My opening blog and only 9 weeks until the big one!

My decision to create a blog was based on two things ... one, I have a terrible memory and will be kicking myself later on for not documenting this stuff that I hope will be inspiring for me to look back on ... at the very least I might get a laugh; and two, so that others reading this will see that I am your average female, with average ability .. doing what some think is just impossible for them to achieve.  Others just think I've completely lost the plot .. but that's another story.  Essentially, I believe that everyone can achieve a lot more than they give themselves credit for ... they just need the desire to do something, and the belief in themselves to give it a go.


I want to say here and now, that I still remember thinking that 1km was a hell of a long way to run without stopping to gasp for air; I still remember when I ran regular 5km fun runs and morning runs .. but one day was silly enough to head out for a longer run, did 8km and thought that my legs were going to fall off ... how on earth does anybody run 10km?! ... there is no way in the world I will ever be able to run that distance!!


My 'crazy' goal is to finish The North Face 100 ( http://www.thenorthface.com.au/100/ fondly referred to now as 'TNF') this year, and maybe even do it all again another year. The event is a 100km 'event' held in the beautiful Blue Mountains, NSW.  The winners run it in under 10 hours, I'll be happy just to finish, and hopefully in under 20 hours.  I am hugely inspired by stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things, and this is one of them.  Some friends who have completed the MDS (6-day ultra-marathon across the Sahara Desert) were training for the 2010 North Face event when I was training for my first half marathon in 2009 .. a distance that seemed a pinnacle for me, and one that I would be unlikely to ever exceed!  I then read an article in Runner's World about a lady with little running experience who had spinal surgery and decided to run as part of her rehabilitation.  She had read about Dean Karnaze's ultra-marathon running, and (for some crazy reason) decided that she would train for the North Face event ... she walked a large portion of it, but still managed to finish in under 24 hours.  I think it was that moment that sealed it for me ... if she could do it, then I surely could too!!


I mulled this story over for a while .. still struggling with 18km runs in preparation for the 'half', and eventually asked my partner Dean if he would support me (i.e. ... and not leave me for a sane person) if I were to participate in the event.  Among mumbles of 'craziness' and 'insanity' ... and a short period of shock, he agreed to be my support person.  I don't remember which point in time he decided to give TNF a go too ... but I don't think it took too long for him to think ".. well if she can do it, then I can too!!".  We were only 6 months off the 2010 event, but after some serious reality checking, knew we would be mad to attempt that one, and should train for 2011.


So began the (secret at first) obsession with reading all things 'trail running' and 'ultra-marathon running'.  We gave little hints to friends to gently warm them into the idea that we hadn't completely cracked, but that we were taking this thing one step at a time and getting so much more enjoyment out of trail running than hammering the roads and pavements.


The hardest part in getting started was learning to slow down ... to REALLY slow down.  We learned that we could not push our endurance on the hilly, sandy and uneven trail surfaces to long km's at our usual 5 - 5:30'/km pace.  We learned to take walk breaks and to walk the steep hills on long training runs .. but to do specific hill training run sessions for strength.  Learning to drink and eat 'on the run' .. I really thought I would never be able to do this (!!) was also interesting, and involves a lot of trial and error to learn what does and does not work for you.


So here we are, only 9 weeks away from TNF100 2011, after more than 12 month's training and preparation.  So much has inspired us .. Dean Karnaze's 50 Marathons in 50 days; endless articles in Runner's World; Christopher McDougall's 'Born to Run'; and hundreds of conversations with friends, family and other everyday runners participating in trail running and ultra-marathons.  I have my moments of thinking that I must be mad to take this on, but most of the time I am so excited and can't wait to get to the start line.  I will write more blogs over the next few weeks, aiming to talk about specific aspects of our training journey and preparation.  And of course ... there will be the big one following the event ... I wonder what that will look like ..... 


Jac ... 


If you always do what you've always done .. you will always get what you always got.


Stephen Hayes
Psychologist