Asia Marathon-2nd Continent
Bangkok Marathon- 3rd Place in Age Group
Road To Bangkok
From September the 7th I have 12 weeks to train for the Bangkok Marathon. I ran this marathon on my Birthday last year!! It was hot, humid, dark and I had run the Auckland Marathon only 3 weeks before it..yes just another crazy idea I had! It would be normal to ask then "Why the hell would you want to do that again?", well.....I came fifth in my age group and I thought it was Ok and I thought I could improve my position if I train correctly and be more disciplined with my running...and as you know I am the original Lazy Runner, so that could be a hard task. However, this time I'm doing things differently....
The Coach is getting Coached
Yes, why should you guys have all the fun? (or all the hell?), I've asked Chris (Noosa Lazy Runner) to coach me, he said yes, but I honestly don't think he knows what he is in for...or maybe I'm the one that will be sorry! I've told him what my goals are..I want to run my fastest marathon (under 3.45) and I want to improve my placing (or in other words I want to bigger trophy and cheque and the higher podium step to try and climb up)..boy, will Chris have his work cut out for him.
Chris is going to set me a program and basically it will be track/speed work on one day (something I've never really focused on), tough hill running with Chris pacing me(come on. ..you have to feel for me, you know how fast he is), and one long run that I will do myself, increasing my distances weekly and then some other fun running with the groups hopefully.
If you want to follow all the highs and all the lows (probably a lot more lows than highs), then watch this space. I will have a weekly diary on this page for the 12 weeks, but beware before reading that there could be some very coarse language and negative talk..and Chris could become the most hated man (only in my head of course). So if you want to get some revenge for all the nasty stuff I've done to you guys, read on over the next 12 weeks!
Run my fastest marathon time (fastest to date 3:47:12 in Gold Coast 2006) and improve my placing from last year (5th)
Bangkok 2007 Facts: Bangkok 2008 Facts
My overall place was Overall Place 225 out of 1635
284 out of 1794 finishers finishers
Category Place 5th Category Place 3rd
Time 3:57:17 Time 3:45:55
How I ran it.. How I ran it..
15km- 1:17:28 @ 5.10min km 15km- 1:13:23 @4.86min km
34km- 3:06:19 @ 5.70 min km 34km- 2:58:15 @5.52min km
42.2 km- 3:57:17@ 6.20 mins km 42.2km-3:45:55@6.27min km
2007 placing’s in my category 2008 placing's in my category
1st- 3:23:53 1st- 3:38:21
2nd-3:34:37 2nd- 3:41:21
3rd-3:45:21 3rd- 3:45:55 (me)
4th-3:50:28 4th- 3:52:50
5th-(me) 3:57:17 5th- 4:04:28
This road is coming to an end...at this point of a marathon program whatever you never got a chance to do it's too late...training is over and there is only one thing left to do..just run the bloody thing..and hope for the best of course.
It is always a very exciting, busy, nerve wracking week..especially if you have to travel to get to the marathon..you cannot afford to forget anything..I spend the whole 24hours before I leave checking and rechecking my gear..I display OC (obsessive compulsive) traits in the week before a marathon...when I arrived in Auckland last year, it took forever for my bag to come out on the carousel ( I was nearly at panic point)and I vowed and declared that from that day onwards I would always carry on my shoes...you live and learn!! I think I could just about replace any of my running gear if it got lost before the marathon, but I couldn't repace the broken in shoes.
Monday- Last track workout with Chris..it was so sad(not really), it rained the whole time and the weather was quite cool and I really did enjoy it
Tuesday- Thought I should go for a little run considering I won't be running after Wednesday...but that thought got quickly replaced by another..however, I did a couple of long intervals in the rain with the Mooloolaba group if that counts
Wednesday- Hill Spints...I'm starting to wonder about the power of prayer, cos I really prayed hard for an even number to turn up at the Hill Sprints session at 6am in Noosa..guess who ended up doing hill sprints? and with Adam as my partner to add insult to injury..I've had a niggling pain in my right shin for the past couple of weeks and after hill sprints I couldn't feel a thing..don't know if that is a good or bad sign...but my prayers were answered on the evening session, even numbers.... and then home to pack, Bangkok here I come...
Thursday- 30 mins into Thursday and I'm still sitting in the airport terminal, Brisbane airport closed due to storms..flight delayed for 2 hours, finally left at 2am and arrived in the hotel in Bangkok at 9am (Thai time), I should of went to bed but I was too excited, so I went for a walk through my favourie city and then had a foot massage, they are the best!
Right- Best Support Crew
Friday- David sent me off to pick up my race pack! I had no idea where I was going and all the staff at the hotel seemed to have never heard of Bangkok Town Hall, which I thought was strange...I walked up my favourite street, which I have dubbed Little Hastings Street...think of our Hastings Street and try to imagine the exact opposite...just as appealing though, in it's own special way! David told me to find the canal and get on a boat to the end and then get out at the last stop and try to find the Town Hall..easy..yeah right....well first things first I hadn't had breakie so I thought I would grab some in town..but of course fried meats, spicy soups and prawn curries cooked in the streets didn't appeal at 9am and I couldn't find a muffin or coffee anywhere..long story short, I was the only tall, white ,blonde in a very dodgy boat, eating ferraro rocher chocolates going up the canal and seeing the backdoor of Bangkok in all it's glory..I got out at the last stop and had no idea what to do next, someone looked at my map for me and pointed in a direction, I just walked and walked and then saw a sign saying City Hall and there it was my oasis, the marathon expo..I registered and had a stroll around..and then spotted another white, blond with a marathon bag, so I made sure I had a chat, it worked out that she ran it last year too and expected to run about my time, so we decided we may stick together on Sunday..she is a South African, working in Bangkok..us blondes need to stick together! I was very proud of myself, finding my way around Bangkok, so I shouted myself a massage! Another highlight of the day was seeing the t-shirt, as we all know the success of a marathon hinges on the t-shirt and whether we like it or not..I love this one..so that must be a good omen!
Saturday- In less than 24 hours I will be standing at the start line of my 6th marathon..not bad for someone who was ever only going to run one! I've been carb loading with the gatorades for the past two days, and I told David I may have to lay off the thai food for today as I don't want the funny tummy at 2.30am (that's what time I need to get up for the 3.30am start), so how does a girl carb load in Bangkok..Hi Tea at the Oriental Hotel of course, the Bangkok Oriental is known to be the best hotel in the world, so there is this modest, aussie gal dining on the finest little delicacies, sipping tea like a real lady...the highlight..the chocolate souffle..it was to die for...I'm sure I ingested enough carbs to run another six marathons, but I just wanted to make sure I was loaded up! Back to the hotel at 6pm, got the gear ready..now the nerves are starting. Early to bed and try to sleep before that dreaded 2.30am alarm...stay tuned...
