24th day upwards

time: 00:40:31

distance: 6,00km

temperature: 12°

first song: I didn't know my own strength (whitney houston)

last song: superstar (jamelia)

I'VE DONE IT!!!! I successfully finished my little project upwards!!! I'm very happy, very relieved!!! I tried to enjoy my last run as much as possible. but again it wasn't easy!

today I also added the last song because it just fits so perfect. I do feel a little bit like a superstar ;-)

and the first song I've to admit I picked out before I started my run today. unfortunately she did crumble and break at the end. but I made it through! again it showed that it's all in your head. with mental strength I managed to get up every morning and to keep running even when I thought I can't any more. breathing was the hardest part! it felt like I would have had a diving belt with weights only on the left side and a corset that is getting tighter and tighter the longer the run lasted. but I did it!!! and I'm very proud of myself!

this is to all the women out there fighting breast cancer. keep on fighting!!!

a big thank you to all my supporters who encouraged me to keep up the spirit! it made a big difference! I couldn't have done it without you!

I am very much looking forward to the upcoming long weekend! I will take a break with running upwards but for sure I'll keep on running ;-)

23rd day upwards

time: 00:41:03

distance: 6,01km

temperature: 12°

first song: who's gonna stop the rain (anastacia)

I never listened carefully to the lyrics of this song. today I did. it hasn't anything to do with getting wet. listen to it!

today was painful! I don't know why but it was my hardest run so far. the weather conditions have been good. no rain today, just clouds and a little windy. I had to push myself all the way through. there wasn't one minute when I felt that it was going easier! the breathing was hard today. and my whole body screamed STOP (my legs screamed the loudest). I kept telling myself that I can't stop NOW. it's too close to the finish line. throughout the whole run I was close to crying. somehow I kept running.

I can't wait now to get under the shower. I'll grab a coffee on my way.

see you back tomorrow! hopefully the last day of my challenge will be easier!!

22nd day upwards

time: 00:40:00

distance: 6,00km

temperature: 13°

first song: rehab (amy winehouse)

what a change in weather conditions! bright sunshine yesterday and lots of rain today. but the 13° didn't really feel cold. I even wouldn't have needed my long running pants.

amazingly there were lots of other joggers out there today! I would have expected to be alone. but obviously I am not the only crazy one ;-). and after all running in the rain isn't that bad.

I have to admit getting a warm bath now and going back to bed with a book afterwards would be great now! well, I guess I've to stick to my usual routine... coffee, shower, work.

the end is near and this rainy day kind of fits in the picture. I remember the first two days of my project it was raining, too. still two more days to go...

21st day upwards

time: 00:39:16

distance: 6,00km

temperature: 15°

first song: walking away (craig david)

I love the smell out of a bakery early in the morning! and I love the taste of a fresh baked roll with butter on it. and salt. or marmelade. or honey. or cheese. whatever. I miss it. I guess I won't keep up with my gluten free diet afterwards.

a dark brown squirrel crossed my way right at the beginning of my run and it even followed me for a couple of seconds before it disappeared in the bushes. it almost felt like it would come by to cheer me on ;-). it made me smile for the rest of my run.

it was another bright and sunny morning just like yesterday. I even started at the exact same time and I was only 6 seconds slower. I forgot to mention yesterday that I finally found out about the auto pause function in the runtastic app. and it's working fine so far!

I start thinking about what I'm gonna do after this project... it's only 3 more times to go!

20th day upwards

time: 00:39:10

distance: 6,01km

temperature: 18°

first song: hurt (christina aguilera)

the last week of my challange started!!! only 4 more times to go! and it was a good start! what a gorgeous morning! bright sunshine but still a nice crispy air. even though the first song was 'hurt' it wasn't painful at all today! still not easy though but it was definitely one of the good ones ;-)

nothing major happened. everything was going smooth. therefore I will make this a short entry and get under the shower. coffee and off to work.

enjoy this sunny day!

19th day upwards

time: 00:40:33

distance: 6,00km

temperature: 23°

first song: might as well smile (beth hart)

sometimes I wonder which songs I got on my mobile ;-)

very very slow today! no sun today but it was unbelievable warm. the whole run was one big fight. it was hard from the beginning till the end! especially uphill was painful. it costed me quite an effort to do it.

I'm very much looking forward to those two days off now! my legs desperately need this break. and I do too!

only 5 more days to go next week!

have a great weekend everybody! I'll be back on monday.

