August 6, 2008
That is MY shoe
That is my pretty left shoe. And the other piccie is the heel of my pretty left shoe. Which gives you a teeny idea of what my left foot looks like. And no, it was not a blister (despite me being stupid and running 8.4 miles in new shoes). That was the result of a speeding van going past me, kicking up some glass that it hit and glass getting lodged in the back of my foot, the back of my leg and the side of my leg. Mind you, the ones that hit my leg left a lot less damage... I have a cut that gave me a fair amount of grief on the back of my foot during the run. I cleaned it out with some Gatorade Endurance Formula (which reminded me of some film, but I cannot for the life of me remember which one now).
The run itself was fun - the first 2 miles I thought the heat was going to kill me, then it started raining and for the next 2 miles I got wet before the sun came out again and by the time I reached Peg-leg at the end of my run I was relatively dry, although streaky here and there. But at least now my shoes are DNA marked :)
Posted by karinm at 9:23 PM | Comments (7)
August 4, 2008
Crazy Month Coming UP
- 30 August 2008 - Human Race
- 7 September 2008 - Great Yorkshire Run (10K)
- 14 September 2008 - Robin Hood Half Marathon
- 21 September 2008 - Run for Life 10K - Wentworth Castle
- 28 September 2008 - Run for Life 10K - Kedleston Hall
- 5 October 2008 - Great North Run
- 11 October - fly to South Africa for sister's wedding
Yes. I'm insane. I have no less than 6 "races" in 6 weeks coming up from the end of August, but I'm looking forward to it. A ton. A whole lot :) And I'm not REALLY counting the Human Race as a race. And then I'm flying to South Africa for a week and just chillin' with the family while my sister and mom will run around like headless chickens trying to get everything just so for the wedding on the 18th. And it might not stop there. Because when we get back there's another race that awaits me on the 26th of October, but I'm still thinking about that one and thinking that maybe I should not be doing that one.
I'm looking at a marathon in December (the 14th, but I'm still thinking about this one a little) and a few Santa runs and then I'll think about 2009.
For now its just me and my crazy month coming up.
Posted by karinm at 3:59 PM | Comments (0)
March 30, 2008
Shins
A quiet weekend, no major training, although today was supposed to be my last really long run before the London Marathon in 2 weeks. On Wednesday I felt a twinge in my right leg and the warning signs flashed bright enough for me to go to the physio. The outcome: shin splints.
She told me to rest, ice and take it easy ... and see how I felt the first 2 miles of my run today. If there was the slightest twinge, I had to stop and head back home. So this morning I put on my shoes, and started running, fuel belt optimistically loaded and around my waist. Gels packed and all. And there was a twinge. More than a twinge really. After 2 miles I could feel that I was in trouble, because the twinge felt worse than it did on Wednesday.
So where does this leave me for London?
Broken hearted.
I'll go back to the physio tomorrow and see what she recommends, but I pretty much know what they like to say ...
Posted by karinm at 2:39 PM | Comments (4)
March 15, 2008
Saturday Morning Madness
I awoke this morning to find that time has passed me by and I had slept for more than 11 hours. 11 HOURS!!!!! Of course, it was 10am... but for some reason I was positively starving. I hadn't eaten in 12 hours, but that's hardly unusual. I hadn't eaten a lot yesterday though, so that made a tad more sense.
So myself and Andy headed over to the local cafe to grab a sausage and bacon sandwich with a lot of brown sauce on it so that we could fill our tummies, come back home and I could do that cycling thing that I mentioned yesterday.
Well, noon is fast approaching and in a few minutes I'll be getting on my bike, but due to the traffic outside and the cold weather and fast approaching rain... I'm going to wimp out and spend it on the trainer inside the house. With a good movie on the tele... just not sure which movie that'd be, considering that I've not really thought about it yet.
Last night we went to see 'The Other Boleyn Girl' at Cineworld in Notts - and despite various reviews that said it was complete rubbish, I loved it to bits. I thought that it got to me a little, but like I said, I loved it.
Which means the next movie will be the choice of my loving husband - he better not choose something with a lot of blood and guts in it, or he'll have a hard time for the weeks to come!
Right, bike time...
Posted by karinm at 11:58 AM
March 11, 2008
Another Pool Blog
Sometimes amused, other times a tad more sleepy... that's mostly how I arrive at the pool in the morning and this morning was definitely more sleepy than amused. I meant to be at the pool at 7, but waking up at five-to-seven made that near impossible unless I was racing there like a speed demon at 120mph. Yeah, not happening.
So I got to the pool at 7:30 and it was quiet. Graveyard quiet. Except maybe for the girl behind the counter who swiped my card without so much as a word. Maybe she's a zombie or something. Although, maybe everyone is a zombie at that time of the morning.
There was exactly 8 people in the pool - 3 in the narrow fast lane, 4 in the less narrow medium lane and... 1 in the lane that takes up half of the pool... yes, the slow lane. I hopped into the medium lane for good measure and this prompted the girl that was doing backstroke and the-man-that-wears-too-much-aftershave-to-the-pool to move to the slow lane. The girl that swims backstroke did a very good job of swimming diagonally, so it was probably a blessing in disguise.
It was in the pool that I realised my body is still a tad tired. And I don't mean in the I-got-too-little-sleep kind of way. I mean in the at-some-stage-I-tapped-all-the-energy-out-of-my-body kind of way. I felt SLUGGISH. But I swam until I could swim no more without being late for work and then rushed through the shower where the pregnant girl/woman was soaping herself up to the point that I thought the bubbles would start rushing out the door, into my little cubicle, realised I didn't bring socks (AGAIN!) but decided what-the-heck and put my boots on anyway.
Now there is 30 minutes left before I shall go for a run, but first I have to await my husband's return from work with the goodies that he got from the store that will make my clothes whiter than white and smelling fresher than fresh. All without hanging them outside because some storm has decided to hit the UK and batter us with winds and water.
Have a fun day everyone!
Posted by karinm at 6:01 PM
February 20, 2008
Frozen Laundry
Yesterday morning I woke up to some lovely, frozen laundry. I didn't realise it until I phoned my mom and wandered downstairs to find a book to look something up. All the clothes were covered in white pieces of ice. ALL of them. Including my swimsuit, some socks, jeans, and a few shirts. The socks were most willing to play along.
