Week 13 - Final Saturday run

This was the big test. 5 days of stretches and glute-strengthening exercises in an attempt to ward off knee pain...

Our final Saturday run before the race was an 11km course which included the last part of next week's half-marathon. We joined the other CanToo pods from around the city and met at Hyde Park for a brisk start on a cold morning. It's crazy to think how the weather has changed over the lifetime of this programme. I remember starting out at 7:30am with sunscreen dripping off my face with sweat! Now we all stand around shivering before things take shape. It was something like 9 degrees celsius this morning..
I was given strict instructions by the coach to stop as soon as I felt any pain. This would minimise injury for race day at least.

The first part of the run involved a trip around Mrs Macquarie's chair - again! This will be the very final stage of the race so it's good to be sick of it. We then ran down through the CBD via King St., past all the dodgy characters hanging around outside pubs, past the stragglers making their way home after a big night and onto Pyrmont Bridge to cross Darling Harbour and head down to the Accenture building. It was a beautiful morning and the sights were enough to keep my mind off the running element for a while. I felt quite energetic and stayed with the group who are pacing for a 2 hr 30 min run on race day. My breathing was fine, I could keep a conversation going and I felt good.

Until I came back across Pyrmont Bridge, that is. I felt my quads tightening and knew what was coming next. By the time we reached half-way up King Street's hill my right knee started to twinge. By the time I reached Pitt Street I made a decision to stop. That was the 7km mark. I was so frustrated to have to stop. I knew it was the right decision, but I had so much more energy left in me and I would have been able to finish off the run. I laugh when I think how times have changed, and I'm frustrated I can 'only' run 7km....!!

I limped back to Hyde Park  where some of the faster gazelles were already finishing their run. They looked so happy! Dave looked very concerned but was happy I didn't push myself to injury. What a disaster of a morning. Pent up energy was still waiting to be released and I didn't even think I had earned a big breakfast afterwards with the others! Better to be safe than sorry. More stretches and bum exercises for the next week. On a positive note, the pain didn't set in this time until the 7th km, as opposed to after 1km the week before. Whatever I'm doing must be helping :-)

“Of all the stratagems, to know when to quit is the best”
Chinese Proverb

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Week 13 - Injury

No running this Wednesday for me. After my knee pain at the weekend I spoke to the coach who recommended seeing a physio. The best decision ever, I believe!

It turns out there are a couple of reasons for the knee pain. I don't appear to have any muscle strength in my glutes (bum) and this means I'm overworking my quads (muscles on the front of my thigh). So they in turn become too tight and pull my knee-cap upwards, causing friction and inflammation! Now it all makes sense. When one of the coaches told me to try to run with my glutes a few weeks back I could't make the connection between my brain and my bum muscles. I didn't know how to engage them. Of course I couldn't, if they weren't there in the first place! As well as that I'm apparently very flexible around my hips and this means my quads have to work harder to keep my body rigid and strong while I'm running. I'm literally not made for running. Who would have thought....?!

Luckily I've been given some glute-strenghtening exercises and stretches for my quads. Fingers crossed that these, coupled with some rest this week will help.

Week 12 - Tapering!

We were in Melbourne for a weekend so couldn't join the group on Saturday morning. But I cleverly (?) booked early flights back to Sydney so we could fit the run in on Sunday.
We're now 'tapering' which means we drop down to shorter distances so that we give our body time to recover. Yay! Because in fairness, that 18km run was quite a shock to the body. The next big run will be the race - 21km.

I don't know if it's a result of becoming a bit too cocky after doing an 18km run, or a good 5km time trial, but this 10km run turned out to be a lot harder than I expected. Dave and I set out together from our place and headed down to the harbour, along Cremorne Point and followed the Taronga Zoo route along the water. I expected it to be easy peasy seeing I had just completed such a massive run the week before, it wasn't raining and we were on a familiar route. I suppose it didn't help that my knees started to twinge with pain after about 1km...

I really really struggled with this run. The knee pain and mental pain took me by surprise. And I suppose you could say it took the spring out of my step. Thankfully Dave found it hard as well and later on I got reports that most of the team had found their Saturday run (albeit 11km) difficult too.

I sat on the couch feeling very sorry for myself afterward, with frozen sweetcorn on one knee and frozen peas on the other. The next day I found it difficult to walk up until around lunchtime so I started to worry a bit. Now is not the time to get an injury!!



