magical new year

Remember to make yourself that better version of you for this new year, whatever your aspirations, make sure you're giving yourself the best opportunities in your life. Fitness makes you feel more beautiful, health is a gift that keeps giving, healthy body & mind is what life is all about. Strength is something to be admired & if in your possession, to be valued beyond.
I've been reading & performing 'the magic' a book that asks you to count your blessings every day, on a 28 day program to be grateful. I'm currently about a week in. I implore you all to look into doing something similar for the new year, whilst I already feel more positive I know that the true benefits are still to come & I can't wait. Being grateful, sending out positive vibes can only create good energies in your own life & relationships.
Beauty is something that truly shines & I want to be my most beautiful self in 2015... Have a magical new year xoL

make it yours

I'm going to make this next year - 2015 - MINE, are you with me??

Plans for my year ahead...

RUNNING:
1) 6 foot track marathon - in the Blue mountains 
2) Anzac day 100k run - in NSW Sydney 
3) Big red run 250k stage race - in the Simpson desert
WELLBEING:
1) practise yoga daily - vinyasa flow for strength & focus
2) eat healthily whole foods - vegan, clean living, conscious imbibing
3) meditate every day - for peaceful mindfulness
4) practice being grateful - for all the gifts that life keeps giving
WORK:
1) turn inspiration into activation 
2) fulfil my potential of my passion for fashion & fitness
3) do my own thing...
RELATIONSHIPS:
1) be a compassionate human being
2) have heart & give good energy out - to attract good people
3) pass on love & understanding

Make this next year your best yet too, always good to set your intentions, to send out your message to the universe... MAKE IT YOURS xox

NOW is the right time

NOW. The festive fun time is the best time to give yourself a break, be good to yourself, share the LUV to your friends & family, treat yourself & others, be kind & giving, send peace & positivity out to the world at this time - the right time. Happy Holidays & well wishes to all!! XoL

& my gift to you guys ~ my vegan mince pies recipe...

Yummy vegan mincemeat:
100g apricots
100g figs
50g sultanas
50g hazelnuts
3 tblsp port
1 juice orange
tsp cinnamon
tsp nutmeg
tsp all spice

Healthy vegan pastry:
11/2 cups oats
1/2 cup almonds (ground to meal)
1/2 cup coconut 
2 tblsp maple syrup
2 tblsp macadamia nut oil
1 tsp vanilla 

Basically.. Mix the mincemeat roughly in a food processor. 
Likewise the pastry mix. Roll out the pastry after chilling in the fridge for 20 mins & create mini pie shells in a baking tray, fill with the mincemeat & fill in the top with pastry. Bake for 40 mins at a low oven temp..

Serve with a glass of festive port on xmas eve...

namaste & newness

Now I have had a few days of rest & reflection. My energy is restored & I am reevaluating my routine. I need to take my life back to basics. I am so blessed to have a healthy mind & body which is possessed through my running wild in the woods, my peaceful yoga practices & spiritual time meditating & reading, & finally feeding & nourishing my body & soul.
Why I recommend running - ask any runner if they're happy. I defy you to find someone who runs who isn't happy, running gives you a healthy outlook. I'm always in a better mood post run when those endorphins are fizzing & I have the knowledge that my run is done. & when I'm in training I feel fit = smiles.
Why I recommend yoga - to twist your body, to flush out the toxins, to quieten your mind throughout the postures, to exude health & self awareness. Yoga at times can be confronting & we know that we don't get anywhere if we don't confront ourselves & our fears. Yoga helps me to deal & heal.
& what about Meditation? It comes to me through running (that repetitive beat of my feet) or through yoga practice (being mindful of each breath) but pure meditation, sitting on my own, in stillness & silence as I chant my mantra in my mind, it gives me a beautiful vibe of oneness, that slip of light that carries me through the challenges.
For nourishment, the past few days I have only eaten fresh, organic produce, juices, smoothies, key ingredients - garlic, beetroot, ginger, blueberries, mango, kale & spinach, apples, almonds... (my coriander gazpacho deliciously nutritious & my beetroot juice just health in a glass of gorgeousness - see below) I am sure my recovery had been respondent to healing properties of whole foods.
I can see where the balance is needed in my world & sending out best wishes to you to, for you to find your happy place on this planet, 
namaste xox