Sadly, I didn't take them down because after speaking to my mom I had to head off to the doctors and in the afternoon, instead of doing the right thing and freezing my fingers, I went to work and did some productive work.
By the time I got back home, the clothes were still frozen... and at that stage Andy had already started bringing them in... yes... lazy.
This morning I glanced out the window and saw that once again everything was white and a thick layer of fog (you can JUST spot it on this pic) like yesterday is still hanging over our lands. Which means we're in for a rather fun day as the ice don't melt unless the fog lifts.
Thankfully the temperature is already higher out there today than it was the whole of yesterday. Yesterday we never reached above zero... yet another reason why everything was still covered in white when we went to bed last night. This is probably a good sign for my run tonight.
Only one week until we fly to LA!
Posted by karinm at 7:57 AM | Comments (1)
February 19, 2008
It is impossible to break your own neck on purpose...
Quote of the Day:
ARH!! I found it!
--vyacheslavkozlovfan
Huh? Ok... I just clicked 'Insert QuoteOfTheDay' and this is what it came up with. Yeah. Another nice feature gone to bits because of bad monitoring :)
I had hoped for something a bit inpsirational, but seeing as that is now not going to happen, I might as well settle for it today. I'm heading off to work in 3 minutes after a long morning seeing doctors and finding out that I have managed to make a tear in a muscle in my neck. My NECK.
They also gave me some nice explanation as to why this has affected my speech (slurring words and the like), why I have have super headaches through out the day (but only on the right hand side of my head) and why, for the next 4 weeks I shall have enough pain to last me for this year. Well, guess that's my quota then, so I'll have a good year :)
I don't really know HOW I managed to incur this injury, guess that'll be a whole different process.
Posted by karinm at 1:11 PM | Comments (2)
January 15, 2008
I have a Butt
My backside hurts. The very same one that was given the workout of a lifetime last night. My legs are ok. My feet are ok. My brain is ok. Everything but my butt.
And the easy run tonight felt HARD because when I lifted my legs I wanted to groan. When my feet hit the pavement I wanted to groan. When I went up a hill I groaned, and when I went down the hill I grimaced... and then wanted to groan. All in all, I decided that since I didn't even come NEAR the pace I was supposed to, I was at least going to go the furthest I had to.
And when I finished. I hobbled home, took a hot shower and begged for a massage. Because I earned it.
Did I mention my backside hurts?
Posted by karinm at 8:14 PM | Comments (0)
January 14, 2008
Cruel and Senseless and Unnecessary
I can.
I can.
I can.
I had to repeat that to myself as I did squats, lunges and ab exercises tonight.
I walked into the gym with the fullest intention of just hitting the ab area and not doing too much otherwise. But as soon as I walked in the door, Charles, the physio that tortures people with personal training sessions in his spare time, spotted me and zoomed in.
"Karin! You want to do some work with me tonight!"
"Uhm... yeah, sure, why not...."
Beware cruel physios. They (a) know what they're doing (90% of the time) and (b) if they hurt you, they can fix it (90% of the time and (c) if you're stiff and sore tomorrow you're more likely to come in for one of those sports massages that they so willingly offer. So cruel and completely unnecessary punishment is inflicted on poor victims that dare to enter the cardio room to put their bags away when all the machines are occupied.
Wellllll..... I think I'm going to need one of those tomorrow. Because my legs don't work anymore. My legs have gone away... on holiday... or they're in hiding... or maybe I just managed to exhaust every single muscle in it. I just know that they didn't even feel this much like jelly after the marathon back in 2006. Yes. My legs are jelly.
PS. At least there is a new batch of Matisse & Jacks Brownies waiting for me downstairs....
Posted by karinm at 7:53 PM | Comments (2)
January 9, 2008
I *Think* I'm Better
I think the flu has left my chest. This is a good thing. My HR is a tad lower than it has been for a while this morning and I'm taking this as a sign that I'm finally getting on that horse again. I'm hoping to be on the treadmill tonight - missed last night's run due to coughing and spluttering and dying.
I had a rough night sleeping, waking up to my own coughs and hearing strange noises (just my own breathing) and then this morning I felt a ton better and ended up getting up at 6 and watching cartoons with Andy before he left for work. He's still rough as anything, but I think he'll start feeling better tomorrow. I can only hope that the rest of the people at work will feel better soon as well. Its quite an office to be in at the moment :)
So, treadmill tonight, dodging the sick at work so I can get better, early sleep tonight.
Posted by karinm at 7:50 AM | Comments (1)
January 7, 2008
I'm Still Ill, but now I have Food!
Two issues this morning :
- I'm sitting in a house that is 10 degrees inside and sweating like a pig. Without having done a single step of exercise. This to me means that once in the office today, I'm going to infect everyone with my flu and make them take a day off. But not me. No, I'm going to be in the office.
- I received not one, but TWO parcels from the US this morning! I'm ultra happy :)
Firstly, there was the parcel with 12 boxes of Matisse & Jack's Goodness in it! I can't wait for the weekend to come so I can make one of them and take it out and about with me. How gorgeous! (Thanks for this Jeff!)
I would've taken the box to work, if I didn't know that one of the other guys that also does some form of running would steal it the first chance he got :) Of course I'll also have to hide it away from Andy and make sure that he can't get hold of it at any stage. I still remember how he made a box of the previous lot that I had and ate it before I could even get home from work!
The second box had 3 pairs of awesome Drymax socks in - courtesy of IronWil and the ThroughTh3WallChallenge.
I am in an uber mood right now, even if I am feeling like I am supplying heat that could heat up a small country. I think I might have an obscene amount of LemSip and see how I feel by tonight and maybe try out a tad of biking. The urge is there, the body just does not want to keep up right now.
PS. The socks fit like an absolute dream!
Posted by karinm at 8:20 AM | Comments (2)
January 4, 2008
TGIF
I'm sitting on the edge of my bed, sniffling, massaging cold muscles and wondering whether the threats of snow that settles are going to realise. At the same time I'm hoping that it'll be hotter tomorrow when I head out for that 15 mile run that lurks in my diary.
Its been a really hectic day - there's been a project at work that kept me so busy that I couldn't really think about anything else. It ended today ... purely because it had to. Thankfully all the work got done and the demo can be done to the client on Tuesday, but to be honest, I wish I had more time to make sure things worked as they should.
At least I still get some joy from running and cycling about and getting myself into the right frame of mind (and fitness) for the upcoming year.