"Education is the path from cocky ignorance to miserable uncertainty.”
Mark Twain


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Week 12 - Final Time Trial

Our final time-trial! It was raining again on Wednesday and the track was closed. We went to Kirribilli instead, which I was excited about. But when I got there I was so disappointed to find out we were going to have to run across the dreaded Harbour Bridge! A nasty surprise.

Despite my initial negative projections, a run across the bridge a night time turned out to be a more exciting experience than during the day. The lights of the city and Circular Quay really made it a much nicer run than any other Saturday run. As it was a 5km TT, my pace was a bit quicker, so it didn't feel like I was on the bridge all that long. Thank God my attitude changed within the first five minutes, I've no doubt the excitement of running across the bridge at night helped shape the success of this time-trial.

On the way back, coming back up the Cahill Expressway hill onto the Bridge, I started to struggle a little. It's hard to keep a good pace on a hill, and harder to keep positive when you're slowing down! I joined one of the girls in my pace group, Celia, and stuck with her for the rest of the 5km. We maintained a really great speed and my final time was 29:30 mins. Compare that to my first time-trial 9 weeks ago, which was 40:28 mins!! I was exhausted and couldn't speak for a few minutes, but very proud of myself.


"You must start with a positive attitude or you will surely end without one. "
Carrie Latet


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Week 11 - Saturday 18KM RUN!!

The longest run we have to do before race day. I know it was only 2km up on last week’s long run, but still...! A nerve-wrecking morning, without a doubt. It was raining again, but nowhere as bad as last week. I feel like a seasoned runner now that I’m not put off by the rain!
The run out over the Harbour Bridge was the easiest so far. It would want to be after the amount of times we’ve run over it! As I ran up Macquarie Street and past Hyde Park, I remarked to one of my mates, Richard, that the first time I ran up this street on the first 6km run, I couldn’t make it to the 3km turnaround! We jogged on past that very spot where I had nearly fallen over with exhaustion and pain 

:-D

We ran down Art Gallery Road and around Mrs Macquarie’s chair AGAIN. This track is actually the final stage of the half-marathon, so it’s a good sign that I’m used to (sick of) running around it! When I get to the last few kms of the race, it will be great to have confidence in getting through the last bit! We ran around Farm Cove, around Sydney Harbour house (in the company of Cantoo founder Annie Crawford), around Circular Quay until I reached the Overseas Passenger Terminal. This was my 9km turnaround point. I had to remain focused on my goals and ignore all the other gazelles continuing on to their 10km turn around for their 20km run.

And so, back the way I came. I joined another group for this part of the run. Rob, the coach joined in for a while. I was glad - I started to really struggle on my way back around Farm Cove. I had to concentrate on my technique, which is hard when you start to feel heavy. I tried to channel a bit of Rob to do that! Copying his technique and listening to his advice on my posture and rhythm. Once I got around that seemingly endless cove, I got a spring back into my step. Up the hills again - I managed them well. I stopped for a quick cup of water outside the Art Gallery where one of the Cantoo ‘energy champions’ set up camp. I cheered up a bit when I saw Sarah coming running with white suds coming out of her knees. She hadn’t rinsed her joggers out properly and the rain was causing the suds to form. Ahhh, a good laugh is obviously all one needs to get momentum to go on!

The next few kilometres were really really hard. My knee had started to twinge and was getting quite painful. I struggled for at least 2km until I got up onto the Harbour Bridge. By this stage I was sick of this running and I wanted to be over. So Susannah (mentor) and I picked up our pace a bit and didn’t speak, just ran. Once we hit the half way mark of the bridge I decided a proper run (not job) was required! I’ve no idea where the energy or stamina came from, but I managed to finish at a great speed. I came in at 2:10 hrs! Again I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. I found it hard to walk, or talk for that matter. But what a feeling - I had just run 18km!!

"Impossible is a word only to be found in the dictionary of fools".  

Napoleon

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Week 10 - 16KM Run in the rain!!!!

We have run in the rain before now. There have been a few Saturdays where the odd shower came along and we were actually grateful to feel refreshed, especially on the warm days.

But this was rain like no other. Apparently it was the wettest April day Sydney had seen in ten years. It even warranted a Channel 7 news slot - one which we featured in! I remember running past the camera-man thinking what on earth would possess someone to stand in the rain at 7:30am to photograph Sydney Harbour on such a disgusting morning. For proof, just click here!

http://au.news.yahoo.com/video/national/248153/?q=rain Look for “Sydney Swamped By Rain (Apr 16th), and skip to 0:34 mins.

