• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Operation Move

Online Running Coaching

  • About Me
    • Contact me
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Coaching
  • Run Club
  • Ebooks
  • Downloadable Plans
  • Bookings
  • Shop
    • My account
    • Cart
    • Checkout

Mobile Menu

  • About Me
    • Contact me
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Coaching
  • Run Club
  • Ebooks
  • Downloadable Plans
  • Bookings
  • Shop
    • My account
    • Cart
    • Checkout
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Meet Bec!

August 24, 2018 //  by OperationMove//  Leave a Comment

0
SHARES
ShareTweet
SubscribePinterestMail

Bec is an active and valued member of Run Club, the Operation Move Community and is a Roller Derby skater. Bec originally shared her story in Run Club and it is reprinted here with her permission.

When I was 7 I found myself on the interschool cross country team (everyone who put their hand up got on the team). I came second last, had a tantrum and pretty much refused to run from that point on. I grew up in a family who didn’t really play sports – brief attempts were made at basketball and dance classes, but I wasn’t instantly good at them, so I lost interest pretty quickly. From the age of 16 I put on a bunch of weight and being active was just not a real priority for me.

Until I found roller derby 8 years ago, just before my 30th birthday. Finally I had a sport that was so awesome that I was willing to push past the fact that I was pretty terrible at it, and just keep trying. Roller derby got me more interested in general fitness and when one of my team mates told me she was going to run a half marathon I just thought she was the best thing ever.

About 6 years ago, I got word of parkrun and that it was starting up in Victoria at Albert Park and I dragged my husband and some colleagues along. Turns out they could all run quite well. But I ran 5km non-stop for the first time that day and even though in those early days of parkrun when there was no walkers I pretty much always had the tail runner hot on my heels, I felt pretty great about getting out there and giving it a go. I dabbled in a couple of other events (a 5km and a 10km) but I never did any running outside of events. Just “going for a run” wasn’t something I did.

5 years ago we moved to Bendigo and there was no parkrun, so that was the end of my emerging running career, until my husband and some other local runners got it going up here. At the start of 2016 I starting pushing a bit harder at parkrun, picking up 5 consecutive PBs in a row. Feeling good, I signed up to do an Ekiden marathon (7 team mates each doing legs to cover the marathon distance) with some of my roller derby team mates, most of us not really being committed runners. We came dead last (by a lot), but had a great time. And it got me thinking that maybe I would like to be able to run 10km.

In July that year my husband and I were in Europe on our honeymoon. In each new city we arrived in, he would get up early and go for a run and get to see a side of the city that was closed off to me. Before we left our final stop in Prague, I had signed up to with Operation Move, with the aim of running 10km at Melbourne Marathon Festival. I had come across the Op Move podcast and been listening to it at the gym and it sounded like the kind of support network I needed. I decided to take some time off roller derby and focus on running instead.

Turns out I had underestimated my abilities – I hit my 10km target in 6 weeks and pushed on to complete 2 x 15km events before the end of the year. In the post-race afterglow of my first 15km event, I entered the ballot for the Berlin Marathon with my husband and his brother. We got in. Suddenly, my 15km needed to be 42.2km. But I had 9 months. I figured if someone can grow a baby in that time, I could run for a few (or a lot) of hours. I ran my first half marathon at Wangaratta in Feb 2017, and whilst I was pushed to my limits that day, I felt like a marathon was not out of reach in 6 month’s time.

A few more half type events through the first half of 2017 taught my some valuable lessons, and at the end of June I was in taper week for Gold Coast half, with my marathon training plan ready to kick off when disaster struck. I rolled my ankle in my driveway at home, tearing ligaments and ending up in a moon boot for a few weeks. Goodbye marathon training. No running for 6 weeks meant that there was no time for me to do the training required to do the marathon, and come September 24th I was standing on the sidelines in Berlin, playing support crew for the rest of my team. I had a great time, seeing some of the best runners in the world and cheering on other Australians, but when I saw the steady stream of 6 hour plus marathoners, I was a little bit heartbroken.

On the positive, I had healed up enough that in every city we visited on that trip I was able to get out and do that early morning run around the city that I had dreamed about last time. I was back on track and refocussed my goals on the half marathon at Melbourne. I ran a PB that day and got to spend some time with more of my Op Move Run Club friends for the first time face to face.