Ooer... snow just started falling. I have to assume the position at the window :)
Posted by karinm at 11:19 PM | Comments (0)
January 3, 2008
MotorTabs
I just have a short post today. And it consists of a question.
Have you heard of MotorTabs? Have you used MotorTabs? And if you have, what did you think of it?
Posted by karinm at 10:41 PM | Comments (2)
January 2, 2008
Ouchies
I learned some very valuable lessons today. I left work today and instead of going straight to the gym, instead went home to have pasta and wine with my husband. I figured that if I got to the gym around 7pm, there would be a treadmill open for me for more than an hour and that'd mean that I could finish my 6 miles without having to stop every 20 minutes and get to the back of the queue.
Well, not so. I got to the gym at 7:30pm and when I walked in there was a room full of people that has the 2008 resolution to go to gym 3 times a week on average. I applaud them for their effort, but 90% of them will try to get the 156 times in within the months of January and February and it generally means that the best time to get there would be around 7am when everyone is getting ready for work!
But on the bright side, there was a treadmill open and there was no queue!
So I hopped on and warmed up and then felt that I could now select a program to lead me through my session of pickups. I pressed the program button. Hrmmm... didn't respond. I pressed it again. Still no response.
Ok, so the treadmill didn't have the capability, or just didn't feel like, being programmed. Right enough. Last time I checked, my fingers could press 'faster' and 'slower' with ease and at least those buttons seemed to respond relatively quickly. I did my first pickup. I slowed down. I did my second pickup. I slowed down. I did my third pickup. I tried to slow down...OH JOY! The slower button seized to exist and I was on a good 6.5 mph. Lovely.
I was feeling okay and there wasn't any other treadmills open, so I carried on running. My heartrate went up, up and away! Well, it settled around 173bpm and I was starting to sound like a steam train that got overloaded with coal somewhere. But I had 3 miles to go and I was feeling okay except for a stinging pain developing somewhere in untold regions of my body.
Nevermind that.
So... carried on running. At a faster pace than I wanted to.
But the stinging wouldn't go away.
And then... there was a crippling pain.
The need to stop.
Immediately.
Throughout the run, I had developed 2 blisters ... and 1 had burst.
I stopped. I didn't care that there was only 4.2 miles on the clock, I was going to cry and say things I didn't mean.
So... lessons learnt :
- Get to the gym at 7am or 5pm... but not at 7pm.
- Don't get on the treadmill that stands all alone in the corner. It doesn't like me.
- Make sure the correct underwear is worn... or run the risk of developing a rather uncomfortable blister or 2.
Posted by karinm at 9:18 PM | Comments (0)
January 1, 2008
The Year of 'I Can'
This year is the year of 'I Can'. No more excuses. No negativity. No doubts. Simply : I CAN!!!
I was sitting in my chair today, preparing my spreadsheet for the year and considering my options as to what I am going to do this year. So far there are only 5 things that are certain.
- I am doing the Stamford Valentines 30K (2008/02/10) (sadly without a partner in tow)
- I am doing the Los Angeles Marathon (2008/03/02) (hopefully with someone pacing me ;) )
- I am doing the London Marathon (2008/04/13) (without anyone else, but hey, the atmosphere will be soaked up!)
- I am doing the London Triathlon (2008/08/10)
- I am doing the Great North Run (2008/10/05) (atmosphere!)
As for goals, I have 3 :
- Run 1500 miles
- Lose 2 stone
- Finish an Ironman
And all of those can be measured - publicly, you'll notice the mileage in my sidebar... I'll have to let you know about the weight loss thing... and the Ironman finish will be announced in the form of a race report sometime or another :)
I can do this. Because this is the year of I Can.
Posted by karinm at 5:58 PM | Comments (6)
December 23, 2007
The Long Run
ru
What you see above are two pictures of my long run today. The first is the elevation map and the second are the lap times per mile as I ran along my 12 mile course.
Outside it was miserable. It was cold. It was (and still is) foggy. It is enough to drive any sane person insane.
I put on my shoes, my clothes, my heartrate monitor, got hold of my iPod, made sure it was attached to the Nike+ sensor, chose the playlist, put on 305, nearly fell over in surprise when it found all satellites in less than a minute (the 301 didn't like fog and generally didn't like the cold weather, so wouldn't find any satellites on a day like this). I started running and within less than a quarter of a mile knew that today might end up being a tad of a struggle.
My legs were feeling heavy, my chest didn't like the sub-zero temperatures, my feet was okay, the music was good, but rhythm was not something that wanted to settle in my body today. I struggled for 7 miles before I found any form of pace... and then the pace was too fast (I was supposed to be doing 11 minute miles today!), but I was so thankful for some form of steadiness that I just carried on. I couldn't let this weekend pass without a long run.
After 2 miles I reached a section of road where there was no curb. There was no space on the side of the road... and I was at the mercy of drivers that I hoped could see me, but even more, I hoped would have the common courtesy to not drive to close to me. 99.9% of those that passed me did. There was just one person that drove me to the point of trying to melt into the thorny hedges on the side of the road and I came off it with no scratches at all. Now, when I reached the start of this section, I wasn't feeling particularly like carrying on. The mindset wasn't there. My body already ached. But I carried on.
After 4 miles I finally entered a smallish village with curbs and friendly people that waved and let me know just how crazy I was for doing this. A few old ladies just shook their heads and carried on walking while a few older men offered me a pint to warm me up - I must've looked cold and thirsty and running at lunchtime when you are bound to come along people on their way to/from the pub, obviously made me seem like someone that would appreciate a drink.
I declined and carried on.
And then I remembered why I've not run this route before.
Because, at the start of mile 6, a HUGE HUGE hill lay ready to greet me. I started up it, had to take a few steps of walking, but by the time I was at the top, I was thinking that my legs will be stiff tomorrow. Definitely.
I carried on through another village, and then another... and finally I got to cross the M1 motorway again and I was on the right side of it to be close to home.
I stopped after 12 miles and took a brisk 200 yard walk to my front door where Andy was waiting, ready to help me with my shoes and make me a bowl of lovely pasta :)
Posted by karinm at 3:59 PM | Comments (1)
December 22, 2007
Welcome to a New Family member
My new Garmin Forerunner 305 arrived. And not a second too late or too early. It was just on time :)
It arrived this morning at 7:30 when I was still lying in bed, bleary eyed and feeling like the nearest train had derailed and decided to come straight through my window, over me and out down the stairs. I stumbled down the stairs to open the door and sign for the parcel and once upstairs, could not resist opening the package and configuring the wrist unit.
