Dirt Bulbs & Ginger...

A new appliance has just taken up residence on the kitchen bench. It has pride of place in all it's shiny newness. And the rest of the bench is taken up with an abundance of fruit which will need to be bought in great quantities in order to keep this beast fed.

It's a new juicer, bigger and better than the sad pathetic plastic creation it is replacing. It has jaws of steel and was bought not just to consume fruit in large quantities... but more importantly, to be able to squeeze the innards out of the humble dirt bulb... the beetroot.

This keen interest in juicing was brought on by a recent holiday where the local cafe served the most delicious freshly juiced juices I've had in a long time. My favourite was the Veggie Delight - beetroot, apple, celery, carrot and ginger.

Chosen each morning as my juice of choice as I had recently read that beetroot was one of the 'super foods' and a great addition to an athletes diet. While I don't consider myself a serious athlete I thought it might be good for my return to running as it reportedly helps athletes perform for longer, helps with inflammation, is a good anti-oxident, is full of iron (among other things) and helps lower blood pressure (not that the last one is a problem for me).

So far the beast has produced a simple fresh apple juice on day 1, and a zesty apple, orange, lime and ginger delight on day 2.

And the best thing of all - it's pretty easy to clean and it extracts so much juice from the fruit that the pulp left over is almost dry so there's hardly any mess to remove.

Tomorrow I look forward to a concoction of veggies... including dirt bulbs and ginger.

Green Light Mean Go!

This is the day I have been waiting 12 months for. The green light to run again.

That has to have been the longest 12 months of my life - and even though Christmas, as always, came around quicker than you can say Jack Robinson it still crawled by at a snail's pace as the wait to run again stretched out agonisingly as the weeks and months rolled slowly by.

All the pilates, stretching, strength training, eliptical training, walking and knees-to-wall has got me through but I was hanging out for a run. And today my physio said the magic words... 'have you been running on your ankle?' So... with his obvious permission, and instructions on how to go about a return to it (his confidence in me being able to run 2km was heartening but not likely) I ventured out into the windy day and took my first running steps since last July.

To be honest, as is mentioned in the posts below, I did actually attempt a few trial runs back in October/November before my back prolapsed again. But they were no good. Any my back and ankle had other plans for me anyway for the first half of this year too. So this was the first real attempt. Back in October before any real strength training or pilates had taken place the 50 or so metres that I attempted were a disaster so I started out today not overly confident...

And rightly so. My form is shocking - not that it was great when I was running regularly - but I was well and truly back to beginner status. My legs felt like lead for the first half kilometre. I was back to heel striking instead of mid foot, my running shoes have worn out and I sounded like a flat-footed duck, my lungs burnt, the uphills were a no go putting too much strain on my back, and my thighs need more strength... but it felt GOOD! And, I even managed 2.5km in bursts.

I could have cried tears of joy. And in fact after grinning like an idiot for a fair amount of my walk/run (and no doubt scaring everyone going in the opposite direction to me), I think I did.

Now, fingers crossed tomorrow brings a good result and no inflamation... when I will probably cry tears of joy again!

Let the challenges begin...

So I have been having a lot of fun recently in the Tribesport community http://tribesports.com/users/abigailh. and have completed a number of challenges. This has been great because although I feel I am making progress with the pilates sessions, walking (up to 13km now) and the physio on my ankle, I am still depressed about not being able to get back to running yet until both my ankle sprain is better as well as the disk injury in my lower back.

But last week saw the completion of a couple of challenges at least that seemed much easier when I signed up for them than while I was actually doing them :p

100 crunches a day for seven days
25 squats a day for seven days
Hold a 2 minute wall squat every day for seven days (thought it would be a doddle, was a killer!)
20 push ups 7 times over two weeks (nearly did me in on day one!)

