So it seems that my marathon training has not gone as well as I would have liked. By this stage I was hoping to be up to running 30k runs every weekend, and keeping up my 20ks during the week. I don't see this as a failure on my part, its simply because life has gotten in the way of running, which happens.
I still plan on running the 42k, I have just abandoned the concept of doing it in a certain time. I would like to achieve a 4:30hrs marathon, but at the end of the day if I can take 10 minutes of last years time and get in under 5 hours I will be stoked.
So I have 6 training weekends to get sorted out to cover the 42ks. The plan is to run long runs every second weekend (30ks) and 21k runs every other weekend, in addition I plan to keep up the 2x10k runs during lunch breaks up until the Tuesday before the marathon.
I guess deep down there is an element of disappointment in having to change my goals but at the end of the day with everything else on my plate its just not realistic to try and run the k's I need to in order to break the 4 hour mark.
Perhaps next year? who knows?
On that note I am considering a change of goals for the first half of this year and the remainder after the marathon, I am thinking that focusing on the 21k distance could be good for a bit, get really quick over that distance, and try and get my comfortable average pace down to 5/min K's. At the moment I can sustain 5:30min/ks for most of the 21k runs.
This would also feed into bettering my 10k and 5k times, which I would like to get to sub 50mins, and closer to 20 mins respectively.
Anyway I still have 6 weeks of training and 7 weeks till the marathon so anything is possible in that time.
Until then I will keep putting foot in front of foot and clock up as many K's as I can.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Monday, August 15, 2011
Birthday Speech
Im not one to make speeches at occasions aside from those where there is simply no choice....i.e weddings.
But while running today I decided I was going to make a speech for my birthday this year, but as a blog post.
So here goes.
3 Years ago my wife was pregnant with my second child.I weighed in at 106kg, why never diagnosed I probably had high cholesterol, blood pressure issues and was a perfect candidate for type 2 diabetes.
2 Years ago I had started running, I was almost done with the couch to 5k program, and I was preparing myself for my first official event. The timing of the event lined up perfectly for my final run of the c25k, and my first full 5k run. I ran that 5k in about 35 minutes. I weighed in about 95kg and was feeling pretty good about myself.
1 Year ago I was recovering from my rolled ankle, ready to run no matter what medical professional said I couldn't, and was preparing for my first marathon. I started running again just before my birthday and I managed the marathon in 5:08. I weighed about 90kg and had completed about 12 21k training runs, so my confidence in my running was great.
This year things are a bit of a muddle. I am training for my second marathon, so far (touch wood) I have had an injury free year. I currently weigh in at 86kg, and I am confident in my running - to some extent.
The issue this year is one of psychology and confidence. I know I can run, that is for certain but can I run 42k in 8 weeks time? The last 2 training runs I have done have not gone so well. 2 weeks ago I had health issues which were trigger or exacerbated by my 20k run. Today I set out to finally nail the 28k run from Wandin to Warburton which still eludes me, but I was running much better today. The issue was twofold, first I started out too hard, and as such was struggling after 21k to keep going and second I had severe cramping in my legs. I called it a day at 25k and will have yet another bash at it some time soon.
It occurred to me today while running that I use running as a metaphor for living. I realized that when I turned 32 and was running, I really started living. Before that I endured life but now life is an endurance event :) Training to run marathons is really living, and you don't know what its like to be full of energy until you have given every ounce f what you have to a run, you don't know what it really feels like to give something your all until you have given it.
People talk about giving 100% to something, but I don't believe that its possible unless that something that benefits only you.
I have also decided that running and living is about rhythm. Humans are attracted to music. I'm sure that when you close your eyes and think about it you can hear your favorite song. Running is like this, you find your rhythm and you run to it. People often ask me if I listen to music while I run, and the answer is no, when I tell them this they usually ask how I keep myself entertained for long runs, as if the thought of spending 3 hours inside your own head was like eating roadkill.
when I think about this, I have decided that listening to music while running for me would be like living someone else's life. Of course this is purely my opinion and each to his/her own but I find when I run to music my rhythm settles into the musics beat, and my pace alters slightly with the change of songs, oh and I kind of like spending time inside my own head, with a busy busy job, two little munchkins and a million other things to do, running is a nice escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday.
So I know that this post is a little scattered but so are my thoughts at the moment, I get introspective and a little melancholy when I think about life, and I find that birthdays have me reviewing events to date. On the upside, since I started running my fears are about not being able to run, and how I would be able to survive without running, rather than heart disease and diabetes.
So Happy Birthday to me!
But while running today I decided I was going to make a speech for my birthday this year, but as a blog post.
So here goes.
3 Years ago my wife was pregnant with my second child.I weighed in at 106kg, why never diagnosed I probably had high cholesterol, blood pressure issues and was a perfect candidate for type 2 diabetes.
2 Years ago I had started running, I was almost done with the couch to 5k program, and I was preparing myself for my first official event. The timing of the event lined up perfectly for my final run of the c25k, and my first full 5k run. I ran that 5k in about 35 minutes. I weighed in about 95kg and was feeling pretty good about myself.
1 Year ago I was recovering from my rolled ankle, ready to run no matter what medical professional said I couldn't, and was preparing for my first marathon. I started running again just before my birthday and I managed the marathon in 5:08. I weighed about 90kg and had completed about 12 21k training runs, so my confidence in my running was great.
This year things are a bit of a muddle. I am training for my second marathon, so far (touch wood) I have had an injury free year. I currently weigh in at 86kg, and I am confident in my running - to some extent.
The issue this year is one of psychology and confidence. I know I can run, that is for certain but can I run 42k in 8 weeks time? The last 2 training runs I have done have not gone so well. 2 weeks ago I had health issues which were trigger or exacerbated by my 20k run. Today I set out to finally nail the 28k run from Wandin to Warburton which still eludes me, but I was running much better today. The issue was twofold, first I started out too hard, and as such was struggling after 21k to keep going and second I had severe cramping in my legs. I called it a day at 25k and will have yet another bash at it some time soon.
It occurred to me today while running that I use running as a metaphor for living. I realized that when I turned 32 and was running, I really started living. Before that I endured life but now life is an endurance event :) Training to run marathons is really living, and you don't know what its like to be full of energy until you have given every ounce f what you have to a run, you don't know what it really feels like to give something your all until you have given it.
People talk about giving 100% to something, but I don't believe that its possible unless that something that benefits only you.
I have also decided that running and living is about rhythm. Humans are attracted to music. I'm sure that when you close your eyes and think about it you can hear your favorite song. Running is like this, you find your rhythm and you run to it. People often ask me if I listen to music while I run, and the answer is no, when I tell them this they usually ask how I keep myself entertained for long runs, as if the thought of spending 3 hours inside your own head was like eating roadkill.
when I think about this, I have decided that listening to music while running for me would be like living someone else's life. Of course this is purely my opinion and each to his/her own but I find when I run to music my rhythm settles into the musics beat, and my pace alters slightly with the change of songs, oh and I kind of like spending time inside my own head, with a busy busy job, two little munchkins and a million other things to do, running is a nice escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday.
So I know that this post is a little scattered but so are my thoughts at the moment, I get introspective and a little melancholy when I think about life, and I find that birthdays have me reviewing events to date. On the upside, since I started running my fears are about not being able to run, and how I would be able to survive without running, rather than heart disease and diabetes.
So Happy Birthday to me!
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