Training

End of Winter Training/Racing Season

Shathiso @thegaboronerunner.com

I’m going to take a moment to sit back and reflect on the last few months of training and racing! I wrote quite an emotional post back in June where I discussed my injury time-out and put down in black and white my determination to continue with the 17 in 2017 journey despite the setback. I drew comfort and strength from one of my favourite bloggers Wendy, who once spoke of the importance of focusing on finish lines and not finish times. I returned to running with a 3 month winter training plan that was cautious but focused. Unfortunately, my training was quite interrupted with several life and work changes, and sometimes just the gloominess of winter! My blogging also took a bit of a backseat for a while. But I am very pleased to say that of the five races I had planned for this winter, I managed four, bringing my race tally to TEN this year. All my race recaps are now up and here is a short summary:

  • 08 July: I did the Kgale Cross-Country/Trail with my cousin Tapiwa. This was my first 15 km race and unfortunately one where we got mugged on the trail at knife point. It was an awful experience, but we finished the race.
  • 29 July: I participated in the epic 30k Desert-Bush Walk in Jwaneng, taking over seven hours to complete it and emerging from the desert, battered but undefeated!
  • 20 August: I was the 5k trail “sprinter” in the Time Team Challenge in Mokolodi that I did with Elisa and Ditiro. One of my favourite races yet and I shaved 13 minutes off a previous 5k Trail PB.
  • 02 September: To end my Winter Training Cycle, I did the Rustenburg Mountain Race (10km) with my husband on our way back from our holiday in South Africa. It was a tough race but I survived and felt stronger for it.

I emerge from winter, proud that I achieved so much but also extremely excited for what summer has to offer. My winter goal was to keep running, keep rehabbing my knee and to turn up for races, which I did. However, I think I am now ready to focus a little bit more on speed and I’m so excited to launch my training plan for my next goal race, the Soweto 10k in South Africa. The Soweto Marathon is one of THE biggest races in Africa, and I am really looking forward to taking part in the 10k and being part of that vibrant atmosphere. My 8-week Soweto training plan looks like this:

  • Three/four runs a week (with a long run every Saturday)
  • Pilates Classes on Mondays and Wednesdays
  • Conditioning/ Strength Exercises at home
  • Joining Virgin Active Gym – my first gym experience in 8 years!
  • Fortnightly weekend hikes up Kgale Hill to try and build some stamina for the Johannesburg hills

The #17in2017 Challenge continues and the next races on my calendar are as follows:

  • 16 September, the Gaborone City Mayor’s 10km
  • 23 September, the Botswana Independence 10km
  • 29 October, King of Africa Race 10km
  • 05 November, the Soweto 10km (GOAL RACE)

I feel ready, I feel excited, I feel optimistic. I will be returning to weekly training recaps, which I have not done all winter. So expect to hear from me every Sunday/Monday on how my training has gone. I find I am a lot more focused when I am forced to blog about my training! Looking forward to sharing the next stage of my journey with you! Let’s do this! Soweto, The People’s Race, I am taking that leap and coming for you…smiling, if a little bit scared!

Ziplining with my boy in Hazyview, South Africa

I am linking up with Courtney from Eat Pray Run for the Weekly Training Recap and really looking forward to linking up every Sunday/Monday to stay accountable and focused! I’m also linking up with Patty, Erika and Marcia for Tuesdays on the Run! Please check them out too, brilliant reads!

25 thoughts on “End of Winter Training/Racing Season”

    1. Thanks Lacey! Sadly, I am based in Botswana so we are heading into summer now! I’m dreading the heat but looking forward to being able to run outdoors again. Have been stuck on my treadmill for most of the winter which I have struggled with. Good luck to you as you head into fall/winter!

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  3. Great job with the races this year! I hear you about feeling more focused when you’re writing about your training in your blog. I feel the same way. It’s definitely a good tool for accountability.

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  4. I like Wendy’s advice, focusing on the finish line. Once I threw time goals away and focused on the fun, I enjoyed everything a lot more. I do have a goal to go after my PR at my next 10k, but that is secondary. I just want a good training cycle and a fun race.

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  5. I wish we had more 10K’s to choose from in my area. They are a great alternative to a 5K (10K’s are longer, requiring more endurance) and the half marathons (10K’s are shorter, allowing for a bit of speed finesse to shoot for). You have a a lot of cross-training on your schedule, which a GREAT thing 😉 Best of luck!!

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  8. Injuries are the worst! Good for you for pushing through. Sometimes it’s hard not to focus on times, but some of my best races have been when I’m just enjoying running.

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    1. It’s tough! I have a 3 and 5 year old so it wasn’t the best year to take on this challenge especially as a newbie runner! So I may have to think of something more manageable for next year! One of my thoughts so far is doing less races but focusing on doing a Half for the first time. Or focusing on quality over quantity.

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