Pokes, Prods and Probes

Any day that starts with an internal ultrasound has got to be a good one right?

But before we get to that fun little basket full of kittens I know you are all dying to know how my birthday Pinterest experiment went with the Pallet Herb Garden!

I'm calling this one a success so far. We planted a little bit of everything - coriander, parsley, lettuce, rocket, sage, dill, basil... You get the idea. The real test of success is how well my tasty little seedlings go from here - and with me as their primary caretaker they better be made of tough stuff!

My Pallet Garden may have been a winner but the same can't be said for my birthday cake! Along with generally not feeling much like myself I've also appeared to lost my baking skills. My plan was for a mega cake that combined the best of two delicious worlds - my favourite brownies and my recent new love, giant cookie cake. These are both recipes that I've made before with great results but today? No bueno. The Brownies came out dry and crumbly and the cookie cake took the opposite road and refused to cook in the middle. When I turned it out of the pan a big layer of goopy cookie dough remaining firmly in place IN the pan rather than on the cake.

Ever get that sinking feeling? 

I sent my sister the picture informing her that there was a major cake-fail going down at my place. Together we decided that buttercream was the only solution.

Copious amounts of sugary buttercream can cover a multitude of sins! The heart on top was a desperate attempt at diverting attention from my woeful frosting job... Very effective. I am dreading cutting into this monstrosity at work tomorrow - I'd much prefer to turn it into a smash cake and take to it with a hammer but alas, I have promised my workmates cake and I am all out of time (and patience) to bake another one. Fingers crossed it tastes better than it looks! 

Gardening and cake out of the way, its time to get to the TMI section of the post. Feel free to change the channel now if you would prefer... For those continuing, today was the dreaded day of my ultrasound. My doctor had warned me that while I could expect to have the usual abdominal ultrasound (ala pregnancy scan) I could also look forward to something a little more invasive - think pap smear but with pictures! I was lucky enough to score a lovely Scottish lady who informed warned me that she was 'learning'. This did absolutely nothing to ease the nerves I was already experiencing! She got to the business of the abdominal scan and I felt a little odd thinking that this could possibly be the one and only time I have this done (Danny and I are undecided on the whole parenthood caper) 

The abdominal scan was easy enough and I got to watch everything on a lovely screen mounted on the ceiling. I can imagine this would be much more exciting if you were seeing the first glimpse of your unborn child but alas, all I was seeing was undefinable blobs that were apparently my internal organs. I have no clue how they are able to tell on shadowy mass from another and I'm still not convinced that my tech could! She spent a long, long time massaging the area around kidneys with her little wand bizzo... so long that I started to get worried she had discovered something scary in there. 

While my Scottish scan tech was lovely enough I was glad when she let me know that a more experienced tech would be performing the internal scan. Score one to me right? I was introduced to the second lady and she was equally kind but also obviously much more experienced - she got down to business, getting me to change into a very flattering backless gown before explaining exactly what I could expect. I kind of appreciated how direct and clinical she was about it all and found myself almost entertained by her running commentary as she explained all the different things that were popping up on the screen. 

Here are the three important things that scan tech number two was able to tell me - 

1. I have a uterine fibroid - lucky me! 

2. I have gallstones - holy hell, all these special surprises! They must have known I just had a birthday!! 

3. The all important verdict on PCOS - my instincts were right and both of my ovaries were clear. 

So that leaves me with one more possibility crossed off but two new things to add to my odd little list of issues. That said, the scan tech said that since neither the gallstones or the fibroid were giving me pain or complications they were most likely nothing to worry about. Comforting but I also wonder if they are linked to AF or if they are stand alone issues? 

Next up is a trip to my doctor on Thursday. I am intrigued to see what she makes of the negative PCOS results given that I still haven't gotten a period. I am hoping that I will be brave enough to ask her opinion on AF given that I've been told doctors can be a bit sceptical about it being a true diagnosis. I have a tendency to be gungho about having these discussions with doctors until I am actually sat in front of them and then the scaredy cat inside takes over an I sit there nodding along as they suggest other long-shot medical possibilities. 

