You’re going to have to forgive me for all this ranting and raving about this running thing, but it’s right now part of my “current” so to speak.
So you all know by now that I’ve been running up a storm and training for the races that I have coming up in the next few weeks. I’ve run 14kms every Saturday for the last 3weeks so I think I’m doing well?! But I still have to up that distance for my target big run which is now less than a month away *yikes*.
Am I prepared…not yet! I can at least tick off my takkies though – they’re perfect 🙂 Blisters are no longer an issue in my life. The socks I use are also absolutely fine. What I’m battling with (and it feels like trial and error at the moment!) is the following;
- Water…basically, hydration during training. While I know that during races, there are water stations, unfortunately during my training, there are none 😦 Up to about 10kms, I’m fine…but thereafter, I definitely need some water. I’m not too keen on running with a water bottle in my hand even though I know you get those bottle that have a hand grip in them. So this weekend, I took a drawstring bag with me. From the start, it annoyed me. Firstly it was bouncing up and down against my back so I used a hair band to tie the straps around my waste-ish area. That worked for a little while but then after about 2/3kms, it started bobbing up and down again until eventually, the straps had moved up and were chafing my shoulder. So for the balance of my run, I alternated between holding the straps (meaning my hands and arms were tied up), tying it up again with my hairband or just taking it off my shoulders and jogging with it. Then to open the bag up and actually get the water bottle out…arrgghhh.
- Pants…I have three different pairs of running pants. They’re all from Mr Price, all long tights, but they’re different styles. The one, although the same size as the others, is a thicker material – more suited for winter – but is literally tighter than my stockings making it fine for the shorter distances but quite stifling for the longer distances. The other two are proper tights material (is it lycra?!?!), but for some reason, one of them chafes so bad that I literally cannot walk after running 14kms 😦 So the third one seems to work okay…for now.
- Routes…is the whole of Jo’burg hilly????? My training is all done on hills – Buccleuch seems to have been built on a mountain, literally. The surrounding areas are somewhat less hilly, but still nowhere near flat. Finding a flat area to run on is virtually impossible. Where I know that this will make me stronger for my races, I really just want to run a flat! Also, how does a person have longer training sessions during the week…it gets dark so early and in the morning, it’s too dark to go running before the school dropoff 😦 My neighbour did say that apparently nobody trains in winter and I shouldn’t be doing it this of the year but hey…
- Aches and pains…it’s amazing how, on a normal day, I feel fit as a fiddle then the minute I start running, something starts paining. A sign that running isn’t good for you?!?! Heh. If it’s not my ankle, then it’s my knee, or an arm, my shins – something always hurts. Maybe I should call this more of a niggle ‘cos it’s not bad enough to not want to run and mentally, I seem to be able to refocus elsewhere and continue, but is this normal??? I do warm up before and do a proper stretch once I’m done running, but I still get these aches and pains.
- Strength training…I have no idea how to go about doing strength training in between my runs! The logical thing for me is to train in the gym but I don’t have a gym membership and cannot afford one. Motivating myself at home to actually run is more than my little brain can cope with – I have no idea how can do anything else and how to wrap my head around that!!
I need some advice…anybody have some valuable input on the above points???
BTW, I asked Ethan last week whether he would say that his mother is a runner if somebody asked – his response – NO, BECAUSE YOU DON’T RUN, YOU JOG, hehe. Clever boy!!
HOWE do you do?! 
LOL, clever Ethan.
I have no advise sorry. Do people do the conveyer belt training during winter? I can’t for the lift of me remember the name of that thing. Oh yes, the treadmill.
I often wonder why runners run in peak hour traffic. Talk about taking your life into your hands. If and a bit IF, I were a runner I would sooner run around my block 20 times, LOL.
Seen from a non-runner perspective of course.
