On writing and associated issues!

Writing is the cheapest form of therapy. It uncovers issues, stresses and often the 'disowned' parts of ourselves - the spiritual and the noble. Put pen to paper and just....flow. Write as many thoughts that tumble out; no matter how disconnected, rambling, repetitive. Stifle the urge to correct punctuation, grammar...just write. What stops us? We are trained to self doubt, self scrutinize in place of self-expression. Lord knows I struggle with this myself.

The other associated issue I wanted to write about, and I deliberately put this at the very end. Is people!! Why is it sometimes you think you get to know someone and then so abruptly you have no idea who they are. In someways I think I enjoy this aspect of people, you are always suprised and that makes life interesting, at the same time there is a frustration and an anxiety with change. As some of you will know, sociology is not my strong point. Its the dichotomy between the sunny Queensland part of my life and the dark Victorian part of it. I definitely understand dark moods, I have many of them, but the bright sunshine of Queensland warms your mind to the better pleasures in life, which is far more interesting than the dark moods of Victoria..... maybe.....

Anyway, I got in 60 minutes of sweat time this am. I dont sweat here at all - I mostly workout anaerobically, but I get no soreness either. Oh well, as long as my lungs are filled with fresh air every am - I could care less.

Happy weekend all!

Certainty according to Aditi :-)

Ran on a treadmill at 15km/hr for 20 minutes on a 5% incline yesterday before being bored out of my mind and taking myself outdoors. Ended up with 200 stair repeats. The whole thing took me 65 unsatisfying minutes.

This morning was better. A whole lot better - 1240 single stair repeats in 2 hours by the end of which I had salt crystals all over my body. I came home and my mother thought I had powder on my face. It was grainy and looked like sea salt. I think its an electrolyte issue that cropped up just before I left Singapore. Anyway, I will get another 30 minutes of movement in a couple of hours.

On my long flight 3 days ago, I did a few things to keep me occupied. Here is what I came up with. I thought I'd share my guide to life's absolute certainties.

ON FOOD:
Always stick to the first choice you make after reading the menu. He who vacillates will end up with poached offal in porcini jus (true story) - probably just outside Coffs Harbour (he knows who he is).
There will always be another next big ingredient that appears on every chic menu in town, until it goes the way of the last big ingredient - to a cafe somewhere just off the Pacific Highway (or Whoop Whoop - this is the Aussie in me coming out). Remember the Sun-dried tomato?

ON TRAVEL
Holidays will never be long enough, unless you are camping with vegetarians at a holistic watercolor retreat (dont ask, *rolls eyes*).
The cheese selection offered at the end of your in-flight meal will always be served colder than your Champagne.
Packing your clothes between layers of tissue will always be marinally more noisy and troublesome than ringing guest services for an iron, then being woken up from a deep, jet-lagged stupor by loud knocking on your door.

ON CERTAINTY
He who hesitates is lost, or trying to cross the Champs-Elysees.

That is all.

Last long fun run!

Today was my last opportunity to run my usual route. It was a perfect morning - no wind, still and a little bit cool thanks to the heavy downpour yesterday. I left at 4.15am. This is what I realised I love about running: I am a 27 year old woman, but when I run, I feel like a child - young and light on my feet. Why do we forget the things we love when we grow up? I used to love playing outside, engaging in imaginary games. Here at home, I love running because the monotony and pace unravel the knots within. Strangely, when I run outdoors and am around nature, I am unaware that I have knots, so engrossed in the moment that my own identity is subdued. I embrace my own bit part in the scene before me, the whole play in general. Nothing like the big fat trees that I encounter every morning, to illustrate just how transitory our problems and our lives really are. I finished around 6.30am and felt cold sweat in my Rasta-tangle pontytail.

15 miles in 135 minutes
15 cold laps in the pool to quieten my legs.

Recovery Sunday

My body is tired. I felt faint again this morning and very nauseous. Decided to swim, but swimming without sweating first just feels wrong. So wrong. So I made it to 10.5kms and chalked it up to a 'recovery run'. I just enjoyed the relative mildness of the weather this morning. And met the regular morning folk - I'm going to miss these people. I dont know them by name, but have been seeing the same faces since I was a teenager. Anyway, I wont whine about having just 2 more runs left in this city. Without a doubt, my hours every morning is what I'm going to miss the most.

Just over 6 slow miles in 57 or so minutes.
Had an excellent 30 minutes in the pool today - 45 laps.