Kicking Some Goals

parkrun PB! (Silken Photography)

There's nothing quite as satisfying as seeing your hard work paying off.  I've been super consistent with my running since the start of January, and I'm seeing the results.

There's just 1.5 weeks until the end of the 12wbt and I have achieved almost every goal I set at the start, and here are some of the highlights of the past 2 weeks:
- setting a new parkrun PB and getting under 22:30, with a time of 22:26 (running with a pace runner)
- setting a new parkrun PB a week later, with a time of 22:25 (running by myself)
- setting a new 10km PB at the Resolution Run of 48:30
- getting my distance to 50km in a week (largely due to my competitive nature and the motivation of being part of the Run Down Under
- running my longest distance since the marathon of 22km, with the company of some Sandgate parkrunners

post-Resolution Run

What has been frustrating is some of my eating habits, and giving myself concessions because I've been so good with my running.  My problem is that instead of having a treat, enjoying it, then getting back to good eating, I'll have 5 treats because the day is a write-off anyway.  It's a terrible habit that I really need to stop!  So I've committed to complete clean eating for the last 2 weeks of the program, and that's going well so far (2 days in!)  I've plateaued the last few weeks, but I know I can shift a couple more kilos if I really focus.

The kids getting into the parkrun warmup (Silken Photography)

The weekly challenge Michelle Bridges has set us this week is 800 burpees.  Yep, 800!!!  I was doing my strength & toning day today, so I thought I might as well try and pump out as many as I could.  In between each set of exercises (things like lunges, squats and planks), I did 100 burpees (having a breather after each lot of 25).  Wow, it was HARD!  I just did it at home in the backyard while the kids were playing in the sandpit and trampoline and it nearly killed me!  I managed 600, and I'm feeling it.  But I love having a non-running challenge to achieve.

Amazing sunrise on Sunday morning

The rest of this week will be hard with the heat.  I so wish I could do morning runs but it's just not possible.  Even though I'd love to give my half marathon PB a crack next week, when the 12wbt program comes to an end, I think I'll wait 8 weeks until the Twilight Half at St Lucia and do it properly at an event.  I'm sure I'll have a much better chance of getting my best possible time in that context.

Until next time...keep running!

This is why I love early morning running!

Running in the Country

Happy New Year! I hope everyone in blog land had a wonderful Christmas & fantastic new year! I'm pumped for an exciting year ahead. It was great to browse back over my goal book this morning and read my goals from last year and see that most were ticked off. It was one year ago that I decided to run a marathon and it's been a massive journey since! Some of my running goals for this year include a sub-22:30 5km and a sub-1:50:00 half marathon and I can't wait to achieve them!

At the moment we are in Dimboola, in country Victoria, visiting my sister & her family.  We drove down, which was a long haul, but good fun at the same time. I was really happy with myself over Christmas week to run most days, despite a crazy busy few days. I also stayed on track with not over-eating - my strategy was no nibbles, no alcohol, no bread and just 1 small dessert. I didn't succeed at every function (we had 4 separate family lunches,) but was pretty good overall. My goal is to maintain my weight while we're away, then just drop 2kg in the few weeks after we get back.

So we're here in the middle of nowhere, and getting out for a run most days (very handy having babysitters on hand!) The first day was just an easy jog around the town (although the town is teeny tiny, so we had to do a bit of an out-and-back down a dirt road).

 On the 12wbt program for Monday was hill sprints. Well, that wasn't going to happen - this place is as flat as a tack! So I did last week's Monday session, which was intervals. We ran down to the Dimboola Football Field (for footy lovers, this was Tim Watson's home ground!) and did 10 reps of 2 minute sprint, 1 minute walk. Hard work, but nice to do it on grass compared to mt usual concrete surface.

Today turned out to be the most convenient for a long run. Although my program says 20km, I decided on 15k because of time factor. So off we went, down the highway, onto a dirt track through wheat fields and back for another loop around the town. It was cloudy and drizzly, which was a nice change from the Brisbane humidity.

I'll do another one probably tomorrow, before we head to Adelaide on Friday, where we'll do Torrens parkrun on Saturday. I'm loving the change of scenery and keeping active, knowing that I'm starting the year feeling fit & healthy, rather than returning from holidays feeling fat & lazy! Can't wait to share more running stories with you this year :-)