Torrential rain. From the start. I foolishly believed if I kept my feet dry, everything would be fine. Alas, they were saturated within 10 minutes, despite my best puddle-jumping efforts. We ran to the other end of Luna Park and back first to get a quick 2km in before heading up through the hills of Kirribilli. Running up hills with wet heavy shoes and socks is a miserable feeling! The fact that there were another 30+ people ‘in the same boat’ must have contributed to my self-reassurance that running in torrential rain and gale winds was not a sign of madness. Or maybe we were all mad that morning.

The rain finally eased - near the 7km turning point! To look on the positive side we reassured ourselves that at least if it rained on race day, we wouldn’t be at risk of being put off. PMA. Positive Mental Attitude! As for me, this run turned out to be one of my best ones yet. I took on the hills really well and my mind was positive and strong. It also helped that I had borrowed a ‘fuel belt’ to carry water with me around my waist and knocked back a couple of Gu Chomps. I took off on my own on the way back and I came in at around 01:50 hrs. The hardest part was trying to keep focused and positive as Dave overtook me on the last big hill into Kirribilli (he was in the faster group that did 18km that morning). It was hard to ignore the fact that he had run an extra 2km and passed me on a steep hill about 1km from the end! But that’s another lesson to be learned for the race. Focus on your own efforts and not on everyone else around you!


“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”
Oscar Wilde

Week 10 - Wednesday Interval Training

Daylight savings is over and the clocks have gone back. Which means in some ways it’s easier to run on Wednesday nights because the sun is no longer shining down on us and draining our energy before we even run! At the same time, the prospect of going out to run on a dark cold night is not as appealing as bright summer evening training was.


Track this week was 6 x 800m with a 400m jogging recovery. As in, 2 laps of the field, followed by one slow jog around the field - six times! I can definitely see the improvement I have made now. Stopping to walk is definitely not an option, I rarely finish up in a panting state and I don’t mind the recovery jog (as in I’m not trying to get out of it by walking anymore).

The long runs at the weekend are obviously helping to build up my stamina and that’s a big part of running. My fitness levels are slowly becoming more obvious, so stamina and strength of mind are what require some exercising now!

"Positive anything is better than negative thinking. "

Elbert Hubbard

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Week 9 - 14km Run!!

Needless to say, Saturday's 14km run was the longest distance I have ever completed. The route was over the dreaded Harbour Bridge, down to the Botanic Gardens, around Mrs Macquaries chair (with views of Woolloomooloo bay, still Sydney harbour waters, Kirribilli glistening across from us) along Farm Cove towards the Opera House (and back again). Those doing the 16km ran as far as the Opera House, but I turned back at the 7km turnaround point in Farm Cove. Luckily a few others at my level were happy to turn around there also.

The run out was fantastic! I ran at a pace of 6:20 minute per km. I think the company really helped. I chose to run this time with Sarah and Bec, who normally run way ahead of me. Again, I think Lindfield helped me build up my stamina and confidence! We had great chats, a few laughs and just enjoyed the experience of being in this beautiful part of Sydney at such a quiet time of the day.

I tried out Gu Chomps http://www.guenergy.com/products/gu-chomps instead of gels today. Success! They are much easier to stomach, much tastier and the consistency doesn't make me want to throw up :) One on the way out and one on the way back was all I needed for a boost to get me through the run, and more importantly back over the Harbour Bridge. Coming back in to Kirribilli, I was ecstatic. Dave was there to greet me with a hug and I was very close to tears. The relief of finishing (and in a good time) is hard to put into words. I felt like crying and laughing all at once. I couldn't believe what I'd just done, without stopping!!

Rounding the corner at Mrs Macquarie's Chair

Week 9 - Wednesday training

Oh how running is so much easier now after having completed the gruelling 10km hill race on Sunday! This running on flat terrain is a doddle :) Well that's what it felt like to start off. I could definitely feel more strength in my legs and my breathing is more regulated.

This week's interval training was (after 1.5 km warm-up of course) 3 sets of 5 x 400m with 30 secs rest between each 400m and a 400m recovery jog between each set. We were lucky that it rained tonight. The grass track was closed, so we had to run at Kirribilli, in the rain and the dark. It was actually quite magical. The city lights reflecting on the harbour brightened it up and we were all in great form. We ran back and forth from the old jetty to Luna Park. There was a lot of passing each other over and back and plennty of high fives between me and Sarah (she was obviously well ahead of me). For the first time I actually enjoyed Wednesday night running. The monotony of a track can really affect your enthusiasm for running. As it turns out, Sydney city lights and a bit of rain actually helps!