'THE CURE' CORIANDER GAZPACHO -

12 CHERRY TOMATOES
1 MEDIUM RED CAPSICUM
1 LARGE GARLIC CLOVE
LARGE HANDFUL CORIANDER
JUICE OF LIME
10CM OF CUCUMBER
CHILLI FLAKES
PINK SEA SALT
& BLENDED TO SMOOTH... (SERVED WITH SONOMA KALAMATA OLIVE SOURDOUGH - BEST BREAD EVER!!)

BEAUTIFUL BEET JUICE -

HANDFUL SPINACH
HANDFUL KALE
1 BEETROOT BULB
1/2 LEMON
1 CARROT
10CM CUCUMBER
5CM GINGER 
1 SMALL APPLE
COLD PRESSED JUICED... ON ICE =)

tough times

Just let that sh*t go... Sometimes you have to. Work, life, problems, sadness, let it all go. NOW.

Just when I was feeling good (yes a little stressed at work with my million meetings & managing) but I've been concentrating on healthiness, been yoga practising, been lightly running, BUT I get knocked down. Shingles. So down.

I've been told it is caused by being STRESSED & severely run down. So making potions of beetroot & ginger, green veggie juices & sneaky homemade chocolate treats to keep my immune system functioning & my energy levels boosted. Vitamin C & B12 & zinc are being bountifully imbibed.

Sadness consumes me, I can't run, or exercise at all & I must rest. But it is the psychological therapy I miss & being ill is killing me. I need to switch off & give myself a break or xmas will be no fun for me!! The only real cure is REST. (& rom coms!!)

I have not always been so health orientated, a teenage alcoholic, a drug fuelled twenties & a history of eating disorders has obviously affected my being & body that is why I have made the decision to detox, to give my body a best chance to be clean & pure & in return it has given me strength & power & vigour. 

I can't help thinking about my past life & the damage done. Being ill makes you realise how precious health & happiness really is. Cherish yourself, this is the only life you've got. Do what makes you happy as long as it is good for you! I wish I had this realisation sooner rather than in my late 30's!! But hey, NOW is better than never.

Sending out luv & light to the world for a peaceful, healthy & happy run in to the festive holiday......

new challenges...

6 foot track marathon entered. March 14th 2015. Will require much of the following...

Commitment: what it needs to achieve what you desire. The will to get up every morning to run. 

Time: Creating space in life to put into you. Every single training session counts. 

Effort: You have to put in the hard yards. Pushing your limits.

Reward: Feeling fit strong & healthy at the start line. Crossing the finish line in any which way.

be better

Monday morning memo...

I want to be better. A better human. A better runner. & I am going to become better by being kind to myself & challenging my limits. 

Everyday running & yoga can only make you happier & stronger & 'better'. Fact.

It doesn't matter who you are, where your fitness is at, what state of mind you are in. Any step, even a baby step, is a step forward, it's about making progress. Take it. That step or a leap frog jump over any obstacles. Throw yourself into it. Whatever that is for you.

Passing on the positivity. There. Over to you. XO

Girl Rising

After my yin yoga class last night, giving me peaceful openness I watched this movie, confronting, heartbreaking yet beyond inspirational. I implore you to watch this amazing doco. & to be a part of the movement 'GIRL RISING' By giving a girl an education she has a better chance to be safer in this world & to create a better life for herself, her family, her community & for the entire human race. I have been blessed in my life with an education that has given me incredible opportunities & I wish that could extend to the girls who need it more than most, to empower the most vulnerable. Surely every girl has the right to live her life with freedom & without fear, with support to learn & to survive.

rocky road

These photos from last weekend are from the mighty Blue Mountains, climbing rocky crags, scrambling to the summit, trekking for 7 hours, camping & making fires with baked beans & potatoes (beautiful but fundamental food), dancing around the campfire in me onesie =) the bioluminescent bugs dancing with me in the night & hiding from mysterious wildlife in the tent, lots of laughing & basically loving life at it's most basic!!

