Deborah Sto Domingo

Week 13

Only 1 more week to go!!! How exciting! I can't believe race day is almost here! I really enjoyed my second last week of the Can Too program!

On Wednesday night we had a guest speaker talk to our group before our training run - Dr Heidi Hilton. Dr Hilton is a Research Fellow at the Westmead Institute for Medical Research, who is a Cure Cancer Australia past and present grant recipient. She is currently working on a special project to discover why the hormones progesterone and estrogen act differently in normal breast tissue and in breast cancer and what drives the change. Her talk was very interesting and made me realise that doing my small bit and by my friends and family making their donation contributions, it helps researchers like Dr Hilton's work possible.

During our Wednesday night training session, we had to do 4-5 x 1km descending intervals, starting at our race pace and gradually getting faster to our 5km pace. I surprised myself, as according to my Garmin, I ran my fastest 1km that night!! Woohoo!!

We had our last Saturday run of the program this week which was on part of the SMH Half Marathon course. All of the Sydney Can Too pods met bright and early at the Archibald fountain at Hyde Park. The Founder of Can Too, Annie Crawford made another inspirational speech at the start and we clapped and thanked all the fabulous team coaches, captains and mentors of the program! It was great to also hear from Susannah Miall, CEO of Can Too. There was such a great buzz at the start of our run. We all felt inspired and great and then we all headed off towards the Botanical Gardens, then to Pyrmont and back around the Botanical Gardens again. It was a stop and start run as we had to stop at the lights which made it hard to get into a running rhythm. We ran just over 10kms and it was a really tough run because there was thick smoke haze from hazard reduction burns in the Blue Mountains that blanketed Sydney. Being an asthmatic, my lungs felt heavy and it was a real struggle to run the last 1km and I thought I was going to pass out. Luckily I didnt!

Due to my right leg still not at 100%, I was nervous to back up the next day to run 8km for the Mother's Day Classic. However, I'm glad to say that I got out of bed to push myself to get into the city again and run around Botanical Gardens (again), but this time with a couple more thousand people, and for a great cause - to raise money for Breast Cancer research.

With only 1 more training session to go, I have to say that this Can Too program has been one of the best things I have done in my life! If you love running, want to meet fabulous people and make new friends and raise money for a very worthy cause, you should sign up for a Can Too program. If I can do it, you Can Too!!!!!

Week 12

Only 2 more weeks to go until the big race!! Week 12 was another challenging week! I have still been battling from a little pain and lots of tightness in my right calf muscle but I feel it is improving. I had a fabulous remedial massage on Monday which made a world of difference and another physio session on Thursday where I had 8 dry needles stuck into my leg! My physio gave me more exercises to do which included strengthening my intrinsic foot muscles as the post tib problem I had a few months ago seems to all be related to my current problem.

We had a 5km benchmark run on Wednesday night at the track. My legs felt quite heavy as I was suffering from DOMS from doing a Body Pump class on Monday plus extra leg strength training. But as soon as I started running, I didn't feel any pain in my right leg and low and behold I ran a 5km PB!! I believe everyone in our Can Too group that night ran their fastest 5km too!!! It just goes to show how far we've all come and that we are all getting fitter and stronger!

Our Saturday morning training run was the longest one in our 14 week program. It was another overcast morning with a few light showers which made conditions quite humid. I was able to run 16km even though I struggled a little with my right leg stiffening up again at the back half of the run. Running up the hill on the way back was tough and my head was telling me to stop and just walk up the hill, but I didn't listen to the stupid voice in my head and soldiered on over that hill. I have a few running mantras that I repeat in my head whenever the going gets tough and I want to quit: "never give up", "you're fit and strong" and "you're not going to die or faint, so keep running". I was just glad to finish even though I ran at a slower than usual pace.

It is now taper time!! We only have 3 more group training sessions and I can't wait to be a part of the 11km run with all the Can Too pods running part of the SMH Half Marathon course next Saturday!

Go Can Too!!!!

