Catch-up Time!

I thought it might be high time to update this little blog of mine - it's easily been over a month since I last posted - oops! So, back then I was talking about getting into the pool running and I had just bought a flotation device thingy - well unsurprisingly the pool running didn't last very long. I think I went 3 times one week, 2 the next and gave the whole thng up not long after that! I guess the pool and I just weren't destined to be such good friends afterall!

So, in the absence of pool running, I have found a new love - bike riding! After finally getting the all clear from the sports doc to take up riding again, I have found that I really love it! I had always been a keen bike rider, so it wasn't so hard to 'get back on the bike' as it were. I have now decided to ride into work - it's just over 10kms each way, so easily do-able! I had thought about doing it last year, but I always thought it was too far. I looked up the route on G-maps and worked out the best way to ride - it's really good as it's mainly all bike paths that run along the train lines. It's also mostly up hill on the way to work and mostly downhill on the way home - I can tell you that a couple of times I have been seriously unmotivated at 4.30pm to ride home, but once I get going I'm fine!

As for the shins.....welll.......I'm still undecided! I have had two massage treatments - after the first one I felt really good (ok, so it hurt like hell if I'm being honest, but it felt better a few days later!). Since the second one I have been getting pain again. I had another appointment for tomorrow booked, but I think I am going to cancel it. I have been riding and I have been doing some walking and the pain does feel like it's changing - I don't know how to describe it - before I could feel it with every step, now I only feel a light throb at night sometimes. Who the hell knows! I'm still not running and I won't until we get to the UK - I was checking out some UK based running group sites today and found a couple I would like to join. I guess I still want to prove to myself that I can become a runner. I had a message posted on my Facebook account yesterday from an old friend I haven't seen since high school - she said she was very surprised that I was now running! It made me feel really good to think how far I have come, but I also know I have a long way to go!

Til next month LOL

Pool Running!

5 min warmup/ cooldown
2 sets 1:30 hard, with 30sec easy

I actually did some running tonight - ok, so it was in the pool, but it still counts! Further to my complaining last week, I decided to hit the pool tonight and try to deep water run off some of this extra 'bubblewrap' that's sitting on my mid-regions.

I took the new aquatic belt with me tonight I bought from Rebel Sport.
It was a little awkward at first, but I soon got used to wearing it - I think I will need to buy a pair of one piece bathers, though, as it tends to ride up and cut into me a little, bu tI think I can get around that. I did a pretty good session tonight - a total of 36mins in the water! I managed to get my HRM up to 145, which is good! It's so much easier to run in the water with the belt - I can consistently get my HR up to a reasonable level, without swallowing too much water!

I'm even looking forward to tomorrow's session - I think it will be another evening one as the pool is so nice and quiet after 8pm!

Injury is a real pain in the shin!

As the title suggests, this injury thing is really frustrating me again. I'm sick of complaining about it, but it's all I can think about at the moment.

I have had a pretty good week since Wednesday's blog - I have been watching what I eat a little more and I have been getting up a little earlier to do my Pilates DVD before work. Friday I called in sick - ok, so I wasn't technically sick, but I did go to work on Thursday when I was feeling really tired and crappy, so I figure I 'earnt' Friday off! LOL Anyway, I had good intentions of going to the pool (after I spent a few hours cleaning the house). I called the pool to ask if there would be school groups in and the girl told me there was one in there, but they still had two lanes open for use. I didn't like the idea of having to share the pool with a group of snotty kids, but I figured I had better try! So, I drove to the pool and when I got there I was very surprised to find that there was not one carpark left - at 10.30am on a Friday??? So, I bailed on the swimming plan and came home and did Pilates instead.

