Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Catching Up ... Again!

I think I last posted Thursday? ... okay ...

Friday - Rest Day - Physio Appointment

Off I went Friday morning to the physio, the really nice thing about him is after going through my history, what I'm up to etc, he told me has run the London Marathon twice - yay - it's always nice to talk to someone, especially one working with your muscles and body, that knows what you're talking about, and doesn't think you are totally nuts LOL. Of course, on Friday the pain wasn't so bad, thats pretty typical. After going through lots of exercises and talking about it, the most important thing he said is that movement, including the running, seems to be good for it - it is probably the sitting at work that is actually causing more problems, and the fact that I am a terrible terrible sloucher, with a noticeably curved spine to show for it - the pain isn't there, but its all part of it. He has given me some exercises, instructions to make sure I get up every 30min from my computer at work and do a couple of stretches, and I'll see him again this week to see how it is all going.

And how is it going? Well, Friday and Saturday it was pretty good, Sunday morning I took a painkiller/anti-flammatory before my 10k race, ran hard (more on that later), and felt it Monday. After Tuesday's (yesterday) slower run, it felt loosened up and pretty good - so I think it is improving - yay!

Right on to the running since Thursday ...

Saturday - 5km - 30:01

Good run - 5km feels so comfortable now ... I can remember when I first got to 5k and pretty much straightaway started training towards 10k and thinking holy moly how will ever get to 10k, 5k is SO hard ... I've come a long way!

Sunday - 10km Race - (ready for it ...) - 59:28 Yay!!!

Yep - I did it, a sub-60 10km! But boy, I worked for it. I had my Nike+ all hooked up to my ipod so I could check my pace as I went around. Hmmm back to the beginning, the race started at 9.30 - I usually run at about 7.00 ... so late for me. There were a few women from work and a couple of mothers from school running it as well, we all lined up together and when we started I took off ahead of them, and did think, oh no I hope I'm not going to fast and then they'll all pass me further on and have a good laugh!

It was HOT, well actually, probably not really really hot, but we're moving into spring/summer and it was a lovely spring, sunny day, later than I normally run, and it sure felt lots hotter than normal. When I run 10k I don't generally stop for drinks or anything. I got to 5km, checked my time - it was pretty bang on 30min, I tried to up my pace slightly - passed the drink station, then a couple of km's down the road thought I should have had a drink, I was hot, working harder than normal and really feeling it - but not wanting to give up!

I slogged out the last few k's, knew I was pretty close to 60min and managed to speed up for the last couple of 100m's ... and got there, just under the 60min - woooohooooo! My two girls were at the end to cheer me in, which was really nice. I had to bring them with me (David works every second weekend) and was a bit worried about them faring for themselves around the race headquarters, luckily one of the woman from work had her two kids and husband there so he very nicely kept an eye on them for me - so it all worked out fine :)

... and I did stay ahead of all of them! Something I did notice this time is the runners I am with seem faster to me now, I've definitely sped up and I feel like I'm running with the "runners" rather than the, well, the ones like me - not sure how to put it - its just different.

Monday - Rest Day

... and I needed it, my back was sore again, my legs were stiff ... boy I worked it on Sunday!

Tuesday - 10km - 1:05:10

Much slower than Sunday! My body was still really stiff and not very co-operative when I started, it loosened up and starting feeling good at about 3km, I took it easy though. This is my biggest week in the half marathon training - so I won't be out to break any records, just jogging through it :)

The nice thing is that after the run, my back felt SO much better, that gentle jog seemed to loosen everything up just nicely.

Wednesday - 11.3km - 1:11:26

Another slow slog ... I'm still feeling stiff, but slowly getting there. It seemed to take a long time this morning - I'm looking forward to a sleep in and day off tomorrow!

Friday is another 10km, then Saturday 18km (big gulp). We're going away for a few days on Saturday so I'm going to have to run my 18km and then sit and drive for about 4-5hrs, not sure that is going to be great for the 'ole body ... but you do what you have to do, right?

