Consistency is the Key

Don't be fooled by the thumbs up...I was dying!
(thanks to Tracy King for the photos)

It's been a while between posts - to say life has been busy is an understatement!  I'm sure it's the same for most people at this time of year, but I feel like this December has been particularly crazy!  Thankfully, I'm not too busy to run - just too busy to write about running :-)

I'm now 5 weeks into this round of the Michelle Bridges 12 week body transformation.  I am absolutely LOVING it!  It was definitely the right decision to do it over Christmas.  I have full accountability, and  it is making me really stay on track with my eating and exercise, at a time that would usually just be a complete write-off for me.

I've lost 5kg and am feeling great - despite huge days, late nights and big to-do lists, I'm finding I have a lot of energy and motivation.  I'm loving having a running program to stick to - I'm doing about 4 runs a week, including a long run, hills or intervals, a fast run and a recovery run.  I'm feeling a big improvement in my fitness, and I'm definitely feeling stronger, faster & leaner as well.

Basically, if I wasn't on the program, I know I'd be over-eating nearly every day at Christmas functions or while baking Christmas treats.  I wouldn't be prioritising exercise and I'd probably come out the other end a few kilos heavier, more unfit and not feeling good.  Instead, the opposite is happening!  But I don't feel like I'm missing out - I'm still having the occasional treat, but only small bits here & there.  I'm embracing the real treats of the season - things like cherries, mangoes & nectarines, some of my favourite fruits.  I'm still baking just as much as I always do at Christmas, but it's all being given away (except for the bits that Dean has been sneaking from the freezer!)  I've also decided not to drink any alcohol for the 12 weeks.  I'm not a big drinker anyway, but I find it's a great way to save on what would be basically wasted calories anyway.

It's not all smooth sailing - it is hard work.  Some days I definitely don't feel like exercising, but once I'm doing it, I never regret it.  Some days I'm just plain hungry & want to eat everything in sight - but even when I fail in my calorie counting, I'm back on track soon enough.

I have my fair share of hard runs - while I've been getting up to about 15-16km in my weekly long run, I hit a major wall last week while only doing 12km.  From about 9km onwards, I really struggled with no energy and just wanting to stop.  I shuffled on, but wasn't feeling too good after.

I was really hoping for the best the next morning, because I was running at Sandgate parkrun WITHOUT the pram for the first time since early October.  I've been so consistent with running for the past 5 weeks, so I knew I could have a crack at a pretty good time.  My last non-pram 5km was 4 weeks ago, when I ran 24:02 at Kawana parkrun.  My goal was a sub-24.

I set out pretty well and was really happy with my pace.  It was a hot day and there was no shade to help out, but I just stayed focused.  One of our regular runners was just a couple of steps behind me and that's where I wanted him to stay.  I don't like being overtaken.  I got to the turnaround and had a quick look at my pace & time on my phone and was happy with where I was at.

At 4km, the runner who was behind me encouraged me to pick it up for the last km and finish off quickly, but I just didn't have it in me!  He went on ahead while I tried to hang in there and not lose too much pace, even though I was exhausted.

I finished with a time of 23:27 - way under my sub-24 goal!  I was thrilled and got so much encouragement from other parkrunners.  Checking out my splits, I lost pretty much 10 seconds on each kilometre, which is not an ideal way to run.  But hey, at the end of the day, I'm happy!

My goal is to shave another minute off my non-pram time by the start of February next year, and I'm sure I can get there.  Consistency is definitely key.  We're heading away on holidays just after Christmas, so that will be a challenge, but if I can keep up that consistency, I know I can stay on track.  Will keep you updated!

Don't be fooled by the beautiful day - it was soooo hot!
(thanks to Tracy King for the photos)

Happy 1st Birthday Sandgate parkrun!

With local councillor, Victoria Newton

One year ago, without really knowing what we were doing, Dean & I started Sandgate parkrun.

We had ummed and aaahed, but decided to take the plunge and just do it.  Little did we know what it would turn into, a year down the track.

Last Saturday, 23rd November 2013, we celebrated the first birthday of Sandgate parkrun.  It was a fantastic morning, which literally started with a bang - a rocket launch right there in the park!

Blast off!!!

We had a record attendance of 365 runners, most of whom got into the spirit of the Ashes, which was being played in Brisbane, by wearing white.  We had wedding dresses, angels, cricketers (pads, helmets & all!), mad scientists and more.

