It’s been a whirlwind of appointments, texts, emails and phone calls as I’ve got sorted out with (or was that by?) Fleur and Beck. I love the Training Peaks environment, being someone who loves schedules. Beck has me listing every morsel that passes my lips (oh god!). I have had my long neglected road bike out on the road this morning, where she belongs. I was pretty lucky really to find she was still in fine working order, in fact in much better shape than I am! What looked like cobwebs all over the derailleur turned out to be cat fur. Hmm, must have something to do with the cats spending their nights in the garage.

It wasn’t easy getting on the road again, lots of memories assailed me as well as the wind. I can barely ride a straight line, all core strength having been turned into cork strength I suspect. But they say you never forget how to ride a bike when you’ve done it once and sure enough the vibro-massage of the rough chip seal, the lovely sound of the tyres humming along the smooth bits, the rhythm of the pedals felt very familiar.

So now I am properly on my way and wouldn’t you know it I have to stop already! I had more surgery booked in but without a fixed date. I did say I would be available at short notice and Fleur and Beck were already primed for a likely hiatus at some point  but I got the call on Thursday, could I be in pre-op on Monday at 0700? Crikey. So the training goes on hold whilst I am doing part 2 of my double mastectomy. The good thing though is that we’ll have this out of the way at the start and then be able to push on.

I knew I’d made a great choice with CP when I said that surgery would be part of my schedule and no one even hesitated. Together we can deal with anything.

The last month has been pretty busy, I finished my first semester at CPIT and hit the holidays which was awesome. It was a fun and busy semester filled with learning how to whitewater kayak, run adventure based learning activities, lead climb and much more. During the semester I started being coached by Chris Stagg and training for Multisport races. I competed in TWALK and raced the 3D Rotorua 50km premier multisport race. With these events done training now focuses on training for Spring Challenge and Coast to Coast.

I always look forward to the holidays, a good chance to have some fun, and by fun I mean adventures and training. First week and I went off whitewater kayaking on the Hurunui river with some friends. I also did some running and cycle training sessions. Chris and I tried to get out for a paddle on the lower Waimakariri River in multisport kayaks and start working on my kayak skills but unfortunately the river flow was too high. I was pretty gutted as I was keen to test out my new Sharp 6 and get my first experience of paddling whitewater in a multisport kayak. I started paddling a few years ago but have only just started learning how to whitewater kayak this year and it will be something I have to work on for Coast to Coast.

I took the opportunity of holidays to head to the hills and check out Arthurs pass as I had never been tramping there before. My Friend and I attempted to tramp the Casey- Binser saddle loop over 3 days with a side trip to Lake Minchin on the second day. It was a nice tramp but unfortunately we had to tramp back out from Casey Hut via Andrew’s track – the same way we tramped in due to lots of heavy rain and a risk of not being able to cross some streams.

After tramping I headed home to Wellington and was excited to hit the Wellington hills for some training. I smashed out a 2hr run where I got to run through most of my favorite running spots, Wellington Skyline, Karori cemetery and Otari-Wilton’s Bush, it was awesome. I also got to test out the new mountain bike track at Makara peak – Peak Flow, which I’d been dying to try, and can’t wait to ride it again. I got typical Wellington weather of wind and rain to add extra fun to training.

To finish off the holidays I went on another tramp in Arthurs Pass. It was a fun adventure where we attempted to cross Harman Pass. After a fun holiday of tramping and training I’m now settling back into semester 2 and study.

So why do I need a coach this time?

There are millions of marathon plans on the internet, in books or I could have copied my Queenstown Marathon plan from last year. I could have been coached by my husband (Mike) as he has run the Gold Coast Marathon twice but we all know that would never work – as I always know better! Can you imagine a frosty July morning at 6.30am, black ice on the road and the grass crispy white and Mike is telling me to get out of bed and go for 10k run, that is never going to happen!

One of the main reasons I am being coached by Richard again is accountability. I am not going to let him or myself down. And I am paying for this and as an accountant we like to get our money’s worth. Richard talks to me at the start of every week and we decide what we can and can’t do for the week. In the beginning I told him I could only run three times a week, well he has me running up to 5 times a week, yoga and two strength trainings as well.  It may sound a lot but a couple of the runs are very short and are combined with exercises, I was always doing the yoga anyway and the strength sessions I do at home in front of my TV!  It is actually very achievable.