18th day upwards

time: 00:38:50

distance: 6,02km

temperature: 16°

first song: anybody seen my baby? (the rolling stones)

I'm sweating like crazy! I was running too fast today. and I should have skipped the last glass of wine last night ;-)

but another sunny morning! and luckily a little bit cooler than yesterday. I almost didn't make it to the top today. the reason was because I was starting too fast. I was following another female runner who had about the same speed as I have. I was running behind her for quite a while already. and she also started going up towards gloriette. but I made the mistake of passing her at the bottom because I always have the feeling that I'm too slow when running upwards. it almost feels like I wouldn't be any faster than walking. it's not the strength in my legs that bothered me but my breath. well, I made it. and I know now that I'm faster than walkers.

looking forward to my coffee now. and my shower.

17th day upwards

time: 00:40:25

distance: 6,00km

temperature: 20°

first song: run, baby, run (sheryl crow)

perfect song to start with I would say. but unfortunately nothing went smooth today.

first I forgot my cap, went back to get it and almost stumbled down the stairs. the app was giving me a hard time, the gps didn't work properly, stinky trucks and cars where passing by on my way quite often and I wasn't in the best mood. I waited for the rain but it didn't come.

shower, coffee, office.

tick... only 7 more times to go...

16th day upwards

time: 00:38:42

distance: 6,01km

temperature: 13°

first song: all the right reasons (the jayhawks)

not the best song for starting my run but I do love this song!

no matter what time I go to bed at night getting up at 6am will never be an easy task for me!

brrrr, what a chilly morning! but the perfect running weather. cool and lots of sunshine! and it did go well. I guess it was my fastest run so far ;-)

nothing further happened on my way. no squirrels, no birds, just the usal suspects like other joggers and nordic walkers. lots of thoughts in my head. but they had nothing to do with my run. maybe that's why I was fast today. I forgot that I was running ;-)

can't wait to get under the shower. and yes, I did again some stretching today. it helps!

maybe a coffee first...

enjoy this beautiful day and be nice to each other!

15th day upwards

time: 00:40:40

distance: 6,03km

temperature: 20°

first song: that don't impress me much (shania twain)

I can't believe it's already august!! time flies!

I have to admit I was a little worried about the rain. but I was lucky as it did stop raining in the morning. so I had a really good run today! though it was surprisingly warm. but for change I could feel a nice breeze in my face most of the time. it felt good. the breeze and the run. still very slow in the beginning but again I was able to speed up a little starting at around km four right after taking the pic at gloriette. lots of birds on my way today. and lots of snails because of the heavy rain from last night.

finally I managed to talk to this guard sitting in his booth at the entrance of hietzinger gate. I usually forget at the end of my run. but not today. since the beginning I noticed that the water out of the water tap which is close to the meidlinger gate tastes different. kind of yucky. and I wonder why.

the answer of the guy was typically viennese... "do miassans hoat woanders trinken" (then you have to drink somewhere else). it was impossible to find out who is in charge of those water taps. he wasn't very interested in helping me. well, I guess I've to contact somebody else...

time for shower, coffee and work. have a good start in this week everybody!

nb. change of knee brace from the right to the left knee was no problem. I'll keep it left for a while.

14th day upwards

time: 00:42:07

distance: 6,25km

temperature: 17°

first song: das beste (silbermond)

yes, I was a little late today but hey, it's weekend ;-)

and it was not too late as it was still peaceful in the park, the temperature was perfect and it was clear and sunny. and it was going much easier today than the past couple of days. no, not easy but easier! although my left knee is starting to bother me now (no I didn't get a second knee brace) so I will switch on monday. I have to say it shows that running is not the best for your knees. well, at least not for my knees.

that brings me to another topic: food. I forgot to mention that I did eat more or less glutenfree at the beginning of my project (started with it about 2 weeks earlier). I usually don't follow any diets. but I have to say already skipping gluten in the morning helps. although I wasn't very lucky with my glutenfree bred so far. it didn't taste any good. anybody any suggestions for me where to get good glutenfree bread in vienna?

the other change I had in my diet was skipping milk in my coffee. I usually loved my cappuccino in the morning. but I guess I can get used to my pure black coffee (as long as it's a good espresso ;-).

