We’ve all seen and continue to see the terrible devastation that the people of Japan face as a result of the recent natural disasters and the resulting knock-on effects. This post is inspired by all that is happening in Japan.
Regular readers know that I’m a runner, and today, I did a Run for Japan which is “bringing together the global running community and showing solidarity and support through dedicating runs around the World to the people of Japan.” Run for Japan is a fundraiser with the goal to cover 24,901 miles (right around the world) in 28 days with at least one run dedicated from every country in the World. Each runner is asked to make a donation of at least one unit of their home currency per mile.
Today I headed out for my Run for Japan and as always, was focused on where I would run, how far, what sort of time I’d do it in – all the usual things.
But halfway through the run, something strange happened.
I reached the Botanic Gardens and noticed a structure I’d never seen before – perhaps because I’m usually too focused on the run itself, or perhaps it’s new – I honestly don’t know.
I stopped and took it all in.
I continued on my way but instead of running and focusing on making up for the lost time, I walked through the gardens and actually saw the gardens, the trees, the sculptures, the volunteers working and the wide array of animals. It was beautiful and despite running through these gardens many, many times, I believe today was the first day I truly appreciated them for more than a traffic free running path.
My mind is always buzzing with thoughts and ideas when I run (a pain control mechanism I think!) but today, I felt peaceful and reflective. As I looked and saw, I thought about the life lessons and metaphors I was experiencing and I made the short collage below to share with you.
The biggest lesson for me today, was this:
There are big rewards for taking time out to stop and reflect instead of just racing to the finish line.
We need to appreciate what we’ve got and not just what we want. Enjoy it today. Tomorrow it may be gone.
If you are able to make a donation to support Japan, please do. Here’s a link to the Australian Red Cross site.
Please like or share this post to help the people of Japan. Leave a comment too if you’re moved to do so.
Not feeling much like singing along to joyful carols and playing happy families? Does the mere thought of gift shopping make you run for the bed covers? Then the lessons we learned from Scrooge might help you feel happier this festive season.
Lesson 1 – People need to feel connected
Ebenezer Scrooge was an angry, lonely old man who rejected connection with others.
Feeling isolated and alone makes you feel angry and can make it hard to care about others. Christmas is a lonely time for some people. Finding ways to connect and feel part of a community is important to our happiness. Iggy Pintado, author Connection Generation, shared some interesting facts about Social Media on the Grassroots Websites Rock Festival
70% of Australians visited a social network in the last month
Over 200 million people worldwide (9.2 million Australians) are on Facebook
Over 65 million people (1.5 million Australians) are on LinkedIn
Over 30 million people (1.5 million Australians) are on Twitter
Over half of these people are aged over 35
Now, not all of these millions of people are on these social platforms just for connection but I’d guess that a fair share of them feel part of a wider community.
Maybe social media is not for you, but finding ways to connect and feel part of a community will make you feel happier.
For Ebenezer, spending Christmas Day with his nephew’s family, helped him feel connected and loved.
Lesson 2 – Helping other people makes us feel better
Ebenezer was a greedy, stingy businessman who refused to donate to charity and who overworked and underpaid his staff.
Not only does helping people make us feel better, even watching others helping people makes us feel better. The recent TV show on ABC1 “Making Australia Happy” demonstrated this when the study participants volunteered in a “soup kitchen”. After volunteering, saliva was taken and tested for antibodies that boost immunity. There was a 36% increase in the participant’s Immunoglobulin A levels. So not only does helping others make us feel better, it actually makes us healthier!
When I lived in London, the best Christmas I had was the year we plated up our leftovers and took them out to give to the homeless people sheltering from the freezing cold. It definitely made me feel happy and it made them feel happier too. 😀
When Ebenezer awoke after seeing his bleak future and anonymously sent a large turkey to his clerk’s family, I bet his anitobdies were right up there, as well as his feelings of happiness!
Lesson 3 – Gratitude is good
Ebenezer refuses to accept an invitation from his nephew to join him and his family for Christmas Dinner yet the nephew still raises a toast of gratitude to Ebenezer and refuses to allow him to spoil his day.
