Warning: This post is not about running!

I have some bad news.

I feel like I have fallen off the running bandwagon.

Even just saying those words makes me feel sad and guilty, and want to promise to get back on it as soon as possible! But it seems that life just gets in the way - my job, seeing my bloke, Netball... not to mention my total laziness when it comes to doing my washing so I've actually had no clean work out gear for days. That's been my excuse anyway.

Instead I've been reading a million wedding blogs (an obsession. Sad, I know, especially considering I don't even live with my BF, and we are years and years off weddings), and preparing for one of my favourite, anual jobs: Wedding Expo modelling! Every year I get to model beautiful wedding dresses (and one year a not-so-beautiful wig) at the Wedding expo. Here I am last year wearing a hat/fascinator. The lady was adamant that it MUST be called a 'hatinator'. No joke.

Here is the 'hatinator' in all its glory from the back.

This is one of the biggest dresses I have worn. It was a bitch to walk around in and collected fluff from the carpet the whole day.

This photo was actually used in an advertisement for some wedding magazine!! They obviously couldn't tell there was a shit-load of blue fluff on the skirt.
Sorry the picture is so fuzzy. You can see it for real here

Because of this year I want pearls. And a spray-tan all year round. But not the hair-do.

It is something I look forward to doing all year! This is the fourth year I've done it. Sometimes we wear average dresses, sometimes we have really stupid hair, but man it is so much fun! I will try to get some photos.

I will also try to actually GO FOR A RUN THIS WEEK!!!! I'm supposed to be training for a half in AUGUST! Yikes :(

Running the 13 km!

Back to re-capping how my race went!

My friend was speedy. Her pace was faaar too fast for me; I didn't even think about trying to keep up with her. This was my race, I was going to run it they way I knew how. I'm smart enough not to risk being able to run the whole thing just so that I can look cool with a friend. Besides, I wouldn't have looked very cool when I told her I'd have to stop to walk. She ended up running it in 1.10 with her boyfriend. Crazy! Nice way to spend your Sunday though haha

The start was not the easiest. I've had tougher runs, but I was worried my head wasn't in it. The route was rolling hills - up down, up down, up down - and I wasn't expecting it. The road just went past farms, so there wasn't much to look at or run past really. Even though it was beautiful scenery, the lack of landmarks made it feel like I was running really slowly, and not getting very far at all.

However, I carried on! I would spot a person in front of me and chase them down. I know that sounds horrid, but otherwise I wouldn't have had anything to preoccupy me. Right at the start there was an old guy, probably in his 70s, WALKING AT MY RUNNING PACE. It took me so long to get level with him. When I did I said "You've got some pace on you! You're walking as fast as I'm running!" and this old bloke goes "No no, you're doing really well!" it was so so cute and easily my favourite moment of the whole race. We talked about the weather and how it was a great turn out - much nicer than last year he said, when it rained heaps. I told him I'd only been running since January, so it was my first real race ever. When it started to look like I was getting ahead, he said "Have a good race!" He was just so lovely.

I hit 4km almost exactly at 30 minutes. 29 to be exact. I knew I'd need to pick up the pace to get the whole 13km done in 1 hour 30.

So I carried on and past a few people. Quite a few, actually! There was one girl who I was chasing down for ages. I only managed to pass her when she stopped to stretch out her leg, but she didn't catch up to me so I supposed that counts! After about 5km it flattened out. I had the distances written on my arm - 2km, 5km, 10km. I ran past two water stops, and I walked a few steps while I had some sips. It was too hard to run and drink at the same time! I nearly got covered in water the first time I tried hahaha

When I saw the sign that said '4km' to go, I was chuffed. 4km is easy! I was feeling well fine. I hit 8km at around 55 minutes. When I hit 10km, I popped my ipod on and was away. I must have picked up my pace, because that's when I could no longer sense the lady behind me. I had a jet plane (lolly!) just as I hit the part of the track that ran along the river. That was beaaaaaauuutiful.

