My First Half Marathon

Complete. I can now tick a Half Marathon of my bucket list. And what a morning it was. I was always find post race re-caps so hard to start cause I'm just so excited and there's so much to share but I'll try and do my best not blab on for too long.

The night before a big race I tend to stick to the same routine. A nice big bowl of pasta for dinner, a bath, and sometimes a sneaky vodka as a night cap to help me sleep. But this time, i tried something a little different. I added a few drop of Serenity Essential Oil to the bath which helps calms the mind and relaxes your body. Lets just say, I reckon I was asleep as soon I hit the pillow and had the best sleep I've ever had pre race day.  So thankyou to my good friend Raels for opening my mind to these wonderful oils, was the bestest sleep I ever had!!

After such a great sleep the alarm went off at 6am and I bounced out bed. I was so nervous but excited. After a quick slice of toast with honey on it, a banana and a electrolyte for breakky we were in the car and on the way.

The Starting line - was just crazy!

 It was a picture perfect morning, and I was getting more and more nervous as we hung around at the start line.  Thankfully, I found my friend Hayley and it was almost time to start. A quick kiss good luck from Pete and we were off..

The 1st kilometer flew by and I said goodbye to Hayley as her and her long legs ran off into the distance..... But surprise, Mum had caught the train down and was just around the next corner waiting for me. Big hug from her and then time to re-focus and keep going. As usual I was feeling pretty good during the first few k's, then I randomly bumped into my friend and fellow running buddy Katherine. Who would have thought hey. Was great having the company as we could push each other along.

As we ran down St Kilda Rd, approaching the 5km point we couldn't believe our luck. The front leaders (Ethopians and Kenyans) of the marathon were streaming past on the home stretch already. Cheers went up and they looked amazing.  So inspiring as we continued to plod along. About another kilometer down road, and Steve Moneghetti past it. He was competing in the half also and ran an incredible time of 69 mins. Ridiculous. 

Mum was awesome, she somehow managed to find us at the 6km / 14km and 17km. She had wet cold towels for us, much to the jealousy of everyone else around us, as by about the 14ks it was starting to get very very warm. Unfortunately, Pete kept missing me. Apparently I was too slow and he kept thinking he missed me and moved onto the next spot. DOH. 

I was feeling OK up until about the 15kms ...  the last few k's in particular were horrible and I was so glad to see mum around the 17k mark. She ran along side me and told me I could do it and to keep pushing. I was in tears and feeling really overwhelmed but that push was what got me through the last bit.

The last couple of K's were a real struggle. But nothing could beat running up the bridge to the MCG and having the cheers of the crowd and marathoners come streaming past you to push you a long. I broke down in tears again, clearly overwhelmed by the whole experience but so happy we were almost finished. Thank goodness I had the sunnies on !! 

On the home stretch

Again, Mum somehow found on the last corner, and we could finally see the finish line. Into the home stretch I finally saw Peter on sideline cheering us through. Katherine and I grabbed each other's hand for the hero's finish. WE DID IT.... 

Hayley, Me and Katherine

So overall I was pretty happy with how I went. I managed to run the whole race without stopping and only walked a couple of times during the water stations. I was aiming for around 2.30 - 2.40 but realistically thought I would be lucky to get in around 2.50. My nike app said 2.43 but officially my time was 2.48 ... 

Hayley & Me

Whilst I enjoyed the experience, for the moment, I don't think I'll ever do a half marathon again. I would much rather focus on improving my speed and working on my 10-15's and subbing the hour.. It's far more realistic for me and at the moment I just wanna enjoy it rather than struggle through half of it. 

So on a final note, thank you everyone for all of your support and encouragement, it really got me over that finish line. As I head into the next chapter my goal is to become a healthier, happier and even more fitter Sarah. To just enjoy it and keep on running.  

Mum & I

Me and Peter - Thanks so much getting up so early on your day off, what a trooper!

It's all about the BLING!

