Scenic route

I had to drop the car off to get the window fixed this morning, so I thought I'd jog home. I decided to take the scenic route and see if I could find the river. All up 7km but it's still taking me an hour. Sigh. Percy tells me I was stopped for 96m. Not sure how that works. At least he is registering more of my running as jogging now, instead of walking. I still haven't managed to register any actual "running" but that will come. I had a few walk breaks today, too. It's weird - I feel better about my running, but I'm running less distance than I was in Karratha. Lots and lots of lovely houses - mansions some of them. At the point where I eventually found the river is a suburb called Peppermint Grove - VERY swank! Lots of BMW's and Porche's. People with far too much money.




I've filled in my application to become a member of the Western Australia Marathon Club, which is for people of all abilities and many members never run a marathon!! The club was formed years ago and they never got around to changing the name even though it's more just running, than marathons. Anyway, I'm going to mail in my membership. Hubby suggested to take out a "family" membership so that he could come along to events and walk them!!! I think he might finally be starting to accept that this running interest of mine is not going away!

There is a fun run in my neighbourhood on February 11!!! It will be my first "race"! There is a 10km and a 4km. I'm going for the 4km because I am absolutely paranoid they will pack up and go home before I finish the 10km. I've yet to ring the organiser, but I'm pretty excited! There seems to be scheduled runs all around the place on a fairly regular basis. Could also be a great way of getting to know Perth.

River run

This is my run this morning. I wanted to run along the river then climb up to Kings Park and come home through the park. I went along the river but the pedestrian access to the park was closed! I knew I could keep going and find another entrance to the park, but I'm still not comfortable on foot in all that traffic! I'm pretty sure there's a way into the park but I'll have to find it on a day when I can explore a bit. So I just stood at the closed gate for a while, disappointed, then turned around and came back the same way.

It's been hot recently in Perth. And I thought I was meant to be escaping the heat! At least it cools down over night so the mornings are still relatively fresh. We haven't got quite to Karratha temps but it's still been unpleasant - air conditioning weather! There always seems to be a breeeze on the river, and plenty of trees for shade so I'm not complaining.

All up today about 8km. I need to start thinking about a longer run in the lead up to Bunbury. But I'm not running the full 8km yet. Percy tells me I'm running faster but I don't seem to last as long as when I was in Karratha. But then I can recover quicker and take off for another burst. I guess I'll settle into it. I may have to concentrate on slowing down! Me!! Ha!!!

I've landed!

I'm in Perth! Phew what a trip! I've been going through withdrawals without my internet access! The cat is here safely but I suspect she will take some time to settle. Now the unpacking begins and I have to start with routines again. I went for a run yesterday and again today - there is so much to explore! I wish I was capable of running really long distances - I want to do it all in one go!! Perhaps it is better that I have to ease into it.

The weather is magnificent!!! In the mornings it is cold enough to be slightly unpleasant until you get warmed up in the run. It's wonderful! I went straight to the river yesterday and to Kings Park today. There are so many people out exercising - some who look somewhat like me! I don't feel silly being super fat and trying to run - others are in the same boat! I'm not sure if my fitness has been affected or if I am simply shell-shocked from the trip but I needed quite a few walk breaks over 5 and 6km. But the running itself WAS easier! When I stopped to walk I cooled down and could start running again much easier than if I was in the heat. Percy tells me I am running faster (when I do run)! I LOVE it here!!!

I'm sure the weather will not last but my first memory of Perth will always be this perfect weather - clear skies, cool and a gentle breeze. I've found myself just sitting outside whenever I can. The temperature during the day is perfect - that temperature where you can't really tell if it is hot or cold, it is comfortably neutral. And last night I had to wear long sleeves! I'm going to have to buy a jumper soon!!!

I haven't joined a running club yet - but will do soon. Hubby wants to do all the touristy things so we might take a drive down south in the next week and have a look around. When I settle properly I'll get into a routine. And I still need a job!!

Thanks for all your comments - bear with me while I work through all the blogs I haven't read in the past week.

Monkey Mia

We left Karratha yesterday after a couple of mad days furiously packing. The removalists came Wednesday morning and I spent the remainder of Wednesday cleaning the house. Twelve hours in the car yesterday (with a cat) and we arrived in Monkey Mia. It’s a huge state – we’ve still got six hours of driving before we get to Perth.

