So after my first blog was published, Whakatāne Harriers got in touch and gushed about it, shared it on their Facebook page, and invited me to an interclub event today (Sunday, 19 August 2018). The way I read it, I’m pretty much a celebrity now. Which means I can never – EVER – actually go to an event. They’ll be so disappointed.
Anyway, I had a pretty dismal week on the running front. But I’m a human-being and it’s important not to forget that.
Monday: I had a cold, a sniffle really, but you never really can tell.
Tuesday: I was still recovering from my sniffle.
Wednesday: Firstly, my work meeting went through lunch when I’d planned to run (walk). Then after work – another opportunity to run (walk) – the playdate I was dropping my daughter at became a cider and gasbag between the Mum’s. In my defence, this was not my fault. I was offered the cider. I did not ask.
Thursday: I procrastinated, ate a pie (#dailygrind), but eventually got out there (probably because of the pie-guilts which means the pie was a great idea on my behalf, right?!) And let me tell you, 2 minutes of running at a time doesn’t sound like much and it’s not, until you’re on the Toi’s track that is. It’s just a long, meandering uphill climb that breaks your calves and sucks your will to live. And this is the first leg, really (following a kilometre or so on the flat, hard pavements) of the Toi’s Challenge – there to separate the strong from the weak. It’s torture. But hey, at least I got out there.
Friday: Daycare called and my almost-two-year-old suffered a minor head injury (a bump really and the immediate crying and the swelling on the outside of the head is a good sign I’ve learned). So as much as I desperately wanted to run again, I thought it best to pick him up and supervise him closely over Facebook and online shopping in case of a delayed concussion.
Saturday: Me and my best mate and the littlest of our offspring decided to escape to the Coromandel for a little getaway. No running. Or stretching. Just eating. And drinking (responsibly).
Sunday: Today is Sunday and we decided to take the wee ones in front and back-packs on a bit of hike to a hidden Bay. Pretty much a run I think as my boy is like 16kg’s! (If you have any doubts about the exertion required, look at the photo – if my boy is that exhausted from doing nothing, how do you think I feel?). Also, a river-crossing was involved. So all-in-all this counted.
So not great on the training front. I suspect Coach Ray will be disappointed. And I am too.
But, I’d like it noted, that before all this happened, last Sunday, I did escape for a run with a girlfriend. We’d done the Birdwalk loop, returning to the carpark via Gorge Road about 4 weeks earlier. It had been my first time out and my fitness was horrendous. I was happy to walk down the hills (mostly because of the discomfort of wobbling when I run and I don’t mean speed-wobbles). Anyway, we got out for a 1hour 25minutes walk and ran up the Birdwalk and on through the bush and farmland to Burma Road, and then back on the road. It felt good to run/walk so far and for so long and it was such a better performance from the one a month earlier. I was pretty chuffed.
This was after 12 days or so on the programme with Coach Ray. Just 30min of run/walking or stretching. It was interesting because it occurred to me that Ray’s coaching plan might actually be helping me??!! Regardless of how half-hearted I’ve been following it. So I wondered, but haven’t confirmed, if maybe Coach Ray does know a little bit.
On another note, I did discuss with a colleague how Coach Ray hasn’t been all on my case making sure I’m running, etc. She brought up the whole thing of “personal responsibility”. So that was annoying.
Anyway, I need to sort my crap. There’s no time for weeks like this. The sessions have been 30minutes – 30 MINUTES!!!! That’s got to be achievable!
– Rebecca Mackay
Rebecca will be writing weekly as she continues her journey to achieving her goal of completing the 18km Tois Challenge. Check in next Tuesday for her next article.
Read Rebecca’s article from last week here:
And all her previous articles are stored here:
https://www.coachray.nz/category/client-stories/rebecca-runs/
you are incredible!