Namosi Marathon Challenge

Now this was one hell of a tough run challenge! To think that we signed up initially for the 21k to only change to 10k 2 weeks before race day, THANK GOD!

Where do I even start from, I am still scatterbrained as I try to articulate myself here. We started training for the marathon in July; even getting into that routine was challenging. Waking up to run at 5.30 am and then trying to do 3 runs a week and improve pace and time, during the cold season. OMG. Not sure how we managed but we kept trying.

It helps to have friends who work towards these things and keep each other motivated and inspired to keep going. So, here’s to Shane, Anabel, Pavan, Sanjesh, Andrew and Niki- the adventurous #teamRashians (inside joke lol).

The Namosi Marathon Challenge took place on the 7th of September with around 500 people registering for the 10k and 21k runs. I woke up just after 4am and the weather was cyclonic, no joke! Somehow, we all managed to make it to our meeting point and then headed off to Namosi. Namosi is beautiful, the landscape and terrain are always breathtaking and a break away from the city, so it feels like a treat to be out there.

The rain didn’t stop and neither did the marathon, although there was a point where we did consider calling it quits. Anyway, soon enough we were lined up and ready to go.

The hilly terrain and the winding up and down were a killer. I was not prepared for that, and the rain just made it worse for me because I felt like I had zero control over my breathing, and it threw me off completely. So I ran, walked and ran and mostly walked to the finish line. I met Suzie along the way, and we kept each other motivated while swearing at the hills.

We reached the finish line and what seemed like forever was finally done and dusted, just like that! It was such a vibe to see so many people show up for this event and hear all the excitement and misery everyone shared to complete the marathon.

I guess we know now to include more inclines in our running and to couple that with good nutrition in order to, improve our times and I guess overall endurance. Running the Nasese route now seems too easy, although I am curious to see if I can beat my own time and pace when I attempt another seawall 10k in the near future.

It was so cold, and we could not get out of there faster to reach our respective homes and have the hottest hot shower! We ended the day celebrating that fact that we finished the marathon with good food and wine (a bit too much) but hey, we earned it!

I guess there is no rest for our wickedly insane group that loves to live life to the fullest and outside of its comfort zone. Just when I thought I could slow down, it seems like we are back into prep mode for the next challenge!

P.s. The vlog at the start, I really tried to document from prep to race day but it was really hard to focus on filming while trying not to die! hehe!