I haven't really said a lot about what I do in my "spare" (ha ha ha) time ... but one of my little part-time jobs is helping my Dad with a delivery job. So often when I've run in the morning, I also spend about 2-3hrs on my bike! So, like tomorrow is a rest day, I know I've got a big delivery day - probably more like four hours. I'm not sure that it is great for the training, I try to take it easy and its not big heart racing stuff as I'm obviously stopping at letterboxes as I go - but it is all physical. For now it seems to be fine, but I'm hoping it still is in a few months when I start full on marathon training - hopefully it is loosening and keeping the muscles moving which is a good thing!

Thursday, September 17, 2009

No smart title

No smart title - because I can't think of one!

So ... what have I been doing this week?

Tuesday - Spin Class

Love my spin class - I reckon when I lose weight, that is where I lose the majority of it from! I also love that I know I'm working muscles in my legs but not pounding them on the pavement.

Wednesday - 7km Run - 42:52

I'm on to Week 5 (of 8) of half marathon training this week - every second week is easier, this is an easier week - which is good, my back, butt, or whatever is hurting needed time to recover. I think it is, slowly.

I'm finding my times are slowly getting faster without really trying. Except for the nagging pain - I'm feeling so much stronger and so much better at running :)

Thursday - 11.3km Run - 1:08:52

Uh-oh ... I'm starting to think that I could run the 10km Race I'm doing on Sunday in under 60mins, I've been avoiding thinking about it because last one I did I totally stuffed up and I think it is because I psyched myself up to run it in 60min and I tried too hard ... I'm trying to work on just letting my body take it at the speed it wants to ... except the last couple of runs have been about 6:05/km ... and I'm thinking, maybe just maybe I could do it ...

Todays run was good - I got up and the pain in my back/butt/leg was feeling good, took the first few steps and though, bugger, its still there and it took about a km for everything to loosen up - I could "feel" it all run, but felt pretty good ... was working hard - you know, it's not easy, but you just get on with it! I've worked the last two nights and got home at about 1am, in bed asleep at about 1.30am - then up just before 7am to run, I know it is harder when I haven't had enough sleep and I think thats what I was feeling this morning. Lucky for me David had an appointment locally this morning so I still got up at 7.00am rather than earlier - he got the girls up and off to school, that made it a lot easier!

I've got an appointment at the physio tomorrow, so hopefully he'll have some answers on where the pain is coming from and what I can do about it ... fingers crossed, I'll be so disappointed if he says take a rest!

Rest day tomorrow, 5km on Saturday and 10k race on Sunday :)

Monday, September 14, 2009

Monday again, already!

So what have I run this past week ...

Wednesday - 10km - 1:03:22

Out of bed and off running, morning run again - I think I do these in a kind of sleepy haze! LOL ... 1:03 seems to be a regular 10km time for me now, which is fine!

Thursday - Rest Day

Love those rest days!

Friday - 8km - 50:30

Bit slow, I'm suffering from, I think, my first official injury. I'll talk more about that later.

Saturday - 16km (more like 16.5 I think) - 1:50:00 (approximate, darn it my fancy Nike+ didn't record the first lap for some reason, I checked it then and realised it wasn't going, so recorded the second lap, which took 55min and recorded it as 8.8km - going by fuzzy reasoning, that must have been about 8.3 because I know the calibration is wrong).

This was actually a really good run - DH and I went away for the weekend so I was running in a strange place, I'd mapped it out and managed a big 8km block where most turns were where I had to turn (I have no sense of direction so this is good for me! LOL). I got DH to drive around it with me the day before so I definitely knew where I was going. Also worked out where 2km was so that I knew where the 10km mark would be on the 2nd circuit - for gel and water update!

The first circuit I put the water bottle and gel behind a lamppost at 2km, I forgot a smaller drink bottle and I found the one I had way too heavy and annoying ... and I have no pockets in my running 3/4 pants ... I need to look at some new running clothes that have necessary things, like pockets! Anyway, first circuit went well - was really annoyed to find my Nike thingee hadn't recorded anything, no idea what happened, whether I didn't press it right or what - I don't know, but so annoying. I got it right for the second circuit.

I stopped by the 10km lamppost and picked up my drink bottle and gel and had those. Was hard work the next couple of km's ... at about 12-13k I was thinking, yeah I know I can finish this run, but a half marathon? What was I thinking? ... about 14-15km second wind kicked in and I still felt like I could run further when I'd finished :) I was really really stiff after this run though, I thought I was smart by having a hot bath which I never do (being away and having time and no kids around is a definite luxury!) ... and I wonder if my usual having to run off to do the next thing is actually better for my muscles than being able to relax a bit. My legs weren't stiff the next day though, so all good.

