I've been tweeted!!

I would like to say 'thank you' to Stella from the Mental Health Foundation as she has just tweeted my marathon blog:

http://twitter.com/mhf_tweets

I am hoping this will generate more followers, and essential more sponsors as I still need to raise £750 in order to reach the min. required sponsorship before race day on Sunday 17th April!!

Today started of with lots of sun but now the day is ending with lots of rain! At 5pm I enjoyed a lovely cup of English Breakfast tea with a biscuit whilst sitting outside in the terrace watching the rain pour from the sky. I felt like I was in good old England! Argentina can be very similar at times ;)

Half Marathon Challenge first!

Time is nearing to the London Marathon (Sunday 17th April in case you have forgotten!) so what is better than signing up for a half marathon run a couple of months before?! That is exactly what I will be doing on Sunday 27th February. Ultrasport will be taking place a few miles away from the town so we will not have to travel far. I say 'we' because Diego (and possibly some other friends) will also be running. It is the first stage of a 7-part adventure involving a 20km run around the scenic area of Punto Claro which has a beautiful lake and a few hills! We were there (on our return from a rock festival) on Sunday as we had decided to stop off to enjoy a bbq - 'al disco'.

www.ultrasport.com.ar

Training started again last night with a 8km run (45mins) followed by an hour spinning class. I took a week off as I had noticed some tension in my left achilles tendon so decided to give it a rest. Thankfully, I didn't feel anything last night so I think it is now ok. Sometimes the best cure is rest! I have realised that I run better when I have company as it gives me motivation as well as creating a pace to follow. I am still very excited about the whole adventure as running is a new challenge for me, however, here it is a normal form of activity to run and run and run. I guess it has a lot to do with the surroundings.

Thank you to those who have recently donated money towards my efforts!!! I am now half way there with the sponsorship of £1,500, however, I am still outstanding by approx. £750!!! There is still time! We can do it!!!!

My page: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/KimWong

What a great boss!

Following from my request via Facebook for either individual or corporate sponsorship, my great bosses at Joy Everyley Fine Jewellers www.joyeverley.co.uk
have agreed to help with the sponsorship!! The amount is yet to be confirmed but I am hoping it will help me reach the minimum sponsorship as I am still needing 800 pounds! I shall be wearing their logo on the day of the marathon. There is still room if anyone else would like me to run with their logo!!! This offer is open to any individual or business, but the sponsorship needs to be a good one ;)

Nature speaks when it needs to...

I am sitting inside my friend´s shop and enjoying the sound of rain! Sometimes it rains and then the sun comes out, but today it is pouring down with rain! I am remembering the sunny days when we were able to go to the river for lunch. Many people (tourists!) have already commented on how they do not know what to do today as it is raining. My advise to them has been to enjoy the sound of nature and to read.

We sometimes find it hard to re-connect with nature but with running I have somehow found it again. My matra during my runs have been: ´there is no suffering; only pain!´ It seems to have helped during those moments when I think it is not possible to continue running.

Since the last post I have been relatively consistent with the evening runs: an average of 1hr - 1.5hr run followed a slightly shorter run the next day with a 'day off' the next and so on. With each run I am needing a bit less time to get comfortable with the breathing. The strength of the body seems to always kick in between 30 - 60 mins. This is when I feel at my strongest with a burst of energy by the 60th min. I am getting to know my body and the comfort zones.

I must admit, I did feel a difference when I had not trained for 3 days in a row (I used up a few of my running evening for socialising!) and tried to start again yesterday. I have learned my lesson!

I have been meeting many runners in the town. There is one guy who has even completed the Iron Man which consist of 6 days running! He is an architect by day! His advise to me was simply to enjoy the run and to feel free to walk at any stage of the race as the most important thing is to finish. How true!

I have just finished reading a book called 'What I talk about when I talk about running' by Haruki murakami, which was suggested by a friend of mine. It is very inspiring as he talks quite freely about his experience as a runner and it also makes you think in a different perspective about life. I highly recommend this book for anyone as it is interesting not only just from a runner's point of view.

My daily view from La Villa

I ran around the town from one end to almost the other in a route which lasted 1hr 10mins - just over 10km.

I was unprepared for 'low battery' in my mini i-pod, but thankfully, I had amazing views to keep my mind focused on the run.

After an hour of non-stop running I felt a sudden burst of energy so I sprinted for part of the final leg. I spent the rest of the evening relaxing and massaging out the tension in my legs.

The surface is a mixture of flat road and rocky terrain. I hope my trainers will be ok as they are only designed for flats / pavements, i.e. city running!

Today I feel good, however slightly sleepy! It must be the fresh air and the fact I feel proud of my run!

The hills are alive with fresh air!

Instead of waiting for this morning I decided to take the plunge and went for my first run yesterday in La Villa General Belgrano, Argentina. There was no real reason stopping me as I was being offered: fresh air, good distance, my space and an amazing backdrop! I took some photos but I forgot my camera cable so those will follow shortly.

I have over two months here for some quality training so I plan to enjoy every moment. The first 5 mins of the run was a struggle to begin with due to being in a different surrounding and having to adjust with the breathing. After 20 mins I felt great and wanted to go on and on....so I did! I ran round the town and got familiar with what was on offer for the next runs. I ran for 40 mins before stopping off for a quick drink of water at home (that is how close everything is here!!) and then continued for a further 20 mins. I didn't want to push myself too much on the first run, however, eventually, I hope to manage several longer runs which will give me enough stamina to complete runs of 3 - 4 hrs.