Archive for Whakatane runner

26 May 2010

May 26, 2010 at 7:51 pm · Filed under 4deserts, endurance running, Gobi desert race, Gobi March, Hospice EBOP donations, Jo Petersen, jo4hospice, Racing the Planet, running, ultramarathons, Whakatane runner

I wasn’t able to run for two days because of  heavy rains and then when I did go out on Wednesday night, I got caught by a downpour.  I had only set out late, so decided to stay within the confines of town and run up and down the Hillcrest Hill ten times.  The rain came down on my 9th round, so I headed home right away.  I am taking no chances with my health, and somehow I seem to get sick every time I run in cold rain, so discretion was definitely the order of the day.

The challenge of Hillcrest is that there is a set of stairs that I have to negotiate … and repeated stair runs often cause my knees to complain for a couple days.  I was very happy to find that I had no such problems after Wednesday’s effort.  That felt like really good news!

The Hilllcrest stairs, home of Whakatane's vertigraph.

 I have reduced my backpack to 5kg and I am finding that this enables me to run at a good pace when I am on terrain that is not too steep.  It also helps me to maintain a good balance between distance endurance and speed work.

I was the subject of a project on nutrition recently, and my diet was found wanting!  I am now under strict instructions to make an effort to do some carbo-loading prior to the start of the Gobi event.  I guess I will try, but with the pre-race days being in China, I am not sure whether I will find carbohydrates to suit my tastes.  I am not an adventurous eater, so I hope I can find simple pasta or pizza dishes.  I also have to be very careful not to cause a tummy upset at the last minute.

I had to order two bottle holders to attach to my new backpack – surprisingly, they are not standard issue.  From experience, I know that the attachment straps provided on the pack are not adjustable, so the bottles can end up being at an uncomfortable height for me.  This means that I now have to take my pack and my bottle holders to an upholsterer, who will attach a longer, adjustable strap on each side.  Then I can start experimenting with the position of the holder to find the height that suits best.  This “personalised” strapping also allows me to fix the bottle holders so that there is minimal bouncing against my chest.

At this stage, there are 177 runners entered in the Gobi March.  I see my race number is 123 … which has a “lucky” ring about it!  At least that’s what I am telling myself.  Racing the Planet has sent us a breakdown of likely stages, and they look like this : 32km + 30km + 42km + 37km + 90km + 19 km.  Ninety kilometres makes the “long” day pretty long (!) and at 19km, a longer final day than I have previously had to run.  RTP also mentions that due to very high temperatures, it may be necessary to carry more than the usual 1.5L per checkpoint, so we have to carry an extra bladder or bottle.

I’m off to do my Thursday run …

Jo

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Five Weeks to Race Day

May 23, 2010 at 8:53 am · Filed under Atacama Desert Race, endurance running, Gobi desert race, Gobi March, Hospice EBOP donations, Jo Petersen, jo4hospice, Racing the Planet, running, Tarawera Ultra, ultramarathons, Whakatane runner

As the countdown starts in earnest, my head is filled with lists of things to do.  I tend to make my lists according to my body … so I started with my shoes and legs this weekend.  I now have the Injinji socks I want to run in – great for preventing blisters.  I have also done a few runs in the new shoes that I will take, and they feel great.  Once again, I am using the Salamon XT Wings 2 (the new model).  Last week I had a cobbler sew on a strip of Velcro around the outer edge of the shoes, to which I will attach my gaiters.  I ran in the shoes last night, just to check that the sewing hadn’t caused any puckering or tightness around my toes, but they were fine.  So the shoes are good to go.

I also bought a new pair of Skins for running in.  In previous events, I have run in white, but these are no longer available so I had to buy a pair of black ones.  The next step is to organise for the words “New Zealand” to be attached down the front of one leg.  For my first Racing the Planet event, I had the words down the side of my leg and this “leg” appeared on the front cover of a German magazine :)  … I happened to be the runner just ahead of a German celebrity doing the race, and he was the subject of the cover photo.

Today I plan to purchase the pantihose that I will use as undies … I cut off the legs and then have very light, well fitting (!) support under my Skins.  Not a pretty sight!

I have my top sorted, as I plan to wear the same one I wore in Namibia.  It has served me well and doesn’t need to be replaced.  It has long sleeves, and I am aware that they may prove to be too hot but I can always cut off the sleeves if this is the case.  The top is very close to its use-by-date, so it won’t break my heart if I have to do that.