With that I felt very pleased with myself, and while I concentrated on increasing my walking effort to 13km, I was so pleased I forgot to take any more challenges as I waited for a number of books to arrive (yes, even reading is a challenge - well, not literally ;)

So tomorrow begins round number two of challenges including holding the plank pose for 30 seconds, more crunches, push ups, sit ups and balances... I'm going to nail standing on 1 leg for 60 seconds with my eyes closed if it's the last thing I do :) Assuming of course I don't fall over while doing it and injure another part of my anatomy!

Meanwhile, it's off to bed to read more about Lisa Tamati. She's already my hero and she hasn't even started running seriously yet, let alone across Death Valley.

Join the Tribe

Last week I stumbled across a website called Tribesport. It was advertised down the right side of my Facebook page. Being in advertising myself and having created a few hundred Facebook ads in my time I often disregard the advertising... especially as the hot favourite targetting me seems to be about body fat at the moment. I am incensed!

But the Tribesport ad was funky and begged me to click on it. So I did and ended up at the most incredible website. It's a community for like-minded people wanting to be and get fit. There's a lot of hard core fitness people on there and where once that would have been intimidating for me I am finding it inspirational. Especially since everyone there is positive and encouraging.

So, I have now signed up for five challenges - the easier one's while I am still nursing injuries. But they're a start - beginning with squats, crunches and improved balance (which my physio will approve of!). I'll let you know how I go. Wish me luck!

Fashion is Pain

So last week my back and my ankle were pretty sore. The physio session started it off, which is not unusual. But the jeans finished them off. For most people the act of pulling on and off your pants is no big deal. But in my case it's hazardous to my health. Okay, it was about 20 pairs of jeans I was trying on. And they were skinny jeans. And I couldn't breath very well in them (let alone eat all night!). But damn it, that store dummy looked hot in them and I wanted to too!

Okay, lesson learnt. I'm not 20 any more. And the act of breathing is kinda essential to my fitness plan moving forward. Plus confessing to my physio the reason for my sore back was kind of embarrassing. I laughed. I'm not sure he thought it was as funny as I did.

So, anyone want a pair of skinny jeans? Really, don't be deterred by the breathing thing.

Just one more thing...

So last night it was mentioned again that I have a curve in my spine. Not from the side which is normal, but from the back. I knew about it but it keeps getting mentioned and came up recently in an MRI as well. But I don't know what to do about it, or even if it's worth worrying about. So I did the only sensible thing and Googled it. Of course. But after looking at numerous medical sites and reading pages of information about it I decided to stop as I was being advised that it could mean as little as nothing to extensive degenerative issues. Plus there are really gross pictures of pus and parasites on medical sites. So it was best I stop. And continue to ponder what this means.

So, with a slipped disk which is on the mend, I think. An ankle sprain, which isn't improving, and may involve another MRI. A dodgy curve in my back. And the inability to run anytime soon, my happiness levels have declined drastically. Even new running pants from Lululemon (awaiting my return to running) last week didn't improve my happiness levels.

There is only one thing for it... retail therapy at lunchtime!

A Bucket of Ice

So things should be on the up and up by now. Right? It's been eight months since my back injury which was recovering nicely. And I should be back on track. Until the overexcitement of my new computer caused a lack of concentration while lifting the mothership downstairs and the disk went again in January. An MRI confirmed compression of the nerve. And just because I have to be a bit different a bunch of Tarpov cysts were discovered on the nerve roots. Although apparently that's not causing the problem. It was just interesting that I had to show up something strange.

Then just as I was settling into a  morose mindset that this up and down disk injury would determine how I led the rest of my life (tentatively) my original physio suggested I see a different physio who could strengthen my core and back with one-on-one exercise sessions to help me recover.

Of course just as I was being tortured into someone who didn't have to spend the rest of my life bending gingerly and walking as exercise, I fell backwards down a set of stairs and tore my anterior tibiofibular ligament. So my back program has been set back (no pun intended) and I have spent the last three days with my ankle strapped in place and performing ice baths on my right ankle. And in order to get to ice on the affected area I've had to do that in a bucket.

