0 KM

Stupid back. No running yet this week and it is Friday here in OZ. Yesterday was awful, my back was spasming all day, took a billion drugs and ended up woozy from codeine. At least I slept a bit better, a drug haze is very inducive to sleep….

Bummed. Hoping I feel better enough to go out tomorrow.

Sore back

Tags

Lower Back Pain, Plank A Day, Running, Yoga

Long before I began running in earnest, I had a recurring back problem. My physio explained that a bulging disc is behaving like an overstuffed hamburger and all the innards are poking out. Gross. Anyway the moral of the story is that my back sometimes hurts like a bitch. My sciatic nerve goes nuts, I get pain in my piriformis muscle, all around my right hip, up into the muscles near my ribs, numbness down the front of my leg, tingling in my ankle and there is so much moaning and bitching. IT SUCKS.

For a few months now, I have been almost pain free. I have worked hard to strengthen my core, I have stretched, I have done exercises to strengthen my gluteus minimus or whatever that muscle at the side of your hip is called. I felt strong, like I had banished that pain for good….

Maybe the 20km last week was too much? Maybe I tweaked my back over the weekend doing Plank A Day? Whatever happened, I have been sore as hell yesterday and today. I even had to reach for the Voltaren pills last night to get to sleep. Stretching is not helping. I feel bleh.

One of the things that really helped me heal last time was acupuncture, maybe I need some of that.

Anyway, no running till this back gets sorted out. Yoga all the way….

I HATE NOT RUNNING!

Meh.

Road Runner

Tags

20km Week, Running, weight-loss

Beep, Beep!

Just like this but slower 🙂

This week, I did something new. I ran 20km. I did it over 5 days, but I had 3 5km runs which I am super proud of. It seems like only a few weeks ago that I was struggling to do 3.8km three times a week! I think part of it is wanting to get enough kms in to be really ready to start half marathon training next year. Plus I am still anxious to lose weight, and for me running is my favourite way to get sweaty and make my heart rate soar. I must be getiing fitter as my heart rate is getting lower for the same amount of time running. I still can’t get under 40 mins yet for the 5km, but I will keep on trying!

This week, I proved something to myself. I can’t tell you how happy that 20km milestone makes me feel. Now all I have to do is do it again next week 🙂

Stretch tomorrow. A rest day is needed. Then back into it.. Can’t wait

My Quest for Stretch

Tags

Hip flexors, Running, Yin Yoga, Yoga

As a dedicated slow runner, I have been getting increasingly tighter in all the wrong places. Hamstrings, hip flexors, calves, shoulders. I can’t tell you how many yoga dvd’s I have tried to help alleviate the “OMG I can’t move” feeling that comes with my particular brand of running style, the shuffle.

I banged on about this earlier this week but I need to again. Today is my rest day and what better activity is there than to have a big old stretch. I used the “Infant” sequence of the Yin Yoga by Paul Grilley. It is so freaking amazing. There is one particular stretch where you get in this weird position with legs everywhere and stretch out the quad/hip flexor. SHUT UP! It simultaneoulsy hurt and felt so good, and afterwards that bad boy was humming. I feel immediately better after doing this.

The thing I hate most about yoga is the breathing. I never seem to be on the right breath, and I freaking hate being told how to breathe, surely I can do this on my own right??? The guy in this video is like “breathe however you want peeps”. OK he doesn’t say ‘peeps’ but you get my message. Its liberating. The stretches go for at least 5 mins each side so you really get some bang for your buck. If you suffer from tight quads/ hip flexors or lower back, this is the dvd series for you.

Its LOVE.

Tomorrow I am going to the shady track to run on my newly improved legs. I really really really want to go a bit faster than I have been this week. Every run I did this week was slower than the last. Poo. Surely I can run faster on a proper path instead of manky wettish uneven grass? Let’s freaking hope so……

Feelin Hot Hot Hot

Tags

10km, healthy-living, Running, Weigh In

And not in a good way. This morning’s run was pure hell. The heat was unbearable, I had to get off the playing field I normally run in and seek shade on the paths around the park. By then it was too late, I was overheated and I stopped after 3.34km. Bum. This does however bring my total up to 10km so far this week, which keeps me on track for my 20km goal. V good.

In desperation, I googled a new track this morning, it’s going to mean a slightly longer drive but it will be worth it not to be overheating and sweating like a bitch. I gotta tell ya, even after all these months I STILL go beetroot red and sweat like crazy. GROSS!

Hey, I wanted to get some of your thoughts about speed. I notice when I run on grass, I run slower. I guess it has something to do with traction or the uneven surface. My pace is off the charts slower. Do any of you guys experience the same thing? Or am I weird??

I’m really looking forward to a rest day tomorrow, I am sore and achey from all this running and boot camp last night. My shins are a tiny bit sore too and my right knee is a bit tender. Ice, Iburpofen and a husband cuddle should sort most of it out.

Oh and I weighed in, my weight this week was 77.8kg. I put on 500g in two weeks. Mainly cos I have been eating way outside the square this week. You name it, I ate it. I tried to tell myself it’s all muscle but who am I kidding?? Clean eating for me for a while till this gets moving again……

Hope all your running dreams are coming true this week!

Yoga for Tight Hips and a Tough 5km

Tags

Running, Yoga

I always seem to have ridiculously tight hip flexors, which is super annoying and sometimes quite painful. I stretch them as best as I can but never seem to really alleviate the tightness. UNTIL YESTERDAY!! I found this dvd called Yin Yoga by Paul Grilley. This dvd is the BUSINESS! I did the sequence for the hips and sweet relief was mine. This is not like normal yoga, where you do lots of poses. The 70 minute sequence is made up of about 6 different poses that you hold for about 4-5 mins each. It was both weird and the best feeling. Husband did it with me and even he was loving it. It’s freaking rad. If you get tight hips, ITB, quads or glutes, this is the dude for you. This is not a paid endorsement, I just had to share!

