What I've Missed

My legs ached after the next day after my 2k run/walk. Pretty depressing. Still in my bid to cram as much ‘training’ as I could in the week before the race, I hit the gym and pedaled my way to race fitness…or at least as close as I could get to some semblance of it given the lack of time. This pretty much means my legs haven’t actually stopped aching since Tuesday. I kind of regret being a bit of a lazy arse the past couple of days now.

That being said, I did miss the aches. The past few weeks where I was down with the flu have been a chance for me to get a good rest after the 50k walk, but I was literally going stir crazy after a couple of days. Thankfully, I had friends in town so I was kept sort of occupied, but I still missed doing something…or moving. And more than just restlessness, it really felt as if something was missing.

You see, every time I go out for a run, a walk or hit the pool, there is that alone-ness that I actually really like. I actually enjoy those few minutes where nothing is going through my head except things like ‘dang, that’s a song I haven’t heard in ages’ or ‘wow, that stitch came on pretty fast’ (before all that is swiftly taken over by my incessant whinging in my head). Then there are those days where everything that could go wrong has and all I want to do is pull out my shoes and go for a run…a sort of metaphorical escape from it all. And yes all the crap is still there when you’re done, but those few minutes you were out there, they just stopped mattering for a while.

What I basically beating on about is that whilst my quads are still aching 3 days after doing my sad little 2k attempt at a run, my head is grateful for that 20 minutes much missed reprieve. So there you go, there’s my ‘sort-of’ admission that I do like running more than I make it out to.

What I’ve done:

Wednesday – 20 mins on stationary bike

Thursday – 15k on stationary bike

Team with No Name

'Let's Take A Walk' is back! I've only ever done this with them once because the year after they did a night walk and I'm not too keen on walking 50km when I should be fast asleep. Gina, Rach and I were the Manchester Uni Aunties. We didn't quite manage to finish the whole 50k then though and decided to throw in the towel about 45k. With Gina in Melbourne this year it almost looked like this was a no go, which was a shame, because they took a one year sabbatical and I'd been looking forward to them coming back!

Mel stepped up to the plate first, he was an old friend and I bumped into him the last (and only) time we did this and figured he was a good person to rope in. After him I just needed 1 more to make the minimum of 3 to start a team and I threw it out to Facebook. Voila, we now have a team of 4, we have a plan to do this in 15 minute run-walk intervals and hopefully we'll all be fast friends (and not total enemies) after the whole thing! So behold the Team With No Name - Mel, Chris, Shah and I!

All this means is I need to start training for this. Not really sure where the heck to start. It's not hard walking, it's just hard walking for ages and ages on end. And short of me training by doing 12 hour walks every weekend, I'm not entirely sure I know quite where to start. If anyone has any idea, help me out here!

In the meantime, I've done a run with my new runners and they gave me a blister. The ankle collar may have been a bit high or my socks were too low or I didn't have my usual insoles in there so it all rubbed wrongly. The toe bit feels a bit funny too...more cushioned? I guess it just takes getting used to. I do love me some Asics. Tonight I'll try another run this time with the right insoles and a higher pair of socks. Maybe with all these variables tweaked I'll grow into it! As for the run, if you've been following this, I've been doing my previous few runs blind. Well insofar as I didn't bother bringing out my footpod (my Garmin is now permanently residing in Rich's place because I'm absolutely useless with technology) and so hadn't a clue how far I had run. I dug out my footpod for the last run and realise I hadn't been running all that far all this while, which is a bit of a bummer. I logged 5.5k in 37 minutes and there I was thinking I had become such a speedster because my 30 minute runs had seemed far! Tis always nicer living in ignorance.

What I've done:
Monday: 5.5k run in 37:16 mins
Tuesday: 30 min spin followed by a sad amount of crunches and lots of stretching.

Recovery Be Damned

I signed up for a halfie in November. I was won over by the whole 'women's only half marathon' and thought 'ooh that'd be fun!' Only, after getting myself registered, I suddenly recalled that I didn't half like running all that far and I found out that it started at 5.30am. Oh joy.

So my post-race, laze-around-and-be-a-couch-potato plans got thwarted by my over enthusiasm at this whole 'all women half marathon' and all I had is a good 2 days to pig out and do squat. Yesterday I got back to some semblance of 'training' if you might call it that - only I didn't do any running. The sky's been a bit crap lately. Thanks to the lovely folk over in Indonesia (Sumatra to be exact) and deforestation by slash and burn, the air this way has been pretty hazy. I could run on the yawn-mill, but let's be serious...that really isn't likely to happen. So in training for my halfie all I've done so far (and that was all done yesterday) was to go for a spin class and a 1/2 hour session in the pool where I think I managed only 1.25k in distance....ah well, we'll write them off as recovery work-outs.

