Slow Boy Run Club

We Accidentally Ran a Half Marathon

If you’d asked either of us a month ago if we genuinely thought we’d run a half marathon in July (let alone before the fundraiser even really found its feet), I don’t think we’d have confidently answered with a “fuck yeah!” …yet here we are. The funny thing is, we didn’t even really leave the house planning to run the 21.1km. The weather was awful, I did my utmost to procrastinate us out of the run entirely, and it was coming off the back of the most diabolically bad 5km the day before. 

We had the skies absolutely dump on us from the 5km mark (we’d left the house reassured by Ricky that “the rain is all used up” when it was, in fact, not all used up); the toes on my right foot decided they were going to fight for dominance in my shoe, leaving the Hoka stained bright red from around 9km; and Zak had to battle to open the gel with his teeth after I failed at 12km.

Then, somewhere around the 14/15km mark we both realised we felt great… and just decided to keep going. 

The surprises for the week didn’t stop there. Neither of us expected to recover so well. No lingering pain or niggles. And Zak has also discovered that compression leggings might actually be worth the hype. With a healthy amount of teasing himself for wearing them he’s decided they’re a “game changer.” He also admitted that he hadn’t ever imagined running a half marathon. For me, it was the reminder that our limits sometimes sit a little further away than we think they do. Sometimes we get to re-define them.

As we head into week 2, we’re hoping for a little more sunshine, a little less rain, and a little extra volume. 

Week 1 total kilometres: 41km

Until next week!

— Zak and Rach

Tomorrow We Start Counting

Tomorrow is 1 July, which means the kilometres officially start counting for Run to Zero.

Over the past few weeks we’ve already logged more kilometres than we expected, surprised ourselves with what we’re capable of, and made the completely rational decision to buy matching 2XU gear. We may not officially be athletes, but we’re certainly committed to looking like we know what we’re doing.

We’ve both learned a lot in the lead-up. For Zak, it’s been realising that goals which seemed a long way off a month ago suddenly don’t feel so unrealistic. He’s already ticked off more kilometres than he expected and is heading into July feeling confident that the distance is well within reach.

When we asked each other what we wanted to prove this month, we both landed on the same idea. Discipline. Not motivation. Motivation is wonderful when it shows up, but it’s also a fickle creature. Discipline is what gets you out the door when it’s dark, cold, windy… or, if you’re me, when it’s any combination of those three.

We also asked each other what we’d say to someone thinking about supporting us. Zak put it perfectly: 

“A little bit of support by a lot of people goes a long way.” 

And we couldn’t agree more. If that support comes as a donation, thank you. Every dollar helps support the Heart Foundation’s incredible work in research, prevention, education and care. If support looks like a message, a cheer from the sidelines, or telling us we’ve inspired you to get out for a walk or a run yourself, that means just as much to us. Knowing people are following along makes those early alarms and winter mornings feel a whole lot easier.

So tomorrow we start counting. We’re hoping for good weather (although Gippsland may have other ideas), plenty of kilometres, no injuries, and maybe even a half marathon before the month is out. Most of all, we’re hoping that at the end of July we can say we gave it everything we had.

A Tale of Two 10Ks

Running makes absolutely no sense.

This week, we set out to complete a 10km run and pulled the pin halfway through. We were both struggling (me more so than Zak), neither of us felt particularly great (I definitely was carrying on like a pork chop), and after 5km we decided it simply wasn’t our day.

A few days later, we ran our first sub-hour 10km together.

Same people. Same week.

Running makes no sense.

Looking back, the contrast between those two runs probably taught us more than any perfectly executed training session could have. For Zak, the lesson was simple:

“Not every day is our day.”

The abandoned run didn’t frustrate him. Some days the legs don’t show up, the energy isn’t there, and the smartest thing you can do is accept it and move on.

For me, the lesson was a little different.

The sub-hour 10km wasn’t easy. I had to grind out the final couple of kilometres and push harder than I wanted to. But crossing that finish line reminded me that I can do hard things. More surprisingly, it reminded me that I actually enjoy running. That’s probably been the biggest surprise of all.

This week we covered 31 kilometres before the challenge has even officially started. We had one run that felt awful, one run that felt incredible, and an 11km Sunday run that left both of us feeling like we could have kept going if life hadn’t gotten in the way.

A few weeks ago, we weren’t entirely sure how we’d feel heading into July. Now we’re both feeling increasingly confident that the kilometres themselves are achievable.The bigger challenge might actually be the Gippsland winter.

We’re also both a little nervous about the fundraising side of things. Neither of us are natural self-promoters, and asking people to support a cause can feel more daunting than lacing up for another run. But every donation so far has reminded us why we’re doing this.

The challenge doesn’t officially start for another couple of weeks, but it’s already teaching us something important: progress isn’t linear.

Some days you’ll stop at 5km. Some days you’ll surprise yourself. The trick is showing up for both.

We're running this 95 km this July for every person in Australia who dies from a heart attack, one every 95 minutes.

This July, we're taking part in Run to Zero and aiming to complete 95 kilometres – one kilometre for every minute between heart attack deaths in Australia.

We're running to support the Heart Foundation and raise funds for the research, prevention, education and care that helps save lives and support families affected by heart disease.

As a team, we'll be tackling this challenge the same way we tackle most things: one step at a time, with plenty of encouragement, a reasonable amount of stubbornness, and more than a few complaints along the way.

Rachael will almost certainly complain about the cold, the rain, the wind, and any combination of the three. Zak will almost certainly complain about Rachael complaining. Somehow, despite this, we'll keep showing up.

Because that's what this challenge is really about. Not being perfect. Not setting records. Just proving that ordinary people can do hard things when they have a reason to keep going.

Over the month, we'll be sharing updates, celebrating wins, laughing at ourselves when things don't go to plan, and hopefully raising plenty of funds for the Heart Foundation along the way.

Thanks for joining us as we run towards zero.