So this morning I did a "modified" version of the hills run they had on offer at 12wbt. Instead of driving to the beach as usual, I just took the dog straight out the front door, stopped for a wee (him, not me), stopped for a poop (again, not me) and yet another wee, dropped off the doggy bag and then finally got running!
Headed out to our local lighthouse, which as luck would have it, has a series of rolling hills leading up to it. So I ran hard up the hills and took it easy on the downhill.
Those pace spikes at the beginning are the wee and poo stops!
Turns out, it was a bit warm and humid out and turns out I look HOT after my runs:
Actually, I think I meant SWEATY!
Max thinks I'm hot too, and loves to snuggle up and keep warm during stretches:
While you're just lying there, do you think you might like to play with me?
So after that effort, I jumped in the pool and it was DIVINE.
Yesterday was our first "Accelerator Day" - no simple carbs (yanno - all the good stuff like bread, biscuits, bread, potato, bread, pasta, bread, rice and oh, did I say bread?). Maybe it was a mental thing, but I was starving and hanging out for (drumroll) bread!
Did this translate into a big loss this week?
72.4kg - 159.6 lbs
Alas - only 400g, but a loss is a loss and I'm under 160 lbs!!!
This weekend is supposed to be the 8km run, but the weather is forecast to get really hot again...so you will just have to wait with baited breath to see if/when it eventuates!
"Hey baby, it's you,Come on girl, now it's you, Sink your teeth right through my bones, baby, Let's see what we can do, come on and make it up..."
I went to see the local massage therapist today. She specialises in sports remedial massage, myofascial trigger points and dry needling. I expected some serious pain!
First we talked about the pain I was experiencing in the front of my hip and the tightness in my butt (where else can you talk about such things??). Then she had a feel of my hips, standing and sitting (first talking dirty, then feeling me up! Lucky she's a professional...). At first she thought one of legs was longer than the other, as one hip was higher than the other. As I bent down, my left hip was not moving well.
But the funny thing ("mmm, that's interesting"....can never be a good comment), when I was laying down, my legs were the same length - so that meant it was muscular, rather than structural! Making progress!
Then she tested my hamstring strength. Or lack of - both are pathetic, but my left leg is virtually non-existent!! This is the leg they took hamstring tendon from for my Anterior Cruciate Ligament reconstruction! And, I have to sheepishly admit, I never really did those hamstring strengthening exercises 3 months after the operation 8 years ago....and I'm paying for it now!
She did lots of trigger point massage and also dry needling which apparently works quicker and is less painful than manual massage. So bizzare - at times it even felt a little electric current through my muscles as they twitched and carried on.
My hips were more level after that and had better motion. And I am free to run - listening to my body, walking when needed. Lots of hamstring strengthening. Keep on stretching my hamstrings, hip flexors, quads and glutes, so the muscles don't shorten up. She recommended using stairs (lucky we live near the beach and there are some doozy sets of stairs) focussing on using the hamstrings to push me up.
She was SOOOO good! I felt real confidence she knew of what she was speaking and she was very confident we can 'fix' this and get me running!! "Everyone should be able to run", "Running makes the rest of your life better", "How good do you feel after a run" - she won me over!
So, a little pain, a lot of gain! See you out on the footpath, baby!!!
"Hurt so good, come on baby, make it hurt so good, sometimes love doesn't feel like should, make it hurt so good"
This running thing is a pain in the ass. Literally!
Again. It's back again. I get to 30 minutes, run a couple of times a week and it's back! I was doing so well - building up slowly and I haven't suddenly increased mileage or pace. So frustrating. Stupid 42 year old body.
I seem to have a very tight piriformis muscle. It has been hurting since Thursday and the pain radiates through to my hip flexor region. This injury stopped me from running for 3 months last year. And on Thursday, the dreaded pain returned.
So, I didn't run on Friday like I planned. I didn't run yesterday and I didn't run today. I might take the dog for a walk later this afternoon. All I was trying to do was run consistently. Not fast. Not far (less than 5km!). Just run.
Maybe running isn't for me? Maybe my body just isn't cut out for it. It peeves me no end to read stuff like Run Fat Bitch Run - which espouses just getting out there and running. I get all enthused and motivated and then this. Again. I'm not just having a whinge at little aches and pains. It hurts. All the time. I obviously have some weirdo biomechanical imbalance which I haven't addressed properly because it keeps coming back.