I haven’t been for a run in four days. It’s the longest break I’ve had since I started. Strangely enough I don’t feel all that guilty – simply because I have not had the time or ability to go for a run. If I skipped it out of laziness, I’d probably feel differently but I just physically haven’t been able to run. However I am worried about what little fitness I have been able to accumulate. I feel like it’s all just ebbing away – all that hard work. I wanted to run yesterday, and I said to my husband that I was going to go for a run come hell or highwater – but we didn’t arrive in Monkey Mia until 7pm and the restaurant closed at 8pm (can you believe that?? And it doesn’t get dark until 9!) so we decided that eating was our top priority. Then it was too dark – but I did walk on the beach! There was no way I could have run on the sand though, man that’s hard work!!

This morning we got up and went to the obligatory dolphins – it’s the ONLY thing to do here! The dolphins are beautiful and very friendly. There were three mothers with their calves including one calf that was only days old. Very special. They reckon that the dolphins are just as curious about us as we are about them. They roll around in the shallow water having a good look at us. Then they’ll splash the water with their tail and the crowd will go “ooooh” and you can almost see the dolphins laughing at us. After about half an hour they leave. Just like that. They only feed them one fish each these days to encourage the dolphins to hunt their own food. So the only reason they come into shore is really for the interaction. And it appears to be generational. The young will continue to come back to Monkey Mia and bring their young, and their young will bring their young.

Another walk along the beach to get to the interaction area and a walk back to the room has been my only exercise so far today. At least it’s light enough to see what I’m doing. There don’t appear to be any running tracks, but I’ve have a bit more of an explore today. We don’t leave until tomorrow so I’d really like to find somewhere to run this afternoon – or even at midday since the maximum temperature is expected to be only 28!!!!! Bliss!!!!!

The do have pedal boats so we may hire one of those and I’ll see if I can get a sweat up that way. Still no guilt feeling about the running, but that nagging worry about my fitness. I’ve brought Percy thinking he could draw me a pretty picture of Monkey Mia – but I’ve had no opportunity to use him yet. Maybe later.

I have to say that I did not realise that the resort was a backpackers. There are only six “chalets” and they were all booked so we are staying at the “Dolphin Lodge”. Beautiful view of the ocean from our balcony (as I write this!!) but it is backpacker accommodation. Unless you are the sociable touristy kind I would not recommend it. Still, the room is clean and we managed to get a private bathroom but it reminds me of boarding school. Communal everything else – kitchen, laundry, living area. Not really what we had in mind! And at $195 a night, a bit more communal than we were expecting. We were expecting motel units. Ah well – it’s all part of the experience.

Another two or three days until we get to Perth. I will run when I can, and probably post less, but when I arrive in Perth I hope a routine will quickly develop!

Goanna!

No run today - just a comment. I was at the shopping centre today and was walking along the footpath when a GOANNA crossed the footpath in front of me. In the carpark! How often is that going to happen in Perth??! There are a lot of lizards here - geckos, the ta-ta lizard (called ta-ta because it runs on its back legs with its front legs in the air as if it was waving ta-ta - don't know its real name!) and the thorny devil, but I haven't seen a goanna in town before. I didn't get too close - goannas have a nasty bite!

Pre-dawn oven

As I stepped into the oven that is pre-dawn in Karratha, it occurred to me that I will probably whinge about the cold when I get to Perth!! It was only 30.4 degrees but it felt hotter. If I ever start complaining about the cold I will repeat to myself "no flies, no flies". Right at this second, I would rather the cold and no flies than the heat and flies! My theory is that you can warm up when you run, but it is damn hard to cool down!! And there is NOTHING you can do about flies!

I struggled through 7.6km this morning. It was supposed to be a 10km run, but I slacked out. Percy tells me I walked about 4.8km of it!! I'm not sure how much I really did walk, but it still took me over an hour. I certainly had a couple of walk breaks this morning. I'll get there.

Packing today. The removalist comes on Wednesday. Hubby and I plan on taking a couple of days to get to Perth instead of trying to drive it in one go. We've yet to see Shark Bay and Monkey Mia so we might stop there on the way down.

