it’s been a frustrating few weeks, just as I was getting back into the swing of things, I fell during an event and lost a couple of days as I recovered from that. then just as I was getting into the swing of things again, I had some horrible gastro virus thing come along and wipe me out for 5 days…
so this is it, third time lucky, and this time on the back of a bit of a rethink, a regroup, and a chance to simplify things.
there is just one goal
forget marathons, forget events, forget personal bests, there is just one thing on my mind now. to run further than I have ever run before, and to do so on an almost daily basis, for 3 to 4 months.
to channel my inner “forrest gump”, to cross this great country on foot, and to provide a very real demonstration of what is possible if you embrace the #lifestylereboot message.
to enable this, my focus will be entirely on “time on legs”. walking, running, and even some cross-training thrown into the mix. I need to be regularly covering 25km or more, and in time I really need to be logging weeks that include close to 200km.
to achieve this i must avoid breaking my body
somewhat ironically, given that I have only recently learned to push myself, putting in “personal best” efforts at parkrun, or giving my all in a race of any distance, needs to become (temporarily at least) a thing of the past.
taking part in events, sure, no problem. they just need to be viewed as part of the overall accumulation of kilometres.
a focus on easy pace and walking will, ultimately, get my body used to spending a lot of time, moving relatively slowly, covering crazy distances.
my aim is to become an ultra-runner, but not with any land speed records in mind!
fuel is important too
along with the huge volume of training, my only other running-related focus is really going to be the fuelling side of things. continuing to eat healthily, supplementing with energy-packed extras like banana and date smoothies, and avoiding the consumption of items that might hinder recovery, or generally have a negative impact overall.
this includes alcohol. to be perfectly honest, I haven’t missed it, I haven’t missed being hungover, and the one occasion when I did drink (2 pints of cider) I spent the next few hours feeling the effect it was having on my body.
will I have a celebration drink when I get to Brisbane? I think you can be pretty sure of that! but for now I am finding that being grog-free is helping me to move towards that goal.
it also means that I will continue my efforts to avoid junk food, sugary treats and the like. eat more fruit, veg etc.
there will also be a bit more effort put into tracking everything I eat, in “my fitness pal”.
this week feels like a new start line
my overall sense is very much being at the start of another training cycle, with another major event as a goal. the difference is, this time it’s not a 3 month programme leading to a marathon. this time it’s 6 months, leading to a 4 month period of running 5 or 6 ultras per week.
this time the training and fuelling will be supplemented by project management, pulling the support crew together, gathering sponsors and gaining publicity.
this time, it’s massive.
hence the need for focus, for simplicity. breaking things down into steps, into manageable bite-sized chunks, but also tapping back into the underlying reason, the purpose, the “why”.
because it’s there and because i can
that’s it in a nutshell. the very idea of crossing Australia on foot somehow lights me up, satisfies some kind of craving that lurked, dormantly, for so long.
but it also serves another purpose. a demonstration of how each and every one of us can do and achieve whatever we desire, if we just allow ourselves to believe it is possible.
this is what makes it so important to me. to satisfy my own craving, and to somehow use that to help others find and satisfy their cravings.
by knowing why it is important, by breaking it down into a series of steps, and by having more focus… anything is possible. even crossing a continent on foot.
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