One week later...

...I am recovering well.

I've had a 5km run,  a good stretch at Pilates, 2 sets of mixed doubles on Thursday night, a good cardio session on Friday and another 4 sets of tennis today.

Perhaps not the relaxing post half marathon recovery week but not having to work has really helped. We have had the debrief hash out about how we could do better/different next time. Yep...next time. And we have planned out the next few weeks events, the next long run being City to Sea in November (15k)

This week I also learned that Suze broke her arm when she fell at tennis last week (that's 2 for 2 now) and Emma suffered a meniscus tear. l learned my  pilates instructor is expecting her first baby. And I found out my eyesight has deteriorated some more so need glasses for long and short distance focus. I didn't need a test to know that, but snazzy new glasses to wear most of the time should take the edge off. I met up with Hayley's 'UK Abi' when she had a shift at Baby Black but work kept us from having a proper catch up.

Half way through my holidays and it has been mighty fine.

It's done...

the much anticipated half marathon is finished. All done and dusted for the year. Perhaps I should wait a day or two before posting this race report because right now I'm not sure how I feel about it. Except spent.

Thankyou random stranger for taking our picture

It was a beautiful morning as we waited for our 8am start. We set off from the MCG down St Kilda Rd, around Albert Park Lake and back to the 'G. We couldn't go in this year as they are resurfacing for the cricket season so finished behind the ground. We got a buzz as we saw the leaders of the full marathon heading back down St Kilda Rd for their super quick times.

Dominic Pius ONDORO finished in 2:11:30 to take first place and Nikki CHAPPLE led the ladies with 2:31:04. My time was very similar to Nikki's except she ran twice as far. Makes sense then that she, as a champion, runs twice as fast as well.

Waiting at the finish line was young Joel, the son of my colleague, who was doing a project about marathon running and we were as close as he could get to a real life runner. Bless him. He came to cheer us on.

Just sharing some sweat with Joel

 His message to us last night was "I hope you win"

Winners

Well we did win, just by finishing.

After some rehydration we wandering into the race expo to check out the gear. As a sport, technically all you need is runners, BUT there is a goldmine of merchandising to be had to make you faster, better and poorer. We wandered aimlessly in the end, not able to get our brains to function past...I'm glad that's over.

The bib is filed in the folder, the medal hung with pride, this week I will rest and recover so we can take on the next challenge.

Lovely...

It has been a lovely few days.


Taper week means winding down the training, doing some light workouts and being mentally prepared for the big day.

Tick.

 I have run a little, including a trip into the city where I ran around the Tan,  past The Shrine,
to the MCG where I picked up our race packets and sponsors bags.










I have scrapped a little and got some prints done on line at Social Print Studio, so have lots more fodder for projects. These 5 x 5" prints are a nice quality. they are mainly Hayley's friends taken off Instagram and will be nice in her album.










The weather has been gorgeous and the promised 'red moon' was a fizzer in our backyard.

Oh and I had a low key birthday...nice and quiet

Chris's mother has moved back to Victoria, her failing health meant she was not managing in Hobart. We will visit tomorrow and check out the situation, stay tuned for the ever changing story.

Please don't ask...

"What are you doing on your holiday?'

I have started four weeks long service leave. I had a big chunk to dip into, a whole 23 weeks. So I have indulged myself and taken some off to do...not much. I have been asked continually what I am doing during my break, 4 weeks is quite a long time to take and my answer seemed inadequate, non deserving of the allocated time.

I don't have any trips planned. As much as I would love to see Hayley in the UK, we don't have the dosh to spend on a holiday like that. It's an expensive, long journey and I would want to see parts of Europe and the UK and she is tethered to Ipswich during the week with her full time job. If I were to go on my own to see her, the logistics of leaving family/Erin in school etc would be horrendous. I will see Hayley soon enough and she keeps me up to date with her adventures.

I don't have any big renovation or spring cleaning plans either. I might get some gardening done or clean out the linen cupboard or pantry but I might not either. My only real goal is to be prepared for the Marathon next Sunday.

I might take more photos, I might blog more often, I might do some scrapping. I might do a bit of baking for my family, I might catch up with friends. I'm not making any ambitious plans. Previously I would have put all manner of goals and achievements on myself. Not this time.

This time is going to be a breather, a regrouping time just for me. I was reading an article about a stay at home Moms perspective once all the kids are at school and how she is constantly asked what she does with her time during school hours. I liked this passage...

What kind of value do we place on a day with nothing planned? On a day not filled with lists of accomplishments, but with peace and quiet: a long walk to a coffee shop to enjoy a book, a phone conversation with a family member whom we've lost touch. Will we tell those stories, or leave them out? There is value in both the busy days and the slow, reflective ones. There is value in finding time for oneself.

This is what comes up if you Google 'relaxing'

So that is what I am doing on my leave, a little bit of this or that, maybe nothing, maybe a lot. I will go back to work knowing I have had this time for myself.

Just 7 days left...

The hay is in the barn.

Or as much hay as I can get in that 'ol barn. The work has been done and now we get to taper, have a light week and to try not to stress about what we should have done.

We will be OK.

Apes UK tour...

The local band once called The Boo Hoo Hoos and now named APES are headlining a tour in the UK. 

Hayley is beyond excited to see them in London. She will be able to have a big dose of Aussie friends and music.

Whenever I saw the lead singer Ben making my latte at Baby 
Black cafe I wanted to tell him that Hayley was going to meet up with them in London but she wanted to surprise them by turning up all cool and say 'Hey, wad up' not really, she doesn't talk like that. So I had to be cool too and keep mum, all the time thinking to myself 'I have a secret...'

Huge kudos to them for such a great step in the journey to being famous rockstars. Or making a living at being musicians.