Fri night I caught up with some friends and headed into the city for a night of fun. During the week I was unsure how it would go as I really only knew one person that was going and everyone there was single. In the end I had a great night - I drank a bit too much which resulted in me chatting to strange men and dancing til 3am! LOL The girls asked how I managed to get out on my own that night - to which I replied that my husband had written me a leave pass! LOL The funniest part was being hit on by a 21 year old guy - I thought that was nearly as good as being asked for ID! I also got chatting to a group of guys down from Wagga - in my single days I would never have talked to anyone, but Fri night I didn't care - I guess the pressure was off because I didn't feel like I had to impress them. When they got too close I flashed the wedding ring and it was all good. Country boys know how to behave! I have to say that I am glad not to be single anymore - I do miss the going out part, but I don't miss the trying to pick people up part! The other problem that I had forgotten about til Fri night was how short most people are - I'm tall, but at 5'11" I would still think there should be taller men out there - I towered over most of the crowd. I had forgotten about that from my single days!

Sat morning Bec picked me up early and we headed into the city to meet Julz & Jodes. My shin was hurting from all the dancing and walking around on Fri night, but I still hobbled around the Queen Vic market with my friends - we even walked from the market to the National Gallery to check out the 80's fashion display. I knew I shouldn't have been walking around, but my friend was over from Hobart and wanted to go to the market and the gallery and I thought it would be ok. I was very wrong about that!!!

Today I feel like I am back to square one with this injury - my shin hurts to walk on today and it now throbs when I sit down. It's sooooooo frustrating - I am used to walking everywhere and being little miss active, I really don't know how to do this 'resting' thing. Now I have realised that I am not doing myself any favours, so tomorrow I will book an appointment to see the sports doc and I will ask for a referral to have the bone scan done. I am sure I have a stress fracture now - it's been almost a month - this is ridiculous! I'm fairly sure that I will need to be put on crutches too, which doesn't sound like too much fun. The hard part will be at work - the carpark is a long way from the entrance and the building is very long too - I can't help but have to walk around - bugger!!

Anyway, I'm off to the pool tomorrow morning - must go pack my things now!

Breaking the blogging hiatus

Oops - time to break the blogging hiatus! I forget to blog when I don't have anything particularly interesting to write about (who am I kidding, I am always dribbling crap here anyway! LOL). I need to get back into it - I find it soothes the soul a little to get it all out there!

The low down of the last couple of weeks is still my frustration at not being able to do much cardio - I had a crap session at the pool last Monday and I seemed to use that as an excuse all week not to go! Good one Shell! I was silly and swam laps - the swimming was fine, it was me using my legs to turn around on the wall at each end of the pool. My shins were killing me the next day - oops! They seemed to have settled down now, though and I am back to wearing normal shoes to work (as much as the runners were mega comfy, I did feel like a bit of a tool wearing them with my black pants).

Still feeling a bit disillusioned about it all - I just want to get back to normal and be able to do the things I love. The shin has been feeling ok, so I probably could get out on the bike, but I have decided to be stubborn about this resting thing - as much as I am not really enjoying it, I know that I just need to do it. I'll be running and exercising again in no time - this rest period will do me good.

The only thing that isn't good at the moment is my ever increasing girth. Seriously I know I am hard on myself, but I have put on a good 6kgs since June! Pants that were once loose are now quite tight and I no longer fit into my jeans without them looking like they were painted on - yuck!!

So, I need to give myself a kick (well I would if I could! :)) The countdown is on until we leave for the UK next Feb - I have 17 weeks. In that time I need to get my fitness up so that I can easily get through the 21 day trek we have planned in Nepal. I really need some new goals - I'm not sure whether to set running ones as I'm still a bit scared about my come back, or if I should just make some fitness goals instead. I'm really debating whether I make a return to running before we go away, or if I just leave it until we arrive in London. I really do want to continue to run over there and I am in two minds - if I stop all together now, then how long will it take me to get back into good form again over there. I guess I am still worried about hurting myself again and having to pull out of the Nepal trek. One the same hand, though, playing it too safe will only see me gaining more kgs and losing more fitness, which is equally as bad!

I think I just need to stop looking at the bigger picture (which I have a bad habit of doing) and just focus one week at a time.......

More pool running

Well it's been a couple of days since the marathon and I can now report that Simon is definately on the mend - he spent a couple of days walking around like a penguin, unable to bend his knees, but now he seems to be much better. He had some work done on his hips during the week, and that seemed to really help to unlock his knees too.

