22KM….WE ROCK!!!!!

Shells and I ran 22km today (I checked this on mapmyrun.com.)

The last 3 or so km really hurt and my back was killing me.

All up it took just under 3 hours – this included stops to apply lip balm to hot spots on feet, and plentiful drink stops.

Shells was bullet-proof – no blisters, no niggles, no need for sugar and no whining. She bounded effortlessly up the stairs on the route. Was good to do this with her.

I was pretty sore and sorry at the end; my back was killing me. I bought some nurofen at the 7-11 at fed square and this did the job well. I also had some chocky milk (600mL carton) which nearly made me sick. Should stick with the smaller one next time.

Afterwards, went to lunch with Mel and Amy, good to see them both. Had the grilled fish with hand-cut chippies, needed to replenish the carbohydrates!!

might go have a happy nap now, God knows, I have earned it.

R4TK will be a piece of P155!!!

YES, WE CAN!!!

Off on a run with Shells tomorrow…attempting 19km….am frightened.

BUT WE CAN DO IT!!!

I CAN DO THIS!!!

My niggle collection.

I seem to have collected a few niggles over the past week. It is possibly hypochondria – a little knowledge can be a bad thing sometimes:

• My arse-ritis (left buttock)
• tight left hammy
• little twinges (only twinges, not prolonged) in my medial shins
• an itchy rash where my right foot blister is healing up (? reaction to adhesive in sports tape)
• A creaky plantar great toe tendon.
• an imagined leg length discrepancy

I have been stretching, massaging, sitting on spiky balls and icing. I have given the speed session at todays training a miss; I did a pilates session this morning already and am planning to do some x-training tomorrow….and have taken the dog for a walk today.

Am planning a 19km run with shells on sundee – am hoping that it all goes pain-free. I am starting to think like an athlete now!

But not eating like one all the time…..had a bit of the munchies during the case conference today…..if yummy choc biccies and raspberry/macadamia/white choc muffins are 40 centimetres in front of me, I find it very hard to resist, or stop at one!

But I think now….my bad food days now are what my good food days were like before….I hope.

anyways, best off to bed to get up early for x-training tomorrow morning!

It’s OK (really).

I got to work today, completely buggered after the weekend…

Then 2 family meetings…..The families that require FMs are often angry for one reason or another….often undercurrents of grief and guilt but disguised as anger toward the treating staff (medical, nursing and allied health). Sometimes the families have a point, sometimes the problems are unavoidable and I always try to remember that the patient and the family are the ones suffering. Therefore I never get angry back and try to cop as much of it on the chin as possible.

But still, it grinds me down. It makes me tired. Takes the wind out of my sails.

It’s OK.

I am allowed to feel like that. I used to try and push on throughout the day, not acknowledging the stress I felt.

So I let myself feel tired and stressed. I asked to go home early. And you know what, I feel better for it. Finally allowing myself to be human. I used to try and push on, despite the most horrendously stressful day, and feel guilty when I finally cracked. I would hide in the toilet, crying, humiliated, hoping that nobody saw my red eyes. Grey’s Anatomy, it ain’t.

I am lucky that I am in a specialty which is a bit less stressful, which allows time for a rest and debrief if I need it. And one of the nurses, who felt sorry for me working over the weekend, bought me in some cake that she is made. It was pear, almond and custard and YUUUUMMMMYYYY. Bless her.

Anyway.

I went to training tonight, Coach Paul off with his new baby, we had coach Rod. I had a good chat with him afterward. A very tough session, including drills, strength and hills. I enjoyed it but I think my left ITB is flaring up a bit. Will have to cross train, spend some quality time with a foam roller and whoop those VMOs into shape.

The Candy Files.

Cute/clever things candy has done:

• learn to jump up into our laps.
• roll over for tummy rubs 
• Sit in front of me, head on my knee, and gaze up at me with her doggy eyes. (I melt)
• Learn to go to her dog-mat or into her kennel when we point to it.
• Learn to sit (sometimes) when she is told

Not so cute things she has done

• Gotten into the garage, jumped up on my car, and put pawprints and scratches on it. 
• Learned to jump up on the bed. (though it is rather funny when she wakes Hubby up)

but I love her. And Hubby now walks her (and therefore exercises) without being forced. Wonders never cease!

Better go wash off the running stink

Don’t like this weekend….I want another!

I have been running about like a headless chook this weekend, and not in the fun exercisey way.

Saturday morning I woke up improbably early and went to the gym. Did a powerful 20mins on the X trainer but couldn’t manage on the tready….yep, am just an outside runner. Tready too boring.

Then off to Hubby’s graduation ceremony, very boring but good to see hubby with a Mortarboard. The mother-in-law came down especially for it. We went for a lovely civilised lunch.

