Quick News Snippets

Firstly I have paid a 6 month membership of $15 to join a Camera Club! They meet up at 7.30pm the last Wednesday of every month and sometimes once or twice during the month as well. I think the idea is to turn up when able. So this week will be my first visit. They run competitions, give some direction on skill and have links and compete with other camera clubs overseas. The aim is to go, exhibit other peoples pics, enter any conversations if I can and see if I can meet some new great people and learn new skills over time. If I like it I will join up again next year of course. Am also looking at doing the online diploma of Photography. I have lots to learn!

Next running event is 'City to Surf' 12km run on Sunday 28 August.
Then over this summer I intend to do at least 3 triathlons with at least 1 being the full sprint distance of 750m swim, 20km ride, 5km run.

I've just started gearing up my training again to consist of for next few weeks:
Mon, - at least 30 mins on turbo going hard enough to get good sweat up.
Tue, - 15 min resistance training, (ideally am). 5-6km run after work pushing reasonably fast.
Wed, - 9.6km 'Bridges' Run one lap.
Thur, - Swim of at least 1.5km focusing on technique then speed.
Fri, - Day off
Sat, - 15 min resistance training again with body weight, 1.5km swim focusing on technique then speed.
Sun, - Hills run at least one 9.1km lap but working toward increasing this overtime to a 20km run.

Eventually may drop one run for a bike ride but at my current status am happy with this training plan.

A Few Tidbits toward end of holiday.....

Pic of the camera is my newbie, - birthday pressie to myself. I bought it at Christchurch airport Duty Free for on special for AU $480. I mentioned it was my birthday and 'ummed and arred' about the price so the sales chick offered to throw in a new 4G memory card for free. It was this, - or an entry level SLR that I was considering but for now went with this one!

The painting is one Grandma did and it sits in her lounge on the wall and I think it's amazing! She is a very talented at painting and does lots of many different arts and crafts!

The big platter is the work of my younger sis, - in preparation for Mum and Dad's Ruby Wedding anniversary dinner! I just took the photo!

I decided on some coffee and chai latte 'porn'. Younger sis and I are at a yummy cafe in Queenstown for brekkie, (and I'm awaiting my brekkie)!

Pic of me here is the morning of my 31st birthday, - at my Aunty and Uncle's home near Christchurch. This is not long before leaving to fly back to Perth. I took this pic.

The family went out to tea one night, - umm I indeed have dessert here in front of me as my older sis said she would like a taste. Tia Maria dessert infact with champs of course!

This is younger sis driving me up to Queenstown in her and her hubby's ute not long after the sun came up for the day! We are between localities of Edendale and Mataura I think.

Kayaking Day departing from Shute Harbour!

Today I did a half day or 6km kayak all up. We had another awesome lot of guides and great group of people. Most people came on the trip with mates or partners so they were paired up. With coming alone and there were an odd number in the group meant I was lucky enough to get a single kayak so I could do everything myself which I loved! We kayaked above some reefs, looked for turtles. At the half way point we arrived at a rock, (as it was too small to be named an island). We could go for a swim, snorkel or climb up the rock. I did the rock climbing and swimming. It was a magical day, awesome weather and calm waters.

Apologies for the pic in the red top. That was a few days prior at my hotel on the Gold Coast and it was accidentally uploaded and I can't get rid of it!

Jetskiing day!

These pics are from our day jetskiing. A group of us were picked up in a bus from Airlie township as we were all staying there. We were taken to a secluded bay about a 40 min drive from Airlie township. All people on this tour were awesomely friendly. That included the other travellers, driver and guides! First part of the tour was a delicous lunch at Monte's bar. Then time to get into wetsuits, onto the jetskis, then out for a 3-4 hour trip. It was magical. I was paired up with my Uncle and we took turns at driving. (It was my first time on a jetski and it took me a while to work up courage to give it some speed!) I saw a crocodile and just hoped that wasn't gonna be the time I tipped it over! Luckily I was fine!

As for pics one is back of the bus with the other travellers, (great looking biceps there Daz!) There are a couple of me with the pink bikini top, one of my sis and me, another of Daz, (my sis's hubby) and her on a jetski. The other pic is looking into Monte's bar/restaurant.

There are a couple of pics of me on jetski out in middle of Whitsundays! The other is my Uncle and I with a beer at Monte's bar after the jetskiing. Bummer pics uploaded in the wrong order.

Pip :-)

Half Marathon/Gold Coast

PICS:
* Hilary and Skye, 2-07-11 - I will msg you this one
* Just before heading off to half marathon at about 4.10am 3-07-11
* A new maroon sports bra shot at also about 4.10am on race morning!
* I got a guy to take a pic of me post race with t-shirt and medal. Pity about the finger coverage on lens!
* In apartment with race completion t-shirt and medal not long after I got home, (Surfers apartment) after my coffee on the way back to apartment!

BTW, - if doing a half marathon or long distance race singally, - in Orchid Ave you may hear partying all night, some vigorous fights. Either go with it and 'harden up' or stay somewhere a bit quieter and enjoy more sleeping time :-) !

Start Of Recent Holiday Pics And Talk! 1st-19th July 2011

Howdy all, I think there will be a few photos here as I have two cameras to download them from. It was a topz trip!!!

I headed out of Perth for Brissie and the Gold Coast 1 July. I met up with Hilary 2nd July and picked up my race pack. 3rd July was half marathon race day. 4th July was spent checking out my old fav places on the Goldy!

