Two coaches. Same direction.

Posted on February 23, 2020 by Bo

I’m working with two coaches at the moment. One is a running coach to get me running fit & ready for Two Oceans. The other is a business coach to help me launch my social media product offering online.

They are worlds apart but the weekly homework they dish out is so similar. They both drive home the messages of understanding my passion, clarity & direction, proper goal setting, mindset, consistency, and discipline.

As the weeks have rolled by, I’ve learned some key lessons:

I know that unless I do the quality track sessions, my running pace won’t improve.
I realize that unless I’m crystal clear on my ideal audience, I won’t be able to target the right people to sell my offering.
I understand that most of my running victories are won in my head.
I’ve discovered that an entrepreneurial mindset is very different from that of corporate, something I’m trying to crack.
Mindset has been the biggest challenge. The nagging from Coach Michelle every time I skip track, and the persistence of the weekly call from Stepper (yup, that’s her name) have taught me to really focus on what matters.

Getting ready for my weekly Zoom call with Stepper.

It all comes down to accountability. Yeah sure, I could have Googled some running programmes and downloaded small business manuals. But that’s just it. I didn’t. And there are things they’ve taught me about myself that were hidden in my blindspot.

There are 6 weeks left before Two Oceans and smack in between the training sessions, I will be launching my brand new social media product offering to clients.

Both are goals that bring me immense joy and purpose in my life. But both also scare me shitless. Luckily, according to my two coaches, this means I’m on track.

The skies are simply beautiful at track lately

Thoughts out on a run…

Posted on December 25, 2019 by Bo

I recently stumbled across a running article that had me nodding my head in agreement a few times. It’s a brilliant piece with nuggets that I’d recommend every runner start their New (running) Year off reading.

My favourite line from the article is this one:

“People run where they want to be at instead of running where they’re at.”

I see countless runners uploading frustrated runs to Strava because they expected to be running faster each and every time. Hey, I’m guilty too! The runs are recorded as, “My run is super slow, I’m irritated.” or “Legs like lead” and even, “Don’t know what’s wrong with me, walked on my run.”

Sound familiar?

Instead of focusing on where I am with my running, I’m focused on where I’m aiming to be and somehow expecting that each and every run recorded must be an improvement. That’s an awfully tough high expectation set.

How absolutely ‘gawjuss’ are these Vivolicious tights! #unsponsored

Which leads me to this…

At last week’s track session, my running coach Michelle went into detail about the Jack Daniels (no, the other one) pacing methodology which she uses in her training.

With a pen & paper in hand, she drew a couple of circles to explain what we’re doing and why the need for different pacing for different runs.

It’s important, she explained, that we respect an easy run to be just that. Easy.

And that when we do our track sessions, it’s a quality session where the focus is more often than not, on speed (I & R paces) and form.

That was the lightbulb moment for me.

There is a time and a place to be running different paces and for different purposes. Your training program needs to be broken up into these phases so that you’re reaping the full benefit for your long term running goals.

It really is okay to be running my long run at an E pace which is over a minute slower than what I’m used to running. Not only is it okay, but it’s also expected. What a relief!

It is about running where I’m at now, instead of trying to run where I’m aiming to be.

That will come. For now, I’m going to be enjoying those easy Sunday long runs.

Post-run cool downs. These are CW-X tights. Still gutted we had to close down our business.

Instructions from my (new) running Coach

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Bo

“Take your shoes off and run barefoot. Then run on the balls of your feet and try to lift your legs as high as you can. And remember, the minute you want to walk, just stop, stand still and wait for the feeling to pass.” WTF! These were the instructions I received during the first session with my new running Coach, Michelle.

Gosh, look at me go, go, go! It doesn’t look like it, but I’m sprinting my arse off here! LOL

I first met Michelle years ago when I trained with Coach Dave. She was part of what we called “The Illuminati.” The name, which was first coined by fellow Junkie Brenda, kinda says it all.

