It’s been a while since I have done a fitness assessment at Sport Science… and since this one didn’t involve push ups or crunches, I was all for it. There were the usual measurements: blood pressure, cholesterol, weight and the like… and after that the Twelve Minute Motion Test. The Twelve Minute Motion Test is a measure of how far you can run around the track in twelve minutes and when I started at Sport Science two years ago I couldn’t run around the track and actually rode a stationary bike for twelve minutes… so progress has been made. The point of the test is to provide a baseline and at the end of the programme you can repeat the test to measure your progress.
The lesson I learnt… very quickly and so soon: Don’t worry about the last weeks of the programme, in fact, don’t worry about the programme. Worry about your next work out; actually, just worry about getting there. Once you are there, the team will totally get you through the workout. This is very much a one step at a time journey… you can really only do so much, and then you blink and your workout for the day is done. I never dreamed I could run as far as I have already run on the programme and never imagined I could do something called a speed workout… when you run as fast as your legs can carry you… really!!! But I have done it and it was fantastic…
My biggest worry about the whole programme was that I would be too slow. The thing is, when I run with friends I get left behind, and I never catch up. The harder I try to catch up the more tired I become and then I get disheartened. I really just want to give up. I had visions of my first training day: The pack departing without me, and well… you can imagine the rest. But here is the thing, the BEST thing, about the programme, is that the runners are of all abilities… and the runners naturally split up into three groups… a fast, a medium and a slow group… and they have a Biokineticist or a pacer running along with each group. This is invaluable, firstly I finish every run with a smile, not to mention within my capabilities… and secondly, we get to chat and I have learned so very much about the race we will be running. It has got me thinking about race day and strategising like nothing else. It has worked out so well. I am learning to run at a pace that is comfortable for me. Not to mention, when the going gets super tough, it’s really okay to just walk. I am learning so much from the back of the pack, that will be invaluable for all my running, not just on the day of the Two Oceans half Marathon, but forever.
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