The 9th annual Rainforest 10K and Kids Fun Run take place in Finsbury Park, London N4 and fights climate change by protecting rainforests. This year former Olympian and BBC Superstars hero Brian Hooper is leading the race warm up and will be joining in to help to reduce the earth’s carbon emission by making some footprints that won’t do any damage.
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011009 – Oh great! At my last race Trees for Cities, I met a fellow runner who warned me how hard the RainForest race is, as the course consist of uphills and slopes and not flat at all. I don’t mind, but its the fact he is an experienced runner for years!
071009 – First day back in training and its already started to burn. This time its been not the lack motivation, but the lack of spare time to train. This next few weeks are packed, and I need to stick to a plan. I’m more productive when I’m extremely busy or under pressure. I won’t be able to do an early 2010 race – as I’ll be helping out with the organisation Crisis, so no point planing my races for next year at this moment. My runner friends have been accepted into the 2010 marathon. Pleased for them. Motivates me. Joints have been stiff from the different routine I am in now. No more running up the long escalators in Holborn and Tottenham Court Road!
191009 – I have a huge egg-shaped bump on my knee and it is killing me. I am now limping around and I don’t need any other obstacles in my training. I went for a workout over the weekend which felt good. I added some new tracks to my ipod and it motivated me that I didnt feel the burn. But had fell off the wagon when I had to attend a friends party and was dancing away till 2.30am and it completely wiped out the next day to train. I took a look at the 2010 marathon, but I also worked out that I may be away early next year, who knows what’s in store so I may not be able to fit around preparing for it. I have signed up for the NIKE 10K run this weekend, so I can do it in my own space on that day and in my own time as part of training. Can’t believe how soon the race is and I haven’t had enough mileage behind me. Mate JB says I can do it, no worries. Other mate RB is doing the Nike one instead. Hmm. lets hope leg is better in pain tomorrow. I find it hard to walk around. Not good.
301009 – just had a gruelling work out with my mate who is a trainer at a gym. I went there as our crappy gym has been closed for this week, putting me out of training and motivation even more. mate listened to how close race was (TWO DAYS EKKK!) and so made sure it was strengthening leg muscles, rather than fatiguing me. plus its always nice to go catch up with a friend. I made sure he put me through my paces, and sure enough, with a cheeky grin, he lied to me about extra weights on the leg presses and i was soon doing squats, (with added weights – as he said ” i looked comfortable!) , squat jumps, lunges, steps, and really working on my legs, taking in consideration of my bad knee. i was aching, which was good. asked how i was feeling through out, and i was wanting to push myself more, through the pain, it felt like he was waking up all my muscles i had used to use when i used to Thai Box.
It was good. I needed it. At least i wouldnt feel mentally guilty for not making effort. DO NOT EVERYONE TRAIN LIKE THIS ONLY DAYS BEFORE A RACE. mate made sure i was not too hard on self, rested inbetween (which was something new for me!) and i was under supervision. Then watching my knee movements, he decided to help strengthen it by paying attention to it. im not sure what it is called but he had me work out the sides of the knee, and was alike when I used to do side kicks, in Thai boxing, but with weights. It was a considerable workout. He said I was very flexible still, and was surprised me by letting me in that what i did was considerably a tough workout, but he was only doing it for the benefits of me, and knowing what I can do. it was soon over, and i had wanted to do a run, mate was worried but allowed me. so i tried but my legs felt like jelly after what he put me through. a different type of workout. haha. i managed on and off for 30mins on the treadmill. I just need to get over the finish line sunday..
Then.. i went to go for a steam/sauna whilst waiting for mate to finish up his personal training to have a break and i suffered a blackout and fell into the pool. it sounds comical and im still a little shaken up as i write this, but for a non swimmer and one who is afriad of water, it was panicking for me, not knowing how i ended up in water, how i got there, and which way was up. it was luck a female swimmer nearby had seen what had happened and rescued me. noone else was around who noticed. my vision had gone and my knee and wrist is still, killing me. female says i must have busted my knee as i went in. i was shaken had said earlier in room, not knowing how long i was in there for, i needed soem fresh air. i was chatting to a bloke who was asking me for my number and as i came out, i sort or stumbled out, as he hadnt heard me and next thing i know i was panicing in water and a female arm pulled my head and body up. i dont rem a thing. this all happened within seconds after my mate had come to check on me to say he had finished his training. when i got myself out, vision back out and up and met him,
he was in shock and felt terrible he wasnt there. more so he was angry at that guy who had legged it without helping me and left me to drown. i had swallowed half the pool. if guy calls me, I will tell him where to go, seeing as he is a coward and left me to drown! last thing i need is a busted knee. it really hurts and i need to get through the pain through the 10k. my god if this isnt a test, i dont know what is.
ive cancelled birthday plans, party invites, dinner, appollo tickets tonight and tomorrow Halloween invites all for sake of staying away from alcohol and to try and R&R before Sunday. .. really hope knee will get better.. feel like bit a drama after today!
011109 – DAY OF RACE
my leg muscles are still extremely stiff. But they only stiffen up when stationary and its takes like an old granny a while to get going or to go down stairs. my word! As soon as I move and keep muscles warm, I am fine. I wasnt sure what to eat today as I feel like it is like the Trees For Cities race, where there is a long wait and was left starving again.
2009 RAINFOREST FOUNDATION 10K
Last night heart was playing up again pretty badly. Didnt allow me proper rest or sleep. Palpitations started again the whole of yesterday making me nervous for today, but I should be fine. Red sky this morning. Weather lady says temps drop today. … 1st of November…
OH MY WORD.
It was the hardest route. No joke. It wasn’t the fact there was torrential rain and strong winds. I was soaked through my feet before the race had even started. Everyone was wearing waterproofs afraid to go t-shirt, but i knew if i didn’t, I would bake, and I wouldnt have any dry clothes to get back into. No, the route was all up hill, down hill, up hill, down hill, through hundreds of wet slippery leaves and then mud was splattered everywhere! It was like an assault course, my god! Everyone was weary fighting against the rain and winds, and everyone was so tired! When I finished, i was determined not to slow down or stop and I managed a faster sprint finish, pumping my arms to get across that line. I made it 1.:00:46 That was bloody amazing considering how poor I had been with training, my achy legs from mates training other day and the fact I have been unwell.
Other marathon runners also agreed how hard this bloody was. Everyone looked exhausted, drenched and just so tired! I had worn my Concept Farm cap, and great I did, as it certainly kept the rain away from my eyes the whole time. It was so hard. Funnily enough i felt much better after 7km and the rest just passed by. It was very hard to enjoy with the conditions and I wasnt the only one with that thought. Though the spirit of everyone was tremendous, what with a kiddies under 9 1k race at the beginning, it was terribly sweet as I tried to get some photos of them. They too were awarded with medals! and all had such brave faces in the rain. Am i prepared for the half… I think with good training behind me, regular miles.. i dont think its impossible… didnt aim to get a PB today, aimed for having great fun to get across the finish line, and I did just that. Marvellous. I challenge anyone else out there to do a race on the Finsbury Park course…
Run The Streets 