I didn't get to run Customs, although Aki did come around and took me out for a coffee afterwards.
I did improve by Saturday enough to walk (yes, walk) down to Lake Ginninderra with the PRB for another coffee.

The walk did me some good, and I felt increasingly energised and looked forward to heading off to the Vets Monthly Handicap the next day. The PRB arranged to pick me up the next morning, and I had a relatively early night to make sure that I was OK.

It seemed so simple, and I felt pretty good, but I realised that 6kms with a big hill near the end (I thought I remembered there would be a big hill heading up to Mt Majura/Mt Ainsile) I'd find it pretty hard going, and would have to walk a good portion of the way. My previous run/walks were averaging over 9 minutes a kilometre, so I thought that it would be pretty fair to estimate 8 minute a k pace. I didn't realise that this would put me off group 3, ahead of some of my favourite older ladies. I felt a bit embarrassed about going to early, and knew (or at least hoped) that I would be running to begin with and need to walk on the hills.

I did start off running, and pretty soon was trundling along the course. I did manage to keep running (in a fashion) the whole way, although a slowed down an awful lot on each of the rises. The turn around was much earlier than I had thought, and it was before the hill rose steeply. Just after the turnaround, those behind me started to appear. I hadn't realised how many people I knew as I came back, and within a kilometre and a half ,I think that I said G'Day to around 100 people by name. It was an amazing feeling, made a bit easier by the downhill section which made it easier for me to talk and breathe while maintaining an illusion of running.

All in all - I huffed and puffed my way to the finish in a distinctly pedestrian 46:35 ~ at a rate of 7:46! It was a brutally honest run too, and I couldn't have gone any faster. I don't know what has happened to me.

Today I slept in until 11:00am, and still feel tired and drained. I had forgotten about how much I enjoyed the Vets Handicaps, and look forward to doing some more in the future. I must remember to take it easy though.

I've been waiting to feel better, or to be better. Although there have been moments when I think that I have turned the corner, it then has reverted to the general "blah-ness" (a technical term) that has been difficult to recover from.

Today (Thursday, 24th January!) I am sitting on the sofa, the cricket on the TV, having just extradited myself from my second shift in bed this morning where I had retired with hopelessly aching bones and muscles. It feels as though I have gone 12 rounds with Mike Tyson for the fourth night running, suffering major body blows to my upper arms and all around my rib cage, especially around the flank. Ouch!

The only activity that could have contributed to this feeling is a walk - all walking, no jogging - on the bike paths around home on Tuesday afternoon. Needless to say, I have long accepted that the Canberra Marathon is going to be a non-starting event for me this year, and have just hoped to regain as much fitness as I can. I will certainly be there with bells on to cheer along the best of the Cool Runners such as Lucky Legs, Gronk, Speedy Geoff and Aki though!

Bob has been quite excited about his upcoming trip to Nepal and a trek with Peregrine on the Everest High Passes. However, his high mood of excitement suffered a minor funk on Tuesday when it he was advised that it possible that it may not go ahead unless they get another booking. He was really looking forward to this, and had been going to the gym to work on his upper body strength and core fitness in preparation. I was going to equally enjoy spending possibly the best month of April in Canberra. We should know a little better early next week.

I was scrolling through my list of blogs, a little disappointed that the updates were coming so slowly . . . when a thought came to me - I could update mine. What a novel idea!



My recovery is proceeding, although slowly and not without some hiccups along the way. I have resumed some (gentle) exercise, going for a gentle preprandial walk with Bob on Saturday evening through Aranda Bushland on Sunday; a jog / walk to the Botanic Gardens and return on Monday; and a (oh-so-slow) jog into Black Mountain yesterday for 3.5kms, before I had to stop and walk /jog back.

The stomach bug is still hanging around, and causes problems whenever I exercise, hence the inability to keep 'running' for extended periods. This is a great nuisance, but it will work it's way out eventually, and is much easier to manage since the op in late 06. In the meantime, I think that doing some activity must be better than sitting on my ever increasing backside.

Of some more concern is my (recently reconstructed) left knee. It doesn't hurt (or I don't notice it) when I'm running, however walking (especially stairs) can hurt; and it is generally stiff. It hurts most of all when I'm lying in bed at night, so maybe I'm just being a wimp?

I did manage to get out for a walk with the PRB (or should this be PWB?) on Tuesday, walking the lovely trails of Aranda and Black Mountain Bushland to have a coffee at the Botanic Gardens Cafe. (They have continued to supply 'free' jugs of water for patrons after their unfortunate hiccup earlier last year). It was extremely pleasant, especially sitting down under the sails over the lawns watching the lizards and water dragons sunning themselves.





As per usual, I felt better as I went along, and felt re-enthused to do the same the next day until I was up to running again. Unfortunately, it was not to be the next day, I was overly fatigued, and my attempt yesterday (Thursday, 3rd) was greatly aborted to a gingerly strolled 2km at a very slow pace, feeling extremely nauseous and, more worryingly, aware of considerable pain in my recently reconstructed left knee.





I did travel a more novel route for a change, which is always enjoyable, and gives me options for the future. However, I arrived home rather despondent, having moved very slowly over a very short distance, and the start to the year not auguring well.





Friday is Customs Day. My knee wasn't at all happy, hurting when walking, so my planned slow jog/walk of the course was in jeopardy. Arriving a little too close to the time for the start of the run, I was preparing to go off before the official scratch time, however by the time I lined up preparing to start my watch, it was time for the watch to start anyway.





With great joy, I saw that Peter D turned up, fresh from a vigorous round of chemotherapy to attack some vigilant cancer. He and I both started at the start of the watch, jogging slowly, preparing to walk as soon as we needed. the movement made me feel like throwing up, so I concentrated on keeping my head and upper body as steady and still as possible, while moving as comfortably as I could. The worst of the nausea passed within the first 800m, largely dissipating before the 2km mark. I fought the urge to stop and walk for this time, feeling that the farther I jogged, the sooner I would finish and be able to recover. Although not expecting to make it to the turnaround, I did in 17:38, just having been passed by Nick B.





In my usual form, I felt better as I went along, keeping my pace at a comfortable 7min/km and feeling much better at the end than the beginning. It was, all in all, a personal worst time for the course by a significant margin of over 2 minutes, yet I was delighted with the 'run' (I'm a little embarrassed by this term) and encouraged for more of the same tomorrow. I mightn't be 'good', but I am 'better' (take that however you wish!).