Michelle will be the third coach to “fix” my head.

Coach Dave Coetzee taught me the ins and outs of track and how to value running friendships. Coach Neville Beeton showed me the ropes of trail running and sticking to a virtual training program.

A coach is meant to help get you through a specific problem; to get you from point A to B. And so when I heard that I was successful in bagging a Two Oceans half marathon entry, I considered chatting to Michelle. I knew immediately what I needed to get my 8th medal and one step closer to Blue Number club.

In a nutshell, I don’t want to struggle like I did this year running Two Oceans. I don’t want to be running up Union Avenue in a panic because I’m so close to the race cutoff. I want to enjoy the race. And getting old sucks because my whole body has slowed down massively since hitting my 40s. (Midlife crisis alert!)

Michelle is an old Running Junkie friend with running accolades longer than my arm. A gentle, kind person who you’ll find hanging out at Randburg Harriers coaching runners on Mondays and Saturdays, and then at RAC on Wednesdays.

It’s 10 years since I missed the cutoff gun in my 2010 Two Oceans attempt. This was what prompted me to start my blog & find a coach. And I’m back to square one.

It feels like home.

My run down of the Kaapsehoop half marathon

Posted on November 4, 2019 by Bo

Kaapsehoop Half Marathon 2017

This photo was taken two years ago when I had the privilege of running the Kaapsehoop half marathon with my Dad.

The excruciating pain is visible on our faces. As we rounded the corner on that final 500m, I thought my legs were going to rip off they were so sore.

This year was no different.

I don’t have any photographic evidence but I’ll tell you one thing. It’s been a couple of days since I finished my race, and the DOMS has hit hard. I’m sore. I can’t walk properly and I’m struggling to move like a human.

Runners claim that Kaapsehoop is an “easy run” because it’s all downhill. Some friends have achieved incredible personal bests (PBs) on this course. But it can also bring you to your knees! Ask Brenda.

This is one of my favourite World Cup stadiums!

It was our 5th trip down to Kaapsehoop. I’ve run 2 Kaapsehoop half marathons before and two of the 10km races, although after I ran the 10km last year, I vowed that if we were going all the way down to Nelspruit, I would only run the half marathon.

I didn’t have a race strategy on Saturday, which often confuses your running head.

I was running to kill time while KK was out on the 42km, gunning for a respectable Comrades qualifier. (Which he ran in 3:40!)

I had not trained properly for a 21km race. At some points I ran hard, other times I walked and chewed on sweets (which had melted in my pocket making my hands all sticky which was a great distraction) and then there were bursts of running from tree to tree (although this didn’t last long). My goal was to finish.

I wiggled at the cars driving along side us playing Bok support tunes thinking, gosh, the pressure in that Springbok changeroom must be enormous! And I giggled at the Celtic Harriers runner in the tutu whose quirky commentary had everyone running close to her in stitches. She’s a familiar face from Two Oceans.

When you get to this point of the race, there is no better and worse feeling. You’re so close, but in so much pain and still so far!

I even stopped to play with Ann Ashworth’s dog at one point (I was avoiding that final 3km uphill trek that lay ahead).

The Ups:

Well organized and fun vibe. No queues. Enough busses. Loads of water stops with bananas and potatoes.
I loved each and very kilometer (okay maybe not that last stretch) and I’m glad I did it. Mentally, I won that race.
Parking was a breeze, if you arrived early like we did.

The Downs:

There were not enough toilets at the start. I counted 15 portaloos for over 2000 runners. So many runners darted into the forest to do their business.
There was too much traffic on the first few kilometers due to runners not taking the busses and being dropped off at the start. Driving next to all that exhaust fume wasn’t lekker.
The camber in the road has left me eina.

It’s a race we enjoy and love and will be heading down next year on the 7th November to tackle it again. My fears that it had gotten too big were misplaced. Watching the Soweto & NYC marathon on TV the next day, I was gasping at those numbers!