I was supposed to do a race on Sunday, and I slept early the night before and woke up feeling great, only to have the race completely rained out. So that's 3 races in a row that I haven't done now. Although, yesterday's race wasn't really my fault. In the end, G and I ran back to our respective homes in the miserable rain and whilst it wasn't a 12k race, I'm pretty happy that I did something in the end.
Saturday was a complete wash because James (my dinner buddy) and I had our monthly dine-out on Friday and succeeded in finishing a bottle of wine. Each. R didn't do much better himself since he was off on a nice little wine event (that dragged on the whole day) and was pretty much as plastered, if not more plastered than I was. Nonetheless, we both managed to drag ourselves out to lead the Alumni Running Club in a 5k walk. He was retching the entire way while I don't think my head stopped spinning at any one time in the walk!
What I did since I last posted:
Wednesday: Ran 10k
Thursday: 1 hr swim training
Friday: Proceeded to make Saturday a complete waste of a day
Saturday: 5k walk in the Botanical Gardens
Sunday: Ran 7k
Monday, August 31, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
The Familiar Aches
of Muay Thai! I thought it was going to be a wuss class on Monday. I mean, I'm tough right? Not so. My wings, my forearms and my upper arms are in such agony...and mind you this is a good 2 days after my session. Little secret? I'm kind of liking it. I've missed the burn and the feeling that I've whipped my pretty little ass into shape. Makes me feel hard core. I'm sure I've mentioned that millions of times. The thing with MT (which I wasn't so big on at first) is that I'm doing things that, left in a gym by myself, I probably wouldn't do. I don't think I'd do as many sit-ups or push-ups. Nor would I work my arms till burning point. I'd usually just stop the moment my arms ache just a wee bit and then come to a grinding stop, pat myself on the back and feel happy that I've 'worked-out'. Yes, I don't actually push myself at all.
Yesterday's pilates wasn't so pretty. I don't think it was the hardest class I've been for, but everything was just screaming in pain and I was struggling to do any of the arm work. I think I need to give those arms a break for a couple of days....well, till Thursday since I plan to make swim training at the club!
Meanwhile, I'm putting in a 10k run tonight. If I don't get lazy and stop half way like I did last week.
What I've done:
Monday: 1hr of Muay Thai
Tuesday: 1 hr of Pilates
Yesterday's pilates wasn't so pretty. I don't think it was the hardest class I've been for, but everything was just screaming in pain and I was struggling to do any of the arm work. I think I need to give those arms a break for a couple of days....well, till Thursday since I plan to make swim training at the club!
Meanwhile, I'm putting in a 10k run tonight. If I don't get lazy and stop half way like I did last week.
What I've done:
Monday: 1hr of Muay Thai
Tuesday: 1 hr of Pilates
Monday, August 24, 2009
Very Lazy
I had a 5k charity run on Sunday and I didn't go for that. Somehow I've managed to fall into this rut of laziness...or I've just gotten used to not turning up for races. Sigh....
That aside, last Thursday I went for my first swim training at the British Club and it was tough. Good tough. The coach (whose name I really don't recall!) looked at my swim stroke and I'm proud to say that my right arm stroke (what on earth do you call it?) was very very good. But he also said that my left arm stroke was really really crap. I could be a brilliant swimmer, but for my left arm! Damn left arm! The last bit about the 'brilliant swimmer' was my own swim analysis, don't think the coach said anything close to me being brilliant.
I did a crappy 2.4k fartlek run on Friday and drank too much wine after, which meant my Saturday was more or less a lost cause. My grand plan to do muay thai in the afternoon, became an afternoon of hitting the beers. Gah.
And to round up my already lazy weekend, I didn't turn up for my 5k run. Terrible terrible. I did go to the gym for some core training though, so that made me feel a little better. All the calories that might have burnt were put back at dinner. On a whim, I decided to make Beer Butt Chicken (I basically took a bunch of recipes and came up with something) and a very sinful apple crumble. Guess this week'll be spent working off all those added calories!
What I've done:
Wednesday: Ran 7.23k in 58:40 mins
Thursday:45 minute swim training
Friday: Ran 2.4k in 16:49 mins
That aside, last Thursday I went for my first swim training at the British Club and it was tough. Good tough. The coach (whose name I really don't recall!) looked at my swim stroke and I'm proud to say that my right arm stroke (what on earth do you call it?) was very very good. But he also said that my left arm stroke was really really crap. I could be a brilliant swimmer, but for my left arm! Damn left arm! The last bit about the 'brilliant swimmer' was my own swim analysis, don't think the coach said anything close to me being brilliant.
I did a crappy 2.4k fartlek run on Friday and drank too much wine after, which meant my Saturday was more or less a lost cause. My grand plan to do muay thai in the afternoon, became an afternoon of hitting the beers. Gah.
And to round up my already lazy weekend, I didn't turn up for my 5k run. Terrible terrible. I did go to the gym for some core training though, so that made me feel a little better. All the calories that might have burnt were put back at dinner. On a whim, I decided to make Beer Butt Chicken (I basically took a bunch of recipes and came up with something) and a very sinful apple crumble. Guess this week'll be spent working off all those added calories!