Final thoughts

It was back in February after my zoo run, that I decided the Melbourne Marathon Festival would be 'the one'. As I sit here on the eve of my first half marathon, I'm nervous, I'm excited, I just wanna get out there and do it now.  Most of all, I'm really hoping I can at least get a couple of hours sleeps tonight..

I know I'm not the first person to have ever run a half marathon and it may come across that way sometimes.. But for me, this is huge, and it's been such an amazing journey.

To all my friends and family who have played a part, (you know who you are) I want to say thank you.

For all of your messages of Good luck for tomorrow, thank you.

It really means a lot that I have so much support behind me and I have no doubt this will help keep me going tomorrow.

So my friends, tomorrow is the day, all the hard work is done and months of training are behind me.
~ Nails are clipped
    ~ Clothes are out
        ~ Alarm is set

Lets just do this,
Night all, and happy running xo

P.S.  Good luck to all my other fellow runners also running in tomorrows Melbourne Marathon Festival. May you smash your own goals and have fun doing it.  

Let the tapering begin

So for my last 'big run' I decided to head home to Warragul to enjoy the fresh air and the rolling hills that I call home.. I had the best sleep in a long time and woke up feeling fresh but a little nervous as the challenge was to be 18-19k's ... It was to be longest run yet.

It was the perfect morning and as there is no water along the towns trail, Mum and Dad had promised they would join me on their bikes as my support crew and would carry some water on board..
Dad even gave a up his usual Saturday morning golf with the boys for this, so it meant a lot that they were both able to join me and they were absolute troopers.

What a perfect morning

Not only that, somehow poor old mum also become our magpie protector .. With spikes and on all on her helmet she was out to get them.. She copped a few close calls but obviously did her job as they didn't come near me....So thanks mum, you're the best ... It was a big day for mum also! Mum was a bit worried she wouldn't be able to  make the distance.. But not only did she do that, she smashed all the hills also.. Way to go mouse.

If only bikes were allowed in the half marathon.

For most of the run I felt pretty good and managed to keep up a 7-7:30 km per minute pace... But then came the hills and I began to fatigue really quickly... Dad  was awesome. As he rode beside me he encouraged me up each and every hill. He would say "Attack, keep pushing, you can do it..  Focus on something ahead and you will be rewarded with a down hill for recovery." I should have been recording him, so I can reply during my half. 

One of the big climbs

By about the 16km mark I was buggered...  I really struggled after that and slowed down to bout 8 mins per km for the last few k's... But the important thing was, I kept going and eventually made it home in 2:25 mins and just short of 19k's..

With 12 sleeps to go all my hard work is done and it's time to taper. 
Quite scary really but I know I've done all the required training, and I was so pleased to get through this big one.  I mean really, what 2 k's more right? So yeah, feeling a little bit better about it now, and know that on the day adrenalin will kick in plus I'll have the crowds cheering me through those last couple of km's as I run towards the finish line.

Bring it on.

It's official. I really do have the best parents every

Night all and happy running xo

Getting excited

I'm happy to report that Sunday's run was by far my best one yet.

I was a bit naughty last week and had a quieter week exercise wise. No excuses, I really just couldn't be bothered.. I hadn't actually done anything since my last run on Wednesday night so come Sunday, I was ready and raring to go.. 

Another perfect morning

It was back to 15ks this week and for the first time, I managed to get through the most of it without stopping. Mentally I was feeling pretty good also. I had one quick pit stop at the 8km mark for a gel and some water then another quick one around the 10 when I bumped into a friend I hadn't seen in ages. Quick chat then finished the last 5 really strongly. 

 

I finished in 1:43... 14 mins faster than my run for the kids 15 ks in April. Crazy hey.

I think having that few days rest before really made a difference, so if this is what tapering is all about then I'll be laughing come my half. Nah not really......  I'm really starting to get nervous but I'm also very excited....  I've got one more long run (19ks) left this weekend, and that's it.  Then let the tapering begin.