The big project over the next couple of weeks will be to organise my foods.  I am very keen to lighten my backpack to the bare essentials.  I have even invested in a vacuum packer … several of the competitors in previous events have reduced the weight of food items by vacuum packing them.  It not only reduces the weight but also the volume … which means that space is also saved.  I hope that this works out for me.

I have been anxious to prevent a recurrence of my tummy troubles on the long day … for the Gobi, the long day will be 90 km.  Taking advice from the Distributor of Perpetuem, I tried using a lower strength mixture when I ran the North Face 100km last weekend, and this was definitely easier to digest.  It worked very well and I am hoping this will make a big difference for me on Stage 5 of the Gobi.  I have also purchased the new flavour of Perpetuem, Cafe Latte, and I like the taste too.  So Perpetuem should form a good base for my nutrition during the race.

I plan to vacuum pack several mixtures to which I will add the boiling water provided.  One mixture will be Cup a Soup with olive oil, another one will be a dehydrated meal with added mashed potato powder and then the third combination will be sweet : flavoured milkshake powder, milk powder and sugar.  I also make up a sugar, coffee and milkpowder combination as my hot drink.  Other foods will include biltong (dried meat = jerky), parmesan cheese, some crushed crisps and some lollies.

Before I pack my foods, I will be testing each combination to ensure that they taste okay and they don’t upset my stomach.

I have already got my Buff (essential gear), my cap, my warm jacket, a sleeping mat and sleeping bag.  These items were ordered in for earlier events and they are incredibly light.

As you can see, my backpack is filling up and this will be on my back for the duration of the race.  Hence the anxiety about getting it as light as possible.

My training is going well.  I had a hiccup when I was forced to take time off because of a bad cold, but the break didn’t affect my schedule too much.  I have now completed three competitive races as part of the build up … the Tarawera 100, the 42 Traverse and last weekend, the North Face 100 in Australia.  Each of these events demonstrated that my legs can cope.  As I always say, it is my head that will make all the difference during the Gobi March. 

I want to thank Jim Robinson for the article published in the latest edition of VO2 Max.  He is a very talented writer.  Hopefully the added exposure will help boost my fundraising efforts.  At this stage I still need all the help I can get to achieve the goal of $10,000 for Hospice EBOP.

http://www.fundraiseonline.co.nz/jo4hospice/

As the countdown begins, I will make more regular entries into this blog …

JO.

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Home Sweet Home …

June 1, 2009 at 8:30 am · Filed under 4deserts, endurance running, Hospice EBOP donations, Jo Petersen, jo4hospice, Namibia, Namibian Desert Race, Racing the Planet, running, ultramarathons, Whakatane runner

Well, I am back in Whakatane after my Namibian adventure.  It is really good be back in familiar surroundings and to settle into normal routines.  I am fully recovered from the race, and I will be taking a break from running for a short while.

I had my first good night’s sleep last night.  Since the race, most night’s have had waking moments where I feel confused, with questions swirling in my head … “Which camp is this?”  “How far do I have to run today?”  “Will I have enough fluids?” 

The best part of the week-long event was when I reached Luderitz, hand in hand with the two front-runnng ladies (Lucy and Lia) and Rob Jarvis, of Christchurch.  That enormous sense of relief at not having to run/walk/stumble/crawl another step, together with a huge sense of achievement, is the most wonderful feeling in the world. 

Having Craig at the Finish Line was very special.

Having Craig at the Finish Line was very special.

I sat and watched other competitors coming in, savouring every minute of my own pleasure : it is difficult to describe how “high” one can feel in those circumstances.  Every competitor would have felt this. 

I ran the race under two banners ... Hospice and NZ.

I ran the race under two banners ... Hospice and NZ.

We all recovered remarkably quickly, and by that evening, everyone was scrubbed up and ready to party … albeit not until terribly late.  It was only the young volunteers who stayed up until the early hours of the morning. :)

Canon Lodge in the Fish River Canyon where we enjoyed the Awards Ceremony and our first night back in a real bed.

Canon Lodge in the Fish River Canyon where we enjoyed the Awards Ceremony and our first night back in a real bed.