We were supplied with a simply AMAZING cake and had heaps of other food and drink.  It was a really special time as well, to present several awards for our annual points competition, as well as other categories, like most improved, Sandgate spirit and volunteer champion.

As always, the atmosphere was amazing and the community spirit was high.  It was such a proud moment for us & our kids to be presented with our own medals from local councillor, Victoria Newton.   The celebrations were a real testament to the loyalty and support of all our Sandgate runners.

I've been at parkrun every single Saturday for the past year, and over that time, I've met amazing people, been constantly encouraged and support (especially while training for the marathon) and witnessed the kindness and generosity of the running community.

We can't wait for many more parkruns in the next year and beyond!

Thanks so much to Ross McNeil and Tracy King for the photos in this blog :-)

New Goals, Fresh Motivation

I bit the bullet last week and decided it was really time to crack down on myself and lose a few kilos I've been trying to shift since the marathon.  I signed up to the current round of the Michelle Bridges 12 week body transformation and I've loved getting back into it over the last week!  It's been almost 2 years since I did my first round, and I'm really appreciating the accountability and discipline of the program.

Jed helping me with an at-home workout!

Basically, I'm eating well, counting calories and taking my exercise up a notch - 6 workouts a week.  I'm on the advanced running program, which gives me a variety of runs each week - things like intervals, hill sprints, tempo runs and long runs.  It's not unlike what I've been doing myself over the past few months, but I just love having something to stick to.  I actually really like being told what to do, so I'm enjoying the routine of the set workouts.  It also involves strength, core and stretching - all of which I know I need to to do, but haven't had the motivation to complete by myself, so I love that too.

It's not hard getting back to calorie counting - but it's only been one week, so hopefully that continues!  One of my goals for when I get to the end of the program is to have my 5km time down to 22:30 without the pram and 23:30 with the pram.

I made a good step towards that on Saturday.  We spent the weekend at Noosa, so made the trek to the closest parkrun on Saturday morning, which is Kawana.  It's a beautiful, beachfront track and it was great to have a few familiar Sandgate faces there too!  We were very impressed by one of the regular runners there, Norm, who turned 90 during the week.  90!!!  And he's a regular park runner!  Amazing!

The beautiful course at Kawana parkrun (the ocean is just beyond the trees!

I desperately wanted to get under 25 minutes, something I've been trying to do since coming back from injury.  Nearly all of my parkruns have been with the pram lately, so the 25 has been slipping through my fingers.  But I had no pram this time and felt set for a fast one!  Despite a bit of incline along the way, I enjoyed the course and felt great, coming in at 24:02!  I was thrilled to finally be back under 25, for the first time in months.

parkrun support crew!

Saturday also marked my 52nd consecutive Saturday morning at parkrun.  Next week we celebrate our first birthday at Sandgate!  I have been at a parkrun somewhere every week since (somewhere around 18 runs and the rest volunteering) - and Kawana was my 8th different course.  It's so addictive, I can't stop!

Sandgate parkrunners flying the flag at Kawana

So, I'm feeling great for having new accountability and something to stick to (which will be especially useful for me over Christmas - a time I really struggle with self control!)  I'm excited to improve my running over the next few months and to have focus and commitment.  And of course, to celebrate the birthday of what feels like my third child sometimes - Sandgate parkrun!  If you're in the area, come along on Saturday morning, it'll be a wonderful celebration of a fabulous year :-)

Oh and I almost forgot - I'm now a published running writer!  And I don't mean I've perfected my cursive :-)  I have an article in the December 13 issue of Runner's World magazine about the Gold Coast Marathon.  I was approached a couple of months back to write up my experience, which I was more than happy to do.  I'd almost forgotten about it when the issue came out & I realised I was in there!  So grab a copy and check it out!

Family Running

It's been a while since I last posted - my running has been pretty cruisy & uneventful - just the way I like it!

First of all, parkrun results:  I've been trying to get back under 25 minutes for the first time since I was injured.  It's felt like a pretty hard slog and while I'm making progress, it seems very slow!  I'm sure I could do it without the pram, but I haven't had a chance to do a pram-free parkrun in a while, so my pram time still sits at 25:45, which I did on 26th October.  Hopefully I'm back under 25 again soon!

