Week Two

I am quite pleased with what I have achieved this week.  I started Monday with a 7.2km run then completed a 10km one the following day.  Wednesday was my rest day and then Thursday just didn't quite work out for a run.  I did make sure I got out for just over 6k on Friday though before heading off to work.  I was all set up to head out for my long run on Saturday but had a slight wardrobe malfunction 1km in and ended up coming home.  This left Sunday as the last day to complete my training for the week.  Even as I headed out just after 7.30 in the morning it was hot and humid but I was determined I was going to complete the run and get the hills in.  My legs felt very heavy but somehow I managed to run the first set of hills I had in mind (including the hill that often makes me walk).  Unfortunately I did walk a few of the hills in the second set but I still did them.  By the time I had finished the planned hills I was so close to home that it would have been easy to just head straight there.  BUT, I still had a good 10 minutes I was suppose to be running for and I really wanted to clock up another kilometre.  I did just that.  Another 14k banked and 39.4k all up for the week.  And I am now so close to 100k already for the year!  It was a very slow run today but that doesn't matter.  What matters is that I kept on going and I have completed my training for the week.  This coming week, I plan to run during the week very similar times to this week but come the weekend, I need to stay out there for a full 2hrs.  I know that I can do this and I will.

Progress so far

So how am I going with meeting my goal for this year?  Well, I think I am going okay at the moment!  So far I have tested out the new Lindos Steps in Palmerston North.  These are a great challenge for getting the legs and chest burning.  Just one set has 222 steps one way.  I spent 30 minutes doing loops of them with Kate and certainly felt it.

Coming back up the stairs.  The pain was real!!

The view is certainly worth it all but unfortunately I was taking so much care trying not to fall down them that I didn't get to enjoy it as much as I would have liked too.  I then missed my first long run last weekend but decided that I would complete it on Monday morning and still do my complete week of training.  This resulted in me running over 44km this week.  I have been focusing on the time I am on my feet for at the moment rather than the km I am running each time which means I might not be covering as big a distances all the time as I should be (or might have done in the past) as I am a little slower at the moment but I am getting out there and that is the main thing.  This weekend, a friend was up from Wellington and asked if I would join her for the Palmerston North Parkrun on Saturday morning.  I was certainly keen to find out what Parkrun was all about but I also knew I had a 1hr 20min run planned for the day.  How to do both? Get up early, head over to Palmerston North and run for 50 minutes on my own before joining the Parkrun group and running that 5km.  It actually ended up meaning I got the best of both worlds and had some company for the end of my run.

All ready for the Parkrun after already running by myself

I feel proud of what I achieved this week.  It certainly took some sheer determination at times to keep myself going but I did it.  I am already starting to plan this coming week with a 40 minute run, 60 minute run, a smaller 30-35 minute run and then come next Saturday 1 hour 40 minutes and I am going to make sure there are hills for that run.  I'm going to have to get the legs use to hills if I am going to achieve Rotorua!  

Well that is all from me for now.  Until next time ...

Goodbye to 2017 and hello to 2018

Well I’m not entirely sure where 2017 went!! I certainly did have some achievements though. Back in March was the Rotorua Off-Road Half Marathon, then May brought the Manawatu Striders Half Marathon and finally in August the North Range Traverse - my longest event to date. It also was the year I decided that 2018 needed to be the year to complete a marathon! I am all signed up to go to Rotorua this May and run around the lake. The next few months are going to be dedicated to getting ready for this. I certainly have moments of ‘wow, what was I thinking!!’ Along with ‘hey, you need a challenge and you can do this.’  Be prepared for some blogs as I increase my distances and battle my way through the mental toughness I will be presented with. I just need to remember that every run I get out there for is developing me, building my fitness and taking me one step closer to my goal!