I think desperation will be enough to make me speak up however. My symptoms seem to be getting worse at a rapid rate - on Saturday and Sunday I wasn't able to make it through the afternoon without falling asleep and I think I only got through this afternoon without a snooze because I ingested copious amounts of sugar while baking that mess of a cake! And then there's the whole crying at the drop of a hat thing... both symptoms aren't very conducive with being at work. I'm sure to get strange looks if I burst out crying at my desk before falling asleep like some kind of emotional narcoleptic. 

With all of this talk of feeling like poo and general negativity I wanted to change up the mood for the end of this post. I spied the quote below when browsing through Pinterest the other day and it resonated with me straight away. Apparently a lot of other people feel the same way because it's since been re-pinned from my board over 500 times... My most popular pin yet! It's such a simple statement yet so profound - Well done Lana.

 - source -

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I'd Like To Know...


What is your favourite quote or snippet of wisdom?

and

When have you scored a 'learner' when you'd really prefer someone with a bit more experience?

Birthday Perfection

Ahhh, birthdays... You either love them or hate them. I am a card-holding member of the latter. But as much as I dislike the annual celebration of the day I entered the world, it comes along regardless so I make the most of it.

I had big plans to not work at all today but my boss at the hotel contacted me  with a desperate plea for me to come in for a breakfast shift. I remembered that during my interview she had said that they would only ever ask me to work a shift I had told them I couldn't if they absolutely needed me... I could hardly say no?

I set my alarm for 5:30am so that I could get up and get my 5km in before I was due at the hotel. My body clock told me 'to hell with that' and woke me up at 5am instead (did I mention that an inability to stay asleep is a symptom of AF?) I got up and munched on a apple with some almond and chia butter while I stared at the gift that Danny had strategically placed in front of my seat on the couch.

I briefly considered opening it before he woke up but I knew he'd be less than impressed so I headed out for my run. When I got back I made sure to crash around a little louder than usual to ensure he woke up. My plan worked and he stumbled out of the bedroom groggy but full of birthday wishes and affection. I might not like birthdays but Danny is always my favourite part of the day - he makes such an effort to be caring and sweet.

I greedily tore open the gift - and of course it was exactly what I wanted! I'm not silly and I've learnt from years of unwanted gifts - these days when someone asks what I want for my birthday I let them know what I really want. So when I was visiting my sister and found myself dying of envy over her 5-in-1 slow cooker/pressure cooker/steamer/rice cooker/electric pan, I got on the phone and told Danny to add it to my birthday list -

Smart Danny!

He also got me some new hankies... You might think it's a bit of a naff gift but he was spot on again! I always run with a hanky because my nose drips like a tap. I had been using rags recently because I had lost a few of my precious 'proper' hankies and when he was hanging out the washing the other day he decided I needed something a little more reliable. 

Smart Danny x2!

And to top it all off? He knows that I have big plans for baking my own cake on Monday to take to work so he knew that getting a cake was probably not a good idea. Next best option - One of my favourite chocolates with a candle in it. Perfect!

I headed off to work certain that I had one of the best husband's in the world. And since she knew it was my birthday, my boss was sure to have me out of there as soon as possible so I was back home, eating my birthday 'cake' chocolate before I knew it. Then it was the tough decision about what to do to celebrate the day. We got in the car and set out without any solid plans - I didn't care as long as whatever we did began with coffee! 

Caffeinated and content we headed South and ended up at Danny's old primary school that was holding its annual fair that also coincided with it's 25th birthday (the school is younger than me!!!). We spent some time searching through the old photos they had on display trying to find a picture of itty-bitty Danny. 

 

SUCCESS!

