About Bo

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

Don’t stop planning

Posted on January 19, 2014 by Bo

After enduring a week of extreme heat, we woke up to the most glorious, cool rain. It did not stop KK and his running partner DSM from heading out for their weekly run but I was not that brave and decided to wait it out.

After returning from their run, KK and DSM started discussing their Comrades training schedules. Having run since they were both at Varsity in the late 80’s, it’s the first time they’ve decided to give the “Big C” a try. Printouts lay on the table of various training schedules, Lindsay Parry, Don Oliver, Old Mutual, Modern Athlete… It’s quite surprising at how different they all are. Some demand daily runs, others allow for rest days (which really appeals to DSM).

As I sat pondering whether or not I should brave the rainy weather myself and go for a run, it did occur to me that with KK’s extra training, I’d possibly also get to do a lot more running myself this year, especially since there are a few road races earmarked in their draft training schedule.

This is great and I’m quite excited about it. Their dedication and commitment will definitely rub off on me and I’m looking forward to the build-up in the coming months.

When DSM left, KK surprised me by joining me on my run. I had planned the whole week to do a LSD as I have Johnson Crane half marathon coming up and have not yet run many long distances recently.

As we headed up to the 4km mark it started to rain. It was a sprint home and I must admit that I have never run so fast in my life trying to catch up to KK!

Just thinking about my LSD and even Comrades, I realised that as much as you plan, as much as you think things will go your way, anything can happen. But it shouldn’t stop you from just doing it. The outcome is still rewarding!

If you need me, I’ll be at home

Posted on January 16, 2014 by Bo

I’m pretty old school when it comes to my job. I believe in arriving at work before 8am, I’ll eat my lunch at my desk and if I have to, I’ll work late to ensure a project or deadline gets met. But there’s loads of new thinking around ‘where’ you work and corporate jargon such as mobile workers and hot-desking are becoming more and more popular. In addition, this concept of ‘working from home’ has been encouraged.

So on Tuesday, I managed to ~~get out of~~ cancel a workshop and alerted my team that I would work from home. It was all very new for me and I didn’t really think I would manage to get much done. Boy was I wrong. Here’s what happened…

I’m usually sitting in traffic from 6:20 until I get to the office at 7:15 (or sometimes later). But having no need to drive into the office it occurred to me that I had the extra time to either sleep in or even go for a run or get to gym. If I went for my usual 5km run at 6:30, I would get back home at the same time it would’ve taken me to get to work. Get outta here!

I didn’t go for my run or to gym but actually got started on work just after 7am. The house was dead quiet. There were no phones ringing, no loud colleagues, no disturbances. Just the laptop and me and yet I was always connected to my team as we emailed & Lync’ed one another all day long.

In between working through millions of emails, I occasionally walked outside to look at my garden and refresh my head. I might have stopped for a few minutes to check my Facebook feed and the news which I don’t get time to do during a ‘normal’ day. I even had time to stop and cuddle my dogs which I personally feel are all activities that are good for the soul. They loved it too!

When it got to 15h45, my laptop reminded me to leave work to get to the running club in time for time trial. Most afternoons, I feel so guilty when I leave but if I don’t, I can’t get to running or gym on time. On this day, with nowhere to drive to, I still managed to do an extra 90 minutes of work before I shut my laptop and went for a run. Yip, still managed to get out there. The amazing thing is that I got so much work done!

It has truly changed my mind about time management and working from home and I will definitely look for opportunities to do it more often. This WILL be my year of less stress, of giving back to my body, my mind and myself. In a smart way, of course!

(Image: Google)

On your marks…

Posted on January 12, 2014 by Bo

As the New Year kicks onto high gear, there are typically three things which signal the start of the running calendar for me:

New shoes

I’m rather spoilt. KK does almost triple the distance on his running shoes and each January buys new ones. Mine can still go a few more kilometres but I always get a new pair. This year, majority of the women’s asics shoes were pink (which is so not me) so I opted for the men’s blue in my size (thanks for your help, Craig @ Dunkeld Sweatshop). I adore them!

Buying of the Tom Cottrell Nedbank Runner’s Guide

Even though we download the app, one of our favourite dog-eared books must be the green running guide. Ironically, it’s the same info every year and after years of running you kinda ‘know’ the races. But we love paging through it and analysing upcoming races to enter.

Dischem

The first big race of the year, Dischem offers a 21.1km as well as a 5km run. I had to give my half marathon entry away this year as I was not yet fit enough, but was satisfied to manage the 5km distance. It’s riddled with all types of people and I just love how the kids make the water stops a fun part of the race and splash one another while being consumed with giggling fits. It really makes it a ‘fun run’.

Okay, so (I think) I’m ready. Here’s to a fabulous 12 months of fitness and running!

Forced to sit this one out

Posted on January 5, 2014 by Bo

New Year’s resolutions look differently when you’ve had the rough December I’ve had…

On the 17^th December, I lay in a hospital bed with a drip in my hand in the Sandton Medical emergency room feeling absolutely miserable. Just a week away from celebrating Christmas, I realised that the last three months have been the worst I have ever felt battling a disease I have tried desperately to hide from majority of those around me. Managing the actual disease has been fine but the extra-intestinal manifestations of Ulcerative Colitis have really taken its toll.

Excruciating arthritis attacks on the joints of my hands and shoulders; painful eye infections due to the arthritis which caused my whole cheek to seize up; a revolting rash (and another late night hospital visit) which turned out to be Urticaria; constant mouth ulcers and now something new… Crippling pain in the right hand side of my abdomen shooting up into my shoulder.

I’ve spent quite a lot of time reflecting on my health during December. Being an utter control freak it’s difficult accepting that there is absolutely nothing I can do to control an auto-immune disease which at the moment seems to be attacking me on all fronts. Ironically, the worst part is that I’ve not been able to run.

I had planned to do so much running while I was on leave during this time, especially training for the Dischem half marathon which would kick-off my 2014 running year. But with the pain and no energy, all I managed was a 5km run at the gym.

My blog has always been focused on my running speed. My slow pace and my insecurities about my running. But sitting on that hospital bed, all I wished for was that I was healthy and able to put on my running shoes and head out for a run. I thought, who the hell cares how slow I run. I don’t even give a damn if those walkers come past me. I just want to be healthy and fit enough to run.

Running means I’m strong. Running means I am healthy. Running means I am able to conquer my fears. Running means I am in control of my body. I’m sure I’ll be fit soon but for now, my New Year’s ~~resolution~~ wish is for a healthy body.