The New Walker

So Long and Thanks for All the Knee Supports

2011-12-02T19:05:00.013+08:00

Final Total of Money Raised for WorldVision's SEE Solutions Project: $18 568.70!!
Final Total for Team World Vision: $126 041.06!!

Well, Sportsfans. I started this adventure referencing a Frank Sinatra song so it only seems appropriate to end it referencing a Frank Sinatra song...

And now, the end is near and so 'The New Walker' faces the final curtain. It's lived a life that's full and something something of which I'm certain/without redemption. Or exemption. Or whatever. Anyway, the point is that I've decided that this is to be the LAST New Walker post [insert stifled sob here].

It's been a grand year and, you'll be pleased to know, I do feel that I will keep on with this exercise lark. I went too far past the point of no return and it now feels really odd not to run on a Sunday. I'm happy to give up the mid-week treadmill runs frankly (BOOORING!) but have replaced those with a twice weekly swim and a yoga class on a Saturday afternoon. Good stuff.

One thing I have learned this year is that I do well with goals so I plan to do the 'Around the Bridges' run in April and the 'City to Surf' in August as well but see if I can improve my speed this time. I'm still pretty sure I won't do another marathon but who knows? I have, in moments of weakness, confessed to at least one person (the lovely Sarah, who now won't let me forget) that I might. I really hope to continue fundraising for WorldVision along the track (if you'll pardon the pun) so I can't rule it out entirely if that's what presents itself as the preferred option at some later stage. But, to paraphrase a Little Britain sketch, THAT'S not for here. Or now. I keep getting told off when people congratulate me and I say 'Yes, but it was SUCH a slow time' but if I ever do one again, now I know what is involved, it would be nice to whittle down my New York 'PB'.

I've enjoyed so much about this year; writing this blog, making new friends, seeing New York, fundraising for SEE Solutions and taking on and completing something I honestly NEVER thought I would do - I'm going to miss 2011 but I'm looking forward to the next adventure, whatever that reveals itself to be.

Thank you ALL so much for reading and commenting and for every single word of encouragement you've given me throughout the past year. It played a huge part in keeping me going and getting me to the finish line, literally and figuratively. Thank you and goodbye New Walker readers! It's been a pleasure having you along for the ride (run).

The Finish Line of Joy! I'll never forget how good it felt to cross this baby.

Let's Hear It For New York

2011-11-13T06:19:00.019+08:00

After a few post-marathon days of gentle recovery doing the touristy thing around New York City and a few gentler days with my lovely aunt, uncle and cousins in Virginia, I'm now at the airport in Dubai, waiting (and waiting AND waiting ....) for my connecting flight to get me home to my husband and babies in Perth. Goodness me, Australia. It's just as well you're such a nice place to live because you really are an AWFULLY long way from everywhere else.

Before I lose it completely (the memory, that is, not my mind. Although the latter can never be ruled out), I thought I would use the waiting time to record some of my favourite things about The Wonderful Marathon Day That Was.

First and foremost, finishing. Obviously. I really wasn't sure I was going to be able to. But I did! Hoorah!

And I have to say that starting was pretty cool too. You spend a fair amount of time hanging around at Staten Island and everyone had told me to bring lots of warm stuff because it can get chilly. And considering it had been snowing the previous week, we were expecting an unpleasant wait. Luckily it wasn't actually all that cold so we only needed was beanies and some black-market Qantas airline blankets (it was the least they could do, really).

Fortunately, my WVBFF Jane and I were in the same starting corral so we could take turns saying 'What the #*&! are we doing?' and daring each other to make rude hand gestures at the sniper stationed on the roof of a nearby building. But the BEST bit of all? As you are lining up waiting for the starting gun to go off, they actually play Frank Sinatra's 'New York, New York'. HOW FREAKING COOL IS THAT???

I've mentioned the groovy spectators in my last post and what a helpful bunch they were with all their verbal encouragement. A hugely fun aspect was all the signs people were holding up. There were lots of 'You can do it!' and "Hello complete stranger, I'm so proud of you!' encouraging ones but some brilliantly funny ones as well. I loved 'This is the worst parade ever', 'You think it was easy getting up early to make this sign?' and 'Because 26.3 miles would be just crazy, right?' But my ABSOLUTE favourite?

Courtesy of WVBFF Jane

I made the classic first-time marathoners mistake, though, due to those aforementioned groovy spectators. You can't possibly slow down when people are calling your name and cheering you on so I ended up running for a lot longer in the early miles than I had originally planned. It was a relief to get to the the wonderful hasidic Jewish area of Williamsburg in Brooklyn. There were very few spectators there so I took the opportunity to have a bit of a walk and catch my breath. (And wouldn't you know it, there was a fabulous Judaica shop open along the marathon route, just like in my dream. I'm embarrassed to admit for a split second I actually considered popping in for a quick shop.)

After crossing over the psychologically important Queensboro Bridge, I caught up with Jane at the 18 mile mark. It was good to have a chum alongside to help get through those potentially wall/bonk-hitting next 4 miles. At about the 20 mile mark, a super cool funk band was playing and we found enough energy to have a bit of a boogie. I'm really not much of a dancer, I have to say and sadly, I believe the photo below captures me doing what Billy Crystal in 'When Harry Met Sally' referred to as the 'white man's overbite'.

It pains me to admit I actually did not know Jane's sister was taking my photograph at this point. So I can't even pretend I was mugging it for the camera.

After a couple of miles in the Bronx, then another through legendary Harlem, it was on to Fifth Ave for the final stretch before getting into the finishing zone of Central Park. Team WorldVision were stationed just before the park at Mile 23 to provide some much-needed encouragement. And it worked! Their cheers and hugs and the fact that it was almost over gave me a huge boost and I even managed to pick up my pace a bit.

And then, there it was. The FINISH LINE. I'm not sure I have the words to describe how it felt to cross it. It was relief/elation/exhaustion all at once - let's call it 'ex-re-lation'. (Because it's my blog and I'll make up words if I want to). And then, since my Assistant Coach wasn't there, I hugged the nice lady who gave me my medal. And she didn't seem to mind at all.

Thank you Nice Medal Lady, thank you Team WorldVision, thank you Jane, thank you New York Road Runners and thank you Groovy Spectators. That was a day I'll NEVER forget.

The Morning After The Day Before

2011-11-08T03:40:00.012+08:00

Days to Go: -1!!!
Money Raised: $18 463.70 ($2311.00 off line)

There is SO much to process post-marathon but a quick update for those who have not heard - I completed the marathon in 6:44:53. Slooooooooow but completed nonetheless!! Hoorah! (And yes, you probably could have walked it faster than that :) )

I feel better than I thought I might today. I'd anticipated needing to be wheeled around in a bathchair but I actually feel quite ok. I woke up a bit sore and headache-y but after breakfast with colleague and sub 3:30 marathoner(!!!) Tony at world-famous Carnegie Deli, followed by a quick spot of shopping along Fifth Avenue, I am feeling pretty good. I suspect the fact that I spent birthday money from my parents on a post-marathon reward at Tiffany's helped my perception of pain quite significantly.

*Sigh*. Isn't this pretty? Thanks Mum and Dad!!

The marathon itself was physically hard. No surprises there. On Saturday, I was genuinely wondering whether I would make it but that night (where I slept quite fitfully) I had a dream in which I was running a marathon at my usual ponderous pace. In my dream, I knew I just had to get to the 25km mark and that if I could do that, I would finish. That, of course, makes ABSOLUTELY NO sense whatsoever. The first 25km are the easy ones - it's the last 5km, according to Rob de Castella, that can undo you. And yet, when I woke up, that dream was stuck in my head. So when I got to the Queensboro Bridge that takes you into Manhattan (the 25km point) I felt sure that I would get to the end. Strange. But whatever works, n'est pas?

The marathon was also an unexpectedly joyous experience. The crowds that line the streets (and there were heaps of people still there, even for me and the rest of the plodders at the back of the pack) were wonderful, calling out my name and yelling 'Go girl!', 'You can do it, Kate!!' and 'It's yours, girlfriend!'. I, the show-poniest of show-ponies, lapped it up and high-fived everyone who wanted to high-five me the entire route. It was awesome and has totally spoiled me for any other marathon.