I've been to the pool twice this week already. Tuesday night I did 6 sets of 1:30 min, plus a five min warm up and cool down. Then last night I did 30mins steady, again, with a 5 min warm up and cool down. It seems to be getting a little more enjoyable, but I must admit that I would have struggled last night if S wasn't there with me. Who would have thought that I would ever enjoy the pool! I'm even ok with the whole bathers thing, which really surprises me. I'm about 5kgs heavier than I was in June, but I think I actually look ok (ok, so my problem area is really the back of my legs and I can't see them, so I'm happy - out of sight, out of mind! LOL).

My eating is out of control at the moment - two morning teas in two days for staff that are leaving has seen me eat soooooooo much choccie and biscuits and cake. Yesterday I was quite controlled, but today it was a free for all. I also met a friend for lunch today, so more eating involved. All up, though, it's been fun! LOL

Tonight there is no swimming on my program, but I will get out the yoga DVD's and do an hour workout when I get home. It feels so good to be able to do exercise again!!

Melbourne Marathon

So today was the great day - the day of the great Melbourne Marathon...and what a great day it was - a nice cool 17 degrees out on the course, but filled with beautiful bright sunshine and no wind - a PERFECT day to run.

Unfortunately I was one of the non-starters for this event, as we all know, but I still wanted to go down and cheer on my mates Alison & Lynelle in the half and also my husband, Simon, in his first ever marathon. After a bit of a disaster trying to reach the G (we heard later there was a 4 car pile up just outside the only gate into the parking lot!), I ditched Simon near the ground, then circled around the side streets near Fitzroy gardens looking for a parking space. Luckily all parking in this area was free today - yay!! I arranged to meet Simon near gate 4, so off I walked to the ground. On the way I bumped into a girl from running camp, which was great - after a bit of a chat and a goodluck to her I set off to find Simon. I was torn between trying to find the girls or hubby.....I looked everywhere.....I bumped into more people from camp (seems everyone was out running today!!). I finally spotted my hubby standing with his training buddies, then I spotted Al and Lynelle standing about a metre from them! LOL Problem solved!

After waving them off, I headed into the ground to find a good vantage point - the members section was pretty empty, so I got a good spot at the front. I opened up my book and waited for the action to start. Luckily I didn't have to wait too long - the first half marathoners entered the stadium around the 1hr mark. From that point on, I watched everyone finish. I saw Al finish and was sooo happy for her - her first ever half and she had completed it (and she still looked good after it!!). She also beat in the first of the marathoners, which is a great achievement.

I then met up with a couple of our friends and also Simon's parents who had come down to watch him finish - we waited for him just outside the MCC gate on the outside of the ground. I was getting a bit worried after they called the 5hr cut-off time as we had both expected him to complete in about 4.5hrs. Then we spotted him and our little cheer squad went nuts - he was walking and looked in a lot of pain, but he was still going! It was so exciting and even a little bit emotional to see him - we all gave him high fives, then dashed into the ground again to see him officially finish. Inside we found his training buddies and together we all waited for him to cross that line. I still can't believe he did it - I'm soooooooo proud of him! He said his dodgy knee went at about the 7km mark, but he kept pushing through until 25kms - after that he walked much of the way back never thinking that he should throw it in. Such an amazing achievement - I knew he had this dodgy knee and I tried to talk him out of running, but he was determined! He is sore tonight, but I'm hopeful that he'll recover pretty quickly.

It was such an exciting day - even though I wasn't running, I was just glad to be a part of the day. Our friends aren't runners, but they really enjoyed cheering people on at the end. Watching all of the various types of runners out there doing the marathon really makes me want to try for one myself someday. At this stage I have to concentrate on just running 1km again, let alone 42.2, but anyway!

The one downer to the day is my left shin - it is aching tonight after all that walking around and standing up pretty much all morning. It's a bit of a worry that it's still so tender, but I guess it's part of the healing process - I probably did too much today which has agravated it again. It's hard, on one hand I am dying to compete in races again, but on the other this injury has taught me that I need to be very careful with my training. We have booked a 21day trek in Nepal next Feb and I really need to be fit again for that. I think races will take a back seat until next year and I will just run short distances until we land in the UK. Looking at the other competitors today I realised that I am still young - I have plenty of time to run my first marathon!