On to running. After my dismal 2km effort yesterday, I set the alarm for 5.45 and we were out the door by 6.30am. This was a tough 5km. I really wanted to go fast but my legs were protesting. It was super hot again, not as bad as yesterday as I was running on grass but there was almost zero shade. I didn’t set the world on fire with my pace, walked a fair bit and came out with a time of 44.19. SSSSLLLLLLOOOOOOWWWW. Oh well, I got it done.

Another one tomorrow, then a rest on Thurs 🙂

Crap Run and Storm Update

Tags

5km, ParkRun, Running

The weekend, Brisbane was hit with four really big storms. Lightning, Thunder, Rain, Hail, Water Spouts, the whole thing was destructive and for me, frankly terrifying. I HATE BIG STORMS! Roofs came off, cars smashed by falling trees, hail the size of tennis balls, it was NUTS!!!!

This had a knock on effect on my run this morning. My god, it was so freaking humid! Worse than Sat when I did the ParkRun and add in direct sunlight too. YUCK! I started off and felt wonky. Like my legs weren’t co-operating. Could not get into a nice easy pace, felt jerky, slow and not loving it. I had to stop at a toilet, then I tried again to get into pace and failed. I gave up after 2km, as it felt like I was going to hurt myself. Crap Run. Not a great start to my 20km challenge this week, but I did get out and have a crack. Oh well, tomorrow…..

The storm activity had me hopping all day yesterday and I did not do my plankaday challenge, which was to plank every hour. I will be rescheduling this for next weekend. Too much on this week to try and do it during the day!

Hopefully I will have a better running story for tomorrow, have fun out there!

ParkRun Results

Tags

ParkRun, Running

Wow, that was fast, only a few hours have passed since I ran this morning and the results are up.

My official time: 40.26. Shy of the 39 I thought I ran. I should not have walked those bits I did….. Oh well, I will train hard this week and see if I can catch it next Sat. At least if I improve weekly, all my runs will be PBs 🙂

Remember my first 5km time back in Sept? It was 44.30 mins. Todays’s run – four minutes faster. Still room for improvement, but four minutes faster peeps!

Run fast RunninBear, you can do it!

In the meantime we got slammed with the first proper summer storm and it aint even summer yet. Lightening and thunder had me hopping around the place, Husband was very amused. Storms scare the shit out of me…. There is another bigger scarier one forecast for later today. I might totally lose my shit if it comes….. Scary scary….

ParkRun

Tags

healthy-living, ParkRun, Running

A few weeks ago, I registered for ParkRun and then did not go. This morning, I was ready. I got Husband to come with me although he did not run. I just wanted him there at the finish line. I set my alarm for 5.45, was out the door at 6.30 and ready to run by 7am.

parkrun logo (Source Wikipedia)

ParkRun is rad! It is really well organised, the path was lovely, the people were friendly and the pace was FAST!! I have not gotten my official results yet but I think it was about 39 mins, which if it is right, means I shaved some serious time off my run from Thursday – 42.48mins. I will post my result when it becomes available. I had looked at last weeks results and the slowest time was 38 mins. I really did not want to come last so I pushed as hard as I could…..And I didn’t come last! There were at least half a dozen people after me! So freaking happy!

Today is really humid and hot, there is a huge storm coming our way now, so the run this morning was a bit tough. I felt like I was sucking air though a wet towel most of the time. I did have to walk a tiny bit, but I was still faster than I ever have been. Most of the run, I was chasing a lady who was walking a bit, but her run sections were quite fast. She came in ahead of me, but only just! It was super motivating to be in a non competitive race. I think I will include it into my weekly run schedule.

So this week, I clocked 13km. One strength workout and I need need need to do yoga tomorrow to stretch out my hip flexor which feels like a tight rubber band. My goal for next week is 20km. I’M BACK!

5km, #plankaday and ouch

Tags

5km, P90X, Plank A Day, Running

Let’s start with the 5k. I have been using Runkeeper for tracking my runs, but I switched to Nike + Running. To coincide with my new phone and I like the pretty graphics. So I though I should show Nike + who is boss. I smashed out a 5k in 42.25 mins. This is a great time for me. I am so happy.

Yeah! I owned it.

In other news, there is a big group of tweeters who plank a day, using the hashtag #PlankADay.  Check it out! I saw it and have started to plank and tweet about it. After doing a gazillion planks in Core the other day, I claimed 30 seconds. Yesterday I claimed 40 seconds, today I am going for 50 seconds. If you want to get involved, just plank and tweet about it!

Speaking of ‘Core Synergistics’. I have been so freaking sore since Tuesday. There is one move where you squat and then on the way up, you raise your arms over your head diagonally, like you are making a star shape. It looks like this:

This is the pain maker move.

It happens relatively late in the session, so I was pretty warmed up and I really gave it all I had. Since then, my legs and ass have hurt so much, I have been walking around looking like a cowboy who spent too much time on a horse. OUCH. Even after running my 5k this morning, my hamstrings are still sore. I keep wondering, is there ever a time when a workout doesn’t hurt?????

Overall this week is shaping up to be a great workout week. I am even planning a ParkRun this weekend. I have never done one, but I printed my barcode and am plotting with Husband how we can do this and meet for a coffee afterwards. I was so so so so freaking sweaty after this run, we may need to sit in the shade somewhere and let my wet, shiny, red face get back to normal before I can sit in a coffee shop and not shame us out!!

That is all I have to chat about today. Hope all of you are having a cracker week too 🙂