It has been so long since I've written a blog! I am seriously slacking. I guess I'll address what's happened to me in recent days before back tracking. Today was one of the best days I've had yet in Melbourne. Ash and I got up at 5:30 AM to get ready for my race! We left the house at 6 and headed to the iconic MCG which is a stadium where the AFL play and cricket as well, massive! I was originally registered to do the half marathon but I haven't put in enough time to do it justice so I downgraded to the 10K. I would rather train properly and do well in a particular distance than enter a race I didn't feel confident in. It's been hard to train in Melbourne because it's a legit city and traffic goes the other way and you have to stop every two seconds and I have no idea where I'm going! So I've pretty much stuck to the gardens beside my house to run laps, it's about 2.3 km around so thats where I've trained. Ash and I spent a few weeks at his parents place in the country and I did a few runs up there. It is actually the most beautiful place to run but also really difficult. It's mostly dirt roads and crazy elevation changes. But running out there the air is just so clean and you see actual parrots and brightly colored birds just chilling in the wild. So about a week ago I did a 9.5 km run in 1:05 and my goal was to do a 10km run in under an hour, however based on this run I thought this was pretty unachievable for my race. I would have to run 500 meters more and cut some serious time. All of my K's have to be under 6 minutes to make my run under an hour.
So today at the race, I had no iPod and I chose to try to focus intently on my pace with my Garmin and run the hell out of it. My watch said I ran 10.17 and I did it in 59:46!!! Hahaha, as if - I had 15 seconds to spare. The run went through the streets of Melbourne and then ended at the MCG and you got to go in and run a lap of the ground as your big finish and everyone was taking it leisurely and just waving and appreciating the finish but I was focused so much on crossing that finish line before it struck 1hr so I just booked it around the track. Ash was able to go inside and watch the finish and he said they zoomed on my face and put me up on the big screen at the stadium as I was finishing - good, I was probably the sweatiest I have ever been. After I got my medal I went to meet Ash at our designated meeting spot and when I saw him I just had tears because I had busted my ass so hard during that race to get it under an hr and I was just exhausted - it was like pure happiness and exhaustion combined. We went home and got some sleep and then it turned into a beautiful day so Ash went to the pool for a swim at the gym we belong to. The pool is outside and it was so lovely, but I took this one out and just watched from the sidelines.
This evening as a celebration for breaking the hour Ash took me out for dinner. The street right behind our house is ridiculously amazing for food. It is pure restaurants, like over 100. Nothing but restaurants and people standing out front offering you free drinks and appetizers and whatever else. It's a huge Italian area so there's a lot of Italian restaurants but we decided to try this little Indian place. I have never had Indian before and let me tell you - it was AMAZING. We chose this banquet style where it was a pre-set menu of items for 25$ each and it was INSANE. We got fresh Naan bread and a ton of bowls of dishes like curry chicken, butter cream chicken, beef vindaloo and so much more. Ash and I both couldn't move and at this point we were the only customers and we were sitting outside and I think because it made their business look good they kept bringing us more food and it suddenly became - unlimited. BAD but so good news haha. They said we could get more of whatever we wanted, it was honestly too good to be true. We spent quite a while there and then headed home where one of my housemates had made a PAVLOVA because I had finished my race, and she is the BEST cook ever and it was beautiful with kiwi and strawberries on top and I couldn't help myself but eat a piece. I am now in a food coma. I need to run like 10, 10K's to make up for this gorge fest.
Walking home tonight I was just so happy. I love our location, I love that feeling when you finally feel like you are starting to adapt to the city you're in and that it's yours. I am just having such a good time, really loving every second I get to spend with Ash, which is pretty much 24 hours a day and I just love Melbourne. Oh, also we went to St.Kilda, this boutiquey cute beach front suburb of Melbourne on Saturday and looked around and had sushi by the beach, it was lovely! Ugh I just can't get enough of my life right now, I feel like someone has to pull me back to reality.
Miss you all,
xo
Sarah