Sunday- Race Day-When the alarm went off at 2.30am, I was in shock, I had no idea where I was, but the horror soon dawned on me. In a stupor I rolled out of bed, threw on the running gear in the dark, like I've done for the most part of 20years and headed off to find my taxi.
Thai people are very friendly and even at 2.30am alone, in the busy heart of one of the biggest cities in the world, you never feel fear, the people would never want to cause you any harm, they are always there to help..it is an amazing place..I love Bangkok.
The marathon starts at the Grand Palace which is an amazing Gold mini city that is the most important landmark for Thai history and culture.
The start of this race is very laid back and relaxed, most of the helpers are snoozing on the grass waiting for their jobs to begin and the runners are all wandering around in the dark, waiting to get going.
Most of us though find it hard to take our eyes of the most amazing human running flesh in the world, about 30 stunning Kenyans, coolly waiting at the front line.
There was alot of chat going on, on the main stage but I couldn't understand Thai, however, there was a white guy (Dutch) getting a rousing cheer as this was to be his 666th marathon..well that made me feel a little better, I'm only the second most craziest person here now, it's only my 6th!
The weather is balmy, but not as warm as last year, and I feel good..that is by far the most important thing. It is a very predictable race, no suprises and a lot of runners may say it's a boring marathon, but I find if fascinating..all you can do is focus on yourself and your running..and that is exactly what I did..I had a plan and it's all I thought about and worked towards. It is a very well set out course..15km out on a raised freeway and 15km back and then some loops of a few city blocks and back to the palace.
The distance markers are 2km apart and they also mark the drink stations..which makes this a very methodical race..and that's the techique I used to get me through, I wanted to reach the drink stations at the every 8-9 minutes, slow down grab a drink and have left it before it clocked to 10mins, and believe it or not I maintained that pattern for 24km..I reached that point at one minute under 2hours..so I was still under 5min kms..I was very pleased with my approach...I made sure I slowed up and grabbed a drink at every drink stop, I would jog along and take five mouthfuls and then toss it. It was always ever only 5 mouthfuls.. this system worked very well for me and got me over half way before I started to feel a little tired!
I then decided to ease off over the next 10km, I knew the next chip check was at 34, so I thought I would take the pressure off until then and try to pick it up again after that...I knew I was 4 minutes ahead of 2007 at the 15km chip check, so I was happy...I was very pleased when I went under the 34km chip at 2:58, I so wanted to go under 3hours and it was another exciting little goal for me and I was right on track.
I felt that I powered home the last 8km (felt being the operative word), even though my last 8km looked slow on the clock, I felt so good and strong..don't get me wrong..I was tired, sore and I had bad foot cramps..but I just knew I could do it..I passed everyone in sight on that stretch, most people were hitting walls and slowly dramatically, but I felt I was still running well for the end of a marathon..I sprinted the last 400 metres, so I still had more in the tank..I got in just a tweak under 3:46.
If you happen to be lucky to get a place a Thai girls runs out and places it around your neck just after you run under the finish banner, with a trembling hand I turned the piece of card around to face me and I nearly cried when I saw it said 3..I was never sure what my place would be..all I knew was it was my fastest marathon time.
Left-Cementing my position as 3rd in my category
There is no sweeter word to marathon runners...it's a little bit of calm before the storm!
I pondered over the past 10 weeks this week and tried to compare how I felt at this point on my other marathon efforts...I have probably increased my kilometres and hard efforts by at least a third...so you think I would be feeling a little weary, but I'm not. In fact I feel great! At this point on my past 5 marathons I've felt some weariness and aches and pains, especially after my longest runs, but my body feels good and my recovery after my 32km efforts has been good, I've even run 10-20km the next day, in the past I wouldn't even look at the running shoes for at least two days after a huge run like that. Now I'm not saying that it is going to make me run faster or feel better in the marathon next week, but I am amazed at how good I feel after all the hard running I've done..I have never done that much running in my life.
The three major things I have changed from my previous training to this one, is that I have stuck to a program, very rarely changing my sessions or distances; I have included various training styles, track, hills, shorter faster runs and training at different times of the day, my previous marathon plans only involved long runs in the mornings; and my mindset has been very different, everytime I have been out training I have tried to focus on one thing, putting in my best effort.Even running by myself, I have tried to push harder or longer and have been pretty tough on myself, not one training run has been a breeze I've made sure that it has been a really good effort on my part.
I'm quite excited about this Bangkok Marathon..because I'm not sure how I will go...I would love to be confident and say "yeah, I'm going to blitz it and get my fastest time"..but I'm really not sure..I think I will only know on the day at about the 20km mark, if all this extra effort has helped.
Monday- Last Sprint Session with Chris at the track- Sprinting the curves and jogging the straights X 9 400metre laps- even knowing it was the last time didn't make it any easier, but I promised myself I was going to push my hardest at this session and I think I did.
Tuesday- Zip
Wednesday- Zip- Two rest days in a row, I could easily get used to this tapering thing
Thursday- The rain cleared in Brisbane for a bit, so I thought why not go for a fast 10km before I drive back to Noosa, half a km in the rain started up and pelted down for the whole run..but I was happy with my efforts, I estimated I ran 10.5km in 48mins, and my new shoes would of weighed 2 kilos each on the way back they were full of water!
Friday- Last Long Run- went out for approx 20km and decided to really enjoy it, so I picked my favourite run, through the Noosa National Park, however I really felt it, the legs were weary I was hot and uncomfortable..who can ever pick how you feel with running...I would of thought that 20 would be a breeze after the three fridays of 32..running will always remain a great mystery to me...anyway the best thing was going to have my massage an hour later with my Thai Masuesse. I have had a massage after each of my 32km runs over the past three weeks, this week she touched my calves and said "ah you didn't run this morning" to which I said "yes I did", she replied with "well you didn't run as far" and I thought, "wow, she's good". I felt great afterwards..it was like I hadn't even been for a run...so the massage gets the big thumbs up!
Saturday- 9km with the Mooloolaba group, very warm and humid..and then...the moment I've been waiting for...the last CCN (Chris's Cooroy Nightmare)..it was very warm, but I was pumped- the first time I did this run 10 weeks ago was the worst thing I had done in a long, long time and ever since then, it has been my arch nemesis...I dread it but I try to not let it beat me..today was my last chance to take charge..and I think I did..I climbed the hills without a whimper, ran the middle section strong, and turned for home and ran hard all the way..I was thrilled..
Sunday- What will most likely be my last long run, turned into a bvery, hot, humid 10km in Brisbane- Thanks Brisbane runners for taking me to the 10!!
