It is time to confess something to you. It is not like I have been lying to you, it is just I haven’t told you about it yet.
So a few weeks ago, I was feeling a little bit lost. I was travelling along with my training, not seeing any results and was realising that I hadn’t ‘trained for something’ in a little while. I had lost my way.
My work is scheduled all over the shop at the moment, making it a little bit tricky to keep up any type of consistency with my training. Each week for the past two months I would say has looked completely different - Spin classes, CrossFit, HIIT workouts at home, walks etc.
So when a friend of mine asked if I would be interested in running the ‘Coastal Classic’ with her, I was curious.
So I did what any curious person would do....googled it. I soon found out that it is a 29 km trail run from Otford to Bundeena held in early September.
After considering it for a good few hours and writing some pros and cons I decided that I was going to throw caution to the wind and sign up.
Pros
Event to train for - something to focus on.
Participate in an event that I have never done before.
Challenge myself.
Show my kids how to go after something even if it is scary/terrifying.
Cons
Last time I did a long race I got plantar fasciitis
How am I going to schedule since most of my training happens before the sun comes up and running in dark is not my thang!
I have not been running much at all.
It is a really long way!
I have a bit more padding than I did when I ran the half marathons a few years ago.
So this was about 4 weeks ago. We are now12 weeks out from the event and I realised that I have 2 choices – train consistently and with a plan or just cross my fingers when I get to the start line.
But you probably know me well enough by now to know that I don’t go into anything without a plan, let alone a B or C plan!
So let’s address some of the concerns I had first of all.
To prevent the plantar fasciitis I am going to ease into the training. I am going to have to be mindful and gradually increase the mileage. Which means not too many kilometres on my feet too soon. I like to prepare backwards so if I need to get to 29km in 12 weeks I would like to have 21km under my belt before I do it.
Seek guidance on the correct footwear to best support my feet. The ones I ran in yesterday had my feet a little cramped and I could feel a little blister developing.
I really enjoy running and it will just be about getting back in the habit. I love being able to download a podcast, putt in my headphones and get lost in the story as I run. My brain functions better when I am in motion so it’s often when I get my most creative ideas.
This is going to be a mental game. Having run a few half marathons a few years ago I would be more nervous going into this if it was a road race. In my mind I needed to run the whole 21km. There was no room for walking or stopping (just the way my mind is programmed - not always a great way). But for some reason knowing that this is a trail run that you literally can’t run all the way because of the trails, steps etc makes me think that as long as I have the kilometres and fitness under my belt I will be ok.
So the extra padding I think is going to sort itself out. But I also made the decision to try and reduce the amount of sugar that I am eating. It appears to have crept it’s way back in. I have been grabbing extra fruit during the day as snacks instead of veggies, adding extra condiments to my food that is store bought rather than homemade, I moved back to skim milk in my coffee a little while ago as I prefer it to full cream milk. So to grab the extra support with my sugar goal, I enrolled in Sarah Wilson’s I Quit Sugar Program. That way I could get some great new recipes, learn more along the way and feel the support of others who are doing the same thing as me.
I also feel really prepared to deal with my sugar cravings and any type of detox that may occur. Ok, WILL occur. I have my oils. Peppermint and Past Tense to use when I experience a achy head. Grapefruit and Slim and Sassy to deal with cravings. Zendocrine to help my body detoxify. The Life Long Vitality pack to help supplement my nutrition. Deep Blue for the achy muscles after training. Breathe to rub on my chest before runs, especially early morning ones when the air is a bit crispy and has a tendency to take your breathe away. Oh and Mito2Max to get my butt into gear on the days I am lagging in energy.
Big goals require big plans. So this is just the start.
Big Goals
Complete 29km Coastal Classic in September.
Reduce Sugar intake by following guidelines of I Quit Sugar Program.
So watch this space as I take you on my journey. You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Periscope. Search @cocomotionmumma
I know I am going to need you, especially when I have been scrolling Facebook for too long and one too many raw treat recipes hits my News Feed.