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 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!
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!
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!
Keeping up with the Walkers... 