65km for the week- WOW, I didn't realise I'd run that much, and it is a tapering week..65km would of been my biggest week on my other marathon training programs, and this time it's one of my lowest tallies..my how things have changed for me!!
Wow what a week..I've never run so many km's in a week in my life..this experiment better work!! The most amazing thing that has occured to me over this week, is not that my legs could run 90km, I knew they would, it's that I found the time to do it. My excuse for not training properly for a marathon is always I run out of time, I can't fit it all into my week, and when one thing has to go it is usually my running. So I was amazed that I could find the time to run 90km and nothing else suffered..I still worked all the Lazy Runner clubs and that included two 3.30am starts to get to Brisbane, I worked during the day massaging (and I had a very busy week with massage post Noosa Tri), and still everyone got taken to school, everyone got fed, washing got done, housework never got done (however, I can't blame that on the marathon training, as it never gets done!). The week also included a long day of filming with Channel 7, that was unexpected..so all in all I was just pleased that I could fit it all in.
It is true that once you set your mind to something and you want it bad enough you will find the time to do it!! The best thing about this marathon is that I wrote up a program and I followed it and made sure I didn't scrimp on any part of it, if I didn't do the session I was supposed to one day, I made sure I made it up the next day. Another thing I learnt form Chris is that you can run twice a day. On the weekends I would run with the groups in the morning and then run with him on Saturday afternoon, and somethimes run by myself on Sunday afternoon or evening. It's a good way to get your km's up, but not all in the one go.
OK..here goes, my goal was to run over 90km in a week... lets start counting..
Monday- As the Kawana group will testify I tried very hard to get out of the track work with Chris, my legs were sore and heavy, that was my excuse anyway, but he wasn't having any of it..so I met him and once I got into it the legs started to come good, I think they were just hung over from the 88km they had done the week before.
18 X 400metres = 7km
We then went on to Mooloolaba to join a film crew to shoot a 10 minute segment for the show The Great South East. It took four hours and it was lots of stop start running. phew I'd rather run a marathon!
By the end of Monday I was very hot, sunburnt and tired
Tuesday-Went for a run with my son on Tuesday evening, it was as humid as I've felt it for a long, long time, we were both saturated about 10mins in. We did one loop of Noosa Waters which is 5km in 27mins, he decided that was enough so I thought I would do another loop, I ran as fast as I could and it took 21mins..not sure if that could be 5km!!
10km...Running Total=17km
Wednesday- Very busy day with work..but no running
Thursday- 16km in Brisbane. I'm experimenting with keeping a good pace for longer distances. I know I can run the 10km pretty fast for me, but anything after 10km I tend to be not sure if I can keep up that same pace..for me it's under 5min kms. I ran out in 39mins and back in 40mins, I was nearly dead when I got back to the car..partly because it was very warm and humid and partly because trying to run 16km fast is bloody hard work. The reason I chose Brisbane to try and run a good time, is that it is a very flat, beautiful course and because I have it marked to every half km, I can keep a close eye on my time and pace
16km...running total =33km
Friday- My last long, long run. I woke at 4am, not really feeling on top of things, but there was no going back it had to be today! I decided I would do it differently this morning, I would drive away from my house 16km, hiding drinks on the way, park the car and run back to my place and then back to the car, should all add up to 32km and approx 3 hours of running. From my house to the Peregian shops is 16km, that's going through the Junction and along David Low Way. I hid 3 x 600ml bottles of gatorade along the way..as I felt that was my downfall last week, not enough to drink. Once again the first half was good, grabbed the second drink that was hidden out the front of my place (I didn't want to go inside as I thought I may not leave again!), then I started the back half, once again I got to the two hour mark and started fading.."Here we go I thought", but I just plowed on using all the mental strength I could muster. It is a tough course very undulating, especially along the beach front, and the humidity was high again, I was dripping with sweat.. I also had a wardrobe malfunction, my shorts kept slipping down, not sure why, they could of been heavy with sweat, but I had to keep reefing them up and in the end I just had to hold them up, which was very frustrating. I did contemplate just letting them slip to the ground, and stepping out of them and keep running (yes, I was pretty delirous at the 25km mark) but because I put my undies on at 4am and I wasn't sure which ones they were, I didn't want to risk it, however, I was glad it happened on a test run and not on the day of the marathon. I found the last 5km very, very tough..but I did it and I thought, well at least that part of my training is over. I drove home, very thirsty and exhausted. I had a massage booked for 9am, now normally I wouldn't suggest a massage that close to a three hour run, but I have been finding them beneficial, I hobble in to my Thai Masuesse and I walk out, so that must be good. She goes easy on the legs as she knows they are sore. It wasn't my best 32km but it wasn't my worst..so I will have to be happy with that!
32km...Running Total = 65km
Saturday- A nice 8km with Coolum, and my second last hill run with Chris. This time Gyndier..I had the heavy leg at the start, but then settled, however, I started to chug half way up Gyndier and I was thinking the worse. when Chris gave me a three quarter time pep talk, which did the trick, I settled and ran quite well for the rest of the way.
11km- Running Total =84km
Sunday- Brisbane, 8km
Running Total = 92km....Yeah, I did it!!
That's it now..no more long runs..tapering starts.
I'm so happy with the way my body has handled all those Km's, I don't feel any more tired or sore than I have when training for my other marathons and yet I've done a lot more kilometres and harder training this time..in fact I think I feel better!! The big question is..will it all pay off on the day?
Normally I would shudder when I hear the dreaded "four weeks to go" as I would think of all the catching up with my mileage as normally I'm so far behind...but, this time it's different. I'm right on track, I've done my second 32km (albeit, I hit the wall and nearly died, read on for the ugly story), and I'm even thinking of slipping another one in this week...no, I didn't say that from my psychiatrist's couch, I really am quite sane, for once.
I estimate I ran over 80 kilometres this week and 70 of those were done in three days..that is not the Lazy Runner we all know and.....!
In amongst all the running I also played the "Media Tart" role to the hilt this week, on one occasion when I checked my messages, I had three missed calls, one from channel 9, one from channel 7, one from Noosa News and then the next one I did answer was from The Sunshine Coast Daily!
So Chris and I had a photo shoot, he said one of the Journalists, rang him to interview him about me..God's knows what he said to the press, but we all know you can't believe a word of what you read in the papers...make sure you get Tuesday's Noosa News to find out more.
Monday- Family reasons saw me miss track this morning, but of course Chris has rescheduled me to Tuesday!!
Tuesday- Approx 7km cross country run through Buderim Forest, my favorite run with the Mooloolaba group. The humidity was very high.
