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Readiness, and Speaking Vietnamese - Courtesy of Vietlesson Coffee House

7/31/2016

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The Danang International Marathon is less than a week away now. This time next week I will have completed the marathon, partied/celebrated with a couple of friends there, and will have flown home to Hanoi to teach my Sunday class of teenagers (I have a feeling their lesson next week may include a bit of a show-and-tell with the race medal and may or may not focus around running and sports in general). How do I press that stop/pause button on life again? I know it's all going to fly by far too quickly for my liking, so will aim to savour every minute of my trip there: both the fun times and the tough, mentally and physically exhausting times of the last few km of the race. I've trained for this for a few months now (or much longer if you count keeping the kilometres up as part of regular running training between events), but do I feel 'ready'?! Hmm....

Could I have done more training? Yes. Could I have partied a little less while focusing 100% on my nutrition? Most definitely yes. Do I feel ready? Umm, nooooo. But AM I ready?? YES. Well.... Sure, I am not as physically fit or as well prepared as the last full marathon I ran back in July 2015, but then I probably didn't feel 'ready' then either. Readiness is a complex issue. Do we ever feel, truly, 100% ready for anything, or is there always that flicker, that glimmer, or that binding whopping lightning strike, of doubt lingering within us as we embark on whatever the chosen project or task may be? My theory is you can never feel 100% ready, as that's just  the dynamic nature of life, given that everything is constantly evolving and changing, but that despite this, or perhaps because of this, you should just go for it! What's the worst that can happen? We're as 'ready as we'll ever be', right? If you wait until you feel 100% ready, for anything, then you will never reach your destination. There's always more you can do. Always more to learn and improve upon. Not to mention that 'readiness' is not necessarily an indication of result or performance either: there have been races where I  have felt completely undertrained and unprepared for (the 100km Challenge  in Guizhou,  or the 50km ultra - my first! - in Hebei, both in  China in 2014, for example) but where I got awesome results (finishing alive and well under the cut off times was a plus) and conversely, there have been other races (such as the Gold Coast Half Marathon in 2014) where I have planned my race strategy and pace to the endth degree and know exactly what to do on race day to achieve a specific pb (I was aiming for 1:31) however jetlag or something else got the better of me that day and things didn't quite go to plan (finished in 1:34 though, so not too far off, but did not feel good for most of the race and nearly vomited all over my patiently waiting best friend at the finish line).

So basically: ready or not-as-ready-as-I-could-be - you never can tell what will go down on the day. Every marathon is so different too: such is the nature of the beast. Such is the mystery and excitement too. So, this ready-as-I'll-ever-be nutritionist-runner-amateur-comedienne-teacher-writer is as ready as she'll ever be and excited to see what race day will bring! This is by far the earliest race I've ever had the (I hope) pleasure of running - kick-off time is 4am with the recommendation to arrive at 3am! I likely won't be too much fun on the Friday night for my friends then, but will definitely make up for it come Saturday night guys!


If YOU have any races coming up later in the year, or simply want to improve your running times/performance/recovery, or perhaps you're chasing a new and improved Parkrun time, well then stay tuned for an exciting online event in October. I'll be launching a very special, 4-week mini course (a reboot program aimed to get you back on track) on eating to perform at your best: Eat To Win! This program will focus on getting back to basics and determining macromolecules, eating enough fuel for your needs throughout the day (without overcompensating after runs due to that pesky 'runger"), refuelling at the right times and with the perfect ratio of those macromolecules, real/whole food choices, and proper hydration. The program will run online so you can take part no matter where you are in the world, and will feature some fantastic tools/resources, bonuses, awesome motivation and support, and very importantly: weekly prizes. Wootwoot - who doesn't like prizes?!  More on this later on....

My last bit of news this week is that my beginner's Vietnamese course has sadly come to an end. Yep, 16 lessons has positively flown by! Amazing what can be achieved in such a short space of time. In my last lesson, as lovely, enthusiastic, and friendly Lien (the awesome teacher at Vietlesson where I took the classes) reviewed everything I had learnt so far and asked me some questions, I realised how much more I could do or ever thought I'd be able to do. I introduced myself, we made small talk, I described my family, my job, my desires of where I want to live and work in life etc, and I asked her similar questions back. All in Vietnamese! I still have a long way to go, of course, but it's a reassuring start. The more I use it in shops/restaurants/when meeting people, the better I will get at it I know, so now I just need to practise practise practise. But I'm in exactly the right place to do that yes? Really lovely to hear back from people who I'm attempting to speak Vietnamese with when out and about in said shops/restaurants - some commented that they think my Vietnamese is good and one told me she thought I must have been here for 4 years instead of 4 months! She was probably just being lovely and kind, but hey-ho, I'll take that... If you are wanting to learn Vietnamese or to continue learning / to improve your Vietnamese I strongly urge you to check out Vietlesson Coffee House: http://www.vietlesson.com/ Mmmmm and they make an AWESOME banana and coffee smoothie too!

