super generic girl

the awesomely average life of a girl like all others

Tag Archives: half-marathon training


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How much did this run suck? Let me count the ways.

As part of the training for the Kerikeri Half-Marathon next month, S. and I ran the Adidas Quarter Marathon in Auckland this morning. I wasn’t nervous at all about it and now I realise maybe I should have been, at least a little bit. Underestimating runs is a really rookie mistake and I’ve been entering these events since January so you think I would have learnt.

Last night, I was still awake at 1am, with the alarm set to wake me up only 4h30 later. I had all my running clothes set aside and ready, something I had done earlier in the day when I was sort of stressing out about having to get up so early. “Don’t stress,” said C. at the time. “You and Stacey do this kind of distance all the time.” I didn’t stress. There was no carb loading, no early bed time, nothing. And there should have been.

At 6:20, S. started ringing me. Still very much asleep, I wasn’t really sure at first why she was ringing me and it took me a few seconds to actually realise that OMFG we’re supposed to be at the start line before 6:45am! I raced to her house and from there, we got on her scooter and raced down to Victoria Park, near where the start line was meant to be. I was still putting my time chip in my shoe and S. was just coming back from the bag drop off area when we heard the run starting. We could see the start line in the distance and there was a fence between us and the rest of the runners. The security guards pointed us in the right direction to get around the fence and we started running right then but were still pretty much the last people to cross the start line, behind all the walkers.

Luckily, dodging the walkers wasn’t nearly as hard as I expected (certainly much easier than it had been around the same spot for Round the Bays, last March). About 1km in, I remembered that, in the mad rush to make it down there in time, I’d forgotten the very first thing I’ve been doing for the past 27 years as soon as I roll out of bed in the morning: going to the bathroom! I didn’t want to make any toilet stops and get stuck behind walkers again so I just focused on trying not to think about how much I needed it. Except focusing on not thinking about it makes you think about it even more. Small glitch in the plan.

I also decided to take my hydration pack for its first run, thinking it would be good training to take it to the half-marathon next month. I don’t know if it’s because I didn’t adjust the straps properly or what else it was, but I ended up with burn marks on my shoulders from the straps rubbing on the skin with each step I took. Not fun. Now I’m considering not taking a hydration pack on the half-marathon but I guess I’ll make a final decision after taking it n a couple more outings.

Luckily, the course was flat and we felt good for most of it (other than some soreness, probably due to not having had time to warm up, and my desperate need for a toilet). As we crossed the finish line, I pretty much begged the lady who was handing out bananas to point me to the nearest toilet. At least running and hiking are forcing me to get over my mental block against public toilets.

(What’s that? Enough with the toilet talk, you say? Fine.)

After finishing the run, we realised the scooter had been towed and we had to walk all the way to where the mean people had taken it. More sunday-morning-run-related suckiness, of course.

I guess, looking on the bright side, we had a good run, managed to make up for starting so far behind, finished on a decent time and didn’t get injured. This is how I’ll probably remember it in a couple of days time. Except I’m writing this blog post now and not in a couple of days time and, right now, it sucked arse.

Time to go back to bed.

P.s.: Confused by the different times in the screenshot above? The explanation is here. Basically, net time is how long it actually took me to go from the start to the finish line. The official time is the time that it took me to cross the finish line from the moment the run started (back when I was still putting the chip in my shoe).


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running randoms

  • My friend and running buddy Stacey wrote a really good article about why we run for the magazine she edits. She speaks the truth, that one, especially when she says stuff like “we have stopped running so we can eat bad, and started eating right so we can run well”. Except I haven’t reaaaaally started eating as healthily as I should be doing… yet.
  • When I was in Singapore last week, I discovered yet another reason why running is awesome: if you’re in a new place for a really short period of time, it’s the perfect way to get some sightseeing done (especially if you combine running with jetlag and lace up your shoes when half the city is still asleep!).
  • There needs to be some sort of global campaign to make people realise running on a treadmill and running outside are not the same thing.
  • It makes me very happy that both my homes, New Zealand and Portugal, use the metric system. Saying 6 miles instead of 10km doesn’t sound nearly as impressive.
  • Rockmyrun.com, I did not know you existed. Finding you today made me happy.
  • Only 23 days until the next half marathon.