Part of the track ran perpendicular to the river. It looped around an inlet to the river so that you momentarily ran away from the river at a 90 degree angle, then back towards the river so you could see the runners behind you. Some of the marathon runners had caught up with me and were passing me (!!??), AND THE OLD GUY WAS STILL BEHIND ME. HE'D KEPT UP THAT PACE THE WHOLE TIME! What a legend!!!!!!!  I hope that when I am his age I'm just as awesome as he is. I was honestly in AWE and grinning from ear to ear for him.

Once I hit 2km to go, I picked up the pace. Nothing like a little Avril Lavigne to get you going hahaha. I passed a few more people, and I wish I'd pushed it a bit harder. The last 1km was down one road, then the last 10 metres was around a corner. Once I turned that corner I made for the finish line, but I didn't see the massive clock they had with my time. I'm so gutted now that I didn't see it! But the time on my watch was at 1.32. I got some flowers (it was mothers' day), some water and a banana.

As well as a huge running-high and shit loads of pride!

13km done!

13km baby!

I know it's been over a week since I last updated. This is because the 13km Bunnythrope to Palmerston North run had snuck up on me without my realising. How cheeky of it! I did manage to get in a morning's worth of preparation hahahaha

My goal was to complete it in 1.30. I came in, according to my watch, at 1.32. Yaaay! So so so stoaked! Somehow I missed the HUGE clock at the end showing me my official time? Idiot lol

So I went for a run on Wednesday, even though I was supposed to be resting before the race. I also played two games of Netball and had Netball training, which was heaps of fun.

Anyway, this is my race-day eating plan. I got my friend (PE-Kylie!) to tell me when and what I should eat/drink!
Two hours before the race starts: Breakfast. No caffiene. I had peanut butter on toast (just like normal), with bananas on top. Om nom nom nom!

One hour and a half/One hour to go: Red powerade. Usually I prefer blue powerade but I didn't want to be running with a blue tongue! I drank maybe half of this because I didn't want to need to pee half way through the race!

I also took two nurofen for my knees/ham-strings/calfs! These have been BITCHES recently. I need to stretch them all the freaking time it's very very annoying. I am well sick of them being sore.

Once we got to the start I went to the toilet, and then hopped in line to wait. Waiting sucked lol, but it did give me a chance to get mentally prepared. I had a good think about how I wanted to run the whole thing. No stops! No point entering a race if you are going to be lazy about it. Lucky I was standing with a friend who told me they were starting! Cos I hadn't noticed them counting down at all hahaha.

So off I went!

"Organic" products

Now you might remember that one of my 'resolutions' for this year was to take better care of my hair. So far that's meant not dying it as often, not dying as much of it, avoiding straightening it/using hot tools on it, using expensive shampoo and using treatments.

Today I dyed my hair for the first time all year. I went to a new hair dresser and she was so lovely. One of the most important things I find in a hairdresser is someone who genuinely listens to you, and who you can chat with. Obviously whenever you try a new hairdresser, you're bound to have differences in the result. So today, my hair was a bit yellow-er than normal, and a bit more stripey than I'd like it. HOWEVER, HAIR is NOT an important thing to worry about in the scheme of things. I know that after a few days, it will no longer be stripey. I also know that with a few washes with purple shampoo, it will be back to it's less-yellow self. Not only this, but I know that this happens every single time I got to the hairdressers, whether new or not.

So even though there's a wee while before I'm totally, 100% happy with how my hair looks, I know that IT WILL BE FINE! And if not then she lives right around the corner from me and is too happy to fix it :)

Furthermore (I sound like I'm writing a persuasive essay!), she uses 'organic' products. Now, generally, being organic means natural. However, my mum's a chemist so I know that organic actually means it's made up of carbon atoms. Did you know that EVERYTHING IN THE WHOLE WORLD is made up of chemicals? So when a product tells you it's got no chemicals in it then it's talking bull shit. What it actually means is no nasty, man-made chemicals that might do a lot of damage. However, one must keep in mind that anthrax is an organic chemical. Anyway, what I'm hoping is that the natural products won't be so harsh on my hair, therefore making it less likely to snap off!

Here's to hoping my hair will get beautifully long and blonde and non-stripey!