Weeks 10 & 11

The last 2 weeks have been fairly tough and I've been battling a right calf strain. I missed week 10's track session due to injury but I felt that my calf would be ok on the Saturday morning run! Sadly I was wrong and soon after I started running, even at a slow pace, the right calf muscles tightened up quite badly and I had to stop and walk just after 8 1/2 kms. Luckily I got some physio treatment on Tuesday and the good news is that I only have very tight calf muscles and hamstrings but that I also need to continue to work on my glute strength as my right leg has dodgy biomechanics (my words, not the physio's)! Anyway, after some dry needling and release, I was able to run quite well on the track in week 11 without feeling too much pain and tightness. We had to do 3-4 sets of descdending 600m, 400m & 200m. The interval training was actually quite good to get back to running as the recoveries between each run and set put less strain on my leg. I've also been careful in resting and doing more non impact training such as on the elliptical trainer and swimming.

I had another physio consult on Thursday, with more dry needling so I felt confident to do my long Saturday morning training run with my Can Too group. It was the first time our group had run in the inclement weather but I actually love running when it's cold and a little wet as it's invigorating! Our week 11 long run was supposed to be 16-18km but our run coach, Michelle decided that we would use this week as a recovery, as many of us in our group had niggling pain and unfortunately 4 have had to drop out due to injury already! I enjoyed the 14km run but the right leg has pulled up tight again but nowhere near as bad as last Saturday and I know it will be fine with being diligent in stretching. Tomorrow will be a recovery day with swimming to loosen the legs.

3 weeks until race day!! Next week will be a tough one before we start to taper!

Week 9

Week 9 was an awesome week! In our Wednesday night track session, we had to do 3 sets of 4 x descending 400m. We've never tried this before so it was quite fun! I had to conserve my energy for Sunday's Half Marathon but I was still able to run a solid session.

The highlight of the week was running the Canberra Half Marathon! What a well organised event and the course was flat and scenic, running around Parliament House and Lake Burley Griffin. It was a cold morning, starting at 5 degrees celsius. The first part of the race went very quickly, but towards the back end, my right leg was becoming tight and I started to worry that I might get muscle cramps. Luckily I was able to finish without any muscle cramping and I was happy that I ran a PB!! I had a few issues post race though - I think I have to replace my 2 Gu gels with ones that contain no caffeine. I had 2 salted caramel Gu gels with caffeine and 3 shot blocks that also contained caffeine (big mistake!!). Luckily for me, my gastrointestinal problems occured a few hours after the race. One thing I did right though was to start hydrating 3 days before the race to stave off the muslce cramps. Another thing I learned from this race was to also do more stretching and foam rolling before the race to ensure my legs are as loose as can be. My right ITB was a little tight and I didn't do a proper warm up before the race. On the bright side, I had no blisters!!

Only 5 weeks to go!! I have another $680 to raise to meet my donation pledge. Thank you to all my family and friends who have donated so far. I wouldn't be able to do this without you!

Week 8

Wow! What another challenging week! Our track session on Wednesday consisted of 6 x 800m. We had to run each interval faster than the last and I was extremely proud of myself when I did just that!! My fastest and last interval was clocked at 3:42m (my previous PB was 4:04m) so I'm happy I smashed it!!

We didn't have our usual Saturday morning long run. Instead, all Can Too pods in Sydney ran the Lindfield Rotary Fun Run on Sunday. Michelle, our run coach warned us that by the time we finish, it will feel equivalent to running a half marathon. And she was definitely right!!! The fun run was very hilly making it the most challenging 10k race I've ever experienced. The founder of Can Too, Anne Crawford and CEO, Susannah Miall spoke to us all at the start of the run. Their words and standing amongst all the Can Tooers made me feel part of such an amazing and inspiring group of people and community. Anne told us that there were lots of hills on the course and when you feel like stopping, to remember that the mind is stronger than the body and think of positive mantras like "I can do this"! It was great to hear Anne speak and she told us how her family have been affected by cancer and the importance of raising funds for cancer research.

My legs felt like lead at the half way mark and it was probably due to going out too fast again. I was quite pleased with my time despite the challenging hilly run which means that the hard work in training is paying off and making me stronger and fitter. But the best part of the run was that there were so many Can Tooers in support, cheering fellow Can Tooers. As I have my name written on my training singlet, I was so rapt whenever people would shout out "Go Deb!"

Bring on Week 9. Only 6 weeks to go!

