#blogjune Post 10 - Escape

On workdays at lunch time I like to go for a walk around town.  I mainly stick to the streets, even though Bellingen is surrounded by bush - I don't like to go off on bush trails on my own.

One of my colleagues has just started back walking with me at lunch time.  Funnily enough she is also one of the colleagues that swims with me at lunch time when the pool season is on.

Yesterday we decided to head bush - up, up and up!  If you read my post from yesterday you will note that I had done a hilly run in the morning, so the up, up and up was not really that exciting for me.  But hearing the bell birds in the bush made up for it.

We kept going along the trail and even though we had done this walk before, a very long time ago, we were both thinking it was taking a long time to get to the road that takes us back into town.  We were only slightly worried we might be lost.

Eventually, after many more ups - there really wasn't many downs - we came to the old Bellingen look out.  I really should've taken my phone and done a lunch time walk selfie to show you just how far away town looked from the look out.

We then had a slight panic thinking we would not make it back within our lunch time.  So work colleague suggested we run back down the hill on the road.

Now the last time we did this - which must be over 3 years ago - I was not a runner and I weighed a lot more than I do now.  My backside ached for days - the wobble from the down hill caused me all sorts of pain.  Fast forward 3 years and I'm flying down the hill, with a lot less wobble and no sore backside!

We made it back in time and we got to enjoy a bit of bush escapism in our lunch hour - wins all round!!

#blogjune Post 9 - Dark

I spent some time sitting in the dark this morning.  Inside my car waiting for my running buddy to show up.  As it was we suffered some confusion and I was waiting for her in her town (suburb/place - unsure what to call them here because they are not really towns more places) and she was waiting for me in my town - both sitting in the dark wondering where the other was.

We sorted it and thank goodness the towns aren't that far apart (less than 20km) so once she worked out that she had forgotten that we were meeting in her town today (we usually meet in mine) she drove to meet me.  We met in her town because there are more hills and on today's training plan, a 10km hilly run was on the cards.

So back to the dark.  It was 5.30am and dark.  I was sitting in the car, trying to stay warm, listening to the radio, not thinking about what could be lurking in the bush that was to one side of me (well trying - it crossed my mind a few times).  And I was thinking about how my life is now all about getting up in the dark - well in the winter months anyway.  And that sleeping in for me is getting up at 7am, because I'm normally up at 4 or 5am.  And now I can't think when it began but it just is.

We started running and we were going a good pace because my running buddy is a natural runner and just has a fast pace - which has been good for me.  She had some exciting news so we were going faster because when you start talking and you get excited you go faster - yep we all do!

As we neared the headland, we noted the lovely red haze of the sun starting to rise.  The surf rolling in and just how lucky we are to be up and seeing this.  It's times like these I don't mind getting up in the dark - because seeing the first rays of light is always special - no matter how many times you see them!


PS thanks Shelle for the photo - note this was from another morning, not this morning.  And yes that is me and my running buddies down on the beach with the sun rising!

Hills, hills and more hills #blogjune #17

Today's mantra: Love yourself enough to work out harder.

Unfortunately, for me I think I do the opposite - work out hard to love yourself!!

This morning saw winter arrive - 5'C and a 5.30am run.  Predictably this meant that not all of our running group showed up, so three of us headed out to the beach for a very cold run.

Up the beach and there was plans for hill repeats.  With our motivational leader, Shelley MIA, some of our group piked out after one hill - but the dedicated one (me - or stupid one) pushed out 4 more hill repeats as the others headed back down the beach never to be seen again!

I then pushed out another 5k at lunch time and unfortunately, the route I follow at lunch has 6 hills.  I thought I was going slow due to my hill work this morning, but I actually did an alright pace.  Am totally buggered now though and bootcamp tomorrow.

But Love yourself enough to work out harder!!!

Something to finish - this is a bit true for me - except for the last image - but the last image is what I'm working on!!