Sign posts

If we consider fitness a journey, then ultimately we come up against roadblocks, things that prevent us getting fitter, stop us working out or whatever. But what about the sign posts, the things that help us get where we are going. In the main, for me these are people, who have helped and encouraged me to get fitter, and in doing that they have helped change my life. Hopefully what I write on this blog will make me a signpost for others but in the meantime I'm going to acknowledge these people here on my blog:
My wife Tracy: from the day my wife said she was going to join a gym and did I want to have a look to my latest achievement, Tracy has given me encouragement and support, my biggest booster.
Stuart: my first personal trainer at the gym, Stuart encouraged me to not worry about how I looked but to focus on my results, pretty important when you are a self conscious 170kg man.
Emma Towler: Emma was the first RPM instructor who's class I took at Vic Park Zest, she took an interest, always had heaps of encouragement and always made sure I was working hard. Got me hooked on RPM, defintely a good thing.
Dave Enwright: another group fitness instructor who's interest in his participants goes above & beyond. I first went to one of David's pump classes a few years back and must have looked pretty ordinary because he got me to stay back and work on my technique, since that day every time I saw him he was super encouraging.
Andrew Paterson: after seeing how much I liked RPM Andrew asked me if I had a bike and did I ever ride outside, I had a bike but didn't ride it much. I decided to give it a try and liked it, since then I've bought new bikes and had some awesome riding experiences, Thanks Andrew.
Mickey Boulton: sold me my first bike, and my second and my third. He encouraged me to join the shops group rides, to try out triathlon and encourage me in everything I've had a shot at. Never ask Mickey if you should try something unless you want the answer to be Yes.
I've had so much support & encouragement from so many people sometimes it's hard to keep track, if I've missed anyone my apologies, if I've inspired anyone to do anything, that's fantastic. If I can inspire anyone to be a sign post in someone elses life thats even better.
Thanks everyone for reading, encouraging and humoring this fatboy

Back at it

First run tonight after a week off recovering from the half marathon. Although it's been nice to have the break, it really felt good to be back out there. Tonight I did intervals over a fairly short distance(3km). With less than 3 months to go until the big day I've got a truckload to do, but I'm determined to keep doing it.
Keep the comments and the support coming, it means a lot to me!

1st goal down

I fully expected that doing a half marathon in the hills would be tough, and guess what, I was right, it was tough. But funnily enough, I never felt that it had me beaten, in fact by about the 7 or 8 km mark I started to realize that I would make it and I would be OK. Not quite sure why it was then that I realized, but it was. Just this feeling that the course had thrown everything at me, but hadn't beaten me.
Now that I sit back & relax, I can honestly say what a great experience it was, the number of other runners who cheered me on, gave a thumbs up or just a smile was awesome. The number of people clapping & cheering as I ran down the finish chute and just the overwhelming sense of achieving something.
Time now for a little rest, and then back into training for the full marathon in June.

Taper time

Tonight I went for my last run before Sundays half marathon, unlike Tuesday's run I didn't feel any nerves or caution and actually got into a reasonable rythym for the 5 km. This is by far the hardest bit, in every event I've ever trained for I've never felt like I've done enough(probably because I haven't) but the time always arrives when you can do no more. The temptation is there to go for a run again tommorow but everyone tells me I should taper.
Anyway by mid morning on Sunday I will well & truly know whether or not I did enough.
Think of me as you sleep in on Sunday Morning

I can't wait

Tonights run was my most nervous run in a long time. Why the nerves? Well I ran big on Sunday, 14 kilometers in the morning, followed by 5.5 in the evening at the marathon club twilight run. It was a big day but I felt I pulled up pretty well on Monday and started to plan my week to lead up to the half marathon ottis Sunday. With a light week in mind I set off for a 5 km run, thinking that it should be easy. Not so. Every time I felt a little tiredness in my leg, particularly the left one, I wanted to stop.The concern of pushing too hard stopped me pushing at all.
I expect the next few days will be very much like this, constant nerves and doubt, constantly thinking whether that normal ache in my leg is the beginning of a new injury. That said I'm quite excited that a big testing event has finally arrived, something that will test me like nothing before.
I can't wait

The Mongerel

The weekend after next I'm going to attempt my first half marathon, 21.3 kilometres. I'm a bit nervous for a couple of reasons, one it's a long way and secondly the first half is uphill. Usually before competing in an event I'd like to attempt the distance in training, but with the interruption to training caused by my calf injury I reckon the longest run I'll manage is between 12 & 15kms. I have read that with distance running, it's not necessary to have done the distance, I hope that's right.
One thing I'll be relying is what my mate Mickey calls the mongerel, I was complaining one day to him that I'd agreed to ride with a group to Mandurah but I hadn't been on the bike much and was a bit worried that I'd struggle to keep up or make the distance(it's about 80kms. He just said to me you'll make it, you've got the Mongerel in you. It was one of the nicest things anybody has ever said to me and it's something I think about every time I go for a run or conTemplate doing something hard.
It's often said that a lot of physical achievement is largely mental, and I guess this is what the Mongerel is about, another word for mental toughness. I don't for a minute think that I'm any tougher than anyone else who gets out there, but I'm pleased to say that when the going gets tough next Sunday, I'll be drawing on every bit of the Mongerel to get me home.