Running with the Runs!!

I've heard of all the disaster stories of people racing triathlons and getting the runs during the race. Gross! I've never had any problems in races or during training. That is until yesterday.
With Melbourne weather at its most unpredictable best I decided to stay off the bike and run instead.
I set off feeling great but after about 15km's did not feel flash at all and was in desperate need of a loo. Luckily I was along beach rd in Port Melbourne and there was plenty of public loo's around. Had there not been public toilets I could have been stuck in a very messy situation. I don't know what I had eaten but something did not agree with me and had to decide to upset my belly in the middle of a long run.
Despite running with the runs I managed a 24km run in 2 hours. Not bad for someone who has given up tri's!!

Evil modern technology

Once upon a time you could go out and get drunk and make a fool of yourself in front of those you were with and no one else. Gone are those simple days! With the creation of mobile phones everyone is accessible 24-7 meaning that it is all to easy to make stupid drunken phone calls or send drunken text messages that you know you'll regret sending in the morning. Even as I write the message and hit the send button I know I shouldn't, so why do I? Is being drunk really a good enough excuse for making a fool of myself, probably not! But right now I guess I've got nothing to lose anymore besides my dignity.

Spotted in the Supermarket

So it's been a long time since I have seen hot triathlete from Busselton Ironman (also known as Mr Lend Lease or Mr Level 4). Last night as I was grabbing a few things in the supermarket, whilst dressed in daggy gym gear and with no make up on, who should spot me! So of course it would be rude not to say hello, so we had a bit of a chat, he had a glance down at my supermarket basket, no doubt to judge what I was buying! During our chat I discovered that he too is off to Hawaii to watch the ironman. Coincidence or fate?!
As I drove home pondering my supermarket encounter I received a text message from him saying that it was great to see me and that I looked really relaxed and that we should catch up for coffee next week. Hmmmm!!

Not the right Note!

The note to neighbour didn't quite have the right impact but I did get a response!
Last night I received a text message from him saying "Hey Sarah. Loved the note but the last line was a deal breaker. Best wishes".
So he doesn't like cheesy lines from songs but did like receiving my note. Lesson learnt for future note writing!
So now what?! Do I pursue further or just leave it at that?
One thing is for sure, leaving notes for cute guys may just be the new thing! It's creative, bold and anonymous so really nothing to lose! Now just to perfect the art of note writing and find some more cute boys and the car they drive!

Notes for Neighbour

So in this modern world sometimes it pays to be bold! I’ve tried online dating and picking up on beach road whilst cycling but without much luck. So when I noticed the other day that there is a very cute guy living across the street from me I decided that I needed to resort to new ways of meeting guys!
I thought about baking some muffins and leaving them on the doorstep for him, but who’s going to eat food from a stranger, for all he knows they could be poisoned! Also for all I know he could have a girlfriend or wife living with him and not sure that would go down well if she discovers the baked goods! So I decided that I first needed to determine if there was a female living with him! After some brief surveillance I have determined that there is another guy living at the house, hmmm does this mean he is gay? On seeing this male house mate he looks far to scruffy to be gay so am now assuming that he is just a flatmate and the house across the road is a bachelor pad!
I briefly saw the hot guy again on Sunday as he got into his car (and no it is not a girly car, and yes it is European. Tick!) and confirmed that yes he definitely is hot and also dresses well (so maybe is gay?!)
So I decided that I would leave a note for the hot guy in the hope that he may be intrigued and want to meet me! The note went a little something like this:

“I saw you across the street one sunny afternoon, you caught my attention when your dog ran across to me. I waved and said hi, but wish I had have said more. All week I have waited for another chance encounter but alas our paths have not crossed. So call me crazy, but here’s my number…. so call me maybe.”

With the rainy weather this week I had been unable to leave the note on his car windscreen (and I don’t want to leave it in the letter box in case the scruffy housemate thinks it is for him). Not wanting to wait for the weather to improve I put the note into a glad bag and then placed the note on his windscreen in the very early hours of the morning.

Yes it is a little bold and not to mention slightly crazy, but hey what have I got to lose! He doesn’t know who I am or where I live! Hopefully he is a romantic who thinks it’s kind of cute and at the very least decides to send me a text!