My constant companion on the race was my good luck charm, little Kiwi.  Every morning, I would arrange him in the pocket of my bag so that his feet and face were towards the front … onward and upward! :)

Wide-eyed and bushy tailed

Wide-eyed and bushy tailed before the race.

Unfortunately, Kiwi also played a role as my “pillow” every night, so by the end of the week:
A little bedraggled (and weary) seven days later!

A little bedraggled (and weary) seven days later!

A number of people are already asking, “What next?” 
Right now, I need  a rest.  I don’t know what is next, but I can’t see myself doing another self-supported race too soon.  One a year is very demanding : one’s motivation, time and finances are too stretched for comfort.  
I won’t be able to resist finding another race or goal to aim for, but a shorter distance is most likely. An endurance event might have to wait until 2011.
In the meantime, I have lots of stories to share and I look forward to doing so in a way that will raise more funds for Hospice. 
Cheers for now,
JO
http://www.hospiceebop.org.nz/ 
You will find a link for making donations on this website.

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Update on Stage 2 … 38km

May 19, 2009 at 7:38 am · Filed under 4deserts, endurance running, Hospice EBOP donations, Jo Petersen, jo4hospice, Namibia, Namibian Desert Race, Nutrition, Racing the Planet, Whakatane runner

As one would expect, the race is getting exciting.  Below are the updates from Racing The Planet for Stage 2.  The final paragraph describes one of the hazards of these events!

Ryan Sandes (South Africa) has taken Stage 2 with a good lead on Salvador Calvo Redondo. They blitzed into Camp 3 at 12:17:37 and 12:27:28 respectively. Sandes has now made up 10 minutes on his distance from 1st place. Redondo suffered a fall in the course, but is feeling fine, although he is limping slightly at the moment. In 3rd place came Marco Olmo (Italy) at 13:00:34.

On this stage, there are 45 minutes separating the frontrunners – it is a very close, competitive field.
1340-19-May:

Lucy Hilton (United Kingdom) just charged into Camp 3 to take Stage 2 as the first placing woman for the 2nd day in a row. She arrived at 13:02:13.

Jo Petersen (New Zealand) arrived into camp at 13:05:13 as 5th overall.   (YAY …. Go JO!!! We’re all cheering for you back here in NZ and elsewhere)

Francisco Teres (Spain), Lia Farley (United States) and Javier Gomes ran in to the finish line holding their hands up together and were greeted by tremendous fanfare. Their teamwork upholds the highest tenet of RacingThePlanet – sportsmanship.
1700-18-May:

Kenji Ohi (Japan) went missing last night at around 1800 last night just 2km away from camp 3. Ohi missed the turning point into the campsite when it was dark, and lost sight of his two Team Funky teammates. Panic set in and he began to walk towards the nearest visible road and follow that path for approximately 4km until he decided to take a rest in the night. Ohi spent the entire evening out in the Namibian Bush. A search and rescue mission was launched at 2200 that night, and our team continued to scour the surrounding area for Ohi until he was found at 0600 this morning. Ohi said, “I was very scared the whole night because I could hear animal noises.” Temperatures plummeted to below 5 degrees Celsius last night. Ohi’s teammates were very emotional when they heard of their friend’s wellbeing and safety back at the RacingThePlanet camp. Competitors were reminded in this morning’s course briefing about the importance of following the markers, and turning back if none had been seen for 200 metres.

Once again, I want to thank the many generous folk who have made donations to Hospice EBOP on Jo’s behalf. 

You can still help Jo help Hospice:

http://www.hospiceebop.org.nz/donations/

A special thank you today to Hammer Nutrition, whose products (Perpetuem and Endurolyte) are serving Jo well on this race.  Jo is a convert to this supplement, after having it recommended to him by Ryan Sandes :  the same Ryan who is leading the field in Nambia!  That has to say something for Perpetuem. :)

I sent out an appeal to all the manufacturers of the commercial products that Jo is using on this race, hoping that they would make a donation to Hospice on his behalf … and Hammer Nutrition are the first to respond in a positive way : so a big thank you for that!

I will post today’s email as soon as it arrives.