What I've done:
Wednesday: Ran 7.23k in 58:40 mins
Thursday:45 minute swim training
Friday: Ran 2.4k in 16:49 mins
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
It's Been A While
Since my last post and so much has happened! Over the past two weeks, I've gone to the Emerald Isle for a beautiful wedding, did a 10k run in Manchester (relived my University days on foot!) and chickened out of a half marathon.
First and foremost, congratulations to the loveliest Irish bride and groom. I had so much fun staying with the bride and being a part of her big day (it's always more the bride's day than the groom's one). If you're ever reading this Cat (which is very unlikely) thanks for asking me to be one of your bridesmaids! I had sooooo much fun, drank waaaaay too much and brought back amazing memories. Despite all the celebrations though, and because I was jet-lagging, I managed to fit in a 2.5k run (yes yes, pathetic, but I was hungover!) and a 4k run (slightly less hungover) on the Cat's brother's treadmill. I also managed to set off the alarm on the day of the wedding (whilst on said treadmill) and woke the entire family up. But that's a story for another day.
Being back in Manchester was nice and nostalgic. I had intended to do a 10k route recommended by the Manchester Frontrunners on Runnersworld, but decided instead to do a run around the city centre. Things have changed quite a bit in Manchester, but a lot of the old stuff is still there, which is nice. My old hall of residence and the god-awful Law building were still standing. Best of all, Whitworth Art Museum (which I sadly didn't have the time to go to) looked as peaceful as it did 6 years ago!
Finally, yes, I chickened out of my half mary. I was jet-lagging and completely unprepared. There was just no way ever I'd wake up at 5 in the morning to run 21k. So I chose not to turn up instead. Big cheers for the mad G though who had hit only 5k in her training, but still had the gumption to turn up and complete the whole darn thing. Great work! I have rockstar running buddies!
Anyway (I know I said 'finally' just a paragraph ago, but did you really believe that?) I've been relatively good since I've been back. I did a 5-10 minute skipping session on Saturday (my calves were killing me days after!), did a 6.2k run (distance from work to my girl friend's place where I was having dinner) and had a hard pilates session yesterday! So it's not as if I've been just lying around doing nothing!
What I've done
Monday: Ran 6.2k in 48:56 mins
Yesterday: 1 hour of pilates
First and foremost, congratulations to the loveliest Irish bride and groom. I had so much fun staying with the bride and being a part of her big day (it's always more the bride's day than the groom's one). If you're ever reading this Cat (which is very unlikely) thanks for asking me to be one of your bridesmaids! I had sooooo much fun, drank waaaaay too much and brought back amazing memories. Despite all the celebrations though, and because I was jet-lagging, I managed to fit in a 2.5k run (yes yes, pathetic, but I was hungover!) and a 4k run (slightly less hungover) on the Cat's brother's treadmill. I also managed to set off the alarm on the day of the wedding (whilst on said treadmill) and woke the entire family up. But that's a story for another day.
Being back in Manchester was nice and nostalgic. I had intended to do a 10k route recommended by the Manchester Frontrunners on Runnersworld, but decided instead to do a run around the city centre. Things have changed quite a bit in Manchester, but a lot of the old stuff is still there, which is nice. My old hall of residence and the god-awful Law building were still standing. Best of all, Whitworth Art Museum (which I sadly didn't have the time to go to) looked as peaceful as it did 6 years ago!
Finally, yes, I chickened out of my half mary. I was jet-lagging and completely unprepared. There was just no way ever I'd wake up at 5 in the morning to run 21k. So I chose not to turn up instead. Big cheers for the mad G though who had hit only 5k in her training, but still had the gumption to turn up and complete the whole darn thing. Great work! I have rockstar running buddies!
Anyway (I know I said 'finally' just a paragraph ago, but did you really believe that?) I've been relatively good since I've been back. I did a 5-10 minute skipping session on Saturday (my calves were killing me days after!), did a 6.2k run (distance from work to my girl friend's place where I was having dinner) and had a hard pilates session yesterday! So it's not as if I've been just lying around doing nothing!
What I've done
Monday: Ran 6.2k in 48:56 mins
Yesterday: 1 hour of pilates
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Bruises and then some
I have a wonderful set of bruises all over thanks largely to Muay Thai (MT) which I've started going back to after taking a one month break. MT brings out a huge conflict in me. Half of me doesn't actually know why I'm taking it since I really don't enjoy hurting myself or doing tons and tons of push-ups; and the other half of me, masochist that I am, rather enjoys the ache after every class. There's some little voice at the back of every non-elite wannabe sports person that cheers every time you wake up with that ache...kind of makes you feel almost...well...elite. But yes I'm back at MT and I'm bruised and aching and enjoying a little sick appreciation of that fact.
What I've done:
Last Tuesday: Pilates for 1 hour
Last Friday: Ran 10k in waaay too long a time
Saturday: Muay Thai for 1 hour (had the hardcore instructor and did more sit-ups than I've ever done)
Yesterday: Muay Thai for 1 hour (real wuss class after the backbreaking Saturday class)
What I've done:
Last Tuesday: Pilates for 1 hour
Last Friday: Ran 10k in waaay too long a time
Saturday: Muay Thai for 1 hour (had the hardcore instructor and did more sit-ups than I've ever done)
Yesterday: Muay Thai for 1 hour (real wuss class after the backbreaking Saturday class)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