Then there was 3 painful hours of letting it charge. And then I had to install the new software and finally I was just about ready. Now it was only the matter of the fact that I had a chest cough and that I couldn't possibly get out of bed... you know, having had an incident with abovementioned train and all.
I crawled to the lounge, clutching the 305 in its cradle and attached it to my pc.
At 4pm I couldn't help myself anymore.
It might not have been 14 miles, but I did manage 4 before I realised I was going to kill myself at this rate.
So I came back home and excitedly docked the unit and looked at the stats...
And boy was I happy :)
Posted by karinm at 6:01 PM | Comments (0)
December 21, 2007
Is it Here Yet?
Impatient person that I am, I can't wait for my new Garmin to arrive tomorrow. Did I mention I have the best husband in the world? He knows that I've been looking at the cycling bits and pieces that Garmin manufactures, and in an effort to give me some cycling functionality with the new 305, got me a cadence sensor :)
Expect photos and graphs and various songs of praise tomorrow evening :)
Posted by karinm at 2:42 PM | Comments (1)
December 19, 2007
Fare Thee Well Garmin
Yesterday, in a blue spark, my Garmin Forerunner 301 finally decided that life was too much and ceased to work. It won't start, it won't recharge. It won't do anything. Which is really a pity as I was fond of the little watch.
But times change, and now I'm attempting to decide whether an investment in a shiny new Forerunner 305 is going to be worth it. Andy has already given me the green light...
Posted by karinm at 8:20 PM | Comments (2)
December 17, 2007
Another weekend Down
'Tis was a quiet weekend with a lot of cake, some running (lotsa running) and some fairly cold weather that left some lovely frozen drops on my top while out on my long run on Saturday morning. We woke up and it was well... well below zero. I went out into the lovely cold weather, started running and as my muscles felt like they weren't warming up, listened to podcasts while counting the miles.
Somewhere along the route I had a drink... and noticed small particles of ice starting to gather on my top. I thought it was a tad funny. The last time that happened I was running up a mountain in freezing weather and half expected it to happen when they started serving sherry at the water stations.
I finished the run and my hands felt like they were frozen in place... a hot shower later I was ok, but my feet felt like bricks and I spent about half an hour sitting in front of the tele before taking Elizma shopping in Nottingham. Andy and Fanie stayed home and made the most of the unlimited access to the television by playing endlessly on the XBox.
Saturday evening we went out for supper and on Sunday morning I woke up to some pressies and cards and a HOT mug of coffee.
The rest of the day was equally great and relaxing and even though I got a card that wished me a happy 30th birthday on my 29th birthday, I was fine :)
Now a new week starts - only EIGHT days until Christmas!
Posted by karinm at 8:02 AM | Comments (1)
December 13, 2007
The Freeze
Running in -5 degree weather was never going to be fun. No way. No how. Well. Maybe. And tonight, as the ice lay on the ground and made me run extra carefully, I had fun. Partially because it was funny to see Andy attempt to keep his balance. Partly because I was REALLY enjoying the run, and partly because everything was sparkling in the dim light of the street lamps. It was just magical.
At times my muscles complained a lot about the cold. Other times I just didn't hear it. Its a fact that muscles weren't made to heat up in temperatures that are so cold that the frost that lay on the ground this morning never melted and are now building layer no. 2 on it. Not that it bothered me.
When I got home the plan was to go to the gym and run on the treadmills there, but once I got to the house, I realised that my car wasn't going to move from the spot where it was standing. The ice underneath it had reached the point where the car just would not move again. I still have my doubts about it getting me to work tomorrow - without a crystal ball, I can tell you right now I'm going to have to pack some sturdy shoes and head out the door and do the mile and a half to my offices on foot. Oh, to live more than 5 miles from work again...
I know that I have nothing to complain about :) I'm loving life at the moment. I'm loving training. I'm loving EVERYTHING about Winter... I just occasionally wish I could run in slightly higher temperatures :)
While writing this, I was listening to "No More Sorrow" by Linkin Park
Posted by karinm at 9:19 PM | Comments (2)
Slip and Slide
Outside there is ice all over the road... the sidewalks... the cars... and it is slippery. As I found out two days this week so far. While I'm out there I slip and slide and attempt to stay upright while having a lot of fun. My arms are generally wrapped up nice and tight, my feet find that one downhills I tend to take 1 step and travel 3.... uphill I tend to run 3 and go 1 back... but all in all the winter is fun.
I can't complain after seeing pictures of the ice storms over in the US :)
My brother and his girlfriend have been here for nearly a week now and they are starting to settle in properly. Last night they stayed up to a normal bedtime for the first time since they arrived - I've gotten used to them disappearing around 7pm to crawl into bed... it gave me some quiet time :) So when they left the room at 9pm last night, my head didn't quite register that it had happened. I stayed up and watched Sunshine with Andy before getting to bed... at which time it was close to midnight.
Tonight I'll head out for some slip-and-slide action outside again. This time I might try to get Andy to take a picture while we're out :)
Posted by karinm at 8:08 AM | Comments (0)
December 6, 2007
December is a Great Month
Running has always been fun for me, but the past two weeks its come up a whole new levels from when I started running again nearly 3 years ago. So much fun that I'm looking forward to the runs and the runs feel extremely short and ultimately, I'd do more if it wasn't for the fact that someone kept me in check. Even more - it is the 6th of December, cold weather all around, and I've already done more mileage this December than I've done any December before it, including those from years and years ago. December have never been a good running month for me.
This morning I woke up and nudged Andy.
"Let's go run."
I got a grunt in return. I nudged him again.
"Let's go run!"
He moved and tapped his alarm clock. And with that my dreams of an early morning run disappeared, because it seemed husband dearest was already late for work. With the darkness outside and builders already arriving, I decided I'd go for a run tonight. Andy rushed out the door and I was left on the couch with a half cold mug of tea and my advent calendar full of chocolaty goodness. (The only chocolate I see these days, and boy do I savour that 5 minutes in the morning that I get to have it)
There is only 12 and a half weeks left until LA!