Till then,

Have a good day …

Ann

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The Final Days of Training…

April 28, 2009 at 9:46 pm · Filed under endurance running, Hospice EBOP donations, Jo Petersen, jo4hospice, Namibian Desert Race, Racing the Planet, ultramarathons, Whakatane runner ·Tagged ,

Hi

With just under 3 weeks left to Race Day, I am starting to wind down the number of hours I spend out on the road.  I hope to do 8 hours this week and another 6 hours next week.  Then I will take time out for the final week leading up to the 17th May.

To give you some idea of how much training I have done, I added up the hours and at this stage, since December 2008, I have done about 160 hours of running.  It may not sound like a lot, but believe me, there have been times when it has felt like a real chore to put on my shoes and set off on a run.  Apart from the fact that the weather is not always inviting, being too hot or too cold or too wet for comfort, there are also days when my energy levels are right down and the effort of going for a run has been daunting.  I look forward to June, when I can come home from work and simply relax.

Chilling out in front of the TV with my "best" friends!

I can't wait to chill out in front of the TV with my "best" friends!

At the risk of repeating myself, it will all have been worth it if my fundraising efforts pay off.  A reminder that it is easy to make a donation to Hospice :  simply go to the website and use my name as your reference: http://www.hospiceebop.org.nz/donations/   There is no pressure to make a big donation … every little bit will add up and help me achieve my goal.

Every item that I will be using in Namibia has been trialled because I don’t want any surprises while on the run.  So far so good.  The only problem that has re-emerged is that of abrasions caused by my backpack.  I think this is happening because I have lost so much weight (about 9kg at this stage) that my back is quite “bony”.  Last week I placed some tape in the most vulnerable area and this seemed to help.  I am hoping that it won’t be too bad during the race.

My main goal this coming week is to finalise my foods.  My tentative menu looks like this:

Breakfast : Instant Oats, Milk Powder, Coffee

On the run : Perpetuem, Nuun tablets, Enduralytes, Peak Fuel.

After the run : Horley’s Essential Protein, Milk Powder

Lunch : Crisps, Noodles, Milkshake mix

Dinner :  Freeze-dried meal, Olive Oil, Parmesan cheese, Cup-a-Soup

Snack : Salted Peanuts, Biltong, lollies.

The list doesn’t look very appetising, but the goal is to have high protein, high carbohydrate and strongly  flavoured  foods, while minimising the weight of what I have to carry.  The supplements for “on the run” should provide electrolyte and energy replacement.

Commercial Products that serve me well ... and no, I am not sponsored by any of the manufacturers!

Commercial Products that serve me well ... and no, I am not sponsored by any of the manufacturers ... More's the pity!

Apart from the virus infection I picked up at Easter, I have remained remarkably well during the past few months in spite of  the stresses I have put on my body.  Obviously when I started my training, I suffered the usual muscular aches and pains.  However, it has been reasonably easy to reach a good level of fitness, and part of this might be due to my daily dose of supplements.

Every morning I take the following :  4 Fish Oil capsules, 2 Chondroitin & Glucosamine capsules and 200mL Orange Juice.  While I obviously won’t have any Orange Juice during the race, I will be taking a daily dose of the 6 capsules with me.

Like me, Craig is also getting his gear ready for his adventure as a volunteer for Raing the Planet in Namibia.  Fortunately, he is not quite as limited by weight as I am, so he can afford to take a few more luxuries.  He has been building up his fitness as well, and in fact, he is the swimmer in a Half Iron Man competition this coming weekend.  Good Luck Craig!

I leave New Zealand on the 6th May, which is a week away.  Once the race is underway, I invite you to follow my progress on the website : http://www.4deserts.com/beyond/namibia/

There is a link which allows you to send me emails during the event and it would be great to receive messages of support from friends and family.  This contact is hugely encouraging and plays a major role in lifting one’s spirits at the end of a hard day’s racing.  I look forward to hearing from you!

Cheers

JO

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6 weeks to Race Day

April 8, 2009 at 11:05 pm · Filed under endurance running, Hospice EBOP donations, Jo Petersen, jo4hospice, Namibian Desert Race, Racing the Planet, running, ultramarathons, Whakatane runner

Don’t forget to help me raise money for Hospice … even the smallest donation will add up, so please, go to this website and make your contribution.  http://www.hospiceebop.org.nz/donations/  If you use my name as a reference, that would be great, as I am really hoping to make a difference to the Hospice EBOP fundraising efforts.  The donations can be made by credit card, so you can help from wherever you live!

