, cold for Auckland anyway, I will be accused of being a wimp by those from other parts of the country where they have ‘real cold’, but this wimp had to go outside for a run, in the dark, when the children were asleep and the cat was curled up in front of the heater.  I so wanted to stay inside and read my book.   I so didn’t want to get those clammy feeling running clothes on, which included damp shoes, having been washed after the weekends mudbath.  Even doing housework had more appeal.  But you know what, as I could have predicted but never want to believe when I am trying to get the motivation up to leave the house, I warmed up, got to the top of the hill and started running along the road which looks out to the lights of Auckland city, said hello to the sky tower in the distance, admired clouds making patterns on the moon, followed the little pool of light from my headlight (thanks Cheriemc, straps over the beanie does work well) and got in

kate writes: fashion statement

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Spin class tonight. Got changed into bike gear at work. But I wore my boots to work, whats wrong with that? Shorts and boots a very interesting look. The boys thought I should put cleats on the boots. My daughter said it was not a good look. The spin class was good though. Hill climbs for 40 mins. I have a problem with Hatape Hill at Taupo, I fall off most years as Im not going fast enough. This year will be different I will be up that hill so fast I will think Ive missed it. so thanks guys a good session. Hatepe Hill 2009

kate writes: no mates

I've joined a running group on monday evenings in Waiuku. I arrived 10 minutes early and waited for the group to arrive. After 15 minutes I thought no one was coming. No mates Kate! I talked myself into running anyway on a cold evening. I got out of the car and started to get ready. Very proud of myself it would have been too easy to just go home. Then Adrian , one of the runners arvived and then 2 others. Apparently they are often late. So I had good company on the run including the dog. I am looking forward to next week now.

Karen writes: So as not to make a cupcake out of a marathon

I am now officially committed to a training programme.    Thanks Grant .   It’s here in front of me, in pretty shades of yellow carefully labelled with days of the week, and numbers of weeks and what is expected each day. It has 16 days off, yes I counted those first, it has 5 runs of over 25km, and actually, it looks very reasonable, for a reasonable athlete.  Am I one, I'm not sure on that.   I have already had the discussion about shifting the long run to another day…and because of this the day off had to shift to still have enough benefit…then the nasty thing with the running up and down the same hill 8 x shifted to accommodate the changed day off…and I cant commit to gym attendance...and this week I cant do the long run on Sunday so I mess everything up again to fit it in earlier, all was very patiently dealt with and it was made clear it had to fit around my life.   To top it all off though, I caught myself building in some excuses early “I will have to be flexible for…childc

Karen writes: Overdoing it

Today I am regretting the impulse which saw me run for an unplanned 4 hours yesterday, much of it hilly bush work.   I had a wonderful time exploring a different patch of bush at Whitford with the Te Puru running group, there was mud, leg challenging uphills and great downhills, zigzags along mountain bike tracks through pine forests and it seemed there were amazing things like hidden ponds or wonderful pockets of native trees to look at around every corner.  Then I thought I needed some more kilometers so I decided to run home by the main road, however as I was about to run past the turnoff to my now favorite bush trail in the hills behind Maraetai beach, I thought “nothing hurts, why don’t I go down there” and I foolishly turned off.   I quite quickly went from feeling fine, to my brain telling me to give up and walk.  If the family hadn’t been off doing a mercy dash to the vet with a sick kitten I would have phoned to say “come rescue me”.   I fought my lazy brain half heartedly, ev

kate writes: long pants

It must be the right topic of conversation to talk about equipment. Last week was a difficult week to run. There were loads of excuses. The main one was the weather and it was cold. So on Friday I went to rebel sports to look at what they had in the sale. I came away with some long running tights. Sunday morning I knew I had to run. The long run was needed. It was cold. Put the long pants on and off I went, what a difference they made, no longer cold. They have been washed and ready for tomorrow nights run. By the way, my weight reached 76.6kg today, the lowest its been for 10 years. I may not be an Athena when I do the half iron man!  

Karen writes: about lucky socks, and lucky handkerchiefs, and lucky shorts

I strongly relate to Kate's worries about catching things.  You can't help it when you work so hard towards your goal over such a long time.  So to me every sniffle or snuffle I develop suggests pneumonia (probably of the super-bug variety), and I am absolutely sure I will fall over a week out from an event while walking out to the letterbox and end up with a compound fracture of something important.  But does anyone else get a bit pathalogical about having favorite items of clothing or equipment?  I went into a spin because I could only find one of my lucky socks, and DONT get me started on not being able to find my favorite running bra, that brings the world to a crashing halt.   I loved Kerre Woodhams descriptions of trying to sort that particular problem out, finding the solution only in the hands of a french lingerie fitter before her Paris marathon.  Her books (Short fat chick to Marathon runner, Short fat chick in Paris) are worth a look at, she and her coach take an app

kate writes: avoiding sick people

Well I did not manage to run this week. Family commitments got in the way. But I did get to watch Sophies hockey game which was great fun. I have become paranoid though about catching the flu. I do a clinic in a GP's surgery once a week and this week the waiting room was full of sick people. I left early and breathed deeply as I walked back to the office.   I popped into the Chemist and bought panadol, lemsip and vitamins. I have no signs of a cold but it would interfere too much with the training.