When we’re feeling unhappy, it can be very difficult to find things that we are grateful for. As I’m writing this post today, it is raining and miserable outside, yet @DivineMissWhite who I follow on Twitter just tweeted: “I love, love, LOVE wearing fire engine red on wet grey days like today. I’m so #grateful for my life. Kisses to my Creator XXX”
A long-term scientific study is being carried out by the University of California Davis into the nature or gratitude and the potential consequences for human health and well-being. A simple thing like a letter of gratitude has been found to increase happiness and decrease symptoms of depression.
When Ebenezer visits his past and remembers his old boss throwing a party and inviting Ebenezer to join in, he feels gratitude toward him and shame on himself for not treating his own employees better.
In case you’ve never seen Charles Dickens classic “A Christmas Carol” or one of the many remakes, here’s a link to the Richard Williams 1971 animation (25 mins).
Now it’s your turn:
Do you feel connected to a community? Does Social Media give you a sense of connectedness?
Do you do volunteer work? Does volunteering make you feel happy?
Have you ever written a gratitude letter or something similar? What are you grateful for?
“I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I’ve bought a big bat. I’m all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!” Dr. Seuss
I love this quote from the wonderful Dr. Seuss and it has inspired this week’s post all about resilience, or how to bounce back from a setback.
Resilience, sometimes called emotional resilience, is a subject that has kept psychologists busy for years so in this post, my aim is simply to kick start your thinking and offer some practical tips for building resilience.
So what is resilience? As always, I turn to the oracle – Wikipedia – for the answer “Resilience in psychology is the positive capacity of people to cope with stress and adversity.”
I think of it as how you bounce back when things go wrong or how well you handle the difficult times. In the article “How Resilience Works.” Diane L. Coutu. Harvard Business Review, May, 2002, the author states “A person’s resilience determines who succeeds and who fails.”
How resilient are you? Are you going to succeed or fail? Here’s a few questions to get you thinking.
How well do you handle rejection?
How well do you cope with unexpected change?
How good are you at solving the problems life throws at you?
How do you react when something goes wrong?
Do you have a strong support network?
What do you do when faced with a major challenge?
Do you believe in yourself?
People with low resilience tend to be easily put off, they are often stressed, they give up on goals or when things get tough and they put up with things rather than standing up for themselves. In the extreme, they end up depressed and feeling powerless. They lose their bounce.
The good news is, resilience can be developed. Ideally, this should start in childhood. There is a lot of great information on the happychild website about this. In one of the articles I read there it quotes Andrew Fuller, psychologist and author of Tricky Kids (Finch Publishing), as defining resilience as “the happy knack of being able to bungee jump through the pitfalls of life.” Wouldn’t it be great to teach your children those skills! I also found an online development game for building resilience in children and young people. It’s called The Resilience Doughnut game.
Even if you’ve reached a ripe old age, you can still learn to be more resilient. Here’s a few ideas:
Remind yourself of your strengths
Often when things aren’t going well, we focus on the negatives and get a bit down on ourselves. That nagging negative little voice kicks in and starts to say things like “I’m so useless, Why can’t I do anything right? Nothing ever works out for me.” These thoughts are not useful so you need to stop them in their tracks. Tell the voice to shut up. Instead, reflect on your strengths, achievements and all of the things you have done well. Think about the skills you have and how you used these skills to make it through other tough times. Be positive.
Set yourself some goals
Goals are not just for the good times. When we’re faced with a challenge, setting short term goals can help move things along. The goal doesn’t have to be a Jim Collins BHAG (Big.Hairy.Audacious.Goal) just a small, attainable goal. For example, if you are completely overwhelmed with everything you need to get done, set yourself the goal to get the most important thing done. When that’s done, move onto the next.
Get organised and take action
If you think about how emergency teams work in a crisis situation, they are very organised. Everything is in it’s place so that when needed, it can be found. Everyone knows what’s expected of them and they get on with their job. Emergency workers don’t sit around thinking about how to deal with the crisis, they get on and deal with it. They take action, fast. Just taking action puts you back in control and keeps you moving forward. It also helps when you’re lacking motivation. Taking action can be motivating.