So today as I was thinking what exciting things have I been up to that I could status update and I realised that my life has been reduced to simple physio exercises, slow walking and a green bucket. And 4 to 6 weeks recovery. There are many worse things in life than the inside of that big green bucket but I sure wish the road to recovery hadn't had so many obstacles of late.

I'm back (no pun intended)...

I got a Garmin Forerunner 610 for Christmas and I'm excited as a jar full of jumping beans!

It's been five months since my back injury and despite my couple of previous posts that seemed positive about my recovery I was far too optimistic. At each and every visit to the physio for two months she continued to shake her head at the mere hint of running and in the end I even stopped mentioning it. Until my last physio session. She always looks very pleased for me when I reach the last session after an injury, like I've just graduated or something. I guess I have. After months of core strengthening and increasing the difficulty of those exercises along with increased walking sessions until we were up to a brisk 8km, she finally said she could do no more for me and sent me out into the world with a recovery plan to start running again.

That was about 2 months ago. The plan goes like this...

During our usual 5-8km walk run for a short distance ie 20-50 metres.
Continue walking till the end.
Take a rest day.
If the injury area doesn't inflame or cause pain, rinse repeat.
If the injury area does inflame discontinue running until it is better.
Week 2 rinse repeat 1 through 4 and increase run period to 50-100 metres.
Rinse repeat until we're back on track with our usual run distance... and by that calculation this is going to take a while.

Except... the two runs I've tried have both resulted in several weeks of recovery time in between.
/sigh

So the run recovery program is on hold until Jan. During each and every walk I spend the entire time trying not to run. I feel good when I'm out and now I just have to train the injured area not to remember the run on the day I injured it and it doesn't need to spasm and protect my back every time I run anymore. That's easier said than done apparently but I'm hopeful this Jan is it.

I'm raring to go, and so it my Garmin!

Swim, walk, stablise

I have been banned from running. This has not put me in a happy place. And I am actually surprised how much I miss it. The ban is until my back is better and then there will be rules surrounding my return to running (like no hills). But I have to stay active. Fortunately this time it's not a full blown prolapsed disk but it's in the danger zone and discomfort/pain extends down my legs depending on what I've been doing all day. Sitting at my desk at work is the worst.

So this holiday is actually well timed. Although it interrupted our plans which was to run 5km every day we tried to remain positive after my JP also injured his back (yes, gardening like me!) and we decided instead to use the holiday to build our strength again and start with a stabilising and strength regime to rebuild.

The best thing has been that we have not been putting our backs under stress by sitting all day. And we have been walking, and doing our stretching and stabilising, and walking, and swimming. The swimming was nearly a no-show when the wind whipped up and I got in the pool up to my knees and started to seize up from the cold. However the fact that an old lady and her two toddler grandchildren were splashing around in the pool meant I couldn't chicken out. So in I got and did deep water running and laps. I even saved a ladybird from drowning.

We followed the swim with an interval session. My JP and my young adult nephews took off on a 5km run. Our teenage nephew taking the lead with a running stride I am quite envious of... but 20 year ago maybe I could have done the same. Well, in my imagination anyway. My bro and I took it easier - he's a cyclist so it new to this running caper - and we eased into the interval session for day 2. So far so good. Movement is the key after all.

And after day 2 my back, I say tentatively lest I jinx it, is doing well. And, here it is... I agreed with my bro that I would add that I slowed him down today. Tomorrow it's on.

Aqua Adventures

So after I made fun of my sore finger last week it turns out I had actually sustained an injury...to my back. Not just a little strain but the weakening of my six year old disc issue. Oh, it's been fine now for about three and a half years...just long enough to forget that heavy duty gardening followed by a long strenuous hilly run doesn't mix well. It did just protest...it protruded slightly to remind me of my frailty.

So when my physio said no running - just walking, lying and more walking...on flat ground, I did a little groan. Maybe it wasn't out loud but she saw the expression on my face and said I could do some gentle core strengthening exercises. I groaned again. She relented...and said I could do some running in water with a floatation belt on. What am I... 90?! I dont think I said that out loud but I think she saw the expression on my face.

