After running my first Half Marathon, I am ready for my next challenge – the Lady K Urban Obstacle Course on the 28th July 2018.
It’s just one week to go until I tackle my first Obstacle Course Race. I am surprisingly relaxed even though my training has been far from ideal and that’s putting it mildly (see Week 1 and Weeks 2 – 5). But training for this race has really been about keeping myself active while taking a short break from serious running. I start training for my second Half Marathon (Soweto) in August so my objective for doing this Obstacle Course Race has always been about having fun, getting dirty and enjoying the whole experience. But for the sake of accountability, here are some highlights from the last 2 weeks:
Running
Week 6 was a bit of a disaster. I transitioned from being sick to being lazy and spent the week thinking about running but not actually doing it. Week 7 was slightly better! On Monday, I ran a speedy 2.75 km (20:30 min) to the gym for an intense Grid Class.
After the gym class, we ran back home using a different route for 2.25 km (18:38 min), bringing my total run to 5 km.
That afternoon I travelled to Windhoek, Namibia for quite an intense week of work. However, on Wednesday I managed a 3.51 km walk around Windhoek. It was extremely hilly but I had so much fun power walking up the inclines and stopping to take photos of some of the historic monuments and buildings. The whole walk took around 45 minutes and it was really worth the “timeout” from work and was the perfect way to see the city and a great way to squeeze in a workout.
Strength Training
My Monday Grid Class with Ditiro was torturous but such a great experience. It included lunges, pushing a heavy box across the room, walking plank and push-ups, and some other forms of torture my mind has chosen to forget. It was tough doing this after our speedy run to the gym and I felt nauseous for parts of it. What was even tougher though was trying to run back home with such heavy legs! We contemplated walking but as soon as we started running we kept moving and even got faster. I am so glad we did this and I walked onto the plane that afternoon like a boss! LOL!
I had banked on using the gym at the hotel. Sadly, the gym was being refurbished so I had to find alternative ways of working out. I immediately decided to use the stairs instead of the elevator and as I was up on the 6th Floor, this proved to be quite the workout! I even convinced my poor colleagues to try it out one day and my boss announced one morning that he had done a workout on all 14 flights of stairs. At the start of the week I was so out of breath but by the end of it, it started feeling a lot easier and I powered up those stairs with a lot more energy.
For two of the days in the Hotel Room, I did squats (20 x 3 sets), push-ups (10), planks (1 min) and tricep dips (10). Not too bad.
Hiking
The Sunday before leaving for Namibia, I went up Kgale Hill with some friends. It was so crisp that morning but what fun we had – 4.97 km in 1:36:45, with an ascent of 296 m. The bright smiles say it all. 🙂
Setbacks
Laziness reared its ugly head in Week 6 and the Namibia Trip threw a spanner in the works in Week 7. But I am glad I managed to find some ways of staying active while in Windhoek including taking a walk, using the stairs and doing some strengthening exercises back in my hotel room.
Blogging
In case you missed them, since my last Training Recap, I have posted the following:
- Six Reasons to Spectate a Race
- PPC Kgale Hill Challenge, Race Recap
- Five Things I Love About the Lady K Trail Run
Mileage the last 2 weeks: 13.48 km
Mileage this training cycle: 65.98 km
Mileage for Year 2018: 392.05 km
Gym Time: 1 Day
Grade: C- (There was no valid reason for me to take Week 6 off. I improved a lot in Week 7 but when I returned from my trip on Friday I could have done more to make up for the disrupted week. So unfortunately my C- still stands)
To keep myself accountable I am linking up with my favourite ladies, Holly from HoHo Runs and Wendy from Taking the Long Way Home
The Gaborone Runner 
I wouldn’t call it laziness, I just think that your body needed a break and you were smart to listen. You’ve been working hard for months so I don’t think it’s crazy at all that you would want some time off!
I love the photos that you took in Windhoek – so pretty and stunning!
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Thanks Kim! The last couple of months have been really nice without the pressure of training for a big goal race. I even got sick without stressing about getting better because of a race. So I should cut myself some slack… but I also know I have a very sneaky voice in my head that could easily tell me to take a break for the rest of the year! LOL.
