Time to update on my running training.

I’ve made the decision to lower my sights and aim for 5, 8 and 10 km marathons instead of the 21 km marathon. Reason? No, I’m not whimping out, I just think I should look after my ageing body a bit more. Last thing I want is double knee and hip replacements!

So the next marathon is on December 10, and is 8 kms. My training is improving out of sight. My ‘medium’ speed is now what used to be my ‘fast’ speed. I’m running 1 km efforts at a consistently fast pace, and my hill training is getting better and better. I even passed someone – a man, too – running up a hill last time!

It will be interesting to see how I go in the 8 km event, as I have no idea how to run it. I’m sure my coach will talk me through it…she can talk while she runs, whereas I just heavy breathe! 

‘Focus on the now,’ my running coach tells me, as she senses my rising panic during our one kilometre efforts.

And she is right, every time. To get through tough training, it is essential not to think about how much further you have to run, how many more laps you have to do. I know this so well, but I need a gentle reminder. And when I do focus on just running, and not on how far I’ve run and whether I’ll get to the finish line, I run so much better.

My coach has started me on these shocking one kilometre efforts. My first attempt had me feeling sick the whole way through the run. We only did two efforts, with some recovery in between, but two was enough. But the big surprise was that I ran so much faster than I ever thought I could.

The second time we did these efforts – now up to three efforts – I was more ready. I focused on my stride, keeping the spring off my toes and just thinking about the bit of road I was running on at the time, not the hill ahead, or the fact that I had three efforts to do, not two. Yes, I did need a little reminder…it is hard to keep the mind focused when your brreathing becomes mor laboured, you feel sick, and your legs are starting to feel heavy during the last effort. But I know, from past experience that this technique is vital for survival.

And the good news? I did the three efforts in exactly the same time and matched the fastest time I achieved in these efforts the week before. Boy, was I proud of myself! And this time, I only felt a bit sick during the last one.

Well, I survived my second 5km marathon race, but the stress levels were definitely up.

In this race, there were 800 people running, all setting off at once. Talk about feeling claustrophobic on the start line! My sighted guide and I only got a clear path after about 2kms, so it was pretty frustrating. The overall difficulty with these sorts of races or fun runs, as they’re called, is that the organisers can’t close the roads, so we have to run on narrow paths, do lots of twists and turns, cross railway tracks etc. I think we got to run on one straight stretch of road for about half a km, then got shunted onto a narrow path lined with poles. It was hard enough for someone who could see to navigate that course, let alone someone like me without sight. I had someone out front warning me of speed humps and changes in the terrain, as well as my guide. I think I tripped over two speed humps, and walloped one witches hat.

Now what I’ve learned from this is that I have a major fear factor to overcome. Running blind is much harder than I thought. And it’s not surprising, considering the unexpected changes in terrain, and the risk of falling down kerbs and tripping over things. But the good news is that I did a faster time, despite the number of times we had to slow down. So I guess I’m getting fitter.

My coach tells me the next race has to be longer. NO idea how I’ll run something longer than 5kms, but oh well, it’s all fun.

Well, I did it! I survived my first 5 km marathon race. And boy, was it a hard course to run on, for a blind person anyway. I’d thought it was going to be an easy out-and -back course, but it wasn’t. The path twisted and turned, with lots of sharp right hand turns that challenged me. There was even a kerb we had to step down, which meant slowing right down so I didn’t twist an ankle. I know I lost time on the kerb and the sharp turns, as it is impossible to judge a turn when you can’t see, so the best thing is to slow down. I also lost time on the start, as we let the others get away a bit.

The whole experience was great for me. I learned how to race with others around me, how to pace myself, and how much it hurts! I got a bit stressed–which I need to work on–and lost my head a bit at the end. By that, I mean my mental toughness went out the window. I was feeling sick by the end and instead of being able to push through it, I focused on it, let it dominate.

But now I have a benchmark for other races. My time was 27 minutes and 40 seconds.

Out training today, I started concentrating on another aspect of running that I need to master–breathing. My coach, Shirl, gave me some useful hints about controlling my breathing, which in turn controlled my head! It was amazing. She pushed me hard and I really enjoyed it. I realise how important running outside as opposed to running on the treadmill is. For the three weeks before the marathon, I didn’t have an opportunity to run outside, and this showed. For one thing, my stride was too short, and for another, it is much harder to run outside.

So the next 5 km race is on September 24. I can’t wait!