Any other marathon? I've been telling people all year that I am strictly a one-marathon girl and lots of people told me to wait until afterwards, as apparently lots of people say that and then find themselves wanting to do another. Guess what? I am strictly a one-marathon girl. This whole year has been life-changing but I don't feel any need to do it again. What I do feel the need to do, though, is maintain my fitness but I am looking forward to incorporating variety into my regime; swimming (and not just as a recovery tool), pilates and bike-riding. And yes, running. But I think I'll stick to the 5km and 10km distances. And maybe work on my speed a bit.

There are more posts to come, more thoughts about what this marathon has meant but that's for later when my brain has made sense of what has happened. For now, there are some thanks that must be given to a few very important people.

As always, my Assistant Coach and children get a nod. Tom stayed up all night tracking me on the TV that had been turned into a computer for the event. Being able to talk to him a few times as I was on the course was wonderful. And the pride I heard in the voices of him and my babies when I rang them post-finish was very special indeed.

I've also got to thank my fellow journey men; Holly Ord (3:51:37!! The 'Bus of Shame' hadn't even got out of the garage by then!), Jane McCormack (6:47:10) and Mike Edyejones (5:57:36). I'm lucky I've made such cool new friends and shared this adventure with them. Thanks guys!!

There is so much more to say but for now, I'll let some photos do the talking ...

I look like I still need to be in bed in this photo. Which frankly, I did.

The view of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge at the start

That all important 25km mark on the Queensboro Bridge

Happy days for a Judeophile like me in Queens!

The good bit at the end

By the way, if you're still reading... check out the comments on Dash to the Finish. They are lovely. Oh Internet, what did we ever do without you?

Erev Marathon

2011-11-06T09:02:00.002+08:00

Well. What can I say, people? It's finally here. Erev Marathon.

What does one do on Erev Marathon? That's a good question. It definitely involves eating pasta. But my roomie Holly 'I Ain't Riding No Bus of Shame' Ord and I have also been doing the following:

a) Getting all of our running gear set out.

It's going to be an early start tomorrow. We need to be on the bus that takes us to the start line at 5.30am because the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge that links Staten Island to Brooklyn closes to traffic at 7am. Fortunately, New York puts the clock back 1 hour tonight so there will be a welcome extra hour in bed in the morning. Even so, that's an early start. So things need to be right there and ready to put on.

b) Sorting out the layering situation.

Tomorrow is going to be sunny and COLD. About 1 or 2 degrees at that time of the morning. And I am in the final wave (surprise!) so I don't start running until 10.40am. To that end, I come equipped with the following items that can be discarded at the start line or along the marathon route; a favourite jumper that has been moth-eaten beyond redemption, a pair of Sam's old thermal leggings, a black faux sheepskin jacket that I got from the Good Samaritans, a hand-knitted West Coast Eagles scarf and a Nedlands Rugby Club beanie (you might want to google those terms, non-Australian readers!). I also brought a sleeping bag polar fleece liner and I plan to top that off with a garbage bag to keep the wind off, if necessary. I am, quite frankly, going to look a treat.

c) Eating.

Holly and I ducked out for some pasta, naturellement. We also stocked up on goodies for the morning and for the post-marathon feast. The usual suspects; Powerade for recovery, bananas, pound cake and chocolate. Breakfast is served at Staten Island but Joan from Virginia, the Advice Angel I sat next to today, suggested I take some things I like to eat. For comfort-food related purposes.

Thanks for being such a great roomie, Holly. You shall vanquish the Bus of Shame and it will haunt you no more

And so, here I am. Nothing to do now but talk with my far away Assistant Coach and the Coachlettes then go to bed. I have done all that can be done. There is nothing left to do now but try and get some sleep and, in the morning, just run this thing. I am most definitely in that 'anticipatory moment before jumping off', as the article in Zeek so beautifully describes.

I will be tweeting and updating 'The New Walker' page tomorrow from Staten Island before I head off on the longest of long runs. For those of you at home, my beloved Assistant Coach has turned the TV into a large mission control screen and will be tracking my progress. Since the time between New York and Perth is now 13 hours, he will be awake throughout the night so if an unexpected bout of insomnia hits and you find yourself wondering how I'm doing, feel free to give him a call.

See you in the morning!

Dash to the Finish

2011-11-06T05:28:00.006+08:00

Hours to Go: 18!
Money raised: $18 000+

This morning was the NYRR Dash to Finish Line! How excitement!! This is the warm-up race for many of the marathoners and something friends, family and spectators can take part in as well. As I said last post, I opted not to take part. Never having run a marathon before, I just want to finish. And I didn't want to do anything that might interfere with that. It is terribly tempting to get caught up in all the excitement and I didn't want to risk overextending myself before the big day tomorrow. So I was strictly a spectator this morning in beautiful Central Park.

Central Park looks deceptively empty of people in running gear in this photo.

This was my first look at the actual finish line.

I'm hoping the time shown on the clock here isn't a premonition

But the finish line today was all gussied up for the Dash to the Finish.

The winner, Chris Thompson of the UK, did it in 13:53. How crazy is that! I was right at the front of the spectators box as he walked past so I said 'Congratulations, well done!' to him and he replied 'Thank you so much'. What a polite young man. Well done Mr and Mrs Thompson. Your boy has lovely manners.

The fastest woman was Sarah Hall of the USA and her time was an amazing 15:56! I spent most of my time yelling out 'Beleza!' in support of the Brazilians (in honour of my Brazilian sister-in-law) and 'Allez, allez!' in support of the French (in honour of my French sister-in-law). I would have cheered for the Danes, as they have such a lovely country, but all I can say in Danish is 'I have a big daffodil' and this was neither the time nor the place for such statements. I didn't spot any obvious Australians in the crowd, other than the ones I know, but I saw some Japanese runners dressed as sushi and some Dutch people walking in clogs (not running, obviously. Tres uncomfortable.). This is a truly international event indeed!

A post-dash trip to le Pain Quotidien in Central Park for a warming cafe au lait and pain au chocolat was the least I could do to celebrate Rose from WorldVision and Amanda from Amnesty's fabulous efforts in the 5km dash. We sat next to some lovely women from Virginia who have all run the New York marathon many times and they were full of helpful tips. It's cold and sunny here - STUNNING weather, just beautiful - but it's going to be freezing, quite literally, tomorrow morning at 5.30am. The lovely Joan told me to get a newspaper to sit on to provide some insulation for my bottom on the cold Staten Island ground. Excellent tip. Thanks Joan!

Empire State of Mind

2011-11-05T16:28:00.006+08:00

Days to Go: 1 (Excuse me??)
Money Raised: $18 013.70 (including $2311.00 offline)

Oh my. I am actually in mythical New York City! (How else would I be able to post this?)

Yes, I suppose I could have just downloaded it from the Internet. But I haven't. You'll just have to trust me on this one.

I do not have superlatives superlativey enough to adequately describe what a knock-out, cool, groovy place New York is. I have fallen totally in LOVE with this city and have been a complete tourist the past two days, taking in the Empire State Building, the Flatiron Building, Grand Central Station, the Guggenheim and the Russian Tea Rooms. And I just want to take photos of every street sign I see. New York is every bit as amazing as I thought it might be.

But it's not all fun and games, peoples. I have a job to do! And to that end, on Thursday some of us headed over to the Jacob Javits Convention Center to pick up our race bibs. I also needed to meet with the guys from the New York Road Runners and pick up my official Social Media Reporter t-shirt. Woo hoo!

I picked up my bib from the VERY last booth. Coincidence? I think not.

The JJCC, if I may be so bold to call it that, is the site of the marathon expo and is filled to the BRIM with running paraphernalia of all sorts. We were a bit pooped from hoofing around Midtown all day that we didn't hang around super long but long enough to stock up on power bars and a nifty little gadget called The Stick, which is hopefully going to sort out my playing-up-again ITB.