Then off to work for me to go straighten things out, there for an honest three hours. Meanwhile, Hubby and the dog had gone for a long walk in the heat, and when they got back, the dog flopped down as if to say “I’m pooped” and then skolled a whole bowl of water.

Yesterday nights dinner was Ethiopian, at Cafe Lalibela, a little diner in the dodgier end of Footscray. It was great, they serve all the dishes on a big plate in the centre, the curries are atop injera, a large Ethiopian flatbread. Injera is torn off to scoop up the curries. They are not at all big on cutlery. Then after, Icecream was in order, so we went to Gelobar which had half of Melbourne inside. I had the Zuppa Inglese (literally translates to English Soup, or trifle) icecream and it was yuuuuummy.

Was called into work early (yes, 10:30 IS early for a sunday), can’t give details but what I had to do was a right frickin palaver. Was there for 4 hours and then just as I got home I got called AGAIN! I was able to sort it out over the phone though. 

After this a nap on the couch was needed……So no 90 minute run as planned today…..will have to be next weekend.

Gotta luv trashy tv sunday night….

Addit 2207hrs: RIP Jade Goody – famous for fame’s sake, but hopefully her struggle will help others get their cervical cancer detected. It is a terrible shame, a beautiful mother of two dying of a disease which is preventable and treatable. And boo to the aussie government for taking HPV vax off the market; I was a guinea pig for the trials for that vaccine, I hope I didn’t lend my cervix for medical research in vain!!!

Friday….but not really.

‘Cause I am on call this weekend.  Bleurgh.

The dog has undergone some separation anxiety this week, she has had a sook when we leave and when we put her outside at night, but she is improving. She is beautiful and has mastered the art of leaping lightly into my lap like a dog half her weight!

Work a bit tiring this week – Have been getting up early to walk the dog and so I get tired early. Didn’t help that I had to stay back till 7pm tonight; explaining to a shocked family what  should have been explained much earlier and ideally not on a friday night….luckily I will be on this weekend to follow up with them if they have more questions…which they will.

My resident passed his FRACP written exam, I am very proud of him; it is a tough exam (I know, I did it 2 years ago!!)

To answer Em’s question – yes, my coach knows I am doing a HM, actually it was coach Brian who suggested I do it as my  long runs are up to 2 hours. I will have my little mate Shells to cheer me on (little is a term of endearment, not a slight!!!)

On the way home tonight I checked out a gym which has $5 casual visits – will try and get there for some cross training this weekend. 

Hubby receiving his masters of psychological medicine (MPM) tomorrow; a compulsory part of his Psychiatry training, but it will be good to see him in a Mortarboard…..Melb uni only give them for postgraduate degrees, not undergraduate degrees.

Well wish me luck for a fuss-free on call weekend (but never, ever use the q word…..it is a jinx)

Addit 2230hrs: I have registered for the run melbourne half marathon. EEEEKK!!

Dogs, ipods and personal bests….a good weekend.

Today started with the Sri Chinmoy 10km race on Yarra Boulevard. I ran well and got a time of 67 mins….nearly 9 minutes faster than my last 10km race; the MM 10km.

A happy nap was required after, and then hubby and I went to JBhifi. I bought a long-awaited ipod and have already downloaded my fave songs. I have to work out how to do playlists. I will have a running, chill-out and singing my lungs out playlist.

We have found out some things about Candy; she is quite naughty and has a very strong set of jaws. We left her at home while we went to the shops and to our mortification, she was not in the backyard when we got back. She was in the neighbours back yard. We worked out that she had hopped from the top of her kennel, onto the barbecue, chewed through bits of wooden lattice and made a hole in it, and wiggled through it to the neighbourse. Naughty dog! We have changed the backyard configuration so she will not be able to do that again, hopefully she will be ok when we are at work. I also went and bought some new toys for her, some superstrong tennis balls, a rubber dumbell with a mint flavour and a Dr. Harry Cooper approved tough ball. We will also leave her a bone or 2 tomorrow. She can also jump up onto our bed, which is quite high!

Have had a relaxed day with my food; have had such delicacies as sausage in bread with sauce, mini mars and snickers, and some fish and chips. the 10km run helps burn this stuff off!

Well I had better get to bed now……

Candy Truffle Haywood.

The name of the Staffordshire terrier that we adopted from the Lost Dogs Home today.

She is every bit as sweet as her name suggests.

She is an 8 year old dog, placid, obedient and house trained. She loves a cuddle and a sit. She is not yappy (hang on, was that a yap I heard?)

She likes:

• Walkies, even in the rain,
• Pats, from all and sundry
• Tummy and chin rubs
• Laying waste to tennis balls
• Sleeping on the fluffy mat we bought her, especially if the mat is on my lap.

She dislikes

• being put outside

She tolerates other dogs.