Rely on your family
Regardless of how strained relationships may be with your family, a crisis often draws people back together. Don’t hold grudges and try to manage through by yourself. Call on family for support and help. It’s better to swallow your pride and concede the argument than to allow stubbornness to stop you getting the support you need. Many people are pleasantly surprised by how their families rally together to help them out during tough times. Be humble and ask for help. Family connectedness is important.
Be open to new ideas and possibilities
It can be hard to see the positives and the possible solutions to problems when we are in the middle of a challenging situation. We can see all the reasons something won’t work but we need to be open to new ideas. Don’t knock down others’ suggestions, instead try to find ways to make them work. Look for opportunities in situations. Be resourceful.
Do some exercise
Now this one can be difficult, especially when you feel overwrought, overcommitted, stressed or depressed. Yet, every study I’ve ever seen espouses the benefit of exercise to help overcome these feelings. It’s not just about taking time out to clear the head, the endorphins produced actually give you a feeling of well-being – endogenous morphine = endorphin = the natural drug. Also, I read somewhere, but can’t remember where, that people who regularly exercise and push themselves physically, tend to have a higher survival rate in major catastrophes. It makes sense to me – if you’re fit, healthy and used to pushing yourself through physical pain, then these strengths will all kick in when you need them most. Of course, if you can’t face exercise, then sex might be the answer as it also produces the release of endorphins. 😉 Ever wondered why those stressed out celebrities are having so much sex?
Let go and move on
Stewing over problems doesn’t make them any better. Worrying about mistakes, wishing things could be different, cursing yourself for missing something – all that just does your head in. Instead, think about what you learned and what you’ll do differently next time but then it’s best just to let go and move on.
There you have it. My practical tips to get you bouncing like Tigger (if you don’t know how Tigger bounces, then watch the video!)
And in the words of those One Hit Wonders the Chumbwamba’s Tubthumping Song
Until next week, keep bouncing back up 🙂
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How can you tell if someone is resilient?
Do you agree that a person’s resilience determines who succeeds and who fails?
How do you bounce back from a setback?
Do you have an inspiring story about resilience to share?
I thought I’d share a vlog with you to capture my Marathon Day experience.
I’ll write a blog tomorrow with the blow by blow for anyone interested in the stats and the detail but thought I’d post this one now while it’s still fresh (and before I chicken out!).
Thanks so much to everyone who sent me messages of support and encouragement. I can’t tell you how much it helped. My mum sent me a message telling me she had her arms around me pulling me along and that message came to me at the perfect moment. The vision of her pulling me along was very powerful – thanks mum.
Nine weeks ago, I started this blog about my marathon journey and now it’s only 5 days away. WOW! You know when you were younger and your parents used to go on about how quickly time goes by and you thought they were just really strange. Well…
This week, everyone has been asking me “Are you ready?” The answer is, I don’t really know. I’ve done almost all of the training sessions my running coach sean from Sweat assigned for me. My running buddies Brian aka Marathon Man (MM) and Sook54 aka Marathon Woman (MW) tell me I’m ready. All of my wonderful, supportive friends and family tell me I’ll do it “no worries.” What I do know is, I’ve done what I can and now all that’s left is to run it and see.
This past week of tapering has been a nice change. I did a 13km run on Wednesday at an average pace of 6:15. I met up with MW for a nice 6km run / chat through the city. Her training has been going well and she’s looking good for her 2nd marathon. As she said, at least she knows what to expect this time round. My calf pulled again slightly but nothing too bad. On Friday, I did 4×7 min intervals at 5:58 pace. On Saturday I went for a 7.5km easy run at 6:05 average. It was a glorious day. I felt strong, happy, ready and proud. If I feel this good next Sunday, I will be a happy runner. I decided to share the joy and recorded a bit of my run. (Warning: it’s a bit noisy for the first few seconds due to wind noise).
As you know from last week’s blog, I had a huge social weekend starting with my stepsons 30th birthday dinner at Justin North’s fabulous Becasse and fabulous it was. Great company, sublime food, perfectly matched wine. I did over-indulge and it was worth it. On Saturday evening I attended the 12WBT Round 2 party. As with the Round 1 party, it was amazing to see how people have turned around their lives. Not only are the physical changes obvious but you get a real sense that some of the participants just feel so much better about themselves and their outlook on life. I rave about this program because it’s great. Simple. After the party, I met up with Adonis and friends for a late dinner. Didn’t over-indulge although it was a late night.
