Duathlon was a success and Trot with Spot raised over $300 in the process!

Well I was pleasantly surprised by the event itself, despite being small. It was a lot of fun doing the race with a friend of mine (Augusta, left). She was incredibly positive and we encouraged each other along the way so that's about the best way to do a race! The race itself was designed by top Namibia Triathlete Charmaine Shannon, who started the company T-Rex Triathlon Training Tribe which helps kids get involved in Triathlons for a healthier future. Considering we raised over $300 for Trot with Spot and the race fee went to the children, it was the gift that keeps on giving. Charmaine came to one of the fundraising challenges I put together earlier this year working at Naankuse, so it was nice to come out and support her efforts as well.

In terms of overall speed, I was pretty happy with the runs - 10:45 per mile for the first 2.5 miles and 11:22 per mile for the second 2.5 miles. The bike in between was a bit chaotic... so I'll just say we finished the course we knew! ;)

One fun side effect of running ONLY hills for so many months is that I didn't feel bad on the hills. Woot woot! Normally those are the worst part but I actually pulled ahead of people during the hills so I was thrilled. Short steps all the way!

After the race my race partner and I met up with my sole support at the race (Cila) and went for a lovely brunch at a botanical garden-type thing. Absolutely delicious. Later, it was watching a bit of rugby and taking it easy, my favorite type of day!

So what did we accomplish for our fundraising? Well, we raised over $300! The figures are still coming together, but we've already exceeded the $300 mark so that's great. The money will towards the African Wild Dog project - towards a Wild Dog sponsorship which helps out with food and camp maintenance costs, as well as a nice new tire! Can't drive with only 3 tires, so this is a big help to the research team. Thank you to everyone for your support!

Now we switch back to splitting the proceeds between Naankuse (40%), the Wolf Conservation Center (40%) and the ASPCA no-kill shelter (20%). Buy some gear

or donate your designs to help out! 

1 week until the Duathlon, fundraising for the Wild Dog Project!

Well it's been a hectic last 10 days! With a quick 4 day trip to Etosha National Park of Namibia to see some Elephants, Rhino's and Lions, it was immediately time to get in some last minute training with Sabu and Alfie. Fortunately, it's all gone to plan so far. I also got my gear embroidered here so I'll have some Trot with Spot gear for race day. After humming and hawing back and forth, I'm going for the 5km run - 12 km bike - 5km run. It will be challenging to complete the second 5km, but I'm sure it will be great fun! So far Trot with Spot has raised $74 of the $200 goal, so here's to hoping a few more orders come in to help reach the goal. While it doesn't seem like too much, $200 can buy a new tire for the research team and that is huge. They go through a lot of tough terrain and the tires take a beating out in Namibia. Having a spare tire can mean the difference between success and failure.

We've also expanded our clothing line for this month, and continue to add new ideas. If you'd like to be a part of it, please do! We'd love to showcase your work. Store link: http://trotwithspot.spreadshirt.com/

Tips from this week:

PEANUT BUTTER. It is satiating, nutritious and cheap. Don't go overboard because it is high in calories, but it is a fantastic recovery food and great for keeping hunger at bay.

ICE. If you're feeling a twinge here or there, ice can often help. Ideally you cool the area for 20 min on, 20 min off and make sure to stretch. It can really help you stay out of the red zone of injuries.

SMILE. Don't be too hard on yourself if your run or walk didn't go as planned! You're enjoying some endorphins and helping your health. It's a little counter-productive to be worried about your run, because too much worrying isn't good for you either!

Pictures from Etosha: