Getting to grips with grass

Posted on September 8, 2014 by Bo

Since committing to training with a running coach just over a month ago, I’m already seeing certain benefits. If I promise to pitch up at training and work hard, he pretty much takes care of everything else. In a way, it’s actually a relief.

For starters, my coach decides on how much running I do in the week. It’s such a weight off my shoulders knowing that someone else is watching my mileage. For a change, I’m not stressing over not having run really long LSDs on a Sundays. And it’s okay just to do 5kms twice a week. It’s in his hands. He has a plan.

Another thing I’m learning is what he means by consistency. It’s not about quantity, it’s about quality and learning to read my body.

Ironically, my coach is making sure I slow down a bit. *Wait a minute, I’m in this to speed up aren’t I?*. At the last track session, I felt strong. I’ve noticed that I’m doing a lot more running than walking. Just as he promised, I’m building that strong base foundation first. Speed work can only start once this is in place.

I must mention though that perhaps the biggest benefit is that I’ve learnt to run on grass! For me, the finish of any race is always the worst because it always feels like after running on the road, the grass on the field slows me down and sucks me in. Quite funny that where we train, the track is grass and it’s not that bad. Not that bad at all.

The goal of Comrades

Posted on May 21, 2014 by Bo

Most runners will be familiar with the question from ~~non-runners~~ people, “Are you running the Comrades Marathon?” It’s as if all runners just do, right? So when KK decided he was going to attempt to run his first Comrades this year, I didn’t think much of it. I mean, he runs twice a week and we usually enter half marathons on weekends. So how bad can it be? But as his training started, I soon realized there was a lot more to Comrades training than what most people think.

Mornings have been characterised by KK sneaking out of the bedroom at 4am to go and run (while I snuggle deeper under the duvet). The training has been relentless. A typical week involves running two hours on Tuesday, two hours on Thursdays, core training with a personal trainer on Mondays and Wednesdays, then 90 minutes on a Saturday followed by a marathon on Sundays. The next week, it starts again but this time with bursts of hill training and speed work.

His commitment to the training has impressed me the most and is where I have learned the biggest lesson. Firstly, he has a printed out & laminated training schedule of what distances to run and when lying next to his bed as well as in his drawer at work (thanks to his running partner DSM). He has followed each week religiously. By keeping the schedule in front of him at all times, his eyes are set clearly on the goal and he is doing what needs to be done to achieve that goal.

Secondly, when KK talks about the Comrades marathon, it’s always positive. His excitement oozes success. He discusses his race plan with confidence. I can see that in his mind, he envisages that finish line. He talks about the medal and going back next year. The vision of victory is there!

I think in life, most of us want to go out and do great things, conquer those mountains, be awesome. But it takes hard work, commitment and keeping your eye on the goal. Too many people drop off eating plans; quit hobbies, give up on their dreams because it’s just too hard and too much effort required.

But in actual fact, to achieve big goals in life takes big commitment and lots of dedication. More importantly it’s to believe you can do it! To believe you can win! In my eyes, KK’s already there. He’s my champ!

Set your own goals. Run your own race.

Posted on June 27, 2012 by Bo

I’m going through a process of goal setting at work. Funny enough, I only really set goals for myself when it comes to my running (and weight loss). As a regular reader of my blog, you may know that my goal is to run faster than 8mins/km. I’m getting there. Slowly. Two friends entered my mind as I sat at my desk, thinking about goals…

Both of them ran the Comrades marathon this year. The one friend was aiming for a silver medal while the other was running her tenth Comrades. Both had different goals, even though it was the same race. Only one was successful in reaching her goals and proudly boasts her permanent number which I’m sure she’ll wear with pride on future Comrades runs. Well done @tanyakovarsky! It’s an awesome achievement!

My other friend, unfortunately, had to pull out of the race half way. According to reports, she had headed out too fast and became ill. She still won’t talk about it and I suspect this will haunt her for quite a while especially since she came 22^nd overall in 2010 and achieved a Bill Rowan medal in 2011.

In discussions with some of my other friends, some have asked why she pulled out instead of taking it easy and just finishing before the cut-off gun. She had time on her side. But as a runner, this is not what it’s about. I’ve often had people say to me, don’t worry about your running time. If you miss the 3 hour cut-off for a half marathon, it’s okay. Do it for fun. Fun?

The fact is, unless you are successful at reaching your goals, it’s not fun. If you aren’t able to reach the goals you set out for yourself, it makes no sense to deliver on someone else’s goals. The goals you set for yourself are incredibly meaningful and it’s important that you don’t allow someone else to dictate what they think is the goal post.

I know she’ll be back running soon and achieve that medal she is striving for. In the meantime she remains one of the most inspirational runners I know. In fact, she’s one of the few people who make me believe in myself. Thanks Estie!

Sticks and stones (and words) can break my bones

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Bo

It is amazing how one person can make such a difference to how you ‘see’ yourself and what you believe you can accomplish. That person can either build you up or break you down – if you allow them to.

When I was growing up, I always wanted to be a journalist. I wanted to write, to tell stories, to find out and share information. The path I landed up taking was into librarianship and so I found myself surrounded by books and information, unfortunately not written by me. But I found happiness.

In 2002, I started working in a financial institution where one of my tasks was to write a monthly report. From day one, I struggled. I was not used to working with Word and I was constantly beaten down by my manager. Even after attending a course on report writing, I was still not getting it right and up to ‘her’ standards.

I still remember her words to me, “I made a mistake in hiring you because I thought you could write. But you can’t. Perhaps you should just focus on research instead.” Ironically, this is what I did. Fast forward 10 years and through friends who believed in me, I started a blog. I’ve loved every single minute of it. The feedback is not so much about my writing skills, but about what I’ve been writing about.

No one criticizes the occasional spelling mistake. No one tells me I don’t know how to use styles properly. I don’t get red pen scratches all over my posts. The comments and feedback are always positive and always telling me how my posts have hit a mark or touched people in a certain way.

That’s powerful and humbling at the same time.

I was chatting to a friend recently and he was expressing concern that in life, majority of people can not articulate what the want to do. People just don’t know. He went on to explain that it’s not about what ‘job’ you want to do as much as a simple ‘thing’ you want to accomplish in life. It’s up to each one of us to know what that ‘thing’ is.

It’s then that it hit me. I know what I’ve been enjoying in the last couple of months. I know what has made me happy, what has overtaken my time and fuels my thoughts all day long. I know what I want to do.

I want to write…