The Curtain Call

Okay, GiddyUp Jen is making a curtain call.  I am reprising this blog in the name of motivation.  After vowing never to run another marathon, I've decided to pull just one more tiny one out of the bag.  That said, I've signed up for the Blackmore's Sydney Marathon on Sunday 22 September - which happens to coincide with my 50th birthday.  Yes, yes, yes.... If it hadn't been for that, I could easily justify not doing a marathon ever again but really, ON my actual birthday?  I can't really say "no" can I?  And I have the thought of a fabulous post-run lunch to help drive me on!  

This time I will be running on my own and pretty well training "on my own", or at least, off the InTraining Running Centre program as they are all targeting the Gold Coast Airport Marathon, which is on in four weeks.  However, a few of my run buds are targeting the Brisbane Running Festival which is in early August while others are doing the Melbourne Marathon, so if I can slot in somewhere between to do my long runs with them, that will help a whole lot.  Like this morning for instance, when I ran with Natalie who is doing her first marathon at Brisbane....  Running with her and Tiffany really helped me get those 23kms done.  I've never struggled with my head but this year, my head is doing its own thing and I am trying to reign it in! 

In the meantime, I am feeling very motivated by Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to run the Boston Marathon in 1967, where she was kind of attacked by a race official, trying to remove her from the course.  Here's her story: http://kathrineswitzer.com/about-kathrine/1967-boston-marathon-the-real-story/

So, of course, with girls like THAT to inspire me, I should be set!  I think writing my blog and writing how I feel about my training will also help me, which is why I've reprised it.  I've added some new photos, changed the template a bit and am ready to log the "trials and tribulations" of the next four months of training.  At the same time, I have my other blog, Life As Inzy AND Twitter AND my master's thesis AND work...  In fact, speaking of marathons, last year I documented the Gold Coast Airport Marathon weekend for ABC News and, if you wish, you can read about it here.  It was my first ever published "news" article and I learned a Whole Lot that weekend.  It was also the weekend I ran my fastest ever 10km (48:37) and won the Nu Pure Media Challenge!!!!!!  My first ever trophy - a coffee cup, which I've never used because it is Too Precious! Okay, enough for now.  Time to do some uni work.  Cheerio!