I will see if I will stick to my diet after the project.

talking about food... it's time for shower and breakfast. have a good weekend everybody and see you back on monday!

nb. andy, I followed your advise and did some stretching afterwards today :)

13th day upwards

time: 00:43:49

distance: 6,02km

temperature: 20°

first song: not that kind (anastacia)

same procedure as yesterday. thanks again britta for your support. but don't ask me those kind of questions again ;-)

it was cloudy today but not any cooler. I guess I was lucky that it didn't rain. but it must have been raining at night time. it was still wet and therefore lots of snails and slugs on my way. I had to be careful not to step on them. but at least I was a little distracted. because again it was very painful - both, getting up and the run itself.

I will take a break tomorrow but will be back on saturday instead.

now shower and back to bed again :)

12th day upwards

time: 00:44:20

distance: 6,04km

temperature: 22°

first song: la camisa negra (juanes)

I did hear my first alarm at 6am but had turned off my second one (I am on vacation! remember?). my thoughts where jumping back and forth between 'no, I won't get up today' and 'yes, eva, you can do it'. I was already close to giving up my second thought when britta knocked on my door and gave me this little extra kick I needed to get out of bed. thanks a lot for that britta and the hug for the way!! it helped a lot!! I know you would have come with me if you could.

I just noticed that I got half time today!!! only 12 more times to go! :)

I wasn't even later as usual but very slow again. although it was another beautiful and sunny morning. with the usual suspects. there is this one jogger guy I've seen already more than once a week. I usually meet him behind gloriette. he is always wishing a friendly 'good morning' every time I pass by him. it always makes me smile.

there is one big difference today - I can go back to bed now :)) looking forward to brunch with the girls later on :)

11th day upwards

time: 00:44:30

distance: 6,00km

temperature: 20°

first song: military of the heart (naked lunch)

I should have skipped dinner at 11pm last night! I woke up a couple of times and therefore didn't get enough rest. I was feeling exhausted before I even started!!

and on top I had to restart my running app (runtastic by the way) 3 times before it worked.

it was cooler, there were no smelly tourist, no kids running around, yes, very peaceful!

but a struggle the whole way!

I can't wait to get under the shower.

nothing else to say today.

tomorrow I will rest.

hopefully I'll be back on wednesday!

10th day upwards

time: 00:41:35

distance: 6,01km

temperature: 27°

first song: killing time (joss stone)

yes, I did it! but I'll never do it again! running at night time. there is more than one reason why running in the morning is much better: at least 10° less, no tourists (sticking out their selfie sticks right in front of your face), no kids (getting between your legs), no bad smells (from perfumes), less sweating, no waiting at the water tabs and there are more squirrels and birds.

I just couldn't get out of bed in the morning. and by the time I was up it was too hot already. but at least I have one more morning sleeping in for the coming week ;-).

talking about water tabs. I usually stop 3 times during my run. 2 times for drinking (which usually doesn't take longer than a couple of seconds) and 1 time for taking the picture up at gloriette (which takes about a little bit more than a minute).

it's time for a shower now. and some food would be nice, too. there is actually one advantage about running at night. I don't have to rush and bother about getting ready for work ;-)

have a nice sunday eve! I'll be back tomorrow morning (hopefully!!)

9th day upwards

time: 00:41:39

distance: 6,02km

temperature: 19°

first song: you won't let me (karise eden)

I successfully finished my second week! it feels good!!! only three more weeks to go ;-)

todays run was an ok run. it was cloudy and very humid. the beginning was slow but I was able to speed up a little during my run. only going upwards is still very slow. every time I get to the edge I look up to the gloriette one time and than keep looking on the ground right in front me until I'm on top. I can feel it when I'm getting close to the end.

for the first time I noticed what music does to my running. I should get rid of the songs that make me sad as they also make me slow. anybody has the same experience? or is this just in my head?

I do think about having just one day of a break tomorrow (I will be on a full day walking-tour), continue my project on sunday and do this the same on the next weekend. this would give me two more sleeping in days with my friend and her daughter visiting from london next week ;-). will see...

now it's time for shower and coffee again.

have a great weekend everybody and maybe I'll be back on sunday!