Oh, is it the seam on the pants that chaffe? I have a pair of shorts like that. If only my thighs didn’t high-five each other in the middle I would have that chaffing problem, LOL
I was actually quite looking forward to your advice from a non-runner perspective 😉 Unfortunately, I don’t have a treadmill and am not part of the gym so although I wouldn’t mind adding that training in, I can’t. I ran two weeks ago in peak hour traffic on the main road and I was so petrified!! I forgot how dark DARK is, and for a large part of my run, there was no pavement to run on and no street lights. It was terrible.
As for your thighs high-fiving…hilarious!!!
You know, I’ve always got to add my 5c even if I have NO IDEA what I’m talking about.
I can’t even recall seeing a jogger (or runner) with a water bottle. Don’t cyclists have a little belt, but I suppose that would also bob around.
Advise from a non-runner finished. I’m sure Debs will have the “low-down”
You are right Helen, the traffic petrifies me, but peak traffic the only time I have to run! I am so thankful for the nice wide sidewalk on Baywest Boulevard, so don’t have to venture in busy roads luckily – feel safe there and lots of traffic to keep any muggers or crooks away from me *touch wood*.
That’s the other thing. Running, or really doing anything in the dark scares the bejeebers out of me. I don’t even walk my dogs on winter evenings because it gets too dark. I think I may be a bit cookoo, LOL
You are definitely not cuckoo, Helen! I also only start at 7 when the sun is creeping out! Unfortunately with the country we live in, I have to “feel” safe as far possible!
Well done on all the running, here’s my 2 cents as someone completed my first half.
Hubby bought me a hydration pack – sommer a cheapie from Mr Price and it works well. (Also run with a runners belt for my cellphone or whatever underneath my shirt) Hydration is really important if you run longer than an hour. I used mine for the half marathon too as I support the “I bring my own” cause as you’ll see in races how many plastic sachets gets left on the road, especially by road runners (even though I usually stashed mine somewhere and throw it away later. https://www.mrpsport.com/en_za/2-litre-hydration-pack-6703810092 . Also remember to fuel properly, I loved the Race Bars, and I took some Energade jellies too, your muscles need the glycogen (I think that’s what it’s called), on training runs too. The race only gave water and coke (yuck).
14km is good, but you will have to up it every week and make sure you run a 19 at least 2 weeks before and that you complete it comfortably. That was a provincial VET’s advise to me… although with all the bugs and viruses targeting me, I only completed my first 19 a week and a day before my race. She said if you can run a 19 comfortably, you can run a half marathon.
Hill training is good, my normal routes are usually very hilly, and then the half marathon was almost completely flat, so it made it so much easier!
I only run in tights, just below my knees, also from Mr P and also thin material, I get hot too quickly. Just remember to run in your most comfortable for the race… never anything new on race day, but you probably know this already.
As for the aches and pains… yup …. mostly! Remember my bloody ankle on race day, flip still so miffed about the bad start due to that.
Strength training, I ditched it for a while, need to take it up again, because need that strength to make me faster… There was a nice Runners programme on Pinterest, but I need to find it again, just remember it was nice and short and it looked fab to supplement the running…
Please shout if you need any advise 🙂
Thanks for that Debs! I’m worried that I won’t have enough km’s under my belt for the 21km especially because I have two races (10kms each) in the three weekends left till then leaving me only one weekend to up my distance. The 14km already has been HARD! But a lot of people (and they’re also runners) have been saying that if I can run the 14km fine all by myself without any music or anything, just my own thoughts, I’ll be able to manager a 21km with a “crowd”. And apparently, even walking it will be achievable…or at least walking some part of it. I’m worried though!! I will check out the hydration pack though, thanks for the advice.
Yes, there were a lot of people walking it as well! My friend who did it with me also did not train as much and as long as I did, I think her longest was 16km and she was sick, so there might be truth in what your runner friends advised you. I guess the difference will be in recovering time in the end, I was fine / pain free after 2/3 days whereas it might take you 3/4/whatever… who knows, but I would love to hear how it goes!
Definitely give it your best go, can’t wait to see your medal!