Just some of the crowd at South Bank parkrun

Last week we visited South Bank parkrun to help celebrate their 1st birthday.  It was fantastic to be part of a record-breaking parkrun, setting a new Australian attendance record of 944!  Amazing!  The previous record was 799, so they smashed it!  Several other event directors were there as well, so it was great to catch up with plenty of familiar faces, along with some regular Sandgate runners who visited as well.  A fantastic morning was had by all - and thankfully Dean was there to push the pram up the ramps!

Team Gibson does South Bank!

I also had one of my proudest moments as a mum last week, when my 3-year-old, Hope, ran her very first fun run.  It was a charity run at Redcliffe for the Jason Rich Foundation, and we did the 2km event together.  Hope was so excited and was so proud to don her running clothes (as well as tutu & tiara - it was a dress-up event!).  She did amazingly - we had a few walk breaks and a stop at the drink station, but she was so enthusiastic for the whole distance.  She still talks about her "marathon" and I'm sure we'll see this little pocket rocket at many more events in the future!

My running Princess!

Wednesday night group running is going great guns down at Sandgate.  I love running with other people, so it's a real highlight of my running week (well, fortnight actually, since Dean & I alternate).  We're also looking forward to our first birthday at Sandgate parkrun on 23rd November - one whole year!  Can't wait!

The Sandgate parkrun crew at the Redcliffe fun run

I'm averaging about 3-4 runs a week at the moment, and about 25-35km all up.  It's a sustainable level - enjoyable, not a chore, and enough to maintain my fitness...although I feel like a couple of kilos have crept up on me, so I'm looking forward to shedding those, which I'm sure will help with my sub-25 minute goal!

Keep running & I'll update again soon!

Reflections on a Morning Run

I woke up a bit grumpy this morning. Here's my whinge: I get up at 4:15am every weekday for work.  On Saturdays, we're out of the house at 6am for parkrun. Which leaves Sunday as my only "sleep-in" day. And by sleep-in, I mean 5:30 I'd be happy with, 6:00 would be a dream. We usually leave at 7:30 for church anyway, but to be in bed until 6 is the aim.

Yesterday, Mr 2 was up at 4 and this morning it was 4:30. Not my plan for my only sleep-in day! So I was a bit annoyed, but decided at 5am to head out for a run, since I was up anyway.

I was also feeling grumpy because we went to 2 parties yesterday and I ate WAY too much food. I just didn't have an off switch! So this morning I was feeling heavy and jiggly and unhealthy.

But out I went and was greeted by the most perfect morning on the bay. It was cool and clear and fresh and absolutely stunning. It didn't take long for my mood to lift and as I approached the Shorncliffe Pier, the sun was just rising on the horizon. It was breathtaking. I stopped to take a photo (above) and I felt God was saying to me "just stop and count your blessings".

That was at 4km and so for the next 6km, I did. I realized I was grateful for so many things this morning:

- that I had kids to wake me up

- that I have the ability to run, pain-free

- that we live in the most beautiful spot in the world

- that I have enough food to eat (too much, even!)

- that I am blessed in so many areas

...and the list goes on.

I did an easy 10km in 55 minutes and came home happy, refreshed and ready to start the day.

Running really is the best therapy!

On The Run!

26:20 at Sandgate parkrun

Oops, I've been meaning to post all week, but time is precious when you're a mum on the run & it seemed to get away from me this week!

I had to share my excitement from last Saturday's parkrun.  It had been 3 weeks since my "return from injury" Sandgate parkrun - at that one, which was 31st August, I'd run with the pram in a time of 27:06.  Funnily enough, 2 weeks later when we visited Wynnum, I recorded exactly the same time (but wasn't going for a fast one that week).

So, I was back at Sandgate last week and positioned myself for a good start so I could set a good pace.  I pushed myself pretty hard, and felt like a couple of good weeks of solid training had me well-placed.  I was pretty happy to come away with a time of 26:20 - an improvement of 45 seconds.

BUT that's still about 2:30 off my pram PB of 23:52.  Next week we are having pace runners at Sandgate, and it's my turn to run, so I'm going to try and stick with the 25 minute runner for as long as I can.  I'm not expecting to crack the 25, but if I can get under 26 minutes I'll be happy.

I also had my longest run since the marathon this week, with our Wednesday night running group, the Bayside Breeze.  We had 45 people turn up and I ran with a group of 4 other ladies.  We chatted the whole way and the 11km flew by!  Although it was my longest in ages, it was also one of my easiest - the power of distraction!  We finished in a time of 1 hour 5 minutes, and it was soooo nice to run in the cool night air, have great company and to unwind with a drink at the local wine bar afterwards!  I just love the running community we have!

