"Adventure" Run...

So yesterday, after weeks of deliberating and researching, I finally purchased my marathon shoes!

My marathon shoes, in "run further blue".

My lovely Inov-8 Roclite 268's, with their tacky sole and 9mm heel, are designed for running on both road surface and trails, plus teeth on the toes to help with climbing up mountains - because of course, for my first marathon, I'll be combining all of these things. They also have a special feature on the bottom to help with my plantar fasciitis.

Most crucially, they come in "run further blue".

So to break them in I did an hour "adventure run" through the woods. Coach Jeff Grant at Hillseeker Fitness, who is helping me with my training, refers to my longer runs as "adventure runs", and it's taught me a very useful tip which I am now going to share with you:  if there's anything you don't want to do, or anything you're dreading, put the word "adventure" in front of it, and suddenly it doesn't seem all that daunting:

- Adventure laundry
- Adventure bill paying
- Adventure dentist check up
- Adventure OBGYN appointment (kinda brings new meaning to the term "to infinity, and beyond!")

Yeah, I went there.

(Sorry mom).

Some Inspiration for the Day

This little guy made it halfway and then shriveled up and died.

This will not be me.

WOD That Nearly Made Me Be Sick

This workout is called "The Lumberjack 20". And it nearly made me be sick in my mouth.

Marathon Buddies

Since starting my training for the marathon, I've realized that I am now in an elite group of people who are known as "marathon trainers".

Now, truth be told, I used to hate these people. When my friends would decide to train for marathons, they went from being awesome to being completely boring and a little pretentious:

"Oh I can't eat that, I'm training for a marathon"
"Oh I can't go out tonight, I'm training for a marathon"
"Oh I can't get drunk tonight, I'm training for a marathon"
"Oh I'm going to be a completely boring b*stard, because I'm training for a marathon"

Gag me. With a shovel.

But now, I kinda get it. When I go out with friends, and they are all ordering burgers and beer, I go with the salad and tap water. When they peer pressure me, I say, "Oh I can't eat that, I'm training for a marathon". What. Have. I. Become?!

But it makes sense. The same way if you're travelling abroad and you meet someone from your home country, or home state, or home city! You talk about what you know and have in common, while those around you grow bored and agitated from being left out of the conversation. Now I understand, it's not being rude, it's a way to share with and learn from others about training techniques, and, in my case, to gauge just how far behind you are on your training.

Case in point, I went out for dinner with some fellow volunteers from Room to Read the other night. When I learned another woman at the table was also running the Jungfrau, I asked her how her training was coming along. Keep in mind I had only just done a 75 minute run, and nearly shriveled up and died during a 20k. She calmly replied, "it's going great, I'm already up to 21k's three times a week"... WHAT!? That took the wind out of my sails.

A happier story to end on - I was recently at work at an Irish Pub in the city center, when I went to go take an order from one of my tables. There sat a very strong, fit man in a suit - he asked me, "have anything healthy to eat?". I thought he was kidding. Healthy? We're an Irish Pub! So I casually said, "hmmm... it's a tough one, the food here is really good, but I wouldn't consider many of the options 'healthy', but I'm training for a marathon so maybe I'm just pickier than most". What. Have. I. Become!?! But his eyes lit up and he said, "I'm training for a marathon, too! Which one are you doing?" so we started chatting. He was running the Berlin Marathon in September and, like me, it was his first marathon. We discussed techniques, nutrition and upcoming races in Zurich where he may get some good practice. After that, he ordered a Guinness and a steak pie. I can only assume he took one look at me and said, "hell, if this girl can run a marathon, why am I bothering with all this training and stress"....

We did make a pact that in a few weeks he'd return and we'd share training stories. Marathon buddies!!

75 Minute Run

Part of my training included running for 75 minutes straight - at an easy pace - just to make sure I can do it. So once again I ate my oats and stretched it out for my long run.

I took a route through the woods and when I came out the other side, ended up in a town called "Watt", which is pretty appropriate considering that's exactly what I said when I got there.

I was completely lost and hadn't a clue where I ended up, but I just decided to continue running along the only road I could find in the hopes I would end up somewhere familiar. Up a few massive hills, through some more woods and fields and I found an elderly man who, it seemed, was trying to race me up a hill on his mountain bike. We got to the top and he gave me a high five, which was adorable. I asked him, in awful German, where my town "Oberhasli" was. He didn't know. That's when I knew I was really far from home.

My view when I exited the woods. That's Watt to the right. Not to be confused with "the way home".

I asked about a few of the neighboring towns around us, and one he did recognize - apparently it was on the other side of a large, wooded hill in front of us. How do I take a casual, flat running path through the woods and end up on the other side of a mountain? I didn't really have time to figure it out, as I was still on my 75 minute run, so I took a deep breath and headed up the hill, back towards my beloved Oberhasli.

The path home - there are worse ways to travel.

After all that adventure, I ended up running 85 minutes. I was super happy with myself that I was able to do it nonstop, except for the minute or two where I had to ask for directions.