View of Sydney Harbour from where we were training

Week 8 - Lindfield 'Fun Run'

No long run on Saturday this weekend because Sunday was Lindfield 10km 'fun run'. Let me set this straight, there's no fun running 10kms of hills. None whatsoever.
Lindfield is a residential suburb, north west of Sydney which is really pretty - due to it's hilly location. Some people who completed the run before had mentioned that there would be a 'few' hills. I blame them for making the hills sound insignificant. If I had been mentally prepared, there might have been some fun involved!!

It started off to a stressful start.....a queue of 20 people outside one toilet with 15 mins to go before the start gun went off. It wasn't a case of not being prepared - Crohns disease doesn't care what time it is! I literally came out of the loo with 1 minute to go.  I teamed up with my similar-pace buddies and within 5 minutes I had come to a quick realisation of what was ahead. My attitude to hills has been "what goes up must come down". Works well in general. But when you start of a race with 10 minutes of downhill, that philosophy suddenly backfires on the pysche. Downhill, turn a corner, another downhill, flat, oh look more downhill. There's no way out, you have to go down. I think we ran to the bottom of a valley, almost vertically and the rest of the run involved slowly getting out of that valley. Even worse, this run was two laps. So what I endured the first time around was going to be lying in wait for me the second time around.

There were instances of negative thinking creeping in during the race, but thankfully not too often. Local families came out to cheer us on and in some cases, local kids ran alongside for a while. One family hosed us down with water as we ran past! A couple of uphills were really deceiving (as they wound around corners) and that required loads of mental strength to continue.

Positive things about this run? I only needed to walk the last 50 metres of the gigantic hill near the end (which I had managed to run the first time around). The training we had done around the hills of Cremorne and Mosman (and my Wine Glass Bay effort) had obviously paid off. I also had the experience of running with loads of other people. And I mustered up some energy to pick up my pace for the last km. Apparently that's a good sign! I did almost collapse when I crossed the finish line. There weren't any cheers on my finishing. Most of the crowd had dissipated by the time 1 hour and 11 mins had passed! I couldn't see any drinks table so gasped around in a tizzy before finally finding the Cantoo gathering where I dropped onto the grass and lay on my back for about 10 minutes. Not the most graceful of finishes :)

All I remember after that was saying "I'm never doing that again, I'm never coming here again. Luckily everyone else (even the strong runners) were cursing it. The unity in negative feelings brought us together and eventually there were some smiles!

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“There is an uphill for every downhill, and a downhill for every uphill.”
Turkish Proverb

Week 8 - Wednesday night

This week's track set this week was 3 x 1600m with a 400m recovery. I have to laugh at the 400m 'recovery' jog. It's not a recovery in my eyes, because I'm still running. I tried a couple of times to do a sneaky recovery walk instead, but was caught out straight away. After each set we were allowed to stop for a quick drink, so I tried to stall a bit during that. The only problem with that tactic is that the faster runners end up finishing way before me!


I still can't say I'm enjoying Wednesday nights. I wonder who sure who is, really. Some people seem to run around the track smiling. Luckily a lot of my anger has gone, or at least gone into my legs. But I don't think I could manage a smile whilst running!! It's hard enough to start off the night with enough PMA - Positive Mental Attitude as Linford Christie used to say! On the recovery jogs, we run in the opposite direction, so Sarah and I have started high-fiving each other to keep the PMA strong (because needless to say she's well ahead of me!). 


On a good note, I'm now able to walk around the apartment after Wednesday night training. I no longer get blisters. I don't need Dave to be waiter for the night! That's as encouraging as my improved 5km time-trial!


"A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes."
-- Hugh Downs




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Week 7 - Saturday run

This week's long run is still based on time rather than distance. So either run 14km or just run for 80 minutes. This was my first time running the Kirribilli to Taronga Zoo  track - because we had luckily been away the last couple of times the group had run it. They all seemed so comfortable with the hills! Some of the hills from Kirribilli towards Cremorne Point Reserve are shockers. I know I usually drop the car into third gear to get up them. Again the trick was to keep chatting and stay distracted. Taking the hills slowly, little by little. I decided to take the attitude that uphill meant downhill. Simple as that. For every struggle upwards, there was going to be relief at some stage on the downward journey. Unfortunately, the way out was mostly uphill so the big downhills weren't enjoyed until the journey homewards - over 7km later!

