TGIF

Mad, mad day at work today. Only one more hour to go, thank god.

Picked up my new orthotics last night - they're a lot higher in the arch than my old ones, and it feels like I have this huge plastic lump under my foot. Oh wait, I do! I've been wearing them all day, and actually, they're okay. Apart from the lump, they're pretty comfortable. I also notice that my feet pronate correctly with these ones, twisting from the outside to the inside the way they're meant to. So looking hopeful. I won't run in them this weekend (short run, maybe walk at Street-O on Saturday, and Puffing Billy on Sunday), but will wear them at work during the week.

Will wait a few weeks before buying a new pair of runners - the VISA needs recovery days too (car service, 4 new tyres, orthotics... all in the last week).

Diet-wise, I'm happy with the way I'm going too. For the last few days, I've been cooking my (homemade, high-gluten) muesli in the mornings, so it turns into a yummy crunchy porridge. I bought some rice porridge yesterday, which I tried this morning (tastes okay), and some plain rice flakes to add to the next batch that I make. Having the cooked porridge instead of the raw muesli seems to fill me up better too, so I'm less hungry during the morning. Lunch has been healthy leftovers, and herb teas and a banana for afternoon snacks. Dinner is never a problem... unless I go home via Red Rooster or the supermarket (chocolate bars in the checkout lane).

Street-O @ Smiths Dell

diet: that extra 1/2 kilo has gone, and taken some of its mates with it.

run: 7.6 kms (back 4 minutes early)

all is well in the world...

To detox, or not to detox?

Two things conspired against me over the weekend. The first was that I has a nagging headache all day Monday - as well as a complete lack of energy after working physically quite hard over the previous two days. Eating and sleeping was about all I was good for.

The second was that I bought a women's magazine - Madison - after I peeled myself off the couch and outside for some fresh air and a walk to the shops. One of the articles was on a 21-day detox where our heroine not only lost 5kg (nice to have!) but also had a lot more energy.

I've said before that my diet is crap, so I'm wondering if I should do something like this to solve: the energy problem, the headache (which I still have today), and the excess weight (5-10kgs) without which I'm sure I'd run a lot faster. :-)

I'm not going to spend $39.95 on buying the book, but there's enough information in the magazine to get started: stuff like cutting out gluten products, fruit (except bananas) because it's high in sugar, things from the nightshade family (which my Mum is allergic to - relevant perhaps?), red meat (which I don't eat much anyway), dairy (ditto), and all processed stuff (obviously). There's half a page of do's and dont's.

I made a start today by having a high-gluten breakfast (yeah, okay... okay) but without my usual OJ. Herb teas during the morning (more to try and kill the headache), and a rice dish for lunch. Shopping at lunchtime and bought some bananas for work, and some more herb tea. I completely bypassed the yummy cakes at work today - and now they've all gone, so my resolve is still good. Yoga tonight, with probably a protein shake when I get home. Or perhaps I should have coleslaw and leftover rice/lentils instead.

ANZAC weekend

Stripped wallpaper
Sanded walls
Pruned trees
Tidied up garden
Planted another tree

Bought a kick-arse ladder that folds up in 10 different ways - climbed up into the ceiling space and discovered some very weird comms wiring.

And on Monday, I rested. Now I know why weekends are only two days long - that's all I have energy for! Did go for a short run in the late afternoon though - 6 kms - and found some large blocks of land for sale. Hmmm, must investigate that a bit further.

Also managed to cook two healthy meals, with leftovers for lunches during the week.

Street-O @ Burwood East

WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Cold, crisp, and a very good run. Knee was taped, and was comfortable until the 45-minute mark. Quick turnover on legs, everything felt really good. 8.65 kms.

Survey meeting afterwards: 2 slices of pizza, 4 bits of garlic bread, and a glass of orange "juice". Hmmm, that 1/2 kilo is still there this morning.

The scales from hell

TUESDAY: No junk food.

But had some seriously divine non-junky cheese and red wine after yoga class.

WEDNESDAY: arrrrgh, I've put on 1/2 a kilo! Christ... I didn't eat that much, did I.

Doing okay so far today, only 1 small cubic inch of cake thing (company/cupboard love).

Street-O run tonight. Knee is taped already.

Off the wagon...

... and into badness. After spending most of yesterday yawning, I remembered why I don't do morning runs. :-)

I didn't tape my knee either (didn't seem worth it for 1/2 hour), and now it hurts.

Lunch was a chicken pie (is it bad if it's "homemade" from a really yummy bakery?), and a fruit slice thing. Skipped the Spin class, and picked up a Red Rooster Tropical Pack on the way home (hey, this was the "healthy choice" - it could have been KFC!)



Today will be a "good" day.

Going nowhere fast

FRIDAY: Treadmill for 20 minutes - 2.6 kms, and Pump class.
Junkfood: one blackberry pie and some biscuits.

SATURDAY: haircut, and removed all fixtures in the master bedroom ready for stripping and sanding.
Junkfood: none! It's always easier over the weekend.

SUNDAY: 2-hour MetrO event @ Bellbird Dell (Vermont South). A3 map (1:10,000), 40 controls, 120 minutes. Warm day, and moderately hilly. Ran okay, not too many walking breaks (I thought). Got back with 5 minutes to spare, and tallied up 100 points (out of a possible 140). Got second female! (by one point!!). Beat Peter! and Steve!! Happy.

Got home and measured out my distance - 15.5 kms. Not happy. I did this exact same distance at the last MetrO event in August. Eight months, and no improvement. Arrgh...

Spent the afternoon recovering, before stripping off one wall's worth of wallpaper (outer layer only - will leave the wet stuff for next time).
Junkfood: one small caramel fudge bar (shhh), and fish'n'chips for tea.

MONDAY: decided yesterday that I needed to run more often, so out the door at 6:30am for a short run around Seville. 4.85 kms. Must choose a less-hilly route next time. Spin class tonight, maybe.

Podiatrist visit #2

THURSDAY: no exercise apart from a walk to the shopping centre and back (~2 kms), but I'm feeling VERY PROUD OF MYSELF. Not a single piece of junkfood passed my lips yesterday. Nothing, nada, zilch.

Second visit to the podiatrist last night. A bit more poking and measuring; pen lines, and "connect the dots" drawn on my feet and lower legs; and some lovely warm mud-like plaster-of-paris tape wrapped around my feet to make two little casts. Orthotics ready in 2 weeks.

I've been more conscious of my foot motion over the last week - curious to see what my feet actually do. My heel strike is okay (slightly pronated), but I don't roll down and off the big toe the way you're supposed to. I stay on the outside of the foot and roll off from just below the little toe. Why? I'm sure I never used to. Perhaps it's to "protect" my metatarsils - I'm prone to bruising and minor stress 'fractures' across there - by staying off them. Perhaps my shoes provide too much motion control and don't let me twist across the instep. Curious.

Street-O @ Boronia

WEDNESDAY: Nice warm evening, nice run. Trying not to slack off (too much!) between controls. 8.45 kms.