BOOM!

BEES! BEES I TELL YOU!

So my usual running route passes by a bee hut - because, apparently, to the Swiss bees are cute and cuddly and should be kept in large huts near public walkways.  Anyway, I digress. Usually I stop in front of the hut to admire the bees and their constant flying to and fro, to listen to the "buzz" caused by literally thousands of bees working away, and to embrace the beauty of nature. And that's when nature decided to attack me. First, one bee felt like it got stuck in my hair - but, having remembered one of the many life lessons in the film Jerry Maguire, I knew that bees could smell fear, so I kept my cool and tried to gently encourage it out of my hair. Then a second joined. And a third, and a fourth, and eventually I lost count. I was swinging my head frantically in an attempt to dislodge my attackers. Then, I felt a few go down the back of my top. That was it - DECENCY BE DAMNED!  I lost all my cool, composure (and, it turns out, dignity), and tore my t-shirt off and ran through a farmer's field trying to lose the little b*stards who seemed intent on killing me. 

Eventually the bees dispersed, leaving me alone standing in the middle of a field, topless and looking every inch dishevelled. That's when I noticed a hapless dogwalker watching me from afar in horror. I tried to compose myself and, in absolutely awful German, attempted to explain to him what he just witnessed was an unprovoked attack by nature, and not some mental Ausländerin running amok. Unfortunately, my "Teach Yourself German" CD doesn't seem to cover animal attacks, weird, so it sounded more like... "I... I have... sorry... I am fear... hello... greetings".

I managed to emerge relatively unscathed, save for this bee sting in my arm and potentially mentally scarring an innocent bystander.

My good friend, Lesley, sent me this clip from YouTube which I think accurately portrays what happened.

Crossfit - also known as "Kicking Your Own *ss and Loving It"

As part of my training, I have started attending weekly crossfit and athlete's yoga sessions at Hillseeker Crossfit. I have always been considerably strong "for a girl"... so thought this wouldn't be all that hard. But boy, was I wrong.

Crossfit is a series of high intensity interval training. First you're running, then you're doing pullups, then you're rowing, and sometimes you're carrying barbells through fields:

Me, on the left, carrying a barbell in a field.

It's so intense and tough, but in the end it's totally worth it. You walk (limp?) away from a crossfit session feeling tired and sore, but in a really awesome way. I can't explain it, but I know that I really enjoy it.

Following the crossfit I then do athlete's yoga. It's a bit more intense than your normal yoga, with the intention of building muscle and endurance as opposed to relaxing the body. Who knew that just standing one particular way would make me sweat and shake more than lifting weights?

I highly recommend these classes if you're looking to get into shape. Check out the Hillseeker Crossfit website for more information.

Deutschland or BUST!

Back in England, a well known bicycle shop (who shall remain nameless), told me to scrap Sasha, my beloved bike. After years of riding her to work on a daily basis, her gears were wearing out, her tires were out of alignment and she had a host of other problems - which is why they suggested Sasha should be put down. But I didn't believe them and I kept her and showed her love and brought her with me to Switzerland.

And yesterday, she proved her worth as she safely transported me to Germany! That's right, we cycled to an entirely new flippen country!! Ok, granted, we are only about 50 kilometers (31 miles) to the Germany border, but still it felt like quite the accomplishment given Sasha's previous diagnosis.

Sasha and I at the Swiss/German border

Koblenz or BUST!

Running Workshop

I had the opportunity to attend a running workshop held by Hillseeker Fitness with the aim to assess  and improve my running technique.

The workshop started out with a session where we were videoed running, so the coach could assess our technique and where we need to improve it.  I got up there thinking my technique was spot on - I mean, it's running, it's natural, right? 

WRONG!

This meme has never rung so true for anyone, ever, in the world:

I was pounding the ground on my heel with a totally extended knee, and my arms were so stiff I looked like a nutcracker soldier. This could explain why I'm always experiencing knee and calf injuries, and why my mean case of plantar fasciitis hasn't improved in over a year.

There was lots of work to do.

Throughout the day we learned new techniques, both physically and mentally, to help us improve our running. Some of the physical techniques showed me how to stop jarring my knee and heel. The mental techniques helped me with running longer and coping with hills.

That's me, on the far left, being awesome in one of the Running Workshop drills.

Two days after the running workshop, I attempted a 5k again. I concentrated on what I was taught with my body positioning, my breathing, my focus, everything. It worked so well that I didn't even need to stop - not once!!! I kept going and going and, when I reached the end, I felt I could have kept on going! I ended up knocking 7 minutes off my previous 5k time. 

7 MINUTES!

This running workshop completely changed the way I run and the improvements were noticeable straight away. Everyone in the workshop has said that same thing, and having met with others who have previously taken the workshop, they all say it was the greatest thing that's ever improved their running. If you're thinking of getting into running, I strongly suggest taking one. You can learn more Hillseeker Fitness and their Efficient Running Workshops here.