Monday 18^th July 2011 – Another day of themepark cross training on the stairs – so many stairs!!!  So many water slides, so many other rides.  Another warm and sunny day, small queues in some places, big queues on other rides.  Luca has gone all hardcore!!  Off on all the big rides by himself while I spent time with Milla.

Tuesday – 4 sets of 3 minutes fast (4.00 pace) and 3 minutes jog, with 10 minutes warm up and cool down, so about a 45 minute run up and down the foreshore here at Surfers.  The day was then spent at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, seeing the animals, holding a diamond python and taking the Green Challenge Rope Course!!  Great fun, and the kids did an awesome job – Milla is not yet 7 years old, just tall enough to do it and we all had a great time on the flying foxes, tarzan rope swing and other games.  I hadn’t ever done a ropes course before – lack of opportunity rather than desire – we had a lovely day to celebrate Charlie’s 8^th birthday.

Wednesday –  A quiet day, walking and swimming.  Hair cuts fir all the kids, so they are looking very smart!  I also ordered a new HR watch from wiggle.co.uk – time for a Garmin instead of my very inconsistent Kathmandu watch.

 Thursday –  Tempo run – this time 3.2 km warm up, 4.8 km at 10k pace and 1.6 km jog cool down.  Interesting that this 10km was faster than my first TT 3 months ago.

Friday - Last day at the theme parks - still much stair climbing.  Not doing the stretching that I should be doing.

Saturday - A warm sunny morning again, 16.3 kms running north along the Broadwater past Labrador, then south again.  The wind was picking up pretty sharply as I was heading home.  Then a very very long afternoon commuting back home to Adelaide.  With delays, it was over 10 hrs from hotel lobby to home again.

But then Cadel won the TDF tonight - a fantastic ride!!

Sunday - yoga.  At last.  Even though it was the dreaded back bend session.

Monday 11 July - brrr, this is cold winter weather!!!  A morning at work, and then officially on holidays for 2 weeks (except for a staff meeting tomorrow night, and handing over some stuff via email, and insisting on being kept up to date with the rent wrangle etc etc.....  I nearly cried when I was phoned to advise that my massage appointment tomorrow had to be cancelled, but managed to get in to see the other therapist later in the afternoon today.  He was ok - I still developed bruises on my shins (they are sore after the hill running yesterday - good timing with the massage!) as usual.  

Training for today - 10 km rowing ergo.  My longest ergo effort in 15 years, I reckon.  And still as boring as last time.  42 minutes back and forth, the worst bit is the 3rd quarter, but I brought it home in the last 500m, just for fun.  We'll see how those shoulder muscles feel tomorrow!!

Tuesday - sprint session.  This time, 20 mins warmup - because it is cold and the extra time jogging won't hurt me, then 6x 1 minute sprint, followed by 2 minutes jog.  Topped off with 15 minutes running again.  

Wednesday - running around like a ad thing then traveling en famile to the Gold Coast for a holiday.  And hopefully some sunshine!!

Thursday – a day of fun at White Water World on the Gold Coast.  Lots of slides with the kids, and half a day of shivering – it was sunny and warmer than Adelaide at this time of year, but not really water park warm!!  The kids had a great time, and we all slept well.

 Friday – my tempo run – nominally 3.2 km each of warm up, tempo (just slower than 10k pace) and 3.2 km or cool down jog.  I ran on the beach heading south (and into the headwind) for 5 km, then headed onto the pavement for the trip back which included the pace work (I couldn’t maintain pace on the soft stuff!!).  I am really starting to enjoy this running caper.

Saturday – a day at Dream world – how much walking and standing in line can a girl do?  Turns out, the boy child is the more hardcore than the tough as nails girl of mine!  Milla was much more girly hanging out with Charlie and not willing to give anything much of a go that Charlie wasn’t willing to, which surprised me.  But, Luca and I went on all the rides available, the whole family got wet on the river rapids ride (3 times, with the girls doing an extra 2 rounds), and Luca managed to complete the set of the 6 thrill rides.  Very tiring day.

Sunday – The sun came out today again, thankfully after 2 days of rain.  My long run, heading north this time, along the spit.  It was a varied run with some beachy esplanade running, some footpath, dune trails for several km, a run along the breakwater and around the beacon at the end, then around the inside edge of the spit, along an extra bit that had me needing to turn back and then along the road again to Southport before heading onto the sand for the last bit.  I was meant to do 14.5 km at 5.10 – 5.15 pace, but the trails were more up and down and the wind stronger than anticipated, and I didn’t maintain that pace.  I stopped at 16 km (I have eating more on holidays and figured an extra bit would be a good thing) and walked the last km or so back to the section of beach where the kids were playing.  I managed to average 5.23 for the 16 km, so not too bad.

Monday July 4th 2011 - the start of the official 18 week countdown and training program!!  But no run today after yesterday's effort.  A 'Power plate' session at a local place.  The lady there has never met someone fit before.  Not much of a session first time.  Stretching session at home afterwards.  Very tired, so early to bed.

Tuesday - a run - 10 min warm up, 6x1 min sprint, then 10 min cool down.  Nice session, trying to run fast :)  Still very tired - had to leave a meeting early I was so tired and was asleep within 20 minutes of leaving!!

