Long bay...

Tonight I ran with the MTG around the bay- we did the long loop including the canal and Marion st and then included 4 reps up Lillyfield Rd. This totalled 12.6km in 1hr 11mins. It was such a nice night around the bay... not hot and the rain held off. It was great to run with the group... chatted most of the way around. I had no pain in the hip or back, but could feel the glute tightening up towards the end. So lots of stretching and tennis ball action tonight. Tonight I felt like I did not have much fuel in the tank. I have been watching the food while not running and will have to remember to eat a bit more now that I am running again!! We averaged about 5:30/km for the overall run... very happy with that as I was definately slower on the hills (about 6:15/km pace). I am very happy I went tonight, I was feeling a bit flat today and not so motivated. But again running with the striders and CR's always cheers me up and I feel motivated and excited about my running. I can not wait for my fitness to return... I was a puffin billy tonight! I realised that Canberra is only 4 and half months away! So now I need to refocus, get fit and aim for the marathon! Tonight I feel really content... I am so happy to be back doing the thing I love, with a great group of people.

Distance: 12.6km
Time:1h 11mins
Mood: Very happy :-)
Average Pace: 5:35/km

Back to reality

Today I was back at work, after 4 lovely weeks off!! Boo Hoo! I really enjoy my job, but I LOVE holidays!!! I always think that holidays just show you how much work gets in the way of life. Any way I survived, every one was happy to see me and it helps to chat about holiday adventures all day :) After my first long run in 5 weeks I woke this morning feeling a bit sore in the legs... not injury sore, just "ouch we have not done that in a while" sore. So I decided that today would be a no running day... not wanting to tempt the running gods :) So I went to the gym and did some bike and cross trainer and weights for my upper body and glutes/legs. I am going to head off to the park for seans group tommorow... I cant wait!! But I am going to take it easy for a few weeks and not push too much.... just enjoy running with the group again (even if I am last).

So back ro reality again.....

splish splash

This morning we headed out to Mona vale for a 15km run with the marathon training group. I was itching to run with the group and was not deterred by the big black rain clouds! On the way there the rain started and got heavier and heavier... are we mad??? We had driven too far not to do the run, although the offer of breakfast and coffee was tempting!! We ran about 15km in about 1hr35min. We were very slow through the bush sections... very slippery and muddy! I maintained an ok pace most of the way about 5:45/km- the rain and bush really slowed us down in parts. I was very proud of myself as I did not need to stop once running up all the hills... even the really nasty long hill up to the lookout/bush section. I felt really comfortable, chatting and gossiping about holidays and babies along the way- and no hip or back pain... woo hoo! I started to feel stiff towards the end, but the rain and cold did not help.

It was one of those runs where you feel crazy for being out running in pouring rain and thunder, but makes you feel really alive at the same time! This is the stuff that kids do and we loose as we get older and "sensible". I think we should all be a little more crazy and jump in puddles more often. I also really appreciayted just running with a bunch of great people- laughing and joking and not worring about times etc. I kept thinking "AHHH this is the stuff" - I have missed the endorphins :)

I certainly appreciated the hot bath and hot chocolate when I got home!!!

Hot and Humid

I set the alarm this morning to get up for the CR challenge- the alarm went off and I lay there for a few moments thinking about getting up and the next thing I know the clock says 9:45am! I must have needed the sleep! So I went to centenial park about 11:30am just after the rain had finished, so it was sunny and very humid. I ran 7km around the park without any pain in my hip or back. I stopped a few times to stretch my glute and hamstring- but all felt ok. It was such a great feeling to be running again!!! I averaged about 5:14/km which I was really happy with. Hopefully it will only take a few weeks to get my fitness back to where it was 5 weeks ago. Tonight there is still no pain or discomfort- apart from the soreness form the new physio exercises :)

Time: 36:20
Distance: 7km
Average pace: 5:14/km
Mood: Very Happy!

On the road again...

I went to the physio today after having an xray on my hip and back to rule out anything sinister. I am happy to report apart from a little bit of damage around one of my discs all was normal. The physio said that one of the discs in the lower part of my spine was a bit compressed.... he said this was not uncommon with distance runners due to the constant pounding and also because my poor posture puts pressure on that part of my spine. So he is confident that it is all related to my weak glutes and pelvis/hip being out of line. So I just have to keep doing my strengthing exercises and work on improving posture. I went for a 30 min run yesterday and it all felt ok. A little bit of discomfort but no pain. The physio has given the thumbs up to start my training again, but to back off if it flares up and stretch!!! He said now that the inflamation has settled, as long as I do my exercises, it should just continue improve and settle down completely. I felt soooo relieved and happy that there was nothing sinister happening in my back/spine area and that I can start to run again. So the plan is to do a few runs over the next week and see how I feel.... play it by ear and listen to my body. The physio wants me to keep up the gym and swimming to complement the running and he will see me in a week. Woo hoo! What a week! I have really missed not running and can't wait to get back into things.

