Nov 29 2009
Unicef Run for Charity
10km
7.45am start
Disneyland Hong Kong
Time - (official time yet to be released) - 1 hr 03 mins
I pushed hard and made it. 1"05' was my comfort zone, 1" would have been fab, so coming in within that range I'm happy with, given that I haven't really been training.
Next up - which half am I going to do?
Wednesday, 2 December 2009
Friday, 27 November 2009
The glass half-full...
today, i put together a playlist for Sunday's run - my first ever, the Unicef Run for Children 10k.
i have songs to wake up to, songs then to get revved up, songs to keep me going, songs for the ffffiiinnaaaal stretch... everything from anita Mui to Mozart to Simian Mobile Disco to the ever-necessary Pink and Lady Gaga.
The sun is out, the animals are chillin out, I've been home all day and feeling super relaxed.
I'm going to go out there and finish the race... no pressure, no dramas. I missed out on the SCB marathon application, but will want to still nail the half in 2010.
Yoga has thought me to find that balance between effort and surrender, isn't that a wonderful release?
i have songs to wake up to, songs then to get revved up, songs to keep me going, songs for the ffffiiinnaaaal stretch... everything from anita Mui to Mozart to Simian Mobile Disco to the ever-necessary Pink and Lady Gaga.
The sun is out, the animals are chillin out, I've been home all day and feeling super relaxed.
I'm going to go out there and finish the race... no pressure, no dramas. I missed out on the SCB marathon application, but will want to still nail the half in 2010.
Yoga has thought me to find that balance between effort and surrender, isn't that a wonderful release?
Tuesday, 29 September 2009
Not Running...
So I've averaged 1 run a week in the last month. It's been a combination of the house move, my groin injury, bringing Izzie home and just trying to settle the animal family back down, and now the cold that I am nursing. And, did i mention, i've started smoking again.
Not great. Not sure if 'two steps forward, one step back' would even be accurate. I don't think I'm any worse off than when I started back in May, but then I'm probably back near baseline again.
Still, I'm staying focused on Nov 29th - the Unicef Run for Children 10k. And I'm still going to nail that half marathon, no matter what the time. I need to do this, because there is no-one that says 'I can't' if I say 'I can!', but I do need to show myself.
and then, following 'I can' is the 'I will'. No one tells that building and giving yourself to this 'will' can be as hard if not harder than believing the 'can'.
"Have a dream, make a plan, go for it. You'll get there, I promise."
Not great. Not sure if 'two steps forward, one step back' would even be accurate. I don't think I'm any worse off than when I started back in May, but then I'm probably back near baseline again.
Still, I'm staying focused on Nov 29th - the Unicef Run for Children 10k. And I'm still going to nail that half marathon, no matter what the time. I need to do this, because there is no-one that says 'I can't' if I say 'I can!', but I do need to show myself.
and then, following 'I can' is the 'I will'. No one tells that building and giving yourself to this 'will' can be as hard if not harder than believing the 'can'.
"Have a dream, make a plan, go for it. You'll get there, I promise."
Tuesday, 18 August 2009
Extras...
"Get rid of anything that is not useful, beautiful or joyful."
In running, there is nothing superfluous. Every moment, each movement serves a purpose. It is all useful, beautiful and joyful... all constructive. Every run brings me closer to the vision of who I can be, every step makes me stronger, every day brings a victory, every mile a shout that says 'I can... I am... I will...'.
In training there is purpose, there is vision, there is hope... and faith, courage, determination, focus, patience, investment... there is now and tomorrow, and a forgiveness of yesterday.
If my life were a big, long run... I would be a wise woman... I would not have to pause to ask myself how to live according to this mantra.
In running, there is nothing superfluous. Every moment, each movement serves a purpose. It is all useful, beautiful and joyful... all constructive. Every run brings me closer to the vision of who I can be, every step makes me stronger, every day brings a victory, every mile a shout that says 'I can... I am... I will...'.
In training there is purpose, there is vision, there is hope... and faith, courage, determination, focus, patience, investment... there is now and tomorrow, and a forgiveness of yesterday.
If my life were a big, long run... I would be a wise woman... I would not have to pause to ask myself how to live according to this mantra.
Monday, 17 August 2009
So what's been up with you?
Great question huh?
Listening to this as I write... thinking about the next time my feet will 'hit the road' again... it feels just like this - close your eyes, pop in your earphones, think of a gorgeous road winding along the coastline and feel the sweat, the rhythm, the sense of not quite flying, one foot in front of another, no questions asked, no answers sought...
I am still hovering around 20km per week, give or take a few km. I wish I was a bit further along... and yet, I'm glad to be running, progress and endpoint notwithstanding.
A week ago on Friday, I did my longest run so far (just over 11km) and ended up hobbling for a few days following that. Not sure if it was because I ran 2 days in a row that week, or if it was the distance or the pace, but my groin cramped up from about 7-8km. So over the past week, even though I've run 3 times, i've really been quite gentle with myself, run-walking and slowing down considerably to accomodate my still-quite-achey right inner thigh. It's feeling quite good today, so I'm looking forward to my next run on Wednesday!
Listening to this as I write... thinking about the next time my feet will 'hit the road' again... it feels just like this - close your eyes, pop in your earphones, think of a gorgeous road winding along the coastline and feel the sweat, the rhythm, the sense of not quite flying, one foot in front of another, no questions asked, no answers sought...
I am still hovering around 20km per week, give or take a few km. I wish I was a bit further along... and yet, I'm glad to be running, progress and endpoint notwithstanding.