Windhoek really is pretty. I wish I had more time to explore it. But I loved the little I saw!
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Laziness happens to the best of us — sometimes it means your body really needs more rest. I’m reluctant to do an obstacle race — I don’t have strength to pull myself up anything.
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Thanks Coco. To be honest, I am just banking on being hoisted up by others! I tried one pull up the other day, and couldn’t even do that! So Saturday will be very interesting indeed!
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Very cool photos from Windhoek. How wonderful to be able to get in a little sight-seeing and activity while traveling for work!
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I am so pleased I managed to take that walk. We were back at the hotel a little earlier than usual so I grabbed my shoes and went out. Luckily, the hotel was quite central. I didn’t have a map or anything so had no clue where I was going but managed to find some great monuments and buildings and get a feel for the city!
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Ah we all have weekswhere we don’t get it all done. Good luck w your obstacle course race! Sounds super fun
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Looking to have fun and a good laugh!
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What a great improvisation for the hotel! The pictures looks great too.
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The stairs proved to be such a great workout!
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Sometimes it’s hard to work out when you’re out of your element. Give yourself grace and get back at it when you’re home. I love the pictures you shared from your trip to Namibia. That church is just beautiful!
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Thank you Wendy! If I am not mistaken, I think it is the oldest church in Namibia!
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I definitely count hiking/walking for sightseeing as a workout when I’m travelling. Good job getting in some hotel workouts as well!
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Thanks Hannah! It felt good to see a bit of the city while clocking those km!
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Great photos! Never been to any part of Africa and I think you’re the only blogger I read from anywhere but Morocco, so always love to see what you have to show. Good luck with the race
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Thanks Cari! You should definitely put Botswana on your bucket list – I am of course very biased, but I think it’s a pretty cool place to visit!
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Great photos – and how funny, as a British friend of mine is in Namibia right now and those photos of Windhoek look very familiar! Good luck with the obstcle course, not something you’d find me doing but I know a lot of people who really enjoy them. And echoing others, you do need to have a rest after a half or other big race, so that’s your body telling you to do that. Happy running!
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Hahaha! And we probably stayed around the same area too!
I have secretly enjoyed my rest but so glad I also put a couple of fun races on the schedule because otherwise I know I would quickly slip back into my Old Self of just not getting any workouts done!
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Your photos from Windhoek are beautiful! I’m impressed with how you improvised around not having a gym available. Sometimes you can only do what you’re able to do. Good luck with the race coming up, sounds like it will be a lot of fun and a good challenge!
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It’s a beautiful little city! Part of me wishes I had trained more for the Obstacle Race but the other part of me is really glad I’m going in relaxed and just looking to have fun. Thankfully, I am in a team of 4 so we will get to help each other get over the obstacles!
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woot woot!!! Stairs for the win!!!! I never use hotel gyms, but do like you did…push-ups/squats/planks, etc. in my room…they work the body quite effectively without having to go anywhere 😉 Beautiful pics!!
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LOL! I was channeling my inner Kim when I was doing those stairs! It was such a great workout and didn’t even take that long!
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Kudos using the stairs. I huff and puff on the stairs, no matter if I’m on a break or in the middle of training. All those stairs and walking are great ways to stay active. It’s hard when a hotel is re-doing their gym!
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Isn’t that just the craziest thing? I doesn’t matter how fit I am, stairs always get me! Lol!
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It sounds like a good week overall! That was a smart idea to run to and from the gym, and use the stairs on vacation.
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Was so disappointed to hear the gym was being refurbished but the stairs proved to be an excellent way of working out!
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Whether we are sick, busy, or just need a mental or physical break — it’s OK to skip a few days or even a week. It’s better than becoming burned out. I love how you stayed active while on your trip. It looks like a beautiful city! Thanks for linking.
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So true! Before a short break would easily extend to a month to half a year to a year etc. But I am getting better at jumping back on the fitness bandwagon! Windhoek was very pretty – I am so glad I managed to see a bit of it on my walk.
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Sometimes you just need to a break – don’t be too hard on yourself. You did a great job improvising with the hotel stairs! Windhoek looks so pretty!
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A lovely city (and a great break away from the kids,lol!) I have been so active this week, so I think my body needed the break!
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