I Ran the Gap !!

What a terrific morning I've had.  Absolutely sensational.  Run the Gap in Halls Gap in the Grampians, which just happens to be my favourite place on earth!  I signed up for the 6km run, there was also an 11.5km run but I'm just not ready for that yet.

We set off at 5.15am with Mike driving on kangaroo watch.  With sunrise timed for 7.30am, it was dark the whole way.  I, on the other hand, was out like a light with my trusty pillow.  We got up there and it was PERFECT running conditions.  It was chilly I'll grant you that, but it was still, there wasn't even a breeze.

Before I go any further I just want to mention my fabulous husband, amazing one-man-cheer squad, proud papparrazzi and incredible hat wearer!!  It's great knowing that someone is cheering me on when I run, gives me that extra impetus to go the distance, and knowing he's there cheering as I come over the finish line, proud as punch, it makes a world of difference.   Oh and the pang hat I crocheted for Christmas got a very good work out.  He said it kept his head nice and warm.

It was great to meet up with some of the girls from our local 12wbt crew before the race.  Pictured here with Rebecca, we were pretty pumped.  Note the guys in the background with t-shirts on, hmmmph I think they were just showing off, it was freaking cold !!

My good friend Lynn who runs with her whole family, she is such a role model to her two children.  She did run behind me for a lot of the race, she said she was checking my butt out, but secretly I think she was hoping that I would find all the rocks to trip over before she did!  Ha.  I did nearly go arse over turkey at one stage and saved myself before completely tripping and ending up face down in the dirt.  Lynn and young son then overtook me at the 4km mark and ran off into the (well I was going to say sunset) but misty distance will have to do!!

The papparrazzi action shot ... how happy do we look.  About to run out of town and then up into the bush tracks.  It was sensational smelling the gum trees and the fresh bush smell, and hearing the kookaburras and cockatoos.  I think our thunderous thumps may have scared the kangaroos away, they probably thought there was a herd of elephants running out of town!!

Oh I hesitate to show this.  How some people come over the finish line and look so fresh and elated is beyond me.  I have a look of utter exhaustion when I finish a race.  Now don't worry, I didn't do the 6km in 8 hours 40 minutes and 1 second!!  That was the actual time at that moment.   I've just checked the race results online.  I ran the 6km in 40 MINUTES 24 SECONDS!!   Not bad considering I was hoping for 45 mins.  Not only that but I came 142nd out of 202 runners in the 6k run.  I'm absolutely elated with my results.   Who knows, this may be the impetus I need to train for the 11.5 next year.

I might have looked exhausted crossing the finish line, but my recovery time is getting better.  This is a few minutes after I finished.  Still exhausted.  But HAPPY !!!

Catching up with friends after the race.  Trish on the right looks amazing having just finished the 11.5km.  It was actually really great finishing the 6km and being able to watch the 11.5 km runners come in and cheering two of our girls back home over the finish line.

Done and dusted.   The obligatory finish line shot!!  Ready to go and have brunch.  Kudos to the organisers, they put on a complimentary brunch for the runners afterwards (with a gold coin donation from non-runners).  Hamburgers, sausages, eggs, baked beans, tomatoes, followed by fruit baskets of watermelon, bananas and oranges.  Absolutely terrific.

After the presentations and we said our goodbyes to the girls, Mike and I decided to go walking.  The idea originally was that he wanted to get some landscape shots to assist in his oil paintings (yes, he is a man full of surprises my husband!!).  It kind of wasn't to be.  We drove up to the car park at Mount William - you drive up 10km and walk the remaining 1.8km up a very steep bitumen path and we knew we were sunk when the top of the mountain was shrouded in cloud!  Not to be outdone though, we decided to go up as far as we could before visibility got too bad.  

Mike however thought I'd taken him to boot camp with the pace I set going up the road.  He had to have a little sit on one of the thoughtful chairs placed on the first incline.

Me on the other hand, I was ready for anything.  Hills?  Bring them on.  Ain't no mountain high enough, okay well I'm getting a bit carried away there, but I was still on the runners high.

Now I know there's a mountain range out there somewhere !!!  This was the view that we were getting.  Now unless Mike was hoping to paint a canvas all white a la a snow storm, we weren't going to get any landscape shots at all.

