Trail running and the latest on Operation Birthday

Ok!  3rd blog post tonight and just a few more quick things...let's see if I can fit them all into this post.  I'll title each topic....

MY 1ST TRAIL RUN!

So apart from my 1st CrossFit class, I also did my first proper trail run today!  I tried out a new parkrun, it's apparently the only parkrun in Australia that doesn't have any concrete or bitumen on course - it's all trail running or running on gravel and uneven grassy hills.

I went along to do it with my old boss.  When I started working with him last year, I noticed a Gold Coast Marathon finisher certificate on his desk.  Immediately I knew he was pretty cool :)  And I wasn't wrong.  We'd chat about running, marathons, training plans, events and running shoes, and he'd show me the elevation and maps on his Garmin.  It was so great working with him.  I haven't seen him for about 8 months so we organised to try out his local parkrun. 

That's us on the left :)

Funnily enough I wore a Lorna Jane singlet that my current boss gave me for Christmas!  I have pretty cool bosses, hey!

It was an experience, all right!  It was so hard!  As always I didn't let myself walk once, even though I gave myself permission to at the start when Paul said it was a really hard track.  There were some awful hills!  It was really, really hard.  Huge cal burn for a 5km run, and I had to keep an eye on my heart rate as it was in the 180's.  The organisers told me that because it was trail running (in the bush), you need to add about 5min. to your PB as it simply takes longer.  I was pretty impressed with myself to still do it in about 44min.  (My PB is 35 but lately I've been getting about 40...plus I felt slow today so I was surprised by 44).

Give me bitumen any day :)

I'm really not a fan of trail running....ever since the princess bushwalk I have a fear of going sideways on my ankle again whenever I'm in uneven terrain.  I hate that you have to look down at your feet all the time to make sure you don't slip...to be honest I don't know why people love it - apart from the fact that you're at 'one' with nature...which I don't even like anyway ;)  It takes so much more effort to watch your footing, and there's things like tiny creeks we had to leap over that disrupted my rhythm of running.

Paul and I ran together for the first 2km then he went on ahead.  I think I was the last runner to finish, the people behind me were walkers.  I was just glad to have finished it with no broken bones and not having stopped.  It was really special to have Paul clap for me as I went over the finish line - it was the first time we had run together after talking so much about it when we worked together :)  It was good to experience but really I prefer the road any day :)



IT'S WORTH IT

I realised this week (again) that....it's worth it. All of those little sacrifices we make, all of the times we get ourselves out of bed when we'd much rather sleep...all of the times we said 'no' to a food that we'd dearly just love to taste...all of the times when we feel a little deflated and ask ourselves if

It IS worth it

it's really worth it? 

Well, it is. I've had a few moments like this, this week...where I've seen myself being strict and also a few moments where I'm seeing how it's paying off...on the scales, in the mirror and opportunities arising.  I notice these little moments and realise already that they're worth it: a work morning tea that I didn't touch...there was so much food and in particular there was a packet of Doritos that looked so amazing that I could taste the cheesey flavouring with my eyes. I could have had a couple...but I didn't. It may have made me want more, and I just reminded myself about Operation Birthday...that's really important to me and I'm remaining focused. I can have some Doritos soon, but for now, I want to focus on my next goal wholeheartedly. 

For lunch yesterday I had something that looked very unexciting...this was different for me as I usually steer away from ugly food - I try and make my meals exciting in taste and appearance. But I'm doing "Operation ffs eat the low cal meals you've stocked in the freezer Kate before you add any more! And to save money" so I had my brown mush. I would have loved to have had anything else but I stuck to my plan. 

The day before, I forgot 2 of my 3 snacks - (meal prep is great when you actually remember to

Been sticking to my plan!

bring all your food!!) :( I had breakfast, lunch and 1 of my 3 snacks but by the afternoon I was hungry and wanting a snack. My only real replacement options were potato chips or lollies. As much as I wanted something, I stuck to my guns and waited for another hour and ran out of work and home to my fridge where I devoured my pre made snacks, just a little later than usual. Each thing like this is hard...but we do it...because we want the end goal. It's bloody hard at times. But if you want it, you've gotta put the work in, it's as simple as that. It's worth it...that's why I'm doing it.


STATUS OF #OPERATIONBIRTHDAY

Speaking of Operation Birthday, I've reassessed my Operation Birthday goal. It needed a bit of tweaking...it wasn't going to work. It's been getting like that for while, so much so that it started becoming near impossible to

actually achieve. The best thing about your goals is that they are yours - you can change them when you want. So instead of feeling hopeless about my goal which was getting out of reach and not actually believing I'll get there, or instead of being so overwhelmed and end up not doing anything about it at all, I've spent some time focussing and playing with numbers and considering some new ways of going about it, and I've worked it out! 

Basically now I believe in my goal so much more, and I know I can get there. And most importantly, I've decided that if I wake up on my birthday and I haven't made it, I will be ok with that. AS LONG AS - over the next 2 weeks and 4 days I put my 100% efforts into all that I do, and try my absolute best to get there. If I fall slightly short of the end target, that's ok. Because all my goal really is, is to know that I TRULY gave it my all. And besides that, this is a very real possibility...I can make this goal. It is still a huge goal!  And a big stretch!  I have to work my ass

My latest before and after

off, but it is also possible for me to do this. Wish me luck...I've been spending time getting my plans and things set up so that I can get serious for the last stretch. I want this goal so much. I'm going to do everything I can to get there. I'm loving this round and I want to finish it knowing that I've given it my all.  I've already been working so hard - I am now going to work harder.

Tomorrow is my first event of the year!  The 11km Resolution Run in Brisbane!  Talk soon! xx