EndorphinGirl™ endorphin’ power,  EndorphinGirl™ endorphin fever, endorphin’ endorphin’.  This is how the past week enfolded down under.  Full of endorphin’.  Suffice it to say there was so much endorphin’ going on that EndorphinGirl™  is not sure where to begin her blog report !

First off, it should be noted that while she is on time for her weekly blog, she is technically still on Australian time, which means she is well into Wednesday, and believe you she (me?) that she is very much feeling like it is Tuesday without any sleep.  So is she really on time?  Hmm, ponder that.  She is jetlaggggged that is clear.  While she did not suffer the jetlag on the way down, down under that is, it is alive and kickin’ upon her return home.  Yes, she is jetlagggged! 

Never mind about that, she is an EndorphinGirl™ so she will survive!  Oh yeah!  Where to begin?  Let’s start with an update on the runtheedge http://www.runtheedge.com/; the EndorphinGirl’s™ clocked 48.1 miles collectively towards the runtheedge challenge during the week together down under.  Amazing, who would have ‘thunk’ they would be that active.  They managed to do a run related activity almost every day.  And those miles do not even include all the walking they did around Melbourne and Melbourne proper! Oh my.  EndorphinGirl™ mentioned in a previous blog that she would find her new challenge, indeed it has to do with running.  She knew it would come to her down under, and it has.  She is signed up for several 10Ks in the coming months.  She is excited.  She is excited.  Oh she said that already!

Now back to the down under adventures: 

Day one -  a footy game.   While they did not ‘technically’ play footy, they were spectators, they did so much cheering that they will take some endorphin’ credit for the activity involved in cheery cheering.   Footy?  Are you wondering what footy is?  Wonder no more; oh since it was rather confusing, EndorphinGirl™ thinks it best that Wikipedia does the explaining:   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_rules_football .

Day two – a several mile run to, fro (and around) the University of Melbourne, http://www.unimelb.edu.au/.  The other UofM was quite charming, easy to navigate and very welcoming.

Days three & four – a tour on the Great Ocean Road .  Much endorphin acquired not only by the sight visits but also through the acquisition of the beauty and history of the area.  Sights seen included The Twelve Apostles, London Bridge (the other one), Apollo Bay, to name a few.  http://www.visitmelbourne.com/Regions/Great-Ocean-Road.aspx

Day five – included a walk around Fitzroy http://www.visitvictoria.com/Regions/Melbourne/Destinations/Fitzroy– to shop and drink delicious tea!  In fact it was very much the ‘shop until you drop’ mentality.  Girls, endorphin’ or not, are the same everywhere!  They like to shop and they like to drink tea!

Day six – a tour of the Yarra Valley.  Wine valley that is.  The EndorphinGirl™ s worked off the wine tasting by walking through (not necessarily to – there was a bus) four different wineries.  Check them out:  Yering Station - http://www.yering.com/; Balgownie - http://www.balgownieestate.com.au/; Yering Farm - http://www.yeringfarmwines.com/; and Chandon - http://chandon.com.au/ .  Ah worth noting, there is a Pinot Noir Rose (who knew) that was rather tasty along with a Crème du Cuvee personally tasted by the EndorphinGirls! 

Day seven – a 6.5 mile hike in Dandenong Ranges National Park.  http://www.dandenongrangespoint.com.au/attractions/dandenong-ranges-national-park/ EndorphinDaughter™ navigated herself so well around the area, which she had already become quite familiar with it having done some hikes with some of her school comrades prior.  

Day eight – a 5-mile run from Brighton Beach http://www.brightonbathingbox.org.au/ to St. Kilda’s http://www.melbourne.com.au/stkilda.htm along the water, in the hope of seeing a penguin, among other things.  As for the penguin search, their mission was accomplished albeit was just but a glimpse of a single (single as in only one, not as in ‘unattached’) penguin swimming.  The EndorphinGirl™’s got lucky because the penguins typically do not show up in that area until closer to sunset; and this was a sunrise type of run!

Down under is a place much suited to the members of the EndorphinFamily™.  There is a happy philosophy to life there, which includes healthy living in so many ways.  EndorphinGirl™ is grateful that EndorphinDaughter™ is studying in such a cool place, and that she too had the opportunity to visit and experience a very cool endorphin' way of life.

Now it is seriously time to blog off, jetlagggg is beyond out of control.  But first this week’s image is courtesy of EndorphinSon™.  The picture shows EndorphinGirl™ in a ‘sweaty’ sort of way.  While intended to show an exhausted EndorphinGirl™, who appears to be quite the ‘sweat-er’ NOT sweater, she will leave you to your own imagination upon viewing the image!

Now it is clearly time to sign off, and remember guest comments always welcome in guestbook and keep on endorphin’.

EndorphinGirl™