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Not Long Now...

7/24/2016

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In just under two short weeks I will be marathoning once again. Taking part in the Danang International Marathon 2016, down in beautiful Danang (funnily enough), and I am more than a little pumped. It's happening: I am officially in taper mode, as of two days ago, but shhhh, don't tell my body.... (I have had the uncanny knack of falling ill to viruses or rubbish sicknesses usually 2-3 weeks out from a big event that I am training towards or looking forward to - but not this time! I hope.... Turmeric being the reason, I am sure.)

Anyway, on Friday I ran my last LONG-long run of my marathon training: a 32km that saw me take in two laps of West Lake (in the same direction both times this week, boom - doubly tough, mentally speaking) plus two and fro from my humble abode. This was tough. REALLY tough. Oh boy, what a difference a week makes. A world away from the similar long-long run just a week before, and not sure why? I had fuelled appropriately , had similar amounts of sleep etc, but for some reason my legs were not cooperating and the whole 3 hours felt exceptionally tough. BUT, the up side it? I got through it and my legs were not too sore or stiff afterwards. Just fatigued and not fresh during the run.

I thought it would be a good idea for some serious rest and recovery post-long run anyway, as I don't want a repeat of that fatigued leg feeling come race day on 6th August, so the next day I took myself down to an amazing place a good friend has introduced me to recently, and took another friend with me: thus passing on this amazing secret local knowledge whilst having some quality girly time too. It is a spa where for about the equivalent of $15 you get a couple of hours of wonderful relaxation and luxury: being placed in various herbal baths and barrels of hot, scented water, ginger-infused steam rooms and showers, whilst being handed delicious hot ginger and then iced teas alternately, before being then given an hour long, extremely thorough massage. The experience is then capped off with FOOD (mmm, my favourite) and yet more delicious tea. Mmmmm, fruit platters and your choice of either fish rice porridge or what we think is duck egg rice porridge. Cue two very relaxed, chilled, happy women.

It definitely did the trick, as my legs are fine now, and back to normal. (I tested them out on a short 11km ish run late yesterday afternoon after a bit of teaching work - and even in the extremely hot, sweaty, humid afternoon, they felt fine and it was a great run.)

This week is shaping up to be a GREAT one already, and I hope yours is too. Wishing you all the best and a happy, healthy time!! Until next time, you beautiful folks.... xx



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Tiger in the Cat

7/18/2016

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So this blog post is a few hours (or half a day to be precise) late due to a fairly massive weekend of fun times: an old skool 90s rave on Friday night followed by two more days of various parties. Phew, Hanoi, you have taken it out of me and I am pretty exhausted today, but all good... I had the forethought to get my 'weekend' long run in relatively early on the Friday morning, and this was an awesome idea and brilliant run! Having been sort of winging it this time round in terms of my marathon training and plan, I was pleasantly surprised to find that a 30km went really well - legs weren't even achey or stiff afterwards, and I'm sure this was down to proper fuelling before, during and after said run - the fuel of choice being a mixture of 'pho' (noodle soup), lemon iced teas and a sports drink, and  couple of chewy sweets. I'm still playing around with different fuel options, as ever, but so far so good. On this note, stay tuned for later in the year when I will be launching another month long challenge, however one that will focus exclusively on proper fuelling and nutrition (best options and optimal timing too) for runners leading up to a race - look out for 'Eat to Win: 30 day Challenge for a New PB' later in the year...

The hardest part of the long run has to be the mental aspect, and when your long run consists of two laps of the same route (mine was made up of a short run to the lake, then two laps of West Lake, before running home again) the hardest part is starting the second lap. I tricked myself into thinking it wasn't really two of the same laps, by running one direction first and then switching it up and running the reverse direction for the second lap. On and positive mantras always help, as does mentally planning or organising things in my mind as I'm running - I like to get the first draft of 'writing' done during my runs.

No running over the weekend or yesterday however, but  I did a LOT of sweaty dancing, so that counts as cross-training right? Then it was back into my usual 11km-12km ish run this morning. I'm feeling really good and confident re: the Danang Marathon in just under 3 weeks' time now. Later this week will see me do my last long-long run, before I start to taper down for the race. 

Bring it on Danang!! 

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Vertical Running and Vegan Fare

7/13/2016

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On Saturday afternoon I took part in the Hanoi Vertical Run 2016, which saw me and a load of other awesome competitors attempt to run/hike/shuffle quickly up the tallest building in Vietnam: Landmark 72.