I spent the next day making fun of it and strenuously denying the notion of aqua therapy. I had decided to call it therapy in order to qualify it as something not so absurd. It was was on par with being told six years ago that I would henceforth have to wear flat - otherwise known as gimp - shoes. Oh the horror.

And then tonight I donned the belt and climbed in the pool...in public...with music pounding out of a box on wheels while an instructor paced up and down with a sunny smile on her mic'ed up face. But when I got in the water a bizarre thing happened. That weird foamy belt kept me upright the water like a cork spinning round a pond. I put my arms out as I spun out of control and it was like being on a cloud. Then the hard work began...

Okay, so I actually enjoyed it and it was as strenuous as my physio said it would be. And it didn't hurt my back at all. In fact it feels great. maybe it wasn't so absurd after all...

And the good news is, my finger is better too.

Running Injury

Well, I knew this day would come. When I got a running injury. We've been a bit slack on our runs lately, mostly because JP got sick and we've not been out as often as usual in the last few weeks. Plus, let's be honest, the middle of winter needs a lot of motivation just to even think about putting running shoes on and heading into the cold when it's about 3 degrees outside.

We'd been out already this week and felt okay but simply couldn't face it Friday night again. So we bargained with ourselves to switch to Sat instead. Then slept in and bargained to do it later in the day. Then when 5pm arrived we had no choice. And having to take a video back to the store we decided to do a long run - see previous post re our definition of a 'long run' haha.

The good thing about having been running now for nearly a year is that our stamina has improved. We made it most of the way without having to slow to a walk and actually ran all the way back from the half way mark without walking at all. My legs did it hard though and at about three quarters of the way through, as each step strained up through my lower legs and into my thighs I thought I might just know, in the tiniest way, what it feels like to do a really long run. Not the pain - it wasn't that. It was just an awareness of my lower body. With each step I was acutely aware of my legs to the point that my lower body felt entirely different to my upper body. My lower body was the reality - it was hurting. And my upper body was doing it easy, just along for the ride. It didn't even feel like part of me.

Here's the irony though. I ended up with a strain which I only noticed when I got home and had stopped. Yeah, my legs were hurting. But that wasn't the worst of it. I strained... my finger! Not, I would think, a common runners injury! I don't know what I was doing with my hand but my finger's got up a hurt that makes my legs feel real good. I'm going to be positive though and assume this is not going to slow me down and ruin my running career :p

HCB Run for Life

After consuming more hot cross buns than are good for us this morning JP and I decided to go for a long run tonight. Now a long run for most people would suggest something over 25km. But for novices like us who are still conquering our regular extreme hill run of 4.5km we simply aimed for something slightly longer, but somewhat less than 25km. Of course, in my mind it was of similar epic proportions.

So we aimed for the video shop since we had to return a video. This is a good deal longer than our normal run and at 14mins into the run we turned off our normal route and headed uphill (again) for the the long distance.

Okay, let me qualify this. Our long run consisted of running in the vacinity of 6.2km. We are unsure about the exact length since JP didn't set his gps until somewhere between .3 and .5 kms into the run. But it did take 20 minutes longer AND we ran from 29mins until 49mins non-stop. Something of a record for us. Just goes to show how much extra effort those hills on our usual run take out of us.

One thing that was a real benefit was getting a good distance under us to practice mid-foot strikes. It's something that we can't normally do on the hills so to have some flatter terrain to work on form was really nice. Although the nasty tree root that jumped out and attacked me half way along wasn't so great. So on went the dreaded headlight after all.

So, marathon in my future? Maybe... I'll just conquer a 10km some day first.

22/4/11: heart rate = 162av, 189max, 50.06mins, 520kcal, 46.2km. Red face factor = 10.

