About Bo

Dog lover. Runner. Although very slowly. Keeping up with the stresses of running and life...

Running in a digital world

Posted on February 16, 2014 by Bo

In my world of digital marketing, I’ve been learning about website analytics. One of the coolest terms I’ve been exposed to recently is “success events” on websites. In layman’s terms, this is the tracking of activity when people come to your website and the actions they take.

These so-called success events could be anything from clicks on a login button, completion of a shopping cart journey, filling out an application form or simply spending time on the site. You define what those success events are for your specific site. (Okay, enough geek talk.)

So it was on this morning’s run that I decided to define those success events and ticked each one off in my head as I went along.

Getting out of bed to go run. This must be the biggest success event of them all! That negotiation that goes on in your head whether or not to lie in or go for a run is a toughie most weekends.
Running the 1^st kilometre without walking. From my gate to the swimming school is a bit of a pull and the urge to walk is strong. Good job this morning Bron.
Getting through the security boom through Norscot Manor. The guard is very strict and usually doesn’t even allow runners (I know!) to head through the boom unless you specify an address. Dude, I Googled a few options long ago! Boom lifted.
Running the 4^th kilometre at a pace of 7:15 minutes. Nice! I wonder if some of that speed work at the gym is paying off?
Using my cool down time to walk the dogs around my complex as soon as I got home. Bonus! ~~They~~ We loved it!

All in all, my report looked good this morning. Great run! Success!

Running through some old memories…

Posted on February 12, 2014 by Bo

1. 5am registration for Wits Kudus race. 2. Two Oceans 2013. 3. Sunday treadmill running. 4. New running watch paraphernalia. 5. RAC 10km. 6. New asics running shoes. 7. Johnson Crane half marathon. 8. Irene Liquifruit 10km. 9. Favourite running quote.

Running three hours through life

Posted on February 9, 2014 by Bo

Running a race mirrors life in more ways than you realize and has always been the main theme of my blog. This morning’s Pick ‘n Pay half marathon showed me why in so many ways..

When we woke up at 3am, it was pouring with rain. I secretly leapt with joy, hoping to jump back in to bed to go back to sleep, but KK refused to let his plans of running his marathon be dashed, and so off we went. As we arrived at the race venue, the rain disappeared and we ran in the most glorious cool weather.

~ Goals. Stick with them through rain or shine, no matter what gets thrown your way. There will always be distractions. Remain focussed.

As I stood at the start line, my mind was not right. I had still allowed the weather to throw me and so my mood was stressed, anxious and negative. Not a good start and the first couple of kays were the most difficult.

~ Attitude. Pick your attitude and ensure it is right or else it will set you on a path to failure.

At the 10km mark, I caught up with a friend who was “coaching” another runner. Her strategy: “run two street poles, walk one”, a similar strategy to the one she used on me to run the Deloitte half marathon last year. I joined in. BEST decision of the race. It was not so much the street poles, but being pulled along by someone who ‘believed’ in her strategy and who kept motivating us. Her energy was boundless and catchy. I “wanted” to keep up with her and be fuelled by her motivation.

~ Coaches/Mentors/People who encourage. Find these people and stick with them. They want you to succeed. They believe in your abilities and they will help you reach your goals.

I must admit, I was not fit enough to keep up with my running friend and she did start slipping further and further away.

~ Friends. They come and go. They pop into your life for reasons when you need them most, then pop out. This is life and it’s okay. It’s how life works.

As I got to the 18km mark, my feet started to ache really badly. This is where I started to hate everyone. I wanted to cry. I blamed others for the pain. I was irritated with the photographers on the road and I just wanted to quit.

~ Don’t give up. When times are tough, it’s easy to throw in the towel. It’s easy to blame others when things don’t go your way. Don’t.

I finished my race. Aching feet and all. I have the t-shirt to prove it and I got my medal. My third Pick ‘n Pay half marathon race under the belt. Three hours of tough running.

~ The Finish line. To get there, you need to go through the ups and down and endure what life throws at you. You will get there, stick it out. Because the rewards are awesome!

Here’s to the crazy one… #IM703SA

Posted on January 23, 2014 by Bo

I’ll be running the Johnson Crane half marathon on Sunday. This particular race holds a special place in my heart. It was my very first 21.1km race. It’s also the race where I ‘hit the wall’ for the first time and had no energy to continue when two friends assisted me in that last stretch of the race (thanks Piet & Rita). Great running memories.

This Sunday will be no different. It’s special but for another reason.

One of my friends @Bohoparadox will be competing in her first Half Iron Man triathlon happening in East London on Sunday. When she first signed up, I thought “OMG, she’s crazy!” But I’ve watched the many months of training, of small victories won and seen her grow from strength to strength.

The bike riding, the laps in the pool and the running. She just hasn’t stopped. She hasn’t given up. It’s a big race and I’m hoping she soaks up each and every second she’s out there! That race belongs to you Bennii!

I know Johnson Crane will be tough on me. I am under-trained and quite nervous about the distance even though I’ve run the race twice before. But my thinking is that in those moments that I doubt myself, in those dark patches of the race where I struggle, I will be thinking of the strength of Bennii and I’ll tell myself that “if she can do it, then so can I.”

But I’m also hoping that when she has any moments of pain or struggle on those up hills and long stretches, that she knows I’m thinking of her and hopefully it pulls her through.

All the best Bennii!