So I have 15 weeks to go until Melbourne. Running a marathon is like having a baby. If we remembered how painful and scary child birth is we would only have one child and marathons are like this. What also made me want to run again was listening to my friends Simon and Lynn talking about their marathon training for Rotorua and I realized I was missing the discipline of training and their enthusiasm was contagious.

The thing about a marathon is it keeps you honest. There is no bullshitting a marathon. You may be able to wing a 10k or even a half but not a marathon. I do love that about running.  You get out what you put in and your results are obvious. Sure it never seems to get any easier but that’s because you are getting better, faster and stronger. If I had stayed at my original pace of 8 minute k’s then I guess I would find it easy but you really do progress quickly when you put the work in.

I love being fit. It makes me feel a little bit smug but that’s ok because I have earned it!

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been sorting out prices for the gear I still need to buy and getting in a few short rides, to test out the new bike. I’ve just had a bike fit done, to make sure there is maximum power and comfort from minimum input, and, of course, watched the TdF.

The riding plan for the rest of July is to continue with indoor rides (watching TdF replays) and get in a couple of 5-6hr days over the weekends, to get ready for the “The Coaster”2 day mini-brevet in Cheviot on August 1st and 2nd. I’ll be testing out some new bags etc on the longer rides.

And just so I don’t get bored, I’ve resigned from my job and will be setting up as a self-employed Quantity Surveyor in Timaru shortly.

So, the gear I’ll need.
After dredging the internet, reading blogs etc and from previous outdoors experience, I’ve made up my first gear list, which will be added to, subtracted from and generally changed as I get away on more trips. Obviously, using the gear, talking to others, changing bag systems etc will affect the final load, but you’ve got to start somewhere. Each trip I go on, I’ll make notes on what gear was / wasn’t needed, what worked / didn’t work etc.

After a nice restful weekend in Hanmer Springs, I was feeling set for week 1 of the training programme which started on Monday. This is the foundation phase of the training. The first few weeks are about laying down the ground work for whats to come in the next few months. I’m currently scheduled to do three runs per week. The running side of things have been nothing out of the ordinary and I’m delighted to squeeze in two of my three sessions with CP, particularly with the cold days motivation can easily slump.

A big part of the programme is getting into the gym and doing some strength work. Simon has me doing lots of erg work. I thought I had officially retired from the erg after finishing up my rowing ‘career’ in 2011, however it seems Simon is having me make a comeback. I’m finding the gym stuff manageable but getting a few aches and pains as I’ve neglected this stuff for a while. I’m looking forward to two or three weeks down the track when I start to feel stronger and more able for multiple minutes of planking and squatting.

Until next time..

Firstly I will apologise in advance for this blog being mostly about my coaching with Richard – for those of you who read this and have never had a running coaching session before – do it! Not only has it made me re think how I run it has also shown me that I can improve even at my age!

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to having a run coaching session with Richard.  Initially he filmed me running and then on the replay asked me what I thought was going on with my ‘style’. My first reaction was, ‘Jeepers I make running look like hard work!’ We discussed what was working and what wasn’t and from there moved onto some run specific exercises. After an hour I could already see changes in my stance, stride and could actually feel the difference when I ran. The impact had gone out of my calves and achilles and I could actually feel my glutes working. Since then I have been doing shorter runs and trying to put into practice what I learnt.

Even though the session was awesome, I am now in that frustrating place between trying to emulate what I have learnt, and trying not to slip back into old inefficient habits. I know eventually it will get easier but for now I am unlearning my previous style while trying to implement new habits that will hopefully help me to remain injury free. When I get the technique right I run faster with less effort. Am looking forward to the day when that happens consistently!

Richard suggested doing 5-6 shorter runs implementing what he shown me and to cut out my long run at the weekend. When he said that in my head I was like, ‘Gasp, no you’re joking right? No long run? Seriously…” Needless to say I did not heed that advice and have still taken to the hills for my Sunday long run/stroll. Sorry Richard!

This made me realise how much my attitude and motivation towards exercise and running has changed – a year ago I would have been, “Sweet! Good excuse not to have to push myself or get out of bed early on a Sunday…! It was also a bit of a lightbulb moment – I have had training programmes for running events before but never coaching. Knowledge is power and any advice that can help keep my body moving and in one piece is all good.

I am also currently doing the Catch Fitness 20 week Challenge and one of my goals has been to decrease my 5km time. Since starting ten weeks ago I have been steadily decreasing my time and over this past month I have decreased my 5km time by a minute. I believe this has been due to strength training with my amazing PT, Rachel Palmer, as well as the coaching I have received from Richard.