I read that the Boston marathon is on tonight - now wouldn't that be cool to say I had completed that one!!

Pool running?????

Hmmm - I can't believe my last pool session was Monday - oops! All that enthusiasm - where did it go? It's crazy, I get all excited about it, but the thought of really going to the pool and getting all wet really just doesn't do it for me at all. It's just an excuse, though, just like all the others. There is no physical reason why I haven't been - I can drive myself there, I can walk into the centre and I can get in the pool, but still something stops me from actually doing it. This week it was the thought of all those kids on school holidays (even though there were only about 15 people (most of those adults doing laps) in the pool on Monday night. My fears are totally irrational and I just need to get over myself, get out there and just do it!

I feel revolting at the moment - I seem to be eating worse than normal, coupled by the fact that I can't really do any type of exercise other than swimming (and we all know I'm not in the pool!) - it's really not good! I'm scared to jump on the scales - I think that 5kg gain will very easily turn into a 10kg gain if I don't watch it.

The other thing at the moment is that hubby is 'carbo loading' this week in preparation for the marathon - he's eating healthy food, but still has the occassional choccie bar or icecream to round him off. Sure, he needs it for Sunday, but I can't help eating with him and we all know I won't be out there on Sunday (or anytime in the next six weeks). It's kinda depressing, but really I am just being the good wife and supporting my husband, right?? (see I can justify just about anything! LOL). Today was a perfect example - we had a work lunch at the pub for a girl who is going on maternity leave - I could have ordered something light, but instead I went for the chicken parma option - yeah, so I ordered veggies, but come on!

On another note I have decided to home colour my hair tonight - something I have never done before. I called my friend who is an at home colourer for her opinion on which one to get. So tonight I picked up a Garnier Colour Nutrisse pack from Safeway - I'm just waiting now for it to develop. I opted for chestnut brown, which is pretty close to my natural colour, so here's hoping it turns out ok - I guess I can wear a hat for a few days if it's a total disaster until I can get to see my hairdresser!

Running!!!!!

Water running
5 x 1:30 hard (2 sets)

Ok, so maybe the title of today's blog is just a teeeny bit deceptive, but technically its true. After work tonight I hit the local pool to try out some water running. I managed to convince S to go with me, which was just as well because as soon as I got there, I wanted to go home! Swimming is just not my thing at all, but once I was in the water it was actually kind of fun.

I did the sets as per the program, but it's hard to know if I was doing it right - I don't think my HRM likes the water as it was giving me a HR reading of over 220 at certain times! Yeah, so I am a little out of shape, but I should be dead at 220bpm!!

Without S there I would have really struggled, so I really appreciated him coming down - I'm not sure how I will cope on my own, but at least I started off on a high point! Who knows - I may just come to like this water running thing. My shin hurts a little now, which I was surprised about - it must have just been the movement of the water around my lower legs - it's not too painful, more on the tender side.

I called the Angliss today and went over at lunch to pick up my x-rays from last week. I have an appointment with the podiatrist tomorrow night, so I can't wait to see my results! I really want to open the CD up tonight, but I won't know what to look for anyway, so I really am better waiting.

Feeling like a fat sloth......

A few months ago I was consistently running a good 30-35kms a week - I was eating well and my weight was at a good level. Now I am about 5kgs heavier that I would like, I haven't run, let alone do anything for two weeks (except an interupted run last Sunday) and now I feel like a big sloth.

Instead of feeling sorry for myself, though, I am going to pack the bathers tomorrow and hit the pool for a half hour session tomorrow night. I've been saying for a while now that I will get back to the pool, but this time I really mean it. I really want to get back into running and I want to be able to keep up some of my fitness during this time off, so really my only option at this point is to get into the water. Tonight I even tried on my bathing suit - I need to attend to the forrest that is growing in certain places that hasn't been attended to since last summer! I feel yuk in a bathing suit, but it's really only that quick 10seconds of getting in and out of the water where anyone else will see me, so that really isn't so bad. I just need to get over it and get out there and do it - no point complaining about feeling like a heifer - I won't manage to keep the weight off by sitting on the couch.

