Hills, sand and Hangovers

Tue AM: Run, 5K in 35 minutes: Hard slog on hills and soft sand.

Wed PM: Swim: 20 * 100m @ 2:30

Thu AM: Run, 7K at about 6 minute pace. A bit ugly.

Sleep: Good

Weight: 79.2Kg

I overindulged slightly on Boxing day, leading to a seedy feeling on Tuesday. I lumbered around the house cleaning up the party detritus for a while, but by mid morning I decided that there was nothing for it but a “blow out the cobwebs run, and boy did I pick one. Down the hill I ran on Christmas day, all the way along the beach (about 3K of soft sand running) and back up the hill. The legs coped better than I thought, but the cardio was most upset. I haven’t run on sand for years, and I’d forgotten how hard it is. I was really puffing by the time I got to the end of the beach.

This meant I was already puffing at the bottom of the 100m climb. Halfway up I gave up – I was just puffing far too much, so I walked the rest of the way up the hill. 5K in 35 minutes, but it felt like 4:45 pace.

Since the public holidays I have been back in Windsor, housesitting for my ex. This means … I GET TO PLAY WITH THE DOGS!!!!!!!!

Yesterday was somewhat hectic, but I managed to get to the pool at about 7:30 and bang out 20 100m repeats at 2:30 using the Timex Ironman watch I picked up from Rebel. It felt OK, but not great. The goggles were letting in water for most of the swim, and the Subway I’d had 45 minutes before the swim spent the entire swim threatening an encore.

Last night the dogs reminded me what angels they are by escaping for me. I got a phone call at 1:00 in the morning from the most tolerant neighbour in the world (and the owner of Tali’s best mate). Despite this interruption to my sleep I slept OK, and I was up at 5:15 to take them for a run down to the dog park. It’s 1.3K there at slow ambling pace, I did 4K of laps of the dog park at about 5:40 pace. The dog park is on a slope, so it way pretty hard work, and I was happy to grab the dogs at the end of it and put them back on the lead for the run home.

Beth has become more recalcitrant in regards to running in my absence, and halfway home she just stopped, and was going no faster than walking pace for the rest of the trip. This is despite the fact she had just spent the time at the park running around like a headless chook and she did the same when she got home. So the run was aborted early and we walked home.

For all my whinging I am stoked to be around the dogs, and I am benefiting from the fact that since I moved they have built a Motorway between Windsor and where I work that cuts a 1:15 trip to work to 45 minutes, and it’s free while I am there. I like that a lot.