I'm not the only one - Beth at Shut Up and Run has it. Her answer is to drink margaritas in Mexico - sounds like a good plan to me! Mollie at Eat Run Read has it.
So. What to do? I LOVE running. It's like nothing else. My dog loves running with me. My immediate plan is to keep walking. And get serious about the foam roller and the stretching and strengthening exercises I have for hip flexor problems. I'm going to give it another shot. If I nip this in the bud before it gets too bad maybe I won't have to start again from the beginning. Because I honestly don't know if I can do that. Again.
It's a pretty hot here now (the weather, not my looks) and I realise I like running in winter more than summer. A bit because it's not really that cold in our winters, but mostly because I don't sweat (as much). I produce a ridiculous amount of fluid from the pores on my face and neck.
But, I got up early(ish) today to beat the heat and the crowds. Failed on both counts - 25C and I had to negotiate the hugest crowd of pensioners on their walking outing (did you know they travelled in packs?).
So I'm re-starting Couch to 5K (except that they changed the software and it's now called Ease Into 5K - probably more what I need).
Not real fast, but I still had a sweat-fest going on. Not to mention how much of an effort it was pushing old people out of the way (just joking).
I have to say I felt MUCH better than the first outing nine months ago - so I don't think I've totally lost my fitness. Foam rolling and stretching afterwards to get the knots out of my buns of steel.
Max loved it:
All the photos of him look the same!
All jokes aside, I loved being back out there! There really is nothing like running. Even with the sweat.
Since my last post (let's see - almost a month ago) I've walked a grand total of .....zero kilometres.
Mmm. Oh sure I've actually walked from the couch to the fridge and done a bit of Christmas shopping, and even a couple of very slow, casual bushwalks. But nothing that actually raised a sweat or could be considered in any way, shape or form getting back into running.
Motivation is such a funny thing. And I'm just putting it out there because I know that many people have the same experience as me. Get all enthusiastic, get running (or zumba-ing or whatever), then something happens (injury, holiday, Christmas, all of the above) and motivation goes out the door. And the kilos pile on. Mine are scary. Are you ready?
77.3 kg
Not pretty. Neither is the body...
I put these up to be accountable to myself. If the blog disappears without warning, you will know that things aren't going well! But as the title of the blog says, it is time to put one foot in front of the other, even if it is just walking. I managed a walk today, with a couple of "wogs".
So that is the starting point. I could definitely feel major tightness in my hips. So I was good - walked, rolled (foam roller) and stretched. If I can manage this for a few times a week for a couple of weeks I might be good to go on a C25K program.
I know all of you (all two of you who actually read this blog) are waiting desperately to find out how my exercise plans worked out during those two weeks at sea.
Well, I can report that I went to gym (which was really very well equipped) exactly zero times and walked around the Promenade Deck probably about 3 times. But we did lots of walking on our shore days - really, I did!
So with that lack of exercise, combined with a buffet breakfast every morning and four-course meal every night, how much weight did I put on??? Zero kilograms! WTF?? But yep, my weight is exactly the same as when we left. Go figure.
Here are some scenic shots for your viewing pleasure (if you want more or lots more details of the trip, head on over to my other blog):
Cocktails and a stunning Sydney Harbour - life's good!
Bye bye Sydney!
Cheers! How many calories in champagne?
My knees got plenty of sun
Token shot of the promenade deck. People do actually run around it. I know - I saw them!
More calories! Yummy!
Milford Sound
Akaroa Harbour
Rotorua geothermal area
Thermal swimming pool on board (hubby and the kids)
I did do some physical activity - sea kayaking on the Bay of Islands
All that kayaking makes you thirsty!
Another deck I didn't walk around much
Home again (well, close anyway)
Anyway I am home again. We all have nasty head colds picked up on the last few days on board. I haven't been sick for over a year, so it seems to have hit me hard. But once I'm over it, I will pick up on the stretching and strengthening and will start walking the dog again. And then, maybe, I'll be able to start small bits of running again!