I'm really enjoying my running at the moment - although it's starting to heat up in the afternoons.  Will keep you posted on next week's parkrun time :-)

Enjoying a well-earned beverage at the Cardigan Bar!

Run for Fun

Tearing it up at Wynnum!

I've had a great couple of weeks of simply running for fun.  It's so nice to have the marathon pressure off and no other events on the horizon, so I can just run for enjoyment.

I'm loving mixing up my exercise with bootcamp twice a week - it's such a great workout.  And I've been able to increase my distances while running a bit too.  I'm having no issues with my shins, which is a huge relief!

Dean had a brainwave to start up a Wednesday night running group in our local area, which is a 7km or 11km route along the waterfront.  The first one was last week & we had about 23 people turn up - amazing!  I decided to head down with the pram and just do a short run, since it was pretty much the kids' bedtime, but I didn't want to miss out.  It was BLISS!  I loved just running slowly, chatting to the other ladies, enjoying the cool, still, night air (lately my arvo runs have been hot and windy).  I did 7.5km, which is my longest distance since the marathon - but it felt like about 2!  I absolutely loved it.

The "Bayside Breeze" Wednesday night group

I'd been doubting my ability to go any further than about 6km at the moment, but I could've easily done the 11km if I didn't have the pram, and didn't have to take the kids home to bed.  Running with other people really does make a big difference!

On Saturday morning, we visited Wynnum parkrun for their 1st Birthday celebrations.  It's a great course that's fairly similar to ours, as it's also along the foreshore.  It was a super hero theme and there were some amazing costumes, which was good fun.

Dean pushed the pram and we decided to stick together...but it meant a very slow start.  They had record numbers at Wynnum, and we started a fair way back in the pack, so we got pretty trapped and took a while to be able to get any pace up.

I sprinted to the finish and ended up with a time of 27:06 - and my best stat of the morning was finishing 2nd in my age category of women 25-29!  But as an indication of what a slow start it was, here's my pace splits for the 5kms:
1km - 6:21
2km: 5:36
3km: 5:07
4km: 5:17
5km: 4:45
Very interesting to break it down!

And as a true sign that I'm really getting back on track, I went for another 6km run that afternoon as well, as I knew I wouldn't get a run in on Sunday.

Things are looking up on the running front!  It's a welcome change to be able to run for fun!

Mixing It Up

See this photo?  Yep, that's me - actually RUNNING at Sandgate parkrun!

My wonderful parkrun, where I have spent every Saturday morning for the past 41 weeks (except 3, and in each case I was visiting a different parkrun).

My last run here was 11th May - that's craziness!  First it was marathon training, during which I did almost every long run on a Saturday afternoon, meaning I wanted to save my energy in the morning.  Then it was injury, which saw me out for practically 12 weeks.

But I'm back, baby!  The first thing I noticed was how much our event has grown in that time!  Of course, I've seen the numbers on paper, but it was not until I rounded the first bend that I realised just how many runners it is!  We had 233 last weekend, which was a great number considering the Bridge to Brisbane was the next day, and plenty of runners would be saving themselves for that.

I didn't expect a great time.  I'd run pram-free at Southbank the week before in 26:21.  This time I had both kids in the pram...and taking everything into consideration, I was pretty happy with 27:06.  My pram PB however, is 23:52, so I've still got a lot of fitness to regain.

Speaking of which, this week I joined a gym!  Well, kind of - they had a special deal to try out the bootcamps for a month, so I'm seeing how I go fitting it in with work hours & kids etc.  It's through Positive Existence Personal Training and so far I love it!  Okay, I've only been to one session, but boy am I feeling the muscle soreness now.  I really feel I need to tone up a bit, lose a couple of kilos that've crept back on and just give my overall fitness a bit of a kickstart, since I'm still not running more than 6km at a time.

I feel like 2 sessions of a bootcamp a week is just what I need.  I'm also backing it up with smart food choices and am doing my best to stick to real/whole foods for this month - nothing processed, no crap, nothing too sugary or fatty - just simple, fresh, healthy fuel.  I'm also doing a couple of coffee-free days a week.  I'm feeling so good for it already!

The running is going well - I'm just sticking to 3 a week at the moment, of about 5-6km each.  The killer this week has been a really strong headwind on my first 2.5kms.  It's sooo hard pushing the pram into such strong wind!  But I just dig in, knowing how easy the run home will be with the tail wind!