As you can tell my coaching session has been the highlight of my training programme for the past few weeks! Hopefully progress will be evident at my next coaching session…!

Hi fellow team CP members! I’m Isobel Stout and I’ve joined the CP team to help me help others by participating in the event 2UPTT, a team of two, time trialling up Coronet Peak in March next year.  Take a look www.2uptt.co.nz<http://www.2uptt.co.nz>

There’s big money for the winning pros but I am just an ‘everyday hero’.

I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer last year, that means it has already spread into my lymph nodes. The surgery was followed by 6 months of chemo (yup lost every hair and taste bud) and then 5 weeks of daily radiotherapy. That ended nearly 3 months ago now and along came this event.

I want to get my fitness and strength back, chemo is rough, the surgery has left with me with some tightness and lymphoedema. The Trust has helped me get a start on rehab through the Next Steps program, see http://www.pincandsteel.com/programs/our-programs/next-steps/ CP and Apollo Power Yoga will be taking over so the funds I raise will help more women and men get back into exercise after cancer treatment.

Follow me on my page 2uptt.everydayhero.com/nz/isobel and I’ll be keeping you updated here too.

The PINC & STEEL Cancer Rehabilitation Trust is a registered charitable trust working to improve the quality of life of women and men affected by cancer. Our mission is to inspire and allow anyone in New Zealand with cancer the opportunity to rehabilitate and regain their strength and confidence and incorporate exercise into their lifestyle forever. Our goal is to actively support 3000 New Zealanders fighting cancer this year

Jennifer McBride

Hi my name is Jennifer McBride and I am recently new to the world of running. I am a mum to a 7 year old boy and a full time step mum to two boys aged 11 and 13. I work part-time, study and am currently doing the catch fitness 20 week challenge. I understand what it is like to juggle a busy lifestyle but believe I am beginning to get the work/life/running balance sorted!

I initially started running in my late twenties (I am now 43…) because I had a boyfriend who was into it. Until this point I detested running and I literally used to throw up before any school running event as it was so far out of my comfort zone and what I thought my body could do. The boyfriend didn’t last long and the interest in running, even less. In 2006 some friends decided to bike the Motatapu and asked me if I would like to join. I found it easier to run up the hills, rather than cycle so decided to run it.  I ran the Queenstown half marathon not long after this and then that was pretty much it for the next five years! I have always been a bit of a one hit wonder – train for something, do the event usually with minimal preparation and then think ‘job done’, and not do anything else for a few years.

At the beginning of 2013 my lovely mum was diagnosed with terminal bowel cancer. I travelled to Timaru at the weekends to care for her and found that a consistent exercise regime was hard to maintain. After she passed away in June last year I decided it was time to do something for myself.

The way I figured it I had two options – sit at home, eat potato chips and feel sorry for myself or find a positive focus. I saw an event posted by the inspiring Valerie Henderson (Running Skirts NZ) which was to go from running 0-50km in 5 months. The idea that, after following a training programme designed by Richard at TeamCP, one would be able to finish the Bedrock50 ultramarathon. Very appealing I thought and a good goal to focus on. Family and friends were a bit like “really?” as I had literally not run for years. In my head it was totally achievable providing that my body held together. Unfortunately I ended up with a few niggly injuries which culminated in a torn calf muscle two weeks before the event. However, I rested, grieved for what could have been and decided I would become smarter with my training and nutrition, get stronger and aim to do it again in 2016.

So here I am eight months out from my BHAG (big hairy audacious goal). This blog will be snippets about my training and my journey towards the Bedrock50 2016 and beyond. Why write a blog? Well for me it’s about accountability and getting out there and doing what I have planned to do. I also hope that others on a similar journey will find some of my experiences (both the bits that work and the bits that didn’t!) useful on the way to achieving their personal goals.

Bryan Prestidge

Tour Aotearoa -my next adventure.

Before I start on the event, a little about myself. I am Bryan Prestidge aged 57. I work as a Quantity Surveyor in Timaru. Married to Paula, with 3 grown up kids. I met Paula in 1988, whilst we were both doing Coast to Coast. I did 2 day individual 3 times, teams once and 1 day (1989). Paula did teams and 2 day solo. We had a wee break from sport while we had our kids, then got back into cycling (road and MTB) about 13 years ago.

In 2012 I had a shoulder operation to help overcome a frozen shoulder and started swimming to help free shoulder up. I built up to about 1000m and on December 20th (after 4 beers) decided that, now I could swim, I might as well tick an Iron Distance Tri off the bucket list – I walked the 8km home that night to start my training (did I mention I had calf problems that wouldn’t let me run?).