Crazy stuff, we were way up in the misty clouds, Mike's moustache was even going frosty!!  My hoodie was sodden with the mist, and it was cold.  We decided to call it quits before we got to the pinnacle with the promise we'd come back and do it on a visible day.

Everything was wet!  And getting wetter by the minute.

Someone was VERY glad to be heading back down, made it in record time too!   With the promise of the thermos of coffee in the car.  :-)

What a day! With the alarm going off at 4.30am, it will be early to bed for me.  

Another weekend, another run

You knew that, didn't you?  It's the way it goes for me lately.  It's either running myself stupid around town or another fun run.  In this case tomorrow is another fun run in the most beautiful place on earth.  I'm doing the Run the Gap in Halls Gap and I can't wait, although I am anxiously haunting Elders Weather for any updates.

It will be cold I'm sure, early in the morning, so I have my new long sleeved running top at the ready, all my gear is out ready to be packed, followed up by a change of clothes for climbing a mountain the afternoon.  Oh yes, we don't do things by halves here.  Run 6km in the morning, climb a mountain in the afternoon, courtesy of a scheme cooked up by my darling husband.  He wants to take photos as muse for some landscape painting he wants to do.

Oh and for my overseas friends, here's a You Tube video they've put together for the run, it's worth it for the scenery alone.

I CAN'T WAIT !

I ended up scrapbooking some of the photos from the Mothers Day run, and so happy with my bright pink double page spread.  My mum sent me a very special card in the mail during the week telling me about how proud she was of me running, first time she'd seen me run.  I just HAD to scrapbook it!!

Credits Designer Digitals.

So roll on tomorrow, I can't wait.

Mothers Day ... an early morning - a run - and cheesecake!

What a terrific day it was today.  I went down to Geelong to do the Mothers Day Classic, also so that mum could see me run for the first time.  It was quite a different feeling this fun run, not having any of the girls from our local crew or friends there also.  But mum sure made up for it.  Talk about proud, she decked herself out in pink too!  When they called to line up for the start of the race, mum gave me a hug and started crying, she was so happy.

Thought I might get a few tips from one of the lifesavers before the race!!  Hmmm, he was the strong silent type for sure.  Wasn't giving much away.

I was running today for three people.  Firstly my very special Grandma Ivy who passed away in 2006.  Secondly my wonderful mother-in-law Pat who passed away in 2008.  Both not having passed away from breast cancer, but both very special women in my life, so my run today was dedicated to them.  And thirdly I was running for my workmate and friend Trudy who is fighting the fight against breast cancer right now.  Having just finished chemo she is about to start radiotherapy, and it was such a motivating factor during the run that when I hit the rises in the park and breathing got labored and legs got heavy, I just thought of Trudes and how crap she feels with her chemo and it kept me going.

With Mike not down for this run, mum became chief paparrazzi, screaming madly as I ran past.  

Poor mum looked more than a little scared at my enthusiasm after I crossed the finish line!  8km under my belt, running the whole way, first fun run I've done that in (my last fun run being back in February).  I felt absolutely amazing.  Mike even commented that having just finished in this photo, I didn't even look as exhausted as I used to look, although my legs are certainly feeling it tonight!!

THE SPOILS OF VICTORY!!!!!!!!!!!!   My little medallion and a banana!!  Oh and a Princess sash which I just may wear to work tomorrow.

So after this, home to shower and change and then off to a special Mothers Day lunch at Empire Grill.  Being that one of my step-daughters now lives in Geelong she came with us and it was just lovely.  LADIES WHO LUNCH!  That's what I want to call us.  We had a terrific time.  And this is what it's all about, to be a good role model for my family, for my stepchildren, and to live a good, honest and healthy life with enthusiasm.

Shhhhh ... don't tell Mish!  But I thought 8km run meant I could partake in dessert.  Between us, okay?  Lemon cheesecake, orange shortbread and mango sorbet.  OMG . IT . WAS . GOOD !

Hope that your Mother's Day was as brilliant as mine!

