2010 The Endurance Challenge

Much is happening in my life at the moment. Much of it good, some of it less so, but all of it is "life". Dealing with stresses and adversities can be a full time job, or it can be a distraction that takes time away from the important things that you want your life to be.

For me, the big picture is about having a memorable life. A significant part of that is challenging myself to achieve things... usually in an athletic sense. Often those challenges are about doing multiple events close together - I always like to have the "next goal" planned, often before the current goal has been achieved. So there is always something to look forward to.

So amongst all of the clatter that happens in day to day life, I have decided to make 2010 not just a year that I turn myself from Ironman to Ultra Marathoner, but have created what I think is a fairly significant list of events to complete in 2010. If I can get through all of these, it will have been a highly successful year.

This blog will capture the story of each event, with photos, memories, highlights and lessons from the journey.

So far the trip is going well. A key challenge is the Comrades Marathon in South Africa in late May. Having never run further than a marathon before, the step up to 89km's is a significant physical and mental test. To date, I have comfortably been able to get to my long runs to 3hrs20 to 3hrs25 for a hilly 32-33km run (ok a walk / run as I walk when my heart rate gets over 145 beats per minute). I am recovering very well from these and last weekend backed up that run with 10km the following day. Total distance covered for that week was a record 67km. Progress is being made.

This Sunday will be my first trail run event at Maroondah Dam. The early weather forecast is warm and 32 degrees and given its a 10am start for the 30km run (I didn't think I was quite ready for the 50k option - and I am keen to build distance slowly to reduce the risk of injury), it should be pretty warm out there on the run.

So here we are in mid February. The endurance challenge has been laid down, now its time to complete the challenge that I have set myself.