For 2018 I set myself some new goals. I’m playing roller derby again and trying to juggle that with running. My running goal is to complete half a dozen half marathons for the year (Wangaratta, O’Keefe, Gold Coast, Run Melbourne, Shepparton, Melbourne Mara). I don’t really have any time goals, just to be able to run them comfortably and still be able to function afterwards. I want running to keep being a fun thing that helps me celebrate what my body is capable of. So far, I have ticked off the first 4, though an awkward fall at derby training has possibly ruled me out for Shepparton. Have got my fingers (and toes) crossed for a speedy recovery!

I have met such amazing people through running – both through Operation Move and in my local community, and it has helped me to form deeper bonds with people I know through other ways, that are runners too. I get really excited anytime a friend asks me for running advice, when they recognise that even though I’m a back of the pack runner, I still have knowledge to share. It makes me all warm and fuzzy when someone tells me they have decided to give running a go cos they see how happy it makes me. Running has given me confidence and reiterated that I am strong and determined and that hard work delivers rewards.

 

 

0
SHARES
ShareTweet
SubscribePinterestMail

Category: Uncategorized

Related Posts

You may be interested in these posts from the same category.

Marrying the process – what would you still do if you knew you would fail?

Podcast: Episode 125 – “Hey Mama, you seem tired.”

Podcast: Episode 117 – Worthy of the Mountain – Kirsten and the 100km Alpine Challenge

Podcast – Episode 116: How To Break Through Plateaus

Meet Tiffany!

Meet Rebeka!

Podcast: Episode 91 – The terrifying and liberating path of being a beginner

Meet Carla!

Meet Matilda!

Meet Jus!

Meet Jen!

Meet Tania!

Become a Patron!

Previous Post: « Podcast: Episode 85 – Identifying weaknesses to maximise your results
Next Post: Podcast: Episode 86 – A race is just more information, but do you have the right mindset to make use of it? »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

Beginning again? Don’t be afraid of re-imagining what it could look like

March 28, 2022

Three fat loss myths that we can all agree to leave dead and buried

January 12, 2022

Marrying the process – what would you still do if you knew you would fail?

January 5, 2022

What’s so special about the 29th of December? Your guide to resolutions

December 29, 2021

Footer

On YouTube

«
Prev
1
/
5
Next
»
loading
play
Beginning again? Don’t be afraid of re-imagining what it could look like
play
Three fat loss myths we can all agree to leave dead and buried
play
Marrying the process - what would you still do if you knew you would fail?
play
What’s so special about the 29th of December? Your guide to resolutions
play
Everything you need to know about bone injuries
play
The 10% rule, and other myths about running
play
How do I adapt running to my life without feeling like I'm going backwards?
play
The work, parenting, university juggle from two people who used to run a lot
play
My secret for loving long runs
play
How to create a run-specific cross-training plan when you aren't running
play
Why your running (or new habit) motivation falls off a cliff after 3 weeks (and how to fix it)
play
Creating the bubble and the environment for the change you want in 2021
play
How to build an aerobic base when you are new to running
play
Adductor raises
play
Who starts a training log when they have a stress fracture? ME
«
Prev
1
/
5
Next
»
loading

 

On instagram

opmove

Zoey | Running Coach 🏃‍♀️ and Podcast 🎙
I help people start running, transform through running and love running for life.
Join the free intro course👇

Operation Move
Are you Friday run club curious? For the month of Are you Friday run club curious? For the month of July, it is free - but you do have to book in so I have contact details if plans change and we do rotate between locations. 

https://calendly.com/operationmove/friday-run-club
Look who I found at the Gold Coast marathon finish Look who I found at the Gold Coast marathon finishing chute @soniaw2480 🙌
Every great story starts with a shit sandwich. Y Every great story starts with a shit sandwich. 

You can fall over, just don’t unpack and live there.
Turns out staring at a non-compliant foot in quiet Turns out staring at a non-compliant foot in quiet judgement doesn’t make it heal faster. 

Had a tendon issue pop out almost out of nowhere on Monday, and figured if I just rested up and did all the things I would be good for Sunday. 

Turns out wearing crappy shoes while carrying a 40kg kid who was having a sensory issue with crowds at the lantern parade will just tip your foot stabilisers right over the edge. Injuries are almost always stupid shit unrelated to running. 

Anyway, it’s a bit shit and I’m sure at like any moment I will find the capacity to drag myself out of my pity party. 

You get to keep the training, you just don’t get to go to the dance.
That feeling when all the long runs are in the ban That feeling when all the long runs are in the bank and marathon training becomes an eating competition. 

It’s a big unknown but if you knew what would happen you probably wouldn’t even show up. That’s the fun part.
I have about a week off work. Currently torn betwe I have about a week off work. Currently torn between doing nothing and not wasting it 🤣 I’m sure I’ll come up with a middle ground. Maybe.
The key to a successful marathon preparation: do a The key to a successful marathon preparation: do all the things you need to but never think about it. Not how far it is, not how hard it will be, not about running x more km than you did today. Never bloody think about it. Compartmentalise that shit into a deep dark hole and embrace selective amnesia. 