After that we grabbed some lunch, did some shopping at the shops we normally miss out on visiting because Danny usually works Saturday's. The the 3pm fatigue-attack hit and all I wanted to do was go home. In the time it took to get from the city to home I had woken up a bit and I found myself drawn to the veggie patch - something that hasn't happened in months! I took to one of the beds like a nut clearing weeds and rogue vegetable plants that had popped up where they shouldn't have. I forgot to take a 'before' picture so a 'during' will have to suffice -

I pulled out about a million oregano plants that were spreading like weeds and a bunch of tomato plants that really hadn't performed to their full potential. I managed to save a few oca plants and some silverbeet and I made plenty of room for new planting.

While I ruthlessly tore at the veggie patch, Danny set to work re-creating something I saw on Pinterest as another birthday favour -

Pallet Herb Garden

- source -

 I love using fresh herbs in my cooking but I hate paying the high prices for them - I've had a checkered past growing them myself but I have finally had some success with some basil so I am ready to move onto bigger and better things so Danny rigged up an old pallet he brought home from work to re-create the Pin -

Tomorrow I will fill it with some potting mix and some seedlings (and some of those rampant oregano plants from the main patch) and cross my fingers that I have more herb-acious success than in the past.

After a dinner of Smoky Red Bean Chili (a slow cooker favourite!) and a couple of glasses of wine I'm feeling like my aversion to birthdays could be turning around - fantastic gifts, delicious chocolates, a loving husband, a renewed passion for the veggie patch and red wine? Who could complain about that?

I'd Like To Know... 

What would make a perfect birthday for you?

 

How Marathon Training 'Broke' Me - Part Numero Dos

*This is Part 2 of a very long winded post! Please click here for Part 1*

I sat down in front of my doctor and I didn't know where to begin so I began with the most obvious problem - the missing periods. It had now been three months since my last and a second pregnancy test a few weeks before confirmed the original 'not with child' reading of the first. Of course, it was the first thing the doctor wanted to check though. She got the same answer and then it was onto further investigation. Because I have a terrible habit of asking Dr Google before asking Dr Real-Life-Been-To-Medical-School I knew where she was heading before she even got there. I'd spent a lot of time in the days leading up to my appointment typing symptoms into my computer so when she said she wanted to test for hypothyroidism I wasn't surprised  A little worried? Yes.

One blood test and seven days later I was back in her office. I didn't know whether to be relieved or frustrated when she said my tests had come back negative. She offered a second possibility... Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) - but she also offered the helpful disclaimer that, aside from the amenorrhoea, my blood test results didn't really support the diagnosis . My option was an ultrasound... An internal ultrasound with a very full bladder... Considering I was already dealing with feeling physically crap most days this wasn't happy news. She could see my clear reaction to her suggestion and helpfully offered that we wait until my period was next due. If it showed up, I could continue on my merry way and we'd put it down to the stress of the marathon. If it didn't then I was to book the ultrasound and then come back to her when the results were back.

I crossed my fingers tight as my 'due date' rolled around. Never, ever had I hoped so hard to get my period!! It felt odd after years of dreading its arrival. Despite my hoping and wishing I got nothing. Strangely enough, the thought of the ultrasound didn't sound any more appealing than it had when my doctor had initially suggested it. I went back to head-burying but this time I took some books - Books on PCOS specifically. The more I read, the more I was convinced that this wasn't my issue. Yes, some of the symptoms matched up but not enough. But then I noticed two terms that kept coming up in all the information on PCOS and the Hypothyroidism that she had initially suggested - Stress and Adrenal Glands

Armed with these magic words I went back to Dr Google (I know, I know... But sometimes he's quite good!) Suddenly lists of symptoms, descriptions and stories were popping up that could have been written about me in the last few months!

One of the lists that made my ears prick up

-source-

I realised that this wasn't the first time I had heard this combination of terms - Brendan Brazier and Matt Frazier had been telling me (warning me?) about stress and its effect on the adrenal glands (not to mention every other inch of your body) for the better part of the last year!