It's so good to get away from it all, be in nature, be challenged on the trail, & to break out of the daily grind that has been getting me down of late. Listening to the sounds of the stream rippling by & of the bush noises well into the night, the beautiful light that was twilight took me away from myself & I was happy to just be present in the wonder filled wilderness.... 

sunny Sundays

My perfect Sunday recovery day..

1) Early morning awakening with natural sunlight pouring through my windows, slinking around my place.
2) Supping green chai tea & making bliss balls for breakfast whilst watching the football lying on my floor cushions.
3) Vinyasa flow yoga class at my new local studio, my new luv. Power, focus, strength.
4) Run 7ks to & from the park in the sun listening to some 90's club classic tunes.
5) Chatting in the park with one of me besties & her dog.
5) Lying in the sun on my balcony, reading Stephen Fry's "More fool me".
6) Veggies shopping at whole foods for organic smoothies ingredients for the week.
7) Chatting on Skype to my family & friends across the world.
8) & polishing off a whole tub of 'SO delicious' coconut milk turtle trails ice creammmmmm.
9) An early night. Bath of epsom salts & in my bed. Night xo

new magic

THE MAGNIFICENT MOUNT SOLITARY - TRAILING FROM HERE TO THERE CREATED SOME FUCKING GOOD MAGIC TODAY, READ ON...

Having just returned from an amazing / challenging bush adventure in my fave Blue mountains, run / walking from the Golden Stairs to Mount Solitary to Chinamans Gully & all the way back again. I feel positively alive. & I had to write of a happier state of being after me last post & I want to send gratitude out there for the experience. With beautiful clear skies kindly provided, my 'nature healing' expedition clearly was just the tonic.
I'm excited about the future again, I feel like things are about to change, & I am going to make the necessary adjustments in my life to create a new direction. Don't know why I'm sensing this but I just am & being away today helped to give me the clarity of mind, I ran off the blues! There's nothing like summiting a long hard climb for building confidence.
Now I found these words (below) & they have been my mantra all day, all the while when I was panting, pushing on, heaving myself up the steep & rocky terrain, feeling faint in the hot heat, & with my tired legs screaming at me... 
KEEP GROWING & GIVING & MOVING.
Running not only empowers & inspires but it keeps me wanting to be the best version of me, & after 6 hours out there today I'm feeling pretty proud of myself, for personal growth is important to share the love, so, to new magical beginnings..... 

feeling lost

"Climb every mountain, search high & low, follow every byway, every path you know. 

Climb every mountain, ford every stream, follow every rainbow, til you find your dream." 

(The wise words of the reverend mother - The Sound of Music)

I hope when I run in the Alpine challenge in a few weeks time I find myself again, feeling lost... Sending out some prayers to the universe to guide me there... Hope that wherever you are, you're on your right path navigating your way through the rocky terrain that is life too... xox