The scenery around this area of Sydney is really amazing. It's not a tourist region and almost a hidden secret, enjoyed only by the locals. Small coves with yachts dotted along the way and bushland that would make you think you were miles away from the city. I actually enjoyed most of the run on the way out because I had good company.

I didn't make the 7km turn-around point in 40 minutes. Unfortunately a stitch kicked in about 1km from the turn-around point. I couldn't make it up the last hill - and ended up walking. I was so frustrated with myself. I turned around in the hope that starting off on the downhill would make it go away. It didn't, and it must have last for another 10 minutes. It really messed with my head - so many negative thoughts started sneaking in and running was agony all over again.

My mentor Susannah picked me up, told Dave to run ahead at his own pace, and kept me company the whole way back. Thankfully, breathing through my nose and out through my mouth seemed to be the cure. It was reassuring when I finally got rid of it, because I knew that if it happened on race day that I'd be able to get through it. As expected, most of the return journey was far easier and when it came to a couple of hills at the end, I had the confidence to face them. Running to the top of a hill is the best feeling in the world. Such a sense of achievement! Just like a car, drop to a lower gear and it's possible :-)

"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right."
Henry Ford

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Week 7 - Wednesday Time Trial

Our second 5km time trial. Keeping in mind my last 5km record was 40:28,  I was confident that I could do a bit better than this after all the training I had done. It's still horrible running around the track for this distance. 5km is twelve and a half laps of the athletic field. It's also hard being at the back of the pack for these long distances on the track because I get lapped so many times by the faster people in the group - like Dave! I tried to keep my blinkers on and ignore the rest of them - sticking to my own pace.

The last two laps were a huge struggle. Probably because most of the group had already finished their 5km and I had to keep going! As soon as I knew I only had one lap to go, I tried to pick up the pace. I focused on the person in front of me and did my best to catch up with her. I didn't catch her, but it definitely kept me focused. My new record for 5km was 33:28. Over 7 minutes faster and a 18% improvement on my last time trial - 5 weeks earlier. More importantly, I didn't stop to walk this time.

As much as I hated having to do it, it was just the encouragement I needed. I could clearly see how far I had come. The facts were there! Cantoo training had worked for me :-)



"The only person you should ever compete with is yourself. You can't hope for a fairer match."
Todd Ruthman


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Week 6 - Saturday training

I missed Wednesday night's training as I wasn't feeling well. This made me worry about Saturday's run! In hindsight, I think the rest might have helped me. This weekend we were in Launceston. Tasmania for St Patrick's Day celebrations. The good thing about running is that you can do wherever you go. So not being in Sydney was no excuse to pull out for the weekend! 
On Saturday we headed down to Wine Glass Bay in Freycinet National Park. We treated ourselves to a night in the Freycinet Lodge, in the National Park. But we had to earn it first - that is, we had to do our run before we could enjoy the comforts. Despite the stark contrast in temperature ( I think it was 16-18 degrees, compared to Sydney's 27 degrees), we set off in our light running gear. Dave wore a small backpack with some jumpers, water, food, plasters and of course the camera! I ended up thanking our lucky stars that it wasn't hot. We chose the 11km hike, which the guide indicated as a 5-hour medium paced trip. We ran it in 2 and1/2 hours. 

But this wasn't the usual type of running terrain. I think this was more like ultra-marathon terrain. Up hills, jumping over rocks, branches, tree-roots. It was way more fun than any other day's running I'd had so far. I loved it. I didn't even realise how long we'd been going for. In fact we did more that 11km because at one stage we got lost, backtracked because we thought we'd missed a turn, and doubled back on ourselves again when we realised we hadn't gone far enough for our turn-off! We saw one wallaby on the entire trek. No fancy birds, no snakes (apparently there are tons of tiger snakes there), not even a drop-bear! Just us and the wilderness. Well, and a few other brave hikers. The funny thing was that we would have deceptively looked like athletes running through the woods and over hills - little did they realise!

 I really enjoyed the run. I think the forest floor meant that there was less impact on my legs and knees. I definitely noticed the difference for the short distance we had to run along Hazard's Beach (twice because of our confusion....). We finally stopped for a short rest on Wine Glass Bay - long enough for a drink, a snack and a quick photo. It wasn't the nicest of weather at that stage, so we weren't inclined to hang around too long to get cold.

The climb up to the look-out over Wine-Glass Bay was difficult, but by that stage we had been going for over 2 hours! It was worth it though. I'm fully convinced I have enough energy to keep going for this length of time - which is reassuring as I expect it will take me that long to run the half-marathon!