Once the insanity of the initial decision wore off, commonsense took over and I contacted Richard Greer for some help. Challenge Wanaka is now in the bucket and I’ve gone from non-swimmer, to enjoying open water swimming. Running is getting better, but is still a problem area.

SO – Tour Aotearoa – what is it…
It is a 3000km Brevet, a fully self-supported mtb ride from Cape Reinga to Bluff, using cycle trails and shingle roads wherever possible. There are 2 start groups of 100 riders each (no seeding, based on first-in, first served) on February 21st and 23rd, 2016. I’m in the 2nd start. We aren’t allowed to finish under 10 days or over 30 (100km per day). We have to be stopped for a minimum 6hr period in any 24 hrs and we aren’t allowed any outside assistance, unless it is commercially available to all other competitors. There is no entry fee (we did have to donate to a charity), no prizegiving, no finishers certificate.

SO – WHY?? – I read about and just knew it had to be done. I had thought about some bike touring in the past but there always seemed to be a race in the way. What better way to see our great country.

How prepared was I when I entered? – weeelll, I knew a couple of guys who had done some brevets, I could ride a bike and I was still pretty fit.
Once I knew I had made the cut (about mid-April) I started the planning. I talked to my friends, googled Blogs on gear lists for Brevet riders etc and started learning a new language – spot trackers, dynamo hubs, Brooks seats, Revelate gear bags, Rohloff geared hubs etc etc etc.
I was still in the post-Iron distance “hangover”, nursing a couple of slightly swollen knees and generally being lazy and getting fat, so I had plenty of time to google all about brevets.

I started by making a list of the gear I would need and started buying what I didn’t already have (i’ll put up a full gear list next time) and then Paula and I started doing some overnight trips. We are aiming for motels at night at the moment as we aren’t quite fully equipped for a winter over-nighter. So far, we’ve had a 200km weekend, from Albury to Twizel, via the Mackenzie Pass and Tekapo river and back via Alps2Ocean, Tekapo and Fairlie (both 7hrs with 5hrs riding) and a 3 day weekend doing a double pass of the Otago Rail Trail (day 2 was 9.5hrs away and 147km).

Over the next 7 weeks, I’ll be accumulating gear (a Specialised Epic Carbon mtb has just appeared!) getting some regular riding (probably mostly indoor watching TdF) and swimming in , planning some multi-day trips and just getting ready for lots of summer riding to prep the body and test the gear.
That’s it for now, more next month on gear and preparation.

If anyone is interested in trying brevets, there are some shorter ones coming up (2 and 3 days). Get in touch and i’ll give you details

I don’t like running. I never thought I would run 10k let alone a marathon, but here I am training for my second marathon in two years. Even reading back that last sentence sounds like a lie but it’s all true. So what happened? Well it all started about eight years ago when my husband started running. I was not supportive of his new hobby. I saw it as a selfish sport that was taking him away from the family and using up too much of our time. Running had become his Mistress. To his credit he didn’t let my negative attitude stop him and he kept running. When he entered his first Christchurch Half Marathon the kids and I were dragged out of bed and lined the streets of Christchurch in negative degrees waiting for a glimpse of him has he ran past.

I guess that is when it all started for me. While we waited for Mike to finish we got to witness some inspirational people cross the line. The overweight women who are giving it their all as they near the finish line is really an impressive sight and the thought that went through my head was “if they can do it so can I”. The sight of little kids with their Dad’s holding up signs saying “Go Mum” still inspires me and brings a tear to my eye. I wanted a piece of this!

So at the age of 40 I started to run. My first run was down to the bottom of the farm and back. Of course I had driven the track first to see how many k’s it was – 3km. Great! This will be easy. I made a couple of my kids come with me and when we got to the bottom of the farm I stopped and threw up. My kids thought it was hilarious. I was ashamed. I had always thought I was one of those naturally fit people. What a reality check! I walked most of the way home.

So roll on 6 years and I have completed 14 half marathons, a few 10 and 5k’s, and last year I ran and finished the Queenstown Marathon!! As I said I don’t like running but I love finishing!

On 18 October 2015 I will be lining up with thousands of others at the start line of the Melbourne Marathon. Scary! But with Richard’s no fail coaching regime I know we can do it and as I said to him last time, “I will do everything you ask of me and if I don’t finish, it will be your fault”. A great coach needs a challenge too!!