Posted by karinm at 8:04 AM | Comments (0)
December 3, 2007
Gorgeous Monday
Its a beautiful day! Blue skies, fluffy clouds, 7°C temperature. Yes, its a beautiful winter's day in the city of Nottingham.
I managed to sleep like the dead last night and if I could, I probably would've slept until noon today. My bed was just so incredibly comfortable that I couldn't get myself out of it for long enough to wake up until 8h30 and even then it was the shower that woke me up and not the getting up.
A great week lies ahead, that much I know. I'm in positive spirits on a Monday for the first time in a while (other times I was only fooling myself) and I can't wait until I login to my calendar in a while to see what the coach has in store for me this week.
Only 4 more weeks until the end of the year!
Posted by karinm at 11:34 AM | Comments (0)
November 29, 2007
Well, THAT was Unexpected
Yeah, unexpected. I'm talking about the pace that my run took tonight.
I was supposed to do between 4 and 5 miles at 10:15 - 10:30 pace... and somewhere, 4 miles @ 9:35 popped out. And I could've gone another mile if I didn't have a cramp in my leg since mile 2 and after 4 miles decided that it was enough with the pain thing. I felt so incredibly comfortable, but my legs were more than happy to go a bit faster than usual, even when we hit my half-a-mile hill and headed up it.
Once finished it hit me that I had run steady, but far faster than I was supposed to.
38:26? Yeah. Ok. I'll take that.
Even if it was a tad unexpected.
Posted by karinm at 8:24 PM | Comments (0)
November 27, 2007
The Greed of the Charities
Charities are a strange phenomenon. Yesterday I received my confirmation that I would be doing the London Marathon in 2008. As I got my entry through the ballot and it isn't a Golden Bond entry through a charity, I technically don't have to attempt to raise money for any charity, but I decided that I would run for a charity and do some fundraising in any case.
I went through the list of charities in the magazine and online and finally have 4 in mind that was close to my heart. I ordered them according to preference and this morning phoned up the first one. I spoke to a very nice lady who informed me that, even though I had my own place, I would have to commit to raising £2000 if I wanted to run for them.
What if I couldn't raise £2000?
I'd have to pay in the difference.
Right, not running for them then.
I phoned the second charity. Once again, a very nice girl at the other side told me that I'd have to commit to raising at least £1500.
Oh dear. Things weren't looking good.
I phoned the third charity. An elderly lady, by the sound of her voice, answered. I told her I had my own entry. Then asked her whether I had to commit to raising a certain amount if I wanted to run for them. Oh, yes. £1500. Unfortunately. She didn't agree with it, but rules are rules.
A bit demotivated I phoned the fourth charity. This time it was a male voice that answered. I repeated the process of telling him that I wanted to run for a charity, that I had my own place and would I have to commit to a certain amount.
Oh the joy and surprise when he said 'No, any amount you raise is great. Even if it is just £20'. So, I'm running for Marie Curie Cancer Care. And I get a deely bopper to decorate myself with on the day. I'll have to setup the page this afternoon, but at least now I feel like I'm doing something nice while enjoying something that I like doing.
Posted by karinm at 11:59 AM | Comments (5)
November 26, 2007
London Marathon 2008 Here I Come
Lunchtime was a good time.
I got a Flora London Marathon 2008 confirmed entry! My acceptance letter and magazine arrived this afternoon and I whooped and hollered and nearly did some cartwheels around the room when I found out that I got an entry.
So tonight I shall celebrate. Because the third time was a charm :) And because, 6 weeks after the LA marathon, I'll be doing the London marathon :)
Posted by karinm at 3:31 PM | Comments (1)
November 24, 2007
Saturday Caught me Again
Lazy Saturdays are a good thing when you're sleepy and have a house to clean after something created a hole in your ceiling. I slept most of the day away before I got up and did some housework and then realised that it was 7pm and I hadn't gone for a cycle or run yet. At least I carried a lot of things around, ran up and down the stairs and got other things in the house done.
In a few minutes I'll fall over and sleep and then tomorrow morning I'll go hunting to find the Clowne Half Marathon. If I can find the spot where it starts from, I'll take part and then tomorrow you'll have a whole race report to read :)
Posted by karinm at 9:20 PM | Comments (0)
November 23, 2007
One more Week
After today there is only 7 days of NaBloPoMo left. Woot! And so far I've kept it up. Barely. I've made so many nonsense posts that it could not possibly be rectified within the next year, but that's ok.
I've had blue sky to look at all day - quite a change from the past couple of weeks where rainy weather, snowy weather, fog, overcast weather and just general miserable weather had taken the sky hostage and made it terribly grey.
Tonight is a rest evening, but I'm considering heading out for a smallish 3 or 4 mile run to see whether my left leg is in need of a massage or some other form of treatment, or whether it will finally behave in a manner suited for legs that want to run a marathon in March.
But before then, I still have to get home and enjoy the sunset. :)
Posted by karinm at 3:40 PM | Comments (1)
November 22, 2007
Running in rain...Again
Well, that sucks. I went out for a run tonight again, and it rained. And it was quite cold with the wind blowing and all that. And I very nearly had a repeat of Tuesday evening's events with contorted muscles and all. I felt the niggling, but thankfully it didn't hurt. I slowed down when it started niggling and it seemed to stay at that point in time.
Andy was next to me during the whole of the run. He kept checking on me with 'Are you okay?' and 'Is your leg ok?' and 'Are you hurting?' I'm pretty sure that if I answered that it hurt or that I wasn't okay at any stage he was going to make me stop and drag my butt back home.
So, with the rain falling outside, me wondering about the London Marathon (despite the fact that I'm definitely doing LA), and Angel on the television, I bid you farewell for tonight. I have ice to put on my leg and stretching to do.
Posted by karinm at 8:16 PM | Comments (0)
November 20, 2007
You Put Your Left Foot In
It was once again, cold tonight. And I went for a run. Thankfully with Andy in tow, so he could inspire me to run.
As we ran, I felt quite okay for the first 2 miles. And then my left calf cramped. And then my shins. And then the right side of my quad on my left leg. And my leg felt all contorted and weird and incredibly, mind-numbing, paralyzing, sore. So just over half a mile later, I was at my front door and out of my shoes and on the floor, stretching with a bag of ice in my hands.
Ouch.