Sprints at the track afterwards with Chris. This is the short, hateful one. Sprint the curves and jog the straight
Not sure if it was accidental, or Lazy Runners are just checking up on me..but we had a spy at the track..Shelley just happened to have done a session at the Uni Gym and then came out to watch me get my butt kicked, she didn't stay long, it's not a very pretty sight at that hour of the morning.
Wednesday-Rest
Thursday- I had planned to go for a run, but left it too late and was then thinking too much about my three hour run for the next morning and thought it best I save myself.
Friday- Well here goes, what should be the best day of a marathon training program, my second (and Last) 30km plus run. I always feel like throwing a party after this one as to me it signifies the end of the longest runs and then I can drop back to more civilised distances..that is until the last most uncivilised distance there is, but that happens to be the marathon and as I've said I don't mind the race, it's just the training I hate!
But, I'm afraid the celebration has to be put on hold..I hit the wall at the two hour mark and had what I would rate as my third worst long run ever. I don't know what happened, I felt good, I came off two non running days, I carb loaded and hydrated the day before. It was the same course I used the week before and I did it Ok then...what the bloody hell went wrong?!! I'll tell you what..nothing..I just had a bad run. Thank God I'm now a marathon veteran and I can tell myself, that the "bad run is a coming", you just never know when. If it happens two or three weeks out from a marathon, be happy as it probably means that it wont happen on the day..that's all well and good to dissect it afterwards, but when you are two hours into a run and know you have an hour to go and your body and mind is quickly falling apart..it is the most horrible feeling. I felt dehydrated, and very, very thirsty. I did take two drinks with me, but the humidity was high, I knew that my clothes were just dripping, I couldn't find a tap on the way back, and the more I looked the more agitated I became...finally about one km from home, I passed a School Oval, and at the back of the oval I spied a playground drink tap, so I went off course, ran (or it probably looked more like a stagger) across this huge oval (felt like the size of the MCG), the little drink tap looked like a mirage, it even had an aura around it..or that was probably the steam coming off me, I got to it I was so happy, my trembling hand pushed the little button...and.... nothing happened! It didn't work, I wanted to fall on my knees and raise my fists to the sky and shout "Why, why are you doing this to me?", but I didn't of course, I just hobbled home..I threw open the front door, gasping and dripping and panting and couldn't speak, both my teenage daughters were sitting at the table in their school uniforms eating breakfast and they exchanged their usual glances that say "Here we go, Drama Queen has arrived", and probably, "God I hope she's not thinking of driving us to school looking like that". It's always been quite traditional for my family to not take my running too seriously, in fact they try to ignore me when I come up with these crazy marathon quests. My son is the best one at grounding me if I ever get too big for my boots..for example the very blunt 20 year old, asked me if my photo in the Sunshine Coast Daily this week was airbrushed as he doesn't think I look that fit in real life, to which I replied " I don't think there would be an airbrush big enough mate"
However, the most amazing thing about that horror run, was that I recovered well. I felt a lot better afterwards than I did after the good 32km I did the previous Friday! I shuddered everytime I thought of that last hour though. I did decide that my long runs were not finished yet, I think that I should repeat the 32km next Friday. My theory is that I will go into the marathon mentally stronger if I come off a good long run, not a horror long run. The last long run always sticks in your head, and the only way to erase it is to replace it with another and that's what I plan to do next week.
Saturday- I was very nervous today thinking about my afternoon Cooroy run with Chris. I had the horror 32km from yesterday in my legs and head, and I had already run 8km in the morning with the Mooloolaba group. I forewarned Chris about how I was feeling, and off we went, it was overcast and the breeze was cooler, so that was in my favour..and I ran it quite well and strong, so I was pleased. It clocked up 51km for the two days.
Sunday- I was on standby to do a run leg of the Tri as Lee had a sore leg and wasn't sure if she would run, she was to ring me at 6am to confirm it. I didn't want to do it because.... a. I really wanted Lee to be able to run as I know she was looking forward to it and b. I wanted to use the rare free morning to go for a 2 hour run myself. Lee rang and said her leg was much better, so I headed off for what I thought would be two hours, but I cut it back to 90 mins, due to high humidity and I didn't want the debacle of Friday occurring, I ran it quite strong and estimated it was 17km. Then I went to watch the Triathlon, wow ,those guys looked like they were doing it so hard, it was nice to sit on the sidelines in the shade and see others suffering!
I'm going into the last high mileage week of my Marathon Program, I ran over 80km this week and I would like to do the same this week. Then it should be smooth sailing until...D Day
I'm heading into the crucial last 4 weeks of a Marathon Training Program. The last four weeks really does have it's ups and downs...this is due to the fact that 2 weeks of that four weeks you are running the most kilometres you are ever likely to run and then for the other two weeks you are bumming about with nothing to do..talk about extremes!!
It is always a good thing with 5 weeks to go to write up a mini marathon plan, for the last four important weeks..you have to be quite exact in this time..as if you miss some training it is very hard to make it up, all your long running has to be completed by two weeks to go and then of course you need a Tapering program.
This week I'm having a good hard look at myself and deciding what should go into my mini marathon plan and what should be left out:
Alcohol- It's official..I've stopped drinking.(for four weeks that is), I made sure of it by having far to much Red wine on Tuesday night and then running a cross country in Noosa at 6am the next morning..and as I'm running I'm thinking "yep the grog has to go". Most programs say to stay off alcohol four weeks before a marathon and I will try hard, the only real problem I can forsee is Melbourne Cup Day, and I stand by the fact that no self respecting Victorian girl can go without a glass of champers on this day..just out of respect for the grand occasion of course!
Coffee- I thought hard and long about this one and decided that it's either a choice between coffee or throwing myself off Hell's Gate in Noosa, and as the latter can not possibly help my marathon training then it will have to be two good coffees a day.
Chocolate- Same as coffee!
Hydration- I strongly believe that hydration is a major component for Marathon Training especially when running in warmer climates and there is not much warmer than the Bangkok Marathon..so I will be focusing on water and electrolyte replacement
Diet- Hopefully I will behave myself. My diet is pretty good and I will try to include plenty of carbs, the good ones that is.
Recovery- I am starting to get sore, the long distances really make me very stiff in the muscles and normally I just put up with it and hope my magnesium supplement helps, but I've decided on doing more this time around. I had a massage after my 30km plus run today and have booked another one for a week and will probably have two more before the race..it really does help. It doesn't have to be a deep painful massage, just a firm one that doesn't cause pain, but loosens up the legs and back and gives relief to tight sore muscles
Rest-This one I find hard as I'm always on the go and if I'm not my head is full of things that I should be doing. My focus over the next two weeks is to get in as much good quality running as I possibly can and then try to wind down and relax in the last two weeks
Monday- Track work with Chris
(400metre Jog, 400m at 50%, 400m at 75%) x 3, times three sets. This track session takes about an hour and can be tough at times, but I prefer it to the shorter sessions of sprints...I feel I can handle the working at 75%, but sprints require about 90% and I find it hard to get my head (and legs) around that!
