Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Running For The Kids

On Sunday, along with around 30,000 other people, I participated in the Run for the Kids, a fun-run held in order to raise money for the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne. Affectionately known in my household as the 'run from the kids', I've been gleefully dashing out the door 2 or 3 mornings a week for the past four months in order to ready myself for this race.

I opted to run the long course, which took us on a 14.38km route around the Docklands precinct in Melbourne, including going through the Burnley Tunnel and up over the Bolte Bridge.



I'm thrilled that I ran the whole way. My focus was on endurance, on making the distance comfortably, not on speed. I'll never be about speed.

That said, I was happily surprised by my time. I kept a very cautious, slow pace throughout the race, constantly dropped myself down a notch in the exertion department, and tried to ignore the speedy demons rushing past (as well as the runners dropping off like flies as we approached the long inclines).

I can't say that I was in the 'Zone' while I ran. It was hot. People were smelly. It got boring. In fact I had to give myself a good talking-to at various points along the way to stay motivated and keep going. It was more of a mental than a physical battle, somehow.

However, the euphoria I felt as I ran over the finish line was unbeatable. So is the euphoria I continue to feel in knowing that I set myself a goal, I kept to it, and even I exceeded my own expectations.

Five months ago I could run for one minute. Now I can run for 1.5 hours. 


If you're interested in running, but think you have absolutely no chance of ever getting off the couch, I really recommend reading the very motivating John Bingham's  No Need For Speed

27 comments:

  1. That is AMAZING! Such an accomplishment, be proud!!!

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  2. Good on you Gina! That is just so fabulous. K

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  3. Wow, that's fantastic Gina. I love the way you paced yourself. Very inspiring

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  4. Ha ha, run from the kids, I love it!! That is insprirational, I did 3 bike rides in 2008 (3 to proove to me that it wasn't a fluke) and then that kind of challenge has just sadly faded into the background. You made me remember the euphoria. Well done, I say. Top acheivement and thanks for the inspiration.

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  5. well done Gina!!
    ..i miss that euphoria...

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  6. Gina! Well done! I am so proud of you! Well done!!! I am aiming for the Mothers Day Classic run in Melbourne on the 9th May. I am up to about 5 mins of running now, and even though I know I can run further than around the block, I just had to do a 'blockie' last night to prove to myself that I could do it!

    Aiming for 30 mins by May and I will be a happy happy girl...

    xx Leah

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  7. I'M ALL PUFFED UP PROUD. IN CAPITAL LETTERS.

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  8. Fantastic effort Gina! You're a champ.

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  9. Eighty nine and a half minutes improvement in just five months!! You ran more than FOURTEEN kilometres!! I am SO impressed. You are amazing. I think the farthest I ever ran was high school cross country, and that was only 3km. Maybe 3.5km. Maybe.

    Congratulations for being a super being!

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  10. Fantastic achievement! See you in the morning...!

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  11. woah! go you good thing! now i understand why you are after proper running shoes...

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  12. What an inspirational story! Well done. I can't get over the fact that in 5 months you went from running for one minute to one point five hours...amazing!

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  13. Wow congratulations... you should be very proud. This must mean there is some hope for me..

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  14. I'm so inspired Gina, great work! I have not really tried running, but love the idea of it. Perhaps when I am finished incubating etc Thanks for the book tip.

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  15. Well done! That's an amazing effort!! I know what you mean about it being a mental challenge at times, moreso than physical. Often for me I spend half the time saying to myself "this is great, going well", and the other half trying to kick myself out of the "oh my gosh, how tedious, I don't think I can make it to the next km...".

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  16. You go girl! Bravo.

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  17. Bloody brilliant. Good on you!
    (... and I think you're mad.)

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  18. Congrats on the run. In my running days I did what I would call "light jogging" and kept my breath at a steady and manageable rate. My husband calls it "the shuffle", but I never cared, it was what worked for me. I think people are often discouraged because being really out of breath is scary. You don't have to be all chuffed out to get some exercise and enjoy the meditational benefits of running/jogging. So I do agree- 'no need for speed!'. xo m.

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  19. Nice one! I need to get back into the swing of the running since being away. I am so impressed that you ran the whole way! Bravo you! x

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  20. that is fantastic! just a month and a half ago i could run for 3 minutes and now i'm up to 25 minutes. i was thinking of signing up for a 5K or (dare i say it?) a triathlon this summer. it is so good to read that someone else has made huge strides (no pun intended) in what she could accomplish. you make me feel like it is possible for me, too :)

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  21. That is so fantastic! I don't even know if I could run for a minute!

    I was one of those asthmatic kids at school and even with a note to say I shouldn't run, the teachers always made me. No wonder I have been put off running! :)

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  22. I break into a sweat just thinking about running! I am very impressed - you legend!!!

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  23. That is the most amazing achievement. I think you're a rock star. You must be so proud of yourself.

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“Three Rules of Work: Out of clutter find simplicity; From discord find harmony; In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”
~Albert Einstein