Quite quickly I found myself having one of these moments -

So what was exactly that Dr Google seemed to be diagnosing? Hypoadrenia (Usually known as Adrenal Fatigue but also goes by Adrenal Imbalance, Adrenal Exhaustion, Adrenal Burnout)

Good news? I was positive I was onto something. All the pieces fit, and better than they had with either the hypothyroidism or the PCOS.

Bad news? Hypoadrenia is not yet something that is readily recognised by doctors. This article by Dr Marcelle Pick goes into more detail about why this is the case but basically the medical community largely overlooks hypoadrenia as a diagnosis because they can't officially 'test' for it - Cushing's Syndrome and Addison's Disease sure, but what about the grey area you get between feeling 'normal' and developing a severe endocrine condition such as those?

But at the same time I was hesitant... Doctors know their s**t don't they? Who am I to argue?

Rock - Me - Hard Place

What I did know was that I was thoroughly sick of feeling like poo. I was also over ignoring the fact that something was wrong and just hoping that I would wake up feeling normal again. My plan of attack?

I was going in, all guns blazing!

I spent two days reading, learning, booking appointments, re-evaluating and bombarding Danny with masses of information as I found it. I decided it would be re-miss of me to simply shrug off the doctors suggestion that I could have PCOS. It's a condition with some fairly hefty complications (insulin resistance, increased chance of diabetes and heart disease and infertility) I reluctantly booked in the ultrasound. Then I booked in the appointment to go back and see her the week after to discuss the results.

In the meantime I took the path less travelled along a more unconventional route... To use the term of a favourite blogger of mine - Sayward (Bonzai Aphrodite) - things got a bit 'crunchy'. I booked appointments with a naturopath and a chiropractor. I went online and ordered supplements designed to support my poor, overworked adrenal glands - licorice root, siberian ginseng, B-Complex...

It wasn't until I fell into bed at the end of the two days that I stopped to really think about how I got to this point. I am not on pointe 100% of the time but I like to think I live a relatively healthy life - especially when you compare it to my life before I lost weight. I eat well - all my veggies, plenty of fibre, I skip on the cookies more than I say yes - and I get plenty of exercise, both resistance and cardio. I go to bed early (I don't always sleep well) and I quite like my job.

So what the hell happened?

I guess it's important to know a little of the science behind how your walnut-y little adrenals work and how that ties in with hypoadrenia -

"The adrenal glands mobilize your body's responses to every kind of stress (whether it's physical, emotional, or psychological) through hormones that regulate energy production and storage, immune function, heart rate, muscle tone, and other processes that enable you to cope with the stress. Whether you have an emotional crisis such as the death of a loved one, a physical crisis such as major surgery, or any type of severe repeated or constant stress in your life, your adrenals have to respond to the stress and maintain homeostasis. If their response is inadequate, you are likely to experience some degree of adrenal fatigue.During adrenal fatigue your adrenal glands function, but not well enough to maintain optimal homeostasis because their output of regulatory hormones has been diminished - usually by over-stimulation. Over-stimulation of your adrenals can be caused either by a very intense single stress, or by chronic or repeated stresses that have a cumulative effect." From 'What is Adrenal Fatigue?'

Turns out, I fall into the 'repeated or constant stress' group. My body had basically spent the better part of a year in a constant 'fight-or-flight' state and my adrenals just couldn't keep up any more  The continual break-down and re-build cycle of long-distance running followed by speed work and hill sessions had been physically draining, the constant rushing around and fitting everything in had been mentally draining and the constant feeling of needing to be 'perfect' had been emotionally draining. Chuck in some renovations, enough GU Gel to fill a large lake (sugar = adrenal poison) and a side of family drama and I was toast. I had hit my adrenals and I had hit them hard.

Whoops

And here I am... This post doesn't come with a happy ending but more of a 'wait and see'. My awkward ultrasound is on Monday, I see the doctor on Thursday, Naturopath on the following Tuesday and the Chiropractor not long after that. I truly believe that the ultrasound will come back all-clear for PCOS (there may be a little bit of wishful thinking mixed in there too!)

