Coach Thoughts: My First Post-Lockdown Race Experience.
Each week, one of our our coaches jots down a short thought piece giving insight into elements of coaching, training, racing or mindset. This week Coach Kylie talks about her first post lockdown race experience, at Two Bays trail run.
The Two Bays Trail Run has been on my goal list for years but for a variety of reasons, one being the time of year it is on, it hasn’t happened for me. After coaching one of my girls to complete the 28km event 2020, it was firmly on my radar as my first event for 2021… then COVID struck!
Take a Free Hit in 2021
In some forms of cricket, the rule makers have introduced the idea of a 'free hit.’ This is basically one ball where you can’t get out, you can’t lose. What usually happens is that the person batting throws caution to the wind and swings as hard as possible, knowing that there is a capped down-side to the situation. The worst that can happen is that they don’t score.
Learnings from the pain cave – ultra running and mindset
It is inevitable and expected with endurance sport that at some point things will turn ugly. I’m using this in the context of ultramarathon events when I’ve been on my feet for over 6 hours and everything is becoming increasingly uncomfortable and both physical and mental fatigue are taking their toll. Also referred to as the pain cave. I’m no stranger to the pain cave. I’ve completed a number of tough ultra races on both road and trail. This hasn’t made it any easier as all races bring different experiences and thus one of the weird and wonderful reasons we keep coming back for more!
Your Progress is in Your Hands.
Silver Linings for our Running?
So, we’re restricted now. For many people, theres no more office based job for 8 hours of the day. No more social drinks at the pub. No more organised gatherings.
Hmm… Even if we just take those three examples, it sounds like we might have more time on our hands, thus removing THE BIG excuse that we seem to use when not being able to keep consistent and move towards our running goals!
Foam Rollers Union believes their time has come!
Keep Running: 5 in 50 minutes
Well, after ‘3 in 30’ and ‘4 in 40’, its time to go a bit longer in our third and final blog of this little series! We wanted to give you plenty of options to mix up your running and keep running with sessions of under an hour. There are plenty of limits on us at the moment and so a short, sharp session is just what the doctor ordered, not only for your physical health but your mental wellbeing as well. As GoRun coaches, Kylie, Sarah, Jason and I hope that these little sessions can keep you running and we would love to hear how you are going with them!
Keep Running: 4 in 40 minutes
Yesterday we posted 3 runs that you can do in 30 minutes. Today we’re extending that time to a still achievable 40 minutes and sharing 4 of our favourite sessions. There’s a couple of the simple, foundational runs that we build everything else upon, and a couple of cheeky ones that that will burn those legs!
Let’s be realistic about our running.
Well that escalated quickly…
I have started several blogs only to have the corona virus situation throw us another curve ball. So I started thinking about what can I write or contribute that has some use to our runners and friends, no matter what the situation? Then I spoke with my friend and fellow coach, Michael. Always a thinker and a man of interesting perspectives, we chatted about the need to be realistic about the situation that we find ourselves in, whatever that looks like.