Kyoto trail run

My trail run in Kyoto last weekend was a super good day. Not in the running sense & that it wasn't painful because indeed it was. & it wasn't the fastest 32k by far so no records were broken. No it's my actual back that is broken!! & with my once again sore sacroiliac joint it was frustrating but it was an incredible feat to finish. & in Japan on a beautiful track. & with me brother. So it was special.
Little bit of history here: My first memories of running involve my brother, racing in the back lane behind grandma & granda's. Then we went to running events in the north east of England at school age. I remember him always winning, so I started swimming until he beat me at swimming too! I pretty much gave up sport at 12 years of age to take up chasing boys, booze & tabs! But after a 10 year hiatus in 2001 I started training again, to race my brother in the Great North run half marathon. 
Circumstance & 9/11 stopped us from competing in the GNR that year. & over the past few years entries into races like the Tokyo marathon were declined & with geographical difficulties no races were run.  A few river & beach jogs on family holidays proved that brother is still faster. Meh. But. Now was my time to win the sibling rivalry running battle. This year when I have ran my 100k convincingly & feeling fit & fabulous & fast. So we entered into a 32k trail run through the mountains surrounding Kyoto. 
But well, we're no longer spring chickens as our dad keeps reminding us! & then we both carried injuries into the competition, with my damn back pain back again with a vengeance after a fall & me bro's dodgy knee we hobbled around the amazing trail; me: "eee me back" brother: "ah ma knee" so we just took it easy down hills challenging his knees, & the nimble trail technical twisting trialling my joint.
However we had a reet giggle throughout, got high on power gels & nurofens, talked about life, dug deep on the steep slopes & didn't speak, laughed at each others ailments as brothers & sisters do & we analysed over the distance & deliberated the finishing time mostly from the outset.
& so we when we finally crossed the finish line together after 5 hours 56 mins the competitiveness was completely lost out there in the mountains. When we actually ran over the line the finish ribbon blew away so they were all flapping around & we had to stop & wait to run thru it, so a good job it wasn't a sprint finish between the two of us!! I'm just so happy & blessed to have shared the running adventure experience together!! Running x family time = fun times.

 Shameless selfies at the startline, with ambitions for a speed off!!

Brother on a bridge break, just taking in some energy bars & beautiful valley views...

 Kimonos hangin' in the sun, quirky Japanese nuances kept me entertained on the journey.

Photo moment. Me. One of the most serene & stunning sights along the course we crashed down the mountain to discover this lake, one of the nicer trail running surprises (the extra surprise 3 kilometres at the end of the race when our energy was waning was not one of those!!) 

beach please

BEACH PLEASE?? Oh ok go on then.. 
This weekend I plan to run along the beach - to the coast then from Coogee to Bondi & back - a dreamy distance of 30 kilometres & then, well I'm basically going to lie on the beach for the rest of what is to be a lush long one, 3 days of chillaxin' n sunnin' myself by the beautiful ocean. I'll be absorbing as much vital vitamin D on Sunday & Monday as I possibly can & maybes I'll even have my first dip in the water this summer.
So also I will be buying my new swimmies for the season, care of Zimmermann a super special swim brand. I'll also be juicing for rejuvenation & that bikini body to look good in said swimsuit. 
This weekend I am really feeling the need for nurture, I'm quite fatigued & my energy stores are low so locking in loving myself for the next few days - massage, lie ins, green veggies, herbal teas, retail therapy, swims, sunshine, friends & meditation all getting locked in. Looking forward to bright blue sunny skies & happy good times... Happy Friday guys xoL

never give up...

This Japanese proverb is literally & really resonating with me right now. Not too distant are the memories of falling down the mountain at the weekend. & in the foreseeable future I will be on the Alpines probably doing much of the same slipping up & smashing my legs up. I have a long way to go to overcome my fears of falling, an 100 mile ultra marathon perhaps.

But this is also rocking my living, my day to day reality. When I find it hard to stand tall, be strong, have willpower, give good energy out, get out of bed even, one must never quit. & these words kinda guide me to keep trying. Keep positive. & make good things happen with perseverance. & the good times will roll in. Never give up on dreams, life, love.... 

& well, I'm off to Japan in 2 weeks. a) to see my family & b) to race & hopefully beat my lil brother in a trail run in Kyoto. I know very little about the course except the distance is around 36k & I can't wait for new views & paths of the mountains of the region to acquaint myself with. & I'll have my nephews (ages 2 & 4) for support crew. I am getting super excited for this one...