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saturday

   

I woke up later than I wanted to and with a stupid headache that felt like a hangover. Except I only had one glass of wine on friday, after pretty much crashing a wine tasting at work (don’t judge, you would have done the same) so it couldn’t have been a hangover. Anyway, I tried to nurse the headache with coffee and crumpets, pretty much one of the best breakfast combos ever. It only sort of worked but I felt like I needed to go for a run. The weather was nice outside, for a change, and the next half marathon is only 34 days away (!).

   

Apple has updated the software for the ipod nano and now I get to have the Nike+ integration without having to add any extra gadgets to my running shoes. With that new software, I get to tell the little app how far I want to run (or for how long) and it then tells me how I’m doing. I’ve been using it for a week now and I’m still not sure whether it is amazing or stupidly unhelpful but it’s definitely one of those. On one hand, I like being able to track how I’m doing during the run but, on the other hand, the voice always tells me how far I’ve gone just at that very moment when I’m about to get my mind off the running (which is when it supposedly gets easier).

I told it that I was going to run 10km and set off on my run. I decided to take my camera along because the weather was nice and, since I wasn’t feeling 100%, I wanted an excuse to take it slow. By the time the app lady interrupted Feist to tell me I’d reached 3km, I was already thirsty and feeling my body overheating. It was all downhill from there and, unfortunately, I’m not talking about the terrain.

I kept thinking to myself “what an idiot, you remember to bring your camera but not your water bottle. you retard!”. I had to alternate between running and walking a couple of times which really sucked because I’ve been trying to get better times when I run. At the 8km mark, I decided it was time to stop. I’m meeting my running partner tomorrow for what is supposed to be our “long run” for the weekend so used that as an excuse to drag my sorry self back home.

Lessons learnt today: always take your water bottle/ hydration pack, especially if the weather’s warmer. Don’t tell Nike+ you’re going to do something and then give up. Might as well set the bar a bit lower instead of having to see on your profile that you chose the 10k workout but only logged 8km.

   

Well, at least there were daisies.


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Here we go again…

Photo taken during my last trip up to the "winterless north", where I'm running the next half marathon. Pretty!

All signed up and paid for. The next half-marathon happens next month in Kerikeri and, if I survive, it should be one to remember (hopefully for good reasons).

Unless there is some sort of disturbance in the natural order of the universe, this half-marathon should be pretty much the opposite of the previous one, at least as far as the weather conditions are concerned. Kerikeri is located in what is often referred to as “the winterless north” and the run is in November and not in the middle of winter in one of the coldest areas of the island, like the Taupo half-marathon in August.

That said, and not wanting to be a negative nancy, the icy winds and cold temperatures in Taupo are part of what prevented me from giving in and walking last time. Hopefully, the heat won’t force me to walk. Oh god, just being a whiner aren’t I? Just ignore me, please.

The full name of this next run is actually Fullers GreatSights Kerikeri Half Marathon. Great Sights. See? Focusing on the positive. That’s better.

The goal will be to improve on the time from my first half marathon, a pretty slow but not all that tragic 2:15:47. I’m pretty confident about it because it looks like it is mainly downhill and if there is one thing I know for sure is that downhill equals good. But that’s something to worry about on the day. For now, the goal will be to get off my bum and get out there to run.

Training starts… Now.

(Okay, tomorrow.)


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setting up a running playlist

I can’t run by myself without music. It takes my mind away from the whole running process and the right songs help me find my pace and run more comfortably.

When I started running and realised this, I had a bit of trouble finding the right songs to run to. In fact, my running playlist is still (and probably will always be) a working in progress. I realised then that most of the songs in my itunes library were way too slow to set a comfortable running pace and so I spent some time looking for some new stuff to listen to.

I tried running podcasts (there is quite a selection out there) but I just can’t relate to any of those techno beats they usually play in those. I tried audiobooks, thinking that maybe I’d be able to distract myself from the run to the point of focusing only on the audiobook and running longer as a consequence. It didn’t happen. I tried other podcasts but then found myself running on the street and getting weird looks from people as I ran along laughing out loud because of Karl Pilkington‘s theories. Laughing out loud when you’re out by yourself is not only embarrassing but, if you’re running, also screws up your breathing. Lesson learnt.

