Friday catch up...

I had a couple of different running experiences this week which brings back into focus why I do what I do.

We have been running with a group of strangers in the city that we have been slowly getting to know each Sunday morning getting our long runs done. The group splits into two with a faster group and us in the slower group, We have been getting tips and sometimes more information than we know how to process but we are learning all the time while clocking up the kms. We are able to encourage other similar runners and gain insight from the more experienced. At this stage of my running I am somewhere in between novice and expert.

During the week I ran with the local running group to do a fast 6k. I was able to run part of the way with the President of the group. He had just completed a 100km trail ultra run on the surf coast and treated this quick run as a 'recovery run'. I let him do all the talking although he kindly showed interest in my training plan and then offered advice. Seems that our current plan is a better one than the one we had used in the lead up to the Gold Coast. A plan is a hot topic, I was asked several times which plan we were using and I glad I had something to say, that I was legitimately training for this marathon.

The outdoors proved dangerous for my Running Buddy when she was swooped by a magpie in a local park and ended up with a black eye. Ironically it is one of her biggest fears, along with sink holes, a torment we have to endure each Spring. Luckily she was wearing her sunglasses otherwise it could have been worse and it has shaken her confidence. And she wasn't even running at the time. I was concerned that she may never run outside again but shortly afterwards she posted this pyramid plan for us to try. The plan we are using this time incorporates more than just long, easy paced runs.

My nursing skills have been put to the test this week with my poor husband struck down with the man flu. He must feel really sick as he has allowed me to tend to him, he has even taken the proffered medication and advice. As long as he is not sharing his condition we will get through this.