And last night, Team WorldVision Australia got to meet Team WorldVision US at the All Angels Church in Manhattan. We had a great dinner, shared some good stories and inspirational moments and I met a guy with the coolest name EVER. Rusty Funk. I am totally not kidding.

Team WorldVision Global Division

It was really lovely to realise we are part of something bigger and connected in to this amazing group of people all sharing the same goals and beliefs. Our orange t-shirts are certainly going to be out in force on Sunday. And we're even going to have our very own cheer squad at the 23 mile mark. Assuming I am not delirious and unable to recognise my own name at that point, I think that encouragement is going to be rather welcome.

The NYRR Dash to the Finish Line which is a 5km run, starting at the UN Building and ending at the finish line in Central Park, starts in a few hours (and yes, it is 4.30am New York time as I write. Boo for jetlag.) It's open to everyone but I'm not running in it - I'm thinking that 5km might come in handy tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to covering the race in my first outing as an NYRR Social Media Reporter. Ooh, and I've created a Twitter account for this weekend. My user name is #newwalkerblog so sign up and follow me (just not in a creepy way, ok?!). I'll be using my Facebook page, 'The New Walker' to post photos and updates as I go as well. More to come soon peoples!!

The Off

2011-11-01T16:10:00.000+08:00

Days to Go: 5!!
Money Raised: $17 883.70!!

Peoples. It's happening. Rather than wait to see whether the Qantas situation would resolve itself, my Assistant Coach, primed and ready to strike, booked me on an Emirates flight instead. It looks like I would have got there anyway on Qantas given the dramatic termination of the industrial action but we didn't want to take the chance of me getting there the night before (or worse, missing out completely). So, instead of flying via Sydney I am now flying direct to New York via Dubai tonight. Yes. I am flying to New York tonight. Cue spontaneous outbursts of New York themed show tunes!

New York, New York! The Chrysler Building! Iceskating at the Rockefeller Center! Broadway! Eating bagels!
Running 42km, quite possibly in the snow! Woo hoo!

It seems appropriate, nay NECESSARY, at this point to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who has donated, supported and encouraged. It would not be possible to name you all but know that your support has meant everything to me. A special thanks, of course, go to my friends and family and, in particular, my wonderful Assistant Coach and my three most excellent progeny. This year would not have been possible, not even a LITTLE BIT, without them and they make my actual life better than even that fantasy one where I wear berets, write edgy beat poetry and live in a Soho loft.

As I mentioned in my last post, after entering this blog in a competition, I got chosen to be one of the official bloggers of the marathon! How cool is that!! I don't think I'm getting ahead of myself when I say it's really only one small step to a movie of the same name, with the part of Kate to be played by Sandra Bullock. (That white-haired guy from 'Mad Men' will most probably play my Assistant Coach). So I will be blogging. Oh yes. I will be blogging. And also posting regular updates and photos on 'The New Walker' page on the Book of Face. So pop on over and click 'Like' if you haven't already. And stay tuned!

Industrial Disease

2011-10-29T20:54:00.002+08:00

DAYS (wha..??!!) to Go: 8!!
Money raised: $17 353.70!!

Well, the plan for this post was quite different from the one that is actually going to be written. It WAS going to say something like 'I really can't believe that in just over 1 week's time I'll be running the New York freaking Marathon' and such-like and there were tentative thoughts about writing an ode to the Treadmill of Wonder. I had also thought I might write (IN CAPS since I was so excited) that I entered this blog in a competition to be a roving social media reporter for the New York Road Runners (the marathon organisers) and actually GOT SELECTED!! (See I did end up in caps after all). But ...

But now, as I write, these plans are in doubt. Qantas, our national airline and the airline taking us charity runners to the marathon, has upped the ante on its long-running dispute with its discontented workforce and cancelled all flights indefinitely. Who knows what will happen from here? Mike from Team WorldVision suggested we turn this into a triathlon - a swim to L.A. and cycle to New York and then the marathon. Could work. Whatever happens it's going to be an uncertain few days ahead as Plans 'B' and no doubt 'C' get put into action.

So here's what I'm doing... I'm still packing. I'm still assuming we'll all get there. (And if anyone can get us there, Nadia from Inspired Adventures can). I'm going to stay optimistic and flexible and be open to whatever happens.

I should probably out myself now as one of those tedious hippies who believe that everything happens for a reason. So if for some reason this dispute means that I really can't get there I am going to be sad but I am also going to accept that that is the way it was meant to be. And I have already got SO much out of this year that if this is where the story ends (is that a song?) then I'll be ok with that. I'll have to be. I've raised over $17 000 for something I really believe in, gone WAY outside my comfort zone and learned and experienced things I would never otherwise have learned and experienced. It's been incredible. I want the chance to complete the experience with the trip but if I don't get it, I can still look back on this year and feel proud of what I've done and grateful for everything I've learned.

BUT, it's not over until the weight-challenged gender-neutral homosapien sings and in the meantime, I will continue to hope for a resolution to the conflict and that come Wednesday morning I'll be sitting with other charity runners on a Qantas jet bound for New York City. Oh yes!!

Wait! Why should Alan Joyce ruin your moment in the sun, Treadmill of Wonder? You deserve some attention. You have made it possible for a mother of three to do something as time consuming as train for a marathon. Without your smooth belt and strong arms, I'd have been running the streets at odd hours rather than training and watching 'How I Met your Mother' at the same time. Thank you, Treadmill of Wonder. (Although you are rather large and frankly, I'll be glad when you're out of the family room.)

So, stay tuned, New Walker readers! (Oh, and if you were thinking of doing so and haven't yet, please donate at www.everydayhero.com.au/kate_offer! Because whether I run this thing or not WorldVison's SEE Solutions project still needs your support!)

Pregnant with Anticipation

2011-10-15T08:45:00.007+08:00

Weeks to Go: 3
Money Raised: $16 401.70!

At this point, my marathon preparation is starting to remind me of my first pregnancy. Admittedly, much smaller clothes are involved in this major life event and I am optimistic there will be less blood. But a) I'm having cravings. For every carb I see. Just like in '97, b) my feet hurt. Just like in '97 and c) I feel like my body no longer wholly belongs to me. It's fully occupied elsewhere and has better things to do than just cart my monkey mind around. Just like in '97.

If you've been reading my blog (or you know me and that's pretty much the same thing) you'll know that I have three lovely children and if you're good at maths, you'll also know that means I've had three pregnancies. But this is like my first pregnancy because that was the only one where I didn't have any idea of what really lay ahead of me. You know, on the Big Day. Would there be whale music playing in the background while my obstetrician spoke softly and reassuringly to me? Or would the sound of surgical incisions drown out my screams? I had absolutely NO idea.

The feeling then was being carried inexorably towards something unknown and unknowable. Much like this marathon. But I remember that I didn't think too much about that inevitable end point then since I couldn't in any way prepare myself for the experience. I just did what I could (which admittedly mostly involved me sitting on the couch watching 'Friends').

I have been getting anxious about November 6th lately. But I'm trying to do what got me through in the weeks leading up to the birth of Baby #1 (not his real name). Focus on what I can do and choose not to think about what I can't control. And just go with it. Accept that the experience will be what it will be. (But I'm taking the phone number of the doctor who gave me the epidural back then, just in case).

Speaking of pregnancy, Amber Miller ran the Chicago Marathon last weekend at almost 39 weeks and gave birth just a few hours after she finished. Just as well I did not notice her time (6:25:50) otherwise I might compare myself and my projected time unfavourably (She didn't even have to ride the 'Bus of Shame'!!)

Amber Miller with her new baby. What a woman!

I was pretty tired after my trip to Darwin and work has been busier than it's ever been these last few weeks. I even had to miss my last week's long run because of a really bad migraine. It's all been a bit stressful. I've found that even though it's harder to get started at the moment but my body has needed the mid-weeks runs more than ever. There's a true chemical change that takes place after a run. I've always justified not exercising on the grounds that I was too busy but it's the running that's been keeping my stress levels (largely) under control and is making me more effective through what is traditionally the hardest time of the year, work-wise. Oh, running... I'm so glad we found each other.

