On the 4th of November 2018, I will line up for my second Half Marathon, the Soweto, People’s Race in South Africa. The Diacore Half Marathon was the best race to do my first Half as it is dubbed the flattest and fastest course in Africa. I knew if I trained well, I could do the distance and I did. But Soweto is very different. There are tens of thousands MORE people to contend with on race day and it is also known for it’s crazy HILLS. I got a nice taster of that when I did its 10 km Route last year! Soweto is tougher and harder than Diacore. So I need to be tougher and harder too. And to get to that point, I need to do more than just get miles under my belt. I need to look at everything else that goes into being a good runner. I am so excited to have Coach Nicola back in my life. Training begins next week and here are six goals I am committing to in this 14-week training cycle.
1 – Focus on Nutrition. When I trained for my first Half, my sole focus was running. I was determined to train so that I could happily and comfortably run 21 km. I didn’t factor in nutrition at all. In fact, every run, be it short or long, fast or slow, came with a big celebratory treat. After all, “I deserve it!” I didn’t watch my portion sizes because “Hey! I’m training for a Half Marathon, I need the food”. Unfortunately, I developed some bad habits that continued long after race day. This time round, I want to return to the basic principles of good nutrition – eating more fruits and vegetables, as well as the right quantities of protein and complex carbohydrates. I am going to limit junk food and empty snacks. Treats will only be allowed after my Long Run. To help me I am going to use My Fitness Pal App to keep track of what I am consuming. I would love to lose at least 5 kg in the process, but my focus is more on eating healthily and creating good habits.
2 – Increase Fluid Intake. I don’t drink nearly as much water as I need to. I am good in the week leading up to a race but for all other weeks I just forget to drink water. I am committing to drinking 2L of water a day. To help me I am going to use my sister’s trick of carrying around a 2L bottle of water and make sure it’s empty by the end of the day.
3 – Run With Purpose. I’m usually quite enthusiastic about most of the runs I do. But as I said in another post, I think I don’t always push myself as hard as I should. Once my body realises it can do something, it very quickly settles into a comfort zone and my mind is only too happy to comply. My tempo runs can be faster. My hill runs can be stronger. I need to allow myself to feel the pain and burn a bit more. I know I can do the Half distance. Now I need to work on optimising my results. I have a running coach, so I just need to make sure I run ‘the run’ the way I have been instructed to. Of course, there are days when it will be difficult – many factors contribute to a good run, but I am going to be more intentional about putting my best effort in, which I know I don’t always do.
4 – 10, 000 Steps Per Day. Kim from Kooky Runner once gave tips on how to get 10, 000 steps done in a day and that inspired this goal. Although I have a fitness watch, I only ever use it for my runs. After reading her post, I wanted to see how many steps I actually take in a day. I was shocked. Things are good on days when I workout – between 12, 000 and 14, 000. But on days when I don’t, the average is around 3,000 steps and on one day I recorded a dismal 842 steps. That is how sedentary my job is. I can basically get to my office at 08:30 and not move until 17:00. So most of the steps I take are from chasing the kids to bed in the evening! I love the idea of being active daily and moving around a lot more so I am going to set a target of 10, 000 steps a day. It will be hard because once I am at my desk, I don’t like unnecessary disruptions. But let’s see how it goes!
5 – Improve Flexibility and Balance. I have never been a very flexible or coordinated person. But when I was doing pilates last year, there were so many fantastic changes. I was so much more flexible. I was standing and running taller. I felt less heavy and more agile. My core felt stronger. It also did wonders for my breathing when running. I am going to commit to doing a pilates class once a week, and transitioning to two in the last month.
6 – Improve Strength Training. I visited the High Performance Centre at the University of Pretoria last December. I had a great session with a biomechanist and gait analyst. My results weren’t great and I really need to work on strengthening key muscle groups that will improve my running form. I was so disappointed at how bad things looked that I never implemented the fantastic exercises that were recommended. But I know how much better a runner I can be if I improve my form so I am going to incorporate all those exercises into my weekly routine. I will continue the other exercises I have already started so that when Soweto arrives I am able to do 25 Push Ups, 100 Squats, 3 Pull Ups, and 5 minutes of Uninterrupted Skipping. I am also committing to one Grid Class a week.
What big race are you training for? What goals are you currently working on? How many steps do you average a day? Are you good at focusing on nutrition when you are training? What things do you do to get out of your training comfort zone?
I am linking up with Running on Happy and Fairytales and Fitness for the Friday Five 2.0!
