Day 51, Brisbane to Sydney Opera House (virtual run)

I went for a run this morning.....for the first time in 26 days.  The 26 days have seen some truly great and wonderous events (a trip of a life time to Vanautu) and some very bad days (foot and knee injuries,  Stomach flu and a headache that lasted for 5 days).  I think I have finally turned that corner and completed a 3k run at 5:30 this morning. 

Waking up at that hour was quite easy.  Sure, I didn't have a spring in my step(at first) but I was excited to run.  I took my time and didn't push myself in speed or distance.  I'll bring my fitness level back up and start some longer runs later this week.  My biggest fear is the foot injury.  I'm currently suffering from heel spurs (really its my own fault for training for a half marathon in my late 30's.  I should have done this in my 20's) and I don't want to go through that pain again.  I am going to set my alarm for 5:15 am again tomorrow and test my foot.  If it feels ok I'm going to do another 3k run.  If it still feels a little tender I'll give it another day. 

I've also decided (because of health and injury problems) to extend my virtual run till Dec 31st of next year.  I'm hoping that I don't need to extend it that many days but I'm really behind and I don't know if I will catch up.

Also my iPhone arm band has gone missing!  I blame my cat. 

Day 51
Distance: 3k
Total kilometres: 42.22k
Kilometres left: 968 (601 miles)
Weight: 91.4kg (201lbs)
Calories burned: 287
Total Calories burned: 3971

If you have anything to add please leave a comment or email me at Slowmanrunning73@gmail.com

I created a group on the miCoach website for all the slowrunners out there. If you are interested in joining the group please sign up on the miCoach site and download the free miCoach app for your smart phone. Here is the link:

http://community-micoach.adidas.com/groups/slowrunning



Day?????

Hello readers.  I hope you are all well.  It's been awhile since I have posted anything.  Let's sum up everything that has happened in the last couple of weeks.  I have not run at all.  I'm dealing with a heel injury that has slowed me right down.  I was having trouble walking for a few days but it seems to be on the mend.  I'm going to try and go for a run tomorrow.  Nothing to extreme just a 3k run to get back into it.  Another reason why I have stopped running for 2 weeks is that I spent 5 days in the tropical Island of Vanuatu.  If you have never been to Vanuatu then you must go!  It was the most beautiful spot I have ever been to.  Pristine beaches and the most lovely clean green coloured oceans I have ever seen.  Go, stop what you are doing and go to Vanuatu right now.

When I arrived back from my trip I had every intention of going running.  I had put on 2 kilos on my trip and knew that I had to come back and work hard to lose those 2 kilos.  Well I didn't have to work very hard because I either got the stomach flu or food poisoning (or my wife is secretly poisoning me) that knocked me out flat(I also lost the 2 kilos that I had put on).  So flat that I fell asleep on my bathroom floor curled up in the fetal position.  I'm finally starting to feel better and can't wait to hit the trails tomorrow.

How does this effect my goal?  I'm not sure at this moment.  I'm 3 weeks or so behind where I need to be today.  It all depends how my run tomorrow goes.  If my heel does not bother me then giddy up I'm back.  I'll keep you posted.

Day 27 - Brisbane to Sydney Opera House (virtual run)

I had decided not to run today. I was due for a run. Long over due but I had my plans with my friends (and fellow slowrunning alumni) DA and KW to do a bush walk. I have recently bought a new Canon 60D camera and a bush walk in Spring Mountain Conservation Park sounds like a perfect place to take some pictures. We got in my car and drove (my GPS of course stopped working so DA had to rely on his mobile phone for directions) and when we got there......it was closed. It seems that a few weeks ago a bush fire had ravaged the entire area. So what was going to be a 6.3km bush walk turned into a drive to Ipswich to take pictures at the Japanese Gardens. Not a bad alternative and the company more then made up for any disappointment at missing my first Australian bush walk.

I waited till the heat died down and went for an easy 3k run at 5:30 pm. Thankfully there was a very cool wind blowing around forest lake which made the run as pleasant as could be expected. After my run (as I sit here typing this up) I am feeling no pain. I'm going to wake up early Sunday morning and do a proper run.

I'm not sure if I mentioned this but on Wednesday Mrs. Slowrunning and I are off to Vanuatu for 5 days. I will not be doing any running while I am there........my wife has asked me not to.....in case I get injured (she also asked that I not do Movember as she doesn't want me looking like a Mexican waiter while we are on holidays). I am looking forward to the 5 days of relaxing......in the tropics of the South Pacific. I've never been to the South Pacific.

Day 27
Distance: 3k
Total kilometres: 39.22k
Days left: 338
Kilometres left: 971 (603 miles)
Weight: 90.5kg (199lbs)
Calories burned: 281
Total Calories burned: 3684

Day 24 - Brisbane to Sydney Opera House (Virtual Run)

Stretching......I like it.  I never really do it.  I should do it more often......but will I?  Only time will tell.  I'm going to give you the straight juice (huh?) I did not feel like running today.  I came up with every excuse in my head why I should not run.  I'll run tomorrow.  I'm too tired.  Before I really gave my self too much time to wallow I had my shoes on and I was out the door running around Forest Lake. 