This weekend's long run this week is 25km. The furthest one yet! My Assistant Coach and I plan to run really early again because it's going to be hot on Sunday. Fingers crossed for a good one. With no epidurals required.

A Strategy. I Has One.

2011-10-05T15:19:00.004+08:00

Weeks to Go: 4 and a 1/2
Money Raised: $16 301.70 ($2923.70 of that has been raised offline, in case you're looking at the total that shows on the blog and wondering about my ability to recognise numbers!)

Last Sunday's 23km long run actually happened on Saturday morning as I was heading up to Darwin for a conference on Sunday afternoon. And I have to say, unfortunately, it was the polar opposite of that most excellent training run from the week before. I was very much 'in the zone' for that 21km run - and very much out of that same 'zone' for the 23km run. Only 2km more somehow felt like double the distance. I have it on reliable authority that not all runs can be good runs but I suspect this dud run had more to do with water or rather, the lack thereof. Saturday's run started at 6am so as to fit it in with our other commitments and I felt slow and leaden from the start. In hindsight, I should have paid much more attention to my water consumption on Friday and also gotten up a bit earlier to hydrate. It made a huge difference and the lesson is duly noted.

It was a very short and action packed trip to the top-end and there wasn't a chance to get any runs in. I'm not sure how well I would have gone in the humidity and heat anyway. But my 'mini-break' from the schedule ends tonight. Despite my fatigue (I always forget what a big trip it is to go anywhere from Perth) a 5km warm up run on the treadmill tonight should get me back on track for a longer mid-week runs Thursday & Friday, culminating in a 24km long run this Sunday.

After that, there are only TWO more long runs until the actual day!! And, as Alan Parker (a motivational speaker and marathoner who spoke at the Team WorldVision day in Sydney) suggested I'm starting to formulate a real live strategy for the marathon.

Strategy #1: It seems to me that the last 2km will be the hardest so I've decided to do that first and get it over and done with. And because it is the last 2km of an actual marathon I figure there's no shame in walking it. And then I'll only have 40km left to go.

Strategy #2: I'm aiming for a 'negative split', i.e, a faster second half that first half. As I expect that I'll be walking a proportion of the marathon (like most first-timers) an alternating 5km run/ 5km walk strategy will get me through the first 20km. Depending on how I'm going at that point, I can increase the running to walking ratio for the second half. But I'm definitely timing it so I can run across the finish line. AND I'm SO raising my arms triumphantly above my head as I do it. I've been practising.

Oh and by the way, Katie Holmes. Competition is off. I'm REALLY not supposed to set a time goal.

Subscribers may have noticed a few old blog posts coming through this week. Not quite sure what happened there, some sort of glitch in the system. I wasn't doing a 'Best Of' or anything!! And many, many thanks to those who continue to donate. I celebrated my 43rd birthday this week (a shame as I was kind of keen on the symbolism of a 42 year old running 42km in the 42nd New York marathon with 42 000 other runners) and was very touched to get many donations in celebration. Thank you all once again!

The First Half

2011-09-26T14:28:00.003+08:00

Weeks to Go: 6
Money raised: $15 498.00!

Woohoo for my first ever 21km run, my very own half marathon!! Witness below photgraphic evidence of the route taken in yesterday's longest ever long run. And the BEST bit was the excellent behaviour of my knee. Gold stars all round!

The run certainly did not start out looking as though it was going to be such a good one. My shins, which always take a few kilometres to stop hurting, were worse than usual and I almost had a tantrum on the Causeway Bridge when a pedestrian dared to walk faster than I was running. *Sigh*. I KNOW it's not about speed but at that stage I was doing my best with the sore shins and running into such a strong wind that it was almost too much. In fact, I stopped dead in my tracks shortly thereafter and said something that cannot be written down. And whilst I didn't actually stamp my feet and scream, I'm pretty sure I felt a decent-ish sized pout form.

My Assistant Coach came to my rescue at that point and was full of encouraging words, such as the head wind was slowing me down and how he bet that pedestrian couldn't keep that pace up for a full marathon, etc, etc. I'm not sure whether that was actually true or not, the pedestrian seemed to be positively strolling along. But the encouragement worked and stopped me spitting the proverbial dummy. And, most importantly, kept me running and pushing through when it didn't feel easy.

We made it around to the 7km mark where I 'reward walked'. Which funnily enough was FASTER than I had been running. (Maybe he was right about that headwind). Pushing through the bad bits and coming out the other side gave me a huge psychological boost. I felt ready to run again just before the 10km mark and, with the exception of a 1km walk after 15km and a walk over the Narrows Bridge so as not to irritate my temperamental left knee, I just Did. Not. Stop. And I got faster and faster each kilometre. I felt relaxed and strong, truly in the 'zone'. What a grand and wonderful feeling!! And I've gotten over a HUGE psychological barrier.

It took me 3 hours and 25 minutes to complete 21km yesterday which I guess means a marathon time of 6:50:00. Behind the Bus of Shame! Oh no!! But I can live with that. The 'Non-Runners Marathon Trainer' is emphatic that first timers should not set a time goal. The ONLY goal is to complete it. I just have to keep reminding myself of that fact. (Though, I can definitely feel a Personal Best coming on. As long as there's no head wind.)

Hitting the Bonk

2011-09-18T21:41:00.003+08:00

Weeks to go: 7
Money raised: $15 398.00!!

I have to be honest and say that the last couple of weeks have been the worst couple of training weeks I can remember. I'm not sure whether it was physical or psychological or both but there was heel-dragging of epic proportions and every run was lacklustre in the extreme. I was starting to wonder whether it was possible to 'hit the wall' (that point in a long race where a runner experiences sudden fatigue and loss of energy, caused by the depletion of glycogen stores in the body) without even starting the actual marathon.

And then as mysteriously as it arrived, the slump disappeared. My energy levels returned and my marathon mojo was back. I saw some people running along Mounts Bay Road and all of a sudden got a Pang. As in 'Ooooh, I wish I was out there too' rather than 'Sigh, I better do another one of those'.

So being out there on the long run today was great but it was pretty wild and stormy and my Assistant Coach and I got quite wet.

Getting quite wet

The storm coming in.

Not good weather for runners, then but excellent weather for ducks.

See what I mean?

I managed 6kms today before the left knee started to play up so had to walk the last 6kms home. I've been a little more diligent with the leg exercises too. So it might just be time for another trip to see lovely Gerard the sports physio.

And speaking of 'hitting the wall', I was OH SO happy to find out that in the US it's also called 'bonking' [*suppressed giggle*]. And I am NOT even making that up. Behold this wonderful line from the Runners World website "If you have run a distance race, chances are you have already become an aficionado of the bonk." Indeed.

Once I managed to contain my hilarity and stop reading every sentence out loud to my Assistant Coach, the website was full of interesting and useful information. Like how 'hitting the wall' is not actually inevitable. If you take in enough carbohydrates before the race, keep hydrated, maintain electrolytes and keep at your target pace (rather than speed up with the excitement of it all), there is a good chance that you can avoid it altogether. Which would be jolly nice.

And donations are almost at $15 400! While the fundraising has surpassed my wildest hopes, if you were thinking of donating and haven't yet, please feel free to contribute! Even $20 can make a massive difference. The more money raised, the more money goes to WorldVision's SEE Solutions project to assist people create their own sustainable futures in developing countries. Every donation really inspires me to keep going so if you had been thinking about contributing now is a great time as the marathon gets closer and closer (and the training gets harder and harder!). You can donate online at http://www.everydayhero.com.au/kate_offer . Thank you so much!

Happy Feet

2011-09-04T22:10:00.001+08:00

Weeks to Go to the Marathon: 9 (as in 'chill going up my spine')
Money raised: $15 328.00!!

This week's training was, I'm sorry to say, derailed by a Category 2 migraine. I don't really have any other health issues, fortunately, but when those babies hit I am quite useless for a good few days. The medication takes care of the pain and the visual disturbances but not the nausea and fatigue so I only managed to complete ONE mid-week run and my long run. The challenge this week was not getting anxious about it. As luck would have it, this quote popped up on my Facebook news feed from the New York Marathon people, just when I needed it.