Even today at the gym they were letting us know about a seminar on the 2nd of July and I was like ‘hmmm I wonder if I’m doing anything that weekend?’ That is how deep that hole is. It’s a crevasse that ends at the earth’s core. So don’t think about it. 😜
Hell of a view with 5km to go! Due to poor plannin Hell of a view with 5km to go! Due to poor planning and the chaos of my life in general over the last few months I’ve done all my long runs fasted, which is extremely sub optimal but it’s all I’ve had the mental capacity for. Anyway let’s just say in a few weeks I’m very much looking forward to all the carbs. And potentially the feeling of being shot out of a canon.
Don’t tell anyone but it’s only two weeks to g Don’t tell anyone but it’s only two weeks to go until I run a really long way at Gold Coast marathon. Mentally preparing for when you pass the finish line at 30km and the marathon actually starts 😜

Dialled in marathon effort by running to heart rate today along a similarly flat route. 

Reminding myself too that it doesn’t matter how well you’ve trained, the marathon doesn’t owe you shit.
The crew after nailing the 30:20:10 workout. One o The crew after nailing the 30:20:10 workout. One of the best sessions to improve your 5km time. 

To try this at home: 

5 x 0:30 Easy, 0:20 Moderate, 0:10 Sprint x 5, Jog 2:30. You can choose the amount of repeats but anywhere in between 2-5 reps is great. 

But you can also join us next time, it’s more fun 🤩
“To cross an ocean You must love the ocean Befor “To cross an ocean
You must love the ocean
Before you love the far shore.” - Suzanne Buffam

Sometimes loving running isn’t loving running, it’s loving 5am, it’s loving the grind, it’s loving the headwind slapping you upside the face, it’s loving the suck, it’s loving failure, it’s loving all the stupid-ass rehab you have to do, it’s loving being the weakest person at the gym. And if you love all those things, then yes you love running too.
Getting fit is hard. Being fit is easy. Starting t Getting fit is hard. Being fit is easy. Starting to hit that sweet spot of training where I don’t feel pressed on workouts and there’s always another gear. Might as well soak it up while I can 💜
Don’t often get a sleep in and a run later in th Don’t often get a sleep in and a run later in the morning, but you’ve got to soak up those public holiday vibes where you can!
That was a big week! If you need me I’ll be eati That was a big week! If you need me I’ll be eating 😜
I finished this run around 7-ish so best not to th I finished this run around 7-ish so best not to think too hard about what time I woke up 😜 But sometimes taking a hit on the wake up time just makes the rest of your day that little bit easier. 

Next time I will need gloves though. Everything else warmed up, but not my hands 🥶

As with most marathon training sessions: could have run 15km more but glad I didn’t have to 😉
If you aren’t prepared, the blessings meant for If you aren’t prepared, the blessings meant for you will just pass you by. 

Which is exactly what happens when you go on auto pilot and things just happen to you, rather than you deciding what happens. 

A lot of it comes down to being present, which is easy to say and really hard to do. Which is one of the reasons I love running, because it requires that of me. Not just sometimes, all the time.
Making the most of saying goodbye to Anatomy for t Making the most of saying goodbye to Anatomy for the session. Officially on uni break and looking forward to not memorising blood vessels in the near future. 

That was a tough session and I’m just glad to get to the other side in more or less one piece. And for the next month at least I’ll just focus on the running and the crocheting!
You have to get up pretty early to get in 16km bef You have to get up pretty early to get in 16km before getting the kids ready for school and even though half of it is in the dark with just a head lamp, you still get a good reward at the end 💜
It’s hill run day for #friyayrunclub and it was It’s hill run day for #friyayrunclub and it was fresh out there, but how good is it to see the sunrise and the sky for a change 🙌
Marathon training is getting a bit real. Had one l Marathon training is getting a bit real. Had one long run this week where I was like I don’t know seems like a long way and not a fun time and then today (after doing a 15km progression run yesterday) had a brilliant run and felt like I could have kept going for ages. Which just goes to show you how crap brains are at picking how things will go. You just need of have to get comfortable with not knowing.
Load More... Follow on Instagram

As seen in

  • About Me
  • Contact me
  • Sitemap

Site Footer

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • About Me
  • Contact me
  • Sitemap

Copyright © 2022 Operation Move · All Rights Reserved · Powered by Mai Theme