Just one more wafer thin morsel...

The famous line from Monty Python's "Meaning of Life" (I think?)is pretty well summing up how I am feeling just about now. The thought of any food at all is making me feel sick. All I have eaten for the past 2.5 days is carbs, carbs, carbs & I NEVER want to eat another jelly snake or slice of bread with Nutella again. Carb loading in fact, strikes me as the perfect solution to kicking a bad eating habit. All I want right now is a crunchy apple or a passionfruit or slice of pawpaw. Even chocolate is making my toes curl. I also have a constant dull headache, I feel really, really tired and best of all.... I have a sore throat! As you can imagine, I am in a particularly "special" place right now. However, I have distracted myself very well this morning, watching my beginner runners doing their 10km event. Fiona actually completed her Very First Ever 10km run, full stop. Shihoko, Michelle & Lauren all ran really well, getting PBs all over the place! I am so proud of them all! So, now I am exhausted & am just spending some quiet time, blogging & reading. I have just about worn myself out with all my anxiety & excitement and I really need to preserve myself. This time in 24 hours, I will have finished. JUST finished. Can you believe it has finally arrived? Eeeeeeeeeeekkkkkkkkkkkk!!!! :o).

Are grapes considered carbs?

Hi runners!  I am gobbling grapes as I sit here typing.  Day One of my carb-load fest and my buddy Mal very kindly shared some good information from the Australian Institute of Sport that I had forgotten about.  the format will help me get my head around this and prevent me from gorging myself willy-nilly I think.  Considering I am the same weight as the example given, I am really not sure how I am going to manage to find room for three cups of cereal at breakfast!  Usually I eat 1/3 cup....  My Texas pal Jenny is possibly feeling a bit anxious about my gorging myself on jam donuts too.  She expressed a desire to be here to control me - and I WISH she was here!!  However, I am managing very well with all the wonderful support I am receiving from Spud and all my friends.  Really, I just want to sit back and revel in the golden glow of this prior to the big run.  How lovely it feels!  Now, the prime reason for this post today is to amaze you all with information about previous Gold Coast Marathon Record Holders.  I have just been stunned by the though of Robert Horman running a marathon in 4:34:55 - in the age category of 85 - 89 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Or Shirley Young (70 - 74 years) finishing her Marathon in 4:10:04, a time I will be very happy to achieve this year, at the ripe old age of 47.  Incredible.  I am sure I will have thoughts of these people as I run along the Queensland coast on Sunday morning.  Please let it be sunny and cool.  This morning's last short training run was distinctly humid and that is never too much fun, is it?

Look at this magnificent cake my lovely friend LF made for me!  And perfect for carb loading too - I had two pieces (oink, oink!).  I am so touched....

The countdown...

Hi fellow runners....  Tick, tock, tick, tock.  It's Wednesday lunchtime and I have been Googling healthy carbs, in preparation for my carb load saga, starting tomorrow. I really do not want to eat processed carbs.  Really!  I want to be HEALTHY.  That seems to mean sweet potato, corn, cauliflower, beans, pickles (!), low-fat yoghurt, rice, oats, spinach... Basically, all the sort of food that I really don't want to have in my system within 24 hours of my run, if you know what I mean.  I guess Saturday will be Donut Day.  I am packing my jar of Nutella.  Speaking of packing, I am writing a list (another list!) and will put everything out this evening, to be sure I have everything.  Ohhh, anyone would think I was going on some sensational overseas holiday, rather than slogging my guts out for four hours plus!  We've been advised to pack two pairs of shoes, socks, shorts and not to forget our "lucky undies", sunglasses, hat, shirt blah, blah, blah. I am taking a sleeping bag, not being entirely sure of my sleeping arrangements whilst on the Gold Coast!  Am I just blathering on?  Yesssss, well, it's because I AM a blithering, excited mess!  This morning it was off for another massage with The Mistress of Pain, who has reminded me I am a bit tight in the hammies. 

As for my Everyday Hero fundraising, I am up to $1955.  So close!!  My beloved has not coughed up so I am pretty well assured I will hit my target amount before Sunday.  Hooray!  I have loved reading all the messages of encouragement people have left. It really makes me feel happy and I feel in a Really Great Place right now. I can only hope all my fellow runners are feeling as fantastic as I am.  More later, no doubt!

PS:  I can't believe the entire world can see what size t-shirt I have ordered AND what my birthday is, as it is emblazoned across my race number for everyone to see.  So much for privacy and dignity!

