Monday 18th April 2011 - Did my long run this morning - got up early to fit it in, felt tired and slow and flat.  I think sitting in the car for 5 hours yesterday probably didn't help.  On the topic of sitting however, I have found a really good article talking about the ill effects of sitting.  It is something I have been very aware of through my membership of Sports Medicine Australia as there are some researchers around Australia and the rest of the world who are not exercise physiologists so much as they are 'inactivity physiologists'.  Inactivity is much worse for you than simply not exercising much.  Whenever I read articles like this one from the NY Times, I get all excited about spreading the word - you must move, you must move.  It is not a choice.  You are not too busy.  You can't be.  Take the stairs, walk down the street, pop up and down at work.  Do not be chained like a bunny to your desk.  Move.

After my 65 min run, I had breakfast and then went to yoga.  I was still feeling very stiff, and had a bit of a reaction to some of the standing thoracic extension poses - a little light headed.  I felt fine afterwards, and got through the rest of my busy work day well.  In between my chiro appointment with the lovely Adrienne and my first massage with Hartmut - he lives up to his reputation!  I have some bruises, but he found some awesome spots in my calf.

Tuesday - my sore knee didn't wake me up last night.  Doesn't happen much in the last 3 months.  Maybe those calf trigger points are a big part of the problem.  It's a shame my next massage appointment is 5 weeks away.

200 days to go!!!!!!!!!!

I had planned to go to the complimentary yoga class tonight, but I still felt tired and flat.  I realise I would probably have felt better for doing it, but there you go.  Did my BAS instead.

Here is a video about Grete Waitz who won the NY marathon 9 times in 10 years and died today of cancer at 57.  NY Road runners put together the video which shows some great footage of the race.  I'll be 90 mins slower than she was.  But that's cool.

Also in the news today, Clarence Hartley ran the Boston Marathon on the weekend.  He started running at 68.  When he had prostate cancer and non - Hodgkins Lymphoma, he decided he'd like to run Boston, the oldest race in the world.  So he qualified, and did the race on sunday at the age of 81 in 4.26!!  Very inspirational, but I sure hope I can run faster than him

Wednesday - sprint session.  4x 200 m at 9.5 / 10 effort and then 3 x 1000m at 8.5/10 effort.  With 2 mins between each set.  This time, I was able to do my run first thing, so avoided the nasty afternoon version.  I started off feeling still pretty tired and flat (I fell asleep on the couch last night by 9pm), but I was able to do my 200's in a reasonable pace (I forgot to check the times properly this time) of 3.30 pace (some people can run marathons at that pace - it's as fast as my legs will go!!).  The 1000m pieces were also not too bad, holding a pace of 4.20 per km, putting me squarely at the right mark for a 45 min 10k.  I didn't enjoy any part of the session except the end, because it was over.  I spent most of my laps of the old OSF wondering why I am really doing it.  But I did them, and I did them at the right pace.  Well done me!!!

After heading home, shower, breakfast, housework then yoga.  More headstands, handstands, elbow stands and shoulder stands as well as standing balance.  This is my cross training instread of weights.  I don't need to lift metal weights - just my weight.  I was then also considering going to Pilates tonight, but my day ran away with me, and when I got home at 5.45 pm, I figured 2 sessions in a day is enough - I don't need to do three today.

Work and kids tomorrow, then heading to Kangaroo Island on Friday for the very long weekend, so I will do my next training session on saturday (week 3 of the program), and need to plan week 3 and 4 to account for the half marathon the following weekend.  Closer examination of the program reveals week 4 to be a recovery week, so I am not sure how my biggest run to date fits with that, but we'll be fine.

Thursday - no training

Friday - no training.  Travelling to Kangaroo Island and setting up camp.  Busy enough.

Saturday - Cruise intervals session.  I downloaded the PDF of the training program to Stanza on my iPhone, so I am able to look up the whole thing as i need to - I will also check the marathon program to see if that was PDF rather than just a web page.  Certainly makes it easier.  Anyway, while Charlie was off fishing with Luca, one of our camp neighbours popped back and offered to take the girls to the jetty so I could do my run - a 90 minute fishing trip turned into a 4 hour jaunt!  So - 3x6 mins at what was meant to be just slower than race pace, so around 4.40 mins / km.  PRE of  7/10.  The course I chose was hillier than I anticipated, so my speed was slower - I was around 5.0 pace instead, but kept the PRE to 7- 7.5, HR near 170.  Then a 20 min jog home again.

I did a bit of yoga on the beach in the evening, with a walk to loosen up.  Picture perfect Adelaide autumn weather this weekend, even down here on KI.  Absolutely perfect.

Sunday - no training.  I could have done a proper beach yoga session.  I didn't.  I'm on a family camping trip and we are having fun spending time together and exploring.  And I am the mum.  I still have jobs to do.

Half marathon in a week, long run for this week in the morning, sprints mid week.  I will have to fit some yoga in at home with the kids to feel ok for the longest run on sunday.