Week 7

I'm halfway through the half marathon training program!! Yay!! This week's track session consisted of a 5km benchmark run. We had to make sure we ran our first 1km slower than our overall average pace per km and this time I did it!! Unfortunately i missed out on a PB by just 3 seconds but I still felt quite proud of myself for doing a solid run and time. Before our session, we congratulated a fellow Westpod Cantooer, Marcel for smashing her donation goal!! She is our first fundraising star! Marcel has raised more than $2,100!! Sadly, I'm waaaaay behind - only raising $370 so far! Come on people! If you're reading this, would you please donate a few dollars to help raise funds for cancer research in Australia? I need to raise $1,250.

As it's Easter, we didn't have a coached long run session on Saturday. Instead, a few of us organised to meet up at Coogee beach to run the Coastal Walk from Coogee to Bondi and back! It sounded wonderful on paper but as soon as we hit the stairs my body went into shock! My body started screaming at me - "Oh this is different...running up and down stairs..you've gotta be kidding me?". It wasn't too long until my legs and lungs started burning. There were plenty of undulating hills and stairs that seemed to be never ending but I only had to look out over the ocean to forget about the pain...if only for a second. Towards the end of our 12km run my feet were starting to develop blisters and my knees and quads were sore. All those stairs and hills made my legs feel like lead. It definitely was my toughest training run so far!

After our run, we rewarded ourselves by having a quick dip in the ocean. The surf however, was quite rough and it didn't take long for me to get dumped by a wave. We had our usual post run coffee at a nearby cafe. As it was Good Friday, many places were closed, so we had to settle on a cafe that served mouldy water bottle tops and stinky cups. The coffee and sourdough toast with peanut butter was quite nice though. So all in all, a great start to the Easter long weekend!

Week 8, here I come!

Week 6

Week 6 of the training program was my favourite week so far! It was still challenging but the cooler weather and trying something different on the track was fantastic!

On our track session, we had to run 4 x 1km by running hard on the straights and running easy on the curves. The first 2 runs felt good, but the 3rd and 4th felt brutal, with the lactic acid build up in the legs after sprinting and then trying to catch my breath, to then do it another 4 times.

We were all relieved and happy to turn up to a cool Saturday morning. It was a wonderful 15-16 degrees on a clear morning - perfect conditions to run 12kms! Due to the cooler temperature, I really enjoyed the run and made a conscious effort to start off slow and run a negative split. And I did!! So I'm very happy with myself! I also enjoyed running west along the cylce way along the Parramatta river. On our way back to our starting point, we got caught up running with the Parramatta Park Runners. A few of us, including myself, were photographed as part of the Park run! Mark, Rachel, Jen, Michelle and Kelly were all snapped by the Park Run photographer. We all looked so cool in our Can Too singlets.

The photo from this week was taken by our energy champion - Jo's husband. The energy champions are vital for our training runs as they make sure we all have a drink and even lollies at the half-way point to keep us going strong.

Looking forward to Week 7!!

Week 5

Week 5 has been the hardest week so far for me! I've been feeling somewhat unmotivated this week and skipped my usual Tuesday morning run, opting for a sleep-in instead. The track session on Wednesday night was brutal. We had to do 5 x 800m intervals with a 200m kick at the end of each interval. During the 4th and 5th run, my brain was telling me "I can't do the kick". But I managed to still push myself even though I felt like collapsing at the end of the 5th run. I managed to improve on my 800m time from my 2nd week of training - averaging 4:09min/800m.

Our group had a nice surprise on Saturday morning, when we were joined by the CEO of Can Too, Susannah Miall! Susannah was inspiring, and she told us how Can Too has trained over 11,000 people in running, swimming and triathalon events, and has raised $16 million dollars for Cure Cancer Australia. She mentioned how the money donated this year will go to 10 young Australian cancer researchers!! Her presence and motivational talk at the start of our run made me realise how fantastic it is to be part of such a worthy cause. Our run on Saturday was a 10km run. It was another hot and humid morning, probably the hottest and most humid one so far on the program. The heat and the humidity made the 10km run a bit miserable and I found myself having to slow my pace down a little to be able to last the distance.

Week 6 is going to be even harder! Another 8 weeks of training to go!! Almost half-way there!