Tuesday- Planned to fit a run in today, but it didn’t happen, however I did fit in way too many glasses of red wine (my last drinking session)
Wednesday- Paid for my sins on a 7km cross country in Noosa, but the magnificent course made the hangover a bit easier to bear
Thursday- Once again the run I intended to do didn’t happen-NOT GOOD
Friday -32km in Noosa!! Well that’s one under my belt, or in my legs, only one to go. Anyone who knows me, knows I dread these two 30km plus runs, as I say I’d rather run a marathon than do the long training runs! Sounds crazy I know but I do dread them. However, this one wasn’t too bad, I decided to make it an out and back and carry my drinks, this way I get a far more interesting course and I can’t cheat! I ran from Noosaville to Marcus Beach. I ran on the paths that run beside the new roads at the back of Noosa and the walking/cycle path from Sunshine Beach to Marcus Beach, pretty hilly through that section but views and sea breezes to die for, and on the way back I nearly did die, especially on the hills. The paths were mostly concrete so my legs were feeling the impact, however, rating it on the other 30km plus runs I’ve done over the years, it was Ok. I was glad to finish and thrilled that I had done one of them. The legs were sore afterwards, and once again in my quest to do things right, I booked a massage and 2 hours after the run had a good, but light massage mainly on the legs and back and I felt a lot looser, so I booked another one for next week in anticipation of my next long haul.
Saturday- 5km in Mooloolaba- I was happy with the legs, they felt good, normally I wouldn’t be able to run after a 30km run the day before
Sunday- 9km in Brisbane in the am, and then Gyndier with Chris in the afternoon. I was thrilled with my run with Chris. I haven’t noticed much improvement in my fitness, I’ve just been feeling a lot of pain and exhaustion when I run hard, however today I felt like I cruised up Gyndier, no halfway slow downs or whinges, straight up and straight back strongly, it was the best 11km I’ve done with Chris and dare I say it I feel I’m reaping the benefits of getting my but kicked
I estimated that I ran 70km in the week- I was very happy with that
I finally shook the heavy legs of last week and was running better however, I didn't run anywhere near 60km which was disappointing..I really need to add some more running into my week...I don't seem to be doing much between midnight and 4am..maybe I should squish it in there!! Only joking, but I think when people make the grand decision to run a marathon, I don't think they realise that they also have to find a lot of time to fit the training in, a marathon is so much more than running 42.2km..it takes a commitment of at least 3months, and of approx 10-15 hours per week..I get frustrated with myself when I run out of time..but that should of been all thought out at the start of my program..you have to be extremely disciplined..something that I need to work on!
Monday- Sprint Track work with Chris..this is the one to come and see if you want to witness me at my most exhausted..I hate sprints. This session goes for only 45mins, but it absolutely stuffs me...We jog the straight and sprint the curves, and those curves seem to curve around a long way. I do three loops then rest (that's 6 sprints) X 3 sets- my technical analysis.."I'm no bloody sprinter!"
Tuesday- zip- I should of ran on this day
Wednesday- zip- I can't really run on a Wednesday due to a heavy workload for me
Thursday- Long Run- 25km in Brisbane on the flat. I think I may be going out a little too fast and I am finding this run very hard- I had a head wind on the way out, "good I said, tail wind on the way back"..you guessed it wind turned around and blew into my face all the way home..mother nature has never really befriended me over the years. When I ran the Melbourne Marathon it was the hottest day they had ever had for that race, when I ran the Gold Coast it was the coldest morning..
Friday- Didn't feel like running this morning, but David encouraged me to join the Noosa Social Runners for a cross country run through he Wooroi forest..and as I always say it's the run you don't want to do that turns out to be the best..we had a lovely 50min run through beautiful rainforest, with only one killer hill to contend with.
Saturday- 5km with group- My Cooroy nightmare with Chris (it's Cooroy that the scary bit, not Chris), I feel like I am running the hills stronger and the course feels better, but I'm certainly not running it any faster, and it is still the toughest run for me. I think the afternoon heat and air adds to the struggle for me..I am a morning runner and am really out of my comfort zone when I run at any other time..so I feel this sort of training helps me adapt to the heat
Sunday- easy 7km in Noosa
Verdict- ran about 52km this week, need to really add another faster 10km run into the week. Next week I would like to run a 30km run as my first one and then the other 30km in two weeks. I really need to plan the two thirties out as with only 5 weeks to go and two of those weeks will be tapering I need to get a wriggle on!
Now I must admit “7 weeks to go” did make me shudder as it doesn’t sound like a long time, and I need to get up to my thirty km on my long runs and that seems like a huge jump from the 20km I doing at present, so I really need to review my long run training
Monday- Chris is away...Would I go to the track by myself and do a really hard work out?…don’t even bother answering that
Tuesday- Ok, I need to do the track today, it’s hot and humid and by 5pm I couldn’t put it off any longer, so I jog down to my local footy oval and soon discovered that those fires at Sunrise really worked in my favour, four huge choppers were smack bang in the middle of my track. Oh well maybe I should go back home, that was such bad luck, but there is a smaller oval, next to the big oval, so no excuses, and hey it is smaller, probably only 250 metres around, that has to be good. So I did my one loop jog, one loop 50% and one loop 75%, I did the first set in 15minutes and I thought two sets is only going to take a half hour, the second set felt better, so I thought for Chris’s sake come on, lets do another, so three sets had my legs turning into mush, dusk was setting in, and I thought time to go home, and then the flash of craziness I always seem to live to regret, I thought I should belt out one more set before I left, so 60minutes on the knocker and with very heavy legs jogged home. Estimate 10km all up
Wednesday- Zip
Thursday- Drills in Brisbane and of course supposed to be followed by a 25km long run..."supposed" is the critical word in that sentence...you guessed it... didn’t happen!
Friday-Long run had to happen today, it was a beautiful, mild, over cast morning, I hadn’t run for a couple of days, so I should be ready for a huge 20+ km run…how wrong could I be. I’m always going on about the Body V. Mind rule in running, it’s the mind who is in charge and the body will do whatever it is told...right..Well maybe that works 99% of the time, unfortunately I picked a 1% day to try that theory out.
Normally I have a good relationship with my legs, they are fit and strong and have never really let me down over the years and if I ask more from them they usually respond quite well. I'm alway having little chats to them letting them know what is required of them in my runs...this is how the conversation went down this morning...