On Sunday morning I got up and did 10km at 6:23 average pace and I certainly felt the effects of the food, alcohol and lack of sleep. But the social activities weren’t quite over. I had my friend’s 40th to attend. Luckily it was a child friendly, alcohol free event. She’d done her grown up celebrating the evening before. All up a good weekend but one I probably could’ve done without this close to the big day. I’m sure a whole week is enough to clear my system though so not too much damage done.
This week will be very slow and gentle. A few short, slow trots just to release a bit of energy and keep my legs moving but nothing fast or hilly because I don’t want to risk any damage to my calf. It’s strange to say but I’m looking forward to that nice long run on Sunday – did I say that out loud? The bigger challenge this week is keeping my head in a good positive place. I’m currently oscillating between anxiety, excitement and fear. MM told me today that a bit of nervous energy is good for race day.
I’m also focusing on fueling my body with protein and iron early in the week and will start the carb loading on Thursday adding some rice, pasta and potatoes to build up that important glycogen store. Speaking of carb loading, my cousin Bryce who did his first body building comp last weekend will be doing his fair share of carb (and beer) loading this week. He did great and looks fit. Well done Bryce.
I’m getting to bed at a decent hour and getting my 7-8 hours sleep each night. So far I’ve only had one anxiety dream which was on Monday night. I dreamt I took a wrong turn and ran 1km uphill before I realised my mistake. I had also started the race too early so ran back down the hill to meet the other runners. We then headed off to a park, with Adonis lugging a 50kg bag of potatoes on his shoulders, to cook and eat the potatoes before the run. mmmmmmm – calling Freud!
The other thing I MUST remember to do this week is to collect my race kit – bib, timing chip etc. The weather forecast for Sunday is currently “Partly cloudy. Isolated showers. Light winds” so a mixed bag with a high of 19C which means it won’t be too hot by the time I finish around midday!
My race plan is:
Get up at 5.30am, have a coffee and a slice of toast with peanut butter & banana.
Hopefully go to the toilet. I know, too much detail but it is one of the things bothering me!
Get dressed and kitted up – exciting!
Leave home around 6.30am (starting time for 1/2 marathon) and do a warm-up walk/jog to start – about 2km from home.
Fight my way through the crowds. Hopefully not have to line up at the porta loos for a nervous wee – I know, I am obsessed!
Try to find the 4hr 30min pacer and get close to him/her if possible
Set my Garmin and Runmeter app
Get ready, get set, go! Run Forrest Run
Finish race within 5hr 30min cut-off, exhausted but well pleased with myself.
Try to record a video blog as my final entry
I have a lot of friends doing the Bridge Run, 1/2 marathon and marathon and I wish you all a great run and hope you enjoy the day. If you are participating in the Sydney Running Festival events this weekend or any other fun runs, leave a comment and tell me how you’re feeling and what your goals are.
On Sunday 19th, please remember to send me tweets to @Suellen_Hughes or post messages on my facebook wall so that runmeter can pass on your messages to me as I slog it out. It really helps immensely to keep me going and put a smile on my face so hope to hear from you.
Thanks for reading my blog and sharing my journey. Until next time…when I’ll be a marathon runner!
Well actually, it’s now only 12 days until the marathon but I had intended writing this blog yesterday!
These signs are everywhere around Sydney so wherever I run, I see them. It reminds me of some kind of dream sequence with these images flashing around my brain. Not that I need reminding. It seems that all I can think about right now is the marathon. I’m struggling to focus on other priorities in my life because I’m so focused on the ever nearer race day.