I don't know why it happened, but I sure hope it doesn't happen tomorrow morning. I want to run tomorrow morning. And running with a leg that pulls the wrong way while the muscles work on their own instead of together - well, that isn't a good thing. Not by a far stretch.
While writing this, I was listening to "Ironmantalk Episode 3" by Bevan James Eyles and 'Coach' John Newsom
Quote of the Day:
False freedom leaves a man free to do what he likes; true freedom, to do what he ought.
--Anonymous
Posted by karinm at 8:15 PM | Comments (0)
November 19, 2007
The Snow be Gone
| Week | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| Km | 0 | 3.01 | 47.07 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The snow is gone. And I slept until 8h00. Which meant that there was no running for this gal this morning. Instead I had a mug of coffee, a shake and watched Just Shoot Me. Its a strange start to the week, because even though it is 8h15 now, it is still relatively dark outside and its a strange darkness. The weather is completely and utterly weird.
I'll head out to the gym tonight and grab a treadmill (I'm pretty sure that if I get there before 6 I'll get one of those without having to wait). At least the gym should be warmer than it is outside :)
Posted by karinm at 8:24 AM | Comments (0)
November 18, 2007
Winter Snow
Running. Running in the rain. Running.
And then, just as I thought I had gotten used to the rain, the weather decided to throw me a new curve ball. Snow. No more rain. Just snow. Cold. Icy. Soft. Snow.
My toes are frozen. My legs are frozen. My knees are frozen. And no amount of hot water or wheat bags or fluffy duvets are going to warm me up. No way no how. I am too cold to ever heat up ever again. And tomorrow the second week starts.
Posted by karinm at 6:26 PM | Comments (1)
November 17, 2007
iCrash
Going for a bike ride on a Saturday morning is supposed to be relatively relaxing, stress-free and quiet. This morning I found myself outside, wrapped up warm in a long-sleeved shirt, with long gloves and in fresh air.
It was a nice day outside for winter. -3 degrees. No rain (yet). No snow (yet). No ice (well, maybe on the grass).
I was relaxed. I was happy. I was going along at a nice speed, once again marvelling at the fact that there are so many tough hills around where we live now. You can't go more than a mile from our house without hitting a hill of some sort... and the further away you get, the worse the hills.
But I managed. And I enjoyed it.
And then I got on a straight. It wasn't a hill. It wasn't a downhill. It was flat and I was in a 60mph zone which I knew I wasn't going to hit, but it did make the likelihood of a lot of traffic a lot less and I knew there would be no cars parked in the road.
So I was having fun.
I spotted a policeman and thought to myself 'Ooer! I don't have to slow down because there is NO way I could be over the speed limit!'. In fact, I wasn't even going 30mph at this stage. I considered waving at him, but then had a rethink and just smiled.
As luck would have it, 150m or so later, still at a great than 20mph speed, but smaller than a 30mph speed, I had to break and swerve. Next to this road there are houses built. And from one of these properties ran a toddler. A small child that seemed very determined to make like a chicken and get to the other side of the road.
As she was running toward my right, I figured that braking and swerving to the left (this was an instant decision) was probably the more logical of things to do. I braked and swerved, only to find the mother figure of said child running out of the property as well. At this stage, I grabbed my front brake and squeezed with all the might in my hand.
As it goes, this meant that my back wheel wasn't going to be happy with staying on the road. I tumbled. And turned. And felt my helmet hit the ground and then my back and oh no! my feet are no longer inside my shoes...
Somewhere in-between all this someone started screaming like mad. Motherly figure was standing relatively close by, screaming at me as if I was the one that had just done an utterly irresponsible thing. I wasn't the one that just ran into a road!
My head was hurting and I wasn't really sure of what was happening, but I heard a male voice tell the female to keep quiet and calm down. Then the same male voice asked me if I was ok. Did I need a doctor? An ambulance? The policeman had come to my aid. As I said that yes, I was ok, I didn't need a doctor and no, I didn't need an ambulance, mother hen started yapping and yelling away again.
I pulled myself onto the curb and started inspecting my bike which had my shoes still attached to it. It was ok. Phew! I didn't have to phone Andy to get him to pick me up. I was going to be able to peddle back home without help. I wasn't giving the hysterical woman much notice at this stage, because honestly, I was afraid I might say something that I shouldn't.
The policeman made sure I was ok and then walked over to the mother, who was clutching her child to her side. I can't recall the exact words, but he said something in the region of 'If she was driving a car instead of a bike, you both would be dead now.' I hadn't thought about that, but oh my word, that would've been awful.
Ten minutes later I was on my way home. My back stinging and my arms feeling like they had just been used to clean all the dishes in a small hotel. I got home and Andy inspected me. I somehow managed to not have 1 single scratch on me, other than the ones on my helmet. Thank you for small miracles!
I can understand that the woman acted out of maternal instinct to protect her young ones, but maybe they should invest in a good, strong gate and keep the kids inside. I hate to think what could've happened if there was a car right behind me, or if I was driving a car. But everyone's ok, and that I can be thankful for.
Posted by karinm at 1:53 PM | Comments (2)
November 14, 2007
I Shall Run
I found this in Vanilla's blog and although its pretty awesome how two people fight it out, what stuck with me, was the closing words on the video : the difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.
Last night I went to bed, fuming at an email I received from someone that I don't know and right now, really hope I never get to know. Without knowing me, he tried to give me advice that I didn't ask for and as it turns out, he's a bit of an elitist jogger. You know, one of those that finish a marathon sub-3:00 and figure that anyone that can't run a marathon sub 3:30 shouldn't be allowed to take part.
This morning I woke up and figured that I wasn't going to give him a direct response. If he wants to believe that the taking part doesn't count, then he is entitled to his opinion, but he's not someone that I want to talk to. I enjoy running and plodding and just because I don't run 10 miles every morning, it doesn't make me any less of a runner.
Now I'm off for a run.
Posted by karinm at 7:39 AM | Comments (1)
November 13, 2007
Day 2? Check!
6 Miles. Day 2. And I did it! I finished my second training session this week ... in cold weather, with my shoes a tad too tight, my garmin on my wrist, my gloves on my hands, my hat on my head. And this time I forgot the light. I was completely blind in the darkness of the run, but oh boy was it fun!
I pretended that I was sneaking up on people and had to restrain myself from trying to scare them as I approached them. A few dogs gave me some snarls, but thankfully they were on leashes and couldn't get their teeth at me.