"Feeling a little bummed about your progress? A word of advice from Coach John: "If you can complete 80% of your plan, you are ahead of most runners. Take one day a time and only concern yourself with what you can control." Good advice. (And I think Coach John might have been watching 'Bull Durham').

The long run was 13km this week and it went well, although I certainly felt the lack of mid-week training. And my left illio-tibial band started to niggle at the 11.5 km mark so I walked the last little bit. At this point I may as well cut and paste my post from a few weeks ago because yes, you guessed it, I had slacked off AGAIN with the thigh strengthening exercises. *Sigh* Will I NEVER learn?? This week I'm going to find a regular trigger, something I do every day. My 9am lecture is probably not the place, though but where...?

And it wasn't only my ITB that was sore after the long run. My poor old feet took a hammering as well and they were quite swollen by the end. Ouch. But that's where my new favourite appliance comes in. Behold, the beauty that is my foot spa!

I don't know how long is too long to keep your feet in one of these things but I suspect I pushed the boundaries of both common sense and decency this evening

The people across the road had a garage sale yesterday. They don't know me at all so I feel I can say with absolute impunity that most of what they had was rubbish. Except for this. This is genius. It's got heat. And massage. And bubbles. I can't believe I've never had one before. I've been in it for HOURS. I want to attach motorised wheels to the bottom so I can go about my day to day business and never take my feet out. This is the best $8.00 I have spent IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. Ever. EVER.

Oh, and time to report on the running song of the week(s). It's truly shameful, of course - 'I Hate the Music' by John Paul Young. Much like the Guy Sebastian song, I am justifying it on the basis that the beat is perfect for my pace. So I really have no choice but to listen to it. Really. REALLY.

Ode to My Assistant Coach (Because He Has the Spatula)

2011-08-28T19:13:00.001+08:00

Tom, my lovely husband, is my assistant coach. In fact, he's my only coach so I really should promote him. (And yes, I do have the lovely Peter but he's more an overseer and guide offering email and phone advice). If you're wondering about the spatula reference, that, along with the 'Assistant Coach' line, is from 'Run Fatboy Run', just in case there's any undue concern about whether my husband has kitchen utensil issues. (I attach a YouTube clip featuring the fabulous Mr Ghoshdashtidar from the movie. It's all good but the 'spatula' line is at 3.45 to 4.25. You can watch it by clicking here.)

Tom accompanies me every Sunday when I do my week's long run and I really appreciate the company. But more than that, since December Tom has been nothing other than a huge support to me and my mad-cap scheme. I've decided that Tom is a JFK kind of husband - he asks not what his wife can do for him but what he can do for his wife. When I first told him I wanted to run the New York marathon Tom reacted with nothing more than a benign raised right eyebrow. And even though this running business has become quite normal now, at the time it would have been just as likely for me to tell him I was getting a face tattoo. Or that I'd been selected to participate in a nude ascent of Everest. Or that I was joining a monastery and taking a vow of silence (now, that really WOULD be unlikely). And yet, no scepticism, no giggles, no 'Whaaaaaaa....?' - just a raised eyebrow and an almost immediate 'OK then. What can I do to help?' I think I say it every week but just in case I ever forget - Thank you Tom. I couldn't do it without you.

This is a not very flattering picture of my Assistant Coach. He's much better looking in real life. But hey, you work with the materials to hand. And in this photo he's holding a SPATULA!!

The running over the last two weeks has been going...well, swimmingly, if that's not a complete contradiction in terms. My knee has been behaving itself and I am getting into a bit of rhythm with training. Sunday is the long run, Monday is a recovery swim at uni and then I fit in two or three runs mid-week, either on the treadmill or as part of the cycle/run commute to uni. I aim for three, of course, and that's what the Novice Supreme states but sometimes it isn't always possible. I find fitting in two runs unproblematic but for some reason fitting in that third one is disproportionately hard and also, REALLY takes it out of me. But I am just going to be resignedly optimistic from hereon in, do my best to do it all but not beat myself up if a run here and there gets missed. A girl can only do what she can do. Even if her Assistant Coach is holding a spatula.

The Tim and I

2011-08-15T23:01:00.005+08:00

After the excitement of my trip to Sydney to meet with the other WorldVision marathoners, you'd have thought that the following week would be something of a let down. Not so. The past week has had some seriously big ticket items - firstly, I got to meet the wonderful Rev Tim Costello, CEO of WorldVision. Secondly, we had the 'Red Dog' movie fundraiser and thirdly, donations and funds raised passed an incredible $15 000!!

Me with Tim Costello

Tim has, of course, been very visible this past week as he tries to bring the world's attention away from the stockmarket and on to the huge humanitarian crisis that has engulfed the Horn of Africa. He stopped off in Perth on his way there and I was very lucky to get to meet him at the WorldVision office - what an authentic and truly inspirational human being he is.

The movie fundraiser was very well attended and we raised over $1400 towards the total which is now sitting at $15 058!! A huge THANK YOU to everyone who donated prizes, who came and watched the movie (sniff, what a weepie) and also, of course, to everyone who has contributed to that incredible pool of money since December.

Oh and the running! It's almost been an afterthought this week. But I've managed Week 1 of the Revised Novice Supreme pretty well. The long run this week was 8km. I've hired a treadmill for 6 months and it's been great - we have had an unseasonally wet winter so I've been doing most of my weekly runs inside. (Not such a tough endurance athlete then, really. Don't like to get wet or anything) Fortunately, Sunday was sunny and clear. It was so lovely to be running outside and around the bridges again and I am happy to report that it went well EXCEPT for some disturbing niggling in that naughty left illio-tibial band again at the 7km mark. It's ba-ack. My heart sank when I realised. But, instead of running the last kilometre I channelled Gerard the sports physio and stopped and walked.

There's an upside to all this though. In the Women's Classic this problem showed up at the 3km mark - at least it didn't show until the 7km this time. And - GUILTY! - I have been slacking off with those ITB stretches and the strengthening exercises Gerard gave me. It was kind of annoying to have to stop at 7km as I felt I could have kept running and running but I learned that particular lesson the hard way once before when I tried to push on through. So it was back to the icepacks and anti-inflammatories. Back to the stretches and leg lifts. And back to feeling that particular combination of terror and excitement that is the realisation that the marathon is a-coming. And awfully quickly too.

But I can't let it get overwhelming. I just have to keep focussed on each step (literally), take each week as it comes and not get too far ahead. Just take it one game at a time. (Thank you, Bull Durham.)

Sydney the Musical

2011-08-08T14:55:00.000+08:00

What a week it has been! In fact so much has happened that I'm not going to be able to get it all out for this one post and may need to drip feed all the fabulosity that was my weekend with Team World Vision in Sydney over a few installments.

But let's start at the very beginning, which is, after all, a very good place to start (I may have used that line before, sorry. Too tired to check.). Last week, I got the all clear from lovely sports physio Gerard to start full-on training again. Which is just as well as it is now less than THREE months until the big day! [insert muffled scream here!] Lovely trainer Peter has re-jigged the program to take my knee-related absence into account and get me through to the big day.

As I've built back up over the last few weeks on a modified program, I haven't been doing long runs and that's what needs to really start happening now. According to Peter I need to increase the distance of the long run by about 10- 15% each time. Unfortunately, the revised program and the delicate illio-tibial band 'situation' means that the half-marathon in the City to Surf won't be happening. Regular readers may remember that the half-marathon coincided perfectly with the Novice Supreme plan. The revised program has a 12km run for that weekend which I thought meant I could at least do the normal 12km City to Surf run but, as the course is so hilly, Peter has strongly advised against it for fear of upsetting my ITB. (And New York is a relatively flat course so it's not like I need to practice). I really can't risk an injury that requires any time off at this stage so it looks like I am out of the City to Surf. But I'll still be there to support Team WorldVision, of course! And I'll just do my 12km on some other route.