She is not at all interested in the chew rope and the Kong toy the Vet nurse thought she would like. 

She is a Staffy Cross, we think crossed with a Piglet because she makes noises that sound like oinks when she is sniffing things.

We love her. She makes me happy.

Bring on da weekend…. (plus a rant)

Have mercifully gotten out of tonight’s on call….God bless my off-sider.

My sister has stopped talking to me altogether.

The thing was, I did not invite her to my birthday party. I didn’t think she’d come. She didn’t come last year. The would baulk about not having any money to pay the price of the meal, she was working anyway and she left in the middle of the last big birthday party to go with her own friends. 

My actions were probably  a bit bitchy, but dammit, I have been good to my sister. Lent (on occasion given) her money when she has needed it, given her a place to stay when she had no place, cooked her dinner on many occasions, shouted her to movies, bought her nice stuff back from overseas etc etc. Never anything in return. Ok – I have enough money, and she doesn’t have a lot. Fine. But it was also the effort on her part that was lacking; she never invited me anywhere, barely lifted a finger to help when she was staying with us rent free. The only birthday present I have received from her was a Greys anatomy DVD set (her favourite, I don’t like it), In July (my birthday is in March) and she wanted to watch it first. She would claim that she had no money to buy stuff yet she would go out drinking and smoking and living in a place far to expensive for her. She never asked me how I was when she called up. We never had that close relationship that sisters have, we never got into deep and meaningful conversation.

So when I took her to task about the way she has been acting, and told her why I didn’t invite her to my birthday, she completely cracked it. She said she had had a horrible year last year (she was not the only one, not that she would have known anyway) and was cutting all the “negative” people out of her life. And she hasn’t contacted me since.

Well, I was really upset about this. Still am. I figured out that most of it stems from a fear of being left alone, that my husband and friends would leave me (I know, crazy).

I hate the idea of being estranged from any of my family…….but I figured out that most of my effort with my sister was out of a sense of guilt; that I was the successful older sister, I was married to a good bloke, I had a good job. I felt sorry that my sister didn’t have all this. I used to feel guilty when I would get irritated with her and then try to overcompensate by being super good to her.

We had the same crappy childhood. The same alcoholic father. The same opportunities that our dear mother sacrificed to give us. I made more of those opportunities and learned that if I wanted something, I had to work very hard for it. So why do I keep feeling sorry for her? Don’t know.

I love her, she is my sister and I would never wish anything bad for her. But as a person, I don’t particularly like her. I don’t like the way she treats us; she only really ever contacts mum when she wants to lend money. I know mum hates us arguing but I really felt better when my mum said “don’t worry, you’ve been a good sister”. The sense of irritation with my sister, always a source of guilt, was probably well founded!

As much as it upsets me, I have to say “It’s her loss”.

I worry quite a bit about Mum, she is morbidly obese, smokes heavily and gets extremely short of breath crossing the road. I worry she will get sick. This is probably the root of my anxiety to keep things nice between my sister and I. At the end of the day, though, I can’t really do anything about it.

 

Anyway, that is my rant. It was helpful and thankyou for reading this far.

A good weekend shaping up – going out to dinner to see off one of my bosses friday night, SFA planned for saturday but prob a dance class will be done. Sunday I am going to see if I can better my 10km PB at the Sri C race in Richmond. Shouldn’t be too hard as the last time (MM 08) was crapola; 75:48. If I can get under 70 I will be happy. Hope the course isn’t too hilly.

Bye now.

You know what….I may be good at this!

With my little running friend in Ballarat I decided to go it alone on my run – I smothered the footsies in bodyglide, filled the bottle in the fuel belt with half powerade, half water, donned the sweat wicking attire and headed out along the capital city trail. I hit a construction works bit near Rushall station (having found where to go now) and had to detour via Spensley st in Clifton Hill. I was rewarded with a beautiful trail, via Dights falls, yarra bend park, collingwood children’s farm and some beautiful spots along the river that I did not even know existed!. I made it all the way from Brunswick to near St. Kevin’s college, about 1 hour 40 minutes running and possibly about 15km….my blisters which had been a bit ouchie for about an hour were just getting a bit unbearable.

On my run, I was slowed down by getting a bit lost, drink breaks and re-adjusting pants and socks, but a thought occurred to me.

I might be good at this distance thingy.

I may actually be able to run a marathon, if only I can get on top of my tendency to blister…..my legs were holding up just fine and a probably had another 8-10km in them…..

A very empowering thought!

I had luckily stashed 10 bucks in my fuel belt so I was able to get home via train and tram quite easily….was able to buy a Big M at a milk bar and I tell you, one had never tasted so good!

Am excited to get out for another run….think I’ll try some firm tape over the blister prone areas.

My name’s Sassy and I’m a Distance Junkie!