Marie after a sluggish stiff warm-up up along Gympie Terrace
“Gee what’s going on, we are a bit sluggish, I want to run 20km this morning and I hope to do it faster than this”
Legs “Yeah well you should have thought about that before you made us do those stupid drills four times this week”
Marie “Are you serious, you only demonstrated a few squats, that shouldn’t make you this slow”
Legs “Yeah well multiply that by four and then asking for a fast 20km you are really pushing your luck”
Marie (now on Noosa Parade and nearly running 6min km) “Oh come on you guys it’s time to lift, I’m not running like this the whole way you feel like tree trunks”
Legs “If you think we are going to do what you f@#! want after those stupid f@#! drills, you can just stick your f@#! 5min km up your f@#! backside”
Bum "Hey don't get me involved in your bloody bunfight, those drills killed me as well you know"
Marie "Well stuff the lot of you..and you two lazy logs listen to me, I’m thinking of up grading to some newer models anyway and I hear of a guy in Germany who had a double arm transplant this week, so you guys better watch yourselves”
Well that was it; we never spoke again for the rest of the run. However, I must admit that as soon as I accepted that they were not going to perform the way I wanted, I just decided to forget about the body and enjoy the scenery which was magnificent (Noosa National Park) and things settled down, the legs stop complaining and of course I ran the 20km.
Moral to the story- sometimes your legs crack it and they just wont do what you ask, so just settle into the run and try not to be too tough on them (or yourself) next time you go out they will be back to normal..and oh yes go easy on the drills if you are training for a marathon.
Saturday- 7km easy run
Sunday- 11km with Mat in Noosa in 55mins and the "G Spot" with Chris in afternoon!..another 11km
Close to 60km for the week- I had to do a bit of cramming later in the week, but I am happy with that
Well I survived nearly two weeks without Chris...he made sure he was back in time to supervise me on the Cooroy run, which I do need to be supervised on as I hate it!
I did a lot of running this week and a lot of thinking about my running, the latter being more unusual for me; well actually the former is a bit rare as well.
Whilst doing my 20km long run in Brisbane on Thursday, I was trying to think of strategies I could use to run the Bangkok marathon. In all my other marathons I’ve used this formula, “just start, run and run and try not to stop and finish the bloody thing”, now I must say this complicated method has worked as I have finished five, but I’m starting to think maybe I could plan the race a bit better. I know I will finish it, I finished the others and I feel that I have finished them well (well maybe not Auckland, but I try to pretend that one didn’t happen).
I know I start well (South Africa was an exception this rule), however, I get slower and slower as the race goes on, which is normal in marathons, but I did study the breakdown of the Bangkok marathon last year (above) and I slowed from 5min km to over 6min km, and the amazing thing was that I didn’t even really realise I was slowing that much, I still felt I was running strong near the end, but for me I was running quite slow.
On Thursday, I ran 20km on a flat course in Brisbane in 1:44, but that wasn’t a 52 out and a 52 back, I knew I was sluggish going out and I ran the first 10 in 53 and I bought it home in 51, that’s why I go on and on about splits, it’s amazing how your run out or back can be very different and sometimes you don’t even realise it. I was trying to come back quicker, but didn’t think I had taken 2 mins off. I often say I only do negative splits because I’m so bored with the run that I just want to hurry up and get back, and I’m hoping that works in my favour in the marathon.
So my theory is I can run 20km in 1:44, can I run a 40 in 3:28, and then the other 2.2 in maybe 15mins that still makes the marathon 3:43, which will achieve my goal (run it under 3:45), but can I do it!
Then I thought maybe I should break the marathon into 4X10km races, and then worry about that extra 2.2km when I finish my four races! Which I did in South Africa. I know I can run the first 10km in 50mins, but I’m not silly enough to think I can do that 4 times, however, I could allow for slow down, I could do the first 10in 50mins, the second in 52mins, the third in 54mins and the fourth in 56 mins that adds up to 3hours and 32mins, but hang on I still have that horrible 2.2 to finish. I’ve always thought that that last 2.2 are in the hands of God or some higher power. When you see that 40km marker sign in a marathon, your head and body seem to join forces and say “Ok that’s it now, we’ve done all we can, we shutting up shop, let someone else get this baby home”, and I’m not sure what it is, you seem to hit auto pilot, you know you are going to finish the race, but you are just not sure how, sometimes I lift (Gold Coast) and feel like I have wings and cruise home, smiling, and waving to my fans(yes, hallucinations do set in at this point) and other times (South Africa) you feel every muscle, bone and joint so badly you feel like you are crawling on your hands and knees for 2.2 kilometres. Finishing a marathon strong and in a good frame of mine is a wonderful feeling; I finished Bangkok last year strong.
If I follow this slow down formula, I will run the 40km in 3:32, which means I need to do the last 2.2km in under 13mins and on a good day, I know I can do that.
Anyway…I have plenty of time to work on my race day strategy, when you are out there by yourself for more than 2 hours running you certainly have more than enough time to think, too much time really!
Monday-Zip
Tuesday- Track work by myself on a footy oval in Noosa. I ran to and from the oval (3km) and then did Chris's method, of one lap jog, one lap 50% speed and one lap 75% speed, times 3…then a break and repeat. On the track I did three sets, but on the oval, I only did two, it took 45mins to do 2 sets and I still had to run home and it was dark and yes, you guessed it I was absolutely stuffed. However, I was proud of myself as it is a tough session and I wanted to stop after the first set of 3, but I kept powering on and I did run strong...the 75% laps are a real killer. (10km all up)
Wednesday-Zip
Thursday- 20km long run in Brisbane. Started at New farm park in Brunswick street, ran down Sydney street to Ferry terminal, along the floating walkway and then along the North Bank to the Regatta Ferry Terminal and returned. It is a flat, busy course with plenty of distractions, but I was feeling pretty weary and very hot, started at 7am.
Friday- Fast 8km along Gympie terrace with a half kilometre warm-up and half kilometre cool down (9km altogether), ran the 8km, out in 19 and back in 18.:30, It was a horrible run as I had a hot head wind and the legs were still heavy from the 20km the day before.
Saturday- 5km with group in morning...and the dreaded Cooroy hills in the afternoon, I ran the Cooroy run in 1:14, it was hot and hard, but I do think I am improving on it.
