“I compete only with myself, and I try to become a better human being. This is my goal.”
Sri Chinmoy
Molly and her view of a Walk on Sunday
The beginning of the journey always commences with the first step. Even one that is hopefully to end in 2022. More than a 15 months to its conclusion.
It started with first contact with Rob Donkersloot to start a programme with the view of preparing and completing a hundred miler and Delirious 2022.
Week 1 is an easy start with 4 hours of running .Easy introduction and a zoom meeting on the introduction to the mental preparation .
Between training I rode to work twice this week and did my Bodypump class on Tuesday and Yoga on Saturday and one 45 min Weight session on Friday.
The emphasis is getting my weight down ,building strength I have lost over the past 10 months with a dedicated weight programme and building core .
The runs , included an easy run for an hour which was about 8km.On Thursday an easy 20 min warm up and then 4 x 2 minutes up a hill and then 20 minutes cooldown.Struggled with the hill work but managed 7.5km .
Saturday ,did a 1 hour steady walk .Harder than it seems with aiming for a 9 min per km pace ended up with a 10min pace and 6km.On Sunday a warm day in perth I ran an easy 9 km for an hour easy run.I did have a coughing fit which I get regularly but once I have coughed it out I am fine.
Easy start to a year long program. Also a gentle introduction to mindfullness and meditation with the view to trying to harness the mind in the negative inner thoughts that will surely invade one's thoughts whilst running.
Prior to starting a training programme I had signed up for a introduction to Meditation twice with the Sri Chinmoy Group only to have had to cancel as I was unwell. Finally have started this aspect of the journey and will be going to a session. and the movie screening by Grahak Cunningham of the 3100 Transcendental run doco called Run and Become
“Without courage, Life is a path Without progress.” -Sri Chinmoy
Sunset in January doing a 12 hour walk overnight .
Cottesloe Beach with Jonatham Smith
Margaret River Break and run weekend
with Molly
Margaret River Cape walk start 50km
All animals remain in the moment.Their focus is in the now.
Night Run in October at Kalamunda 25km
Start of feral .No Preparation .just learning the importance of both physical and mental and nutritional preparation for a 100 miler
Sun Rising over Mt Cooke highest point on the Bilbulman trail
The training blog and my training regime ,like 2020 has been tumultuous. There are lessons to learn but many twist and turns both in the world and in my life.But as we turn the corner and the end of this year, like everything in life there is a future and light at the end of a dark tunnel of a year.
I started the year full of hope and expectation. Signed up for Ironman 2020 at Busselton and carrying my Feral 100miler over to 2020 after the 2019 race was called off because of the 40C temp. Started to put a plan of training together.Started running whilst in Sydney for the New Years and enjoyed several runs across the beautiful iconic Harbour Bridge. Swims at the pool at the base of the bridge at Milson's Point and even a cycle with my childhood friend Marc at Centennial Park.
Those early days of 2020 seem a lifetime away, as was those beautiful Sydney summer days running along the harbour and the quiet paths dotting the salubrious suburbs seeping with modern apartments ,beautiful houses seeping with the history of the harbor and Australia's oldest colonial settlement . There was that luxurious cruise liner parked along the port next to the bridge unloading its human cargo and hundreds of trucks carrying provisions for the nest cruise to nowhere .Little did anyone know in 2 short months they were the incubators for the Corona Virus hitting Sydney and the wider Country .
Back in Perth the world was closing down .It seemed at times like the end of the world.The market and the economy were all heading south.Training seemed like the last thing on anyone's mind. I recall having a chat with Ross my previous coach re my plans.I was coming back to swim training .He had a shocking time regarding the loss of his dad earlier in the year . Within a few weeks my plans were all put on hold .I had a regular ride round the river with the CRT group and rode home for a 90km ride. Nothing strenuous.My brother had been in hospital with a suspected heart attack and had a stent in one artery but had been released that morning. I sat down to a sandwich for lunch and within a few minutes had an uncomfortable pain in the chest which would not go away. I decided to drive to the doctors. At the first surgery they were not able to see me.The second surgery were alarmed and suggested I go straight to a hospital .In the end they got me hooked up to an EKG machine and called an ambulance. I got taken to Royal Perth Hospital where bloods were taken and confirmed there was a likely mild heart attack . Incredulous. I was fit and had no issues. More uncanny my brother had one 3 days earlier. No family issues to confound the case. Ended up having a angioplasty and 4 days in hospital. Then 2 weeks of avoiding any strenuous activity .Perth was in a lock down with everyone encouraged to stay at home and work from home .I chose to work in the office as there was no one and it was quieter .I rode in everyday and the street were eerily quiet . There was the unease of the uncertainty for the world and the country and the state. It is in these times that there fortitude of calm and resilience become so critical. We managed to dodge much that hit the world. Yet there was the panic buying .
The next few months were a blur of riding to work , short runs and no consistent training plan. I thought there would be time to knuckle down to some hard training in the back half of the year .There were many excuses including no regular cross fit and I was not training with anyone and had no plan or coaching program to follow and I was recovering from a serious enough health issue. I did stop eating all meat .My Blood test a month later were great and continued to be good. I was on medication which was not good and for the first time ever. A trip to Margaret River in September for some training wasn't that good as we managed a 50km walk with 2.5l of water (very dehydrated)so the next day just did a 20km walk /run .After that ,training really was scattered and before I knew it I was at the start of the Feral100.