And so, to Syd-er-ney. I was lucky enough to get to spend the weekend staying with my lovely friend Teresa and family and got to catch up with old friend Ricardo for lunch on Friday. Thank you Teresa and Ricardo!
I hadn't been to Sydney for YEARS (falling, as I do, into Camp Melbourne. Sorry, Sydney) and had forgotten how STUNNING that Harbour is.

Saturday was Team WorldVision day and Rose and Collette had organised some terrific speakers for us. I learned a lot, both about marathoning and about WorldVision (as well as recovery, chafing and socks. More about those topics later). But, the BEST thing (aside from Rose's flapjacks) was getting to meet the people I'll be sharing this whole mad experience with, especially Janey and Mike who I felt I had already got to know a bit through email and Facebook.

Appropriately, this weeks running song(s) : Keating! the Musical soundtrack. (It was the 'Redfern' thing (both suburb and song from the album) that got it back into my high rotation list with its suitably Sydney-esque theme.)

It's French for Motivation

2011-07-27T15:45:00.001+08:00

My first post-knee problems training runs went pretty well last week. I completed all three mid-week runs without pain and with a minimum of walking. All this AND I managed one of them at Cottesloe Beach with the lovely Rachel. Sadly, my planned long run was derailed by a nasty virus that saw me sick in bed for the best part of two days. And not even lovely reading-and-being-brought-tea-and-toast sick in bed. More like rolling-waves-of-nausea-extreme-headaches-and-dizziness sick in bed, so nauseous in fact (to paraphrase an old Dean Martin gag), that I couldn't lie on the floor without holding on. And there's not much to do about that kind of sick other than just go with it.

Fortunately, I am feeling much better now and even managed a 5km run yesterday, my first run of the week. The knee did start to niggle a bit at the end so I have been ice-packing it at regular intervals all day. Hopefully that and a day of rest will get it right for the rest of the scheduled runs.

Last week I met with the lovely Simone, sports nutritionist extraordinaire, just to get some advice as I enter this serious part of the year. I have a tendency to under-eat which is fine and dandy when you are not running lots of kilometres a week but not when you are training for a marathon. She gave me a lot of great ideas and tips but most importantly told me that I need to make sure I eat a low-fat, high carbohydrate snack about 1 - 2 hours before training and then have a carbohydrate snack within 15 - 30 minutes after training. Simone gave me a list of post-training treats - oh and HOORAH for permission to buy pre-packaged snack food!! In fact, I can directly credit last night's run to a YoPlait Le Rice (Chocolate flavour) and it will be the promise of a Foster & Clark's Custard Cup that will get me through the 6.5km run tomorrow. Oh, and note to children who may be reading this: a) it's hidden, b) (and not in the usual hiding spots, either), c) you probably wouldn't like it and d) PAWS OFF!!

Speaking of paws (*groan*, sorry), it's only a few weeks until the 'Red Dog' movie fundraiser on the 12th of August at 9.30am. If you can make it, you will be treated to a great movie with champagne and some seriously good nibbles. You can contact me or Dee for tickets on 0427 272 732. We will giving away some fantastic handbags as door prizes thanks to the lovely Neesha, and will be having a raffle as well, with great prizes donated by the Millpoint Cafe Bookshop in South Perth and the lovely Marshall from the Good Store (www.thegoodstore.com.au) in Victoria Park.

Running Song of the Week: (I'm sorry to say that it's getting WORSE not better). It's .. ahem... inaudible mumble ..cough ...Leo Sayer 'You Make Me Feel Like Dancing'. (Because he does. Even though I know it's wrong.)

The Beginning Is the End is The Beginning

2011-07-20T17:53:00.001+08:00

Oh hoorah I can run again!! After two weeks of enforced resting, my lovely sports physio Gerard has given me the ok to get back into it. Just as well as I've been feeling like the Phys. Ed. students in my 'Legal Issues for School Teachers' lecture today (they were easy to spot because they sat in a cluster and jiggled up and down throughout the entire 45 minute talk, much like a pack of human teabags) - I don't want to sit still, I just want to RUN!!

And time is ticking along. This week marks the beginning of the very significant 16 week period leading up to the marathon. Most training programs are 16 weeks long, including the one in my favourite book, the 'Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer'. So it was psychologically important for me to get back into it this week.

But news! A trainer! I has one! Although I had grand plans to take on this marathon alone, in order to give it my best shot, I thought it might be wise to have someone who knows what they are doing keep an eye on me, keep me motivated and hopefully prevent physical problems before they arise. I shall be catching up with the lovely Peter soon now I am fit to train.

Hopefully, a trainer will also be able to help me with the mental aspect of training as well. Because I had a spectacular anxiety dream about the marathon the other night. In my dream, I had worked out that since it was going to take me 6 hours to run the marathon and everyone else would be taking only 4 hours, I had to give every runner, all 42 000 of them, a 2 hour head start. And that I'd just do a spot of shopping while I waited. In my dream, my faulty arithmetic hit me while I was browsing in a lovely Judaica shop in Brooklyn (anyone who knows me knows this is exactly where I will be browsing once I get to New York so that part had some basis in reality, at least). And I realised that I was already 20km behind everybody else and still had to find the Staten Island starting point. And I was going to be LAST. Again. But this time out of 42 000 people. (Clearly the emotional trauma of the Women's Classic a couple of weekends ago is yet to heal.)

A selection of the 42 000 people to whom I gave a head start

This week's Novice Supreme schedule involves 2 x 5km runs, 1 x 6.5km run and a relatively short 'long' run of 8km. I've done one of the 5km runs already. Hopefully, my fitness hasn't decreased too much and I'll be able to complete the rest without incident.

And (as borrowed from 'Legging It for Louis') Running Song of the Week is ...... 'Like It Like That' by Guy Sebastian. Cheesy, I know, but just the right tempo! (And he has such lovely hair)

Everybody Hurts (And Plagiarises) Sometimes

2011-07-11T22:32:00.001+08:00

Well, this last week has been The Week of the Health Professional (oh, I am SO feeling my age). As I mentioned after my last blog post, I had an appointment with a sports physio the day after the Women's Classic. I don't actually speak physio so a lot of what he said kind of went in one ear and out the other. Fortunately, the lovely Dee is fluent and she can translate - so my hopeful 'something about a tender fashion latte?' quickly became tensor fascia lata.

Basically, the lovely Gerard, my brand new sports physio, gave me a telling off for pushing through the pain and that my 'gutsy marathoner' impersonation was not clever. Dramatic performances are best left for the actual marathon, he said. My knee problem is in fact iliotibial band friction syndrome or ITBFS. The iliotibial band stabilises the knee during running, but the band rubs over some knobbly bit which combined with the flexion and extension of the knee while running can cause the area to become inflamed - and, why yes, I did just plagiarise that from Wikipedia (although 'knobbly bit' is entirely my own work).

And since we're plagiarising, why not just breach copyright as well? Thanks, Wikipedia!

This may well prove to be a bit of an ongoing problem so Gerard thought that a week of hitting it hard (the problem, that is, not the knee) was the way to go. Firstly, NO running, not even walking. Secondly, a week of anti-inflammatories. And thirdly, some stretches to limber up, one of which involves me rolling the outside of my thigh on a blue rubber roller. Ow. I have an appointment with Gerard tomorrow to see if those steps have helped and more importantly, to find out when I can start running again.

My second health professional visit was to the lovely Dr Ric to check on my iron levels. Disastrously low, I should have realised. I'm now on a supplement so strong that I may well set off the metal detectors at the airport but I am feeling much more energetic. So hoorah for iron supplements!

I SO hope that's the end of the medical stuff - and the desperately suppressed fear that I really am too out of condition to do this and that it was truly mad to think that I could. Apologies to 'Wicked' but something has changed within me ... I really, really love to run now and I want to give this marathon my absolute best shot. And I don't want some ill yo-yo titbits band friction syndrome giving me grief.