Welcome!!!!

Welcome to the world little Alexandra Catherine Sherriff- born 24/11/2005 at 1:27pm, weighing 8.4 pounds and absolutely wonderful! Before our holiday I gave my sister strict instructions to keep her legs crossed until I was home!!! Talk about timing... we arrived yesterday at 9am and this morning we get a phone call to get to the hospital for the arrival of little Alex. What a truely awesome experience! I have never felt so overwhelmed and full of love and joy! My sister and I are only 10 months apart and have a very special bond... I am so proud of her!!! I was able to sit with her right up until just before the birth and then mum, ray and I sat ever so nervously waiting to meet the newest member of the family. I have cried all day.... it is a feeling I can not explain- my big sister is now a mum! If we do 1/2 as good a job as our mum we will be doing pretty good! It is ao amazing to see this tiny little person, so innocent and dependent for everything without a care in the world... brand new! So the start of this year saw the death of my grandfather a truely amazing man and we have ended the year with the arrival of another truely amazing little person! I am sure that wherever nan and pa are watching they would be looking on proud and full of happines!
So tonight I am one very happy Aunty Kitkat!!!!

Home Sweet Home

Ahhhh! There is no place like home.... although we had to fly 9 hours through the night and not click my shoes three times! The past three weeks have gone so quickly and feel like a whirlwhind. We have seen so much it is hard to keep it all in the brain! One of the great things about going overseas and experiencing something new and different is it always makes me appreciate home and the usual routine that I grumble about.

After Kyoto we travelled up into Mt Koyasa, which is about 900m above see level and was SOOOO cold! It was about -1 degree over night and I was not really dressed for this! Poor ray had to hear about every possible description of cold! Koyasan was probably the most peaceful and magical places we have visited. It is the spot where Gobadashi, the original monk and founder of the shingon sect of Buddhism set up camp so to speak. He started out with one small temple, which grew to about 1500, now about 250. Today it is a place where monks and believers of this style of budhism make a pilgrimiage to visit his grave and pay respect. At one end of the tow is where he is said to be meditating waiting for the return of budha. ther is about a 2 km road the winds its way through a Japanese cedar forrest to his resting place and it is surrounded by about 500,000 graves, which line the path. It is the most amazing place- very peaceful. Even the most non-spiritual person would find it hard not to be moved. Guarding his resting place is a temple hall filled with about 2000 lanterns- most of them are now electric but there are two there that are said to have been burning for about 700yrs. We stayed in a temple- quite large ran by a head monk who is overseen by his 85yr old mum! This woman was amazing- still working hard running the temple! The food was the best vegetarinan food ever tasted!!!!

From this wonderfuly peaceful place in the mountains we headed south to Hiroshima. This is a truely beautifly city- with a very sad and grisly past. The city has a different feel to other Japanese cities- very hard to put into words. It is hard to imagine that this city and people were completely flattened not so long ago. we spent ages going through the peace park and visiting the A-bomb dome- which marks the epicentre. The city has a peaceful calm feel- dotted with very moving monuments to peace. The most moving statue was a mother protecting her two young children - at the bottom of this sculpture lay thousands of paper cranes that people fold and deliver daily. We headed over to a small island which has the famous Tori gates that are floating out in the sea- amazing to see.

On our second last day we went down to Fukuoka and saw the sumos!!! That was so much fun and sucha specticle to watch! there is so much ceremony that goes on that it often is longer than the match! There are nbo weight classes and often there are sumos up against other guys twice their weight- amazingly the little guys often win... far to quick! Ther top guys were huge and you could hear then crashing into each other....even way up the back where we were! It was a sight not to be missed.

Back to reality..... I had a great time but am happy to be home! If I do not see another buckwheat noodle for a while I will be happy! Now to sort out my hip and get back into training. I did manage a few runs- about 4kms and I was happy to see that my fitness was not too bad. So I am feeling positive and ready to attack the new year! Bring it on!!!

Sayonara!

I will add some photos when we go through the millions we took :)

Update from Nippon!

