Running to the end of the year...

After the second marathon this year I have slowly been getting back to running longer distances again and have set our sights on the next goals to achieve.

We excitedly signed up for the City 2 Sea 15k and this year the day of the race was hot and challenging. I was going pretty well for the 1st 10k but the heat got to me and I struggled over the line. We haven't had much hot weather this Spring and we just aren't used to the conditions yet.

Pretty happy to get the bling around my neck! and to find these girls and get some refreshments.

My tennis partner and I were also happy to win recently at the Djerriwarrh Health Services Ladies Tennis Tournament. Last year we came runners up in our division but this year we were able to take out the trophy.

Don't let the overcast day fool you, I got pretty sunburnt on my quest for the trophy. Kath and I would have played Club Champs together but we are running another half marathon that day and Kath is tripping off on a holiday.

I finally got Hayley to her first parkrun and now I am working on Erin to join me. parkrun is perfect for beginner runners as both my girls are. My hope is that they develop a love of running and being active. Our run together was a nice mix of running with walk breaks while I caught Hayley up with the latest news, the most important bit being her Uncle's heart attack the day before. We were walking the last part and I said to her at a designated point 500m from the finish we would run to cross the line. When we reached that point she bolted off to beat me. She recorded her PB of 36 mins and said she would have given up sooner if she had gone on her own. Hopefully she will be encouraged to continue on her own or rope Ben into going with her.

cheeky bugger sprinted off to finish ahead

We went off to a local cafe to have breakfast and more of a catch up. It was a lovely morning with my girl.  Erin has been quite isolated this year so I'm hoping the friendly crew at Toolern Creek will welcome and encourage her also.

OK, so next up is the 5th half marathon for the year, a womans only event along the Beach Rd in St Kilda, From memory it is 5k out and back in each direction repeated twice. Last time we ran in drizzly rain, the forecast this year is 28 degrees.Somewhere in between would be good.

We also have a social Beer run on trails and a formal 11k trail run to test out the trail shoes. I should reach my 50 parkruns milestone on Christmas Eve, that will be the run I wear the tutu for so I can cross that off the running bucket list. I'm a bit nervous about wearing it on a long run like the half in case it bothers me and I leave it in a gutter somewhere.
Before we know it the year will be over and we will be grizzling about the heat and how hard it is to run in. An enforced hiatus will see me out until March then back into it with some new goals to achieve.

Wheelie??...

Just when you think life is cruising along nicely something is thrown up at you that you don't expect.

Sunday morning I hopped into my car to head off for a run and thought the car felt a little off. Then when I felt a jolt instead of reversing out of the driveway I got out to look around. Maybe I had a flat tyre... no, I was missing a wheel.

I was completely gob smacked. Stunned. In disbelief.

The wheel was ...gone.

How could this happen??

I went back in and told Chris. He was also could not believe what I was saying.

Overnight someone had very quietly jacked up my locked car and taken the wheel complete with the wheel nuts, left the jack in place and went away.

We never heard a thing.

Several tricky manoeuvres later, reminiscent from a scene in 'The Castle', we Chris secured the spare with a nut from each of the remaining wheels and moved it out of the way.

The police were also a little bemused by the situation. There has been thefts and break ins but this was the only wheelie crime reported lately. Seems someone needed an Astra wheel more than I did.

A running friend offered to talk to his mate at the wreckers who knew someone who could get a rim for me this week. As I handed over my money the thought that I might be buying back my own property crossed my mind. When I get a new tyre for the replacement rim and some lock nuts the 'incident' will be over.

And we can go back to the uneventful life thanks