Yesterday, I'd decided I'd run this afternoon and do a couple of pram hills as well.  But I was feeling pretty sore from last night's bootcamp and a bit low on energy.  So here's what I did...put on my marathon finisher's t-shirt and went out and ran!  It's like that shirt says to me "you ran a marathon, you can do anything!"  And sure enough, I had a good, solid run - a bit of niggling pain in my shins, but I just focussed on technique and it went away.  The hills almost killed me - that was tough (and I only did 2!)

It was also nice to break up the run with a long play at the playground with the kids.  It's a great bribe to keep them behaving in the pram while I'm running!  Their new game is to shout and wave at people who walk past us, so we always get lots of smiles & laughs, which can make a tough run a lot more tolerable.

I'll be back to Event Directing at parkrun this week, but look forward to seeing my time next week, after a couple of weeks of solid running plus the addition of the bootcamp to my regime.  That PB better watch its back!

Back on the Run

Checking out South Bank parkrun

 It's been aaaaages since my last post, simply because I have had no running to talk about!

The shin splints took a long time to heal up post-marathon - I was getting no pain walking or doing anything else, but it hurt to run.  Finally, 6 weeks after the marathon (just last week), I was able to do my first 5km run, completely pain-free - hooray!

I followed that up 2 days later with another 5km, then 3 days after that, my first parkrun (that I have run, not walked) in months.  Ahhhh, the feeling of achievement and satisfaction has been amazing!  It is just so good to be back out there - I have missed running so much!

However, the frustrating part of it, is how much fitness I've lost!  Dean & I decided to visit South Bank parkrun for the first time last Saturday and it was our first run together in such a long time.  We were without the kids, so it was nice just to be able to get out together and have fun!  It's a great course - I love that it's a loop, and the shade over on the city side of the river.  I had to really push it to keep up with Dean, which was good - I really want to gauge where my fitness was at.

A beautiful course on the Brisbane River

My PB is 22:33.  On Saturday, I ran 26:21.  Practically 4 whole minutes slower than I was :-(  I know it's to be expected, it's just annoying!  I also know it won't take me too long to get back to speed - I just have to keep up the consistency now.

I'm also so glad I attended an amazingly helpful workshop on the weekend, put on by Body Leadership, called Running Injury Free.  WOW!  I would recommend this to anyone, at any level of running.  It was free and soooo informative.  I learnt heaps, and am really confident now that I'll be able to get back into running without the setback of shin splints, or any other injury.

For a bit of a sneak peak, here's their blog, with the post on how to avoid shin splints.  If you're a runner, take a look around, because these guys know their stuff and are so passionate about getting people running injury free!

Keep a lookout for the next free workshop - you will learn so much!

Just another random thing that's happened in the last week (that all other distance runners will relate to!) is that the toenail on one of my second-biggest toes started turning black, then came off completely.  I'm really baffled as to why it happened now!  It happened on the same toe last year when I was training for and running half marathons.  I fully expected it to do the same in the lead up to the marathon, but every toenail stayed intact.  Then, after 6 weeks of no running, I do 3 x 5km and it comes off?!?  Strange!  But it doesn't gross me out anymore at all, I'm completely not phased by it.

Okay, so the plan now that I'm back on the run:  to start off with, about 3 x 5km runs a week.  Although tonight Dean pushed me to 6km.  And I might start doing a hill session, which will probably be about 6km also.  I'll just stick with these distances for a few weeks.

I'll be back at Sandgate parkrun this Saturday, running there for the first time since May (that's crazy!), pushing the green machine.  I'm also really keen to start going to a weekly bootcamp/fitness session to mix it up a bit, so hopefully I'll work that out this week.

Here's to running injury free!

Life After the Marathon

It's now one month since the marathon.

It's interesting to reflect and think about what has been both my best and worst month of running.

Best, because I ran a marathon.

Worst, because I haven't run since.

I've been dealing with the shin pain since the big run.  It's now completely gone in my right leg, but still persistent in the left.  It's not painful anymore, but it's just there niggling away.

The 3 weeks after the marathon were a bit of a write-off in terms of exercise and nutrition.  Because I couldn't run, I didn't want to do anything else.  Plus I did want to give myself a bit of a break too.  Then we went on holidays and I didn't really have much self control in the eating department.  I could feel myself put on a couple of kilos, so decided it was time to bite the bullet.