Cover your eyes if coarse language offends you for this next sentence: but this was like having sex while camping - it was fuckin intense! (geddit?! Sorry....) It wasn't too long before I was feeling the burn in my quads and legs all over in general, and my initial plan of being able to keep up a steady rhythm of running slowly up the whole way, gave way to a more manageable attack of: run a couple of flights then hike a couple using my hands on my thighs/knees (akin to hiking while running up steep trails - hill walking, I think it's called).

Before I knew it I was at the top, woohoo!! And able to check out the awesome views across the whole of Hanoi and beyond. It is actually a much big city than I thought, having mainly been exploring the areas close to where I live until now. I then got out  of there as I had to be somewhere and wanted to get a run in on the way home (as 16 minutes of stair climbing/running didn't really count as a marathon training run I thought, although hopefully it has helped! I am a bit out of practice with stair training). Thanks to the lovely two runners who helped me out while a bit lost and ran with me for a while in the direction back towards Tay Ho. It only came to my attention later, that apparently I won first place in my age group! Woohoo!! And judging by the results, I think I came 2nd female overall!! Pretty stoked with this result, especially as I had had a very late one the night before with a few beers and vodkas (not ideal the night before a race but hey-ho, that's life....).

The best part of this event (apart from the race shirt and medal!) was the actual taking part in an event again - this was my first in Vietnam. I love the atmosphere and the energy at races, and love meeting the other runners there. So inspirational and motivating and fun! So, I am even more excited for the Danang Marathon in August now. But seriously need to up my training as it's getting closer by the day, and I haven't really put any long-long runs in so far. I will be rectifying that this week.
Here are a few pics from Saturday's event:
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Just prior to the event, I had sadly said goodbye to my wonderful friend Kim, who has now headed back to UK (but not for too long I sincerely hope!). We had an incredible week together: cycling around exploring, going out dancing and on fun nights, visiting a few of the many cafes here in Hanoi (including the cat café!), going on a day-trip to the beautiful Perfume Pagoda, having cheap but amazing spa days, copious well overdue long chats and laughs, and eating the most delicious vegan/plant-based food. It was wonderful. I am missing her company already, but I know we will see each other soon.

It was great being able to show her some of my current favourite vegan restaurants but also to discover a couple of new ones too! There are lots of veggie/vegan places here in Hanoi! I am not a vegan, but the majority of my diet is plant-based by default (for me I find it to be a healthier lifestyle and I feel amazing, plus I love veggies but don't like meat, so it's naturally this way for me) with some seafood and eggs occasionally.

We certainly ate well this week, and nourished our bodies and soul, so that the many G&Ts and espresso martinis that we imbibed along with super fun nights of dancing and meeting new friends did not make a lasting or detrimental effect - it's all about balance and enjoying life while being healthy the majority of the time. I can honestly say I have never felt healthier or happier than here in Hanoi, and I'm sure it's down (in a big way) to my diet first. Vietnammmmm...... you definitely don't disappoint.
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But it's all about balance yes? So the occasional day enjoying a deliciously decadent 3-course brunch at Don's whilst overlooking beautiful West Lake, followed by an afternoon of lounging and munching little cakes and chocolate with endless cups of tea is also way way way ok. Mmmm, Vietnammmmm....
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One Year Ago...

7/5/2016

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These were taken a year ago. It's crazy to think how fast time flies by. It really doesn't seem a whole year ago when I was running the Gold Coast marathon, but it has just taken place yesterday, so that must be a year. Wow - a year ago I had just finished this awesome event and was on a permanent high from it. Now I had been planning to go back and try to beat my time (and my pb) of 3:36 this year. However, moving to Vietnam has somewhat thrown a spanner in those works. Oh well. Next year or the year after perhaps? It's such a great race, and I would love to take part in it again. For now I am happy to hear all about how my friends have done in this event, and so live vicariously through them. Congrats to everyone who ran yesterday!!! You are all incredible and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!!

I will be substituting the Gold Coast marathon with the Danang marathon in early August, so stay tuned for that. 6th August - Danang - I'm coming to get you!

My training had been a bit up and down the past week or so and I've ended up doing more strength and circuit training than actual running, albeit for a couple of long runs and one moderate run. Now my beautiful friend is visiting from UK for this week I'm not sure I will fit in all my training runs this week too, but that's way ok. I'm so excited to be able to spend time with this amazing woman and I thank the universe that we both worked at a particular investment bank many many moons ago (another lifetime it seems some days). So, short and sweet this week from me in Hanoi, as Kim and I have some well overdue catching up to do, along with copious running amuck. Love this woman so much.

Have a Brie-lliant week everyone! (yes, that is a cheesey hint of things to come this Wednesday - hopefully will be back doing some open mic stand-up comedy at Hanoi Rock City - come along if you're local! My Emmental block is over now, lol....)

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    A 30-something's running and travelling experience around the world.

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