Luckily most of the suggestions for dealing with hypoadrenia are things that are good for the body and soul  (and PCOS sufferers) whether or not you've ran your stress management system into the ground - taking time to relax more, making sleep a priority, cutting out nutritional stressors (goodbye again gluten, caffeine and 'white' foods) and generally lightening up a little.

When I eat will be as important as what I eat -

"One thing I often tell my patients is to never allow themselves to get too hungry. Low blood sugar alone produces a stress reaction in the body and can tax the adrenals. You may not realize that your body is in constant need of energy — even as you sleep. And because cortisol is the primary adrenal hormone, it serves as a kind of moderator in making sure your blood sugar between meals, especially during the night, stays adequate. Long periods without food make the adrenals work harder by requiring them to release more cortisol and adrenalin to keep your body functioning normally. Eating three nutritious meals and two to three snacks throughout the day is one way to balance blood sugar and lessen the adrenal burden." From 'Eating to support your adrenal glands' - Dr Marcelle Pick  

And of course there is exercise. I have to admit I was pretty nervous to delve into what the suggestions were when it came to exercise and hypoadrenia. Since my training had been a big player in my adrenals giving up the ghost would the recommendation be to stop running? I really didn't know if it was something I was willing to give up, even temporarily. The verdict? Ideally, I should switch running for exercise that doesn't raise my heart rate above 90bpm until I have gotten my adrenals in a bit better shape but if I insist on still running I need to shorten the length of my runs (45 minutes max), keep them easy (no speedwork) and avoid running (and other vigorous exercise) in the late afternoon/evening to allow my cortisol levels some hope at regaining some kind of normal flow (see the chart above). Since I am still loving my early morning runs I can certainly cope with keeping those. I am a teeny bit concerned about cutting back mileage but only because I just signed up for half marathon distance event of the Melbourne Marathon. But that's not until October so it's not worth worrying about now.

In fact, I am making a real effort to not worry about a lot these days. If the house isn't spotless before I go to bed? Too bad... If Danny insists on leaving his shoes strewn around the lounge room like a 5-year-old he'll trip over them eventually and learn the hard way. I'm taking a bit of time each night to reflect on all the good things that have happened to me that day and I have even been considering a meditation class (a big recommendation amongst the adrenal fatigue experts)

Call me crazy but I think even the little changes I've made so far have been working! I find myself smiling more, being grumpy less, laughing at Danny's jokes again and generally being interested in participating with life and with people... While I am struggling with letting go of my lovely morning coffee I have found that the intense and overwhelming cravings for sweet foods has diminished immensely... in fact, the preoccupation I had had with food seems to be leaving. It used to feel like I spent 95% of my waking hours thinking about eating food, cooking food or buying food!! 

But there is an interesting road ahead and still a lot to learn. At least now I am feeling hopeful and excited about getting myself sorted out whereas before it just seemed so difficult and overwhelming. If you are still with me after a very long and boring post - Thank You. I didn't write this post to garner any sympathy, at the same time I didn't write it to attract any negative 'adrenal fatigue is a mythical condition' comments either. I wrote it because I found value every time I stumble across a blog, article or post from someone giving a real and honest account of their experience with an adrenal imbalance. Maybe I can provide the same value to someone else? Whatever the case, it has been a therapeutic post to write which in itself is of benefit. 

Thanks for reading xxxx

How Marathon Training 'Broke' Me - Part Numero Uno

*I've broken this post into 'parts' not to make it all seem dramatic and worthy of a long, drawn out process, but rather to avoid posting it all in one go and have it take three hours to read... 

A wise lady once said "Ain't nobody got time fo dat!"*

It's time for me to come clean... All is not well at Camp Kristin...