Making like "Chariots of Fire"

Hi fellow anticipatory runners!  Oooo, my butt cheek is hurting ++ today.  I have taken Nurofen twice already and been doing some stretches. I hope this settles very soon. It is totally SI joint discomfort, I am sure.  I have a visit with Superior Sports Massage this week (Kay Shepherd, sports masseuse - to the stars) and with Greg at Access Natural Health for some shiatsu.  Do I sound like I am in panic mode?  Hmmmm…  I may well be.  My butt cheek hasn't really hurt this much for quite some time. I would prefer it was not an issue.  On a cheerier note, this weekend I was down the coast with family so was unable to do the regular run from InTraining this morning.  Instead, I took myself off to Brunswick Heads beach at 7am (same time as the start gun goes off next week) and ran 5kms on the firm sand, towards Byron Bay.  It was glorious. It was Runner's Nirvana - all that gorgeous beach, crashing waves, the prospect of spotting a migrating pregnant whale (I didn't), the birds, the seashells and me.  How lucky am I?  Here are some photos.

I will write more soon, you can be sure of that!  I am so excited that I will have trouble stopping myself from blathering on about it.  I will collect my race number on Tuesday and then I think I need to start "laying stuff out on the spare bed" (!) before packing.  I've written a list….  Do you see a pattern developing?  Have started dreaming of Byron Bay organic donuts too, to psychologically prepare myself for carb loading, of course!  

Tick, tock, tick, tock....

That's the sound of the clock counting down the days, hours, minutes until The Big Day!  This time in one week I will be on the Gold Coast, cheering on my "Run 10 With Jen" beginner runners after doing their 10km event.  I will also be busy chowing down on carbs and trying not to have too many "butterfly attacks".  Big call.  I am so excited that my stomach is flip flopping constantly.  I have come down to Mullumbimby this weekend for a family reunion and that is working quite well to distract me from running.  I've bought my running gear, anticipating a run but somehow it has yet to happen.  To be honest, my right knee has been quite painful today.  My low back is hurting too.  Basically, every niggle I have had for the past few months seems to be rearing its head right now. I am just staying CALM because it's all anticipatory and it will all be fine on the day.  I am sure it's normal to feel this way one week prior to the biggest physical challenge of one's life.  Maybe it's like contractions?  I have written my list of stuff to pack and I think I am set for beds - one night with Shihoko on her sofa and another night with Skye.  I am taking a sleeping bag, just in case. I mean, let's not forget Noosa and the lack of non-moth eaten blankets shall we?  

Happy Monday morning everyone!  Just think, this time in TWO WEEKS we will all be champs!  The Marathon will be over!  I can't believe it's only 13 days really.  With that in mind, I have stumbled upon this inspirational little video that I thought you would enjoy too.
Yesterday, we did a 10km "predictor" event. I ran 52:56 which is my third best ever time so I am pretty chuffed.  I think it means I will come in at about 4hrs 10mins.  Hmmm….. Now THAT would be nice!  Imagine!!  I will tell you for sure in two weeks if all these predictors have been correct!   Following our run, InTraining put on a Marathon School breakfast at 16th on Park and it was delicious - and a fun way to catch up with everyone.  

My wonderful, lovely coach, Linda, with Steve & Sean (who are pretty lovely too! Ha!)

Two of my Marathon Pre-Schoolers, John & Larissa, who are running REALLY well!

These two men, Simon & Doc, are responsible for my two best ever 1/2 marathon times.  Thanks boys!  Next time, I should try to get a good time all by myself….  Shame is that I am totally undisciplined!

Speaking of InTraining, somehow I have ended up on the committee and even more amazingly, I have been unanimously elected head of the "promotions and PR" sub-committee!  Ha, ha, ha!  Gulp.  Okay, so first job was to arrange for more black, red & white pompoms for the cheer squad.  These are coming from the delightful team at PomPom Promotions in Sydney.  We will be quite a force of action and encouragement at the InTraining tent, just near the finish line, and from what I hear, last year the sight of those pompoms was enough to give our runners just a tiny burst of juice to get them home.  We only had six then, so we will be much more "obnoxious" (!!) this year!!  Time to get ready for work.  Bye!

Conquering mountains

Hi readers & fellow runners!

Today I ran THIRTY-FIVE kilometres, without stopping (really…. except to drink).  In fact, apparently it was a bit more than 35kms.  That is 21.7 miles.  I am banging on about it because I am really proud of myself and I think I am amazing.  There, I said it.  It is the most stupendous physical accomplishment of my 47.75 years of life and I still can't really believe I did it.   It has been a godsend for boosting my confidence with only three weeks to go until this marathon.  However, I felt GOOD when I finished and I feel very sure I will be able to squeeze out another 7.2kms to complete the marathon on 3 July.   Admittedly, this afternoon I feel a bit sick and a bit fatigued and a bit sore but all those things can be easily rectified with Panadol, chocolate brownies, water, a sleep etc.  

Here's another little something to think about…

Magic is believing in yourself.

If you can do that, 

you can make anything happen.

Goethe