Since the start of last week I've been back on calorie counting and exercising and have already felt some of those excess kilos come off, thankfully!  I'm mainly taking the kids for a walk in the afternoon, and also doing a daily abs challenge, of pushups, crunches, planks and pushups.  As soon as I got back on the discipline of a healthy lifestyle, I just felt so good!  It's amazing what routine, healthy eating and some fresh air can do!

Yesterday was a bit of a milestone, in that I ran 2 x 1.5km - to our favourite park and back (with a play stop in the middle).  As I described already, it wasn't painful, but I could just feel that little niggle.  I felt like I didn't know how to put my foot to get the least amount of feeling - so in a way, I feel I need to go back to the start and work on my technique a bit, to avoid injury in the future.

And in saying that, I'm signed up to a "Running Injury-Free" workshop the weekend after next.  I'm really looking forward to it, and I know I'll get a lot out of it.  I might just stick with some teeny tiny runs until then, because the last thing I want to do is any more damage!

I'm also trying to work out what to do next.  I'd really love to do some hard strength training, and some high-intensity cardio that won't affect my shins - something like pump, step and/or fit box classes.  I've looked at the local gym, but I'm hesitant to commit, because I'm so limited with the times I can go around the kids, my work & Dean's work.

So for the moment, I'm making the most of a bit of a rest period, and am really looking forward to running some short distances again.  If nothing else, this whole period has taught me a whole lot about patience!  I'll keep you posted.

After the Event

Life has been a bit of a whirlwind since the marathon!

I was back at work two days after, and had to prepare my presentation for the Utopia Women's Wellness Expo the following weekend.  Utopia was a blast - I had a great time hanging out at the parkrun stand and really enjoyed presenting too.  It was a great vibe and just a fun day all round!

I've also been so humbled and encouraged by all the amazing feedback to my marathon story.  I'm sure most of you wonderful blog readers have already come across my video on Facebook, but here it is again.

I'm so glad I took a video of the run - it's great to have captured the raw emotion.  I laugh at how fresh & chirpy I am at the start, compared to how drained and exhausted I am at the end!  I guess that's what you get after 4.5 hours of running!

Before the marathon, and for a few days afterwards, I said NEVER AGAIN.  But so many of the comments I've gotten have inspired me and planted the seed that maybe I will do another one.  Not in the near future, but never say never.

Recovery-wise, my muscles took almost a week to get back to normal.  I was hobbling and in a lot of pain in my legs for a few days.  Once that eased, the shin pain returned (I kind of expected that, but aaargh!!!  So annoying!!!), so I haven't run yet.

We are heading off on a bit of a family road trip holiday tomorrow, and the plan is to run Newy parkrun on Saturday morning, and the 10km at the Hunter Valley Running Festival on Sunday.  I'm not sure yet if my shins will hold up, but fingers crossed.  I'm itching to get back out there.

I think I'll have to find another form of exercise to focus on in the short-term, to give my shins a break, and a chance to recover properly.  I still really want to get under 1:50 for a half marathon this year, and even possibly run a half marathon event with the pram.  But if that's not realistic with getting my injury sorted, I'm happy to put that off until next year.

I feel like I have a lot of toning and trimming to do, so I'll aim for that for now, and slowly get back into running.  Hopefully that will allow me to get back to running at Sandgate parkrun every fortnight - while I'm always there, I haven't actually run there in ages now, and I can't wait to do it again.

I'll keep you posted!  In the meantime, keep running :-)

The Marathon

Pre-marathon: looking fresh & excited!

Marathon day arrived on Sunday 7^th July, six months after setting that crazy goal to run 42.2 kilometres.  The shin splint injury meant I was going into it with no expectations, just hoping to make the distance without walking.  I did some pretty full-on carb-loading in the three days prior, I had my race nutrition planned out, my mind was in the right place – so it was just a matter of my body holding up.

I was pretty nervous on Saturday, but felt much more relaxed when we arrived on the Gold Coast.  I had a pretty good sleep on Saturday night and woke a bit before 5am to have some porridge and a coffee.  I got ready and Dean & I walked down to the race precinct, just in time to see the half marathon start at 6am.  The atmosphere was great, and I wasn’t too nervous – just excited to get the run underway.  The next hour or so flew by and I saw several people I know, which definitely helped me feel relaxed.

