The weather is against me...

Time is ticking away.

The countdown is on.

We just wanted one more long run under our belts to feel really prepared for the half marathon but what with gale force winds combined with a hot Sunday it didn't happen.

Tonight after work I was all set to run but the wind picked up again and hail and thunderstorms put me off.

Big plans for next week when I begin 4 weeks leave.

Big Big Plans!

I had a goal...

but I fell a bit short today.

We were entered in the Spring into Shape 10km challenge and while we should be adding more kms to our training we thought that this would be a speed challenge for us.

My goal was to run this one at 10km/hr pace and finish in just under 60 minutes. Anything with a 5 at the beginning would be trumps, I would settle for a 59:59 but it was not to be. The lovely course along the Yarra would see me finish in 1:01:13. I couldn't quite get my pace quick enough.
Running buddy was able to crack it though and our Pharmacist friend also blitzed out a 54 min time after we had to convince her to go the 10k distance and not settle for a 5k.

When I got home and loaded up my times from the Garmin I saw that Mel had also run locally this morning and did a really quick time. Our encouragement has seen her overtake anything we can do.

Just 3 weeks left til the Marathon, more training is needed.

Countdown to the marathon...

Just 4 weeks left til we run the half marathon in Melbourne. We have been training by running down Werribee Vale Rd and trialling GU chomps/water/gatorade.

We ran 18kms but after about 14k I felt tired and out of puff.

My colleague was very keen for us to try Black Water,

a product her sister in law is importing from Canada. We downed the water which your brain tells you is not good being so ink like but it has no taste, if you close your eyes you can't tell it from normal water but apparently has super benefits for you. Not sure what the effect was but GU stirs up my guts and that was no different today.

Need to chill...

I find myself obsessing over things and I have to try to relax. What will be will be. To quote the Dalai Lama

Good advice.

I just need to chill.

This song is on repeat since I heard it recently.

Local band, filmed in the local hall, friends of Hayley's.

She is planning to see them perform in Manchester (of all places).

Running for mental health...

New running convert Melissa found a new race for us to try, the De Castella Run supporting mental health. I was booked in before I could say where?? what?? how far??

Turned out it was all good.

A beautiful morning saw us head over to the Yarra Boulevard to run the hilly course. Apparently Robert de Castella was there to give an inspirational speech but I didn't see him. A few hundred of us ran either 5, 10 or 15k. I was on a high from previous run and thought 15k sounded achievable and we looked like this before we set off.

Xavier College 

The course was tough. Up and down the Boulevard for agonising km after km. I find running downhill as hard as running uphill and my hamstring started to twinge with all the climbing. But I persisted and was happy with my 1:40 time.

look at the elevation!!!

Garmin Connect tells me it was 250m of elevation gain, all those ups added up!

But this run I was able to spot the photographer and tried really hard to show good form and a smile and try to remember Will's tips - lean, lengthen, relax.

saved a little bit for a sprint to the finish

I listened to my tunes to keep me going along the way and found a pacing buddy to keep going at the end. Melissa did a fantastic job in her 10k and we were all done by 10am. These runs are lots of fun and a great pay off for all the boring training runs we do but I did think I was a little bit mental as I huffed and puffed through the course.

A party...

We attended number one nephew's 21st birthday celebrations and had a hoot!

We dressed up in our best black and white gear and headed up to Ballarat on a chilly wet night. Erin had a very cute new dress to wear and I repeated my outfit that I wore to Erin's Deb Ball. My sister looked smashing in a full length black dress and was very brave when she got up and led the band in a rendition of My Sharona. We were able to catch up with some of their other family and friends and have a dance.

The party went off really well and my sister had added some nice touches with a slide show, photo remembrance book to sign and a spectacular cake that she had made herself. Number 2 nephew's band was really good and played some of my favourite songs so I could do the embarrassing Mum dancing I like to do.

While I was at the party I shot some video clips of everyone saying 'hello Hayley' and posted them to Instagram. She appreciated the gesture and sent back her own clip saying Happy Birthday, it was lovely way to include her, pity I can't post it here to show.

Erin was able to ask her Young Man to the party and he fared very well running the gauntlet of our family. Being a party at a club type venue meant there was little opportunity for the grilling/teasing/scrutiny he would have endured otherwise. But he is a lovely boy and was able to represent himself admirably. Chris was more than a little freaked out at the arrangement of his sleeping over after the party. It was the easiest way to get around the late finish and distance to his home. Rules were laid down and followed. Everyone survived.

Erin and her 'friend' have become closer since they teamed up for the Debut. They spend as much time as they can together on the weekends and we as parents have clocked up many kms driving them in between. She has been very coy about their status taking a long time to actually call him her 'boyfriend' but seeing them cuddled up to each other on our couch has left me in no doubt.