By the way, here is a blog I can relate to. Jackie, another first-time marathoner in New Zealand is 'Legging it for Louis', a young boy with severe Type 1 diabetes who is in need of expensive equipment in order to better manage his condition. It's hard not to be moved by what Louis has to live with. I've just donated to her cause and am loving Jackie's blog, especially her 'Running Song of the Day' (which, speaking of plagiarising, I shall totally be incorporating into my blog!). Check out 'Legging it for Louis' here

That's Me in the Corner, Feeling My Humanity

2011-07-03T13:53:00.003+08:00

‘Fear makes us feel our humanity.’ ~Benjamin Disraeli

I must admit to feeling my humanity quite a lot at the moment. In fact, I think I might actually be Freaking.Right.Out again. I don't mean to sound like Carrie Bradshaw here but I can't help but wonder ... is this untested 42 year old body really capable of running a marathon?

This morning I ran in the 10km Women's Classic at Burswood. The shins did great but the 42 year old body, more specifically the 42 year old left knee, not so much. Because I was wearing my new Skins, I thought that I wouldn't need my knee supports as well. Wrong. As explained to me by the lovely Dee, the knee supports prevent hyper-extension, the Skins don't. So it was a matter of simple biomechanics - my knees are used to running with the supports and even a minor change changed the way I ran. It didn't take long (3km in fact) for that change to result in some serious pain at the end of my left tensor fasciæ latæ. Ouch.

I was sorely (pardon the pun) tempted to take the 5km route option but couldn't bear to opt out. I managed to keep running at various points but not for very long (mainly through the parts where there were signs warning about snakes) and by 6km, I gave up any attempt as it was too painful. At the 8km point, even walking was getting unbearable but I convinced worried officials that I would be able to make it to the end. By the 9km point everyone had passed me but I got to the end even if I was stone. cold. LAST.

I'm trying not to be too disappointed. Firstly, I did it. This is quite a mental victory because I have never pushed through any sort of pain to complete something before (excepting, quite literally, childbirth - but there really is no 5km option there). I am against discomfort in all its forms but my determination to finish what I started kept me at it. Secondly, even though I walked most of this race and practically hobbled to the end I was still only a few minutes slower that my Around the Bridges time. So I must be getting a bit faster. That's good!

This woman is a physiotherapist so we can't show you her face on this blog

Fortunately, Dee's Physiotherapy is open for emergencies on a Sunday (she'll even make you tea and Nutella on toast!) and she gave me some treatment and stretches to do that will hopefully lengthen those TFL's out and stop them causing problems in the future. As a happy coincidence, I've also got an appointment with a sports physio tomorrow for a musculoskeletal exam just to see what (other) bits of this aforementioned untested body might cause problems as I approach the pointy end of the training. The non-sporty background means this body's injury free but it also means it's an unknown quantity - and I'm going to be asking it to do an awful lot in the next four months!

The Bus Of Shame

2011-06-29T11:43:00.002+08:00

On Monday I met with the lovely Aditi of Inspired Adventures and fellow Perth marathoner Holly 'I Ain't Riding No Bus of Shame' Ord (more on how she got that pithy nickname later). Aditi was over from Sydney to meet with us and have a chat about how it was all going. It was an opportunity once again to think about the last six months and just how this whole crazy marathon thing started.

How did it start? Well, I'm glad you asked. It actually started in November with an email from one of my oldest and dearest friends, the lovely Elaine. Elaine had just started working for WorldVision and sent an email to all her contacts saying that WorldVision were looking for people to do the New York Marathon whilst raising $10 000 for the SEE Solutions project. Given my exercising history, I suspect Elaine meant for me to pass this email on to others but instead I took myself completely by surprise when I heard myself think 'I'm going to do that'.

Funnily enough, only a few weeks previously I had decided, quite out of character, that I was in need of a physical challenge and had chatted to some fellow school mums about maybe doing the City to Surf. We'd even met for coffee to discuss; which was just as well because that coffee suddenly morphed into 'currently in training for the City to Surf' when asked by Inspired Adventures about my running experience to date. To my non-running self, 42km and 12km couldn't be THAT much different. (Oh, what a sweet, naive, little couch dweller I was back then!)

Secondly, I had been a supporter of WorldVision for a long time and, like many people, was a big fan of the work they do. Being connected in to the legal profession and the private school network, I figured that I knew enough people who would be both willing and able to support the fundraising and donate to such a great organisation. (As it turns out, that was the easy bit; I clearly had no idea how generous people could be (see below!))

Sometimes these things pop up and for some reason, even though it comes completely out of left field, it's obvious that it's meant for you. And even though sometimes I wonder WHAT THE *&^% AM I DOING?????, I am really glad I took this on; I'm certainly going to miss it when it's over. There's something nice about having a really huge but tangible goal to complete. Even if it does involve running a ridiculously long way.

Speaking of running a ridiculously long way, I've mentioned before that the 'Non-Runners Marathon Trainer' emphatically states that first time marathoners should not set a time goal (even if I do secretly dream of beating Katie Holmes' 5:29:58). Unfortunately, the lovely Holly has recently drawn my attention to the Sweep Bus, a.k.a. the Bus Of Shame. The sweep bus follows the marathon route at a 6:30:00 marathon pace, allowing runners who've had enough to drop out. Check out some YouTube footage of the Bus here. If you're slower than the bus, the roads re-open and you have to continue on the footpath, sorry, sidewalk to the end. The Bus Of Shame has been giving Holly nightmares and frankly, it's freaking me out a touch now as well. So, even though it's against the NRMT rules, I am hereby setting myself a minimum goal of 6:29:00. Because I'm with Holly - I Ain't Riding No Bus of Shame.

Even if this guy ran the marathon slower than 6:30:00 I suspect he wouldn't actually fit in the Bus of Shame

My shins seem to have healed up ok but it certainly knocked my confidence a bit. This weekend is the 10km Women's Classic at Burswood - that will be my longest run since my shinjury - so I am looking forward to seeing how the legs hold up.

And, finally, to end on the happiest of happy notes, donations to WorldVision are now at $10 211.00 with donations coming in every day, a fundraiser that hasn't even happened yet and some promised donations from some lovely cynics who just want to see me cross that line in November (fair enough!) I'm excited enough to aim for a new target of $15 000. And a HUGE thank you once again!!

Is Shinjury A Word? (If Not, It Jolly Well Should Be)

2011-06-12T21:50:00.004+08:00

First, great news on the fundraising front - the donation-o-meter is now at $7991.00, an absolutely amazing amount!! (Don't worry, I can count! $1070.00 of that has been raised off-line and so doesn't show up under the 'Donations So Far' counter at right.) The half way point was passed only a few weeks ago and since then almost $3000.00 has come in. Unbelievable. When you think about what the SEE Solutions project can do with just $100.00, an amount of money like this is going to do some serious good. Hoorah!

And tickets are ready to go for our 'Red Dog' movie fundraiser. It's on Friday the 12th of August at 9.30am at the Cygnet Cinema in Preston St, Como. $30.00 includes the movie (obviously!), champagne and nibbles and well as the chance to win some great door prizes! We will also be having a raffle and selling tickets for that on the day. The lovely Dee, my friend and official Novice Supreme physiotherapist, has kindly offered to organise the ticket sales for me so if you would like some, and I do so hope you will, please give her a call on 0427 2727 32.

This week's training was ... ok. My shins have been misbehaving; it felt like there were metal plates jiggling up and down on the outside of my lower leg. It's no doubt from overuse (and trying to pick up the speed a bit as well) and it's meant that I've had to walk for parts of my training runs this week. Disappointing. But, this didn't feel like the kind of pain I should push through and, since injury is Enemy Number One of the potential marathoner according to the 'Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer', I thought I'd better be Sensible. I didn't want a shin injury (a shinjury, even).

It was in this spirit of shin-saving cross-training that I went for a 6 hour walk along the last part of the lovely Bibbulmun Track with my father-in-law today, instead of the 5km 'long run' scheduled for this week. We walked from Ball Creek, which is out past Mundaring Weir (looking kind of empty and sad) to Kalamunda, about 21km in total. It was a beautiful day, sunny with a cool breeze and we managed to keep up a fairly decent pace over some fairly decent hills. It was hard work but no sore shins (sore just about everything else though).

