Dieting and Racing

Dieting does not go down well with marathon training!
I started out 2 weeks ago with the aim of eating healthily and consuming fewer calories in an attempt to lose a few kilos. Always good to weigh a bit less when running as it generally improves ones performance.




Well I started off pretty well and watched my eating habits, even ensuring I did not pile my plate at supper time or have the late night breakfast cereal I so love to have.





Then the weekend came and it went pear-shaped. The problem I'm
finding is after hectic training sessions I am ravenous.
Any case I will try and continue to eat healthily, but eat consuming fewer calories? Will have to see how that goes.


I am now deep into Week 9 of my 17 week training programme.
Last week was a lower mileage week (only 52.62km done, while I had planned to do 51km).
It is important to lower one's mileage every 3-4 weeks after higher mileage weeks as it gives the body, and specifically the legs time to recover.

Although I normally do my long runs on Sundays, I decided to run the Zwartkop Half Marathon on Saturday (27 July) and use that as my long run.
I was pleased to have run my best half marathon time for the last 2 years as I've been battling to break the 2h10 barrier - I managed a very respectable 2h08...and felt I could have done even better than that. The #ShoOops clan were in full force at the race and looked as if they all enjoyed it. I have to take my hat off to a fellow runner (a new one at that), Silvano, that managed a 1h55 for his first 21.1km at the same race. Awesome time, bud!

It is really great to try and fit in races as part of a training programme - perhaps not to race every one, but to at least go out and run with like-minded individuals. Most of my training I do solo, so races are a great opportunity for me to meet up with old running pals and to meet new ones.

This weekend it's the Tshwane Half Marathon in Pretoria and I'm once again planning on using it as my long run (+4km).
Don't intend racing this one though - want to finish feeling good enough to run more!

I did my national service in 1988/89 and hated running!
I always considered it a stupid way to get tired and sweaty. When I think back to those days I note that I was a totally different person back then - who the hell wanted to exercise when you could party like there's no tomorrow?!?
Perhaps in a future blog I'll elaborate on my national service, but for now suffice to say I despised running.

In fact it wasn't until September 2010 that I decided to sweat it out and run!
Since then I've run almost every week.
For those who are in a similar frame of mind as what I was - bite the bullet and run, eventually the bug will bite!


Wherever You Go, Go With Your Heart! #ShoOops

My daughter and I at the SA Pork Kwai Race

My Intro...and Berlin Marathon

If running was easy everyone would do it.

Waking up at the crack of dawn (note that my wife's name is not Dawn) and stepping outdoors in the middle of winter to go on a 10km run is not for sissy’s.

I’m not saying I’m brave, I’m just saying I may be a bit fucked in the head.

In the late afternoon of Monday the 8^th of May 2013 I received a phone call advising me that I had just won the Discovery Vitality competition to run the 40^th Berlin Marathon. Being the geographical genius I am I knew where Berlin was!

Winning races is almost impossible – winning competitions it seems is not!

For those that don’t know a marathon is 42.2km long – well even if you did know, it’s still 42.2km long.

I've run two marathons before in remarkable times of 5h25 and 4h59 respectively – I say they’re remarkable times because one can actually remark on them by saying something like “Why’d it take you so long?”.

I started a 17 week marathon training programme on Monday, 3 June in order to prepare for the Berlin Marathon.

I am currently in week 8 of my training and so far it’s going well.

Trying to fit the training into a busy weekly schedule is not easy, but then again running a marathon is not easy either (see aforementioned distance).

My weekly training is comprised of strength training/cross-training in the gym, a moderate paced run, a hilly run, a speed session, a 5km time-trial and a long run. With 1 rest day (normally on a Friday).

As some of you may know I am a project manager by profession, so being anal about planning and keeping records is part of what I do and who I am.

So here are my records thus far regarding mileage.

	PLANNED	ACTUAL	COMMENT
Week 1	42.00	42.64
Week 2	46.00	0.00	Damn Flu
Week 3	44.00	10.29	Still the damn flu
Week 4	38.00	64.60
Week 5	49.00	50.35
Week 6	54.00	49.94
Week 7	62.00	63.45

My daily detailed running activities are logged on Runkeeper.

I am happy to announce that I am now officially registered on the Berlin Marathon participant list.

With less than 10 weeks to go to Marathon Day I am trying to suppress my excitement and focus on what needs to be done!

Keep a lookout for my next exciting update.

Happy Running folks.

A few links that may be of interest:

parkrun

ShoOops