Now, the injury - I had problems with my back way back when I played netball, the jarring of landing on concrete all the time ... well, I think it's playing up again - I thought it was a muscle between my hamstring and bum, I'm finding if I put too much pressure on my left leg it hurts - like my leg meeting my bum - does that make sense? If its sore I walk with a terrible gait, it doesn't hurt while I'm running though, it takes a K or so to loosen up and come right, but after that (even for 16k!) it is fine, its when I stop and go back to walking. It isn't actually too bad today, and wasn't too bad yesterday - it worse at the start of last week. But I think I definitely need to get it seen to, last time I did they used a scanner thingee to break down old scar tissue, can't remember if it really worked, it must have I suppose because I don't think I've had problems with it again until now! Very frustrating though, I'm feeling fit and able to run a half marathon, except for that annoying continuous niggle!

Today is an easier week - I did everything a day earlier last week so I get an extra rest day this week (today), I'm hoping that will give my back time to come about right. I'll do my spin class tomorrow which gives three days of no running.

Wednesday is 7km, Thursday 11km, Saturday 5km and then a 10km race on Sunday. I'm looking forward to seeing how I go on Sunday - 10k is starting to feel like a short training run!

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Another Day, Another 8km :)

Week 4, Half Marathon Training - 8km - 48:42

Not much to say really! I got up, I ran, I got home. Oh! I did go out and buy a Nike+ attachment thingee for my ipod yesterday, it is very cool. Although it told me I ran 8.24km, when I ran 7.9 and I pressed something wrong so couldn't calibrate it properly, I'll try to do it right tomorrow. But at least I know the stopwatch shouldn't fail!

The biggest bummer this morning was coming home, doing my usual making lunches, waking up the smallest child (who would sleep until 10am if she could, which is convenient for morning runs - her big teenage brothers are at home, but she's a lot less trouble when she's a sleep!), sitting her down to breakfast and then going to have a shower ... only it was stone cold .... grrrrrrr who'd have teenage boys!

I decided I couldn't cope with the freezing cold and knew I was going out on my bike delivering, so gave up dressed in non-running clothes, made my hair look the best it could without its daily wash and got the girls to school just in time for the bell to ring.

Tomorrow is 10km, means an early alarm call!

(oh, and I'm not sitting here smelly, I did my biking and then had a shower before I picked up the girls from school!)

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Catching up

So, I've got at least two people reading, so I need to keep this thing updated - it's also a good record for me!

Thursday - dragged myself out of bed at 7.00am (and dragged it was, I worked Tuesday night as well as my usual Wednesday and Thursday this week) and ran my 8km. Nice steady pace (50min if I remember rightly), just one of those, this is a chore but I've got to do it runs ;) I think what keeps me going on that Thursday run is the fact that I know Friday is a rest day, and for me a complete rest day! One of the other wee jobs I do is help my Dad with his delivering job, he has the contract to deliver a local power company's invoices each month - over the last couple of years he has been giving me more and more each month ... it's now probably more than a "wee" job! So Friday is the one day I say, rest day - but no biking either.

Anyway - Rest Day Friday.

Saturday - 5km - this was a good run, I had to get up early again because I knew I was out all day (I had a stand at the local parent/child expo). I felt like a runner when I ran this - 30:30, full minute slower than the other day, but I felt well paced, and in a good head space.

Today (Sunday) - 11km - slept in, at last! (okay, only until 7.30 - but I was asleep by 11.00 last night, and boy I needed it - maybe I should turn this blog into a how Lisa manages to fit sleep into her life? LOL). My stopwatch aka my cell phone turned off halfway through so I don't know how long I took (I hate it when that happens), but I think it was about 1hr10min, it was actually 11.3km so I think it was a good 6.15-6.20 pace which I think is just right for me at 8-12k distance :)

As for the rest of my day, I got home, showered, breakfasted and then raced off to watch Rhiannon's netball tournament. We've just got home and it's now about 4.30pm - its Fathers Day her in NZ today and I've been a slack wife in this department (not to mention a slack daughter - but I'll catch up with my Dad tomorrow when he drops off the deliveries). To at least be somewhat a good wife I need to dig out the steak we got given a while back out of the freezer and cook it up nicely for him for dinner, the kids will have sausages, I'll have eggs ... along with chips and some coleslaw - easy dinner, but he'll be happy!