Week 4

I felt a lot better this week than last week as I've now recovered from my cold. The track session was still quite challenging. We had to run 6 x 600m intervals. Michelle, our coach wanted us to all run at the same pace during each interval. My goal was to run 3:00 minutes each interval. I was able to run under my target for my first 4 intervals, but just a little over 3:00 minutes in the last two. I was still quite happy with my effort.

We had to run 8km on Saturday. It was not as hot as the other Saturday mornings so that was a nice relief. The days are getting shorter so our 7am morning meet up time coincided with a beautiful sunrise. The photo I've attached to this blog was taken by a fellow West pod runner, Jennifer. You can see how beautiful the setting is for our weekend run.

Week 5 looks like it's going to be a tough one! Bring it on!

Week 3

Each week is getting harder! We had a tough training session on Wednesday night at the Athletics track. We had to run 5 x 800m with each 800m to be run at approximately the same pace. Michelle, our run coach said that this will help us with our pacing. My goal, based on my previous running performance, was to run each 800m at around 4:24 mins. Like always, I went out too hard on the first interval! I was battling a cold so I felt like I could only run 4 intervals but I pushed myself to run the 5. I ran at an average of 4:15 mins per interval which was under my goal, but I really have to learn to start at a slower pace, otherwise, come race day I'm going to crash and burn in the second half of the half marathon and I don't want that.

Our Saturday morning run was a hard 8km or 50 mins run along a different route heading east from the Armory Wharf Cafe. Although it was a mostly overcast morning, it was humid again and I don't run well in high humidity! I didn't run negative splits (yet again)! My breathing became very laboured towards the end of the run, especially running up the hill. Michelle wants us to get used to running hills more as the SMH Half Marathon course has lots of them. I ran 8.32km at at pace of 6'01" and felt like dying. That feeling doesn't last long though, after having a great coffee as my post run reward.

Bought some new running shoes today! Yay!! I'll test them out next Wednesday. Week 4...Let's do this!

Week 2

I enjoyed Week 2 of the Can Too Training Program! Our Wednesday night track session was a 3km benchmark run. Michelle, our run coach advised all of us that we should make sure our first 1km split was slower than the overall average 1km pace. It sounded easy in theory but I know starting out too fast is always a problem for me. Unfortunately 7 out of 10 in the group didn't listen to Michelle (including myself!!). My 1km and overall average 1km pace was exactly the same though! I was super happy with my time as it was the fastest I've run 3km!!

The Saturday morning run consisted of 6km or 40 mins. I was able to run 6.71km in that time frame on another humid, but cloudy morning. The course ran past the Parramatta Parkrun turn around point (oh how I miss Parkrun)!. I really love the run on our Saturday mornings mostly due to the course being right on the Parramatta river. It's such a scenic and peaceful spot for a run. After our run, we had a our usual stop for coffee at The Armory Wharf cafe. The coffee and ambience here is great and it's so lovely to get to know my fellow West pod runners. A new runner named Mark joined the West pod for the first time today, which brings us to 11 in our group in total. Next Wednesday looks like it'll be a tough interval track training session and each Saturday we gradually build up our mileage! Bring on Week 3!!

Week 1

Week 1 of the 14 week program started on 10th February! It was a tough interval session at the Athletic track at Sydney Olympic Park. We had to run 6x 400m intervals, each lap to be run faster than the last. I've tried to do interval training on my own before but I always lost motivation to smash out a solid session but it was different with a run coach and the others in my group as we all motivated each other to run a good session. And we all did! I was happy that I was able to run negative splits each lap and my last lap was the fastest I've run - 1.45mins. Let's see if I can improve on this time as the training program rolls on!

The first Saturday morning run for our group was on 13th Feb. It was a hot morning already at 7am. Our run coach, Michelle takes us through a warm up jog and then dynamic stretches and drills to get our bodies ready for running. Then we all set off on a 4-5km run. I found it tough with the heat but also only having about 5 hours sleep the night before, not to mention the 2 apple ciders I had at the pub the previous night! (what was I thinking?). I ran a total of 4.3km at 5'54" pace. Our group had a lovely coffee at the Armory Cafe at Blaxland Park, Silverwater. It was great to get to know each person in my group a bit more. I'm looking forward to Week 2!