7:20am rolled around and I met up with my friend Rachel at the start line.  Everyone was buzzing, the crowd was loud and there was so much anticipation in the air.  The weather was cool and fine and pretty much perfect!  Rachel & I found ourselves with the 4:15 pace runner and felt comfortable sticking to that pace.  He was great – giving out lots of tips and encouragement, as well as just general banter, to keep our minds off the run.

The first 16km flew by and felt really easy.  I had no shin pain, my body was feeling great and confidence was high.  This was about the point where we had our first turnaround, and that’s where Dean, along with my friend Danielle, had planned to meet me, and give me some more power bars.  It was a real boost to see them there and the encouragement along that stretch was fantastic!

16km: Danielle handing me my supplies; Rachel next to me in green.

So, then it was a matter of heading back to the start line for another 16km.  At the halfway point, I was still feeling great & sticking right with Rachel and the pace runner.  I had a bit of tightness in my thighs, but no pain.  I was glad I’d done a double layer of bandaids/blister strips on my usual blister spots, because they didn’t give me any trouble at all.

I was looking forward to getting to 31km and seeing Dean & Danielle again, and there they were, cheering along from the sideline – I loved having a support crew!  It was around this point that I found myself slipping behind the yellow balloons of the 4:15 pacer, after slowing down at a drink station.  He was not too far ahead, but I just didn’t have it in me to go faster and catch up.

31km: the hard part was about to hit

It felt good to get to 32km and know that all I had to do now was 5km out and back and the marathon was over.  But it was from this point that I felt my body start screaming out for a break.  My feet were tired, my legs were sore and I really wanted a break.  People all around me were starting to walk – and all I wanted to do was walk too!  But I remembered some advice I’d been given – ignore the walkers and keep on running!  I knew that if I started to walk, it would be so much harder to run again.  The stretch to 37km was a real challenge, but I just said my mantra to myself over and over: “I am strong, I am tough, I believe in myself”.  My pace had dropped drastically, but I didn’t walk a step.

Finally, I reached the turnaround and there was just 5km to go.  From here, I just had to break it down and do 1km at a time.  They seemed to stretch on forever, but I used all my mental strength to keep on running and not walk.  And as if the last 5km of a marathon aren’t hard enough, there was a head wind.  A head wind!!!  How inconsiderate!!!  But I have to say, the people lining the street at this point were amazing.  We were being cheered along the whole way, people even reading my name on my race number and encouraging me by name.  It really helped to get me through.

I couldn’t wait to get to 40km, because then it would be only 2km to go, and 2km is doable.  I just had to keep perspective in mind and think about all of that training, the number of kilometres I’d run to get here, as well as the 35km+ I’d done in the run, giving up was NOT an option.  I was so close and just had to keep going.

At 41km, the finishing area was in sight and the crowd really picked up.  I reached the finishing chute and knew that Dean & Danielle were just around the corner, along with several other friends and supporters, as well as the massive crowd of cheerers.  It was so loud and buzzing, and the best feeling to turn that corner and see the finish line.  I crossed it and was overwhelmed with relief, happiness, soreness & emotion – what a feeling!

There were tears – I was just so happy it was over and so glad I had done it.  I had some fruit, Endura and water in the finishing area, before collecting my finisher’s t-shirt and medal.  I was so proud to hang that around my neck.

Finished!

I headed back to where Dean and Danielle were, and finally had a chance to sit down, debrief and stretch.  I was unbelievably sore in my thighs, but the feeling of finishing was so exhilarating.

I completed the Gold Coast Marathon in 4:30:08 (you can see my 5km splits below, and how my pace dropped so much in the final quarter of the run!).  I am so happy with that time, especially considering my injury and lack of training over the last 6 weeks.  This was definitely one of the craziest, hardest, most rewarding achievements ever.

Was it harder than drug-free childbirth?  I think it was more difficult than my second labour/birth, which only lasted 3 hours (WAY less than the marathon!) – but I think my first labour (which lasted 9 hours) was harder J.  And like with childbirth, I am saying it’s something I NEVER want to do EVER again.  However, I’m sure when the pain goes away (wow, I am SOOO unbelievably sore!!!), I may change my mind.  Certainly not while the kids are still young though – it’s just such a big commitment to fit in to family life.

So, here we are.  It’s been one amazing, rollercoaster journey and I am so happy that it’s now ticked off the list.  I would not have made it here without so much support and encouragement.  I cannot thank my husband Dean and kids, Hope & Jed enough – they are the reason for it all.