12WBT Finale

Last weekend was the 12WBT MELBOURNE FINALE! What a weekend.  The Warrnambool & Surrounds 12WBT crew totally rocked it.  I love being part of this group, I call them my "health and fitness sisters".  They keep me honest, they keep me sane, they keep me motivated and inspired and continuing on this path.  I sometimes get lost in the forums, as inspiring as they are, but with our local group there is that connection.  And it was wonderful to spend the weekend with so many of them.

And how fitting, my last weigh in saw my total loss of 30kg!  That's 66 pounds!  And I feel amazing.

Here's some pics from my amazing weekend which involved a workout with Michelle Bridges at Lakeside Stadium and a ritzy chi chi pooh pooh party at the Crowne Palladium Ballroom.

Saturday workout with Mish.  It was terrific.  Having one of crew in the gruelling fitness challenge, we were so excited to cheer her on.  So excited that the compere came down to interview us.  Oh dear.  I felt a huge push in my back towards the man with the mike to be the spokesperson.  You think I got a little bit excited???  I don't even remember this.

Our sensational group looking quite spiffy in our new workout t-shirts and hoodies and caps.  I tell you the hoodies came in very handy early in the morning, it was c-c-cold.  

The reason we were all there, the motivating factor behind all of us, the fantastic Mish.  Looks like she was a wee bit cold too!  

Thanks to Alison, one of our crew who wasn't able to exercise, she took hold of my camera and took photos of our team.  Lots and lots of photos, to which I'll be putting together a little surprise for the girls in the next few weeks.    It was a good workout.  The grass stains on our t-shirts became battle scars.  We jumped, we ran, we dropped, we lifted, we had a ball.

And here's the pic we were wanting.  Our crew with the fabulous Mish.

We had gotten to Crowne and had made our way up the staircase with some of the crew and a man and his two young boys happened to go past and I asked if he'd take a pic.  "Sure" he said.  Then 10 cameras were thrust his way.  I saw a fleeting look cross over his face as to whether to take flight.  Lucky for us he patiently took a pic with all the cameras.

We had a ball, our Warrnie girls surely know how to party.  I didn't stop dancing all night, we celebrated our friendships, we celebrated our weight losses, and we celebrated the night.  Oh and I promise I did not pinch Charlie on the bottom!  Loved the Hollywood theme.  

Loved this fun pic of my friend Lynn too!   

We danced the night away.  And I just loved my dress.  I felt absolutely rockin'.  So . much . fun !

Adelaide is the next Finale, hmmmmmm :-)

I've gone and done a disappearing act once again

Life has well and truly thrown it's force at me over the last few weeks.  I've been so busy.  But with lots of good things.

Last weekend I had a terrific weekend away in Daylesford with my three girlfriends here from town.  Our annual pilgrimage away, sans husbands and children.  It was wonderful, oh except for the moment I realised I had left my bag of shoes at home.  Arrrrrgh.  I only had a pair of ankle lace up boots which I was wearing.  So down the street I went and $60 later I ended up with a fugly pair of red zip up walking shoes, which could double as running shoes, as I was aiming to be up early in the mornings to go running around the lake.  Which I did.

Oh and you can be forgiven if you think I'm always off celebrity spotting, but look who I met this week.  Now don't go thinking I'm off cheating on Michelle Bridges!!   I'm not!  However Lisa Curry came to Camperdown and presented "A night with Lisa" and talking about health and fitness and her life and a bit of food science thrown in, and it was absolutely brilliant.  I wasn't sure what to expect, thinking it would be a hard sell for her program, but it wasn't at all.

Oh for the overseas people, this is Lisa Curry.   Olympian, gold medallist in swimming and a terrific motivational speaker.

She was thoroughly entertaining, completely down to earth, and absolutely stunningly beautiful.  Such a fun night, we had a number of 12wbt'ers there.  Hey, I'll take inspiration from wherever it comes from.

A very motivational night.  If you ever have a chance to hear her speak, it's well worth it.  What a fascinating life she has lead.

Oh I mentioned being busy.  This weekend I'm off again.  Actually I'm off tomorrow and not back till Sunday.  It's the end of our 12 weeks and this time the finale party is in Melbourne.  Exercising at Albert Park and then the ritzy chi chi pooh pooh party at the Crown Palladium Ballroom.  I have the most gorgeous dress packed and I'm ready to party.

So will be back Sunday with pics.