she runs the night

Yes, she does.

She Runs the Night, 4 May 2013, 10km

Time:  1.26.22
Place:  4768
Freebies:  Race tee was included in the registration price.  Rhonda got a cool drink bottle, but I was just too slow to get in on that action. 

This was by far the funnest fun run I have done thus far.  The atmosphere was amazing - over 6000 ladies there to run.  There was something about it, the fact that such a large group of women were there for the same purpose, it made me a bit emotional.  It was extremely cool to see everyone dressed the same, and people of all fitness levels joining in.

This was a Nike branded run - no charity involved at all.  I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but it's funny, whenever I tell people I'm doing a fun run they immediataly ask what charity it's for.  This run was all about Nike showcasing their shit, and I tell you, they know their shit. The whole run had a very festival vibe about it, celebratory and empowering.  Their merchandise was obviously for sale, but it wasn't the focus of the evening, which was fantastic.

Everyone had these nifty bracelets that would all flash in unison, with each wave of runners getting a different colour bracelet.  Rhonda was in the second wave with a pink bracelet (Lionesses) and I had green (Tigresses).  There were some cool things around the course - a big screen which flashed your facebook picture up as you approached - it must have been linked to the timing chips and a huge projection screen with cheetahs, tigers and lions running beside you.  You can see some of these on Facebook.

Will definitly do this one again next year!

~Tan

fit and fantastic

So I wasn't going to blog about this one, I thought it kinda didn't count.  But you know what, it totally does, and I'm proud of my efforts, so here it is.

Carrum:  14 Apr 2013, 12KM

Result:  1:50ish
Place: Not important

This run was a bit of an informal event, organised by the amazeballs Heather Morgan of Health In Motion Fitness, to raise funds for her Oxfam trailwalker team.  (by the way, she RAN 100km in 17 hours).

Here's the thing, I didn't run the whole way :(  But I tried!  As my uncle says (and John Denver and Tom Petty), some days are diamonds, and some days are stone, and that's how the cookie crumbles. 

I made it the whole 12km, and I managed to sprint accross the finish line.  I ran about 3/4 of the first lap, and then ran/walked the second lap.  Laps are the worst - other runners will know.  You finish one, and you have SO FAR to go.  Avoid laps if you can. 

So here are the positives:

• I did the whole thing!
• The previous day, I did bootcamp with Rhonda (omg stairs at Moorooduc Quarry, and the hill of doom!) so was super exhausted anyway, so even trying to attempt 12km is amazeballs!
• It was a beautiful day at a beautiful location (see above).
• I didn't collapse.  LOL.
• I didn't get sunburnt.  
• I look gooood!

You know what?  I feel SO much better than I did at the start of writing this post.  I've even changed my title from 'close but no' to something Rhonda told me:  You are a runner now and you're fit and fantastic!  What would I do without her, seriously??

~Tan

medallion

It was freaking cold for my most recent fun run.  The weather app told me it was 12C, but 'felt like' 7C!  Couldn't wait for the race to start to warm my frigid muscles!

Sunbury: Sunfest, 17 Mar, 5km

Result:  35:54
Place:  61
Freebies:  A got a freaking medal!!!

Rhon couldn't make it :( Even without my running buddy I was happy with my result.  Seven minute kilometres people!  Or so I thought!!  Turns out that the course was only 4.69km, according to my Garmin watch (yes, I have a running watch, I'm that hard core).

Oh well, I was happy with my run anyway.  It was a rainy day, and it felt really good to go for a run without the extra bother of sweltering temperature.  The last km was all UPHILL so that sucked, but I still managed a sprint to the end.  I'm no fun-run veteran, but my experience to date is with massive events with thousands of competitors.  It was interesting doing a lower key event (65 participants in the 5k!) in a bit of a ho-dunk town.  It was a pleasant enough run, I saw some ducks in the river.

I found it kinda funny that an opposition politician was there to start the race and hand out medals, rather than the local MP.  He's a bit on the chub side, I regret not asking him whey he wasn't competing.  heh.  We got a 'gift bag' at the end of the race filled with a whole bunch of political gumf.  Really?  That is not going to make me vote for you dude, and neither is this kind of bullshit:

Anyway, let's get back to the medal.  Check out my sweet medal!  I've been trying to see what outfits I can match it with, to get some real wear out of it.