I won something!! No, it wasn't a Shut Up and Run t-shirt or visor, it was a copy of My Run DVD from the lovely Candice at I Have Run who is also nursing a hip injury - although admittedly, she nursed hers through a freaking MARATHON!. Anyway, I'm pretty chuffed about that - the movie is about Terry Hitchcock who ran 75 freaking marathons in 75 days!!!!
Doesn't look like that will be me anytime soon. Back to the physio - hip is still healing. She has given me a massage and my butt has the bruises to prove it - and thankfully I will not be sharing pics (I do have my limits), I have (kinda, sorta) been doing my stretches and now I have hip abductor strengthening exercises too.
In the meantime, I admit I have not much enthusiasm for exercise. I did manage some laps at the local pool:
That's my son, not me -
but that's the lane I swam in (nice warm water)
And a nice long Saturday morning walk with the puppy:
Maxie
Not too shabby, hey?
I have 4 days (count 'em - f-o-u-r!!) until I hop on a really big boat over that ocean and head to New Zealand. I might actually use the gym this cruise and I will definitely do a few circuits of the promenade deck (walking, not running). Can't wait to post some nice pics for you!!! (because you have to have things to look forward too).
Lastly, a bit of shout out and recognition (yanno, because soooo many people read this blog!). I am really chuffed that in some small way I have inspired my e-buddy Jane to take up running - she is doing brilliantly! She is up to two lots of 14 minutes and will be running 30 minutes without stopping before you know it. All that in the dark and cold too! What an inspiration :-)
I went to the physio on Monday as the pain in my hip flexors was not really getting any better. And sure enough, I have torn hip flexor muscles. Recommendations? Stretching (every day - so a bit more to do there), exercise bike/swimming when pain dies down (which will be soon, apparently), visit to the podiatrist to make sure I'm wearing the right shoes/orthotics as I pronate (who knew?), no running for....six to eight weeks.
WTF??? That long? Sigh. It's an "overuse" injury, which I find quite hysterical, given my mileage barely makes it to 15km a week!
In a strange twist of fate, my free Runner's World free running socks and training diary were waiting for me in the letterbox when I got home from the physio - just to tease me.
I am undeterred!! I have 3 weeks until I go on holidays (cruise to New Zealand). OK, so I won't be running around the Promenade Deck like I imagined, but dang it - I'll be in the gym on the exercise bike. Will my foam roller fit in my bag? Two weeks of cruising (and biking and swimming), then only 1-3 weeks after that I should be able to run. If I actually do keep my fitness up, maybe I won't have to start all the way back at Week 1 of Couch to 5K!!
Anyway, the physio did some ultrasound treatment and massaged my butt so hard I have the bruises to prove it! I have been using the aforementioned foam roller everyday and doing the stretches from the Hip Flexor Solutions book. Today I got on the exercise bike - 5 minutes warm-up, 20 minutes of UNSW's 8/12 second intervals, 5 minutes cool-down - a total of 30 minutes, 17.75km, 607 calories. Not bad and I'm just as sweaty and unimpressed looking as when I run:
The first week of C25K was hard work on my lungs - I thought they would burst!
I had a knee reconstruction a few years back after I tore my anterior cruciate ligament skiing. So for the first few weeks, my weak knee gave me a bit of curry.
My quad muscles needed a few weeks to get used to the whole concept of running and being used.
A year or so back I got bad plantar fasciitis from wearing thongs (flip flops, not underwear!) and standing all day teaching. Lots of ice, stretching and massage and orthotics fixed that. I felt twinges of it when I started running, but stretching it out has meant I've kept it at bay.
After I graduated from C25K and was trying to get a bit faster (I'm sooooo slow!) my calves were sore. I focussed on shortening my stride and really stretching them well after running and they seem OK now.
Now I am suffering from sore hips. I experience "sciatica" after housework regularly, but this feels like a combination of that plus my hip joint. Lifting my right foot from the accelerator to the brake is excruciating. Interestingly, it's not that sore when I'm actually running. I've Googled it (as you do), and I think it really sounds like piriformis syndrome. It's possible that is what my sciatica has been that all along.
I've found some good stretches and I'm hoping that this makes a difference.
And I'm hoping I don't continually find new and exciting ways to inflict pain on myself!!!