beautiful blues

@ summit of mt. Solitary 

The blue mountains challenged us & captivated us once again, they never fail to delight & demonstrate to us their expansive beauty with steep mountainous terrain. Yesterday was a journey... 
I set off from Sydney at 5.30am with a friend for our trail run/trek & was out at the golden stairs just before 9am on a perfect spring sunny morning with undulating forest tracks tempting us into the bush. 
& at 10am we were warmed through by jogging & jumping over rocky trails & skipping in the sun concentrating on every footstep & nimbly navigating with complete attention creating awesome meditative awareness. 
By 11am we had ascended up to the summit of mount Solitary with a few scrapes & scrambles. The viewpoints on this track were overlooking the stunning national park area with scattered clouded skies overhead, the sounds of lyrebirds, bees buzzing & watching the hawks having a graceful dance. (whilst simultaneously on the AFL grand final football pitch the hawks were also leading a merry dance - GO HAWKS - my namesakes & aussie footy faves) For this was what we had come for - those moments of astounding beauty & natural life energy.
Come midday we had scaled rock faces, got lost (ok, detours), were sitting eating lunch of my homemade energy bars, bananas, pretzels, sesame honey bars & mixed nuts washed down with hydrating h2O. & discussing higher spiritual powers (me) vs the scientific assertions around faith, religion & fact (Stu) I still believe. Stu does not.
Around 2pm we reached the Col where there is a log book to sign in to join the other venturers who had come before us, nice to be a part of trekkers history. So we had traversed the ridge to get to this point & then my personal biggest challenge begun; running down a steep technical downhill. I was scared. & after twisting my both my ankles (ouch, & twice) I was fearful of flying face first down the cliff edge. & I was frustrated that I just couldn't 'let myself go' this is what as I wannabe trail runner I have to overcome.
When we reached the river at the very bottom a little battered & bruised at around 3pm we were happy to lie down in the afternoon sun for a while, absorbing the environment, listening to the water gently rippling by us & discussing the dangers & drinking the water without any purification. So far so good & no parasites causing havoc in our digestive systems as yet.
Now we had reached the bottom we knew what was to come next, the last push right up to the top of the ever so high cliff faces looming above us. Now I LUV this bit, the heat bearing down, powering up the mountain, on a never ending incline we marched, huffed & puffed, threw everything we had back at the Blue mountains and then finally reached the peak at 4pm. 
Finished & frazzled we were fizzing from the endorphins as we drove back into Katoomba town for replenishment & reviewing the days events as the sun set over this majestic mountainous land. I finally got home at 9pm, tired after a terrific testing & amazing awe inspiring day. Hoping I can carry through these good vibes into the week ahead. Sending them out there with gratitude.

limitations??

Bring on the beautiful Blue Mountains national park this weekend. Running, camping, trekking, climbing, walking, breathing, being.
After this week I am beyond ready for the peace & tranquil surroundings & fresh air for nourishment of the mind, body & spirit.
I will be absorbing as much positive vibrations from the earth, stopping & seeing the amazing natural world around me along our 30k planned path.
I have entered the Alpine challenge 100 miler. Repeat. 100 miler. Major. Although it will be a slow trek rather than a steady run it will be challenging, full stop. Anticipating tiredness & toughness. This weekends' trail trial will see me through 1000ft of elevation in my first terrain train for the event on November 30th. So I'm seeing myself overcoming my limitations on that day, running over many peaks & reaching the horizons literally & personally it will be another dream crossing over to reality.
Hoping this weekend brings us all bliss & brilliance in whatever form we wish for without anything holding us back, go out there & find it, cross those boundaries & reach the moon... NO LIMITS!!

listening...

DID YOU HEAR THEM???

Listening is something to which we should all perhaps do with a little more awareness... Listening to your friend in need reaching out for your support or kindness, to your inner wisdom sounding you out & letting you know the right path for you to take, to the wind in the trees telling you a storm's a coming, take notice of your body telling you it's exhausted & wishing you would rest & relax. Or listen to your footsteps on the pavement playing their rhythmic beats, mind you they might well create an unwritten symphony of thrash metal angst music like in my marathon on Sunday!!!
I am not superwoman. Fact. I only just found that out though. On Sunday when my invincibility cloak was snatched away from me & with it, my energy & belief. In the last month I have ran my amazing 100k, an achievement that made me so proud however with not a moments' rest to recover I was straight back into my crazy creative workload & then jumped onto a long haul to LA. Worked my ass off. & then after another flight to NY. Worked said ass off again. & then I travelled 1/2 way across the planet, all the 24 hour long way back. I landed, jet lagged & jaded on Friday, raced around all Saturday & then lined up to race on Sunday morning at Sydney's marathon start line. & it was to be the hardest & longest 4 hours to the finish...
I didn't listen to my body telling me to slow down & I suffered from the start. & a marathon 42.2k is a long way to run if you aren't feeling anything but mighty fine. I was truly exhausted when I finished & my recovery this week has been slow. My chiro told me that I was all twisted & out of sync. So now I am listening. & meditating. & sleeping. & hoping. That next week I will feel better & brighter. & I'll be listening to the beautiful sounds of nature in the mountains this weekend. & for the future I'll be listening for my feet to patter gently & with grace for life is not always a race....