That makes a grand total of 4 fun runs in 2013 so far.  I've put my calendar up here and you can read my other fun run posts here.

Next up, Run the Rock at the end of this month!  It's going to be a toughie, so glad to have the next month to train hard!

~Tan

smashed

I smashed the 8km in run #3 Brooks Sunset Series!  Go me!  I participated in the whole series, and wrote about races #1 and #2 here.

Race #3:  Princes Park, 6 Mar, 8kms

Result:  1.08.54.1
Overall Place:  692
Freebies obtained:  None!  Ripped off!

Another warm run!  It was around 30C at 7pm I think.  But the good news is that I RAN THE WHOLE WAY!  YAAAAYYY!  Beat the time of my first run too (and crossed the finish line before Rhon... hahahahah!!).   I also had enough in the tank to do a mad sprint across the finish line.  Really wanted to vomit but managed to keep my composure. 

Princes Park was a nice location, very shady so helped with the heat.  And this time Rhon and I had matching uniforms!  Well, almost matching.  We didn't get our team logo ironed on to Rhon's top in time.  But we will be fully prepared for next race.  Even so, we got some great commentary by the announcer as we crossed the finishing line a la here come the ladies in pink! 

Here we are again, hamming it up for the cameras mid-race.  


Rhonda, the female equivalent of Ridiculously Photgenic Guy.

Eight kilometres is officially my bitch.

Here's a closer look at our logo (designed by A):

What's next?  Glad you asked!  We're doing the 5km Sunfest run.  A shorter distance, but we're going to run harder! Wish me luck (not that I need it :P)

~Tan

running for fun

Fun Runs.  It's an oxymoron right?  Well, for me, 2013 is the Year of the Fun Run.  That's right.  At the moment I have 14 scheduled for the year.  I have completed 2 so far.

The first ones for 2013 were part of a series of 3 runs:  the Brooks Sunset Series.   I've got one more in the series next Wednesday, but I wanted to talk about it now!

Race #1:  The Tan, 6 Feb, 8kms

Result: 1:09:47.3
Overall place: 647.  LOL I beat Rhonda
Freebies obtained:  Brooks Sunset Series shirt (ok, probably included in the entry fee), Sweatband pocket thing (you know, for your keys), Emma & Toms juice.

The temperature was 35C.  The race was scheduled for 7.15pm but was delayed in hopes that it would cool down.  It didn't cool down very much.  Still, I felt confident and ready to run.  At this point I had run 8k once before, the previous week. 

This run taught me how the conditions can impact on your performance.  I had a terrible run.  The first lap was ok, hot but ok.  But then I just started to feel gross.  Sick and hot and tired and sore.  I did not want to run anymore.  I'd had enough. 

Thank god for Rhonda.  She kept me going.  In the interests of full disclosure, I will tell you I just could not run the whole of the second lap.  There was a lot of walking going on.  And lots of complaining.  And lots of threats of giving up.  But there was Rhonda, not letting me stop and encouraging me the whole way.  I am really really glad I finished, but disappointed that I'd made such a fuss.  Check me out, how utterly defeated I looked, whereas Rhonda is looking perky and as fresh as a daisy running beside me!!

Race #2:  The Melbourne Zoo, 20 Feb, 7.2kms

Result:  1:01:13.7
Overall place: 1386 (There were a LOT more people running.  It was at the freaking zoo, the coolness factor was elevated.)
Freebies obtained:  Hydralite water bottle, muesli bar, Emma & Toms juice.

I had a slight reprieve with race #2, apparently there were some construction works going on with the meercats, so the course was shortened from 8km to 7.2km.  The weather was also behaving much better, a lovely 26C.   The downside was that Rhonnie was sick, so I had to go it alone.