The past week has been pretty good all up. I managed to do a total of just on 70km for the week including a 25km long run on Sunday and a good 4x6min interval session on Friday. My average pace has been improving and I know I can now pretty consistently run between 6:00 – 6:30min and that’s just where I need to be for marathon pace. The best news of all is that the pain in my calf has gone! Physically, I’m feeling good apart from a little pain in my knees but that’s just “runner’s knee” – hey maybe that does make me a runner 😉
I’m now on what is known in running circles as my taper – phew! That means that for the next 12 days, while I’ll continue to run, I won’t be pushing quite as hard or as long. Last Sunday I “only” ran 25km and that will be my longest run now until the marathon. This week I will focus on a few shorter speed and interval sessions and a nice easy 10km run on Sunday. I have to say, it seems strange and a bit scary not to be running a really long 35km+ run again before the marathon. As MM told me, nothing I do in the next 2 weeks will affect my cardio fitness or my pace so I have to be content knowing that I’ve put in the hard yards and I’m as ready as I will be.
For the next 12 days it will be a combination of maintaining my physical fitness, making sure my nutrition is good and most importantly getting my head in the right place. Physically, I’ll do my planned runs and gym sessions, get a massage and do some stretching. Nutrionally, I’m making sure I drink lots of water to keep my body as hydrated as possible. My diet is already pretty good and the main focus on the food will be next week with a bit of “carb loading” to help build up my glycogen stores. This weekend will be a challenge for me nutritionally as I have my stepson’s 30th birthday party at Becasse on Friday night involving an 8 course degustation dinner with accompanying wines! On Saturday night I have the Michelle Bridges 12WBT Round 2 party with canapes and cocktails followed by dinner with Adonis and friends who like a drink at Tomislav. On Sunday, I have a 40th birthday party to attend! So you see what I mean when I say I will be nutritionally challenged this weekend. As my stepson would say “that’s a very 1st world problem”. Sometimes life just gets in the way.
[Special side note: My cousin Bryce is competing in his first body building competition on Sunday 12th. His body fat is currently <7% – to give you an idea, 18-25% is probably the average for someone of his age. Imagine the nutritional discipline it's taken him to get to that! Bet he's looking forward to a bit of carb loading! Good luck Bryce]
The toughest challenge for me will be the mental one. I fluctuate between being excited and eager to being scared stupid. On Saturday when I woke up it was raining but I went out running anyway thinking that if I wake up on MD and it’s raining, I can’t very well stay in bed! Then, on Sunday it was blowing a gale and in parts of my run, I was almost going backwards! It was very tiring being buffered around in the wind for 2.5hrs but good mental training in case the same happens on MD. There are lots of things within my control but the weather isn’t one of them – only my response to it!
So this week, it’s a mind game. I’ve been focusing on my strengths, thinking how great it will be to achieve my goal and visualising crossing that finish line.
What techniques do you use to psych yourself up for a big challenge? I’d love to hear your success stories to give me inspiration – especially if you’ve ever run a marathon or undertaken some other kind of endurance event.
Until next week….which will be my last blog before the marathon!
With less than three weeks until MD, I’m feeling a little anxious about this big scary goal I’ve set for myself. From what I hear from experienced runners, that’s pretty normal. From this week on, I start to taper my training and that in itself seems strange. I feel like I need to do at least one more 35km run just to prove to myself that I can do it but the people who know what they’re doing (like my running coach Sean, the guys at Marathon Talk, experienced marathoners like MM & MW) all say, the hard work should have been done by now and it’s time to start to pull back a little and let the body recover. The big question is, have I done enough hard work to get me through the 42.2kms?
After the run last Saturday, my calf was too painful to run again on Sunday or Monday so I took a rest. When I tried to run again on Wednesday, my calf seized within the first 100 metres so I just stopped and went to the gym and rode the spin bike for 45 minutes, doing some intervals and hills. So the first part of this week was not good, when I should’ve been running quite hard and fast.
On Thursday, I went to have a massage with the wonderful Natalie who also did a little acupuncture on my calf. I then went to the Physio for a bit more manipulation. Felt quite sore afterward. I’m doing everything I should – soaking in Epsom Salts, taking magnesium powder, doing stretches and strength exercises. It isn’t getting any worse and I can run but it’s not very comfortable. My Physio recommended seeing a Sports Physician to see whether a cortisone injection might help so I’ve made an appointment.