I like to think of this as a little test of my motivation to really become a runner - runner's need good determination and even better discipline - this pool thing will certainly test out my resolve to be a runner!!

OUCH!!!!!!!!

So tonight I went to see the sports doc - well actually there were no appointments left for the sports doc, so I saw a senior physiotherapist instead (gee, you'd think that there's a marathon coming up soon or something!! LOL). Anyway, had my appointment tonight - fully expected that my x-ray results would be in, but they weren't - apparently the Angliss don't actually send the results out - I was meant to request them on disk (which is NOT what they told me at the hospital, but anyhoo). Sports doc made me hop (still painful and not a good sign), then asked me to jump up on the bed at which point I begged him not to poke at me! He poked at me! OUCH!!!!! He found that my most painful spot is in the middle third of my leg - not a spot usually associated with stress fractures in his experience (so that was positive!). He certaintly thinks that I have overdone the training given I am still tender now and my inability to hop properly. He also zapped me with the ultrasound machine - it's meant to hurt if I had a fracture, and it didn't hurt at all, so that was another positive sign.

Then he proceeded to give me the most painful massage I could ever imagine - really digging down deep into my muscles. OMG - I couldn't help but cry out a couple of times, which was a bit embarrassing, but he just kept talking about other things trying to take my mind off it, which was great - a MUCH needed distraction!

Afterwards my shin felt quite good - nice and relaxed (I can finally walk properly again). Sports doc told me to take it easy this weekend and keep off it as much as possible, but to get to the pool to help keep my fitness up. Cycling, walking, etc is still out - the half is definately out also!

I now need to get the x-rays from the stupid hospital next week, go back to the pod on Tuesday and just keep off my shins for the next couple of days.

I can't wait to get back out running again - I feel like a massive heifer - my jeans are so tight that they now cut into my stomach - yuck!! We are having people over tomorrow and the only pants that fit right are my daggy trackky pants. It's such a horrible feeling - I'm disappointed that the bike has been ruled out - I love the bike. I guess I will just have to bite the bullet and hit the pool *shudder*.......

Injury Update

So, I went to see the podiatrist last night - I really had no idea what to expect, but it was soooo much better than I thought it would be. He assessed my walk without shoes, with shoes and prodded around my shins to see if he could determine if I have a muscle injury, or a bone problem. At the start of the appointment he was quite upbeat telling me that his aim is to get me back in action for the half in two weeks, but after a poke around of my shins, he started to say things like 'well it's only a race, there are plenty of others you could do'. The prognosis isn't great - the pod didn't want to say I have a stress fracture until after we get xrays and bone scans, but it's what he was alluding to. He prodded both the muscle and the bone of my shins (it was quite excruciating in some places!!) and determined that the worst pain was along the bone of my left shin.

He also got me out on the footpath to assess my running style - no surprise he concluded that I run like an elephant! It's not the first time I have heard someone describe it as that - I tend to land very heavily and he thinks that has contributed to my injury. He wants to see me again next week and will give me some pointers on technique, which will be good!

So, the pod referred me to have some x-rays taken, which I did today at the local hospital. I have a referral to see the sports doctor at the clinic on Friday, so hopefully I will have a better idea about things then. I have read on the net that x-rays don't always show up the fractures, unless they are at an advanced stage - considering that I can walk quite normally, I wonder if it will actually show up anything. I guess we'll see!!

My left shin aches today after all of the poking and prodding - I can't decide if it's real pain, or just psychological because I can't stop thinking about it. You know when you just concentrate on one thing and it's all you can think about??? Well, that's me with my shins. I have pretty much talked myself out of doing the half now, which isn't great......if the pod says next week that I can do it, then I'm in a bit of trouble! Such a defeatist attitude, I know, but I really do think that I shouldn't run it - I think I could do the 10km - just for that sensation of running onto the G. It provides a bit of a dilemna, though - I really want to cheer on my husband who is running the full and my running buddy who is doing the half. A will probably take around 2 hrs for the half and S will take around 4ish hours for the full - what will I do at the G by myself for 2 hours until A finishes if I am not running?? I so want to see her start and finish, though - will have to bring a good book (and maybe a pillow!!).