The Gaborone Runner 
Tracking nutrition can be a huge help as well. I like my fitness pal and it’s super easy to use. I have a hilly race coming up in November as well that I need to start training for
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I loved it when I used it before and it made me think twice before taking something I shouldn’t! 😅
Great re: hilly race! I’ll have to steal some of your workout ideas!
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Good luck with your training. Keeping a good schedule for strength training and proper nutrition was the most challenging thing for me to keep a handle on!
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It’s tough! I always prioritise running over strength training. As for eating, I always throw all the rules out of the window. 😯 So those two will definitely the toughest for me too.
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Good luck with your training! Great goals
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Thank you 🙂 I feel if I can get them right I’ll be so much stronger for it!
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Thanks so much for including my blog post – so nice of you!
I really like your goal of “running with purpose”. sometimes when we’re training we “run just to run” so it’s good to have a reason for each type of run that you do!
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Thank you Kim for inspiring that goal. I had always scoffed at the idea of counting steps but when I read your post I was excited to try it out. Imagine my shock at the 842 steps! 😂 That did it for me. This goal will keep me moving even when I’m not “working out” . A huge wake up call.
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I had to figure out nutrition too when I was training for my first half. It wasn’t a “eat everything since I’m so hungry”, but I had to figure out the right foods and fueling up properly.
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For me, even when I wasn’t hungry I would feel like I “deserved” a treat. No more of that. Lol!
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Flexibility and strength training help so much! I have to focus on nutrition more in regard to eating during long runs – I don’t feel like eating when it’s warm out, but it really helps my energy levels if I can.
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That such a good point Hannah that I hadn’t considered. I am going to experiment with fueling on long runs especially as I will be training in summer AND will be doing a lot more hills too.
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You have some great and very practical goals! Those goals will not only enhance your training and your race day, but will probably greatly increase your overall fitness. Good luck!!
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Thanks Kim! That’s what I am really hoping – just overhauling my whole health and fitness state – and looking beyond the race. 🙂
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I did almost the same thing training for my first half — and I gained weight! I didn’t so much treat myself after every run, but I ate gels on pretty much every run. It said every 45 minutes so that meant I needed it even for a 3-4 mile run, LOL (and now I rarely eat anything unless I’ve been running at least 8 miles! Live & learn).
Having a coach is a wonderful thing to push yourself. Coach Rachel definitely pushes me — and I’ve also definitely seen some great results from that.
I’m training for an 18 mile race at the end of next month & it’s kind of scary!
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I can so relate to your story! Live and learn, indeed! I really love having a coach – Coach Nicola got me through my first Half Marathon so when I wanted to try a second I knew who to call!
I’m following your 18 mile race journey! Definitely scary, BUT you have got this!
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I love having a coach, too!
Unfortunately the weather for my last really long run tomorrow is also really ugly. 😦
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Sensible plans. I gained wait before my first two marathons but I think that was my body panicking and thinking we were off on some epic trek across the ancestral homelands or something. Didn’t happen the third lot of training.
I’d only add one; make sure your sleep is good. If you don’t sleep 8 hours a night, try to at least three times a week. It will help you become stronger from all the other stuff.
Good luck!
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LOL!! I think my body thought the same!! Thanks for the last tip – I have been really bad with that lately. It’s already past 22:30 here and I’m still up even though I have to be up at 5am. Will have to work on that.
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Great goals, Shathiso! I can attest to the importance of strength training–as I’ve gotten older, I can’t just run. The strength training keeps me healthy. Diet is important too–there’s that saying “you can’t outrun a bad diet!”. Good luck with your training.
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Wendy, I actually thought all I needed was to run and the weight would take care of itself. I really have learned the hard way that you can’t outrun a bad diet, LOL!
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I’m travellingcari on MFP if you want to connect there.
To up your steps, is it possible to walk some or all of your errands or commute ? I realize how spoiled I am with city life when suburban steps kill me
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Thanks Cari – everything is just so widespread here, so you kind of need a car to get places. BUT having said that, I work close to a shopping mall and I could try walking there during lunchtime. I would definitely get back on time. And if the kids are on their bikes I could actually walk alongside them when I do some light shopping. The nearest stores are about 2.5 km from the house, so it’s kind of doable. Otherwise these steps will never get done! Thanks for the suggestion!
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There’s an organized activity here called mall walking. Maybe group that does same at your shopping center, or organize colleagues who might want the active lunch? Walking while your kids cycle sounds great too
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