It was a good run (except for when my shoelace decided that being tied was too good for it) but I kept it short and sweet.  3k run today.  My body was not hurting today.  My knee is no longer giving me a problem.  My back is a little tender but nothing that I can't deal with.  I'm finding that my stretching is helping that.  Oh, don't forget to let me know from where in the world you are reading my blog from.

Here is what my journey looks like.

Day 24
Distance: 3k
Total kilometres: 36.22k
Days left: 341
Kilometres left: 974 (606 miles)
Weight: 90.5kg (199lbs)
Calories burned: 283
Total Calories burned: 3403

If you have anything to add please leave a comment or email me at Slowmanrunning73@gmail.com

I created a group on the miCoach website for all the slowrunners out there. If you are interested in joining the group please sign up on the miCoach site and download the free miCoach app for your smart phone. Here is the link:

http://community-micoach.adidas.com/groups/slowrunning

Day 22 - Brisbane to the Sydney Opera House (virtual run)

I used to (many years ago) wake up Sunday morning/early afternoon and feel like hell.  The night before I had gone to some bar or a house party and tried to do as much damage as I could to my body.  This continued up until I went for a physical and my Doctor thought I had hepatitis.  Lucky I didn't have hepatitis.  What I had was a weekend drinking problem.  Since then I have cleaned up my act and I am now (as my Australia friends would call me) a cadbury.  I had a beer with my good friend AP last week....and I felt a little tipsy.  After one beer.  It was quite sad.  Now, I wake up early Sunday morning and I do a 5k run instead.  I miss the old me sometimes.

The weather was absolutely brilliant this morning.  A storm sauntered in last night and cooled everything down.  It was 20c when I left the house but there was no humidity and the clouds did a great job covering up the face of the sun.  What I had instead was a cool breeze to welcome my running steps. 

I've also changed one thing about my runs.  Before today I would stop at the 5k or 7k mark and walk back home.  But now I'm going to run all the way home and include the total run and not stop when I have completed a full kilometer.  I figure I'm officially a week and a half behind my goal and I need every last bit of distance to make it.

The above figure shows how far I have run so far.  I've made it out of Brisbane and still far away from the Gold Coast.

 

This above figure shows you how far I still have to go.

 

There is a new Poll question at the bottom of this blog.  You can now also see other blogs that I currently enjoying.

Day 22
Distance: 5.22k
Total kilometres: 33.22k
Days left: 343
Kilometres left: 977 (607 miles)
Weight: 90.8kg (200lbs)
Calories burned: 488
Total Calories burned: 3120

If you have anything to add please leave a comment or email me at Slowmanrunning73@gmail.com

I created a group on the miCoach website for all the slowrunners out there. If you are interested in joining the group please sign up on the miCoach site and download the free miCoach app for your smart phone. Here is the link:

http://community-micoach.adidas.com/groups/slowrunning

Day 19 - Getting it back.

I've been pain free for a couple of days.  That lingering knee pain has gone.  I couldn't be happier about that.  I didn't want to do too much to fast.  So today my goal was just a very easy 3k run.   I will progess slowly and increase the distance as I go. 

I went out around 7 am and it was quite mild despite the oppressing heat over the last few days.  Getting lucky with a 7 am run is something that I will have to forget about soon.  The 3ks was quite lovely.  I wasn't running very hard and speed was not a concern.  Near the end of the run my body stiffened a little bit.  I iced my leg as soon as I got home and I will do some extenisive stretching tomorrow to try and loosen my muscles as much as I can. 

I've run 28ks so far and have made it (virtually) to the Pacific Motorway!

 

 

Day 19
Distance: 3k
Total kilometres: 28k
Days left: 346
Kilometres left: 982 (610 miles)
Weight: 90.8kg (200lbs)
Calories burned: 286
Total Calories burned: 2640

If you have anything to add please leave a comment or email me at Slowmanrunning73@gmail.com

I created a group on the miCoach website for all the slowrunners out there. If you are interested in joining the group please sign up on the miCoach site and download the free miCoach app for your smart phone. Here is the link:

http://community-micoach.adidas.com/groups/slowrunning



Day 17....cause some days you just have to say f%$# it.

If you read my earlier post then you know I tried to go for a run this morning......that run didn't work.  I also dropped off my wife at the train station....and if you know my wife you know that she forgets things all over town.  Today she forgot her yoga clothes in the car.  That meant that I had to drive to her yoga class and drop off her change of clothes.  This meant that I had one hour to kill.  Sometimes you just have to say screw this and just run.  I just ran.  I can also proudly say that I felt no pain at all during my run.  This is a load off my mind.  I'm still worried about the injury so I'm currently sitting on my couch with an ice pack on the back of my leg.  Fingers crossed there is no pain in the morning.

 

 

Day 17
Distance: 5k
Total kilometres: 25k
Days left: 348
Kilometres left: 985 (612 miles)
Weight: 90.8kg (200lbs)
Calories burned: 475
Total Calories burned: 2354

If you have anything to add please leave a comment or email me at Slowmanrunning73@gmail.com

I created a group on the miCoach website for all the slowrunners out there. If you are interested in joining the group please sign up on the miCoach site and download the free miCoach app for your smart phone. Here is the link:

http://community-micoach.adidas.com/groups/slowrunning