Friday I did 5km at 5:43 average pace, and for me that’s pretty good. My calf was tight but I felt good. On Saturday I was planning a long run with a friend who is doing the 1/2 marathon but unfortunately she had to pull out at the last minute. Now, this shouldn’t make any difference to my motivation, but it. Instead of doing 22km or so with company and then another 10-12km by myself, I was now facing 35km alone. I don’t know why I didn’t just head out as planned and do the run I’d mapped out without a second thought but instead, I went into a bit of a slump. I decided that I’d just do 21kms and go out again on Sunday. This meant I only took 1 gel with me and this was a BIG mistake.
I started out well. It was an absolutely gorgeous sunny day and my calf felt good. I’d mapped out a run which followed as close as possible, the actual marathon course. My goal, was to run at a steady pace of 6:30min/km which is my target race pace. I was feeling good until I reached about 20km at which point I just ran out of energy and I had quite a lot of pain down my whole right leg. At this point, I had intended heading back home but I started getting cross with myself for wimping out, knowing that I’d just have to face it all again the following day if I didn’t make at least 30km. So, I kept on running.
At 24km, I took my gel (Endura Raspberry) and it tasted soooo good. I virtually inhaled it and I’m sure some of the people who saw me in the toilet at Darling Harbour, were wondering what I was doing! I had a few glugs of water and headed back out. By this time, it was quite busy down at Darling Harbour so a nice distraction. There was a marching band preparing to play and without a lie, as I reached them, they struck up the Rocky Theme Tune! It was perfect timing. I had a huge grin on my face and my energy levels lifted. I’m sure the crowd thought it was a set up – they were all watching me run by. Too funny. Not sure who was playing down there on Saturday – but thank you – you got me through that run!
I managed to do almost 32km in the end and as usual I was exhausted but I’d survived another one. Here’s how the 5km pace splits went:
0-5km……6:05
5-10km….6:31
10-15km…6:13
15-20km…6:05
20-25km…6:54
25-30km…7:02
My average pace was 6:40 but as you can see, I went out too fast in the first 20km and paid for it in the back 10km. This was in part because I ran out of energy and should’ve had my gel earlier but also because I need to learn to pace the first part of my race better. My new Garmin Forerunner 405cx is a great gadget and gives me lots of useful data to analyse – not sure it helps me run better – but it’s fun!
So, here I am with less than three weeks left until MD. Here’s what’s worrying me:
Will my calf hold out or will I be in pain for the whole 42.2km?
Can I actually run 42.2km?
Will I be able to pace myself?
What if I just can’t finish it or can’t make the cut-off?
But as Mark the owner of my gym reminded me “only 10% of what we worry about actually comes true and what’s the worse that can happen?” He’s right. If I don’t make it well it’s not the end of the world and it’s not the last marathon ever to be held. I’ve trained hard. I’m determined. I’ve still got about three weeks to get my head in the zone. I will do it.
I’d love to hear stories from other marathon runners. Can you remember your first time? How did you feel in the lead up? How was your race?
I’d also love to hear any other Big Scary Goal stories. Do you have one? If not, what would you secretly love to achieve but are scared to take on?
“Running is a big question mark that’s there each and every day. It asks you, ‘Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?'”
– Peter Maher, Canadian marathon runner
This quote is very apt for this week’s blog. Why? Well I’ve been feeling a bit wimpy. After my great week 5 with my longest ever run, this week I’ve really struggled mentally and physically. The week started out OK with a shortish 6km run but at an average pace of 6:28 which is pretty good for me – especially as it’s an undulating course. My goal for the marathon is to run at this pace the whole way. That would see me finishing in under 5 hours (ahead of the 5:30hrs cutoff time). I only did 6km at this pace and couldn’t imagine running the whole 42.2km at that. So, that was the beginning of the wimpiness.
Wednesday was my favourite (NOT!) hill repeat day and this week I was only scheduled to do 30x100m. I say only but believe me I was dreading it. After 10, I felt like quitting. I just couldn’t get my head in the right place. Physically I felt OK but mentally I was struggling. I talked myself into doing another 10 and then finished off the last 10 as well but I fought with myself the whole time. So I suppose, I was strong but I felt very wimpy.