I'll admit that I was hobbling that evening. The Freycinet Lodge was the perfect place to recover and I slept like a baby. A well earned treat! 




"It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop."
Confucius


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Week 5 - Saturday run

We took a whole new route today. Across the Harbour Bridge again (which I'm beginning to hate), but this time we came down the stairs, under the bridge, through Observatory Park and across towards Darling Harbour. The scenery up there was amazing. We then (walked) down tons of steps onto Hickson Road and ran along the harbour, under the bridge, passing the Opera House. It was such a beautiful morning and it was one of those moments when I thanked myself for getting out of bed so early to see Sydney Harbour like this. The water glistened and the Opera House seemed to glisten. We ran along the rocks, into Circular Quay. I think I ran 9km in total. The goal was to complete 10km, but when I met Sarah on her way back down Pitt Street, it seemed like a good enough time to turn around.

Going back was a bit harder, as usual. The tons of steps back up to Observatory Park killed my legs. There was only about another 500m of recovery before we were back up onto the Harbour Bridge for more pain. Getting to the middle of the bridge is the biggest struggle. After the middle, it starts into a slight decline. Until then, it's all a struggle. It's a mental struggle more than anything else. The only way through it is to pick goals along the way and break it up into smaller, more manageable parts. Again, Dave kept me company the whole way through it and his rambling distracted me from the demons in my head.

For years to come, whenever I see pictures of that damned bridge, I'm going to remember these mornings! The struggle to get across and the relief towards the end is etched in my mind.

"Be like a postage stamp - stick to one thing until you get there." 
Josh Billings


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Week 5 - Wednesday night

Straights and Curves!!

The best thing ever. You quicken up on the straights of the track and slow down around the bend. Suddenly running is so much easier. I can see that  it's all psychological now. When I slow down on the curves, there's an illusion that I'm taking a rest. I've fooled my body into thinking it's a rest too! This has been the most encouraging training night so far. There were no negative thoughts in my head tonight, and I could _almost_ say I enjoyed it.

Apparently 'straights and curves' in interval training is great for helping you tackle the hills on the long runs. Bring on the hills :)

"Illusion is the first of all pleasures."  

Voltaire


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Week 4 - in Melbourne

We went to Melbourne for Dave's 30th birthday celebrations, which means we missed out on the Saturday group run. I was a bit relieved because it was the first weekend trying out the Kirribilli to Taronga Zoo track...which has tons of hills!

Instead, I decided that I'd do something I've always wondered about. What would it be like to run around Albert Park Lake? When we lived in Melbourne, Dave used to run around it frequently. He did tend to complain about it though, because apparently it can appear never-ending.

So, on Sunday morning, after pretty tame celebrations the night before (on  my part), we set out for a run. We had stayed with our friend Louis who conveniently lives beside Albert Park. On the way out the door, Louis opened up one of his musical birthday cards which sang "Kung Fu Fighting". The song stuck in my head for the rest of the day. What a blessing. It turns out that Kung Fu Fighting is a perfect running song for me! As we're not allowed to run with iPods during training, the key is to get a tune in your head to keep your rhythm going. I really noticed the difference after geting a rhythm going. It was a beautiful day, and this song had really put me in the mood for a run.

I can understand why Dave and some other friends complain about running around the lake. As pretty as the setting for the Melbourne Grand Prix is, the lake can be very deceiving. It does seem never-ending.  If I had to guess, I'd estimate that it was 4km around. Turns out it's 5km in length. A nice short distance compared to what the gang in Sydney had done this weekend. I was still glad I made the effort to go out.

Luckily I had my fantastic photographer (Dave) with me. 5km is nothing to him, so he had no problem running ahead to get some good action shots!

"He who sings scares away his woes." 
Cervantes


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Week 4 - Wednesday Training

Not so euphoric tonight. In fact, I went there with a sense of dread and complete lack of enthusiasm. Enough to let myself be defeated before I had even started. The first 3km were ok. And then the little voice in my head started up - and wouldn't pipe down. "I hate running", "this is sh*t", "why did I sign up for this?", "how will I ever run 21km?" and so on and so forth.... 