Fast walk this arvo

This afternoon hubby walked home from work, so I walked to meet him then turned around and walked back with him. For some reason he's started a health kick and although he will not run, he WILL walk! Normally when he walks it's a stroll but since this health kick started he walks with some serious pace. It was too hot to even contemplate a run, so I had resigned myself to just walking before I even left the house.

All up tonight it was 4.7km in about 45 minutes. Not too bad I guess. The problem was that I couldn't keep up with hubby!! I was walking as fast as my pudgy little legs would move but he just strode away. I had to run every minute or so just to keep up! The irony, of course, is that he COULD run with me because he WALKS at my running pace but he refuses to. I don't know how people walk that fast! And that's still slow compared to some! The benefit was that I had a SIGNIFICANT negative split for the "walk" so that's gotta count for something.

In fact, as I think about it, I think that's my first ever negative split! Now just to do it when I'm running a marathon!!!

No more frozen bread!

Good run today! I managed 7.3km and only walked a km and a half. I ran 5.5km non stop and it felt surprisingly easy. Percy told me I was only travelling at an average of 8.25 minutes a km so no wonder I felt good!!! Percy also told me that I walked 3km! LOL! At least it's getting slightly better.

I've been running at a pace that has been comfortable for me lately - it sort of started when I decided that times were not important. I'm out there, I'm moving, so my body will tell me when I'm ready for the next step. I'm very happy to keep plodding along - long and slow suits me just fine.

When I can make 10km, I'll be super impressed with myself. I'm still a bit off but not that far. I'm looking forward to finding running routes in Perth - the river will figure strongly, as will Kings Park. All I need to do is get the distances right!

I went and did some groceries this morning, including buying a loaf of bread. The bread is frozen and you get it from the freezer section. I can't remember the last time I bought a loaf of bread that was "fresh". That will be a novelty when I get to Perth - I'll probably go into the bakery section and squeeze all the bread with a stupid grin on my face!!! There IS a bakery here, so you can buy freshly baked bread (in fairness) but they don't make the yummy grain breads like Burgen or Helgas. Certainly most of the bread consumed in Karratha is frozen. Another thing the city folk take for granted - like daily newspapers, but don't get me started there either. Ooh ooh - and movies! And sushi! Sigh, the city is soooo appealing.

Bring on the move!!!

Thanks to all your supportive comments. I didn't realise my excitement was THAT transparent!! Don't get me wrong, I have loved my time in Karratha. But this was my run this morning.....

And THIS was my run in Perth...

Hmmmm, where would I rather run?????

It's starting to sink in what a massive decision we have made. I'm feeling a lot of excitement but it's also nervous excitement. This has been a quick decision. But we've got nothing to lose and everything to gain! Our house JUST makes it into the picture above, about 1cm from the bottom and 1mm from the left! How close is that to the city?? I can do my hill training in Kings Park and my long runs along the river.

This morning I only managed to mostly walk 5km. The mind is a powerful thing. After a couple of cool runs in Perth the heat this morning was oppressive. The fly net went on almost straight away and I started noticing awful stuff - stuff that is so common it is not worth mentioning: kangaroo carcases, dog poo, broken glass, red dirt. You know the sort of thing. I slowed to a walk just wanting to be in Perth!! Then I saw a flock of cockatoos feeding in the early morning light and the sun came up over the red rock and it was beautiful again! But for all its beauty, it's just not QUITE enough to keep me here.

I'm in Perth!

Well yesterday I ran 6km along the Swan River in Perth!!!!

I'm inPerth at the moment - and boy do I have news. We are moving to Perth!

It has all been a bit of a mad rush. After Isobel crossed the coast I got a phone call from my husband. He asked if I wanted to go to Perth. Well, who am I to complain about leaving the heat and moving back to civilisation! So yesterday we jumped on a plane and flew down here and started looking for somewhere to live. We were lucky enough to find something very quickly. I think it was all meant to be.

Hubby has got a transfer to Perth, effective immediately. We pack up and leave in a week or so.
We've managed to get a house near the river in Nedlands, a leafy suburb of Perth about 5km from the city. It's an older place, but I'm not complaining. I will be able to run along the river every day! I am so excited. I can join a running club and go to regular events. You will start to see my running improve in leaps and bounds!!!