Friday i just had an average sort of a run. Did 7km at an average pace of 6:28 and 5x100m sprints – yuck! Not a bad effort, but on a rating of 1 (total wimpy burger) to 10 (wonder woman), I only ran about a 5.
Saturday I headed out for my planned 35km run, alone again as MM has done more damage to his hamstring by running again too early so is now out for 6 weeks!!! MM will only have about 3 weeks of training before his Athens Marathon but he assures me that will be enough. I hope so. He is strong. No wimp in that man! MW is still up in the NT battling against heat, humidity and unsafe running conditions. She’s still training though – no wimp in her either. Anyway, I digress. I have to say my heart and head wasn’t really in it, despite the fact that I spent about 2 hours planning my route on Friday night. I like to know where I’m running when I’m by myself because 35km is a long way and I don’t want to take a wrong turn and end up unintentionally adding on or missing kms. So off I went. I was feeling pretty good and my head got in the zone. I was cruising along through Darling Harbour enjoying the weather and messages from my Facebook and Twitter friends, when out of nowhere, my calf pulled again. Bugger. I stopped, stretched, walked a little but it was painful and very tight.
Now at this point, I really felt like jumping on a train and heading home. I had to give myself a good telling off. I continued on but at a slower pace and with much limping. I felt like I was running like Cliff Young – only not as fast.
On a positive note, I managed 25km which is not wimpy at all but I did have a bit of a sook with Adonis when I got home and that was pretty wimpy.
A few of my friends and my family think I’m a bit crazy setting myself the goal to run this marathon. They often say “why are you doing it?” Well, I think this quote sums it up pretty well for me.
“I run because it’s so symbolic of life. You have to drive yourself to overcome the obstacles. You might feel that you can’t. But then you find your inner strength, and realize you’re capable of so much more than you thought.”
–Arthur Blank (the only Arthur Blank I could find on Google is the CEO of Home Depot!)
For me this quote is spot on. We face many obstacles in life and we need to find ways to overcome them. We can be wimpy and just quit, give-up, walk-out, throw in the towel, resign etc or we can find our inner strength and get on with it. My grandmother described me as a young child as being a “determined little bugger” and I have to admit she was spot on. I love the sense of achievement and finding out that I am capable of achieving more than I thought.
I’ve been back to the Physio this week and am doing my exercises and getting treatment for my calf. I will overcome this obstacle and I will finish the marathon – even if it is with a Cliff Young shuffle. Run Forrest Run.
I’ve had a few conversations and tweets with people about the title of my blog. I’ve been contemplating what makes a runner and whether I’ll ever consider myself to be one. MM said to me that he can’t imagine life without running – he’s definitely a runner 😉 I, on the other hand can. Real Commando thinks it’s when a person starts training for more than one event. I was still not convinced. Then I found this quote.
If you run, you are a runner. It doesn’t matter how fast or how far. It doesn’t matter if today is your first day or if you’ve been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run.” –John “The Penguin” Bingham
I like this. I’m going to start thinking of myself as a runner and see if it helps me to be a faster, stronger runner. Visualisation and self-belief is a big part of running a marathon.
So what are your thoughts on today’s blog quotes?
How are you going to be strong this week?
What obstacles have you overcome that made you realise that you’re capable of more than you thought?
Are you a runner?
Well, that’s it for this week. The countdown is well and truly on now. Looking forward to hearing from you all.
I’ve finally officially entered the Sydney Running Festival Marathon 2010! I know, I’m training to run it and that’s what this blog’s all about but yesterday I actually registered so now I’m committed – or should be 😉
Across the finish line
I’m pleased to report that my strained calf is well and truly on the mend and apart from the odd niggle now and then it is behaving itself. In my last blog, I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to finish the City2Surf but not only did I finish it but I smashed my goal, finishing in 84 minutes – 16 minutes under my 100 minute goal! You can see from the photo how pleased I was with myself. I did a 5km warm up jog from home to my blue start group and my calf felt fine so I knew I would be good to run. It was so crowded but I managed to meet up with one of my pals so it was good to have someone to get excited with. We lost each other before the 1st km because it was so crowded and I was keen to hit my goal so pushed on. It was her first City 2 Surf and she finished in just over 100 minutes – so a great result, well done Jenn. I felt fine when I finished and could have pushed it harder to come in under 80 minutes but I didn’t want to risk aggravating my calf. Next year 🙂
My training went quite well last week. I managed to do 35x100m hill repeats! I felt my calf strain after about 15 but I just slowed a little and kept at it. I was thinking back to the first time I faced the hills when I could only manage x10 repeats. I’ve improved over the weeks and I feel it. Heartbreak hill slowed me down a little but it wasn’t that awful and I’m sure those hill repeats have helped.