Wednesday - stretching only.  Very good having the foam roller at home.  And a 'power plate' session.  Not sure if it is the cross training format for me.

Thursday - another run - this time 3.2 km easy, 3.2 km at tempo - just slower than 10K pace, then 3.2 km easy again.  I was feeling good, kept the tempo pretty much at my target pace of 4.30, and despite settling down afterwards, decided to finish off 10k rather than stopping at 9.6 .... I finished in 47.22.  This made it my 2nd fastest 10k after sunday!!!!!  With far less pain and suffering.  I am in two minds a bit at the moment - I have read a lot about making sure your easy runs are easy - nothing to be gained by working harder, but I wonder if I am just settling too easily and letting the numbers dictate if I am working hard enough instead of really working hard enough to improve.  Then again, I haven't done any really long runs yet.  

It did make me think of a conversation I had with an older friend just last week.  He said he read recently of a study in the US where they asked college athletes to do a maximal effort test.  He was not sure of the distance or time or even the test.  The results were measured, then a couple of days later they were asked to do the same thing at only 95%.  They all did better.  Less pressure, less discomfort, more relaxed, better result.  I'll need to remind myself of that as I go along.

Friday - Stretching with the roller.

Saturday - Strong core class at work, then 90 mins yoga in the late afternoon.  I gave my hips a really good workout!!

Sunday - 14 km trail run on the Pioneer Women's Trail from Beaumont.  Wet, slippery, misting rain, but a good session.  90 minutes, still feeling really comfortable and enjoying the process, the experience.  Thank goodness for good health.  Everyday.

Monday 27th June - A busy work day.  Some stretching - I will never leave that out!!

Tuesday - no training, but my fundraising event 'Diamonds and Drinks' at EverettBrookes Jewellers.  We had a lovely evening - 16 people came out to support the event and help raise money for the Jodi Lee Foundation.  A big thank you to David Everett and Ian Brookes and their team for their support - providing the venue, the education!, the drinks and nibbles and a cash donation as well.  They also hand make beautiful jewellery, particularly engagement rings.

My first major raffle was drawn on the evening, with the first prize of a pair of gold earrings, donated by EverettBrookes, won by Sue.  Second prize, donated by Contour Face and Body was won by Pam, the Taboo Hairdressers voucher was won by Adam, the personal training sessions donated from Life Personal Training won by Vicki and finally the Lululemon athletica running pack was won by Erica!  Thank you again to all the companies that donated prizes, and to all those that bought tickets.

Wednesday - a run!!  4 x 600m in 2.30mins, with 2 mins recovery.  6 km total, just a short one ready for the TT on the weekend.  I really wish I could throw this cold properly - I have been fighting it since my last TT 5 weeks ago!

Thursday - More stretching, as well as the pregnancy exercise class at work.  Trying to pull everything together for this Sunday and the Family Fun Day at Team Trampoline - we have the bread donated by Bakers Delight which mum has organised, along with the sausages donated by Walkerville Meat Store.  Still need to get the soft drinks organised, and I have ordered 4 dozen cupcakes to pick up on saturday - I am donating them having bought one of those vouchers for it!!

Friday - up at 4.50 am (that's not really morning time) so I could do my run - just a short 30 minute run with some race pace pieces, and get to work for a 7.30 patient, a full day and then on kid duty again.  But the run was good.  More stretching in the late morning.

Saturday - yoga session.  I finally got hold of someone who could help me after contacting 5 different companies locally for some assistance with the soft drinks for tomorrow.  Matt at Foodland Kensington Park was very helpful - he even got to speak to the business directors for the first time! - and I am now loaded up with soft drink, water, tomato sauce and serviettes for the sausage sizzle.  Operation cupcake collection in an hour or two, then a meeting for the Pelvic Instability Association, then the school quiz night.  Tomorrow I have my 10km TT first up, then we swing into family fun day action!!  I had arranged a friend to run with me to help me keep pace up near 45 min pace, but she has a hip injury and isn't running yet.  So I put the call out to the Jodi Lee Foundation, and one of the other guys running the marathon later in the year will do it with me.  It will be good to finally meet someone from the group - hopefully we will start to meet up as a group soon.

Sunday - Brendan and Tony were down at the uni loop this morning to meet me, and help me try to get to a 45 minute 10km.  Tony was the pace man, with legs that held up very well after a 22 km run yesterday, and Brendan seemed to find it all pretty easy (he has an exceptional running background).  I lagged a little in the middle - my late night at the school quiz night wouldn't have helped me, but I put it from my mind, breathed, and tried to keep up.  I managed a 45.55 in the end - a result I am pretty happy with.  I had hoped for 45 minutes, and I fell a little short, but for my training and experience, it is pretty creditable, I reckon. 

No rest for the wicked, however, and it was straight back home to get organised for the Team Trampoline fundraising event this afternoon.  A very busy afternoon, with a good turnout, many sausages sold and lots of kids big and small having a great time on the trampolines.  Brian and Emily from Team Trampoline did a great job - you can contact them on 0458 426 533 for more details about their regular sessions, school holiday program and birthday parties.

A big thank you to Foodland Kensington Park, Bakers Delight North Adelaide and Walkerville Meat Store for their donations for the day, and to all the people that came along to support the cause.  It was lovely to see so many people having fun.