A combination of denial, head-in-sand-burying and the desire to not be 'that blogger who always complains' have meant that I've been keeping some stuff on the down-low. I am learning very quickly that this approach is doing me no favours - on the contrary, it's making the situation worse.

I started last year, 2012, expecting a lot from myself. Everything from weight loss, new running records, personal improvement, being a better wife... It was all piled onto my growing to-do list. I guess that all the success I'd had with weight loss and personal growth in the two years before had spurred me to aim further and fly higher. I was addicted to the feeling of 'accomplishment'.

Somewhere along the way I came a bit 'undone'. I started to put a lot of pressure on myself to meet all of my goals perfectly and NOW! Everything had to be done with precision, with speed, and without letting any of the other balls I was juggling fall. I thought the feelings of stress that living like this brought with it were positive - a sign that I was living a life so crammed with activity and purpose that I could barely stop to think!

Thanks to the blog I can go back and see exactly where I tipped from reasonable to manic - In April/May there was a dramatic shift in my mood, my outlook and my sense of well being. By that point my plans and goals were so firmly implanted in my mind that it was easier to ignore all of these little signs and focus on the bigger picture - I had races to run, weight to lose and items to tick off my 'life list'! 

I didn't have time (or the desire) to worry about the fact that some afternoons I would have stomach cramps so crippling that it was a hassle to get from my desk to the photocopier. It was more important to make sure I achieved every single training run that it was to ask myself why I swung between feeling like crying one second and breaking things the next. And it ended up being easier to just say yes to the overwhelming cravings I was having for sweet foods, something that had never afflicted me before, and deal with the excess calories later by running longer or harder or more often.

-Source-

In October I finished the half-marathon and gave myself a 'generous' one week break before throwing myself into marathon training. Four runs a week, including speed work and hill sessions, plus cross training and strength work. I thought I was a scheduling champion and refused to see that, while I was ticking the boxes on my chart, my times were getting slower and my recovery was getting worse. More worrying? In November my periods stopped...

A pregnancy test ruled out the obvious but didn't answer the question. I had always been as regular as clock-work bar a speed bump a few years ago involving some birth control pills that wreaked havoc on my cycle. But Christmas was around the corner, my mileage was really hitting it's peak so I added a doctors appointment to my to-do list but it was very near to the bottom - The section otherwise known as 'things to do after the marathon'.

Meanwhile my skin turned dry and scaly, my acne returned, I would have episodes where my blood sugar would plummet and I would be left a shaky, sweaty mess and I became this horrible sad-sack that scarcely resembled the person I used to be. My limbs constantly felt like they were made of lead and even better? Despite all my training and making such a huge effort to eat right (apart from those dreaded sugar cravings!) my weight didn't budge! If anything, it went up!

Just make it to the marathon, just make it to the marathon...

By the time the big day rolled around I was a complete shambles. I couldn't keep it together and I spent a lot of the day before crying... Why? I couldn't even really explain it. Every little move I made seemed like a life or death decision, as though the world around me would crumble if I didn't make the right choice. I thought it was a severe case of taper madness.

I ran my marathon and spent the rest of the day in a state of delirious happiness. It was done! I could be normal again!! I could relax, I could let go of the stress, Danny could have his wife back - the one that smiled every now and again, the one that laughed at his jokes... the one that didn't chuck a wobbly if he accidentally left a stray bowl or plate on the kitchen table for too long.

Only it wasn't that easy...

The training schedule got packed away but the issues remained. With all the extra time on my hands I couldn't claim I was too busy to ignore it all any more. I booked a long overdue appointment with my doctor...

Treadmill Roulette : Bringing Fun Back to the Treadmill

Home, Sweet Home...

No matter how much you enjoy the people you are with and the places you are at on holidays, there is something comforting about being back in your own 'space'. I tend to have a 2 to 3 week tolerance for holidays before my heart really starts yearning for my own bed, my own kitchen, my own routine. 

