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City 2 Surf training - June update

Posted by on 30 May 2010 | 0 Comments

Training session one consisted of a rather nervous group of 32 brave individuals. You could almost smell the excitement and the tension in the air. You had to wear sunglasses to cope with the glare of white from the new shoes and the lycra pants! Everyone was kitted up and ready to go and I was pleased to see that they were all taking this task very seriously. The right gear is important. You need to look and feel like a runner, and have the equipment that allows you to run efficiently. By the second session smaller teams and buddy's had been formed. Members of the team are running together for encouragement and support. This is critical throughout training, othewise "homework" can be a challenge. It's almost become a social occasion to run with others. Who would have thought! We're now almost up to our fourth City 2 Surf training session and the team are powering!! So far we have conquered time around the oval for the new folk, and some good steady runs for the guys who have been training for a while. Our routes have covered 6-8km of varying terrain. We have embraced hills, long slow inclines, and some daunting downhill runs. Each training session the team are set a course to run, based on their level, and given a time to complete it. I'm happy to say that almost everyone is either coming in on time, or beating the time challenge. Next session we are moving away from the safety of the park and out to embrace Hull Road in Beecroft. Hill training is an integral part of City 2 Surf traing. Heartbreak Hill is nowhere near as daunting as some of the hills that I put in front of the team! And for good reason. Each week we share results to monitor progress and the team receive an email from me with hints and tips on how to stay motivated, how to prepare for the event, and what to do in their own time. What I find encouraging is the feedback that I get throughout training. Running is a hard task. Running hills is an even harder task. Everyone can run on their own however running in a competitive environment pushes you out of your comfort zone. Knowing someone is hot on your heels and having the belief that you can go just that little bit faster or harder is what spurs you on. Seeing the smiles and the endorphine rush as people realise the "runner's high" is just incredible. Sharing the tears as they can't quite make a hill, or the disappointment they feel at not getting the time they want makes me realise just how important this is to some of the team. Receiving a hug from someone who just can't believe they are taking on the task, or getting a simple thank you for making someone feel good about themselves, this is what it's all about. Knowing that on the day they will do their best, give it their all, and they will reach their goals is a powerful feeling. Success is helping others succeed. City 2 Surf pulls that all together for me. It's a good feeling. I can't wait for the next training session! Bring it on!!! Kaz