 

 After my run, I was bit excited cause me, my boy and a couple of friends went to check the new German beers halls - Munich Brauhaus that have just opened up at Docklands. Was so much fun and can't wait to go back.  

Cheers, I definitely earnt this beer!! 

And look what finally arrived in the mail today - there's definitely no backing out now...

Only 18 sleeps to go - eeeeee!!! 

Night all and happy running xo

17 kms

Firstly, apologies for being a bit slack and taking a few days to get this post up. 

What can I say?? I've been a busy girl.. 

So here we go.. 17k's was the challenge, my equal furthest run yet. 

The alarm was set for 8am but I reckon I hit the snooze button at least 3 times before I eventually dragged by butt out of bed and left the house at 9.. 

What a perfect morning

It was another cool, sunny and perfect morning as I set off... As usual the first few kilometers felt really good as I tried to get to into a rhythm and not think about how many k's I had left to go. Before I knew it, I reached the 7km mark and found myself running along a new part of the trail I'd never reached before.

Whilst exploring new parts of the trail, turned around a corner and this appeared outside a temple

Awesome, I thought. But then I had a little scare. These 3 kids on their bikes were coming towards me and taking up the whole path, refused to move out of the way of duck behind each other. I found myself having to quickly run off onto the grass to avoid being hit and in the meantime, nearly rolled my ankle. I took few deep breaths, walked for bit, stretched it out and it was as good as old. Phew... That's the last thing I need with 4 weeks ago. Stupid kids.. 

Anyways the good thing was, despite the scare, I was able to get the through the last half of the run relatively ok however I still can't seem to run the full distance without stopping. But like I learnt from the running convention last week, that's ok. I tend to use the water taps as my relief and then try to keep going. The way I'm traveling at the moment I think i'll go close to beating my 2 hours 30 mins for the half.. But then again, I am starting to doubt it just a little a bit.  

I made it ... Taking a well earnt rest on the front lawn

With 4 weeks to go I'm starting to get a bit nervous, but that's normal, right?  I really need to ramp it up one more gear and focus more than ever. More mileage, clean eating,  no excuses. (says she, who's just polished off the last bit of ice cream as I write this)... Mind you I did smash out 30 min intervals plus a CX works class a lunch time so it's all good..

And with that in mind, it's time to say good night all, happy running, and lets do it all again tomorrow.. xo

Australia's First Running Convention

As usual, it's been another crazy weekend ... It all started on Saturday when I was lucky enough to attend Australia's first Running Convention at the Parks in Albert Park with my friend Louise.
 The day was full of workshops and seminars that covered a range of topics to suit all levels of runners and interests.

We arrived at the venue at 10 which allowed just enough time to wonder around and check it all out before sitting down to the first couple of seminars. We were asked to show a hands of those that had competed in ultra's right down to those who were training for their first 5k's. The amount of elite runners in the room was inspiring.

It then went into discussions around planning your running year, goal setting and some tips and tricks in preventing long terms injuries. Will summarise these later on. After these had finished we had a first break in the day, where we were finally able to meet up with another 12wbt runners connect buddy and fellow blogger Carol.. We'd only every chatted through FB and blogs, so it was lovely to finally meet up, and even better,  it felt like we'd know each other for years, don't think we stopped talking all day. Another reason why I love our 12wbt running family.

Carol, Me and Louise finally get to meet. Thanks for the photo Carol and excuse the bad hair

The next session took us outside into the glorious sunshine for a yoga & injury prevention session. Here, we learnt some basic poses and stretches to help find our core and further improve our running.



This then led into a session around strength training for runners. Here, we did a circuit style program that included 3 rounds of 10 x squats / lunges / v-sit ups / push ups & burpees.
Our lovely trainer then took us through some basic moves on the foam rollers and explained the importance of self massage...

Taking it all in..