Do this...

EAT WELL 

WORK HARD

LOVE TRULY

TRAVEL OFTEN

ABOVE PHOTOS FROM MY TRIP - AMAZING ORGANIC ACTIVATED HEALTHY RAW FOOD IN LA /// HOTEL EXIT DOOR IN NYC /// SUNSETTING PALM TREES & THE PACIFIC OCEAN /// & JETSETTING IN THE SKIES CROSSING THE USA...

I'm still eating healthily & having much green juice intake, working beyond hardness every waking hour, loving as much as I can do on my own that means self, planet & people around me & still on my travels, currently residing in the hip ACE hotel & in LUV with the loud & quirky place. Running the West side highway around Manhattan for 10k in the morning & then I'll be heading back across to my home to get ready for the Sydney marathon on Sunday!!! 

LA LA land...

Just roaming around the planet for work ~ hangin' in ma Los Angeles office & going on epic enlightening runs around the beautifully star populated hip hangout Californian sun soaked city...

Run no.1 -->
After arriving with a bump, & with jet lagged sleep, broken dreams & a hectic busy schedule meeting & meetings I felt like I needed to create some good energy. & at 2 in the morning, ping! Wide awake. The joys of jet lag! So not wanting to succumb to the symptoms I meditated, restorative yoga'd & at 5am I ran out into the LA night. I ran along Beverly Wils blvd, as the city began to rouse I had a run a quiet 10k & was ready for the day.

Run no.2 -->
After 8 hours of shopping!!! We finished at 5pm. & I was at a loose end before my date (yes a date) So I decided to run to Santa Monica (from Beverly Hills) to see the sun set over the Pacific ocean. It was a HOT day & I'm not sure I properly readied myself for what was to become a 3 hour round trip run! NO hydration or nutrition!!! But off I ran into the setting sun.
I was sweating buckets & pushing through it, sometimes you just gotta do it & to be perfectly honest it wasn't the prettiest of paces along the smoggy Santa Monica Blvd traffic filled freeway. But when I arrived at the beach & I got into the calming energy of the stunning sunset it was well worth the long jog home in the soft light along the palm lined streets. & when I did eventually get back to the hotel, my reward was a great date with a hot charming creative & beautiful Brazilian man & 2 cold beers.....

SANTA MONICA BEACH AT SUNSET WITH STRETCHY LEGS

Run no.3 -->
I awoke early on Saturday morning to set off on my Runyon canyon expedition. To get there I ran through the streets of Beverly Hills, along Fountain ave. & Sunset Boulevard to Hollywood's 'walk of fame' & right at the top of La Brea to Runyon canyon park. I trekked up to the peak after my hour run to see the whole of the city stretched out before me as the heat intensified & my feelings were electrified, there's nothing quite like a sunrise summit. Surrounded by strangers & strange dogs & soundbites of peoples lives & the sounds of the mountain. I was so grateful that I could experience this spectacular moment. & then... I ran back, drenched myself in water & got drunk on endorphins!! 