I was going to run tonight but my good friend Jeanne just rang to say she was in town for a layover for a couple more hours. Talk about last minute notice! No running tonight, instead I shall be knocking them beers back and catching up with an old friend I haven't seen in ages now! Come on, surely that's a better way to spend a Wednesday night than doing a 5k run. I'm not even going to bother to pretend that I'll wake up super early to do my run tomorrow. Ain't happening.

What I've done
Yesterday:
45 min spin
1/2 hr swim training

A Snake and A Cramp

I've been a little bit better and a little bit less lazy last week. I did a 4k run the day after my first spin class in ages last week and did that in fairly alright considering the state my legs were in! Lately I've taken to running close to the office after work and just showering at my gym (Have to make full use of my 60 buck gym fees every month!). It's been a nice change and running up and down the bridge on Nicoll Highway provides that nice change in er...altitude(?!). The leg back is along the sea so it's all very pretty - insofar as you can call the waters around Singapore being pretty. All the same, I saw my first snake whilst running last week! And it scared me every bit as much as I scared it. But it was black and long and I may never take that short cut again.

Other than that run and the Nike run on Saturday, the only thing I've been doing more of these days is swimming. I did a sad 1/2 hour session last week before the Comedy show at the Club last week and then dragged myself out of bed on Saturday for the morning training.

Yesterday I went for spin again and my legs don't ache as much as they did last week! Woohoo! I also went for swim training in the evening and boy was it tough! Essentially my instructor has decided that Bernie, this nice Irish lady at training, and I match each other pace-wise. So when it came to the intervals he paired us both up. Which sucks. Because I couldn't slack off at all! It's not even as if I felt I had to beat her. I just felt that even if I lost to her I couldn't lose by too much. I think there was a point where I was thinking 'damn you Bernie, let up already! I can't slow down until you slow down!' Well, she didn't slow down. I didn't slow down. And we both wound up knackered at the end of training. We were also the last ones in the pool. I also had my first ever cramp in my foot! And right after I cooled down with a slow 50m swim. Which goes to show that my body is allergic to too much exercise!

What I did:
Last Wednesday - 4k run
Last Thursday - 30 mins swim training

Saturday
- 1 hr swim training
- Nike run

Yesterday
- 45 mins spin
- 1 hr swim training

Road to Recovery

Well, I didn't complete my challenge because I fell ill. Of course that WOULD happen the moment I sign up for a challenge (as well as my first Sprint triathlon! Gaaaah!). Nonetheless, after 2 weeks of feeling crappy and then a week of being lazy I'm back on the saddle again. Albeit a bit slower and carrying a bit more weight.

What I've done:
Last Monday: 1hr Personal Training

Last Thursday: Swim training

Saturday: 20k easy bike ride + 1.5hr windsurfing

Sunday: 1hr rock climbing

Tuesday: 30 mins spin + 40 sit-ups

Rolling Over

Pretty much what I had to do to get out of bed yesterday. My poor stomach muscles...I can't even clear my throat without them acting out in pain. Ah well. What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, no? So I'll be waaaay stronger soon!

On another note, I've found a spin class I enjoy in the gym. Had an enjoyable session at spin class yesterday - no one yelled at us, no one sang constantly to the music - and it was so so tough! As usual I was dripping when I got out. There was a class before us and the guy sitting on the bike in front of mine actually managed to accumulate a pool of water under his bike. Needless to say, I did not use THAT bike!

I'm supposed to do a run today, but already I can sense myself getting lazy!

What I did yesterday:
45 minute spin class

Full Steam Ahead

So it's been a relatively more fruitful start to the year compared to the lazy way I ended last year. R and I are taking part in an adventure race on 24 Jan and I'm starting to get a wee bit freaked. I've done a couple of bike rides, but on the road and nothing close to mountain biking; I've climbed once; done 2 very very pathetically short runs in the past few weeks...and I don't feel prepared at all.

I'm still aching from windsurfing on Sunday. Yes, it's 3 days later and my back and arms STILL ache. Then again, I did spend 10 minutes shooting out from the bay and another hour 20 minutes trying to get back. And failing. In summary I spent a lot of time freaking out at sea, having a long conversation with myself and hoping in desperation someone would pick me up, before the rescue boat spotted me trying to swim back (and Tim, who was manning the boat, commented that I was too far to swim back anyway). After a year's sabbatical from windsurfing, my foray back was just...well...a very trying experience.

I went back for spin classes yesterday as well. As you can see, I'm on a whole 'let's do things I haven't done in ages' phase. But also, I needed to get more bike training in. After my sad little 1 and a half hours windsurfing, I was made very aware of the fact that I've just become a lot weaker (and lazier!) so I didn't expect to last the whole class. But I did! And it was completely exhausting! Also the sweat monster came out and I was dripping all over the floor.

