The Month of May

What a month May was!  It was a month of taking a self imposed break for a week, a month of really looking at why I run and where I want to head.  I took part in my first Mother's Day Run and a very fast 5km.  It was also the first month this year when I didn't make it to my goal of running 100km in a month.  I got to 98km!!!  A little gutting not to have got those last 2km done but hey, that's just what happens sometimes.  I knew I was going to be close but not close enough so I made sure the last run was one that counted.  Why it wasn't a personal best or anything, I ran my heart out and got one of my best paces in a while.

Now for June and the month of my Wellington Half Marathon.  The blog will probably be quiet until after then so all take care.

The importance of listening to your body!

Following on from putting things into perspective for myself, this week I have also learnt about the importance of listening to my body.  So many times I have been warned about making sure I do not have a burn out and to make sure I get that rest I need.  This week I started with the goal in mind of just completing three 6km runs with no pressure on myself.  Well so far I have only completed one of those runs and it will be the only one I do achieve.  Why - because I need to listen to my body.  It is tired.  Like really, really tired!  It's had a feeling it hasn't had for a while.  I know I need to listen to it now.  I still have 5 weeks until Wellington and I am better off to give myself the rest it needs now than to keep on pushing through and going to Wellington very ill prepared and unwell.  To anyone else out there finding they just aren't thinking straight, things aren't working like they normally would or you are just really feeling overwhelmed - take a break.  It just might be the very thing you need!

Putting things into perspective

I think that sometimes I just need to put things into perspective again.  I need to go back to why I run and the enjoyment I get out of running.  See I have this half marathon coming up in just over a month.  People have been supporting me along on this journey and I keep hearing how well I am going in my running and just how well I am likely to go in this event.  For this reason I seem to have this time stuck in my head and totally focused on this.  It means I keep on thinking I'm not doing well enough in my training, I'm not going to meet this goal.  I need to turn this all around and think - look how far I have come, look at how I can get out and run, look at what I do!  This is me:

I'm hot, I'm sweaty, I have just completed a 6k run.  No music, no worrying about the time and finishing in the dark!  I need to remember the enjoyment I get from running and all the positives it is doing for me!

I decided all that time back to make that decision to try!  I have accomplished so much and I will continue to.  Running is a journey.  It hits speed bumps, it hits breaks in the road BUT ... it is a journey that I can take.

Mother's Day!

What a mother's day I have had this year!  I managed to get myself a new pair of new runners and I think everyone who runs knows just what it is like to get some new shoes!!!  Check them out:

 I also took part in a Mother's Day 5k Fun Run/Walk.  It was organised by Jennian Homes and held over in Palmerston North.  It ended up that this was going to be the only run I would get in this weekend so I decided I would give it my all.  The new shoes would have to wait for another day to get tried out as I wasn't too sure just what the running conditions would be like for today but I did know that it started at a park so thought best not to cover the new shoes in mud just yet.  I have to say I did give it my all.  I ran my heart (and lungs) out.  The run was measured at 5km.  I measured it at just under (4.85km) but what I do know is I haven't run that distance in that sort of time before.  A personal best I managed:

I had fun - that's a big part of the day, I got an awesome new shirt for running it and I proved that I can push myself.  Until next time (but here's a photo from not long after I finished showing off that shirt!)

April in Review

Four months into the year and the fourth month I have managed to clock up 100km over the month.  Yes, running a half marathon at the beginning of the month certainly helped, but it also meant a week of not much running after that as well.

So my positives for this month:

*  Running The Great Forrest Events run and coming away with an awesome time for this

*  Starting my training for my next half marathon

My sad moments from this month:

*  Having to run long runs on my own again - its hard!!

*  A small pain after my half marathon resulting in more of a break than I wanted

Where to????

To keep on running.  I have registered for a 5km fun run in May which will be a fun time.