Olympic Games – PayGlobal style

Last night was our “end of month” drinks at work. I haven’t been since February – when my own team were responsible for the activities and drink/food.

The theme was PayGlobal Office Olympics (POO). Several of the developers put the evening together. It was such good fun.

We had a slalom course in the car park. Had an upturned rubbish bin and a softball bat. Connect head to end of bat, spin round the rubbish bin 5 times then head out on the slalom course – the sights! Some very messy running but surprising how quick they were. Sure didn’t look it.

Then there was archery in one of the offices with the plastic bow and arrows. I managed to get my arrow to stick to the target board but no where close to the target scores.

Then the flash games at the computer where we completed 5 different computer games with Penguins, Yette, Orca’s and African animals.

The best though was the Nintendo Wii Boxing game. There were 4 teams and each team had 4 or 5 team members.

The Wii game meant you had to play off against the team members to see who was the team winner, then the team winner would have to play off with the other team winners.

Well I managed to win for our team (well it was a tie really), then make it to the semi-finals only to be beaten.

It’s fair to say I didn’t know what I was doing, there was technique in the boxing – having remembered those gym classes – but I hadn’t a clue what I was actually doing or should be doing on-screen.

There were prizes for the individual who cleaned up each of the 4 activities, and everyone got to have a sweat band to keep (which you had to wear in order to participate – it was like a bad 80’s flash back).

All the same it would be one of the best end of month events we’ve had at work and they boys did a great job of organising it.

Today has been very busy. It was busy before the cat’s Cat-It water fountain pump decided it didn’t want to go any more and having to dash out to pick up a replacement pump. Off to the Convention Centre to register for the SBS 1/2 marathon. Of course I took my email confirmation of my entry rather than the race number I’d been emailed. Ooops. Soon sorted anyway.

We then went shopping for a new oven for one of our rental properties and at the same time the builder was on the phone saying he would start the maintenance work on Tuesday which meant a quick dash around there (rented by my in-laws) to cut down the Wisteria and some other climbing plant that was climbing along the back of the deck which is being replaced. I raced off to get the grocery shopping done and nip into the Cleaners Warehouse.

Needless to say it’s been a full-on day and I’m quite tired, not to mention my back and arm muscles are tight and achy (Wii Boxing is definitely aerobic). I hope that when I warm up tomorrow that it all loosens up and I’m not left wondering whether participating in last nights fun activities was a wise decision.

Preparing for the 1/2 Marathon

In my mind I have a plan. I also have a dream. The difference is about 3 minutes of running time but in running terms that’s reasonably significant. Especially if you’re behind and have few k’s left to try and make up time.

But despite the preparations that have gone into training for the 1/2 marathon, the weather on the day will be a force unto itself.

And wouldn’t you know it. A southerly is due and it’s meant to rain on Sunday.

So despite all the training, despite the plan and dream, it may come down to the force of nature that puts a spanner in the works.

I know some absolutely love running in the rain, but I’ve pretty much avoided it. I don’t mind a little sprinkling of water. But I haven’t trained in the rain and that’s probably because the thought of it makes me miserable. So if that’s my attitude, I don’t know how I’ll be able to lift my spirits and greet a rainy 2 hours of running with any joy.

What I haven’t shared thus far is that in my preparations for the 1/2 marathon I’ve spent almost 3 weeks sleeping on my own in our spare bed. I know it sounds stupid. It’s not like rugby teams (or was it soccer) that ban sex the night before. It’s got nothing to do with it. Bed hopping puts a whole new spin on things

It’s the cats. I know, who’s the master and all that. But they meow if the door to the bedroom is closed. And if they come in then they snuggle up to me and I can’t get comfortable and end up with a very restless sleep.

So I moved out of the bedroom (and our King, yes King size bed).

Please please let the day be bright enough, or the rain light enough that I don’t end up kicking myself for sleeping in the spare bed. Thankfully only one of the cats has bothered to sleep with me and I can cope with that.

Most of all about the rain I don’t want wet feet. I suffer terribly from socks rubbing my toes and end up with bruised toes. The rain will probably make it worse – earlier.

People at work have been asking over the last few days if I’m ready. I guess I am. There’s nothing else to be done. No more training will make a difference – in a positive way. It’s just making sure I’m hydrating myself enough before the big day. That’s usually my downfall.

Everything else is pretty easy. It’s not the first 1/2 marathon I’ve run (the second though), but it is the first after several injuries and I want to finish in a better time than last – and that’s the challenge I’ve set myself.

I’ll be running my own race, focused on my breathing and keeping a steady pace. Making sure I swing my arms properly to avoid the tension build up that cripples me at the end when all movement ceases.

I’m sure at the end we’ll just scuttle away and get on with ordinary life and I’ll be able to chalk up another event. I’ll have my medal of course.

Life seems so busy that there’s not time to reflect on the glory or consider the things that went well. There’s always enough time to think about the things that could have been done better That’s not necessarily a bad thing if it means improvements next time round.

I’m sure the atmosphere will be terrific. There will be people there more enthusiastic than me, that have bigger accomplishments than mine. It’s their excitement I feel and get wrapped up in. I smile to myself when I overhear conversations from people who are new, that this is their first, their trepidation and yet their triumph will be enjoyed more than mine.

One thing that worries me after completing the run is that I don’t actually have another event planned. I’ll feel like a bit of a drifter not knowing what’s next, where I’m headed, aimless in a sense.

