It's always so much worse in the morning, after being horizonal for 8 hours. It's still uncomfortable now, 3 hours after I got up. Oh, and I can tell that I'm a bit run-down because my sinuses flared up last night. My collection of pills this morning consisted of:
1 x multivitamin
1 x glucosamine
2 x ibuprofen
1 x pseudoephedrine
I'm turning into a pillaholic!

Some pics I took last night:



spot the difference.

Bodydoctor

Went through the Bodydoctor routine this morning with 2.5kg dumbbells (don't laugh!) as far as the tricep dips before I ran out of steam. I so hate being ill, injured, or otherwise sub-par with zero energy. Hard to stay motivated at home too - I got sick of listening to talk-back radio (aka TripleJ) so did a lucky dip into my cassette collection and drew out Beverley Hills Cop (anyone remember that?!) for some pumpin' music.

I want my foot back... :-(

No running

Foot is purple and swollen, and the ankle is "tight" with zero flexibility. But I can walk semi-normally, and it doesn't hurt. Getting out of bed is another story though - I have to swing my legs over the side, WAIT for the blood to rush down and the throbbing and pain to stop, before I can stand up. Those first few hobbles towards the bathroom make me feel like an arthritic 90 year old.

Did the Lectric Soda thing for the first two nights, and compression bandage for the first two days - which simply caused the swelling and bruising to move across the top of the foot and around the inside of the ankle. Eugh. Not pretty.

No running for probably another 10 days. I'm not doing my morning walks either - I can't even walk down the corridor properly!

I went slightly mad in the Myer's bookshop a while ago, and one book I picked up for 25% off was BodyDoctor. Basically a fixed series of hi-rep/low-weight resistance exercises, plus the obligatory diet section. Anyway... the point of this ramble is that as I can't run/walk for a while, I thought I'd set up a "home gym" (as I no longer belong to a regular gym). Went down to Rebel at lunchtime today to buy a set of dumbbells, and will work through the exercises tomorrow morning.

I am a Bear Cub

Sarah's Blog had a link to a Cute Animal Quiz.
So drum roll please...

You Are A: Bear Cub!

Bears are strong and independent creatures who roam in the forest in search of food. Bears are usually gentle, but anger one and be prepared for their full fury! You're tough, you won't back down from a fight -- classic attributes of a bear. Intelligent and resourceful, though lazy at times, you are a fascinating creature of the wild.

You were almost a: Squirrel or a Parakeet
You are least like a: Turtle or a LambWhat Cute Animal Are You?

ARRRRRGHHOWOWOWOW...

Yeah, I rolled my ankle again. The Left one this time, and I think I did a better job of it this time, even though I stopped running straight away.

For the last few weeks, I've been on Cathy's Trail Running email list. Except their runs are always 30km+ - and I'm not ready for that. But today's one was 10-15km, and close by in Sherbrooke Forest (DRNP), so I decided that it was about time I went.

We left from the top carpark and ran downhill towards Belgrave. Towards the bottom, I tripped on -something- and staggered around trying to keep my balance. I propped myself against a tree and waited for the pain to stop. It didn't. I looked down, and already there was swelling around the top of the shoe. Bugger - well, that's me out for the count. I think around 4 kms at this point, although the Gizmo dropped out in the forest.

What to do... what to do. I was with a small group of Robyn, Cathy, Danny, and a lovely man who's name I've forgotten (someone help me out here?!) who became my guardian angel. He offered to run BACK UPHILL to get his car, and pick me up from the road - which was probably about 500m further downhill. Paul and Peter?? had run back to find us, and everyone walked down with me and waited with me at Micawber's Tavern (unfortunately closed). You guys are all amazing. THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH.

I made it home without any dramas, and minimal (car) gear changes - again thankful that I live in a part of the country with very few intersections! Very sore operating the clutch pedal; and even sorer trying to hobble around on the foot. I spent the next 4 hours on the couch with my foot iced, bandaged, and elevated. (doing the R.I.C.E. thing).

Reading back through my blog for the last time I did this (23 July), I found the email from Whippet Man about Lectric Soda Crystals. I'd completely forgotten. Definitely going to do that again. And that I'd better allow 2 weeks off running - that's going to throw my new-found resolutions out the window. AND... I just realised... my new Linebreak running tights are jinxed. The last time I wore them was last time I tripped. I hadn't worn them since as they needed the waistband taken in (too loose), which I only did last weekend. So today was their second wearing - and the second time I have rolled an ankle in DRNP. And the first time that I HAVEN'T worn the ankle braces in DRNP since last time too. Sigh... hard lessons.

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Weekly stats

Weight	74.0 kgs ▼
Running	11.1 kms
Walking	27.8 kms
Cycling	8.9 kms

Saturday Cycle

I'm setting a Street-O event next month at Croydon Hills, and because of the numerous off-road trails and parks, it's easier to cycle through it looking for cool places to hide controls (rather than drive/walk). So I did - only 9 kms on the cycle, because I'd done a bit in the car beforehand. I hope it's going to be long enough (in total) for the A-course runners - ideally, they should have to do ~10kms.

Got divebombed by a couple of magpies. GET OVER IT ALREADY... sheesh. They only do it when you're not watching too.

"Long" Walk ?

After waking up before the alarm, I decided NOT to lie in waiting for it, but head out early and get in a slightly longer walk. My aim was to do 1 1/2 hours, but there isn't that much road in Seville! 6.3 kms in 68 minutes. No dogs, no magpies, and finally saw a single cycle commuter on the Warby Trail.

The week's wanderings

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Two dogs and a Magpie

I was only a kilometre or so from home, thinking how nice it was not to have had any dogs harrass me, when I got swooped on by an overzealous magpie. Well, I guess it's now Magpie Season in Seville. Any ideas on the best way to deal with these? - apart from avoiding all roads with nesting magpies. And just around the corner, two dogs ran out to greet me. The more "aggressive" one was a very elderly hound which I gently prodded away with my foot. His smaller playmate was content to yap at me from their front gate. 5.3 kms.

Oh, and the scales said 74.0 kg this morning. Which means, I guess, that it's time for a confession: I had a KFC Wicked Meal on Monday night. Which went straight onto the scales the next morning, and bumped me up to 75.7 kg. Urgh. but I'm back down, and then some, so yippee. :-)

Street-O @ The Glen

Enjoyable run. Yes, really! My distance of 6.4 kms doesn't really reflect the fact that I was running comfortably and easily. I came in 6 minutes early, having worked out a short loop which left me without any options to pick up last-minute extra points. Never mind... I enjoyed it.

Doggonit

Blasted smelly mutts that have nothing better to do at 7 o'clock in the morning than to bark, yap, and chase people. Dogs that come out onto the street and follow you when you're walking away (I've just ordered a small digital camera to take on runs - look out mutts!), dogs that chase you along the perimeter of their fenceline - one property has a huge length of frontage on the corner of Warburton Hwy, and two dogs that snarl at you the whole way around. Dogs that hurl themselves at the gate and set off the whole street barking. Grrrrr. And this is all within the "suburban" part of the town. No such problems out in the rural area. 5.6 kms.