Motivate Me to Exercise: City- Surf Training Diary

The training starts again

2008-05-13T01:38:03Z

It occured to me on the weekend, that if I want to run the city to surf this year I am going to have to start upping the training....I regularly run (jog) a couple of kilometres a week, plus take in at least one dance class, plus lots of floor work - but I need distance on the road.

Last night I decided that I would see how far and how fast I could run before running out of steam - chose a 4 km circuit and hit the road. Good and bad - ran 2 k's - walked for about 20 metres to get breath back, then on for another kilometre....walking the last km home to cool down - before hitting the floor and stretching it all out.....all in all out for 25 minutes....which probably means i am running at around 6.5 mins a km....hm if I want to break the hour barrier I am going to need to get that down to 4-5 mins per km.... interesting.

Anyway, have a better handle on the stretching aspect - as I have been going to a flex (stretching) class at the dance studio where I wrap myself around a vertical cylindrical structure, and the actual class is very aerobic and lasts for 90 minutes / session.... as you know I managed to pull one of the quads badly in the lead up to last years race, so we'll see how we go.

Injury and illness beat me

2007-08-29T11:33:44Z

My colleague Andy ran the race though, along with 29,000 other people. Amazing given the atrocious weather conditions. After nearly perfect weather, we had gale force winds and driving rain. Andy said it was so bad at one point he ran past the same tree three times.

As for my personal goal of running the City to Surf that is still on. I have started back at the gym and ran properly for the first time in a couple of months. And it felt good. better than good in fact to know that the strength, flexibility and lung capacity had not left me entirely during my flu'ey absence.

Not running the race this year has made me even more determined to get race fit for next. Hopefully there will be a couple of races in the meantime and I can start to train properly...but in the meantime I have other projects to get on with, especially as it is winter, cold and summer seems a LONG way off.

MMM1

out of the race - running that is

2007-08-01T11:25:59Z

I just don't have enough time to get race fit. I've pulled the quad and groin again, not that it was properly healed you understand, but I did it on monday night on a controlled treadmill run at the gym. What do they say about keeping fit is good for you?

So I shall let it heal properly this time, and then once it has, shall start training properly again. Then I shall run the race. OK it will be on my own - but I shall complete the damn thing. It is a promise I make to myself.

The cove is putting a team together

2007-07-16T13:11:33Z

The cove is the gym where I go to - BTW. They've put together a nice training programme n all.

OK, I did a controlled run on the treadmill...and I was able to run at the same speed and distance as before the injury. Which is fantastic news, I need to up the pace....lots.

But I was also able to kick in a fair bit of core muscle work, and some back work...it's been giving me some stick of late...I creak when I move. And please don't tell me it's my age. More likely because I spend a huge amount of my time talking to you'se guys. ANyway, we'll see how I pull up tomorrow, but it's looking promising.

Saturday morning training session

2007-07-15T12:02:58Z

I pushed it a bit on Saturday morning. The minor training session I had done last week hadn't caused me too many problems, so Saturday was the test !!

And lots of people were out and about. The lycra "nasties" were out in force, over the pavements - they don't seem to like following rules, namely SHARE the pavements, cycle/walking tracks in and around Perth. You really do take your life in your hands sometimes when they're about.

So how did it go? Well I was out for about an hour and a half, of which I ran half the time, walked the rest. No idea of the distance, that wasn't the issue - it was more about whether my leg could stand up to the time, we'll worry about speed and distance this next week. The only thing that stopped me running further was the fact that the quad did start to pull again, so I slowed to a walk. But having walked on it a lot again today (sunday) I was pleased to find that the pain component was manageable.

So it looks like the leg might be healing - finally. Thankfully. It's a pain in the leg not being able to exercise properly.

MMM1

First training run back after injury.

2007-07-11T11:50:06Z

In yonks. Well that's what is seems like. In order to be race fit I knew it had to be this week, or not at all. My son came with me - he rode his skateboard tho' why run when you can ride????