Konichiwa!! We are currently at Kyoto, which is a really big city which is famous for all its temples! We went to the Nijo castle which was an amazing structure, with the original nightingale floor which sings when you walk on it. We have seen a million temples which are all truely beautiful places, especially with all the autum leaves.... not so peacefull are the hoardes of people that flock to the temples on the weekends! We visited a famous Zen temple with a beautiful rock garden... your supposed to stare at it and your imagination flows away and it comes to you what the rock formations mean.... I just saw a relly nice rock garden- no moving moments for me!! We also just made it to see the Golden Pavillion, which was a temple made from gold- it was spectacular!

We have expereinced the onsens quite a few times... becoming an old hand at the public nakedness! The most recent onsen had an electric bath... It took me a while to work out why every time I got in my pulse quickened and my breathing went a bit funny -and it was not all the naked women :) It is meant to be good for sport injuries... so I kept jumping back in haha hope it works!

Today we experienced being a sardine on the trains... people were pilled in and the doors could only just close. We were in the middle of the carriage and had to literally climb over peple to get out....the amount of people amazes me! Where are they all coming from and where are they going??? I just walk around with my mouth open all the time.... there is so much too see, so much noise, so many people I am in constant amazement! The people are friendly and laught at out terrible attempts at the language eg trying to explain to the chemist lady that Ray is constipated and we need something to help... lots of gesturing, a few attempts from the phrase book and lots of giggling form the chemist! Very funny!

Ray and I could have been picked up for stalking... haha! We were entranced by some beautiful young Japanese ladies in their traditional Kimono... so with Rays great zooming lense we followed them around the castle snaping photos of them! They were so lovely... very graceful and stylish- their Kimonos were so detailed and pretty.

Today we went to Himeji and visited the one og the biggest castles in Japan. It is the original building from the about the 1200's! It has a 5 storied keep and the whole structure was white... they say it looks like white herron...really beautiful! There was also a garden attached and as we have come to see the Japanese can certainly garden.. wow! It had a really nice pond FULL of all different coloured carp. We were also entranced by a traditional japanese wedding in the garden and even more surprised when they asked us to be part of the photos! It was really funny, ray and I looked like slobs and they wedressed inspectacular traditional wedding Kimono... with beautiful detailing and embroidary! Any way they grabbed rays camer and took some photos for us and even gave us a polaroid to keep! What a great day!!!

We are heading off to Mt Koyasan soon and will be staying with the monks! Early to get up and meditate and yummy veggo food! Then we head south to Hiroshima and Fukuokka. Hopefully in fukkuokka we can see a Sumo match- that would be excellent!! Well we are heading into the final stretch! Then back to reality!

Still no running.... had a brief attempt yesterday, but doesnt quite feel 100%. I am hoping that once we are home and not walking 12-15km a day it will be back to 100%- then back into training! I dread to imagine how slow I will be!!!

Konichiwa!!!

Well we are finally here... week one of three! Japan is a truely amazing country! We have seen so much already! Tokyo was sooo big and the rail system out of this world! There are hundreds of lines and stations all intersecting and ALL time!!! I have never seen so many people!! We have seen some amazing temples and shrines.. especially in Nikko. They are so peaceful and beautiful. I am proud to say I have experienced the osen (hot spring) in Tokyo and then in Nikko! Wow!!!! After getting over the initial Ohh my God I am naked with a bunch of Japaned ladies... it is very relaxing and energising! Thank god there was a kind old lady who took pity on the silly naked Australian standing in the onsen looking dazed and cinfused... after much pointing and gesturing I got the drift of the ritual and definate things not to do!

The country is such a bizarre mix of tradition and crazy consumerisim evrything flashes or buzzes or sings! Trucks go by singing and talking... the toilet seats are often heated and you can get almost anything from a vending machine! I love it!!!

Today we are sitting in the shadow of Mt Fuji! The gods have smiled and it has been sunny and clear... so Mt Fuji is sparkling and awesome! There is nothing alse really around it so it dominates the sky line!!!

Tommorow we are heading South and will be staying in a Buddhist temple... I cant wait for that expereince! The food had been fantastic... but a little difficult explaining your a vegetarian by gesturing! We have been practising our Japansese but apart from Hello, good bye and thankyou very much I am not too good!!!

No running as yet... hip still a little dodgy, but much better! I think that all the walking we are doing is slowing its recovery! I have not walked so much in my life!

I will update again when I stumble across free internet (such a cheap skate!!) I will put photos on when I get home!