I love goal setting and I have been this way all my life.
The run for the kids started in 2006 and the first time I ran in it was in 2007.
The event is unique in Victoria with the course going over the Bolte bridge and under the tunnel.
This year is the 6th time that I have participated in it.
Unfortunately, the run has clashed with some of my other goals at times.
In 2009 it clashed with my 50-year-old birthday party and my walk for oncology children's cancer along the Great Ocean Road.
In 2016 it clashed with the 40 km Torquay surf coast walk, another walk that I love, and try and do each year.
2019 it clashed with my trip to Japan for the celebration of my 60th birthday.
2020 and 2021 it clashed with covid and we had to cancel every event that we planned.
SO HERE WE ARE 2022
THE MOON, THE SUN, AND THE STARS HAVE ALL ALIGNED.
THE RUN 4 THE KIDS IS HAPPENING.
The last time I did the run was 2018 and I have not run anything like 15km in the past 4 years without stopping.
OH DEAR!
I WAS WORRIED.
WILL I MAKE IT?
I decided the follow Steve Moneghettis, 11 week training program and started training on the 15th January 2022.
I completed every training session, 3 days every week.
I found it so hard for the first few weeks. In some of the sessions I had to walk and run. During these sessions I took longer so that I could still run the required distance, taking into account that I had walked some.
By weeks 4 and 5 I was starting to get into my rhythm and building my confidence back up.
Week 8, 9, and 10 really pushed me with long runs of 10km and 12km sessions.
I trained by myself and pushed myself to get each session done.
Two days out I was still not completely confident, there was still a little bit of doubt because 12km was the longest run I had done in my training. I knew that I am always determined when there is a crowd around and it always up the energy.
Sunday the 3rd of April came.
I was trying not to put too much pressure on myself.
My yoga side was saying "If it gets too much then you can walk for a bit."
My personal trainer/competitive side was saying,
"you can do it and you will do it, just keep going and don't stop".
I woke up at 6am to give myself plenty of time to get to the Docklands.
Mario and I walked to the starting line. Mario was fabulous and carried all my stuff. I did not have to worry about any of it, keys, phone, water, jumper, towel etc.
My bib colour was yellow and 20 minutes before I was to be called up I thought I should go to the toilet one last time.
Of course, by then the line was huge.
It was moving fairly quickly so I thought, It is better to be safe than sorry.
The 2-minute call and I still had a few people in front of me. Ok, there were a few thousand people with yellow bibs on, so I should be ok.
I will tag onto the end if I have to.
Ok, so all done and I run to the starting line. The end of the yellow bib group are running off. I run past the start line and what happens next is quite profound.
As I run past the starting line and I look to my left......
There is Steve Moneghetti standing at the starting line.
He looks straight at me, puts his thumb up, and stays
Have a great run.
I couldn't believe it.
If I hadn't been at the end of the group I wouldn't have seen him.
I was thrilled and saw it as an omen.
I had followed his program for 11weeksk and he had motivated me with his spiel each week. There he was looking straight at me.
Wow.
That made my day.....
That and my beautiful friend Deb surprising me at the finishing line. I didn't know she was going to be there and she was cheering me across the line.
Of course, I couldn't give up and I am very happy that I ran all the way without stopping.
My 6th time participating in this fantastic event.
"Always dream and always plan and always set goals
because when you achieve them you feel amazing."
and this fabulous quote
"Believe you can and you're halfway there."
and this one: