No longer a random runner

I have always seen running as that part of life that could be unstructured, if I felt like running I would, sure there was some structure, however mostly I run because I just plain and simple love the feeling.

In many runners worlds this wouldn’t exactly be the right approach, you run the risk of overtraining (correct) you miss crucial runs that you tell yourself you’ll make up later and never get around to it (very true) you don’t factor in recovery (spot on) and you build your k’s very quickly and run the risk of injury (nailed it) – however I still run when i feel like it!

With Bailey coming into our world I thought that this random approach would pay off in dividends… when he is feeding, i’ll run, when he is sleeping, i’ll run and when a window opens up during the day I’ll scoot out for a quick 10…. How wrong I was!!

Kids need a routine, simple!  So over the past 2 months I have quickly come to the realisation Runners, especially runners with new born kids also need a routine or at very least a schedule of what the training week is shaping up.   This enables you to keep the end goal of the race/adventure at the forefront and you are training for that specific goal..  who would have thought.

This cannot be done in isolation,  you as the runner are not #1 in my case I’m #3.  Things you need to consider – when does Daddy Day Care start and finish, what does the week look like taking in consideration work and social stuff, what does Bon’s training & commitments look like.  Only then can you start to make your training plan, remembering family is #1 and you are Dad, Husband, Runner, in that order.

Already this has enabled us to understand what the week is looking like, it brings much needed structure to my training and removes any issues with me making a split decision to head out on a run, when I’m needed at home.

I will build a weekly plan at the end of each Sunday this will enable me to look across the week to ensure all is covered, then I can go ahead and build the plan – Already by doing this I’ve noticed I can use the commute to and from work as part of my training (currently I ride into work) to ensure I maximise home time.

This week is the first week, so I’ll report back in a month to see if I’m no longer a random runner!

Eddie
Recovering Random Runner

 

The little things!

Watching Bailey over the past couple of days has been quite enlightening, as he had just gone through a major developmental week where his entire world has just changed.  Why… his eyes have now developed and he is seeing colours, multi dimensions, landscapes, our faces and everything that was normal has completely changed in an instant.

When we are born our world is no more than 20cm away from us, its a blotchy, hazy and somewhat of a boring environment.  So when this changed, so did Bailey, when he sees us he now smiles, music has a profound impact on him and noises that were always there now apparent to him, it has been brilliant to watch!

So what happens to us as adults as our lives get busier we start to ignore all of these amazing smells and sounds, now even more interrupted by our insatiable appetite for technology.  I got me thinking are we now so connected,  that we are forgetting the small things that happen around us due to being on our phones, iPads, computers ext..

Bailey will grow up in a generation of tech-heads,  fully connected almost from the moment they are born.

How will I keep up with this, and ensure he doesn’t miss the little things?  As I’m already falling behind in the tech world.  My initial thoughts are to lead by example, I’ll give him a taste of the great outdoors from such an early age that he will continue to appreciate the beauty, smells, landscape and adventure as he is doing now.

Show him our full attention, not intermittent from our connected world, ensure the dinner table is the dinner table where we share our stories not via social media, but face-to-face from the day, this was something I grew up with and believe it to be so important, implementing it these days  I imagine a battle.

Sure there is no doubt he will be a tech-head, but it will come with the balance of an outdoor lifestyle.

Crazy the things you think about when you have a child!!

Eddie
Your pen pal 🙂

Stressed out!!

During the lead up to Bailey coming into our world I somewhat dramatically changed my training, trying to fit in all of my training k’s in short sharp, intense bursts of activity so I wasn’t away too long on the trails, just in case I missed that phone call.

There’s one shoe here I don’t want to wear!

It just happens that this time last year Ben, Pat and myself had just completed the Aussie 8 Expedition where we climbed, ran, scrambled the highest mountain in each state and territory in OZ in 8 days!! Before the expedition I also started to do a similar thing to my training, trying to smash myself in a least amount of time as possible, we had the wedding coming up, planning for the expedition and organising our 2month honeymoon, time was precious.

To give some context, a tempo run 20k+ would normally be around the 4:45 pace, i would run a 10k at 4:30 and then 30+ on the trails with Ben around 6:00 min/k – when I load up i would reduce the km and run at around 4:00 – 4:15 pace more often, and sacrifice the long run and sometimes go out for a sprint at lunch!

What happened 1 month before Aussie 8 my body broke down and I had a nasty grade 2 stress fracture of my right tibia and couldn’t run without pain, no matter how much nurofen gel I bathed in.  So I spent the next month in a moon boot (see photo), no running, as little impact as possible, lets just say the cotton wool treatment.  The only way I was going to find out if it was ok was on the first mountain in ACT…  Luckily all went to plan.

So this brings me to where I’m at now, although this time i have increased the intensity so much, my pelivs has cracked and I’m again carrying another small stress fracture, recovery 6-8weeks.