There are too many others to list, but to the rest of my family, to all my friends from all areas of life, to my loyal Sandgate parkrunners, to the people who’ve looked after the kids while I’ve gone running, to my amazingly supportive workmates, to all my listeners on 96five, to everyone who’s read my blog – THANKYOU!  You’re the best!!!

Stay tuned on the blog for my race video and for what this running mum has her sights set on next J.  I love you all! xo

Official time (the top time is from when the starting gun went,                                                                                                   the bottom time is from when I actually crossed the start line)

Prepped & Ready

The countdown is on & marathon day is just 3 days away!

I attended a seminar last night called "Race Day Planning & Tactics", which was great for getting in the headspace & hearing very experienced marathoners share their tips. Excitement is building!

Today is day 1 of carb-loading and it's been quite full on! We're talking big quantities & lots of the food I usually try to avoid or cut down on - breakfast was a double serving of cereal with milk, plus an English muffin with honey & banana. Lunch was 3 pieces of white bread, baked beans and an apple. Afternoon tea: a glass of juice, a crumpet and fruit & yoghurt. You get the picture - it's a lot! But the experts say it makes a huge difference on race day to have big glycogen stores ready to go.

I'm also thinking of my checklist if things to take down the coast - you can see above what I've got so far: jellybeans, power bars, recovery drink, oats, blister shields, sunscreen, muscle cream & Epsom salts. It's so much more involved than doing a half marathon - it really is a step up to the next level! 

My shins are feeling completely pain-free & I'm still pretty nervous, but also really looking forward to it! Dean has also arranged a Go-Pro camera from his work, so I'm planning to do little video updates along the way.

Stay tuned - we're nearly there!

One Week

In one week, I will be a marathon runner.

6 months ago, I set a crazy goal, and the big day is just one week away.

Cue major freak out!

Since my injury, my spirits have been pretty high.  I've been really anticipating just getting out there for the run, but now reality is setting in.  42.2km is a loooooong way and I know it's a distance that has to be respected.  I'm feeling like my shins will be fine and pain-free on the day (still just a couple of niggles, but only very minor), but I know I have lost some fitness.

At the peak of my training, I was so in the zone.  I was running about 55km a week, and in a great mindset.  But over the past month, since I've hardly been running, I feel somewhat out of the loop.  And I'm feeling some regret about things I wish I'd done differently.  If I knew I'd do very limited running for the 6 weeks before the race, I would have set a plan to do more strength & core training, really keep on top of my nutrition and lose a couple of kilos.  But because it's all been a bit in limbo, I haven't had a plan to stick to, and I just haven't been as disciplined as I feel I should have been.  I've been doing regular cycling...but it's just not running.

It's really disappointing to be going into this far less prepared than I wanted to be.  Two months ago, I was so confident about my 4-hour goal - but now, I have no time goal.  Two months ago, I had no doubt in my mind I could go the distance - now, I'm just hoping and praying I can stick it out.

When my freak out moments pass, I do feel excited.  I really want to get out there and soak up the atmosphere, and for the first 30km at least, I hope I can just have fun!  I have several friends who'll be there spectating, and I can't wait to see them along the way.  Dean & I are planning his movements, and where he'll be situated to restock my supplies of power bars and jelly beans.  I can't wait to get down the coast and enjoy a couple of nights in a nice apartment (child-free - bonus!), plus we have a big family gathering on Sunday afternoon which I am looking forward to SO much.  And I just want to achieve this for my kids.

This week I'll try and do a lot of visualisation about my goal and the race and focus on the result.  I want to have a mantra to use on myself during the run when times get tough, so I'm formulating a punchy sentence to memorise.  I'll have a good look at the course map, and plan out what fuel I'll be taking at what points.  I also have to plan my carb-loading for the 3 days prior to the race.  Check out this plan for an example of what I'll be eating - it's pretty full on!

I'm really excited to be heading to an intraining seminar too, about race day tips, so I know that'll really help to get in the zone.  I'm also preparing my presentation for the Utopia Women's Wellness expo, which is the weekend after the marathon.  I'm writing my speech now, about having run the marathon and succeeded - and that's really helping to motivate me as well!  It's so exciting to think that will be reality in just one week's time!

So, with mixed emotions, I'm heading into the final week.  Most of all, it's anticipation - I can't wait for the day to arrive!  Stay tuned!