Trying again. On my own terms.

Posted on April 17, 2014 by Bo

I was giving a good friend of mine some advice the other day. I told her, “Pal, you’ve done everything you can do. You’ve given it all you’ve got. There’s nothing more you can do now. It is what it is…” Days later, as I contemplate whether or not to run the Two Oceans half marathon, I started to give myself some of my own advice.

Family and friends know that I hate this race. It overwhelms me. It’s congested, it’s over-hyped, it’s rated by so many runners as “The ultimate race”. But I hate it. It could be largely due to the baggage I carry of not making the 3 hour cut-off a couple of years ago. Even though I came back and ran a PB on this course the next year. But the pressure is intense and I allow it to control me.

But when I think of the advice I gave my friend, the words seem quite appropriate for me too especially when I look at the facts.

I’ve trained hard this year.
I’ve run five half marathons since January with ease.
In between regular interval training at gym, I’ve run on weekends too.
I’m 10kgs lighter having changed to a Banting way of eating.
I’m more comfortable with my running than I’ve ever been.

Am I still slow? Yeah, but it’s not important to me anymore. That’s my pace, deal with it. I have.

The main thing is that I’ve done all I can do in preparation for the race. There’s nothing more I can do. “It is what it is.”

If the congestion with 16k runners causes me to lose precious time, nothing I can do. If this means missing cut-off, so be it. I have to accept that if it takes me longer to run the first km and I lose time, it is what it is.
If it’s windy or it rains, nothing I can do. That’s just Cape Town weather.
A lot of factors are out of my hands but at least I’ve done everything I could possibly do in the build-up to this race. The rest I can’t control.

So ya, let’s see how it goes. Right now my nerves are killing me!

Relaxing on the run

Posted on March 23, 2014 by Bo

When we’re not out running a race, I dedicate my Sunday runs to long, slow, ~~drawn-out~~ distances (more commonly known as LSD’s). It’s a time to be by myself, get time on my feet and just relax. But on my run this morning, I began to notice how tense I was. When I walked the dreaded hill up passed Cumberland, I felt incredibly guilty for walking. As I headed down the beautiful tree-lined Elgin Road, I kept checking my watch and calculating time. What for?

I eventually stopped, breathed and re-examined why I was out running in the first place. It wasn’t to get a PB, so why the rush? It wasn’t to do any speed work or hill training, so why the guilt? I consciously had to slow down and start my run over again, ensuring I was doing so with the right frame of mind as I ran.

I found today’s experience similar to when I go for a spa treatment. Numerous times throughout the session, I have to actually tell myself to relax. And when I do, I can feel my body calming down and unwinding, but I need to do this a few times. It seems as if I’m constantly wired and uptight. Relaxing does not come easy to me.

Is it just me or does anyone else feel as if the lives we live today have become so stressful, so tense that we are in a 24/7 state of anxiety and tension?

Running definitely allows me to release some of that worked up tension and really gives me the time and space to think (and over think) everything that’s going on in my head. But every now & then, it’s good to stop and examine the reasons for doing something in the first place.

So as I stood on the pavement and took a deep breath, I slowly started running again. I promised myself that my Sunday runs were all about me giving back to my body and to relaxing my mind. But mostly to be out there enjoying myself.

I must say, the rest of my run went much better. I decided that although I love posting my runs to Strava & Facebook, it might help to leave the watch at home every now and then. If only to relax while I run.

(Image: http://thoughtsandpavement.com/tag/runner/)

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 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!