Well we're back from Fiji and we had a blast. The Resort was beautiful as were the Fijians and the coral and the fish and the beer. After significant negotiations with The Bride I even got the kids out to do some snorkeling and they were amazed at the sights beneath the calm waters of our lagoon.


On the running front, well there hasn't been much. On day 1 in Fiji I kitted up and ran on the main road towards Suva. The plan was to run 15mins and then turn back for home. I got through that but not without a fair bit of pain in the hip and top of the quad. Grrr. So I basically opted for R&R rehab and spent a fair bit of time doing water running - that is wading to and from the swim-up bar and back. ;)


So it would seem that my Canberra Marathon aspirations are now at an end. It will teach me a lesson that a croc like me should always enter these events with a late entry to avoid the loss of $$$. Oh well. I see that Dave & Fran have a strict refund policy. Whilst I don't want the cash back, an entry into the 2009 Race would be a nice gesture. I will email him today and test the water.


In other news I have picked up a mega infection in my inner ear and it hurts like hell. Exacerbated by the flight home no doubt. The quack in Bondi Junction (Fijian Indian coincidentally) says that it is common for divers to get infections blah blah blah. Yeah whatever just get rid of this sledge hammer pain in my head ! They are slow to heal apparently, sigh. Yes I am a sook I know.


In other other news our family is going to have a white Christmas this year. We'll be booking in the next week or so, but it looks like this part time runner will be donning the long skins and playing Santa in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland. That's --> the Hotel Oberland that we are likely to book. Just a typical simple (100 year old) hotel perched high on some mountain (name TBA). We'll get there by train from Zurich apparently. Looks nice and it's and near some cog railway called Jungrfraujoch (the highest rail station in Europe @ 11,000 feet). Stay tuned for some serious hill reps leading up to that ! LOL

Yeah I'm an old croc. Still haven't been doing much. I ran on Sunday - just the one lap around the park. Not good. Quads hurt as did a multitude of other niggles. I reckon I must have looked like a fire walker doing the "eee, oww, ooh" along the path. No, more like a fire walker with a carrot up his arse.


Yesterday I went for a massage at Jackie's Sports Massage. I got Jo who was new apparently. Nice young girl who after I told her that I had a marathon in a month and I wasn't feeling too flash, replied with "Marathon ? Oh so how far is that ?" *thumps head on desk*. Anyway she worked for the whole session on my sore bits and to her credit I walked away feeling half OK.


Thursday we're of to Fiji for some R&R. My plan is to run everyday, even if its just a few K's, with the aim of building up to a run in the mid 20k's range on the weekend of the 29th. That will be two weeks before Canberra. Good enough to get me around.

I haven't been doing much since seeing PhysioLarry on Tuesday. Whilst I have been icing, stretching and popping the odd NSAID, it just hasn't felt right to head out for run.


This morning however I ventured over to Centennial for a lap (3.5km). It was kind of OK, with just a little pain in the groin/quad area. Has it improved since a week ago ? Hell yes, but it seems it will be another week before things will be back to normal.

I saw CR PhysioLarry yesterday arvo and he prodded about to find that my right adductor (which is located in my groin at the scene of the crime) was mighty tight and freeeeeeeeeeeking tender (!)


After we chatted about what I've been up to in the past few weeks, he concluded that doing 30km on the flat grass and then ramping it up to do 32km via Heartbreak Hill and then to do Striders was just plain silly for an old codger like me. An overuse injury waiting to happen. Yes, when will he ever learn ...


So i have a bunch of exercises to do and I'll probably venture out for a run on Thursday to test it out. I've been told to keep up with the ice and voltaren for a while. Nothing over 10kms for the time being.


Basically I'm pretty relieved that it appears to be (at this stage anyway) nothing more than a tight muscle as I was thinking that I might have buggered myself and would be heading for a stint on the sidelines. I guess that that still might be the case but I'm feeling pretty positive about it all today.

I have run a bit since last weekend, however this quad/hip/groin thing has been giving me grief. I've been popping voltaren and it clears it up pretty good but seems to shoot back as it wears off. So I'm thinking there is an underlying issue that needs to be dealt with.


I headed out for my LSD on Saturday morning only to bail out after half an hour. It wasn't sore (maybe a 3/10) but I was frustrated that it was hanging around some 10 days after it surfaced.


I'm booked in to see the niggle guru CR PhysioLarry Tuesday arvo so we'll see what's the g-o. Not super concerned about Canberra at this point. After all I've already managed to squeeze in a 28, 30 & 32 km run on the last month or so. So if I can get a longish run in sometime in the next fortnight I'll be pretty happy to head to the capital and plod.


Fingers and toes crossed. :)

Week 9 of 15
10km | Race | 46:55

I got home Friday night and was iffy about running this one. The right quad was giving me grief and I basically gave myself until game day to pull out or not. After dinner I walked the dog into Centennial and took the time to do some deep stretching whilst sitting under a tree by a duck pond. A very calming event (apart from when a goose chased the pup). After a shower and self massage with goanna oil, I was feeling half human again. No I don't spend enough time stretching and paying attention to massage and yes I know that things will naturally get tight after a 30km run and what do I expect etc.


So anyway I decided to run North Head. The quad still a bit niggly this morning so I massaged with voltaren gel and I think that did the trick.


The race was OK at the start although it all seemed to start very fast and I watched the 45 & 50:00 pacers shot off like startled rabbits, so that made me think that I was in for a tough morning. After a few kms the legs started to feel OK and I think I reeled in the 50:00 pacer at about the halfway mark. CR Rags was with me for most of the way and he provided a good pace to hang onto. He cruised off with 2 or 3km to go I and struggled to maintain good pace from there.


I finished pretty tired and but reasonably happy with the morning. Quad and ITB feel a bit beaten up so I'll have to pay some attention to them within the next 48 hours. All good though.