Running [another] 1,000km

Last year I ran 1,000km in a year for the first time. This year I decided to do it again. I find running a great time to think away from everything else. I also haven’t had a lot of work this year so I’ve been setting a few other goals along the way

Including:

  • Running a half marathon a month (4 out of 8 achieved to date)
  • Running 200km in month – this one was quite tough

With these other targets my overall milage has increased and sees me completing the 1,000 four months earlier then last year.

Running 1,000km

Today I passed 1,000km running for the year!

This has been a target a couple of times in the past but for one reason or another it’s taken till now.

I had never really thought too much about running a distance over a long period of time but years ago I read this post and though the concept sounded relatively simple of running 3km/day – which I translated to be 6km every two days.

Aside from the actual running, the great thing about a goal like this is how you break down a goal in to smaller steps with their own targets: 500km in 6 months, 84km / month etc.

Breaking it down helps you focus on the short term while knowing the long term will take care of itself, it also allows you to celebrate the little achievements along the way.

Obviously not all goals can be easily broken into the same repetitive steps but the concept still holds.

I’m not so strange!

If any of you have read my page about running you may have thought me a little strange with regards to using running as a way to clear my head and think through problems and issues.

As it turns out I’m not so strange!

During one of my MBA papers I read a paper about the use of Reflecting on Experience as a valid way of learning.

The paper outlined that running – being something we do virtually sub consciously – is a great opportunity for the brain to reflect.

During my MBA I started running again and found it a good way to relax but also to resolve in my head many of the ideas that I needed to use for my various assignments.

While there is now some academic research to confirm what I have experienced I am sure many will think I am now more weird!

Shot while Running

I’ve had numerous injuries while running but have to admit all up till now most have been virtually self inflicted.
That was until today…
Today I was out doing a typical circuit around Auckland… down to Mt Smart, up Great South Road, Market Road and home.
The changeable Auckland weather is normally all I have to content with until about 35 minutes into my run I got shot in the jaw by a ****** idiot with a paint ball gun.

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Unfortunately having filed a report with the police there is little that can be done unless the idiots continue with there antics and all I can do is hope my swollen jaw settles down soon.
On one hand you have to say it was a fluke of a shot, on the other hand I have to be thankful I still have my right eye.

63km is a long way to run…

Which is why on Saturday we did the 5 man-relay not the Solo Ultra-Marathon of the Te Houtaewa Challenge 2009

At 8:30 Saturday morning Sally set off to run the first 3 km section of the 63km Relay down Northland’s Ninety Mile Beach. For the next 4:47:19 we took our turn to run a 3km section and then drive down the beach slowly making our way from the bluff to Ahipara.

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The team consisted of:

  • Gav
  • Ed
  • Wazza
  • Sal
  • Me

All of them seasoned pro’s having run the event as many as 6 times before (it only started in 2003!) I was new to the relay but had run the extremely monotonous Half Marathon back in ’99.

The guys were a little nervous at the start when they heard there were 5 other teams entered this year, however the nervousness was uncalled for as we ended up winning by over 45minutes.

Hats off must go to Tony Ahern though as he finished only 38 minutes after us having run the whole 63km himself!

Hats off also to the organisers – the event is very well run and has a fantastic Far North Community feel about it.