Cycling v Triathlon

After having raced my first cycling event today I'm now finding myself torn between pursuing another quest for Ironman or to take up cycling instead!
I had an amazing time racing today, great ride, great location and a well organised event. It was also much more relaxed which meant I didn't get the nerves I usually do when racing tri's.
Because I entered the event only a few days ago it meant I had to start in one of the last groups. This had its advantages and disadvantages. The downside was that all the good riders were in the front groups meaning that I missed out on latching on to a fast pack. The positive was that I spent most of the day passing people which was definitely a very good feeling!!
I felt great on the bike, really comfortable and relaxed as we headed out of Lorne along the Great Ocean Rd. Turning up to start the king of the mountain climb I was feeling pumped and wanting to give it a good crack, felt like I worked up the hill fairly effortlessly and passed a lot of riders along the way.
Managed the 120km fairly easily given I haven't done a lot of training lately, the last climb at the very end of the course took a bit out of me but was rapt when I finished.
I managed to finish 10th in my age category, on King of the Mountain I came 7th and was 36th female overall!! Not bad I say!!
So now I am pondering cycling over tri's!! Less stress on my knees and would be good to see how good I could get with a bit of training! So I have emailed a cycling club to enquire on joining!

Red wine, performance enhacing?

After an early morning start, a day jam packed with chores, baking, coffee with a great friend and a drive to Lorne to register for tomorrows race, I am finally back at the hotel in Torquay (when you decide at very last minute to enter a race, you end up having to stay miles away from race town!) so I'm kicking back on my king sized bed, indulging in some pre race carbs and a glass of red! Most would say to avoid alcohol the night before any event but not me! One glass of red is better than any sleeping tablet (not to mention the supposed health benefits!) I'll be asleep in no time after a glass of smooth red wine, sleeping through the night like a baby.
I probably wouldn't recommend more than one glass though, a whole bottle may impair performance rather than enhance it.

Baking not biking!

Given that I am racing tomorrow it was a morning off training this morning. Most people would take that as an opportunity to have a good sleep in. However my body clock seems to be permanently set to early morning wake up time and per usual I was awake bright and early. Deciding to make the most of the morning I went out and did the grocery shopping. The supermarket was empty and shopping was so much more relaxing than when I usually go later in the day. Only problem with shopping in an empty supermarket is I wasn't in so much of a rush so I ended up browsing the aisles and buying about double what I had on my list (so much for my pantry de stocking project!)
Decided to bake myself some wholesome muesli bars as energy for my race tomorrow. Inspired by a clean eating website I found a great recipe for muesli bars using quinoa (yep still my favourite!)
The end result some very tasty, all natural energy bars for training. Hoping they help me ride fast tomorrow!

Cute neighbour!

On the weekend I discovered that a rather cute guy lives across the street from me. He just happened to be out in his driveway on Sunday afternoon as I was returning from my run. His cute Labrador decided to come across the road to say hello to me, of course I pretended to like animals and gave the dog a pat whilst smiling a hello to my neighbour.
So now the investigative work needs to begin! Is he single? So far I haven't seen anyone else at the house!
Would it be too crazy to leave a basket of baked goods on his doorstep? Could be a bit awkward if he isn't single and his wife or girlfriend discover the baked goods!!

My first cycling race

I made another impulsive decision this week. I decided to enter my first cycling race, not such a big deal, except for the fact that this race just happens to be this weekend!
120km of cycling along the great ocean road. I had nothing else to do this weekend so why not enter a race.
I've been cycling a lot lately so will be good to put my fitness to the test and see where I'm really at. Plus what better place to ride than down along the coast. Now here's hoping that the weather gods are kind and put on a nice sunny day with no wind!

Impulsive Decisions!

Impulsive Sarah is back!! After a crazy couple of months at work I started to feel run down and in desperate need of a break. Preferably somewhere in the sun, given the crappy never ending Melbourne winter! So whilst out cycling the other Saturday morning I was contemplating where I could go for some fun in the sun, when it dawned on me that Hawaiian ironman was coming up! I've always dreamed of watching the ironman in Kona, afterall this was the race that first inspired me to do triathlon, having watched it on nine's wide world of sports as a teenager. This year though I know a number of people racing this amazing event so would be even more amazing to go and watch.
So after lining up some accommodation in Kona and telling my boss that I was going to take some leave I booked my flights and also some seriously luxurious accommodation in Waikiki for a week of relaxation!
So it is off to Kona to watch the ironman and be inspired, and then a week of sun, sand, surf and shopping in Waikiki!! Only 4 weeks to go!