The air wasn't as cold as yesterday, but my body still felt the chill. Afterwards the shower was such a welcome treat.
They're expecting a very cold morning tomorrow morning. Something tells me my double layer of clothing isn't going to be enough...
Posted by karinm at 7:35 PM | Comments (0)
November 12, 2007
Sub Zero
| Week | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Total |
| Km | 0 | 3.01 | 5.23 | 8.24 |
This morning seemed like a good time to start running in the early mornings. Well, it seemed like a good morning last night while I was crawling into my lovely and warm bed and I hadn't seen the weather forecast.
Andy mentioned something about below zero, but I didn't really listen and this morning I woke up to a really cold morning. I mean, REALLY COLD. -3 degrees outside and ready to get colder by the looks of it. Was it not for the lovely, beautiful sun rising at 7am, it probably would've gotten colder too.
No problem, right?
I grabbed my long tights, a long-sleeved shirt another shirt to put on over that, my iPod, my garmin and I was ready. I started running and at first the garmin was a tad shellshocked at my decision to use it. It took roughly 250m to find a signal in the clear skies and then started telling me how slowly I was poodling along.
One thing I noticed this morning was the amount of early-morning dog walkers we have in our neighbourhood. I encountered 4 or 5 owners that could control their canines and another 5 or 6 that couldn't. Thankfully their dogs were small enough for me to not be completely terrified of them and I was able to escape unharmed.
As I finished my run, I started feeling a tad like I was drowning. My lungs had obviously had enough of the freezing air and felt like they were shut. I got home and took a 20 minute shower to heat myself up, but I could feel that I was outside.
Dressing made me feel a bit like the Michelin man. I put on the clothes I was wearing to work, a huge coat and then wrapped myself in a duvet for a good 20 minutes before I felt human enough to get off the couch and out the door and off to work.
But the run is done. The first one for the next 16 weeks.
Posted by karinm at 9:36 AM | Comments (1)
November 11, 2007
We Rode off into the Sunset
Whoever thinks that riding off into the Sunset sounds like a happy ending has obviously never ridden off into the sunset.
This afternoon we drove home from the in-laws and as luck would have it... the sun was setting ... and we were driving into this spectacular bright light that was at the end of the highway. Of course I was in the driver's seat and being a tad blind, the sun's glare was enhanced by my glasses that I was wearing.
Everytime we went underneath a bridge my eyes would burst into song for the relief it was getting, only for me to suffer a temporary 3 second blindness and star spell when we came out from under the bridge.
Needless to say, I mentioned this to Andy and he instantly started to suffer from white-knuckle syndrome I was so thankful when some clouds decided to save the day that I instantly stopped at the nearest Primo Coffee and got something to drink.
Unfortunately the time of day and sub-zero temperatures has kept me inside for most of the day and the only part of my body that's been doing any running since Wednesday has been my nose. Thankfully it decided to start taking a rest since this afternoon and I'm feeling a ton better now.
I'm sitting upstairs, too lazy to go to the lounge, considering getting out the dvd that's been in my bag since Friday and doze off even though it is only 7pm. I've already set my alarm for the new regime that kicks in tomorrow - an early morning swim followed by some work ... followed by a run.
I've run out of excuses, now the work starts.
Posted by karinm at 6:59 PM | Comments (0)
November 9, 2007
Having a Winter Cold
I'm a sucker for punishment. I am. And this morning I'm wondering why I'm sitting on the couch at 7:45am with a blocked nose and feeling like I should be crawling undernearth a duvet and staying there until summer comes out. So far, I've managed to keep this cold/flu from heading down to my chest (that's good, right?), but I'm still not well.
I'm dosed up on so much vitamins and minerals that they could probably establish a small mine in my blood system at the moment.
My nose is not my friend today :)
Maybe I'll be able to get back on the wagon like the amazing hip by this weekend or coming week... here's to hoping :)
Posted by karinm at 7:53 AM | Comments (3)
November 6, 2007
Guy Fawkes is Over and I love NaBloPoMo
I like NaBloPoMo. Its great to wake up this morning at 7h30 and when I opened up my RSS reader... it was full of wonderful posts written by wonderful people and I just love that.
After all the fireworks last night, it is amazingly quiet this morning and there is no smoke in the air. I was quite surprised at the amount of smoke that the fireworks kick up. I imagine its just like a very colorful warzone during Guy Fawkes. Except with less death, and with less burnwounds (although I imagine some hospitals got their fair share of idiots that lit fireworks in their hands or got hit by one of the flares).
I fell asleep just after 22h00 last night and I do believe I'm in a very good mood this morning, except for a sore throat (which I imagine is just an after effect of Sunday and Monday). I'm hoping that the change-of-season flu will skip me and that this is just a sore throat and no more. It'll be the first time in 3 years that it skips me, but there is always hoping :)
Time to get ready for work I guess :)
Keep on Writing!
Posted by karinm at 7:57 AM | Comments (0)
November 1, 2007
Winter Morning Swim
Waking up at 6:30am is never easy. Waking up at 6:30, having coffee, and being at the pool at 7:00 is even harder. But I managed to do it this morning and once I got to the pool felt sufficiently lazy enough to not want to get in. I found myself a spot in the ‘medium pace’ lane and started swimming. After one or two lengths I started feeling fine and enjoyed just taking a slow swim.
Every 6 lengths I would take a short break and observe the people around me. There were quite a few old ladies in the slow lane with a few old men and even the woman that doesn’t like to get her hair wet. She was in true form again – keeping her head so high above the water that there was NO way she would even get the tips of her hair in the water.
What made my morning though, was when I got out of the pool and headed to the showers. As I went into the showers, this particular specimen of female came out... with her hair in a towel. She had washed her hair... which wouldn’t be unusual, but after the care she took to NOT get her hair wet, it was mildly amusing that she then went and washed it just after she swam.
I guess its one of those things I won’t understand for the life of me, but it did make me smile.
Posted by karinm at 9:27 AM | Comments (1)
October 16, 2007
Training in the Rain
This evening we went for a run - yes, we. Andy was dragged along because it was cold and dark and raining and I was fearing the youths that might be lurking in the bus stops and behind trees and other small buildings. Its one of those fears that I picked up in South Africa and never quite lost. Not in areas that are built up. In the country I could easily run on my own in the dark, but being a woman, that's probably not the safest thing on earth to do.
