Slowly slowly, running again

Hi all,

I have been absent for what feels like ages. It has taken a long time to recover from this tendonosis. I didn't run for 3 months, I did try a few times but it was far too painful to continue. Since the injury back in July(was it that long ago?)I have run about 10 times. I am now able to run 50 mins every other day, but very slowly and carefully. It still hurts a little bit, just enough to remind me not to push it. Afer Sacha's awesome effort here in Melbourne the pressure is on me now to get back into my training. I am going to aim for the Gold Coast marathon in June 2011, hopefully the training will go well without more injury.

Team Ryco have now decided to aim for Boston 2012 (or are we now considering NY or Tokyo??).

Sorry this is a boring post without graphics but for some reason I can't upload photos at the moment...one more thing to sort out....

[Ry]

Yep - Its Flat

[co] Done and dusted!

3:29:47... so sneaked under my goal... but not quite my secret goal (we'll leave that hanging).

It was a great day as the gun went off... nice and overcast, as 4,500 of us got underway. Managed to find a good pace to start - felt 'quick' but decided to run by feel and the reality is I was going to fade (it is a marathon after all) and might as well bank time away if its feeling good.

So my strategy was keep it nice and relaxed - for as long as possible.

This lasted till kilometer 25... when the legs started to feel like they were cramping, but actually it was just the quads protesting to the fact it was a pretty flat course and they weren't happy... but kept it up till about kilometer 28 when went over the 5 min/km mark for the first time.

From there it was a battle of wills (with myself) to keep it up... make the goal.

At kilometer 29 I heard a massive stampede come up from behind, as the 3:20 pace group went past.. I tried to hang.. but to no avail...

Kilometer 35 (in the 'tan' - thats the botanical gardens for the non locals) sponge bob took me down... yes a chick in a sponge bob outfit... that one stung a little...

(can see here how it all started to go a bit downhill at 28 kilometers)

and then the slog into the MCG... but it was worth it (I think)... as I hobbled around for the rest of the day...

so:
good news: under the Boston qualifying time
bad news: Lisa was injured so only ran the 10 km
good news: still going for Boston - but 2012
even better news: my time counts for next year... so i don't need to do it again!

So Team Ryco on a little break... will update when we get back in training for 2012.

Till then 'over and out'

Nearly There...

[co]... little smurfs!

Okay into taper before the big day! Do I hear a 'yay'?

Taper is always a little weird - you look forward to it, love it, but in other ways it brings a strange slowing down of the body... that makes you feel raring to go and all sleepy at the same time... as well as the mental expectation of the big day!

Its always an interesting place to be for a few days. But have the plan and really until Wednesday the weeks pretty much standard... and then Friday off to Melbourne. So only a few days to worry... and that's more about making sure I am comfortable with the plan around pacing and eventualities (that will occur - its the way of the world)and making sure I get some shopping time in Friday before Saturday as official 'do nothing, hit the couch' rest up day... I know I can do it if I stick to the pre race plan...

So a marathon doesn't feel too big a deal these days (it is all relative)... but still its about the expectations (and i am fully aware that running this will actually be hard... and new for me), which are:

Goal one: run hard
Goal two: under 3:45
Goal three: its a secret

Now we all have secret times we set... so do I... so hence not telling... will keep you updated if I achieve it (I think thats fair).

Let the HTFU run training experiment commence!

Who Are You Racing?

[co] So this week has been about chugging through another steady week of running... but it did occur to me as I sat at work, on Friday afternoon at about 2 pm, struggling to get up from my desk and grab a caffeine hit... that not only was I very tired... but that I seemed to have pushed myself at run intervals that morning into a tired stupor beyond the norm.

Now I was hoping that this meant that I had managed to get good gains out of the session... and while I had felt terrible over the running set of around 5.5 km of intense running, I had got good feedback from my GPS readouts as I was on the move... and had been cracking a pass a good 5 to 10 seconds faster over a kilometer than I had for a while.

Now maybe I was finally over all the winter flus etc... and maybe it was just a good day... but a big part of getting the most out of these kinds of sessions, for me, is using others in our group to race myself around our sets.

Now we all do it. We have those people we train with who we pace ourselves against. They are our yardsticks... people we have been working on beating (be it all secretly) over the winter, or those we know we can not let pass us... there is pride... or those that we just try to stop lapping us (more than once) over a morning training session.

And yes I have my chosen few that I use on Friday mornings. There is that person I love to beat, the person I try to not be over 5 minutes behind... they all keep me going and pushing... it is why training with a group can be so powerful.

Just like in a race when we meet our yo-yo friends. Those people we see as the gun goes off, that we spend the next 10, 21, 42 or 225 kilometers chasing, passing and being overtaken by, in order to keep motivated. And yet at the finish line we can turn to them and smile, that knowing smile of an event shared... while having spent time stalking them down with all intent to beat them and be first, in a private race they in all likelihood don't know they were in.

So as I sipped on my double espresso... I toasted those that I had 'raced' that morning... looking forward to next week. Wondering who might win next time...