8th day upwards

time: 00:40:55

distance: 6,07km

temperature: 16°

first song: blue (simply red)

good morning and first of all: a BIG THANK YOU for all your encouraging messages via fb, whatsapp, email, sms and here in this blog!!! you won't believe it but it helps a lot!!!

today was a really good day! even though I still felt like a big stone when getting out of bed but the run itself felt good! I'm close to saying it was the best so far. I even was able to speed up the last kilometer. there was a group of joggers at the bottom down at neptune fountain when I just came downhill making my left turn passing by the zoo entrance. and first it seamed that they are slower so I was running up front. but than I noticed that they weren't slow at all. but at this point I didn't want to cut back speed. and so I had to keep going fast till the end of my run ;-)

the weather conditions couldn't have been any better. sunshine all the way but still kind of chilly. I got my knee brace already and I have to say I'm very happy with it. especially when running downhill. I try to stick with my feet as close to the ground as possible to avoid hard landings. it might look silly but it also is more gentle to the knees. I might get another one for my left knee as well.

shower, coffee, food (I'm starving!), office...

enjoy this sunny day and see you back tomorrow! :)

7th day upwards

time: 00:44:49

distance: 6,01km

temperature: 17°

first song: don't speak (no doubt)

today was the hardest day so far. for the first time getting up was easier than the run itself. I felt like a stone not beeing able to move at all!! I don't know why. nothing went smooth. although it was a gorgeous morning! and I was starting a little bit earlier. because I was in bed by 10pm last night.I forgot my running cap which made a difference already. my knee was still bothering but not hurting. (I should get my knee brace by tomorrow). a squirl crossed my way and it seemed as this little guy wanted to play with me. I was close to stop my run and play ;-). but I kept going. and I kept telling myself all the way "eva, you can do it, just keep running". and I kept running till the end.

I don't know why the format of this blog entry is different today. I will take care of it later. now I need a coffee and a shower.

hopefully it will be easier again tomorrow.

take care and have a good one!

nb. I was able to fix the format in the meantime but have to check why it was different in the beginning. the whole blog entry gave me a hard time today.

6th day upwards

time: 00:41:53

distance: 6,07km

temperature: 17°

first song: long way to happy (pink)

I switched back to my usual direction. it just feels better. I can totally concentrate on my run, my steps, my breath, my songs... maybe I'll give it another try next week.

my right knee is kind of bothering me. I noticed while running downhill. no pain, nothing major. but I might get a knee brace just to give it a little support. I don't want to be forced to give up just because of a stupid injury.

it was cloudy but the temperature was perfect again for my run. I won't keep telling you how hard it is to get out of bed every morning! I will let you know in case this is changing one day ;-)

time for coffee and shower...

have a great day and see you tomorrow!

5th day upwards

time: 00:44:14

distance: 6,00km

temperature: 19°

first song: as (george michael with mary j. blige)

the second week of my project started and getting up still isn't any easier ;-)

I changed direction for the first time and I have to say it was kind of disturbing all the way. I am used to turn left after I enter "hietzinger tor" and go uphill to gloriette at the end of my run. It's a steep but short way up instead of not as steep but with a curve when going up from the other side of gloriette. and I needed to concentrate all the time not getting lost. (yes, I don't have any sense of direction and even can get lost in the schoenbrunner schlosspark ;-)

the weather was lovely - sunshine and close to 20°. coffee, shower and going to work is next - as usual.

have a good start everybody in this sunny week!!

4th day upwards

time: 00:40:31

distance: 5,84km

temperature: 14°

first song: strong enough (cher)

sunnshine!!! for the first time! what a difference! still quite chilly for a summer day but perfect temperature for running!

I need to listen to music when I'm running alone. it keeps me going. so from now on I'm adding my first song from my playlist to the basic information above. maybe I should start my own "upwards" playlist ;-) what are your favourite songs when running?

my first thought after finishing my session today: I made it through the first week!! 2 days resting now!

have a great weekend everybody and see you back monday morning :)

3rd day upwards

time: 00:41:15

distance: 5,93km

temperature: 13°

I overheard my first alarm going off at 6am and I hardly got out of bed after the second one at 6:30.

running flat was ok. uphill was really hard this time.

even though it didn't rain for the first time I got all wet because of a thoughtless ma48 employee on duty between gloriette and tirolerhof this morning passing by me very closely. due to heavy rains from last night and the last couple of days lots of little (and big ones as well) lakes throughout the whole park.

no rain, very windy though and quite cold.

2nd day upwards

time: 00:40:48

distance: 6,00km

temperature: 19°

just one word describes it all:

painful!

both - getting up and the run itself

again - rainy, foggy, humid

1st day upwards

time: 00:40:18

distance: 5,57km

temperature: 21°

rain, fogg, humid

not the best weather conditions

but I made it!

and I was feeling great afterwards :)