In the end, I gave in and, one day, spent a good couple of hours googling half-marathon playlists and any recommendations for good songs to run to. There is a lot of stuff out there and I learnt a couple of things in the process:

  1. the songs that help you run aren’t necessarily songs you would describe as being your usually style of music but they still help you clear your head and run at a comfortable pace so you just embrace that.
  2. there is a surprisingly high number of runners out there running to the beat of Celine Dion songs. I’m not sure I understand this.

Anyway, I thought I’d add some of my current running songs to the already large number of such lists on the internet. Because I can.

  • florence + the machine – dog days are over
  • florence  + the machine – kiss with a fist
  • regina spektor – fidelity
  • postal service – such great heights
  • the killers – mr brightside
  • amy winehouse – valerie
  • anika moa – running through the fire
  • gin wigmore – oh my
  • iron maiden – run to the hills
  • arctic monkeys – when the sun goes down
  • cee lo green – forget you
  • mgmt – kids
  • anything by franz ferdinand
  • most songs by vampire weekend
Got any suggestions of good songs to run to? Let me know!


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a half-arsed commitment

One of the 1,458 reasons why running is awesome is the way it makes me want to improve other aspects of my life. Like what/how I eat, for example.

When S. and I started this running malarkey, the idea was that, well, if we were going to get together for a curry anyway, we met as well run first and then gobble down the curry. Our sense of entitlement lasted a few months, admittedly. We often felt like we had the right to reward ourselves with the tastiest thing we could think of, just because we had made the effort to go out and run.

That has, however, begun to change. Rather than having my brain tell me that I ran, therefore I deserve a curry, I now try to follow the logic that, if I ran, I shouldn’t ruin the effort with something unhealthy.

(You’d think I would have gotten to this stage a bit quicker, wouldn’t you? I’m not that smart.)

S. got there a few months ago but the change for me has been a bit slower. The minute I finished the half-marathon in August (yep, I’m mentioning it again), I got in the car and devoured a bag of jelly beans, which was followed by a large combo from Burger King (a triple whopper, chips and full-fat coke, of course, because, you guys!, I’d just finished a half-marathon!). I then had peach crumble and ice cream which I followed with more peach crumble and ice cream, after a nap. So yeah, a fountain of health.

Going back to training after that, however, has put my mind in a different place. My fitness level right now is not as good as it was back in August and I know I have to do more than just cross my fingers and hope it’ll all improve soon so I get back to how I was. I have another half-marathon to run in 6 weeks and curries aren’t going to get me across the finish line.

So I’m sort of maybe kind of going to try to give this no-sugar thing a go. Mostly. With the exception of the Wednesday cinnamon roll (a tradition is a tradition) and the odd mistake here and there (not my fault that Whittakers has just launched a Berries and Biscuit chocolate bar!). Brace yourselves for some angry blog posts but, hopefully, writing this here will mean I will hold myself accountable for this decision.


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yes, this is another post about running

Half-marathon training has officially started.

Well, kind of.

The half-marathon is 12 weeks away and the training scheduled I’ve created (kind of mashed-up from a bunch of different schedules I found online) happens to be a 12-week one so I guess I have no choice but to get into it.

Having to get into it, however, doesn’t stop me from trying to get out of it.

Yesterday, my friend Stacey gave me a metaphorical kick in the butt when I emailed her to let her know that our post-work run would have to be a quick one because I was meeting some friends for dinner. Her answer was short and not all that sweet. She said we’d do the initially planned 8.5km run because, as I’d told her myself just a couple of days before, running would have to become a priority from now on. She passed the friend test with that one and so I did as I was told and went to dinner with friends a little later.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m okay with the general idea of making running a priority. The problem is putting that idea into action when you have all sorts of day-to-day activities and last-minute plans to work around. The training schedule is extremely demanding compared to what we had been doing up until now. My only rest days are Mondays and Fridays and, with swimming lessons on Tuesdays, fitting in work and running becomes kind of a challenge, especially when you want to have some sort of social life on the side as well.

On the other hand, I’m actually really looking forward to turning running into more of a habit. I have a bunch of deadlines to meet before I leave work today (writing this post is just a way of forcing myself to take a break from it all) and the thing I keep thinking about is how much I can’t wait to leave the office at 5pm and go for a run. Stress-relief, here I come.