The run itself was fun - some patches were cold as ice, some were bearable, and some were incredibly wet, but surprisingly, warm.
As we neared mile 2's finish, Andy faked falling over something and as I was about to give him some remark, my left foot hit a tiny little pipe that was sticking out from underneath the footpath we were running on. Before soon, I was skidding, on my stomach, on grass, towards the tarmac on the other side. I felt my hand touch the footpath, heard a scratching sound, and came to a stop.
Andy, ever concerned, burst out laughing. He resisted screaming out 'TRYYYYY!!!!' in reference to my current favourite spectator sport, rugby, but he laughed nonetheless and helped me up. In return, I wiped my muddy hands down the sides of his naked arms. (That's what you get for running with a sleeveless shirt!) The rain took care of cleaning him up, but my legs didn't quite get the same deal.
By the time we got home, Andy was squeaky clean, but I was still quite muddy. My skirt was properly soggy and my shirt was wet as a sponge at a carwash.
Winter is here, and I need warmer clothes. Definitely. But first, I have to go take part in the Lady Godiva Half Marathon on Sunday and chill!
Posted by karinm at 7:24 PM | Comments (0)
I'm in the Mood
I’m in the mood for a long bike ride. Out on the open road with no-one else around, my iPod tucked into one ear and the other earphone tucked beneath my shirt. Sadly this time of year it isn’t all that safe to go cycling on the road as it becomes dark pretty quick and some drivers find it hilarious to hit and run. Almost like a bad Britney impression.
So, during the week I’m pretty much stuck. I’ll have to make do with my trainer, my What It Takes DVDs and a big bottle of mixed water. The only wind that I’ll feel through my hair will be the wind that comes in through the open French doors that lead to our backyard. Thank heavens we can open both. On nights that it doesn’t rain or doesn’t look like rain I might even be able to put the trainer outside and cycle... even if the only view I’ll have is the fence ....
After a week of stomach aches and pains and plagues that had both myself and Andy cringing when we saw food, I’m ready to get stuck into training again this week – I’m doing the Lady Godiva Half Marathon at the weekend as part of training and am looking forward to another run with fellow runners. Its always fun (not to mention I like the shirt they sent me!)
Tonight I’m supposed to be doing an hour run ... I think. Or is that half an hour? I’ll have to check when I get home. LA is going to sneak up on me before I know it! Its only 19 weeks away now...
Posted by karinm at 1:47 PM | Comments (1)
October 9, 2007
Winter Training Begins
I intended to run yesterday, but as life goes, that didn't happen :( Andy went to play golf and sadly, forgot to take his house keys. As I entered the house I noticed them on the floor behind the front door - he'd dropped them through the post box. I waited and waited and waited and around 8:30pm he waltzed through the door. It was too late for a run then.
Thankfully today was more successful. I got out for a run! And it rained! We ran around the neighborhood for 30 minutes and apart from one incident where a few yobs yelled a few sentences of inaudible nonsense after us, it was relatively nice. The winter weather is arriving in leaps and bounds now and I'm starting to wish that I had more long running pants in my closet. (Like I need another reason to go shopping).
Tomorrow morning I'll get out on my bike and go for a swim - it should be fun :) I have a timetrial scheduled and heaven knows, I'm going to enjoy it.
Posted by karinm at 7:11 PM | Comments (0)
Another Event Entry
The London Triathlon 2008 Entry Confirmation
This email should be considered as full confirmation of your entry. You should keep a copy of this email should you have any queries about your entry.
Your Details
Please ensure your requested race entry category is correct, as changes are not permitted. If you have entered the wrong category please contact us immediately!
Should your address or personal details change, then you can re-log on to our system and update this information by simply running a search using your e-mail address and date of birth. It is important that update any details otherwise you may miss out on important race information.In order to complete this entry process you have confirmed that you agree to our terms and conditions. If you have queries about our race withdrawal policy details can be found at www.thelondontriathlon.com.
What to expect from us
We are looking forward to what we know will be another fantastic event. In the build up to the event you should expect to receive monthly emails to keep you updated with the latest news and competitions.
You will receive a race pack a couple of weeks before the event day. This will contain your race numbers and an information booklet which will contain all the information you require for the race day.
In the meantime, check the website www.thelondontriathlon.com for up-to-the-minute information.
All that remains is for all of us here at The London Triathlon to wish you the very best with your training. Should we be able to help or assist you with anything else then please do not hesitate in contacting us.
Good Luck!
The London Triathlon
Pier House
Strand On The Green
London
W4 3NN
Posted by karinm at 4:31 PM | Comments (0)
October 7, 2007
A Quiet Weekend?
As the countdown to our trip to the US continues, so does my new-found fondness of training. Indeed. The fact that for the past few weeks I hadn't run an inch over 7 miles during any one run, didn't stop me this weekend. Jeff was in town and with his contagious inspiration and motivation and cheerfulness, I was not going to have a tough time :)
On Friday afternoon I picked Jeff up at his offices and we took the scenic, hilly, green, twist-and-turn-until-you-feel-like-you're-going-in-the-direction-from-whence-you-came route back home. It only took about an hour and a half before we reached the safety of home. A quick walk and some supper later sleep was my calling, but Andy and Jeff stayed up and watched some film - I think it has Star Wars somewhere in the title.
After a leisurely late lie-in, myself and Jeff readied ourself and tried to convince Andy that he WANTED to ride his bike and carry our water. Andy unfortunately didn't feel like playing along, but then again, he was on call and couldn't really leave the area and be more than 20 minutes away from home.
So out to the Cloud trail we went. Never before has 12 miles felt so short. Between various jokes involving various names I tried to catch my breath, but as soon as I did, the next one arrived and I would once again try to control laughter. It had more of a wheezing sound to it than laughter in the end :)
The run reminded me that that trail was there and I seriously do need to get there more often.
For the evening we headed out to a Mexican restaurant and a movie. Run Fatboy Run was a great feel-good movie that made me laugh ... its definitely worth the watch :)
Early this morning we had to say goodbye to Jeff. I was sad to see him go, but we'll catch up with him again in Feb.
Right now, I'm snoozy, sleepy, and in need of a night's rest.
Congrats to Juls that finished the Chicago marathon!
PS. South Africa beat Fiji in the Rugby World Cup earlier! Woo!
Posted by karinm at 6:41 PM | Comments (3)