This whole thing has made me rethink my running future - the easy way out (and the one I was going to go with on Sunday) would be to give up, but the truth is that I know I overdid it the weekend of that camp and I did know better than to not listen to my body, so this is something that just happened out of the blue because I abused my body and pushed too hard. I will be able to get back again and give this running thing a good try - oh and the other reason is that I have committed to the rather expensive treatment now (pod is talking about orthotics), so I will have to run my whole life now just to justify the expense! LOL

Reflection

It's been a weird couple of days - Sat I was all full of hope at being able to get out on Sunday and try a run. Well I can say that I did try to run, but I didn't last. I met up with Al, Lynelle and her friend Erin at the Tan - they were all out to do about 16kms, but I just wanted to stick to a couple of laps of the Tan to test out my shins. Well, I started out with the girls and managed to complete about half a lap before I felt the pain in my shins. I resigned myself to walking up Anderson street hill (any excuse, huh??) and met the girls at the top. I told them to keep going, whilst I stretched out and thought about continuing. I tried running downhill for a bit and that's where I think it all came unstuck - that pesky stabbing pain in my shins started up again - eventually it got to the point where it just hurt too much to continue, so I stopped and walked back to the car - not even able to finish one lap - pretty sad!!

I met Simon back at the car and had a little cry to him - I felt so dejected and I was convinced that I had blown my chances of running the half in two weeks time.

Today my shins still hurt - there is a little stabbing pain when I walk and also a general throbbing pain when I stand for too long - both not great signs! I iced both shins tonight and last night, but both are still quite sore. I have an appointment with the podiatrist tomorrow, so we'll see what they say - I'm hoping just for shin splints and not stress fractures, but I just can't tell at this stage. I spent a long time tonight looking on the net to find out what each should feel like, but it's like finding a needle in a hay stack - everyone experiences things differently. I do have a pretty low pain threshold, so what is painful to me, is probably not even something that someone else would even bother about.

So, tonight my shins throb and I can't sleep - I have just taken some Nurofen, so am waiting for that to kick in (Nurofen is my new best friend!!). I thought instead of lying in bed thinking poor me - I would come online and read a couple of blogs of people who I know have had similar injuries. You know what I got out of it the most??? None of them ever really gave up - yeah, they had their poor me moments, but in the long run, they all got better and are now back running again. My approach yesterday (and also tonight) was that I would just give up running - go back to just going to the gym because it is all too hard. After reading other people's blog tonight, though, it's made me see that I can get over this little hurdle - after my appointment tomorrow night I will have a better idea of where I am at and I can just do as I am told and get back into the running again (albeit slowly and sensibly this time!!). No point in giving up before I have even really begun - I realistically don't think that I will be able to run the half in two weeks, but that doesn't mean that I will never be able to run another half ever again!

Love the internet - thanks to all bloggers that keep it real and inspire others!

Trying to find some inspiration

It's hard to know where to start - three months ago I was doing really well - I had lost a bit of weight and was feeling really good about myself. I had decided to sign up for the melbourne half marathon and I was totally excited about the prospect of running my second half. About a month ago I seemed to hit a bit of a stumbling block - my motivation lacked, I cut right back on my training due to not feeling so great and now the end result is this - two weeks out from the half and I am 5kgs heavier and I think I may have developed shin splints in the process.

I so desperately want to be a runner, but something always holds me back - the annoying thing is that I am like this in every aspect of my life - the classic underacheiver! BUT I want to turn this around - stop all of this negative self-talk and get back to enjoying life. I know that I can become a runner - it will take a lot of hard work, but I WILL get there!!

I will also complete the Melbourne Half - last weekend I cruised through an 18km training run, so I still have a good training base built there. I haven't run since last Sunday when I felt my shins hurt, but I will head out for a run tomorrow morning with the girls and see how I go. With only two weeks left until the half, I will be happy to get through 10kms tomorrow without too much discomfort.

I have a few goals in mind for the coming months -

Lose 6kgs by the middle of December.
Run 10kms under an hour consistently

Enough of the self doubt - more with the positive self talk - I am going to be a runner if it kills me, damn it!!