Long may you Run!!

For a song that has such a cool title, the actual song (which can be listed to here) isn't all that inspiring as far as motivational running songs, but it seemed like a fitting title as I take you on a recap of how marathon training (and fundraising) has been progressing as I hit the 7 week mark.

Long run goodies

I have covered over over 350 kilometers, and consumed dozens of Gels, GUs and Stingers along the way - I have been humbled by the generosity of family and friends and am getting to know my running partners better than ever.

If I had to rate my compliance with my training program to date I think I would be around an 8 out of 10.  I certainly have missed some sessions, and have had a couple stinkers in their too, but overall I am happy with how things are progressing. 

I often get asked what a typical training week for a marathon looks like, so I thought I would give you a little snapshot of my program. For the first time in all my years of running I have actually hired a coach to help customize a plan for me, and it looks something like this...

Sunday: Long Run (anywhere between 90mins to 3hrs +)

Monday: Yoga

Tuesday: Group work-out (approx 9-10km)

Wednesday: Gym + Easy 30-45min run

Thursday: Hills/Tempo (approx 13-15km)

Friday: Gym

Saturday: Trail Run (approx 8-12km)

Average weekly mileage: 50-65km

The dark days of winter certainly aren't the most inspiring to train in. And on the south end of Vancouver Island wind has been the flavour of this season.  My running partner, Jani and I took on a wild wind storm two weeks ago, where we were literally 'smacked around' for 25km. We had rocks in our eyes, leaves in our hair and were ducking under fallen power lines.  I can honestly say that was a first. Jani was a super trooper and together we managed to keep each other from being blown into traffic.  

Amazingly, I caught some live footage of the storm on my phone which you can watch below (you'll notice we weren't the only ones out running that day!!)

My training highlight to date, without question was my long run last week. Jani, Kat and I ran from Victoria to Sydney for my longest run in 7 years!  After 2 hours and 47 minutes we arrived at the Roost for breakfast and between the three of us has piled on 96km!! It was one of those runs that just felt...GOOD! The odd little nagging knee pain - but overall I was super happy with the result. Eggs Benny followed by an Epsom salt bath were all this chick had planned for the remainder of the day.  Oh...also of note is the purchase of my new compression socks!!  Loved every step in them. :-)

 

On the fundraising front, things have been steadily increasing, along with the size of my 'pack'. Together we have raised over $3000 and are now a team of 8.  I am blown away by their dedication and commitment to their own goals. I will write more about these fabulous ladies soon, but my goal for the coming month is to get out and run with each of them. They all have varying running aspirations...all impressive and all meaningful.

We made it!! Eggs Benny tasted soooo good. 

There you have it...an update in a nutshell. Planning has begun for my main fundraiser, which I think will be an 'urban scavenger' hunt in April, so get your game face on and plan to be there! Entries will be limited, so stay tuned for details.

Long may you run!!

xo

H

If you haven't had a chance to sponsor the LaceUp4Lupus  team yet and would like to do so, please follow this link to our team page and donate today.

Hot to Trot...NOT

I felt that after a couple ‘seriously deep’ posts it was time to lighten it up a bit with an inside peak into some of the dirty little secrets of long distance running!  I have been pondering this post for a while, wondering how much I am comfortable divulging…But in the end this blog is about getting to know me a bit better and the somewhat kooky world I live in.  So here goes.

Distance running is NOT, I repeat is NOT a glamorous sport. Last week I was watching the Australian Open and on numerous occasions I thought to myself…”Self, these are some damn fine lookin’ ladies!”  And I am certain that I have never looked like this or this at any point in time during a run.  How come?!”  I still haven’t arrived at an answer, and I am pretty sure I never will - Just an observation really.

This was reinforced on Sunday as I arrived home from my long run.  My girlfriend, Kat and I headed out for a tough 25km on Sunday morning and as we cruised back to my place I headed to the bathroom for a quick splash of water and caught a fleeting glance of myself in the mirror…OMG…is that what I look like?  DOH…Poor Kat has had to run beside this glowing salt lick for the past two hours.  People must have thought I had lost a bet or something, or that I was on some crazy reality TV show where they punish you with wild physical challenges.  If only they knew...

Now that you have a visual of what I look like at the end of a run (add tangled and matted hair to that glowing salt lick and top it all off with some neon pink sunglasses), lets chat a bit about the prep for a long run because it is a pretty funny thing too.  I always have to laugh when I am ‘gearing’ up for a long run.

-       Gooey sticky gel stuff that I will be consuming periodically – CHECK

-       Electrolyte replacement fluid (because apparently I am loosing all my sodium through my sweat) - CHECK

-       Good layer of ‘Body Glide’ to prevent chaffing in the most uncomfortable of places

     CHECK! This one is worth a double check!!

With all my necessities checked off I am ready to hit the road.  I am so grateful that my dear running partners tolerate my ridiculous style and sweaty self. Thanks girls!  Can't wait for our 3 hour adventure this weekend.

Happy trails to all!

I recently saw a hilarious Youtube video that summarized this all perfectly...

 

"First you feel like dying. 

Then you feel reborn." 

Asics

FUNDRAISING UPDATE:

LU4L is the top fundraising team in the country!

Raised over $2500 to date

'Pack' is 8 members strong...and growing

CLICK HERE TO SPONSOR THE TEAM TODAY