Slow Week

This week has been disappointing on the training front. Late nights working for events, having to manage several things in the space of several short hours, making the 3-hour, 350km circuit between two cities.. and on top of it all falling ill over the last two days. I haven't been able to do any running at all since Sunday, and it bites. It bites majorly.

On the brighter side, I've finally gotten around to finalizing a reasonable training schedule for myself. Also, I'm again relieved that my first half-marathon will be in June instead of Sundown's May. It gives me a little more breathing space and time to properly train without half-killing myself.

Et viola!

Le Sigh

Okay, I just got an email to say the initial booking I made for the Sundown didn't go through, and when I went back to the site to re-register, the half marathon category is now closed for registration.

:O(

Ah well. Disappointed, certainly, but will take this as a blessing in disguise. That still leaves me with my original intention to half marathon in June, ie. in the Standard Charted KL Marathon. A little extra time to train, get stronger, and less stressing over whether or not I'll be ready come May.

Chiayok!

Spreading the Word

So, I kinda spent the weekend boring everyone I met about running. Yes, yes, when I get excited about something I do tend to go a little broken-record overboard. Fortunately, I have very patient and indulging friends. ;Op

It's interesting how things seem to fall into place when you're doing something that feels right.. a lot of people giving you good advice and amazing support, and the opportunities that suddenly seem to open up before you. But perhaps it's just a matter of opening yourself up to the possibilities in the first place that suddenly all these good things that you never realised were there are happening at all.

Anyway. I am currently on a Quest. The Quest to Find A Running Partner. I need to find someone of approximately the same running level as I am for Long Slow Distance runs, which usually happens on Sunday mornings. Any takers? Misery does love company! ;Op

Aaaand it seems that my incessant, weekend-long yammering about running has managed to convince a few people to give running a go too! Yay! Hopefully, that means I'll have decent running partners within the next few months. :O)

Also, I'm looking for a pedometer. An un-obscenely priced pedometer. Adidas had a {pedometer + mp3 player + heart rate monitor} set for some odd-RM500, which was the least ridiculously priced one I found that offered the most functions. But for that kind of money, I could be buying myself a decent pair of new shoes! Which I think I might have to get sometime pretty soon anyway.

I also found myself an online running log. And it's totally true what they say about running logs being a good motivator by giving you a visual representation of your achievements, because logging in last week's workout and seeing I ran an accumulated 35km gave me a rush like I've rarely before felt! Yay!

So, the trials go on. I'm currently working on bashing out a training program that will fit with my fitness & running levels and work schedule. Will share it here once I'm happy with it. From couch-potato to 5K to half marathon, in 8 months! Gambatte!

The Pitter-patter of Not-So-Little Feet

I hear that one of the best ways to keep yourself motivated at running is by keeping a log. Journal. Diary. Whatevs. So here I am.

A little introduction:

I started running a couple of months ago because I was feeling stressed over.. oh, pretty much everything. 2010 had been a very difficult year for me, especially the first and last Quarters of it, and unsurprisingly, by the end of the year the stress had pretty much mounted to unmanageable levels despite efforts to tackle all stressors in logical & pragmatic ways.

So, what's a girl to do when she couldn't take anymore? I ran. Well, not in the "away" sense, but I went to the nearby public park, and I ran.

For the last decade, I had always been an intermittent gymmer. I go, all gung-ho and rawr-ing, determined to be the new virtue of Ms. Health & Fitness! Then a few months later I stop out of sheer laziness. At my peak (a whole 2 years of consistent gymming- astonishing by my standards) I was pulling decent cardio work on the treadmill, but well.. after one excuse to many, that sort of went downhill as well.

I can't say what it was that made me decide to deal with stress by running. Perhaps it was a sub-conscious desire to escape? I don't know. All I know is that I did. And I did it outdoors. And I loved it.

And here's another funny thing. I never liked exercising outdoors. Too many bugs, dirt, heat, humidity, unpredictable weather, sun, no convenient toilet breaks, blah blah blah, the list went on and on. And I will never know what inspired me to run outdoors this time, but I did. And I loved it.

I suppose the stress-relief benefits were only brief motivators for running. I wondered, what would happen when I stopped being so stressed? Knowing me, I'd probably just stop running again. This time, I knew I didn't want that. Since I started running my emotions were steadier, stress levels were lower, I could breathe easier, I felt less lethargic, I slept better. I felt healthier. I felt happier. I didn't want it to end but knowing me, I figured it was just a matter of time until it would.

Then the Terry Fox Run happened. A friend invited me to run with her and being a beginner runner (who then was just barely able to clear 3km in one exhausting hour, with only a sliver of breath to spare), I was dubious. When she told me it was a route just slightly over 2km, I thought I would give it a shot. So, to the Terry Fox Run KL 2010 I went.

A swarm of people in blue greeted me at the venue; most unexpected. I think I heard later some 3,000 people turned up.. on foot, with bicycles, skates, prams, even wheelchairs. I felt.. humbled. We took off in a huddled mass. So much for my expectations for a run! Lol.. We meandered and jogged our easy way to the finish line.. and to my surprise, we covered it in less than 30 minutes! And it wasn't even real running, nor was it an arduous route but what I felt crossing the finish line.. it was exhilarating. It was.. amazing. It was AWESOME!

That was 07 November 2010. Clichéd as it sounds I suppose Terry Fox inspired me too, like he did millions of others. His resilience, the beauty of his strength of spirit, his unfailing determination to make a difference. I was bit that day, and I was bit hard!

So here I am, with three runs all signed up for: the 10K in the BARENO Run 2011 in March, the 11K in the Energizer Night Race in April.. and the half-marathon (yes, all 21km of it!) in the Sundown Marathon Singapore 2011 on 28 May!

At this point in my running, the Sundown seems insane.

Insane.Exhilarated.Intimidated.Inspired.

But et voila: this is me. And this is my story.