I'd rather be running!

Today is one of those days where I want to do just about anything other than what I am supposed to be doing (aka working).  I have had a wonderful realization though in that, even though I am somewhat uncomfortable from a trial run of the ½ marathon route yesterday, my first thought was ‘I’d rather be running’. 

Kilimanjaro is coming sooo close around the corner (including today, 51 days until we leave and 55 until climb start day), but even closer is the upcoming Ottawa Race Weekend.   

I started running with my Mum with the Merivale Running Room Learn To Run program in August 2012 and have LOVED it ever since.   We’ve completed the LTR, 5k and 10k programs together and I’m now finishing off my first ½ marathon clinic in preparation for the ½ marathon on May 26^th.  

This used to seem like an insanely daunting task but now it just seems like what my training has gotten me ready for.

With this being said, I am sooo nervous.  More nervous, in fact, than I am for Kilimanjaro.  Although, I suppose that the more likely probability is that this event is currently stealing my nervous focus.   Or perhaps I figure that if I can kick tush at a ½ marathon than Kilimanjaro will be a breeze.   That sounds stupid though even as it comes off of my fingertips … probably not a good sign!

The reason why I am nervous is what amuses me though.  I know I can do the distance but I am nervous about letting myself down.  I like to set my bar very high and then get completely wrapped up in nerves about failing to meet that bar.  Isn’t that silly?!?!    Dear self, as long as I try my hardest, don’t be let down by whatever notions my hyper-competitive version of you has come up with!!!

I think I’m normal though (words that don’t often come out of this one), in this regard.

So anyway, the biggest part of my training for Kili has been my running and I think its serving many purposes: 

• it is building up my leg strength;
• it is building up my endurance;
• it is building up my mental strength to push through discomfort;
• and, currently above all, it is distracting me from the nerves that would otherwise be associated with all of the Kili final payments and details that are due this month!

It is all becoming very very real!!

Hiking Boots and Why Team Kilimanjaro

We attempted to get our hiking boots on Saturday, which turned out to be a very bad idea.   Apparently on Easter Saturday the world and his or her wife also needed hiking boots, tents, backpacks and all of the other outdoor paraphernalia that the shops on our list provide.  

We did, however, learn that we require a day hiker for Kilimanjaro.   Apparently hiking boots are broken out in light hikers, day hikers and hikers.  As we are not going to be carrying 50+ lbs and do not have any ankle problems, it is the MEC guru's belief that a day hiker will fit our stability requirements without adding the extra weight of a hiker.  Reduced weight sounds great to me!   However, he used all of his available time to tell us all of this and then didn't have time to follow through with any fitting.   So, after trying Bushtaka and Expedition and having much the same luck, we have decided to postpone this shopping to Tuesday PM.   

A lot of people have been asking how I picked Team Kilimanjaro, so I thought I might as well add in a few posts detailing the planning and decisions I/we have made to this point.   

One of the first things I did was lock down Team Kilimanjaro.   A lot of the people I chatted with who have previously climbed Kili recommend just arriving and sorting out a climb group when you get there; this can apparently be cheaper.  However, as we are travelling with Mum, there are certain levels of standard that I wanted to ensure that would be met and decided to book from here.  My key search criteria were: 

• Registered with Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (http://www.kiliporters.org/)
• GPS/social media tracking for people at home to folllow
• Routes/service that involved high quality tenting and not using the huts on the mountain (ask me about this if you have any questions)
• Vegetarian meal options
• Full service company providing safari options
• Individualized routes so as to avoid traffic jams as much as possible (this can actually be a thing!!!)
• Friendly customer service!

I contacted quite a few companies and Team Kilimanjaro really stood out amongst the others.

We will be climbing their own variation on the Rongai Route (http://www.teamkilimanjaro.com/rongai.html).  This is a 7 day climb on a quiet TK variation of the standard Rongai route which allows for a better climb high/sleep low differential than any of the existing Rongai routes.  This is great as the reason the standard Rongai route is so quiet is because it has the second worst likelihood of summitting (failure rate of approximately 50%) of all 6 conventional routes.  With their route variation, which they own exclusively, TK have great success on the Rongai route and we will hopefully have a more serene experience!

Feel free to ask any further questions you may have as to how/why I selected Team Kilimanjaro!

In terms of our training this week ... we are making progress ...

