Week Two (Catchy Title)
Just a quick update.
I went on my first long run last week, this was from Kirribilli, where the North Pod is based and was a relatively straight forward 8km on a route I am completely familiar with having run it now more than a dozen times. It goes without saying though that it was great to meet everyone and head off out in the orange.
I unfortunately missed track this week due to other commitments, which was a shame as it was the first of our 5km Time Trials. I would have been keen to see how I did, my last one, during my last program, I set my personal best at 23:35. Of course by this point I had been training hard for several weeks. Without regular interval training I doubt I could have matched that, let alone bettered it.
However the weekend brings the long run on a Saturday morning again and for the first time with CanToo I ran out of somewhere other than Kirribilli. As previously mentioned the marathon pod is significantly smaller than the other programs so on the weekend we join with the North Shore pod and we ran with them out of Mona Vale. It was raining on and off but it was a beautiful run, just a 10km with some nice hills.
Everything, and by everything I mean the marathon, feels a long way away at the moment, but of course I know it will be here before I know it, until then though I relish these runs.
Please check out my gallery, I have started adding photos there.
Opening Night Nerves and Inspirational Speakers
I had track last night, by the way this is how the training works, interval training at track on a Wednesday night, long run together on a Saturday morning.
But of course last night was my first night, its always a great night, a mixture of excitement and trepidation, perhaps a little more so this time, a marathon, as I'm sure you can imagine (or may know) is no easy feat!
However last night was particularly special for a few reasons. Firstly I got to meet my new team, my coach, my team leader, my mentor and the crazy fools brave participants I'd be running with twice a week. The marathon is always a smaller bunch, and I already knew that three of its members would be my running buddies from my half marathon but it was awesome to meet everyone else too, I look forward to the next twenty weeks of training! (I think)
Secondly the training programs previous to mine are in their last two weeks, so I got to see loads of people I have met through CanToo, previous coaches, particpants and mentors. My first lap round the track with my new coach and it was great to have so many people say hi and hello, made me look super popular. (Or as my buddy Ian said, 'don’t you know he's kind of a big deal round here!')
Finally though we got to hear from this guy, Jacob Walker, who, after being diagnosed and treated for brain cancer, decided to run the New York Marathon. Awe inspiring, humbling and motivational and now he will be a champion for CanToo, please take a moment to watch the video:
As always don't forget to donate, if you watched the video, you know why.
Thanks
I've signed up with Can Too for my first Marathon!
I arrived in Sydney just under two years ago and signed up for my first CanToo program. CanToo is an organisation close to my anitpodean family's heart and I was proud to become a part of it.
CanToo works by taking people of all fitness levels and training them for a goal event, in return they ask only that you raise a goal amount for cancer research, CanToo also tends to sponsor young, dynamic researchers who may need a little extra support early in their careers.
My first run, two years ago, was a 9km Bridge Run (the 'Bridge' of course, being Sydney Harbour Bridge). As many of you who know me may remember, I was a smoker, barely exercised and had only ever done two 5km runs in my life, back in 2006. I remember thinking, after my 6km-training run, that I would never run any further than that. However I completed the subsequent 7, 8, and then 9km runs and have never looked back.
Shortly after I competed in my first ever 10km race and then last year I signed up to CanToo again, this time for a half-marathon (21km). I am proud to say that I completed that last August in a sub-two hour time.
This is down to the phenomenal training and support from CanToo, they use professional coaches, but beyond this your group has a team captain and mentors, made up of previous participants who volunteer to help you on your journey. And of course you have your group. You make friends, you support, share and help each other through your runs, you don't just go out there and run.
After my half-marathon last year I ran, nearly every week, with three friends I made whilst running with CanToo and I'm delighted to say that all of us have signed up to CanToo to all do our very first marathons.
To go from a non-running smoker to training for my first marathon in less than two years is testament to how amazing CanToo is, and how awesome the friendships I have made from it are.
For this journey I hope to take you with me and you can follow this blog. But for right now, I can't wait to get to track tonight and begin the journey once again.
And of course, if you can, please sponsor 'me'. I hate saying that though you are not giving money to 'me', you are giving it to cancer research. A cause I know that nearly all of you either have or will be touched by at some point in your life. So, please, give what you can.
Thank you.