That was on 7 November at Midnight. I Started and pulled out at the 42km mark just after watching the spectacular sunrise on Mt Cooke. Failure was not doubted but I realized that I had to start to be consistent .Get my weight back to race weight and start a training plan. Both physically, nutritionally and mentally.
So starts another adventure. This one will be at least 12 to 18 months in the making.Nothing hard comes easy ? Next year will be hopefully the year of redemption after the winter of failure in 2020 .But in everything lessons are learnt.The year was full of twist and my mental frame was not helped losing my Dad in May.He was 91 and the comfort was he had a long good life but the end is never easy or planned or expected. But we have to as others do ,live our lives moving forward.
As I lay in Hospital I had to cancel a meditation course I was suppose to attend at Sri Chimoy . I am going again . I am also attending a movie Grahak Cunningham is showing on Friday 27 November 2020 on the 3100 transcendental foot race. I have a coach and start a training program towards a 100km race next year with the 100 miler after that.
The mantra moving forward is PRAEPARAT ANIMOS meaning Preparation with courage in Latin .
As the decade counts down and a new decade is on the horizon , it is fitting to reflect on the good and the bad of the year and what for me has been a big year of running...lots of running .
I started the year running on holiday in Singapore and Japan ,some solid base training in much cooler weather in Tokyo and Osaka and enjoyed the slow build. Got ill on the return with a cold but persevered with the start of a training program for UTA .My 4th attempt. This included 2 trips to Bluff knoll and Albany for lots of elevation and repeats on bluff Knoll. It was tough and character building. Lots of running in Wungong and King's park and Reabolt repeats. I thought I was prepared but went out hard ,thinking I had the legs but the lack of drinking and nutrition was the undoing with a TDF at 46km . I had the flu coming back and 3 weeks of just been sick.then tried to run the 100km at Avon but found that the legs were just dead ,another TDF . Not Good.
Regrouped after a months break and then started training for feral Pig 100 miler . Also had a great trip to Italy nd France with lots of running ,hiking and cycling some spectacular mountains . Lots of elevation and mileage .All set for Feral Pig
Then continuing with training for Feral pig with a 50miler WTF race on the Queens Birthday Holiday in Perth at the end of September .That was a hard race but again hurting at the halfway mark like in the 50km race in Jarradale but managed to get the necessary nutrition to bounce back and finish the 82kms in 13 hours.
All set for Feral Pig but 6 hours before the midnight start it was called off because of the extreme heat . We all ended doing a 50km race on Sunday when the temperature stayed below 40 a more tolerable 34 if I recall.That took me a good 8.50 because I ran out of water 12km from the end .Another miscalculation as to how hot it can get and the need for hydration. Walked the rest of the way with 2 other runners and as it was not an A race just enjoyed finishing rather than pushing through for a time. That is life. Not everything will pan out .The race I was hoping to test myself will have to be next year . The rest of the year was just short races and a little down time .No Ironman this year .
Rounding the year with a break in Sydney enjoying the city , fireworks and running around the beautiful harbour even if it is a little hot and smoky.
For the record the stats are below for the year.I have surpassed the total running distance for the year with 2300 km and 51,000 m of elevation .
Activities
86
Total Distance
2,314.33 km
Total Activity Time
100:57:09 h:m:s
Activity Calories
37,956 C
Total Elev Gain
22,806 m
Average Speed
25.4 kph
Average Heart Rate
107 bpm
Average Run Cadence
--
Average Bike Cadence
75 rpm
Activities
226
Total Distance
2,205.43 km
Total Activity Time
314:23:14 h:m:s
Activity Calories
138,882 C
Total Elev Gain
51,849 m
Average Speed
7.8 kph
Average Heart Rate
138 bpm
Average Run Cadence
150 spm
This year 2020 , the goals are to keep getting stronger , several ultras and an Ironman . Back to swimming regularly so lots f morning sessions which I have skipped this pass 5 years.
After the 3 weeks in Europe it was back to a cooler Perth and back to
training with 3 weeks before the next Ultra run , the WTF 50 miler in
Dwellingup.I had not signed up yet but it was going to be a 50 miler or a
100 miler .Chances a 50 miler .
The training program by Dave Kennedy was straight forward , the next 2 weeks , Mondayhill work at Mount Street off Kings Park x10 repeats for about 350 m elevation and 7km
Tuesday and Thursday easy runs of 7.5 km and Wednesday a threshold run with 20 minutes at a sustained rate .I manage about 5.10 to 5.30 pace and the rest is at about 6 min pace but I managed to avaerage about a 5.30 pace for the 8kms Friday a rest day and then on Saturday
I ran in Kings Park with repeats at Kokoda and managed 22kms in 3.5 hrs and 650 m elevation .
Sunday an easy 10 km run for a total of 64 km . Just one 30 min ride on Zwift .
The following week same routine with just 1 hour on Sunday which I did at Mundaring before a clinic with Vlad Ixel .It was part of the ultra series entry of 4 races I signed up. The clinic consisted of good info n running but also on strength training and stability exercises which I needed . That clinic also consisted of running so did about 15km for the weekend but not really as in the program.