I flew back into Hobart on Monday to find Danny waiting for me at the gate with a bunch of flowers. I had missed him more than I had even imagined and I'm not sure what I am going to do when he leaves for Holland for a whole month (less than a month to go!) It certainly made me happy to know that he had missed me just as much while I was gone although it was for different reasons - he may have uttered the magic words 'I didn't realise how much you do for me!' more than once while I was away. Sweet music to my ears!

I always expect so much to have changed when I get back from a trip away but everything was largely unchanged. There was still washing to be done, dishes to be washed, a mountain of paperwork waiting for me at work and emails asking me to do a million shifts at the hotel. But one thing had changed - The skerrick of morning daylight that I had during my 5am runs before I left was officially gone and now I was faced with pitch black morning runs during the week. 

I'm no chicken and I live in a fairly safe area so I had no qualms about still heading out onto the streets to get my runs in but Danny wasn't so keen to have me out there all alone in the dark. He asked me to run on the treadmill or switch back to afternoon runs. I may have let out a loud groan at the thought of either of these. After acting like a sulky toddler for a few minutes I remembered the fun I had with Treadmill Roulette (via Carrots 'n' Cake) for my first run after the marathon and decided that some runs on Miles may not be so bad after all!

 My Treadmill Roulette Setup!

Treadmill Roulette (TR) is a pretty basic concept that takes running on the treadmill from mind numbingly boring to entertaining. Tina was kind enough to give me permission to re-create her plan in metric for my fellow non-imperialists but if you work in MPH head over to her fantastic blog to get the numbers! There are two levels - one for those of us that running at a slightly slower speed than our fast paced friends.

Click here to download your own copy!

I've mentioned before that I have a love for music and that I have the concentration span of a gnat. TR combines my love of a good tune whilst keeping my mind on the task. And being on the treadmill I am forced to maintain a specific speed, something I am terrible at in the great outdoors! After a one song warm up the workout is broken into 'rounds'. You put your chosen music device onto shuffle, hit play and then you are left at the mercy of your MP3 player... 

Here's how my workout went on Wednesday -

Warm up - The Sun Will Rise : Kelly Clarkson 9.6km/h

Song 2 - White Fences : Needtobreathe Singer is male - 9.9km/h

Song 3 - Everybody Hurts : Avril Lavigne Song is 3:42 long - 10.1km/h

Song 4 - Hearing Voices : One Republic Song title not related to love - 11.1km/h

Song 5 - The Wind : The Fray Title not related to running - 10.9km/h

Recovery - Miles : Christina Perri 10.1km/h

Song 7 - Let Me Down : Kelly Clarkson Singer is female - 10.4km/h

Song 8 - Where You Are : James Morrison Song is from after 2000 - 11.1km/h

Song 9 - Enough For Now : The Fray *Damn* It's a favourite - 11.2km/h!

Cool Down - Need Your Love : Temper Trap 10.4km/h

Total Time : 39:30
Distance : 6.8km

The beauty of TR is that you can add or remove 'rounds' to lengthen or shorten your workout. I make a rule with myself that there are no 'swapsies' allowed. If a song comes on that I don't like or I'm not into that particular day I have to grin and bear it. Stay away from that skip button! It's also great because it means I am forced to listen to those unknown songs from albums that I may have been skipping over (like the two Kelly Clarkson songs above) in favour of ones I know I love - I've found some new favourites playing TR!

As much as I enjoyed my round of TR, Danny didn't! The whomp-whomp-whomp of my feet on the belt woke him up not long after I started and kept him awake the whole time. Suddenly his concern for my safety outside disappeared and he gave me permission to head back to the streets! Surprise, surprise. I actually found myself a little disappointed that TR wouldn't be becoming a mid-week running habit but soothed myself with the knowledge that the dreary winter is coming up and I will have more treadmill runs ahead than I know what to do with!

I'd Like To Know... 
We all have those not-so-hot workouts. How do you bring the fun to those ones that aren't your favourites or that you just aren't feeling that day?