No-one who knows Tom needs to ask who this is

Morning tea at the 5km mark. This humble apricot slice powered us through 16 more kilometres

We worked really hard today but at least my shins got a rest from pavement pounding. I hope they appreciate it and behave themselves this week as I get on to Week 4 of the Novice Supreme (Expurgated Version) and this week's 9km long run in particular.

By the way, one of my fellow Perth marathoners, the lovely Holly Ord, is running for Cure Cancer. She has set up a blog, 42km's Closer to a Cure, and a recent post contains a wonderful description of the New York Marathon route. I got excited (and slightly terrified) as I read it. You can check it out here!

The Fridge of Glory

2011-05-29T17:29:00.005+08:00

Marathon Training Weeks One and Two complete - hoorah! All runs, including the longest run of 7km, were completed without Lola's help for a grand total of 34km. I still owe Sunday a 50 minute walk but I am off the minute I post this! The best bit was that my average pace was just under 8 minutes and 30 seconds a kilometre for the first time. On a scale of one to human snail, I'd say I'm closing in on a 6 or 7.

I have to admit Week Two got harder and I did notice a steady decline in my energy levels as I went along. Fortunately, the long run was only 5km in Week 2 so I didn't have a big increase in distance to contend with but I realise that I am going to have to be much more mindful of my nutrition and increase my carbohydrates in particular to keep this consistent expenditure of energy up.

The last two weeks have certainly been easier in terms of making the time to train, though, and I'm quite sure having my Novice Supreme plan prominently displayed on the fridge has had a large part to do with that. And having a set plan means there is a lot less room for thinking (read, procrastinating) - I just have to look at the plan and then do what it says. It also helps that every day when I look at that plan I see the word 'marathon' in bold. And there's nothing quite like THAT particular scary word to keep me focussed.

Speaking of the fridge, mine continues to morph into a Low-Level Hippie Central. Witness below the Novice Supreme and map of the NYC marathon route held up with Oprah-like inspirational quotes and a New York magnet (and sticky finger marks as well, no doubt. Too busy running to clean properly.)

My fridge still thinks we live in Fremantle. (I know, Fridge. I miss it too.)

And speaking of New York, I picked up a helpful New York Marathon tip the other day from someone who knows someone (etc. So Perth); when crossing the Queensboro Bridge, which takes you into Manhattan from Queens at the 25km mark, you will have a choice to go on the upper or lower level of the bridge. Under NO circumstances go on the lower level. Unless you want to get wet. Because people use the bridge as an opportunity to have a quick wee. Ew. (And duly noted.)

The beautiful Queensboro Bridge that I get to run across! (But on the top level, obviously)
Photo by and (c)2006 Derek Ramsey

On the fundraising front, the magic half-way mark was reached this week - thanks to a generous donation from the lovely Sally and Stephen. And our big movie fundraiser 'Red Dog' (see the trailer here) is now booked for Friday the 12th of August at 10.30 at the Cygnet Theatre in South Perth. More information, including how to get tickets, coming very soon!

The Novice Supreme

2011-05-16T18:07:00.001+08:00

[Insert random sounds of excitement here] Introducing my New York 2011 Marathon Plan!! The one that will take me through to the big day in November. The one that WILL. NOT. BE. changed in a fit of Libran indecision. This.Is.It. Really.

The plan is the wonderfully named 'Novice Supreme' (which kind of makes me feel half pizza/half Motown superstar) from the equally wonderfully named Hal Higdon website. Hal's website is full of great marathon information and, among other resources, contains a full 30 week marathon training plan (unlike most books, which have 16 to 18 week plans). It is 25 weeks until the marathon so I have a plan I can work with right now, starting at Week 6. And I can even tick off Monday! Gosh, that WAS difficult.

The 'Novice Supreme' Part I. 'Cross' does not relate to my expected mood after doing all that running but cross-training, most likely cycling or swimming.

I am excited to get started with this program. And, in a triumph of synchronicity, the 'Novice Supreme' schedules a 21km run on the weekend of the City to Surf (August 28th) when I had already planned to run the half-marathon. Perfect timing.

Speaking of the City to Surf, if anyone is interested in running (or walking) the event too, you might like to consider running as part of Team World Vision. You'll be getting fit and raising money for a wonderful cause at the same time! Team World Vision raises money for the World Vision Multiplying Gift Appeal. This appeal operates in partnership with the UN to deliver 10 times the value of donations in food aid, which helps families in desperate famine circumstances in Africa and Asia. You can find out more at http://www.worldvision.com.au/TeamWorldVision.aspx

I didn't quite get to the $5000 by mid-May (or is it still mid-May?) but donations have now reached $4790! So pretty close to the magic halfway mark which is wonderful! Plans are afoot for a big movie fundraiser (this time inside an actual movie theatre) so as soon as we have a date locked in, I'll circulate the details.

And in the meantime, I shall continue to work on my running playlist. My iPod is a sad place but even I do not know how 'I Go To Rio' got on there. Honestly. (The really tricky bit will be running without singing along. It's just as well I can't fit maracas in my running belt). Obviously, I cannot allow 'Eye of Tiger', not even ironically, but I need some ideas for some good, beat-y, running-y type songs to keep me company. Would anyone be willing to share their favourite running song? I promise to keep it just between me, my iPod and the Internet.

My Name is Lola L-O-L-A Lola

2011-05-10T23:40:00.001+08:00

I got a huge boost to my marathon mojo when I ran the Mother's Day Classic in Langley Park last Sunday. After my unbroken 5km run at the Around the Bridges in April, my goal was to do this event (an 8km run) without walking. I really didn't think I'd done enough to achieve that but was most happy to prove myself wrong, running the entire 8km course. Hoorah! (Now to just do the 8km five and a bit times...)

Unlike the Around the Bridges run, which was one 10km lap, the Mothers Day run was two laps of a 4km course. I had promised myself that I would complete one whole lap at which time I would allow myself to walk if I needed to. The first 2 kilometres went by without incident (high!), other than to have the disconcerting feeling of what seemed to be the entire field run past me (low). I got some verbal encouragement from Nana Shuffling James at the 2km point (high!). I was almost at the 3km mark, when something shot past me - a VERY fast runner (and, funnily enough, one of my students, who did at least have the decency to go on and win the event). I got lapped (low). At the 4km point I told myself I could get to 5km since I'd done it before. At 5km (high!), I told myself I could get to 6km and then I could at least say I had beaten my previous best. Just before 6km, my 42 year old knees (which I had forgotten to truss up in their support garments) started to really hurt (low). And then I spotted Lola.

Lola was struggling but running with a VERY encouraging friend. 'Come on', said Lola's Encouraging Friend, 'youre almost at 6km and you haven't walked at all. THAT IS SO COOL, LOLA!!!!'. At which point, other disturbingly fresh runners who knew Lola bounced over. 'You are a STAR, Lola!', they screamed. 'We are SO proud of you, Lola!!! YOU CAN DO IT, LOLA!!'. From 6km to 7km I ran right behind them and in the slipstream of their encouragement. It felt vaguely like an intellectual property theft (is there copyright in encouraging words? Should I have paid a licence fee? Am I an encouragement pirate?) but by pretending my name was Lola for a kilometre, I made it past my own little mini-'wall'. Once I got to 7km, I callously charged ahead of Lola. Because by then I was so close to the finish line that my legs could have been dangling from wispy tendons and I would still have run. And I just really wanted to feel that I had beaten someone. (Sorry, Lola.)

Just after I finished (Mary here had finished WAY before)

Thanks to some wonderfully generous donations, I am now only $370 away from the $5000.00 mark I have promised to World Vision by the 14th of May. So, (you know where I'm going with this, don't you?!) if you have been thinking of getting behind me by donating to WorldVision's SEE project now would be the most wonderful time! Any amount large or small is tax-deductible, doing so much good and SO much appreciated! You can donate online at http://www.everydayhero.com.au/kate_offer. Thank you!