The dark before the dawn saw Millie and I doing a reasonably pleasant 45 minute run. I can't say how far we went because I accidentally keylocked my Garmin so I can't get off the virtual partner screen (I was 170m behind him this morning...I'll catch the little bugger yet!). There were hills of sort involved but alas no trail, unless Cornwall Park counts but we didn't go off-piste.
My foot was slightly tender on the return journey but I blame the amount of driving I do for that rather than the running. The motion that the foot makes when depressing the accelerator is it's least favourite movement. I guess I might have to get back into taping if I want to be able to go any longer than an hour....which I do.
It was a nice start to the day but I'm feeling a bit tired now. Fortunately everyone was open to do-it-yourself pizza. All I had to do was shove the various concoctions in the oven. The boys seem to have developed an addiction to Paprika! I had a pleasant chicken, olive, capsicum and onion pizza with parmesan and tuscan seasoning, om nom nom. I could manage some chocolate but will resist, after all I know my virtual partner won't be eating chocolate and I WILL catch him, mark my words!
Friday, July 30, 2010
Friday, July 9, 2010
Whoops I accidentally ran trail
I know my plan was to hold off the trail until my foot was 101% better. I really had every intention of doing so. There was no trail in my training plan for yonks. But today was so beautiful and my trail shoes were just so embarrassingly clean.
Millie and I ran the Montana Heritage Trail in the Waitaks and I remembered why I don't do trail with her. She is the ultimate line hog. If there's a best way to go down the trail, she's on it. She also has an absolute confidence that she knows the way. Normally that's not a problem because I can see the right way and just take it. Unfortunately there was a point where the trail split, one way was narrow and looked like a created trail and the other was wide and looked well used. Now you'd have thought the sign pointing possibly more towards the narrow trail then the wide trail would have been a pointer but it really pointed at both trails. I'm sure in good weather the wide trail is fun and obviously heaps of people have used it but after days of rain it was exposed red clay interspersed with quick sand areas of mud. Millie was inclined to charge down it and I was inclined to turn the air blue with expletives.
We survived the pseudo trail (by that I mean I didn't strangle Millie and leave her for the possums) but we had a severe falling out on a set of stairs where she charged as my foot hit the slimy wood edge of a step causing initial impact of butt with the edge of the stair and then with the lovely deep muddy puddle below it. There was much anti-dogma and insults. I could hear her thinking 'stupid human! If you insist on running on those two legs what do you expect?'. I now have a step imprint on my butt. On the plus side my shoes are now way not pristine!
So it appears that Millie will have to remain a Roadie unless she learns to a) not hog and b) listen when I shout 'Wait' or make the tsh sound. If she could be off-lead we'd be on a winner but alas that conflicts with the Waitaks laws.
There are heaps more shoe cleaning stations on the trail now. It used to just be at the entry exit point but now they're at lots of trail junctions and entry to any areas where the Kauri are healthy. I big pits with the brushes and high-powered sprays are great but the little squirty bottles and scrubbing brushes are hard work. And what about Millie's paws? She didn't like being squirted.
Just as an after thought....why aren't there wine stops on the Montana Heritage trail. And will it become the Brancott Heritage trail now Montana has changed it's name since it was confusing the poor little Americans. What next? We change the name of French fries?
Millie and I ran the Montana Heritage Trail in the Waitaks and I remembered why I don't do trail with her. She is the ultimate line hog. If there's a best way to go down the trail, she's on it. She also has an absolute confidence that she knows the way. Normally that's not a problem because I can see the right way and just take it. Unfortunately there was a point where the trail split, one way was narrow and looked like a created trail and the other was wide and looked well used. Now you'd have thought the sign pointing possibly more towards the narrow trail then the wide trail would have been a pointer but it really pointed at both trails. I'm sure in good weather the wide trail is fun and obviously heaps of people have used it but after days of rain it was exposed red clay interspersed with quick sand areas of mud. Millie was inclined to charge down it and I was inclined to turn the air blue with expletives.
We survived the pseudo trail (by that I mean I didn't strangle Millie and leave her for the possums) but we had a severe falling out on a set of stairs where she charged as my foot hit the slimy wood edge of a step causing initial impact of butt with the edge of the stair and then with the lovely deep muddy puddle below it. There was much anti-dogma and insults. I could hear her thinking 'stupid human! If you insist on running on those two legs what do you expect?'. I now have a step imprint on my butt. On the plus side my shoes are now way not pristine!
So it appears that Millie will have to remain a Roadie unless she learns to a) not hog and b) listen when I shout 'Wait' or make the tsh sound. If she could be off-lead we'd be on a winner but alas that conflicts with the Waitaks laws.
There are heaps more shoe cleaning stations on the trail now. It used to just be at the entry exit point but now they're at lots of trail junctions and entry to any areas where the Kauri are healthy. I big pits with the brushes and high-powered sprays are great but the little squirty bottles and scrubbing brushes are hard work. And what about Millie's paws? She didn't like being squirted.
Just as an after thought....why aren't there wine stops on the Montana Heritage trail. And will it become the Brancott Heritage trail now Montana has changed it's name since it was confusing the poor little Americans. What next? We change the name of French fries?
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Protein bars nom nom nom
I've always found protein bars to be reminiscent of eating a cardboard box. They would have to rank just behind Leppin gels as my least favourite thing to refuel with......until now! I was looking for a bar that had more than 10g protein, 25g carbs and 5g fat to have in my car for midmorning or afternoon mini meals if I couldn't escape. So I grabbed a Horley's Carb Less protein bar. The flavour was double Dutch Choc Fudge .....sounds yum but I've been fooled before. After a rather stressful visit I was really wanting some chocolate....as Buffy says 'There is nothing in the world that chocolate can't fix'. Since there was none on hand I decided to try half the Horley's bar with it's 18.4g of muscle building protein, measly 4.5g of carbs and a tinsy 1.6g of saturated fat. IT WAS DIVINE! Yumminess in an innocent metallic blue wrapper. Do you realise what those numbers mean? Half a bar is like eating two treat size pinkies (you know you can't stop at one). The pinkies would have been 112 calories vs 91 (OK not too much diff), 1.5g saturated fat vs 0.8g, a piddly 0.9g protein vs 9.2g and 17.2g of carbs to a trifling 2.2g. Plus it tasted and felt much more satisfying.
Of course the real stamp of approval came from Felix who ate a whole one and when busted pronounced it yummy! So now I know what to have tucked away to give me a kick when I need it or a bribe to do weight training!
Oh yeah...I ran 5k again and it wasn't raining. I wish someone would invent something to stow doggy doo in after you've bagged it when you're running. I've got a cool carry bag with a secret sealed compartment but it's no good for running. I'm sure it would sell!
Of course the real stamp of approval came from Felix who ate a whole one and when busted pronounced it yummy! So now I know what to have tucked away to give me a kick when I need it or a bribe to do weight training!
Oh yeah...I ran 5k again and it wasn't raining. I wish someone would invent something to stow doggy doo in after you've bagged it when you're running. I've got a cool carry bag with a secret sealed compartment but it's no good for running. I'm sure it would sell!
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