Circus Oz - Jeff decides to fly the Trapeze

Ok its not a running experience, Half or full marathon BUT it most definently counts as a challenge.

Earlier in the week, my friend Angela needed a substitute for her husband who had to travel for work at last minuite so she asked me along.... I think I replied almost instantly ABSOLUTLY.

This is a experience that must be tried, your hanging from 10 meters or so in the air, taking that first leap off of the platform will get the adreneline pumping and before you know it your abilities are tested.

Quiet simply this was a tone of fun!

Check out the Video and Photos.




Ill be back for more, more and more, until the next adventure stay tuned.

Cheers
Jeff

Race 7: Sydney Half Marathon

This past Sunday I made the journey to Sydney for the Sydney Harbour Half Marathon.

Stepping off of a plane from the United States on Friday at 6.15am I was feeling the effects on my body of the long journey and I had 48 hours until start line.

After a day and a half of resting, I landed at Star City at Pyrmont on Saturday afternoon, and had a lazy afternoon before heading to bed around 6.30pm Yes, I really needed the sleep.

With an early rise on Sunday morning, I headed out just before 5am, walking down through the Casino - Woman & Men still in party mode, down past the Pyrmont Bridge Hotel the place was still pumping at 5am.....

As I walked over the Pyrmont Bridge, no less than 10 people wished me good luck for the Marathon - some in worse shape than others at 5am, but it is a great reminder for what a truly great country we live in.

Making it across to North Sydney, Milsons Point, I was in time to watch the amazing Sunrise over Sydney with the Opera House and Harbour Bridge in the background - this really is the best start I have ever had to a day at 5am.

Before I knew it 6.20am had come around and it was time to run, I started out with a couple of decent pace, the run up to and over the Sydney Harbour Bridge is nothing less than a amazing event, I was feeling relatively confident, I set my new Garmin GPS watch to a 7:35 pace and by mile 2 I was 1m 30s ahead of target, by about mile 4/5 things started to go wrong, my right ITB was feeling the heat, possibly the couple of hills that I ran up and down in the first couple of mile, in any case I pushed through and had a quick stop for some voltarin (hmmm Ive been waiting for this to come back).

Slowed a little (well okay a lot) I just kept on pushing, thinking about how many people in life push through the daily challenges that they have been placed in with circumstances completely out of there control, weather that be an illness, disability or "other" forces - the inspiration was how people pull through in such adversity.

Coming past drink stations I still haven't mastered an ability to drink and run, so at this point knowing any reasonable time was less likely to be achieved I stopped at a couple of stations and consumed the fluids on offer.


I had bursts of inspiration that seen my heart rate chart and pace chart, go up and down, mostly thinking about the above...... (Check out the Garmin Map Link from my GPS watch plotting the stats and route along Sydney Harbour)

The lesson this week is, when we are faced with a minor setback, a little pain or a lot, we should never give up, Steve made a really good point to me yesterday over a coffee, Looking at the heart rate chart and the pace chart, I had the ability to give more a fact, I allowed the circumstances and my mind to take control, next time I run, I must be prepared to push through consistently - it will be hard work but most things in life are, very rarely are we prepared for when someone or circumstance will surprise us.

This week, I look to firm up a new training plan, almost like cramming for an Exam at last minute, with 5 weeks out from Washington DC, I will be hitting it hard daily, perhaps not the things I like (swimming, cycling etc) but I will do what is necessary and more to be successful on 25th October 2009.

I will be running next at the Melbourne Half Marathon on Oct. 11 2009 and am keen to see if the work I put in over the next two and a bit weeks will show results.

I am also very happy to give the finish line donation to the Starlight Foundation this week, I have added it to the Fundraising website for Washington.


Cheers
Jeff

Race 6: Chicago Half Marathon

Sunday Sept. 13th was shaping up to be one of the weekends that I would make my most significant gain, aiming for a target between 1hr 30 and 1hr 35 I was to achieve a new personal best, and was reasonably sure that I would get within 5 mins of this time at least, however this weekend it was not to be....

This weekend I learnt a difficult lesson: that the race doesn’t always need to be run in first place (or in my case beating my personal best) to be successful, it’s taken me a few days to figure this out hence the delay in the Blog.

I looked at the definition of Challenge: "A test of one's abilities or resources in a demanding but stimulating undertaking"

Than I looked at the definition of Successful: "Having a favourable outcome", "Having obtained something desired or intended"

I have met both of these this weekend, when this challenge started I had no aspirations of anything more than finishing the 21km and my main "desired" goal for running and in life is to: never give up!.

This weekend I finished and I never gave up, a successful weekend of some sorts, but perhaps not the one I set out to achieve, the icing and celebration factor for me is to beat the PB, so after only running 5 half marathons in roughly 2 and a half months ever in my life, I think I’m doing pretty well.

The time this week was my slowest ever compared to the other 5 Half’s I’ve run, 1hr 53m 54s, placing Div. 363, Overall, 2553 out of 20,000 runners.

I started out in the qualified group B, so basically I was up the front amongst the starting 100 odd people, and no one to get in my way as I set out hard, this should have been a significant advantage.