My running buddy MM is still out injured with his hamstring so I headed out on Saturday for my longest ever run – alone. I decided to follow a slightly modified marathon route so that I could get a feel for it. Here’s the link to the run. Unfortunately my GPS failed on my iPhone after 4.93km so I wasn’t really able to keep track of my pace and distance as accurately as I’d liked. I made it to the 16km mark in 1:35 so my pace was about 5:55! Had I been running that pace in the City2Surf, I’d have come in at 77 minutes!
Needless to say, I suffered in the next 19kms. I was feeling ok until about 28km but then my body started screaming at me to stop. Well, my mind was screaming but it felt like my body. I pushed on but slowed the pace, stopped for a quick comfort break, walked a few 100 metres, had a sports gel and just got my legs moving. It took all of my strength to keep going but I was determined to make it and I did. This back 19kms took me 2:07 with an average pace of 7:05 so considerably slower than the first 16kms.
I was absolutely and totally exhausted when I arrived home. I just laid down on the floor for 15 minutes to recover. All I could think was “how am I ever going to do this marathon in just 5 weeks. I’m not ready.” The good news is that I recovered pretty quickly and within a few hours was dressed up in my 70s fancy dress costume and ready for a 70s trivia night – a school fundraiser for my pals kid’s school. I wasn’t exactly the life of the party but we had a fun night.
I went out on Sunday morning for a 7km run just to round off the 42kms. I felt a little fatigued in my legs but generally pretty good and am surprised at how quickly my body is recovering. I am still worried that I won’t make all of the cut-offs points in the marathon though so had a chat with my running coach about how to make sure I finish and within about 5 hrs. He told me the reason I struggled so much on Saturday was because I’d gone out too fast which meant that I over did it. He advised me to practise running at a pace of around 6:30mins and to focus on doing each 5km in about 32-33mins. That’s what I need to be aiming for. He also told me to keep my heart rate steady and not up near my maximum. My average heart rate (AHR) on long runs tends to be around 170bpm. If it gets to >180bpm then I start struggling so I need to conserve energy and keep it steady to make the time and distance. So that’s what I’ll focus on over the coming weeks.
While I’m running I listen to podcasts – my favourite is definitely MarathonTalk – and I also think….a lot. During my running this week, I had two thoughts worthy of sharing (yes only two – the rest are not worthy!):
I think I have a fear of failure. My 6 yr old son doesn’t like to do anything that he’s not good at. He only likes to do things that he either already knows how to do or knows that he will succeed at. Guess what? I realised I’m like that too. As you know from previous posts, I don’t consider myself a runner and I’m certainly not going to finish the marathon in a “good” time and I’m struggling a bit with that. Now it’s probably OK for a 6yr old to act this way but maybe not OK for a 40 something. I think I have a fear of failure. Do you only like to do things you’re already good at or do you like learning new things?
It’s good to have a support team. Without my husband Adonis being supportive, encouraging and uncomplaining about my many hours of training, I would find this so much harder. Without my running buddy MM, those long runs are much longer. Without my running coach, I wouldn’t be improving nor understanding the reasons behind the training plan. Without the comments I get each week from my blog readers, I wouldn’t be as motivated to write this blog. Without the messages of encouragement and support I get from my Twitter peeps and Facebook friends, my solo runs would be much lonelier. Do you ask for support and help when you need it? Or do you struggle on alone.
Looking forward to hearing your worthy (or unworthy) thoughts.
I’ve moved my blog onto a new site. 
Transforme 