GOOD MORNING RUNYON CANYON & MY SHADOW

Total distances done on the run in LA:
1) 10k
2) 30k 
3) 20k
Total: 60k of yay.

recovery rant

Here's my official result from last Sunday's run, still recovering from the remarkable race. & back running!! Just a light jog yesterday morning, a slow & a little stiff 10k, looking forward to my Monday morning run before I jump on a flight to Los Angeles...
My legs are feeling good after a chiro adjustment & a few floats in the pool & yesterday I had a sports massage to relieve the lactic acid build up from an 11 hour run. BUT. I went boozing last night, the first time in what feels like forever!! & the last time for a while too. I just can't cope with the hangover vibes.
SO for the next 2 weeks of travelling to LA X NYC I'm back in goodness & gratitude to my body mode, going for super healthy style. I've packed my vital greens, my pukka detox tea & looking forward to finding some raw foodie restaurants. 
I have become increasingly aware of the relationship with good food to good mood. I've only seen myself grow in happiness & confidence as I have converted to a plant based whole food diet. I truly believe in treating my body with care & luv, feeding my soul only good & clean. 
But for now, after my derailment I'm recovering from my radical drinking marathon. meh. My inspiration for my travels... EMBRACE & LOVE YOUR BODY, IT IS THE MOST AMAZING THING YOU WILL EVER OWN.

The incredible tan ultra

I have no words to describe my run yesterday. OK I do... Incredible, awesome, amazing, challenging, inspired, painful, enlightening, maybes even transformative, whatever, the outcome was beyond my wildest ambition. & I am so very proud of my latest running achievement.

I placed. 3^rd female. I ran 100ks in 11 hours 14 mins. I felt fabulous & free, strong & serene.  My sweet spot was between 45 & 65 kilometres as I floated around the track, yes really!!

My race report – The Tan ultra 100k run

I have been wanting to run 100k for 2 years now. Just to see how far I could really run. So yesterday’s race was the culmination of all the purpose & perpetual planning for this day.  I had prepared enough energy food for five runners to run 500k & on the day I just wanted bananas! (since devoured my delicious nutritious power bars!) 
I had had a restless sleep as nervous excitement kept me thrashing all night. My day began at 5am, eating my energizing cacao oat cakes –

1 cup oats

¼ cup cacao

2 tblsp coconut oil

2 tblsp maple syrup

2 tblsp mesquite

salt

& I arrived at the Tan track in my beloved Melbourne at the dawn of a beautiful morn, the awakening of a superbly stunning Spring day. The sun got pretty hot out there as the 22 degrees felt like 30!! But we started to run at 7am, & as I settled into my 6 min/k pace I felt just OK. It took me a while to get my groove going.

I just didn’t get my nutrition right, I had stitches ffs. & I was more than aware of every twinge & painful niggle that made me question if I could actually run 100ks. I kept running even when I convinced myself that my ankle was dislocated! Relentlessly chipping away at the distance. I gained momentum after I ran thru the marathon distance. I ran around around high on endorphins for a few hours - they are good shit man!
I had a rave up the hill to some good old school 90's rave & thanks to some tracks from Annie Lennox, David Bowie, Freddie Mercury, Chase & Status, Maximo Park, Groove Armada, Pink Floyd, Doves et al they're all legends for helping me through a k or a few.
The beautiful sunshine & energy of all at the amazing runners around the track instilled more inspiration & motivation. As did my spirulina balls....

1 cup walnuts
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1 cup dates
1 tsp spirulina
1/4 cup lemon juice
salt & pepper
sesame seeds to roll

I struggled through the final 30k, I was running into the unknown & it frightened my resolve. The welcome faces of Stevie & Brett helped get to the 16k to go mark & then I knew I had it. But I still had to dig deep until the adrenalin of the last hour accelerated my stride. I really can't remember my thought process, counting down the kilometres, thinking of my next feed, living in the moment, with no music, just breath & being. & full on focusing on each step & closing in on the finish.
The blisters bursting thru 90k were an intense pain I will in future find ways to eradicate. & then my last 8k were strong & determined as I put in a last push. For the finish where my beautiful Harmony was cheering me in. In a dazzling dusk, I was beyond pleased with myself & my podium place.
The two amazing lasses in 1st & 2nd place; Felicity & Annabel are my new heroines. Amazing humans. I can't wait to run with them again. Ok so I will concentrate on just being able to walk normally for the next few days first before contemplating future challenges...
Thanks to all involved in what was an awesome day for me. Happy running. Lots of LUV. XoX