The Journey started with many good wishes, and people eager for me to smash my targets on this challenge.

I met a couple of really nice other runners early morning in the Hotel Lobby and we shared a cab down to the start line..... it was great to connect with like minded people.

I set out relatively confident, achieved a 6m 45s first mile and on the iPod started with the song "from a land down under", than things started to go wrong, just after mile 1, nature called and I had to make a b-line for the woods and outta view to help the local trees grow, now I've read about others having to do this but never thought I'd actually be one doing it.... I even went before the start so a good 30-45s wasted here..... I started out again, the 2nd mile clicked in at about 7m 30s, and I was already feeling something, the heat around 26 degrees or the fact that I simply wasn’t keeping a sub - 7min mile might have done it, in any case by mile 5 I was 38:56 or 7.8m miles, the next 5 seen me blow out to 8.9m miles (what tha!) and I finished with an overall avg of 8.4m miles :(

After being extremely sore and feeling beat I headed back to the hotel and managed to shower and sleep for a bit, in the afternoon caught up with a friend for a few hours which was great, My mother who made the trip with me on this occasion couldn’t make it down to the finish line, but was a very welcoming on my return even with my bad mood.



Monday night after getting out and enjoying the city, I caught up with another good Friend, David: Who knew that David enjoyed running??? and I think a lot better at it than he shared with me on this night after my battered time Sunday, but we managed to have a similar passion for running, and after a while I seen how little I know about the preparation, science and thought that needs to go into it, I think I’ve just been lucky (run a heap of miles and go run a half marathon: hope for the best) in any case - I have to get a couple of David’s prep. plans, and I’ve bought one of those neat GPS watch things by Garmin that let you track your speed, miles, targets, and download the whole thing to Google maps after the event and see what the heck your doing right and wrong....

David’s a wealth of information and a great guy, I am keen to follow his 2009 Chicago Full Bank of America Marathon Attempt (I wouldn’t be surprised if he qualifies for Boston!)

In any case I’m going to be back in Chicago in 2010 for the Bank of America Full Marathon and will be sure to gain back some of the time that I lost this weekend.

I am now pearing for the Sydney Harbour Half Marathon coming up this weekend, I dont have high expectations considering this weekends times, BUT I will 1. Never Give Up, and 2. Finish!

What I am really proud of this weekend is that I commited that my next challenge would go to a cause called LArche and as such the finish line donation goes to them:

Every L’Arche community offers people with an intellectual disability a family-style living environment that encourages them to create a home, to develop their talents, to build friendships and quite simply, to make the most of life!

Watch for the next Run....




Cheers
Jeff

9hrs and counting..........

Hey folks, a few people have asked me my number to follow on the Web tomorrow, since I told people about 3 different numbers during the course of the day, I said I would confirm it here.... I'm no. 238.

I am as ready as I'll be for tomorrow, with many wishs of good luck, I will give it my best effort..... more to come tomorrow for now im wrecked off to bed to wake up alive and ready :) tomorrow.

Cheers
Jeff

7 days and the Target is set for Chicago

This week I have had to decide how far to push the body and mind in Chicago in 7 days, as I get ready to fly out on Friday via San Francisco, on a run this week I was listening to a song on my iPod "from Little things, big things grow!" and how true this is.....

This week I have run a total of 72 kilometers in 4 days, and day by day the running got easier, but the mental toughness is the challenge:

Monday night was the start I procrastinated until 7pm than did 14km, Tuesday night was a little better, Wednesday was an early morning followed up with an evening run, Thursday Morning I was dead and almost didn't run I got till 7pm ish again and simply said no excuses, a km or two in I laughed at myself.

This proves we just need to try half the battle is starting simply putting one foot in front of the other.

I stepped on the scales Friday and the line had dropped YAY!, I was even happier when I went to the Physio Guy Dominic on Friday and he confirmed I didn't damage my calf anymore so looks like I'm good to keep on going, Ill probably call on him a couple of times in the lead up to Friday as I keep on pushing the limits this week.

On Friday Steve pushed me into the ground as we smashed through some of my previous Personal Bests in a simple circuit, I'm sure I could have found more to give Friday, I have to see if he can help me do the same again Monday, Tue, Wed .... as I'm in the zone and focused on next weekend - I still don't know how he puts up with my complaining.

So feeling relatively confident ill be able to give Chicago a decent attempt I've decided on the following stretch targets, in addition to the usual "making the finish line" after 21 Kilometers:

1hr 38m 55s - 1hr 35m: $250 (beat my personal best) goes to a worthy charity.

If I really pull off a miracle of better than 1hr 35 ill double it to $500.

While all the focus is on Washington DC in October and the full 42 Kilometers for the Starlight Foundation (Don't forget to donate to this worthy cause in the next couple of months)Ill be focused on finding some ways to get to the impossible target for this when I return, we are continuing to have a tone of fun in the process, I am looking forward to catching up with a few friends in Chicago next weekend.

Stay tuned, half the fun is in the journey....

Cheers
Jeff