Sunday- 10km with Noosa Group
I would have run over 60km for the week. I want to increase my weekly kilometres to 70 per week, I know even I shudder to think of it. The main reason I’m following a different training program is this it is purely experimental. I want to see if being strict with a program and running hard, fast and strong in training can improve my marathon time. I have never really run much more than 50km a week, even when I’m near the end of my marathon training and some of my runs are 30km long, and I stand by the fact that you can run a marathon off 50km a week, I have run 5, but a lot of experts say you need to run 70km or more. So as part of this very different training routine I’m in, and as I said it’s all experimental, I plan to run 70km a week. The main reason I’ve never done that sort of mileage when training for marathons is time...I just haven’t enough in my week to fit it in, and I’m a great believer that overtraining can do more damage than good..But for the sake of the experiment I’m going to give it a go!
Chris was away for work this week, but of course he left me with a program to follow..on my own..What do you think happened?
Firstly I was to go to the track on Monday and repeat the session I did with Chris the week before..I had great intentions..I really did..but I just didn't do it..I have plenty of excuses but, I'm sure you've heard them all, in fact I think most of them were ones you lot have used on me!
However I felt very guilty, especially when I got to the end of Monday evening and I hadn't done anything, not even gone for a run. So I decided I would do the track work the next morning...well one thing lead to another and..you guessed it... the track work got dumped again..then I had a brain wave... I would do the track work on my local footy oval in the evening.However, it got dark quick and there were no lights..yeah, yeah, I know here we go ..more excuses. But I did go for a very fast 10km, along the Noosa course in the dark, I went out in 23 (way to fast for me), and came back in a total of 47, which is really fast for me, I was stuffed..so at least I did something.
Wednesday- zip
Thursday- Would this be the first day of this Marathon Program that I finally do my long run?..No it wouldn't! I'm absolutely disgusted with myself, three weeks in and no long run in my legs yet.
Friday- Ok, things were getting desperate, Chris is away and all I've managed is a 10km flat run in Noosa, how can I possibly face him when he returns? I have to fit a long run in and and the tough Gyndier Hill run in before the week is out...Ping (that's the lightbulb going on in my head), I will combine the two, that's it, I'm always looking to kill two birds with the one stone , I will do it this morning, 20 km run and the Gyndier hill..brilliance or madness? I will soon find out.
I figured from my place to the start of Gyndier is 6km, the return route of Gyndier is 6km (with a 3km mountain thrown in) and then the 6km back home and then add on another couple if I'm feeling good. I set off at 5am and it was the most glorious morning in Noosa, cool and clear. I ran the first 6km well, I hit the hill with head down and bum up prepared for a climb. For anyone who doesn't know this hill, it's the one used on the way out for the bikes in the Noosa Tri, it winds and twists up 3km and it is marked at each turn, 18 markings in all. A highlight for me this morning was that I ran past a bike going up, the poor woman was pedaling like mad but getting no where fast , that's how tough this hill is, I don't think I've ever run past a moving bike before! I also discovered something else this morning, my new "G spot", the top of Gyndier, it certainly is just as hard to get there, but a wonderful relief when you finally do...I did the Rocky dance at the top ( I don't think the poor woman on the bike was impressed as she just arrived in time to see me punching the air) and then ran down, and all the way back to my start and then thought what the hell and continued along Gympie Terrace to include an extra 3km, ran with Adam (Noosa LR) on the last km, so I do have a witness that I was out there, if Chris needs proof! I felt great afterwards, strong and fit and relieved that I got a long, hard twenty plus in my legs.
And for people who have been asking and keeping track, 6 (yes, I've even got the shakes as I write 6) AFD's this week!! and the scary bit is I didn't even miss the alcohol that much..however, David is back from 10 days in Bangkok today, and the champagne is already chilling..
Ok I'm finally settling into this marathon training thing, I've sorted out the diet, I'm watching the hydration, I had four AFDs this week, I know, I know, even I don't know how that happened!..and I'm trying to save my legs for my training days...
Monday-Track work with Chris
I wasn't sure what I was going to be in for today so I thought it can't be harder than the last two weeks on the track! We warmed up for two laps and then he told me I had to jog on the straight and sprint on the curves..that sounded Ok to me..boy was I wrong..the curve was only 90metres but I'm a definate slow twitch fibre person (sprinters have fast twitch fibres), it only took a couple of sprints for the lactate threshold to kick in and the jelly leg took hold. I had to do three circuits of this and then a break, that meant only 6 sprints..but it was hard..I found myself jogging so slow on the straight just dreading getting to the curves.
After the first break, I started the second set and it wasn't much better...and of course I didn't listen to Chris and I thought we had 9 sets all up like last week, so in the middle of the second set all I could think was there is no way I can do this seven more times...when we had the second rest, Chris said "only one more to go" and I said "yeah and the rest", he said "no really only one more, this is a harder workout so it's shorter"..I nearly collapased in relief, so of course I couldn't wait to start the third set, so I could finish..all up it took 40 minutes of 18, 90 metre sprints with jogging in between
Tuesday-Testing all week, so there will be no running with the groups
Wednesday- zip
Thursday- Didn't do my long run again..that's three weeks in a row...I did do an 11 km in Mooloolaba to map out the Lazy Runner Fun Run Course
Friday- zip
Saturday- 5km easy run with the group..and then to confront my nemisis..no not Chris that bloody horrible Cooroy Hill run! The last time I did this run I died, not literally of course but mentally! I was determined to do better, and my mission was not to whinge to Chris. I made sure I drank plenty in the day, it was hot and humid. At 3pm I had a gatorade and I met Chris at 4pm. It is a very hard run, it starts with a long winding hill, after a half km on the flat there is another tough hill and then it undulates in the middle..coming home it's fairly flat but I find this part the hardest, it just seems to go on and on, I feel like the finish is never coming..it did of course..all up it took 70mins, I did find it hard but I ran it a lot better than last time..
At least going into this week I thought, nothing could be as bad as last week it only has to improve...
Last week prompted me to look at my hydration and diet as well, If I’m going to do this thing properly, I need to look at all aspects of my life. So I have been drinking more water and trying to eat better and it was through very squinty eyes that I thought I would look at my alcohol consumption! Maybe I should have some AFD’s (alcohol free days), 3 a week to start off, so my liver doesn’t go too quickly into shock. Monday I was going great guns, but that turned from a AFD to an AD by 6pm, damn so close! However, I did persist and had two, one on Friday and Saturday, I can hear you saying “Well I never, weekend days and all”, but I did break pretty quickly with a champagne at an engagement brunch on Sunday at 11am, actually it was closer to 10 am!
Monday- back at the track. I was pumped, I knew what I had to do this week and I was going to do it. I tried working on my mental strength so I wore my Gold Coast Marathon 2006 t-shirt, the fastest marathon I have run and told myself that it will be replaced by a faster one in 12 weeks time!
This time I did the whole 3 sets!!