OK, it was more of a test of the leg than an outright run, but the test was good - apart from jarring the damaged leg when I missed the pavement...that's the trouble when you run at night - can't see where you're going most of the time.

The test was a 3km course. Walk the first couple of hundred metres to alert the muscles to the fact that they're going to be working, then a slow jog - with a brief 20 metre or so walk at 1km and 2km just to see what the damage was....and just to be on the safe side - ice pack when I got home.

Good news though, the cardio component was good, recovery excellent, barely out of breathe after the 3k's.

Pace was slow - deliberately though, just to give the leg a chance to go - nope not doing that....

So - will start to up the training again. I do intend to be race fit. Speak soon.

Almost healed

2007-07-04T11:49:53Z

Sorry you've not heard from me in a while. And the reason is simple, nothing to report. It's been quite a downer actually, not being able to train. No incentive to go to the gym even though I could do some upper body work at least. We are about 6 weeks away from the race and I should be fighting fit, running 8-10k's without any trouble. Trouble is I'm not running anywhere near that. As you know I've not been able to walk any distance let alone run. But the leg is almost healed. The groin is not as sore as it was and the sartorious is much better.

I trained at the gym on monday. Low impact bike work, lots of muscle/weight work, core muscles and then a 10 minute walk at a reasonable pace to cool down. It's amazing what you can do when you aren't sore.

Tuesday I didn't pull up too sore. Thankfully.

Today I was OK but did not force the training other than to do some walking. My goal is to walk / run on Friday evening. Try for the first time to do the 12km course I have set myself as my training course to see if I am going to be able to do anything other than walk the 12km course in August. My daughter and some of her school mates are walking the 12km course so I shall have company, but it is a little disappointing nonetheless to know that I may not be running. I know there is always next year, but I so wanted to knock this goal on the head in 2007. But I still have 6 weeks to go, so am keeping my fingers crossed.

Leg problems

2007-06-18T12:26:45Z

So today I decided to go to the gym, low impact bike work. Keep the cardio going at least, fit some core muscle work and some upper body work out to the regime.

Twenty minutes into the bike work and I thought my right leg was going to explode. Sore, very sore. I may need to get some help with this now...this is getting silly.

Hill Street Blues

2007-06-17T10:48:17Z

Saturday morning, I opted to try some hill work. Kill or cure the leg. Turned out it wasn't such a great idea. I've extended the injury to the groin....so after 20 minutes I then opted for some deep meditation and some an attempt to heal the leg from within. OK for those of you who are not into that kind of inner visualisation may decide I need a straight jacket, but I did not have access to pain killers, ice or deep heat - so it was the mind or nothing....and it worked, almost.

By the time I got home and started the external treatment options, I could actually walk without too much pain. To the extent that I was able to walk from Perth city to East Perth (and where my car was parked) at a reasonably fast pace. OK I wouldn't win the 10km "walk" - but the fact that I could walk, means that the two treatment options I opted for were working.

Will aim for a week of bike work rather than road work this week. Give the leg a good chance to heal properly, but keep the fitness levels up.

3km training run

2007-06-15T05:18:19Z

OK it wasn't the best time, but I managed to complete it without extending the injury recovery time too greatly (I don't think). Well I can walk this morning with some discomfort - OK pain. But I have to say it is less painful today than last Tuesday night when I felt the muscle give.

On the positive side of things, I also managed to sprint the last couple of hundred metres, I almost beat my daughter who is 25 kilos lighter than me, and a few years younger too....it was funny trying to sprint and laugh at the same time. It's amazing what the mind and the body is capable of when pushed.

And - there is more to be pleased about too, the recovery rate for the cardio was good, and i've dropped a couple of kilos in weight the last couple of weeks. Cut out most of the "junk" food - white rice, white pasta and bread and I haven't needed the rest - chips (crisps), cake, sweets, nor chocolate too...interesting what happens when you don't spike your insulin with carbs.