Good news though, other than the same old crotch ache, my legs seem pretty good. So good that I'm going to do a sad little 3-4k run tonight. I know it's not far, but it'll do.

I'm Spinning Around

One hour of butt-busting spinning does not rested legs make. But boy, oh boy, to feel my heart pump harder than it has the past few months was awesome. I've been running and swimming at a very comfortable pace where my heart barely races and though I'm dripping with sweat, it doesn't feel half as fulfilling as my spin class yesterday. I was dripping with sweat in about 10 minutes and my legs were burning not long after. Between the huffing and puffing and wheezing on the bike, I'm quite sure I burned off a bunch of calories. Well, I hope so at least. I'm thinking maybe it's time to start doing some sessions at the track soon.

What I did yesterday:
1 hour of spin class

Back Spinning

Whoa, crotch burn!!!!

I went back to spin classes last night and I have to say I enjoyed this class a bit more than the Monday classes. The lady was more attentive and didn't let anyone slack off. On top of that when she was leading the class on her bike and somehow no matter how much I felt like dying it was nice knowing that she was as drenched in sweat as I was. The guy on the Monday class just seems to shout a lot and the only reason he was sweaty was probably only because he was so into his shouting.

I think I might start going for these Wednesday classes from now on, which means I've got to play around with my schedule.

What I did last night:
Spin classes for 1 hour

The Anti-Social Spinner (Spinee?)

I'm not great with group classes. I realise that unless I'm in the mood, I don't really enjoy being all sociable, happy and perky when I'm in the middle of sweating my lungs out. And whilst the music and the instructor do force me to push myself more than I would, frankly, there I times where I wish he'd just shut up. I suspect the instructor knows that because whilst he goes around psyching people up, he avoids me...this is in part due to the fact that I will him not to come near me with my evil eyes (one of the few superhuman powers I have). Of course the fact that the instructor is annoying is pushing me to move my ass...so it becomes a whole catch 22 situation.

I think I'm the sweatiest person that exists. Before anyone even starts perspiring, I'm merrily sweating up a storm in my own little corner and really, it's highly embarrassing. Plus it makes me feel mighty unfit compared to the rest of them as well!

So these are the reasons why I don't really love spin classes all that much. If it weren't for the fact that I do feel like I am getting fantastic exercise out of all this, I probably would have just thrown in the towel ages ago.

What I did last evening:
Spin session with annoying instructor for 1 hr

Spin Spin Spin

My second spin class turned out slightly better than my first. I was able to keep up for the most part and my quads aren't aching as crazily the day after as they were last week. The crotch hurts again though, so I'm really considering getting padded shorts simply because I can't imagine it being all that good for any human being's anatomy to have a bike seat rubbing it sore for an hour!

Thanks to my plantar fasciitis issue (I'd explain what this is, but I'm guessing you'd prefer to google it and find out the real definition than listen to my made-up definition), I've dug out these insoles (which I should have been using in the very first place) which my orthopedic passed me last year, but which I've happily left in the corner of my room. I guess I'm going to try my runs with them. I also have big plans to buy this pair of North Face flip flops (since I absolutely must wear flip flops all the time) which is supposed to be good in the whole arch-support department. Why can't I have normal feet?!?! Oh how much pain and money I'd save if I had normal feet! Anyone want to swap feet with me?

Back to my run again today, and I'm going to go back to 6k since my last 6k run was exactly a week ago and following that I've managed to get ill, hurt my foot and only managed a 4k by way of running. So back to the grind again...bear with me here, I know 6k isn't a huge deal, but in all my years of non-running, these low mileage runs make for small achievements and easy satisfaction.

Post Spin Session

I survived my first spin class yesterday! I've also realised that I'm so unfit! I think that's the reason I'm not the biggest fan of group classes because it makes me very aware that I'm not as strong as I think I am. There were loads of middle aged folk who were cycling waaaaay faster than me, standing up, sitting down, standing up, sitting down....these guys strolled easily out of the class leaving me to stumble out (my legs stopped working as soon as I stepped off the bike) feeling a tad like a loser. Now, 16 hours later, my quads are aching, and my tail bone and crotch really hurt (yes I know I'm getting into 'too much information' territory). Yet, being the masochist I am, I'm contemplating going again next week!

It's my 6k run today and I forgot to bring my music. Looks like a long tedious run on the treadmill again. I've had a stuffy nose all night and I'm worried I'm coming down with something, hopefully all the multivitamins, healthy food and exercise I'm taking/doing will curb the cold before it hits full speed!

On an end note: My only consolation about the whole spin class debacle is that (in my head) I'm probably stronger than the rest of them arm strength-wise with all the windsurfing and rockclimbing I've done in the past year.