It's French for Motivation

My first post-knee problems training runs went pretty well last week. I completed all three mid-week runs without pain and with a minimum of walking. All this AND I managed one of them at Cottesloe Beach with the lovely Rachel. Sadly, my planned long run was derailed by a nasty virus that saw me sick in bed for the best part of two days. And not even lovely reading-and-being-brought-tea-and-toast sick in bed. More like rolling-waves-of-nausea-extreme-headaches-and-dizziness sick in bed, so nauseous in fact (to paraphrase an old Dean Martin gag), that I couldn't lie on the floor without holding on. And there's not much to do about that kind of sick other than just go with it.

Fortunately, I am feeling much better now and even managed a 5km run yesterday, my first run of the week. The knee did start to niggle a bit at the end so I have been ice-packing it at regular intervals all day. Hopefully that and a day of rest will get it right for the rest of the scheduled runs.

Last week I met with the lovely Simone, sports nutritionist extraordinaire, just to get some advice as I enter this serious part of the year. I have a tendency to under-eat which is fine and dandy when you are not running lots of kilometres a week but not when you are training for a marathon. She gave me a lot of great ideas and tips but most importantly told me that I need to make sure I eat a low-fat, high carbohydrate snack about 1 - 2 hours before training and then have a carbohydrate snack within 15 - 30 minutes after training. Simone gave me a list of post-training treats - oh and HOORAH for permission to buy pre-packaged snack food!! In fact, I can directly credit last night's run to a YoPlait Le Rice (Chocolate flavour) and it will be the promise of a Foster & Clark's Custard Cup that will get me through the 6.5km run tomorrow. Oh, and note to children who may be reading this: a) it's hidden, b) (and not in the usual hiding spots, either), c) you probably wouldn't like it and d) PAWS OFF!!

Speaking of paws (*groan*, sorry), it's only a few weeks until the 'Red Dog' movie fundraiser on the 12th of August at 9.30am. If you can make it, you will be treated to a great movie with champagne and some seriously good nibbles. You can contact me or Dee for tickets on 0427 272 732. We will giving away some fantastic handbags as door prizes thanks to the lovely Neesha, and will be having a raffle as well, with great prizes donated by the Millpoint Cafe Bookshop in South Perth and the lovely Marshall from the Good Store (www.thegoodstore.com.au) in Victoria Park.

Running Song of the Week: (I'm sorry to say that it's getting WORSE not better). It's .. ahem... inaudible mumble ..cough ...Leo Sayer 'You Make Me Feel Like Dancing'. (Because he does. Even though I know it's wrong.)