Finally after our work out it was time for a lunch break. There wasn't much variety to choose from, but thankfully, I stumbled across Dineamic. Delicious tasty nutritional ideas and co founded by ex Essendon player Jason Johnson. Even bumped into the great man himself. They offer a great range to cater for all dietary requirements ie. Gluten Free / Vegetarian / Fructose / No preservatives etc and are designed to aid with preparation, performance, recovery, and diet planning.

After our lovely lunch it was back to the seminar room for a psychology lesson and a panel discussion between 4 elite runners. I nearly didn't stay for this but I'm so glad Carol talked me into it especially when I found out who they were. They talked about how they overcame things like obesity / depression and lost loved ones to become young healthy and inspirational athletes.

The Panel

 Sarah Joyce, the editor of Women's Running Australia Magazine hosted the panel which included,
- Tristan Miller: 52 marathons/52 weeks across 42 countries
- Kelly Hetherington: AU 800m champion
- Oska Inkster-Baynes: NZ ½ marathon champion  
- Brendan Davies: AU Ultra Runner of the Year 2012

The Man behind 52 marathons in 52 weeks - Crazy!

I was so inspired that afterwards, I went to purchase Tristan's book. Thankfully Carol was with me as she pushed me into a photo and mentioned to him that I was about to tackle my first half marathon. He was full of well wishes and then had time to sign my book..

It was the perfect way to finish of such a great day..

I was definitely exhausted by then and not to mention brain fried but it was totally worth it.... In summary here are some of the things I walked away with:

When you're on a long run, and finding it tough play games like, I'll just run to the next tree and then see or picture your running in your favourite place around the world.

 Listen to your body. If you're sore/tired, it's okay, to walk if you have to.

It's okay to split up your runs. As long as your getting the kilometers into legs it doesn't matter. If you're time restricted & need to to do 10s then split it up with 5 in the morning & 5 in the afternoon.

Strength and core training is sooo important. I guess we knew that anyways, but It's nice to be reminded and shown some extra stretches and movements etc

Of course there were plenty more, but I think it's time I wrap this post up..
Thanks for reading if you're still with me.

Night all and happy running x

Byron Bay Bliss

What a weekend! I woke up on Friday so excited as our countdown was finally over and we were just about on our way to Byron Bay for a weekend away in paradise.. But before getting on that plane it was business first. Our flight wasn't scheduled til late Friday afternoon, so I decided it was best to fit in my long run before we left. It was a good thing I did, cause our time in Byron was limited and it meant I could make the most of it.  

 17kms was the target and I smashed it. Well maybe not time wise, but it was the best longest I run I've ever done and the most comfortable I've felt with anything over 15.. I completed the 17ks in 2.06 mins which I was pretty happy with. Apart from a few stops at some drinking taps along the way, I managed to run most of it without stopping..  It also probably helped that I had an awesome holiday to look forward to at the end of it, because the time flew by and I really enjoyed the run.

Somewhere along my 17k run.

We eventually got to the airport that arvo and what was suppose to be a nice cruisy wkened didn't start off quite so well.. Delays, then cancelled flights, then got diverted to Brisbane instead of Gold Coast which meant an extra hour drive. We really got stuffed around... But we eventually made it Byron by lunch time on Saturday and it was soooo worth the effort... It was just Bliss.. 

And this was what was waiting for us ~ Byron Bliss

 Walks along the beach ....  Drinks with a good friend ...  Steps and more steps up to look outs and more amazing beaches....

Ran 17ks then was rewarded with this!

Dolphins / Sunset walks along the beach / Lounging by the pool / Spas ... 

Even managed to fit in a 5 k run along the beach before heading home again. I didn't want to leave. 

But like I said it was short and sweet and my last horrah before getting back to reality and really knuckling down... Can't believe there's only 39 more sleeps to go..  Crazy isn't it...

 So thanks to my beautiful boy for such an awesome weekend... Was exactly what I needed.. 

Night all and Happy Running x