A “Comfortably Uncomfortable” road to Gold!
Yes everybody it is meant to hurt! Week after week since I joined the MBRC in October, 2017, I was beginning to understand the science of it. No magic wands! Although I do acknowledge a great coach who also passed on to me the value of consistency and trusting the tried and tested program, I was impatient to improve. Turn up at 5.30 am every morning and see what happens. Stick with his program and it will come. Easy to say!
During the many monthly MBRC 5 kms Time Trials I had a chance to put “Comfortably Uncomfortable” into practice. The 5 kms Time Trial a proven gauge to measure fitness, improvement and potential Half Marathon times were a monthly challenge. To run a PB (< 1:55:00) in the 2018 Blackmores’ Half according to the Jack Daniels Calculator I needed a 24:36 min 5 Km Time Trial. Maybe I had reached my peak? My first Half in 2009 was 2:13:00, progress had not been too shabby.
In come Jenna, Ange and Jane whose backsides I saw a lot of and whose kind souls motivated me to a 24:37 PB in the September 5 Km Time Trial. Time to test the Jack Daniels Calculator on September, 16 in the Blackmores Half…..A very pleasing PB 1:52:00….it worked! But that’s not it, there is more to do!
Jane and I are now solid threshold, interval and time trial partners holding our paces well between us. My November time trial, 23.31 was a solid minute quicker than September!!! How did this happen? I checked my Garmin, Strava and others devices in disbelief many times.
The Surf Lifesaving World Masters Championships are now looming on the 21st, November 2018 at Glenelg Beach, Adelaide. The 70 m Beach Sprint and a 1 km Sand Run are my events.
“Comfortably Uncomfortable” buoyed me from feelings of struggle and trepidation during the first 500m of the 1 Km sand run to a strong controlled finish and Gold medal.
The Sprint is altogether different, it is run on nerves, anticipation, and finally calmness at the start. It is one event I feel I am born for, I know what to do. It hurts just thinking about the effort required but while you are in the moment, running, you don’t feel pain. No time to check the talent I knew it was strong after the heats, just focus. I felt calm at the start and got away well as did everyone else. There were 80 km / hour winds blowing and nothing could be heard at the finish. We were instructed to stay in our lanes while they checked the photo finish. We were then given a stick with a number on it mine was “1 “ another Gold!
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