(400metres jog, 400metres at %50 and 400m at %75)X3, 2 minute rest
This set was good, I felt I was working my %50 better, as last week I think I was going out too fast on the %50 and not having enough for the %75
(400metres jog, 400metres at %50 and 400m at %75)X3, 2 minute rest
This set I was feeling it, but the jog and %50 were still Ok it was just the 75’s that I dreaded and was absolutely stuffed after the last one
(400metres jog, 400metres at %50 and 400m at %75)X3
This set was hard, I had already been running for 45 mins and I was just feeling fatigued. The jog was Ok, however, I was feeling the %50 and the 75 was hurting. I was pretty relieved when it was over, it took an hour and I recovered really well, in fact I was pretty proud of myself after last Monday's pathetic attempt
It works out that I ran 27 laps and that totals 10.8 kilometres, any wonder I found it hard!
I told Chris “I think I have it mastered and I can’t wait for next Monday”, to which he said “Oh we are not doing that next Monday, we are doing something different and it will be harder”, boy does he know how to burst bubbles.
Tuesday-I did a few hill sprints- very few!
Wednesday- zip- My daughter came home from school and told me there was going to be another Big Bang and the world was going to end, and all I could think was I wonder if it will happen before my next hill run with Chris!
Thursday- once again I squibbed on my long run!! Not happy. I had to join in the Hill sprint session in Brisbane, doesn’t any club in Lazy Runner have even numbers!! It was tough, so my long run turned into hill sprints and a 5km run along the North Bank.
Friday- it was with great trepidation the I took off with Chris at 5pm, for a hilly run. I made sure I had plenty to drink, but the legs were still heavy from the Hill Sprints and it was humid. He took me on an 11 km run the included the Gyndier hill, for non Noosa-ites it’s the hill that the cyclists ride up on the Noosa Tri, its three km of winding hill. Anyway long story short, I did run up and I ran strong all the way home, so I was pleased that I got that horrible Cooroy hill monkey off my back.
Saturday- a 6km and a 5km with the groups.
Sunday – 7km with the group in Brisbane
It is always a bit deflating starting a new marathon program, especially if you have already trained for marathons before and you know what is required and how many kilometres need to be run..However this time I’m a bit excited as I’m doing it differently and I have someone to help me...Chris
I will just start with a little story!! I have had 4 children, and that meant four pregnancies, I breezed through my first two pregnancies. I worked and never had a sick day, then came my third pregnancy and I think I was sick even before she was conceived!! I had bad morning sickness, luckily (or maybe not so lucky) I was nursing at the time, so I had plenty of toilets to stick my head in over a shift and of course I made the most of every opportunity to hit the bathrooms of the wards. However, it was a huge problem, when I was just out and about, because at any random time I could feel a vomitus attack coming on...the worse was the supermarket, because I could rarely make it up two aisles without dumping the trolley and making a dash...then I had a brainwave, I found myself a little plastic bucket with a lid on it, so I put it in the car and every time I felt sick, I would make a mad dash to the car and then put the lid on and carry on my merry way. Of course I did dispose of the contents once home…that was a long time ago...and thanks to Chris on Monday, on the way home from the track it was the first time I had thought about that little bucket in 15 years, I wondered if I still had it!...as I have a feeling I may need it over the next 13 weeks!!
Anyway here is what went down this week!
Monday- Hill sprints with the group and Point Cartwright, I didn’t do many but enough for me.
Track work with Chris for an hour- consisted on 400m jog, 400m 50% speed, 400m 75% speed, times 3. Short break and then another set. I enjoyed the jog, the half speed was Ok but oh boy, full speed over 400 m is not easy (hence the talk of the spew bucket), amazingly I found I settled into the second set easier, I think I was going out too hard on the 50%. Next week we are doing three sets!!
Tuesday- Zip
Wednesday- Two sets of Hill Sprints, the morning one was tough as our warm up was to the lookout in Noosa, and afternoon one was fun but hard, it worked out that I did 33 hill sprints, and boy did I feel it in the bum the next day!!
Thursday- Wouldn’t you know my luck, Brisbane had Agility Drills, and it was a very wet morning and only one runner turned up...Matt...I couldn’t make him do it by himself, so both of us chased each other on agility drills, with a homeless park person yelling and shouting at us the whole time! However, it was good, I’d never done that session before, but boy did I feel it in the calves. I was supposed to go on my long run in Bris, but due to the agility drill session and the really bad weather, I decided to do that tomorrow.
Friday- Oh Oh- not even finished first week and I’ve stuffed up, long run didn’t get done because I didn’t go to Brisbane, I did do the social run in Noosa for 45mins- I don’t think that counts for a long run though.
Saturday- I would rather not write about this day, just pretend it didn’t happen but here goes…2 X 5km run with the groups, then home and raced off to do work, on my feet all day, very warm, didn’t drink or eat much and then off to Chris’s to do my tough hill run at Cooroy..Can you predict what comes next? First 3 km were hills, Ok fair enough it’s tough but I’m running up them! It’s hot, I’m sweating and feeling it, but I tell myself I will settle into it, Chris then gets us lost!! (That’s the domain of Lee and I, how dare he steal our thunder), never mind he says it’s was only an extra couple of hills,(Yeah no worries Chris), he did score a tick though for stopping and asking directions, I thought men didn’t know how to do that. I do question his nationality though, because his idea of an undulating course was very similar to a Kiwi. Anyway we found our road to Cooroy at that point I really settled and I thought I ran well for the next half hour, he asked me if I wanted to take the shortcut home and I said oh no I will do the extra couple of KMs, of course that was when I was feeling Ok, at the one hour mark, something went very wrong, it wasn’t my legs, but it’s like my last drop of energy from the day left, a little bit earlier than it should of, I started to chug, I started to whinge, I was feeling like I was in the last 5km of a marathon. It was terrible for me, and you can imagine what it was like for poor Chris, listening to the whinging. I must have been bad, because he offered for me to stop and he would go and get the car..What sort of a trainer is he??? I struggle on and got back to the car, I nearly drank a litre of water and I was dripping, I was wrecked and pretty disappointed with myself...talk about your bad runs. I recovered really well, but I couldn’t help wondering what went wrong in the last 20 minutes. I think I may have been under hydrated and I think it was my blood level sugar that dropped after the first hour…it made me really think about what I need to do hydration and diet wise to keep up with this rigorous training. I wrote up the tip of the week on Hydration, now I just need to learn to follow my own tips! I will definitely start on the Gatorades as I feel they really help me.
As Chris said, at least I know where I’m at (rock bottom!) and I have to turn it around...starting from next week. All I could think of while I was doing that horrible run, was take me back to the track...I’m sure it will be another story at 8.30am in the morning.
Things have to get better...don’t they?