This has finally got to me, FINALLY!  I need to overhaul my training and come to terms with the fact that i’m a slow, long distance endurance trail runner, I was logging 100+km weeks before i completed TNF100 not an issue to be seen, no injuries, nada.

So here is the plan;

• revisit the run less run faster notion of 3 runs per week –  get rid of the junk and crazy  back to back runs that are breaking me
• cross train – lucky the next expedition we are setting out on in November involves a massive 145km kayak and 60+km mountain bike – so time to structure in a weekly long MTB ride and a couple of Brisbane River yaks
• crossfit – I’ve always been interested in this, at first sounded like a cult, until I was taken for a tour of a local outfit in Kangaroo Point here in Brisbane and was surprised about the notion and the overall fitness it builds!
• look into shoes – Ben has a new pair of Hoka One One that he is raving about all aspects, the recovery, the feel of the foot fall, how light they are ect…
• schedule in RECOVERY days – I needed to google the term
• go back to the long trail days and simply run
• get a training plan together (maybe enlist the services of a professional?) for the big expedition, no point training for training sake you need an end goal!!

The message here is to not get carried away and develop a plan of attack that will work for you and incorporate your end goal, marathon, adventure race , first 10k, couch to 5k, walking every morning, whatever the hell it is…

Eddie
The Broken Runner 🙂

 

 

The dreaded W

I’m now 3 days back into work, however I’m not really there, my mind is elsewhere – how is Bon doing, what am I missing out on, I should be there to help!!

Reality is someone needs to work, useless you’ve ridden the tech wave and developed a fruit ninja app that have been downloaded a qazlillion times, plain and simple you need that cold hard to buy the thousands of nappies he is going through.

As I arrived home on Monday night after being out at work from 7:30am – 6:30pm, he was asleep (don’t get me wrong sleeping is like gold to us) selfishly for me Bailey wasn’t there to greet me with a scotch and my slippers!!! Seriously it did however get me thinking about the next couple of years, what am I going to miss out on, first smile, first step, many first’s.  This is an issue for me personally and is something I need to work on to come to terms with the concept that I will most likely miss out on some of this milestones of development.

Bugger that!!  I have chosen to be an active Dad so I have gone about restructuring my working life.  Let me tell you this was not easy and the concept that for me ‘family’ is a key driver in my life when requesting a change in work structure took many meetings and overall persistence to get this over the line.

What I have decided to do is –

•  Work from home 1 day a week – this provides support for Bon and allows me to be active with the boy (big win for me)
• Try and get the majority of Training down throughout lunch and to and on the way home – this is still a working concept (more to come on this notion)
• Start later finish earlier hahaha
• Bank time and take it when we need it the most
• Do Not take anything home with me!  The small window of family & Dad time is tiny don’t waste it with work!! if there is something do it at midnight after a late night feed when everyone is asleep (who am i kidding this is never going to happen, sounds good in theory)

I wonder if all Dads have this issue in the workplace or just me –  do other Dad’s even request this type of structural change in work?

I’m keen to hear what strategies other Dads have applied to secure the work/family balance?

To kick things off I found this very interesting article written by James Pell on news.com.auabout can stay-at-home Dad’s ever be content!! http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/why-work-at-home-dads-can-never-really-be-content/story-fnet085v-1226607572719

Also the first interview is almost complete – should be a cracker!!

Eddie

The biggest adventure of them all!!

A lot has happened over the past 12 + months with a number of adventures, life defining moments taking place.

When I first started writing this blog, I now understand it was for the wrong reasons, I think at the time I wanted to show off that I was doing something huge, bigger than most people even dream of, to show that I was achieving more than the average person.  Upon reflection it was a selfish goal, that really, was only for me and that reflected in the uncommitted posts.

However bucket loads has happen since North Face and now that journey seems insignificant compared to the past 12 months, which has lead me to resurrect this blog, so I can document the journey from here in!

So I’ll starting with the biggest adventure of them all……the creation of a beautiful young family.

21 Days ago, Bonnie and Myself, welcomed our new son into the world and boy (see what i did there) it was one heck of an arrival (something we have chosen at this stage to keep to ourselves).  Bailey Barry Edwards (BBE) has brought something into our lives which I hope every young/old/new couple enjoys with their first, its the UNKNOWN!!!

The age old saying, you don’t know what you don’t know, rings so so true when you become parents for the first time.  Firstly, you are put into this false sense of security in hospital, with ninja midwives at the press of a button, the BCA – baby care assistants, yes their job is to take your screaming baby off you for 1-3 hours so you can sleep – 4 babies at a time (who on earth would sign up for that gig), a food van with beautiful souls who bring you apple, pear juice, cake, full 3 course dinner, the biggest lunches I’ve ever seen, fully cooked truckies breakfast, the freeking lot.  All of a sudden this new born thing is a piece of cake man!

