Spring it is, but nope it’s not Gin & Tonic as the heading may suggest. It’s Goals & Training. At the time of writing this I checked, and there’s only 7 days till the Whale Run. Yaahooo. What freaks me out the most is how quickly this year is flying by!
This week I’ve been recapping while on my runs, basically to take my mind of what I’m actually doing. You can fit a lot of thinking into a 40 or 50 minute run, and what stood out the most of course was goal setting partnered with consistency. Personally, it doesn’t matter how big or small my goals are, I need to set them short term (being each and every run at the moment) and long term to make sure I don’t go, “okay, I’ve had enough now”!! When my body is feeling tired some days I’ll admit it would be easier not to do it. However I quickly remind myself of “starting out” and the fear of going back to the start point puts me off so bad it gets me out the door!
You have to have a purpose for doing what you’re doing, or why would you bother doing it?! It may not be that case for everyone, but because I still have so far to go before it becomes easier (if it ever does), I have a wee goal each run to keep myself going forward. Be it to make it to that tree I didn’t quite get to last time, or that gateway, fence post or whatever it is, or going over the time to just round off to the next km (that may have more to do with my hate of finishing up on 5.86. when a 6 looks better). However some days I am too stuffed to give a shit!
I love spring, and the first day was certainly lovely!! (little did I know when writing this we would have a sudden change in temps and freeze! I’d decided to revisit the Whale Run course for my long run on Saturday, as it has been awhile. The track is awesome and the trees have grown. Parts of the track once you leave the road and also up the side of the river is really cool, literally, as it’s nice and shady. If you suffer allergies maybe an antihistamine might be beneficial, as the Wattles are flowering and there’s a bit of pollen around. Too bad I couldn’t blame my laboured breathing on that today.
I watch Ray’s video clips with the latest one being while he was biking (uphill by the looks). I’m always impressed how he can run or bike, talk and film himself all at once (who said men can’t multi task eh!) [It’s called concurrent activity when I do it… definitely can’t multitask – Coach Ray] I didn’t dare run, as I’ve spent 15 weeks carefully picking my way along the road edges so as not to roll an ankle. So here’s my “post run, walking vid”.
I was pretty rapt to get to 9km today! I’m a tad stiff in the legs tonight, so the roller and I have a date! My knees haven’t been hurting much at all this past week, which is fantastic. It’s so awesome to go out and not have those persistent pains, but no sooner did my knees let up, my friggin ankles and feet decided they’d like some attention and started hurting. I’m hoping it’s just a cycle, and look forward to it moving to the top of my body, as I don’t run on that part!
I’m sure this week will fly by. And I hope the weather is like it was this weekend. Entries are still rolling in which is awesome and race packs are made! I’ve made a wager with the Hubby, (yet to make him shake on it), as a bit of an incentive for my 10km!
– Lisa Harris
Lisa will be writing weekly as she continues her journey to achieving her goal of completing the 10km Kaikoura Whale Run. Check in next Tuesday for her next article.
Read Lisa’s article from last week here:
And all her previous articles are stored here:
http://www.coachray.nz/category/client-stories/lisas-journey/