My training has been pretty intense over the past few weeks, with a couple of races to help me keep motivated. 

First up was the Redwoods Half Marathon in Rotorua.  The course takes one through the Redwood forest, along mountain bike tracks.  It was great fun because these tracks are not normally open to runners, so the novelty factor adds to one’s pleasure.

On the 21 March I ran the 80km Tarawera Ultramarathon, an absolutely fantastic race organised by Paul Charteris.  It took us through one of the most scenic routes you can imagine.  See the website www.taraweraultra.co.nz for details and photographs.  If you enjoy long distance running, this race in 2010 is a must.  I finished 5th in a time of 8h 51min, with which I was very happy.  The best part was that I felt very strong at the finish and could have continued running, which is what I need to be able to do in Namibia.

I had planned to use the Perpetuem for that run, but in fact the tables were so well stocked that I didn’t need it …

Phoenix Health Centre table at Lake Okataina

Phoenix Health Centre table at Lake Okataina

Why would one drink a replacement food when all of these goodies are on offer?!

However, since then, I have used Perpetuem on several training runs and I am very happy with it.  It is definitely going to be part of my diet in Namibia.

Another recent training run was the Muddy Half Marathon in Opotiki on the 28th March, which was very enjoyable.  I especially enjoyed it because I didn’t run with my back pack … the difference in comfort levels is remarkable! 

My next training challenge is a relay that I am running with Paul Charteris this weekend (Easter).  We are going to do the Odyssey Mountain Bike Race from Whakatane to Taupo, which is about 285 km. We will share the distance between us, and hopefully we won’t finish too far behind the mountain bikers.  It takes place over three days, and Paul and I will each run about 50km a day. See the website for details on what looks like a great trail for bikers. http://www.bikeodyssey.co.nz/home.html

After that, I will start reducing the level of my running to between 8 – 10 hours a week, gradually tailing off towards the Namibian event.  I fly out of New Zealand on the 6th May, which is less than four weeks away.  So, at the risk of sounding repetitive, please remember that I would dearly like to raise as much money for Hospice as possible.  Your contribution, no matter how small, will make a difference.  You can either mail a cheque to Hospice EBOP or go to their donations page on the website and use your credit card or a direct transfer.  Please quote my name so that they associate your contribution with my cause.

I will write after the Odyssey with details of my finalised gear and food lists, for your interest.

Till then,

Have a Happy Easter weekend,

JO

Coffee

Horley’s Essential  Protein

Milk Powder

 

     foods

     Cup a Soup

     Olive Oil

      Salted peanuts

     Biltong

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15 March 2009 : 8 weeks of training to go.

March 15, 2009 at 8:35 pm · Filed under Atacama Desert Race, endurance running, Jo Petersen, jo4hospice, Namibian Desert Race, Racing the Planet, running, Tarawera Ultra, ultramarathons, Whakatane runner

The pace of my preparations is hotting up now, as I have started to make decisions about my food requirements. 

My training continues at a consistent 10 -11 hours a week, and as a consequence, my weight is now down to 81 kg, which is 5 kg lighter than what I normally weigh.

I have started using Perpetuem (thank you to Rachel Button, the Auckland agent for Hammer Nutrition, for her good advice and encouragement) and it is proving very successful as a “race food”.  The big test will be next weekend, when I run the 80 km Tarawera Ultra ( http://www.taraweraultra.co.nz ) using Perpetuem as my main source of nutrition. I am confident it will do the trick.

Because Perpetuem is a powder which has to be mixed with water and consumed as a liquid, I had to put some thought into how I would carry it for the 6 days of the Namibian race.  I think I will dispense the  powder itself into small plastic bags, each with enough Perpetuem for 250mL water. 

I have invested in a  waist belt made by VO2 Max, which has 4 X 250mL bottles attached.  These four bottles should support 4 hours of running.  

Four bottles of Perpetuem for four hours of running.

Four bottles of Perpetuem for four hours of running.

I will basically use the Perpetuem while I am running, as well as tubes of Peak Gel for an extra energy boost.

The planning for my food/nutritional needs has taken up a lot of time.  Once again, I am spending time in supermarkets reading the labels on food items, trying to find high fat, high carbohydrate and high protein foods.   This task is made difficult by the fact that most people want low fat, low carb foods!

