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!

North Range Traverse

So this time last year I took part in the Humdinger which was an 11k event up Hall Block Road and back down again.  This was the smallest distance in an inaugural event.  This year the event was back but this time as a trio - a 50k Ultra, 25k North Range Traverse and the 12k Humdinger.  I decided it was time for me to tackle the 25k event.  The weather could not have been better for the day - sun shining, just beautiful.  I was dropped at the start of the event and had just over 30 minutes to fill in.

I was nervous, yet excited, yet not sure how it was all going to go.  Kel and I had decided a few weeks earlier that we would run the event together.  For both of us it was the first time running this distance and we just wanted to have that support to get to the other end.  Finally 10am came and it was time to head off.  The first 3.5k of the run was a gradual incline - nothing too bad and I was able to keep a slow run going for most of this time.  It seemed like we had covered the first 1k in no time at all.  Maybe it was all the amazing scenery along the way!  I must say Mt Ruapehu looked superb!

These are just a collection of photos taken from along the way!  So the start of the race was on gravel road and after the aid station (with jet planes) at the 3.5k mark, the terrain changed to a 4WD track.  As we headed along the track, the grooves grew and the mud appeared.  In some places there was no way at all to avoid the mud.

Yep, that's me running through the mud.  I never thought I would enjoy doing something like that!  Well I guess that shows that you can even surprise yourself.  With 15k to go, we decided it was time to celebrate and get a photo with the marker.  I was also in awe of the wind turbines in front of us and the shear size of them.

Both Kel and I discussed how great we were still both feeling.  10k down and 15k to go so we continued to box on with a couple more jet planes to keep me going.  After this point, there were a couple of hills that were a little hard going and these were well and truly walked.  The worst one was between 17k and 18k and I really really just wished it would stop going up.  This was one of the first times during the race that I really thought to myself - WHAT AM I DOING?????  The top finally came and with it the last aid station.  It also meant we just had the last 7k to go and I had run this bit the year before and knew most of it was down hill.  We really started counting down the distance now, spurring each other along but still smiling.  Not sure where this energy came from with about 5k to go!

Somehow we were still smiling with 1k to go!!

That last km was hard - bloody hard.  Crossing the bridge and seeing the end in sight but still needing to get to it.  The feet were really sore and I was hot.  But I wasn't going to give up and Kel and I ran together that last little bit so that we crossed the finish line together!

Such an amazing day, experience and adventure.  I'm still in a little shock that I completed a 25k event and I even had fun along the way.  The company certainly helped with getting through to the end and hopefully this is the start of some good training for next year.

Manawatu Gorge!

When I was asked yesterday if I would like to run an out and back through the Manawatu Gorge on Sunday morning I thought yay!  This would be a perfect substitute for running the streets of Feilding by myself for 20km.  Instead I would have company, trails and still clock up close to the 20.  I quickly took up the offer, packed up a gear bag and set the alarm for an early for me Sunday morning.   Zoom ahead to Sunday morning and I arrived ready to go at 7am.  Kel and I set off seeing where our feet would take us headlamps on to light the way.   The beginning of the track is always trying with lots of stairs and uphills so I am use to walking the major part of this.  Problem is, parts I have run before just didn't gel with me today and I ended up walking a lot more of it that I was planning.  We got to see the sun starting to peek through the trees and knew that morning was coming.

 At 4km I was still smiling and the dew was setting on my beanie.  I thought - well the tough bit is done, lets have some fun now.

Kel and I kept on plodding on.  The legs ached like mad, they felt solid like lead and it was a struggle.  I had really thought based on past experiences with the gorge that we would get all the way to the other end in 1hr30 but it seemed neither of us could find our groove.  We ended up running to the end of the track that lead back down to the road.  There was no chance of getting all the way to the Ballance end!  That was a full 1hr30 and now it was time to turn around and do it all again backwards.  We made it back and spent a total of almost three hours on our feet, covering 15km.  At the time I was running through all the things in my head as to why I might not have been running as well today.  Was it the lack of water yesterday, the early start, no coffee before leaving home, the cold??  Or was it just that I have let my fitness levels drop so far.  I had really thought that I would be covering a lot closer to 20km today but I honestly don't think I would have managed any further than I did.  Not really a good feeling when in 6 weeks I have a 25km event to run!  At least I will have a running partner for that as well as Kel and I decided we would join each other and run it together as support.

I should be proud of today and what I ran.  And I did run ...

But sadly I feel disappointment.  Time to do a little more work I guess and try and build myself back up again.  We are hoping to run it again next month so we will see how that goes.

Manawatu Striders Half Marathon May 2017

I know it has been a long time since I have posted in here.  I have been running and I decided to quietly enter another event to keep me training as the weather got cooler and darker.  I did find the training hard and I didn't get out as much as I would have liked to but nevertheless on Sunday 28 May 2017 I lined up for my 9th half marathon.

