If anything, 2015 taught me this…

Posted on January 10, 2016 by Bo

There are three races that I ran in 2015 which taught me incredibly valuable lessons which I’ll be using as a guide in 2016.

1. RAC 32km Tough One – Lesson: Set big, hairy, audacious goals

I had never run further than 21kms and this distance frightened me! I had sleepless nights worrying that I’d fail. In the weeks leading up to the race, it consumed my thoughts. But I did it! And loved it! I experienced moments of pleasure as well as extreme doubt & pain on the day. There were blisters. But wow, I floated on air pretty much for days after the race.

I realized this:

I must set goals that are so big, they fundamentally change my life
I need to ensure I surround myself with people who believe that I can achieve my goals
Always believe in myself! I proved that day that I can achieve anything I set my mind to
I also learnt that in life, the journey is not always easy and there will be uphills. But each & every step will get me to that finish line! It’s the rule of running.

2. Kaapsehoop 21.1km – Lesson: Write your own story

I had heard the stories that this race was easy, flat (downhill) and a piece of cake. In fact most people spoke of PB’s. I believed them and repeated their stories with confidence. But on race day, my experience was different. The race was tough. The weather was unbearably hot. The camber of the road was painful and I did not manage to shave off the time I had expected to.
I know now that:

I shouldn’t believe everything I hear
I need to get the facts for myself and not blindly follow the masses
Make up my own mind. Have my own opinion
In every situation, everyone has a unique story to tell. What’s mine?

3. Two Oceans half marathon – Lesson: Sometimes in a race what matters is who runs along side you

If you’ve followed my blog then you’d know that Two Oceans and I have not had the easiest of relationships. In fact I’ve hated the race since I missed cutoff a few years back. But last year I ran the race with my Dad. We ran together the entire way and as the light drizzle came down and we chatted and laughed at stories along the way, my fear and anxiety of the race disappeared. I didn’t care what my pace was or what my finish time would be. Nothing could take away that special moment.

This wonderful memory showed me that I should:

Focus on the right things in my life. Look around and appreciate what really matters
People who matter will always be there for me
Realize that the reward is not the medal. It’s the family & friends in my life that run my journey with me each & every day!

All in all I’m truly blessed that I am able to run. It’s not about how fast or how far I run. It’s the fact that I’ve started 2016 fit, healthy and happy. Here’s to a wonderful year ahead! Enjoy the run…

When do you stop keeping up and just move forward?

Posted on July 26, 2015 by Bo

I received notification that my blog has turned 4 years old. Wow! 4 wonderful years of sharing my running ups and downs, my race stories, my work stresses, the joys of my weekends and sometimes, my inner most thoughts.

Reading my very first blog post made me quite teary-eyed. I started a blog to share my frustrations with being such a slow runner. The more I hated my slow pace, the more I loved blogging about it. With each and every race, I was learning more and more about myself. My running forced me to step back and look at what it all meant to me and what was important in life.

But looking back and reminiscing about some of my favourite blog posts, something has started to niggle me…

This was me crossing the finish line at the 2008 Two Oceans 8km fun run.

During the 4 years of blogging so much has changed, not only in my life but with my running too. In fact, my running has improved. Dramatically.

What started out as being a frustration and the source of many (many, many) blog posts, I’m not that slow runner anymore. I can confidentially say that I can now run a half marathon in under 3 hours. Comfortably. In fact, my next goal is to run it in under 2:40.

Running with Comrades green number runner Tanya Kovarsky at this year’s Sarens half marathon. My time: 2:44

So then what’s been niggling at me you ask? Well, it’s what I say about my running. It’s how I talk about my blog. And it’s how I introduce myself on the various social media profiles.

I use words like “slow” and “trying to run faster than 8 minutes per km”. I keep saying I’m a 3 hour half marathon runner. Really? I keep holding onto something that I’ve grown out of and it’s holding me back. “I am what I speak” and I need to stop harping on about my so-called slow pace. I need to change the way I speak, because I’m most certainly not acting like that anymore. And if I’m going to achieve my next goal, I need to speak it into being.

I need to start telling people that I’m —“this close”— to running a half marathon in under 2:40. Because I am. I can feel it, it will happen. Soon!

I will never move forward and reach my goals if I continue to hang out in my past with all my failures.

I love the name of my blog and won’t change it. Keeping up with the Walkers and managing the stresses of life is still very much part of me. And no matter what my pace is, running continues to teach me so much about just that! But I need to listen to my gut and start being proud of my achievements. I am a great runner and yes, I can run in under 8 mins/km!

I haven’t updated any bio’s just yet. Watch this space.

A surprise delivery

Posted on May 20, 2015 by Bo

So I’ll admit that even though we’ve lived in the same complex for over 10 years and even with KK as head of the homeowners association, we don’t really know our neighbors. Yeah, so we give the occasional wave when some of them drive passed and we sometimes ~~spy on~~ watch when they go walking their dogs on a Sunday afternoon but in general, we mind our own business.

But when old man Trevor died earlier this year from a brain tumor and we only heard about it one month later, we really felt bad. I mean, how did we not know? I remember being woken up one Saturday morning at about 4am from a loud commotion of family outside his house. After that day, we never saw him again and only heard that he was ‘sick’. Did we not suspect something was wrong with all the kids visiting so often? And the garden outside not being taken care of? Why did we not pop around and ask? Sorry Trevor and Miriam.

So last Saturday when we arrived home from shopping, we found a basket outside our gate. A basket filled with avos from our neighbor Jason (on the other side) with a note saying we should enjoy the avos from their tree.

We were blown away! What an awesome gesture! Especially since majority of people in our complex are just like us and keep to themselves. It reminded me that such a small and simple act can do wonders and make you want to do something back in return.

It also showed that sometimes an acknowledgement can come in a different way, it doesn’t have to be conversation. This gesture spoke a 1000 words. Thanks neighbor! Thanks Jason and family. The avos are amazing!

What goes up always comes down

Posted on February 17, 2013 by Bo

I’ve been trying something different with my running this year. I’ve included some hill training and speed work in to the mix. Yeah, I know it’s something runners are supposed to do but hey, to be honest, I’ve been pretty lazy in the last couple of years and haven’t been as disciplined as I should have been.

The hill training is pretty straight forward. I can feel my heart racing and my legs getting stronger every time I do them. My gosh, reaching the top just feels so brilliant every time.

Hill training has taught me 3 lessons…

What goes up will come down. Hang in there. We all face those times in our lives when it feels as if there are more up hills than down hills. But they don’t last.
Sometimes the down hills hurt. You look forward to them but (as I discovered running the Dischem 21km a few years back) if your legs are not ready for that sudden downhill, you will take strain. Be ready for the drop.
Don’t avoid the up hills. Don’t hate them. They make you stronger. It’s how we deal with the up hills in life that builds us. Hills are just part of life – face them!

A good friend and Comrades Silver medal finisher gave me this tip once: Starting on your left foot, with each step, repeat these words “1, 2, 3… on my left.” I know it sounds silly but somehow it does help to conquer those hills.

Here’s to an awesome week full of up hills as well as down hills!