2nd last weekend

Saturday

I drove to Centennial Park to meet my crew for a 6am start. Somehow out of 12 people I was only one with a decent front light so I had to lead till it got light. That’ll learn me for being Miss Prepared. I had thought/hoped we would just go to Sublime and back for 130k but the other IM-ers were keen for 150, so we went through the National Park from Waterfall to Stanwell Tops. It’s a pretty ride and we were making a pretty decent time. I felt good for the first hour or so, then I didn't feel so great and was really not keen for the extra k's, then I felt good again and enjoyed the ride and the company. But then on the way home from Sutherland I started feeling pretty bad. I had a very more muscle or something in my right bum cheek - I have never been sore there before. I also felt really bloated, I think from not eating/drinking enough at the start then eating/drinking too much. Fortunately it’s a pretty easy ride back from Sutho so I just hung in there. When we got back the others wanted to do an extra few laps to get up to 150, but I went straight back to the car.

I waited for the others and then 4 of us set out for a 10k run, 2x5k loops around the park. On the first lap we did a pretty solid pace, I am not sure exactly how fast but probably sub-5 min ks and much faster than IM race pace ! But I felt good, my sore bum muscle was not bothered so I went with it. On the second loop I started feeling a bit tired and the others pushed ahead strongly, but I kept up a reasonable pace and finished (gladly) in 52 minutes.

I picked up at a bag of ice at the servo and had an nice ice bath when I got home - that felt great. Then I had my yummy favorite frozen banana smoothie, tomato and ricotta pasta and several (!) homemade oat choc chip cookies for lunch. Then I lay down and had a 1 hour nap - I felt really refreshed when I woke up. After that it was hurried shopping and tidying up before picking Ella up at the airport at 9pm - horray! :) Then I didn’t get to bed till midnight.

Sunday

I didn’t set the alarm but woke up at 7 and went out for my run at about 7.30. I was planning to do a swim beforehand but I decided not to. I had already done 3 swim sessions for the week and I kinda knew that extra one might not happen. I ran from home around the Bay, planning on 2 hours but not really sure where I would go. I felt pretty flat around the Bay and I really didn't want to drag myself around a 2nd lap, so I decided to repeat last weeks out and back to the far side of Anzac Bridge instead. I felt better on the hills than I did on the flat and started enjoying the run more, but then the last 3k from the bay back to home dragged a bit. All up about 21k in 2 hours. It was an okay run but I was glad it was over.

Els and I mooched about all morning and she was impressed with me eating 2 breakfasts. In the afternoon we went to the Art Gallery and saw the Archibald Prize. It was not as good as last year, I didn't like the winner especially much. I liked the Toni Collette and Ex de Medici portraits best. We also saw the HSC Artexpress exhibition which was pretty amazing and interesting. Then we joined the hoards on the walk across the Harbour Bridge to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the bridge. It was maybe a bit of a cheesy thing to do, but I really enjoyed it, it was a great atmosphere heaps of families and a sense of occasion. The best thing was all these windchimes that were hanging at one point, it sounded amazing. Then we headed to Newtown and met Bree for a couple of beers at the Courthouse Hotel which was nice. But by the time I got home to bed I was SO tired - combination of beers, a long day and a late night.