sleep running

Yesterday's run home was bleugh. Shorts were chaffing again, I seemed to hit a red light at every pedestrian crossing and I just could not get into any sort of rhythm. Later, at I'm-not-sure-what-time-o-clock, I passed out on the sofa. I may not have hit the wall, but I've certainly tapped a fence. Hello fatigue.

Sal, with the best of intentions, woke me from my spot on the sofa and I staggered to bed where I promptly failed to get comfortable. Rather than ruin her sleep I slurred something about "if you need my help with Harrie then come and get me" and took myself off to our spare room; the room is downstairs and cooler and I dropped off almost immediately, waking up at 5:30, a bit later than usual. Hello Wednesday.

Metronome...walked dog, despaired at humidity, got wet in rain, took kids to daycare. Then I leant forward until I'd either fall on my face or my legs would start moving. Legs started moving. Hello Janathon day 18.

I struggled on the way to work. I'm physically tired, but that's to be expected when knocking out a morning and evening run. I'd love to be able to kill each day in one go and have a decent slab of rest in between, but to get my numbers I don't have that option. Physically tired is OK. I get slow with ocassional second winds and tend to bottom out (pace-wise) at something that can still be described as running. My rule for Juneathon had been if I log back-to-back 10ks in over an hour then that was time to quit. This morning I did 14.5k in about 1:17, so I'm still tracking OK.

I spent a fair bit of time thinking about mental fatigue and figured this was not the best way to deal with it. I was more fixed on the effects than how best to deal with it. I also tucked away three bottles of Gatorade - up from my usual one. Hydration is a complete pain in the arse at this time of the year, especially when the nights remain humid; you start the day playing catchup and then head out for a 14k run. Whinge whinge whinge, moan moan moan! A couple of slight deviations today, but nothing to qualify as a new route. My path along Barangaroo was blocked because there was a cruise ship in town, so I was diverted onto Hickson Rd, Sydney's hungry Mile. So here is a picture of a sodding great boat and the backside of the CBD.

So that was the run in. Does not make for inspiring reading, but it's in the bank.

Popped out to grab some lunch and...it's a warm one today.

And it was still warm when I left work. In fact it was borderline bloody hot in the sun, and the tarmac as I approached the bridge seemed like a huge heat sink. One of the office buildings told me from on high that it was 27C and I was not about to disagree. As I ran up the hill that is North Sydney a lass in office attire started to trot towards a cab just in front of me. "VERY EMBARRASSING if you beat me!" I quipped as I inched past her, glad I was feeling human enough to have a bit of a laugh. Work had called a couple of times since I'd left the office, so at North Sydney Oval I found some shade and gave called the office, glad of the rest.

And from there it was the trot home, which went a lot like it did yesterday, and the day before, and last Friday, and zzzzzzzz.....

When I got home I wrung out my shirt and gave the flies that plague my dog the chance to bite me - bastard things. Then I went and got a local paper out of the recycling bin so I could stuff it in my trainers in the hope that they'd dry overnight. After that it was time to jump in the shower, and as AJ needed a shower she jumped in with me.

...but not before stuffing her crocs with paper. Like daddy like daughter, gotta love the little monkey bum.

Metric 400 on the board

Five bottles of Gatorade, loads of water and 2 beers before bed. Hope that does the trick.