I felt great this time.  I had my 90s music playing, and didn't feel the need to stop at all.  On the first lap, I was feeling a bit cynical about the zoo location.  On the first half I didn't see one damn animal.  Sorry, I saw a giant tortoise, but that wasn't very exciting.  But then I ran past the zebras, giraffes and moneys doing their crazy thing, and felt much better about it.  I also saw a hippo coming out of the water and a gorilla.  Got my money's worth I'd say.

This time I made sure to smile like a loon and wave at every camera I saw. 

Looking forward to race #3 and smashing that 8km distance once and for all!  Wish me luck!

~Tan

Running

I dedicate this post to my fitness guru, secretary, crochet biatch and wonderful friend, Rhonda.



Fitness and I have never seen eye to eye.  We have had a very strained, on-again-off-again relationship, dating back to high school where I would forge my mother's signature to get out of every second class of P.E.  (Seriously, I would be on my period every second day).  I would always promptly tell my mother what I had done when I got home, and she would laugh.  Not that I blame her in any way for my attitude, I just don't think it was ever my thing.  I was much more interested in book learning than running around in my leisure time. 

Recently however, we've been getting to know each other properly, fitness and I.  I, especially, have realised that fitness, when all is said and done, is actually really good.  Go figure.  What I'm trying to be is a runner. 

First up, I haven't done this alone.  Rhonda has been my trainer, and with her guidance and encouragement I have been able to achieve more than I ever thought possible.  I'm starting to really enjoy running, and it's all because of her :) 

I've been running now since around September.  It toom me about 8 weeks to be able to run 5 kilometers.  1 week less than that popular couch to 5k thing that is so fashionable.  I've wanted to blog about it for a while now, but I didn't think it would be very interesting.  I've changed my mind because it's interesting to me, so to hell with it.  Anyway, I'm collecting my thoughts here today and thought I might share what I'm learning about running.

It's hard

This is probably obvious, and in some ways I always knew it to be true, but thinking about how hard something is and knowing how hard something is are two different things.  After every work out with Rhonda, I am done.  Totally spent.  Out of breath, covered in sweat.  (Rhonda meanwhile doesn't even need a shower!).  I still get really anxious right before I head out for a 'long run' (read: 5km), I guess because I know it's going to be difficult.  I said to Rhonda one day that I can't wait until it gets eaiser.  Her response: "it's always going to be hard, because you'll always be pushing yourself to get better."  Yipes.  I do think I'm getting more used to it and ready for the challenge, but it's a long road.

People do not judge you

This was a big one for me for quite some time.  I was worried about people looking at my red face, seeing how puffed out I was, making judgements about my pitiful level of fitness.  You know what?  No one fucking cares.  In fact, it's the opposite.  Your friends will be interested in your progress and extremely supportive.  Who'd have guessed right?  The judgements they do make are based on your awesomeness.  I've had random comments from people saying 'hey saw you out there'! or, 'you're getting quite athletic' because we always run into each other in the change rooms.  And those comments are totally welcome. 

It's heaps better outside

Treadmill = so boring!  5km on the treadmills feels like an eternity more than outside.  Outside is just gorgeous, and you can literally see how far you've run.  You get the bonus added feelings of accomplishment for running up a difficult hill, and feeling like a runner with all the other lunchtime running enthusiasts.  Although, I haven't been a runner in winter yet, so we'll see how my feelings are in 6 months!

It makes you feel good

Good, inside and out.  The feeling of accomplishment and pride are probably the best things I've gotten out of this new fitness kick.  When you start to build up and improve your own personal best you are amazed, astounded and just so so happy with what you are able to achieve.  Also, those endorphins are probably helping to make me feel happy!  Remember, exercising gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy. Happy people don’t kill people!

It's possible

This was the biggest shock.  I can run people.  Wow.  Just wow.  At the moment I can run 5km.  Do you know how far that is?  FAR.  I am so very very proud of myself and am looking forward to doing more.  I am totally confident that by March I will be running 14km, and will be able to complete the Run for the Kids.  Stay tuned.

Thank you again Rhonda, you really can't know how amazingly inspirational you are to me <3

P.S.  Sorry for all the mushy inspirational quotes, but in the context of fitness I find them so relevant.  Plus I like them so STFU!

P.P.S.  I have a fitness board called Get f**king motivated on Pinterest.