5th July I headed up for Airlie Beach to stay with my Aunty and Uncle and was lucky enough to be in their apartment! 6th July was spent lunching then jetskiing around the Whitsundays with a fab bunch of awesome people. 7th July was spent sea kayaking leaving from Shute Harbour with another great bunch! 8th July was spent chillaxing around Airlie Beach with my relatives and farewelling my sis and her husband who had to unfortunately move on from their honeymoon. 9th July I departed Airlie Beach...headed for Sydney via Brissie!

10th July I spent checking out the shops, checking out Circular Quay and Darling Harbour and being enticed by some eateries and wine/cocktail bars at Darling Harbour ;-)!!

11th July was more of the same after a good morning walk! (I didn't organise myself to be up early enough for a run, then shower, then checkout!) Late that evening at 2350hrs infact I ended up in Christchurch where it was an awakening 4 degrees with a small antarctic blast present! :-)

I stayed overnight at the Sudima Hotel, (the nearest one to the airport). Then after a good but too short type of sleep, then great coffee the next morning I was on the plane at 9am headed for Invercargill! I was greeted in Invercargill by my Mum and my sis who had made it back there from her honeymoon! Awesome to see them both. Now it was 1 degree, stronger Antarctic type blasts were present with some snow, rain, sleet in the mix as well! After a bit we had a fantastic lunch, - even a wine with it......and another awesome coffee, - Invers can put it on sometimes!!! That evening it was a great family catchup! 13 July I had a bit of a sleep in, then my sis and I went to visit Grandma who lives 30km away, - my older sis happened to be in the area at this stage so as a family we all went out for tea that night!
14 July was the prep day for Mum and Dad's anniversary dinner that evening with a few others. My sis and I spent the day casually prepping for that, (however Dad ended up cooking the delicious steak so it was an easy day!!!) Great night!
15th July I did a couple of jobs, then a casual 4km jog/run to my sisters! I can see why running with gloves as well as a beanie is a good idea here! I saw my older sis and my Grandma again that day.

16 July younger sis and I were headed for Queenstown. We caught up with a cousin for brekkie, then shopped, caught up with mates, all the normal fun stuff and had some wines in the room that evening! 17 July we caught up with a couple of my younger sisters longer term mates, (I've known them longish term too but know through my sister). It was another great day.

18 July I headed for Christchurch to stay another Uncle and Aunt and more cousins before heading back to Perth yesterday. Really good to see everyone here too!

1st pic is me in the now 'guest room' at Mum and Dad's.
2nd pic is of younger sis and her hubby at 'Coffee Club' in Airlie Beach.
3rd pic is myself at the 'Airlie beach........beach'!!!
4th is the 'Portside Whitsundays' Holiday apartments view from across the road!
5th is 'Portside Whitsunday Office', where my Uncle and Aunt work. They live in a nearby apartment.

More pics coming very soon without all the talk :-)

Pip

JUST A BIT MORE DETAIL HALF MARATHON REPORT

OK, the race started at QLD 6am, (4am Perth time). That meant I got up at 4am QLD time, (2am Perth time). Then had brekkie, got changed, walked out of apartment and down a couple of blocks to catch the free shuttle to where the race started!

Brekkie was 2 rice cakes, half a low sugar/low fat carton iced coffee and water. I chose one of the cheapest apartments on Orchid Ave to stay in. However all evening there seemed to be a few guys having a mega fighting match, (lots of abuse, swearing, smashing stuff, abuse etc). I was fearing walking out of the apartment complex to even get to the street at 4.20am! That and nightclub music and race nerves kept me awake, (don't think I would have even got one hours sleep the night before the race)!

All had luckily settled down by time I had to leave apartment complex. I had a 5 mins walk through the main nightclub area of Surfers at 4.20am. Luckily it was populated though with lots of drunk people rather than isolated seedy feeling so all good!

Made it to bus stop and to race start area by 5am. Then mission to was check 'left luggage' in after taking off jumper. COLD now! Then visit loo a couple of times before lining up for race. I decided to line up just in front of 2 hour finish tag. There were 1.24, 1.30, 1.40, 1.50, 2.00, 2.10, 2.20 pacers.

I was nervous, the morning was cool enough, (not cold).

The race started off well. I felt my comfortable sustaining pace was somewhere between the 1.50 and 2 hour pacers. I maintained that till about 11km. Then started to feel buggered so my running slowed. At just on 15km the 2 hour pacers passed me. I kinda tried to catch them but had hit a wall. My main focus was to keep on running, - not stop! While the last 6km were a real struggle I managed that and my net time was 2.03.05. Gun time was 2.05.32 which was just 6 seconds behind Melinda Gainsford-Taylor's gun time so I discovered today, (if only I concentrated enough to spot her!) Melinda is an ex Aussie 100m-200m Olympic Sprint champ but has now retired, had children and is in her late 30's but decided to try a long distance race.

Lesson: - long distance racing requires long distance training :-) But am happy with my result!

GOLD COAST HALF MARATHON QUICK UPDATE

I'm at an internet cafe with limited time so I will do a more detailed post later. I've announced my doings on facebook too :-)

Gun time looked to be 2 hrs, 5 mins, 31 secs. Net time I'm guessing will be 3-4 mins faster. So I didn't make the under 2 hour goal but have still smashed my previous PB by about 13 minutes.

I was feeling great and keeping between the 1.50 and 2 hour flags nicely for the first 11km or so feeling very accomplished. Then I felt myself fatiguing and slowed a bit. Then the dreaded 2 hour flags caught me at the 15km mark and I was very tired. I tried to keep up but just wanted to walk! However the mental toughness to keep 'shuffling' along the final 6km was there!

To be fair I've been slack with long run training, - infact hardly ever run anything over 12km tops in one go! Will put photos up soon and I still remain nicely at my target weight of around 61.5 - 62kg!

Talk soon!

Pip :-)