Then I got angry. Anger + running = tears. Firstly I was on the brink of tears when the coach, Rob, asked me how I was feeling. I shouted "ANGRY". "Put that anger straight back into your run".... that made me angrier! After the next 800m, I caved and wept. I'm not sure if it was frustration, or exhaustion but it was too overwhelming to go on. Luckily my good friend Nat was nearby and gave me a good pep talk. She rallied another mentor in and we took off again slowly to tackle the last few laps. I still don't know how I went from practically lying down in a weeping ball to taking off and running 800km at a good pace (after which I mistakenly thought we'd finished..) to upping the ante in the last 800km and finishing with a "negative split" (Google it). 

All I can say is that this Can Too running journey is full of ups and downs, pains and surprises! This training lark obviously needs to be treated like doing a PhD. Taking every day as it comes, and not focusing on the bigger picture. As long as the work goes in and I am patient with myself, benefits will come out - in some shape or form.

"Patience means self suffering"
Mahatma Gandhi

Week 3 - Saturday in the Hunter Valley

Along with our training on Wednesdays and Saturdays, we have to fit more running/ yoga/ swimming in over the rest of the week. Dave plays tennis and does Brazilian Jujitsu, so I try to do something nice like yoga..

Saturdays are (supposed to be) more pleasant than Wednesday nights. We're supposed to chat to each other on our long distance runs. This weekend, we were in the Hunter Valley wine region for the weekend with a group of mates for Dave's birthday. Unluckily for Dave and our friend Sarah, I didn't have anything to drink on Friday night so I woke both of them up at 8am to make them run with me. Fear of missing out makes you do crazy things sometimes. It's like missing lectures. If you miss a couple, you're lost for all the subsequent ones. Too big of a risk!!

So yep, had them both up and ready for 8:25am. It was starting to get hot by that stage (the usual Saturday runs start at 7:30 to beat the heat...). We only got 500m up the lane from where we were staying, when two dogs came out to bite us. Well they tried, very hard - and circled us with their shiny teeth and intimidating barks. But we powered on through and didn't give in to intimidation. I was keeping tabs on the time. We had agreed to do a 50 min run. 15 mins into it, Sarah asked if we could turn around. With another 10 mins to go on the outward run, I refused. Dave asked if it would take 10 mins to get to the next road sign 200m away...... I felt like a drill instructor!

But karma had its way and I couldn't make it to the exact half way mark. I was going pretty strong but it was uphill and my legs decided they weren't going to play along. If we had pushed that extra 100m...we would have run 8km!! Yes that's right, 8km. We later went back in the car to calculate it. 

A stitch took over for a few minutes and I slowed to a walk. Sarah kept trotting beside me for fear of stopping would make her lose momentum. Both she and Dave helped me get going again. The run back was much better - mostly downhill with a great view of the wine region, and even some hot air balloons. We slowed again to a walk when we passed the dogs - who didn't bark this time, they just wanted to play! The main success of the story was how great we felt when we got back to the other 9 hung over bodies, still in bed! We jumped into the swimming pool and floated around for a while in reflective glory. 

"Rapid motion through space elates one"
James Joyce

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Week 3 - Wednesday night interval training

There are not a whole lot of positive things to say about tonight’s running. I’m really not enjoying this. The email sent out during the week lets us know what’s ahead for Wednesday night interval training. “3 sets of 4 x 400m with 30secs standing recovery between each 400m (1 lap) and a 400m recovery between each set of 4”. And that’s what I set myself up for. So how is it I always seem to forget about the 2km warm-up?!!! By the end of the warm-up, I’ve usually had more than enough. I’m also aware that my negative attitude isn’t making getting around the track any easier. Plus it's far too hot and humid...

The one good thing I can take away from tonight, is the talk given by the coach on posture and form. I knew that I should tune into this as my posture is so bad and it’s obviously responsible for my neck and shoulder pains. I have to pretend that I’m being held up by strings like a puppet. I have to keep my head up (the other coach, Mike advised to wear a cap low over our eyebrows so it would force us to lift our heads).

Most importantly I have to be more aware of what part of my feet I’m running on. I’m what the professionals would refer to as an ‘over-pronator’. I found this out at the weekend when I went to buy new running shoes. The foot specialist videoed me walking and running to show me how I am putting all my body weight on the inside of my foot and thus causing too much stress on my knees and hips. Who would have guessed!

The positive outcome from tonight? No blisters. The new running shoes were worth the investment!

"No doubt a brain and some shoes are essential for marathon success, although if it comes down to a choice, pick the shoes. More people finish marathons with no brains than with no shoes."
Don Kardong

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Week 2 - Saturday

No Pain - No Gain

7:30am on Saturday is getting a bit easier. It does help that the weather has been great and there’s nothing like sun to get you out of bed. I’m still nervous before these big runs. Today’s run was 8km (or 50 mins) with an emphasis was on time, not distance.