I was honest with myself right from the start that I wasn't sure how this run would go.  I had been suffering from a sore leg and even now I am not quite sure what is wrong with it but I didn't want it to stop me from giving it a go.  I was just going to go at my pace and do what I could.

The first half of the race I felt great - a little pain in my leg but I was feeling the energy and feeling like I could do this.  One of my lovely running buddies Kate wasn't entered today but was there waiting for me at around the 6k mark and then at about 8k as I headed back down the river.  It was wonderful having the support out there and having a quick laugh with her.  She even took some in action shots for me.

At 10k I was still feeling great and another photo opportunity came my way.  I was smiling, I was enjoying what I had run and still feeling confident with what I had to run.

At around the 13k mark we started running on limestone.  And a nasty little piece of this decided to get into the back of my shoe.  I tried to flick it out without really stopping a couple of times but in the end I knew the only way to get it out was to stop, remove the shoes and get it out.  This ended up being the end of me as well.  Once I had stopped, my body felt all those aches and pains.  My legs didn't want to start running again and everything hurt.  I tried my hardest to get going again even if it was very slowly.  By 15k I was not feeling good at all and even trying to run most of the km and walk the last little bit wasn't really working.  I started to get very disheartened and then I remember that all I needed to do was finish the run and it didn't matter whether this was through walking or running.  With just over 1k to go, I think the following photo shows just how I was feeling.  I really don't like this photo but decided I needed to include it as it is part of how today went.

I finished my half marathon with a run to the end (after walking up most of the hill at the end) and had one of my slowest runs to date.  I do know I gave my all though this day and was so thankful for all the support of people out there.  And it was very nice to receive a medal at the end as well.

I also have to include this in right at the end.  This was made up for me by the lovely Kate and something that I need to remember.  Yes I am awesome!

Until next time and the next event!

Copthorne Hotel Off Road Half Marathon - Rotorua 5 March 2017

My first half marathon that was a substantial distance from home.  The first time I had slept somewhere other than in my bed the night before a run.  The first time I have ever run in Rotorua.  It really was a day of firsts!  Did it disappoint?  No it most certainly did not.  I had done all my training (bar a couple I missed for various reasons) and I honestly don't think I could have trained any differently for this event.  I had completed a number of trail runs leading up to this day and I have to say that running around and around Mt Lees just out of Feilding did help the legs with the ups, downs and dodging tree roots!

We arrived in Rotorua around 8.30 in the morning, found a park and then headed off to find out all the information I needed to know for the run and to also pick up my race pack.  So exciting - I got my first ever personalised bib.  This will be one to keep!

Then it was the dreading waiting time for the run to start.  We didn't start until 10am but I was able to meet the lovely Anne-Marie for the first time and we had a little catch up about our running and what it all meant for us.

I also had Belinda and her family there to support me and to cheer for me as I did set off.  It's amazing knowing people are there, calling your name and cheering you along!  The start of the race went with the gun going and everyone taking off.  Then in no time you are stopped again as the people bottle neck trying to get through the small area that leads you onto the tracks.  After that you are able to find your pace again and enjoy the views all around.  And what amazing views they were.

Like always I got about 2km in and wondered why I enter half marathons and would I make it to the end!  Those first 2km seemed to take forever but finally at almost the 3km mark I came across Kerry who had walked ahead to get some photos for me.  I was even able to manage a smile.

From here I carried on around the course, just wanting to run the whole of this first loop.  I discovered this was an achievement in itself as there was a bit of elevation.  Here are some photos of the trails and roads run.

You then approached the finish line and had all the spectators cheering you on as you reached a turn around point and started it all over again.  At this stage I had had drinks at the aid stations, Nuun from my drink bottles and only a small piece of licorice.  I didn't feel I needed to eat but in hindsight maybe I should have had more earlier.  Kerry had found a new spot and as I passed him for the second time I had completed around 13km of the 21.1km.  I will post a very honest photo of how I felt at this time.  I was hot, I was exhausted, I really didn't know how I was going to finish.  It wasn't a mental exhaustion, it was a physical one!

Kerry gave me some of his licorice twists at this stage and they were so good!  I enjoyed them so much.  And I kept on going.  From this stage on I did do a little running and walking.  I did what I needed to so that I could finish the run.  I loved all the trails through the forest, loved dodging the tree roots but I really didn't enjoy the roads that much at all.  They were hot and in the full sun.  After just over 2 1/2 hours I crossed that finish line and gosh was I glad to do that!  For me it was the most physically challenging half marathon I had ever run.  It was such an achievement for me.  I was able to catch up with Belinda and her family again which was great hearing how they had gone as well.

This was my 8th half marathon and I ran it to celebrate my 38th birthday.  I am so glad I set myself this challenge and as crazy as it sounds, I would like to go back and run it again in the future.  For now I am not quite sure what my next challenge will be but I still have some time to decide.