So yesterday I decided to check out the river for the first time. I couldn't wait! There was water and trees and grass and birds and lots and lots of fit people! We are staying in the city at the moment so I started at the bells (for anyone who knows Perth) and then ran along the bike path past the Old Swan Brewery and turned around and came back. Poor old Percy took a while to adapt to the change in satellites but I hope he can draw me a pretty picture of my run. I'll have to wait to get home before I can download it. There were so many people out running and cycling and walking. I got overtaken by a couple of ladies who were jogging having a lovely chat! I'll be like that soon- just you wait!

Now just to get a job...

Isobel

Looks like Isobel will only end up as a small cyclone after all. She has been moving too quickly to intensify and will probably remain a Category 1. BUT she is bringing a lot of rain. Heaps of it. All good for the rest of WA, except that there might be too much of a good thing. The weather bureau are predicitng flooding in many areas.

The ABC has started their emergency broadcasting, and Isobel is expected to cross the coast about lunch time. It will miss here, so we will only get the rain and some wind gusts.

Let's hope the rain makes it to some areas that need it.


No run today, which is actually a shame because it is cloudy and cool!!! If it starts raining, I may not be able to resist!

Start to 2007!

First run for 2007 and I had no problem getting out of bed this morning! I ran 5km and walked 2 and a bit and it took just over an hour. I figure if I can do at least that every time I go outside, I'll be well on my way to my goal of 2007 km for the year.

It was hot this morning and the change in the weather also brought in the humidity. I walked the last 2km with the fly net and the air was oppressive. I left before dawn and, you know, I think the coolest point was just as the sun broke through. It didn't last long but I swear that a cool breeze came up with the sun.

The route was my normal route, so the picture Percy drew me is not exciting - certainly not really worth posting. Much more exciting is the progress of the cyclone. It's still only a tropical low but it is forming into a cyclone quickly. We may only get a "small" cyclone - not that any cyclone can be called small! It also looks like it might just miss us - so that's good too. But these things are unpredictable and we'll know for sure tomorrow. We are also expecting some rain with Isabel so I hope the flooding is not too bad. It's generally the water that causes most of the damage, as opposed to the winds. Storm surges, flash flooding and rain in a region that is usually dry can wreak havoc. This cyclone has formed quickly so there has not been much time for it to intensify. That's good news for us.

Every cyclone is different. I've only been through 7 (Isabel will be number 8) and no two have been the same. Some zoom through and drop lots of rain, while others hang around, follow the coast and scare the bejeezus out of you! The thing is, you can never tell which will be which! I check out the BOM site or listen to the ABC radio and we are kept pretty well informed.

Blue alert is first. That means a cyclone is coming. Yellow alert means get ready, the cyclone is definitely going to hit. Red alert means batten down the hatches, stay inside and hope for the best - the cyclone is right outside! Schools close on yellow alert, and many shops. Everything shuts on red alert - you can't drive your car and you most certainly would not even think about going for a run! I've been through red alert twice - not nice both times. The radio and tv play warning sirens and the police drive around getting everyone off the streets.

New Year's Resolutions

I'm excited about 2007 and I expect there to be plenty of opportunities coming my way. I intend to grab those opportunities with both hands and hang on for dear life.

1. Complete a half marathon
2. Lose 15kgs. (I was going to put 30kgs - but anything more than 15 will be a bonus!)
3. Do training runs of 9-10km as a matter of course. Run at least 4 times a week.
4. Be able to do at least 10 full push ups on my knuckles (Go macho me!)
5. Remain injury free even if it means missing a run or a race now and then.
6. Eat sensibly. I'm no good at protein shakes breakfast, lunch and dinner but I can at least be conscious of what I eat.
7. Enjoy life!! Not be stressed by things over which I have no control.
8. Make a committment one way or another to the PhD. Either I do it, or I don't. I can't keep fluffing around hoping it will get done. An hour a day.


Cyclone news. Looks like Cyclone Isabel will be a "Wham bam thank you Ma'am" type cyclone. Zooming in and crashing into the coast before it can generate too much power. A nice Category 1 or 2 cyclone would be good to ease into the season. Save the big ones for later on! At this stage they predict it to cross the coast on Wednesday, but as a Category 3. Cat 3 and above are officially "scarey". Cat 1 and 2 are just big storms. We're on Cyclone Watch but not on alert yet.