Then… Day 5, they all instantly divorce you, no signs that you have done anything wrong, no warning the relationship was going sour, they discard you like last weeks leftovers, throw you into the deep end without showing you how to swim, it’s a fend for yourself mentality.

I instantly recalled waiting for our antenatal class at hospital to commence and out of the corner of my eye caught these new parents walking past us with their brand new china doll and remembered a look of fear and trepidation on the Dad’s face as he took the last steps through those sliding doors into the unknown – a look i have since witnessed, yes it was my reflection the day we also walked that hallway.  Every new Dad will understand the look.

Now 21 days in we are experts and we have it all figured out… yea, far from it.  We have been thrown many challenges more than you can every expect as a non parent, we have celebrated small victories – the high five moment when for a very small moment in time you think you have it figured out, only to be brought back down to earth with an almighty SCREAM.

The biggest thing I have learnt thus far into this new journey as a Dad and a Husband is to back your wife up, make all decisions together and talk to each other, communication is the key in any relationship, man it’s top of the list now – it’s bloody hard yakka,  but you signed up for this nine months ago, you knew it was coming 🙂

I have managed to get out for short runs, a couple of quick 10k’s, the trails have taken a backseat, we’ve shared meals and i’ve been able to complete some work on up and coming adventures, however now is family time.  Actually as I write this Bailey is sleeping on my chest in a Ergobaby sling and Bon is getting some much needed rest!

Dad’s make these first weeks your 1st and only priority, if you have things to do, there will be time, just make sure it’s not when your wife or baby needs you.

Over the course of the next couple of weeks I will endeavour to share some of the other experiences i have been so lucky to have had, and commence the new beginning of eddies journey, which now is much more fulfilling and hopefully inspiring.

Eddie
Dad | Husband | Adventurer

 

What’s Next???

The big question that you ask yourself what is next?  Instead off trying to come up with this immediately after North Face I have taken the time to relive, recount and even run the event again and again over in my head!  Now, I have the time to consider what I want next and I am extremely close to nailing this down into something that Bonnie and I both love a mix of worldwide travel and running…  I wont give away too much however if i can lock in the remaining pieces of the puzzle I cannot wait to share the next journey!!

“If you cannot solve a problem, it’s because you are playing by the rules”  Paul Arden

DREAMS

If you click on this image you will head onto a website of a guy who is following his dreams… so what are you waiting for?? GO AN GET IT

Pumped!!!

Well it has been almost 1 month after I completed The North Face 100!! A long day at the office as you can see by the time 18hrs 53 mins of running and a 2am finish.  However it was 1 hr & 17 mins quicker than i had anticipated and one of the most enjoyable and challenging days of my life and to experience & share this with my family could not have been better!!!
Bring on the next challenge!

The time has come!

I’m sitting here in our dining room writing this post, surrounded by enough food/fuel to sustain a human for about 4days, all my mandatory gear that i need to carry, winter gear, gloves, arm warmers, shoes, 4 pairs of socks, beanies, backpack ect the list goes on..

Upon reflection, I have intentionally not written many blogs about how many k’s i had done and a weekly cap of all things Luke why, because to be quite frank, i find that boring to write about.

What I do want to say is that if you have a dream, no matter how bloody crazy you think it is (or what other people think) if you really want it, go out there, learn what you need to learn and go and GET IT.

What this journey has done for me, is allowed me to found out what i’m made of and what I have to really work on..  You have bloody good days, you have ok average days, then you have down right shit house days.  The shit house days are the ones that test you and are the days that I have taken the most from.

I have amazing friends, family & fiance (Bonnie) who have also been along for this journey.  I have tired to ensure that running comes second to Bon and not let it get in the road of living our life together.  Sure we have changed some of our routine to fit around this, however it does not rule my life.

This time next week we will all know what final chapter of this journey looks like, the plan is to complete the North Face 100 in under 20hrs..

The big race will start for Team Eddie at 6:56am and if you are at all interested on our progress there will be twitter feeds and facebook updates throughout the day..

eddie

Welcome

Ok so i have finally finished this site and now is probably good as time as any to launch this to the world, so all you kind hearten people can support this run

Check out the below video, which pretty much sums up what i have been training for over the last 8months…

It’s not your average walk in the park, however has already proven to test me and my commitment on so many levels, thank god for my Coach.

This has been proclaimed as one of the toughest races in Australia, held in the Blue Mountains of NSW, the North Face 100 attracts runners from all walks of life and various levels of ability… This is one hell of a run/walk/crawl!
 North Face 100 – Video

Now that I am very much intrenched in my training schedule and everything thus far is coming together I feel very confident on completing this goal!!.  So if you’re GAME follow this journey and support kids in need!