I can't remember what I'm running this week, but its going to be a hard week, I think I need to squash it up a bit so I do my long run on Saturday, husband and I are going away for the weekend (two free nights in a nice hotel about 2hrs from us ... courtesy of the other big spotprize I won!), I'd quite like at least one day to just relax, so if I squash it up and do my long run while we're away on the Saturday, at least Sunday I can sleep in, enjoy the free breakfast and just relax.

Tomorrow is supposed to be a rest day, so no running, but I will be delivering which will probably be a 2-3hr bike ride - I'll be taking it easy though!

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

5km - Finally Cracked It!

5.06km - 29:32

I've been trying for ages to crack the less than 6min/km - I've come close a couple of times, and it just hasn't happened.

So the half marathon training programme I am following has an "easy" week every 2nd week, today was "just" 5km (who would have believed I'd think a 5km run as a short run!), so I decided yesterday that I was going to run it fast and see if I could crack that time. Partly, because I'm finding on the longer runs I'm trying really hard to run slow and take it easy but I'm still running at about 6:15-6:30, I needed to know in my head that I am running slower, does that make any sense?

So off I went this morning, checked my time at 1km and it said 6:12, darn it, tried to make sure I just kept a good pace all the way ... and I did it, yay! I'd love to say that means I can break the 10km in an hour, but I don't think I could keep that pace going for another 5km ... but I do know my body can go at that speed, so its just working on it now :)

Back to easy pace for my 8km tomorrow though ... I'm really trying to work on the length and durability now, not speed!

Here I am!

I said I'd blog this journey, it's just taken a couple of months to finally do it!

Okay - quick background ...

July 2008 - 6 months until I turn 40yo, decide I really have to do something about my weight so I can be Fab 40yo ... join WW for the upteenth time. Weigh in at 96.8kg (213lb).

November 2008 - I've lost about 5kg but need something to help the weight loss along, have talked about doing the C25K programme for a while, 18th of November I finally start it. Find running for 1min darn hard work!

January 2009 - finish C25K programme and am delighted that I can run 5km - running about an average of 7:20min/km. Put on too much weight over holiday season, turn 40yo on 9th January and weight 91kg (200lb). I announce then that the 40's will be all about me, I plan to be healthy, thin and rich! LOL Start training for my first 10k.

March 2009 - run/bike the Kapiti Womens Duathalon - something I've wanted to do for years, I finish with a huge smile on my face. Run Around the Vines in Martinborough, my first ever 10km race - 1:12 ... absolutely overwhelmed that I did it! Weight is starting to finally come off.

April/May 2009 - I am 81kg (178lb). I go to Australia for my Stampin' Up Convention and reach one of my other huge goals of being on stage and looking lots better than I did the year before. Run Moonshine 10km - 1:08, win "big" spotprize there - 2 nights accommodation in a nice hotel in Martinborough. Come home for Australia and run the Eastbourne 10km - 1:06, I'm getting faster each time!

June 2009 - this is THE month ... I hit the 70's (kgs), I enter the Wellington Harbour 10km. I'm starting to struggle to eat right, I tell myself I need another goal to keep me going. I break the 1:05 at Wellington, that was accomplishment enough! THEN ... this is the day my life suddenly changes ... I win the MAJOR SPOTPRIZE - entry into the London 2010 Marathon, along with airfares and a couple of nights accommodation!!

After a month of getting my head around it, I'm in for the challenge ... I'm going to run the London Marathon - heck, I'm going to run a marathon!

July/August I spend getting serious about losing weight and running and working out at the gym to strengthen and build my body up ready for serious training. End of August I run another 10km - most awful run ever - 1:06, first time I've gone slower in a race. Reality kicks in ;) Also is the finish of "loose" training, and start of serious half marathon training, ready for half marathon on 11 October.

September 2009 - half marathon training has started, I now weigh 73.7kg (162lb), if you're counting I've lost 50lbs! 9kg to go to reach my WW goal weight.

So here we are ... hopefully my journey will be worth reading about - I know I've read through quite a few running/weight loss blogs lately and find them all very inspiring!