I would like to complete an off-road running event. What I know about them in zilch other than it’s something I’ve not done before and I prefer the challenge of doing something new to repeating something (she says now running the SBS for a 2nd time).

So, to Sunday – to the start line – to the finish line!

A culture of non celebration

If you’ve been reading along you’ll have learnt Mark got a promotion at work.

You know how he celebrated? He had a shandy (see Wikipedia). Whipdee doo, a huge celebration that was.

We have oodles of bottles of (expensive) wine at home, always saving it for a special occasion.

Did we open one when we bought our new house, completed the renovations, sports events or got a promotion? No.

We did however open one up when Dad announced his engagement.

So what’s the story here? We’ll celebrate someone else’s good news but we’re not worthy?

I asked Mark why he thought we were like this. Was it because we choose not to spend our money splashing out on a dinner (there’s always those ever increasing mortgage rates and petrol costs to burst your bubble), because I don’t drink, because we’re too old to hit the town – and I’m not a party girl.

He thought it was probably all those things.

I look at the Complete Performance folder on myself. One of the things I put down as a weakness was my lack of willpower to push myself. To combat that I said I needed to set rewards.

So even now when I do something that I don’t really feel enthusiastic about doing but get it done, I don’t even give myself the reward. I don’t set up a reward system so it’s unlikely to work but still.

So why don’t I set rewards? Maybe all the things I like I just go and get – and I’m talking about food as a treat. And it comes back to I don’t want to spend the money – on something larger like a new pair of running tights. Talking of tight

Even at work it’s the same culture of non celebration. Ok we don’t do ourselves favours at times because we run out of time to test *every* scenario our software could possible encounter. Is it because when we release a version of software we expect there to be instant bugs found pee’ing off our customers? Are we actually ducking for cover and waiting for the onslaught of issues being raised.

We don’t seem to believe it’s gone well enough to be so bold as to plan some sort of celebration.

In fact when it’s the end of the tax year (and we’re in payroll software so this is critical stuff – tax) our end of month drinks theme is more about stopping and taking a breath. We’ve been rushing around like chocks with their head cut off just dashing from one crisis to another trying to squeeze it all in before it has to be packaged and out the door that we’re exhausted.

So there’s no celebrating at work either.

I guess I care about this, or it irks me enough that I’ve given it some thought and spoken about it to Mark. And it’s all because he got a promotion and we didn’t do anything to acknowledge it.

What a sad sorry bunch we are.

Meanwhile, the wine cabinet continues to gather dust and even grow!

Do you make a point of celebrating your successes?

Today’s training done and dusted

Since Mark’s change in office hours I decided to match him today and start at 9am.

This meant I was able to get up at the normal time of 6am and complete my training before heading to work.

Today was a short 40 minute run with 3 intervals of 1 minute (with a 1 minute rest between).

I was pleased to see at the 1km mark my time was 5:25. This is more or less what I need for the SBS 1/2 Marathon on Sunday.

I decided I wouldn’t begin the intervals until the turn-around point. I headed from home to Beach Road. There’s just one wee rise in there as you go behind the QEII golf course.

I had my headlamp on because at that time of the day it’s quite dark, and behind the golf course is pitch dark as there’s no street lighting. Plus they’re digging it up to add in a new housing development.

The intervals were ok actually. I also found that I didn’t drastically drop the pace from what I had run on the way out. I’m always a bit puffed after putting in a bit more effort.

So I got home in 39.38 (7.08km), had a quick few stretches, threw work clothes in my backpack and changed into cycle gear.

Remembering it’s meant to be at recreational pace, I didn’t put any real effort into it.

What a difference leaving 50 minutes later than my usual time. The roads are much busier, but it’s also a bit more interesting too.

Well, almost time to log off and then bike home. Another recreational bike ride home.

Big shoes to fill

Yesterday was Mark’s first day working 9 – 5. Since I didn’t have any evening training it was a rarity for me to be home on my own.

That meant I was cooking, getting the cats outside for fresh air, closing curtains, putting the fire on and making my lunch for the following day instead of Mark (ok he doesn’t make my lunch).

As I was scuttling around the house trying to achieve all this before he arrived home I realised that I had big shoes to fill.

Mark does all this, plus make his lunch – which comprises of a fresh fruit salad and a sandwich – sometimes get a load of washing on or doing his ironing, as well as making something fiddly for dinner like Scalloped Potatos.

I had an easy meal to prepare, just lamb steaks with veggies. Nothing difficult in that. Ok, I managed to sit and read my book for 10 minutes in between dashing out side to make sure the cats weren’t tangled up (they have harnesses and a 5m lead which is attached to some sturdy twig or branch around the garden – they’re inside cats).

I did take the time to get the garage open so that Mark didn’t have to fiddle about finding his key so he could put his bike in there. I thought about getting his slippers out by the door – how old do I feel! – but didn’t.

So he arrived home at 5:50 while I was outside talking to the cats. He had his sunglasses on! It’s blinkin dark at that time – what was he thinking?!

I asked of course. The answer was simple. His sunglasses have built in earphones because his sunnies are a MP3 player. He wanted to listen to music, and he assured me he could see.

Gotta love him. And I do! He’s a miracle worker getting everything at home sorted so that when I arrive after some sort of training I need do nothing else but sit down and eat. Of course there’s a days worth of babbling I need to catch him up on. Maybe he’ll read my blog to save himself having to listen to me go on and on