A week ago on Friday, I did my longest run so far (just over 11km) and ended up hobbling for a few days following that. Not sure if it was because I ran 2 days in a row that week, or if it was the distance or the pace, but my groin cramped up from about 7-8km. So over the past week, even though I've run 3 times, i've really been quite gentle with myself, run-walking and slowing down considerably to accomodate my still-quite-achey right inner thigh. It's feeling quite good today, so I'm looking forward to my next run on Wednesday!
Saturday, 25 July 2009
Is it all going to be for something?
10km last evening in over 1 hour... not the best pace but a pretty good achievement! I hadn't expected to get myself up to this distance quite so easily. so far my long runs have been mostly quite 'okay'... it's the shorter ones around Clearwater Bay with the hills that have been more inconsistent, more testing.
I'd like to do this for more than just myself. I'd like to have a reason to be dedicated to a bigger 'good' (and perhaps then connected to a great 'power' to keep me going!)....
so I figure that I can raise HK$30,000 for charity - which I do not know yet! more to be revealed as I do some homework on a few possibilities.
So for a half-marathon (21km), $1430 will go towards sponsoring around 1km of my run. Or $100 will sponsor around 700m of my run (just under 2 rounds of a regular track and about half of the Happy Valley racecourse). For those who use the HVR as a benchmark, a half marathon is 15.5 rounds... which I hope to manage in 2hrs30mins! Good luck to me :)
I'd like to do this for more than just myself. I'd like to have a reason to be dedicated to a bigger 'good' (and perhaps then connected to a great 'power' to keep me going!)....
so I figure that I can raise HK$30,000 for charity - which I do not know yet! more to be revealed as I do some homework on a few possibilities.
So for a half-marathon (21km), $1430 will go towards sponsoring around 1km of my run. Or $100 will sponsor around 700m of my run (just under 2 rounds of a regular track and about half of the Happy Valley racecourse). For those who use the HVR as a benchmark, a half marathon is 15.5 rounds... which I hope to manage in 2hrs30mins! Good luck to me :)
Thursday, 23 July 2009
Baseline
I am about 2-2.5 months into my half-marathon plan as I write this. In other words, my fitness is still marginally baseline. I've managed very modest runs once or twice a week, averaging 5km each. Only in the past 1-2 weeks have there been some small wins - a 50min 8.4km run (around 6min/km) last Thursday, and 3 runs (barring any disasters/emergencies tomorrow) getting my mileage up to 20km this week. Put into context, I'm only just managing to squeeze into 1 week what I will hopefully be able to do in 2.5 hours by early next year! Yikes.
Today I thought to myself - 'No one else will ever know just how hard it is...'. Or for that matter, just how easy it is, if it were that. Since this half baked idea dawned on me (and don't even ask me how), I've been met with all sorts of responses - 'Why don't you do a full marathon?', 'Wow!!!', 'Are you serious? You are going to have to train you know?', 'Good for you!'... and I also imagine the real thoughts behind the words - 'Wuss... what's the big deal?, 'who cares?', 'I bet she has no idea...', 'I'm glad to see her getting more active!'. Reality is, it doesn't really matter. We all come from different places... and particularly with running, I am learning just how personal it is.
Who else is going to know just how much sacrifice goes into running 3 times a week in addition to tennis and yoga? Who else is going to feel the pleasure and pain? Who else is going to be there when the alarm rings at 6.30am? Who else is going to be there halfway up the hill with no end? Who else is going to be there when you finish the hardest run of your life? Who else is going to set the goals and extend the limits for you?
I'm still struggling to figure out how I am going to (1) get my mileage up and (2) get a bit more speedy. But I have gotten this far... and I will look back and say that again in 2 weeks time, in 3 months time, in a few years time. I was the girl who, 4 years ago, did no regular exercise at all and had to be convinced (over months) to take up tennis again. I was the girl who never imagined it was possible to wake up in the morning for yoga. I am now the girl who, all in, manages 6 days of exercise per week, 2 of which is done before work. I am the one whose 2009 'Happy Journal' has now morphed into a training log. I am also the girl who now thinks that I will strive for the modest, but ever so slightly out of reach, possibilities. I will try and therefore I can.
"The greatest of all mistakesis to do nothing because you can only do a little"
Today I thought to myself - 'No one else will ever know just how hard it is...'. Or for that matter, just how easy it is, if it were that. Since this half baked idea dawned on me (and don't even ask me how), I've been met with all sorts of responses - 'Why don't you do a full marathon?', 'Wow!!!', 'Are you serious? You are going to have to train you know?', 'Good for you!'... and I also imagine the real thoughts behind the words - 'Wuss... what's the big deal?, 'who cares?', 'I bet she has no idea...', 'I'm glad to see her getting more active!'. Reality is, it doesn't really matter. We all come from different places... and particularly with running, I am learning just how personal it is.
Who else is going to know just how much sacrifice goes into running 3 times a week in addition to tennis and yoga? Who else is going to feel the pleasure and pain? Who else is going to be there when the alarm rings at 6.30am? Who else is going to be there halfway up the hill with no end? Who else is going to be there when you finish the hardest run of your life? Who else is going to set the goals and extend the limits for you?
I'm still struggling to figure out how I am going to (1) get my mileage up and (2) get a bit more speedy. But I have gotten this far... and I will look back and say that again in 2 weeks time, in 3 months time, in a few years time. I was the girl who, 4 years ago, did no regular exercise at all and had to be convinced (over months) to take up tennis again. I was the girl who never imagined it was possible to wake up in the morning for yoga. I am now the girl who, all in, manages 6 days of exercise per week, 2 of which is done before work. I am the one whose 2009 'Happy Journal' has now morphed into a training log. I am also the girl who now thinks that I will strive for the modest, but ever so slightly out of reach, possibilities. I will try and therefore I can.
"The greatest of all mistakesis to do nothing because you can only do a little"
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