I’ve had some very helpful advice from my friend, Paul (who ran four Racing the Planet events last year).  He recommends evening meals of Cup-a-Soup, parmesan cheese and olive oil.  While this may sound very strange, it does meet one’s nutritional needs on such a race as well as providing the strong flavours I seemed to crave during the Atacama event.  However, I will have to test this Soup combination before committing to it. 

As I did for the Atacama Race, I am definitely taking Two Minute noodles, biltong and a mixture of milk powder and milkshake flavouring.  The latter proved to be very pleasant to consume and it provided a good source of protein. 

I am determined to reduce the weight of my backpack and at this stage, I am optimistic that I will get it down to around 8kg.  This will be a lot lighter than the 13kg I carried in the Atacama Desert!

My shoes have been causing me a headache.  Salomon shoes have proved to be perfect for my racing needs.  I used the XA Pro (pair #1) for the Antarctic Marathon, then trained in them for the Atacama Desert Race (pair #2), raced in them (pair #3).  For the Namibian event, I switched to the Salomon Wings XT (pair #4).  As I have mentioned previously in this blog, this most recent pair’s laces snapped, making them unusable.

As a result, I had to start training in the pair (Salomon #5) that I had been saving to take to Namibia.  This meant that I needed to get hold of a new pair to use for the actual race in May.  What a saga… I finally tracked down a pair in my size at a sports shop in Wellington.

I am still trying to collect funds for Hospice, so if you would like to contribute, please contact Jan Morgan at Hospice on (07) 3072244 or email jan@hospiceebop.org.nz.  My next fundraising effort is a talk on the 8th April, to which you are invited  if you are anywhere near Whakatane!

Till next time,

Jo

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18 February 2009 : 12 weeks to go!

February 19, 2009 at 7:00 am · Filed under endurance running, Jo Petersen, jo4hospice, Namibian Desert Race, Racing the Planet, running, Tarawera Ultra, ultramarathons, Whakatane runner

Despite my best intentions, I haven’t updated the blog for ages.  Between long hours at work and long hours on the road, I struggle to find the energy to do much in between.  I have upped my training now to an average of 11  hours a week.  This means that I have to squeeze in two hours most days (before dark) and then do long runs on the weekends.

During January, I spent time Perth (visiting Craig) and Melbourne (for the Australian Open Tennis).  This meant that I was running in temperatures much higher than I am accustomed to.  Perth reached 43 degrees on the one day that I set off in mid-morning for a run.  What a shock to the system.  It was a strong reminder of how the heat saps ones energy and how important it is to maintain good levels of hydration.

Craig and I ... setting off for a run on Rottnest Island

Craig and I ... setting off for a run on Rottnest Island

On my return to Whakatane, I have been fortunate enough to enjoy longer runs through beautiful terrain : around Lake Okataina and through the Tarawera Forest.  These are documented on Paul Charteris’s site: http://trailrunz.blogspot.com/ ; so there is no need for me to go into detail in this post.

Paul is organizing the Tarawera Ultramarathon, which I intend to use as a major training event before my Namibian adventure.  Check the website: http://www.taraweraultra.co.nz/  The route is really beautiful and I look forward to the race.

I have recently discovered the joy of using an MP3 player while running.  In the past, I felt that I preferred the feedback from my environment while running, and that music would interfere with this.  However, I now have to confess that it actually has a very beneficial effect when one feels exhausted.  Listening to my favourite songs seems to lift my spirits and gives me renewed energy when I am beginning to feel overwhelmed by tiredness.

I am spending a lot of time thinking about how to reduce the weight of my backpack.  Amongst others, the following changes are likely:

1.  I will take fewer pairs of undies

2.  My new sleeping bag is even lighter (and more compact) than the one I used before.  I ordered it from England :

New sleeping bag on the left ... only 350g!

New sleeping bag on the left ... only 385g!

Instead of taking extra leggings for warmth, I have decided to take women’s tights to wear under my Skins at night, if it is really cold.  Also, I am cutting down from five pairs of socks to three – because every gram avoided makes my backpack that much easier to carry.  At the moment, I am training with about 13.5kg, but I hope to cut that right back.

I have also started looking at food options for the run, but will get serious about that closer to the time.  One of my new routines is to ensure that I eat a protein-rich snack within half an hour of a major run.  This seems to be paying off and I have had no serious setbacks since starting my intensive training this year.