Training since Wednesday:

Thursday - 6km tempo run.  I did this with an overall pace of 6:18 though, so below where I want my 'tempo' to be

Friday - 7.4 km walk

Sunday - 14km LSD run

Monday - 3km run.  Today is supposed to be my off day, but hubby has decided to start running so we are going to work through one of the intro 5k programs with him.  I also skipped Saturday, so this is not not resting, just diverted resting!

I need to add in some strength training somewhere and will likely add in some  Bodyrock on my running rest days ... I love love love Bodyrock (http://www.bodyrock.tv/) and find their videos one of the most amazing ways to kick my own butt in around 20 minutes!

Accomplishments for a simple Wednesday

Last night we had hills training; 5 of them for a wonderful total of 6k of both mental and physical challenge.  

I find it incredibly motivating as our group has a wide range of runners; from first-time half marathoners (like me!!) to seasoned marathoners and everyone in between.  So, when I am slogging up the hill at what feels like a barely moving pace, fighting my brain’s desire to sit on the side walk, it is wonderful when an older runner springs by!  I definitely don’t think I would push myself as hard without those super fit calves and glutes sprinting away from me!  

The group is also wonderful in that those super fit members wait at the top of the hill when they have finished their repeats and actually clap and cheer for everyone as we complete the last one.  It makes you feel like you have accomplished something wonderful on a simple Wednesday evening (which, considering what we did and how fast we have progressed to this level, is actually pretty wonderful)!   This makes me look forward, even more, to the HUGE feeling of accomplishment that we are going to have as we summit Kilimanjaro!  I can’t even begin to imagine how amazing that will feel and am sooo looking forward to it :)   I do wonder though, after Kili, what adventures we will have to take on to get that feeling back!  

96 days to Kilimanjaro ...

I have been talking about starting this blog for a while now and have decided that today is the day!  There are many interesting things that I would like to blog about and have been overwhelmed by all of the possibility ... but I have decided to take it day by day and blog about what is interesting me.   

With this being said, my main initial focus is going to be preparing to climb Kilimanjaro and life's adventures before and after this milestone.  

Source: www.wallhunt.com

I feel like, as with most other things, the Kili deadline is looming up on us faster than we are preparing for.   On July 2nd we leave for Kili and begin our trek on July 6th.  This is not far away ... 96 days to be precise.  Eek!

People ask what we are doing for training ... ummm, well ... Mum and I run with the Running Room (love them!! check out their training programs here:  www.runningroom.com) and I am currently participating in the 1/2 marathon training program for the Ottawa Race Weekend (I'm sure I'll blog about this in later posts).  Other than that though, we haven't even bought our hiking boots yet!!   This is our Easter Wknd goal though ... that and to find somewhere in Ottawa to start our weekend hikes.    This weekend we may need wellington boots instead of hikers, but it will all be part of the training!  My hubby has not yet started any training; I'm not too sure what his plan is.  But dragging him out for weekend hikes is now on our to do list!!

I wonder who the least prepared person to ever summit Kilimanjaro was?  I have heard many tales from all ends of the spectrum, from triathletes who get altitude sickness and don't make it to inactive smokers who do ... it seems almost like a flip of a coin and mostly dependent on one's reaction to the altitude more so than the exercise.   With that being said I read a great post a while ago (I unfortunately can't remember the location) where the author worded it along the lines of: if you don't make it, you want to know that you did everything you could to get there and not have regrets about sitting on the couch in the months leading up to your climb.  I'm thinking that right now I would have some regrets ...so I'm taking this as my new mantra and taking this seriously.  I will make it to the top and if I don't I won't have any regrets!

Source:
www.ewpnet.com/eaimg/kilimanjaro.htm

Another perspective is that great training will make the climb an enjoyable experience versus a grueling physical torture.   I really want it to be enjoyable and I want to be able to take in everything I am seeing instead of focusing on putting one foot in front of the other.  I am sooo looking forward to just day after day of WOW factor.   They have plants that go from freezing at night to +30 temperatures during the day ... WOW.  We get to walk through areas that people refer to as other worldly because of the diverse vegetation ... WOW.  We get to see 100 foot ice cliffs while they still exist ... WOW.   

So, here it begins.   Today, with Running Room, we conveniently have hill training.  I despise and yet love hill training ... the torment of going up the hill is only overshadowed by the sheer joy of completing the torment!

I'm looking forward to publicizing this as it will motivate me to train harder and more consistently.  After all, you will all know what I have or have not done on the road to Kili!