Cracking the 100

[co] Okay nearly there... 3 more weeks and I can tick the marathon box. That'll be a relief!

So last week managed to get in a solid-ish week of running (remember these things are all relative) and got myself over the 100km mark for the 7 day period Sunday to Sunday. Not sure if I had ever made that one before (maybe pre IM... not sure, but don't think so)... but regardless as I went through the week and realised that this could be achieved it certainly helped keep me going when it all gets a little tired and stiff.

So a couple of 3 hours runs thrown in there helped. Got in touch with my inner tough guy and managed to run the 2nd one pretty much in the rain... luckily not too cold... but pretty wet. Then again when you start before 5... some of it is still done on 'sleep time' so makes it all go a bit faster in that blur of crazy 'I am up too early' reality.

But importantly got to trial the race outfit last week - tick... Time to start wearing in some new shoes - tick...

Anyway onwards and upwards.... <20 days to go. Yay!

Safety First

[co] So its been a while since I ‘blogged’… but no time like the present for an update.

Got another long run in today. Close to 3 hours in the Waitaks – hitting the concrete monster (looking at my new GPS watch managed to hit the heady heights of 9.50 min/km on my way up that one today) and scenic drive.

A small crew got going after 9… so in preparation of my run back to the village (and cars, I thought its best to wear safely garments… and well I don’t actually need an excuse! So donned the race outfit for a test run. Passed with flying colors and managed to avoid most cars (though always a bit 50/50 at times).

Whats your scary car moment? Had more on bikes to be fair... but nothing like abuse thrown out a window at you when running... do they really think I can understand them... "Gettt .... ick". Hmm the possibilities are endless. And playing these word games can help fill in the time when you have an hour or 3 to kill.

Now home and (pleasantly?) tired… legs are shot! Good news 4 weeks to go. Scary!! Been a little sick over winter and so its been an up and down ride; one day feeling like hitting my running straps, the next it’s about surviving (today was in the later camp… but you get that… ticked a box though). I suppose it’s what we all go through and I am trying to keep my eyes on the prize, reckon I have another couple of tough weeks coming (and looking forward to it) before a gradual decrease and taper… and shopping… (did I mention it’s in Melbourne!).

Spring is in the air here and that helps! Now with all the ups and downs it’s time to really commit – as triathlon season approaches in earnest I will have to put my mind to focusing… not so much on the training (that’s the easy and fun part… yes I am serious) but to those areas which make a difference – hitting those key sessions, in the right way (i.e. when its steady - make sure it is) and nutrition (yes… this one never ends… especially when I am all over the show it’s what goes first).

Anyway nap time calls. Over and out

Brand Sacha Is Back...

[co] Okay so back into the week… rolling along… after 2 rather average weeks of training. Punctuated with the flu, despondency and general lack of oomph (so therefore the lack of posts).

So this week got a bit of the old mojo back and have been rolling through the sessions. Anything that involves hard efforts I have still been doing at 80% (if lucky) as body still not fully charged, but enjoying getting the routine back. But have managed to get all running sessions ticked, bar one, it’s the swimming and biking which have suffered the most… which kind of sucks as for once (and I remind you its all relative) I actually was almost enjoying swimming… almost….

Now the point/theme of this post is about personal brands. What it is that we project about ourselves to others and how we are seen by others…. Now the fit with a blog about running a marathon is that those of us who do these kinds of things, such as marathons, do project a certain type of image to others.

We find camaraderie with those who do the same kind of things and elicit certain responses from those who don’t. From a simple sharing of 'what are you training for?'... we have each other sussed.

Now I have just started a new job. Which is also which made me think about this. No matter what I try it is hard for me not to become this person who ‘trains’, ‘races’ etc… Because in the end when I am asked ‘how was your weekend?’ it inevitably includes a reference to swimming, biking or running… not as much drinking as there used to be… and there you go, I am put into a box.

Now its not like it’s a box I don’t like. And to be fair when thinking about why we do these things… when the training is hard and not the normal definition of fun… a part of me admits that there is an appeal in being the sort of person who can do this and also an appeal in not being a person who doesn’t and all the stereotypes that image conveys.

So looking back on the 2 weeks where my training was interrupted I was also having a crisis of ‘who am I?’ (well maybe not so dramatic, but sounds better). Because while I was enjoying my enforced time off etc and motivation lacking… what was I about? If I wasn’t working towards a marathon or Ironman? Could I become a corporate ladder climber only? What would take the place of my sport obsession?

If not, what would people think of me? What do they think of me now?

Am I boxed in as an intense, focused, driven person? Are these positive or negative traits? What does sport as a core to your personal brand say about you in the wider picture?

I guess in the end I am happy with what it portrays... I cultivate it and it becomes even harder to avoid over the years.... so maybe I should just embrace it fully.... (but no tattoo yet; thats a whole other box I am not sure I can to yet)... So the question is what brand do you portray? If you don't like it... maybe time for a change...