The laces in my “training” shoes finally gave way, so I have started running in the shoes that I will wear for the race.  It’s amazing at how much support and cushioning the new pair give me.  One doesn’t appreciate how worn down a pair of shoes becomes when one puts in significant hours of running.

As the  Namibian race date approaches (17 May 2009), more information is available on the website.  You may be interested in some facts about the desert, so take a look at this web page:

http://www.4deserts.com/beyond/namibia/rtpnmb.php?SID=2&SBID=RD1

For me, my daily focus is on staying healthy and uninjured, plus finding the time to fit in my training runs.  While the weather doesn’t prevent me from hitting the road, there is no denying that temperature and precipitation can make a huge difference to one’s comfort levels during training … so here’s hoping for good conditions for long distance running over the next few months!

Till next time,

Jo

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2009 : 4 months to go…

January 5, 2009 at 10:44 am · Filed under Atacama Desert Race, endurance running, Jo Petersen, jo4hospice, Namibian Desert Race, Racing the Planet, running, ultramarathons, Whakatane runner

 

It has been a while since I last wrote a post.  This is not entirely due to the holiday festivities and the visits home by my two boys.  The truth is that I have now entered the toughest time in training.  It is the period in which I have no choice but to put in long, long distances to build up for the race. 

Often, the first hour of my running is difficult, with aches all over my body and my brain questioning the intelligence of what I am doing, especially when it is raining or cold or very hot or the route is very steep.
 
Apart from the time required out for the running itself, the preparations also take a while:
 
*  checking that my bag is packed correctly with the 10kg rice … (can rice absorb sweat? is it getting even heavier as a result?!), 
*  mixing my drinks (I am using Horleys at the moment) for 2 X 750ml bottles plus 1.5 litres in a collapsible bladder, which I carry in a pouch on the back pack)
*  tubes of Peak Fuel (awesome energy fix, ideal for these long runs),
*  toilet paper (yes, I’m afraid so : just in case),
*  sunblocking every visible part of my body (especially my neck and hands)
*  checking that the cellphone is charged
*  checking that my laces (both of which have now had to be repaired) will last for the run
*  sunglasses
*  hat
 
While it is often a struggle to be motivated when what lies ahead is hours of hard slog,  I invariably start feeling stronger as the run progresses  and then the inevitable joy of running kicks in.  Most times I get home feeling pleased with how the miles “in my legs” are starting to add up and with the fact that I am coping well with tough terrain. 
 
To give you some idea of the views I enjoy while running here, I thought I would post a few photographs taken on a recent walk along a training route.  (I don’t stop to take photos when I am running because I hate having to start up again after being stationery for a bit.) 
The view as I set off from home.

The view as I set off from home.

 One of my runs takes me along the Whakatane River, which also provides views of the sea.

at the Whakatane River mouth.

The Heads : at the Whakatane River mouth.

From almost every elevated track that I run, I am able to enjoy views of Whale Island.
whale Island.

A beautiful point of reference : whale Island.

 
I am very pleased with my new hydration arrangement.  I now realise that the one that I used for the Atacama Race was overly complicated.  I think I was concerned about running out of fluids, so I used  a front pack  to carry my bottles and a bladder. It was supposed to balance the weight on my back, but I am not convinced that it made enough difference to warrant its use:
The front pack arrangement. In retrospect, too complicated!

The front pack arrangement. In retrospect, too complicated!

I now have the two bottles on my shoulder straps and a collapsible bladder in a pouch on my back.  I use this to fill up the bottles once they are emptied.  Refilling the bottles means I have to stop running, but I am beginning to appreciate the interruption : a few minutes to catch one’s breath.Much easier with only two bottles. Note the strap around my waist.

just two bottles.

Much more simple : just two bottles.

 

I have had some trouble with grazing on my back, caused by the weight of the backpack.  A temporary solution is the extra strap which I have been wearing to protect my back during this early period of backpack training.  I actually purchased some good quality foam rubber from an upholster last weekend, and will be trying to pad the lower part of the pack with it.  This is an attempt to reduce the friction against my back … I will let you know if it makes any difference. 

With all the training I have been doing, I have lost several kilograms and have now reached my ideal running weight. 

I hope to be back on track with keeping the blog updated, so … Until next time,

Cheers

JO

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