After a quick warm-up, it was across the Sydney Harbour Bridge again. I almost made it across without stopping, so that showed that there was some improvement already! My head was in a mess with all the negative talk - I was convincing myself that stops were ok, in fact beneficial. Dave helped by picking out goals along the bridge, the next pylon or speed camera...

My 50 minutes got me through 7.5km, in pain. The worst pain was still in my neck and shoulders. My whole upper body seemed like a dead weight and I was struggling to carry it! My feet were beginning to ache too. Our coach came bouncing alongside at once stage and I gave him a full blown report of my ailments. Seems posture might have had a lot to do with it. I was crouched over... He also listened to how heavy my feet were (which reminded me of how my mam likens me to an elephant when I’m going upstairs in her house). We compared my elephant stomps to his fairy-like steps and I knew I was working way harder than I had to. This guy is 160kgs of muscle, a Boot Camp personal trainer for the army, and I was thundering like the clappers beside him. It was way too hard to change my posture at this stage of the run, but a mental note was made for the next time!

Not long after that realisation Dave sprung up beside me. I wasn’t really in the mood for a chat by this stage. Nor was I in the mood to be wound up - which is one of Dave’s favourite past-times. After the third tease, I lost my temper and my concentration. There’s obviously no room for mind games when a beginner is trying to run home! I ended up stopping because I lost all my energy in that 20 seconds, and then I was even angrier that it had happened in the first place. I tried running again and after 10 steps I stopped. I felt like crying. I think my last words on the approach to the Harbour Bridge were “I thought I told you to get lost?”!! The coach breezed alongside again a few seconds later with a cheerful “how are we going T?”. I”M ANGRY! So he and Dave picked up their speed and left me for dust - in fear probably :-)

That was the single most rotten experience on the Harbour Bridge. I was close to tears the whole way back and hated every minute of it. This running malarky was way too hard.

Not in any mood to smile for the camera!
Coach Mike giving advice on new shoes

“When angry, count to four. When very angry, swear.” 

Mark Twain

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Week 2 - 5km Time Trial

Our first 5km time-trial. I couldn’t believe I was being timed already. I had only had two days of running behind me. It seemed so unfair! Plus I’d have to run 5km non-stop...

We did a quick warm-up - 1km, and then took off for the 5km run (12½ laps of the track) in 24 degree heat. It wasn’t just warm, it was humid. As much as I love Sydney summers, it’s not running weather. But the big challenge, with this one, was that Dave couldn’t run with me. He had to do his own time-trial. So I had to try to find people who we’re at my seriously slow pace. I joined a couple of girls whose pace I liked and we did the first km in 7min 47 secs. Easy to remember! I was pretty chuffed to be able to keep up with other runners.

But the negative talk started sinking in. While the girls were busy concentrating on the number of laps we had done, my mind started wandering off to how we’d only done ‘how many laps?’ and we had ‘how many more to go’. Glass half empty kind of thinking. And that proved to be my downfall. After about 3km, I got a stitch I slowed down to a walk. I had convinced myself that I needed it and I’d probably do better if I just had a rest...... I watched the girls pace ahead of my while a stitch worsened. My breathing was crazy. People were running past me (lapping me), some saying ‘breath in through your nose’. I felt like punching someone in the nose.... It’s amazing how angry I seemed to get when the running got hard! I suppose I was frustrated with myself. And then more negative thoughts came into my head about how ‘I hated running anyway’, and ‘why had I joined up’. The pains in my neck and shoulders were back, I could feel blisters forming, my legs ached and I was exhausted.

Luckily I managed to pick up to a run  again after about 300m, thanks to a few “lappers” cheering me on. Needless to say Dave lapped me tons of times and finished well ahead of me. Discouraging as it was, the fact that he then started up again with me, to help me through the last few laps (armed with a bottle of water), was a massive bonus. Another girl, Clare (who I knew through the swim program) joined us as well. It was fantastic support and kept me running until the end.

My final time for the first 5km time trial was 40:28, with an average 1km time of 8:05. I suppose the 300m walk didn’t help with the average time result, but I was just happy I finished it.  :-) The time trials are rewarded by ‘pub night’. So we headed off to the local pub for dinner - in our stinking clothes. I literally hobbled in. True to Sydney pub style, it had a barbecue where we cooked our own steaks. A great way to finish off a hard night!



"If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it." 

Mary Engelbreit



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