A new city to explore - the city of my friend Paul! There were a number of things I never understood when he lived in the UK. Why he was so derisary about the quality of UK coffee. Or why he would abandon us to move to the entire other side of the world, for example. But now I'm here, I understand. The coffee is something else. And what a place! Thanks Paul and Yan (and Hunter) for having me to stay, and for all your kindness. And for setting me off on the right direction for my first Perth run down in Riverside Gardens....
I wasn't quite prepared for how hot it would be here, and how that would impact on running. It's not a problem I often come across in the UK, but 36oC is a bit toasty to be running around, so I've been running early in the mornings before the temperature rises too high. Still hotter than the hottest part of a hot day in a heatwave at home though. But it was breezy down by the river and there were lots of exciting new things, like pelicans, to think about, instead of how boiling hot and difficult to run in it was.
Day 62
Did a 2 hour run along the Swan River towards Perth, along a beautiful but perilous path...
Having got used to the idea of there being imminent danger awaiting around every corner, I focussed instead on the beautiful river, some art, and watching the city get closer.
Before I knew it, I was safely home, and hadn't seen a single snake, not one.
Having got used to the idea of there being imminent danger awaiting around every corner, I focussed instead on the beautiful river, some art, and watching the city get closer.
Before I knew it, I was safely home, and hadn't seen a single snake, not one.
Days 63 and 64
Before 7am and coffee, I am not able to think creatively, and so alas I ended up doing two days of the same thing....45 minutes of fartlek running down in Riverside Gardens, because 1) I think I need to start doing a bit more of different paced stuff, and 2) the name fartlek makes me giggle, every time.
Day 65
When I got here, Paul put me in touch with his running friend Ros, who has taken me under her running wing, and on some beautiful runs around Perth. Today we did a 10.5 km run around the Kings Park, down along by the river, and back through the park. A wonderful route! Early in the morning the light was beautiful, and being high up in the park with views of the city in the sunshine was amazing.
Afterwards, we went to Paul's Body Pump class, and I 1) remembered how rubbish I am at all other forms of exercise apart from running, 2) hurt a lot, and 3) promised myself I will get better.
Day 66
Today Ros took us to the beach, where we ran 7.5 km along an awesome path from Cottesloe Beach to North Freemantle, into a gale. Then we turned around and ran back, surprisingly at exactly the same moment that the wind dropped to a gentle breeze. Funny how that always happens. Still, I loved the wind, whichever direction it decided to blow from. After the last few days when it's been so hot running, it felt good to be down by the sea in a cool wind. It was a beautiful run, and afterwards we paddled in the ocean and had coffee. Thanks Ros for your kindness, showing me around the city, sharing your runs with me, and being a fab running buddy!
Before 7am and coffee, I am not able to think creatively, and so alas I ended up doing two days of the same thing....45 minutes of fartlek running down in Riverside Gardens, because 1) I think I need to start doing a bit more of different paced stuff, and 2) the name fartlek makes me giggle, every time.
Day 65
When I got here, Paul put me in touch with his running friend Ros, who has taken me under her running wing, and on some beautiful runs around Perth. Today we did a 10.5 km run around the Kings Park, down along by the river, and back through the park. A wonderful route! Early in the morning the light was beautiful, and being high up in the park with views of the city in the sunshine was amazing.
Afterwards, we went to Paul's Body Pump class, and I 1) remembered how rubbish I am at all other forms of exercise apart from running, 2) hurt a lot, and 3) promised myself I will get better.
Day 66
Today Ros took us to the beach, where we ran 7.5 km along an awesome path from Cottesloe Beach to North Freemantle, into a gale. Then we turned around and ran back, surprisingly at exactly the same moment that the wind dropped to a gentle breeze. Funny how that always happens. Still, I loved the wind, whichever direction it decided to blow from. After the last few days when it's been so hot running, it felt good to be down by the sea in a cool wind. It was a beautiful run, and afterwards we paddled in the ocean and had coffee. Thanks Ros for your kindness, showing me around the city, sharing your runs with me, and being a fab running buddy!
Day 67
Keeping my promise to myself to get better at other types of exercise, I went to another of Paul's Body Pump classes (thanks Noakes!). I went along in trepidation and feeling a bit stressed about it, as my shoulders were still sore from the last class, and I could barely lift my arms above my shoulders without wincing. Still, as it turned out, I got on a lot better than the last class (as in, I was just rubbish, rather than really rubbish). I'm always amazed by how quickly your body starts to adapt to new things once you've started. It's pretty awesome. Afterwards I ran back home, thinking along the way of how I want to start incorporating other exercises into my running routine as well, when I'm home, which won't be that long away now. But then I started to get anxious about how expensive gyms are in London, and how would I afford it, and fit it in, and what classes there would be, which got me worrying about loads of other stuff, blah blah etc etc... Fortunately my run was only 30 minutes, so I soon enough snapped out of it, and went back to living in the moment, and realising it was only 7.30 am and already I had an awesome workout, and that things were pretty good.
Keeping my promise to myself to get better at other types of exercise, I went to another of Paul's Body Pump classes (thanks Noakes!). I went along in trepidation and feeling a bit stressed about it, as my shoulders were still sore from the last class, and I could barely lift my arms above my shoulders without wincing. Still, as it turned out, I got on a lot better than the last class (as in, I was just rubbish, rather than really rubbish). I'm always amazed by how quickly your body starts to adapt to new things once you've started. It's pretty awesome. Afterwards I ran back home, thinking along the way of how I want to start incorporating other exercises into my running routine as well, when I'm home, which won't be that long away now. But then I started to get anxious about how expensive gyms are in London, and how would I afford it, and fit it in, and what classes there would be, which got me worrying about loads of other stuff, blah blah etc etc... Fortunately my run was only 30 minutes, so I soon enough snapped out of it, and went back to living in the moment, and realising it was only 7.30 am and already I had an awesome workout, and that things were pretty good.
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