Fairfax senior account manager (data, performance and programmatic) here to share my thoughts and views ahead of this Sunday's AdNews Challenge....
I stood staring out at the water, waiting for the starting pistol (actually, it was a bloke shouting ‘ready, steady, go’ – but, hey, this is a story).
My life vest was on, I had paddle in hand and I was poised to collect the big green kayak waiting for me on the water’s edge.
“Get a good start. Get a good start,” I kept telling myself.
…“GO!”…
And we were off.
I ran towards my oversized vessel and dragged it into the water. Once knee deep, I launched myself into my kayak with all my might, trying to maintain the momentum from the quick entry.
Legs first, then sit down, just like I’d planned in my head, and within a split second...I was underwater!
I didn’t and as a result ended up with a slightly embarrassing start, not to mention being off the pace after I’d emptied the excess water from my kayak, and successfully mounted it.
Completing the AdNews Challenge as an individual is both challenging and rewarding. It’s not a huge distance to cover, but across four disciplines it can be very tricky to navigate. This year will be even tougher.
This year, there is no time to rest. The removal of the bike leg means no downhill stages to catch your breath. It’ll be a heart pumping kayak, followed by a lung bursting run through the hilly terrain of Clifton Gardens, followed with the all body workout that is the swim (pray for calm water).
The final leg, the obstacle challenge is the unknown. It’s the last stage (which in my opinion, is a good thing). You can’t fear what you don’t know!
Cardio will be key to completing the AdNews Challenge this year, so my training plan will consist of High Intensity Interval Training, to help my recovery during each leg, plus bootcamp style circuits.
A few weeks out, I’ll be putting the race together two stages at a time. Running to the pool and completing a swim. Kayaking in Rose Bay and then running home etc.
You can never do enough training for an event like this, but the most important thing to train is your mind. Giving up is easy. And it’s your mind that will fail first, not your body. Train with someone and push each other’s limits...It’ll pay off on race day!
For more on the AdNews Challenge see here.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
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