(19/4/11: heart rate = 176av, 192max, 29.4mins, 336kcal, 4.5km. Red face factor = 9)

Hello Blog

Time to reconnect with my running blog. The running didn't stop over the holiday period - well, maybe for a week while we digested turkey and mince pies. But the blogging did.

So I have five minutes to spare, and have been for a run tonight, after which I discovered something about my heart rate monitor. Every run I wear it without fail. I've had it for a couple of years now and prior to running wore it on my cross trainer. But even though I have transported the manual around the house, leaving it in various strategic reading locations, I still have never gotten past the page with the diagram naming all the buttons. This is nothing new, it is my usual manual avoidance practice. Instead my training on the device has consisted solely over that period of pressing various different sequences of buttons and trying to figure out what it can do. Then when I find something useful I try and remember what sequence I pressed... and fail. You would think that would encourage me to... read the manual. But no. It doesn't.

So tonight, sequence of buttons pressed, I discovered that I can find out how much time was spent running 'light', 'medium' or 'hard'. It turns out that we run 20 seconds light, 2.8mins medium and 25.5min hard. Outstanding you think! I did. Then remembered that is simply an indication of the extreme hills we have to climb up puffing, not an outstanding comment on my running ability.

I was so impressed with my discovery though that I forgot to check my usual stats. Still, I've shaved the run down to 28.50 seconds. Red face factor = extreme.

5K Roadblock

Last Sunday we finally conquered the 5km roadblock.

Normally we run around 4.7km on our regular run from home but it's so hilly that we have to slow to a walk on at least two of the hills. I have named the three big hills 'K2, Everest and the Mattahorn'. We have managed to scale K2 all the way but we are still struggling with the other two and so haven't managed a 5km run without slowing down yet.

But after the walk around Croydon athletics track for Relay for Life we decided to try running around the track to see if we could improve our running form.

And we did.

Athletic tracks are 400m around the inside lane, and according to various info on the net, the lanes are approximately 8m longer for each subsequent lane. So we calculated we would need to run 12 laps non-stop to conquer the mystical 5km roadblock.

So we went with the frame of mind to pace ourselves and simply get to the end of 5km without stopping. Around lap 8 I got the mother of all stitches but I pushed on, despite the severe head wind around the south side of the track, and at lap 10 suddenly got a second wind that enabled me to struggle in to the end and over the line with barely enough energy to really call it running. But I did it. Whether you would call it jogging or running doesn't matter. I didn't slow to a walk and although my red face factor broke all records I ran my first ever 5km.

Stats: heart rate = 177av, 186max, 32mins, 5km. Red face factor = 11.

X Trainer

Tonight when I got home it was too dark and wet to go running on my own, since my JP was off to a work Christmas dinner (already, and it's still only Nov!). I was disappointed at the thought of not getting out to run since we haven't been out since Sunday so I geared up and got on the cross trainer. After all I love my cross trainer... it has all the stats I need - speed, distance, calories, time; heart rate monitor (which doesn't work so well so I have to wear my wrist one anyway), a 3 speed fan, and best of all... and ipod dock with speakers!

BUT...

As I worked through the half hour I remembered why I can always find excuses to not use it. It's B O R I N G. I watched the screen to monitor my stats, I checked my heart rate monitor, I found 3 cobwebs on the ceiling, I studied the new cooling vent in the roof above me, I ran without my arms on the bars, I put the fan on, I increased the incline, I decreased the incline, I sped up the fan, rinse repeat. I eventually found myself gazing at the golden circle of reflected light in the wardrobe door. I contemplated what it would be like if I had a special talent whereby I could run super fast and wondered how quickly I could then run a kilometer in. I tried to lift my feet off the foot pads and wondered if I could actually fall off but decided my big wide shoe soles, made specially for flat footed duck feet such as I have, would probably prevent me from falling and injuring myself so I kept it up for another minute.

25 minutes to go. Oh boy this is going to need super powers of willpower to get through the tedium.

Now I understand part of the attraction of running outdoors. There's more to look at. There's more to puff about. The hills make it challenging - even despite the sweat I worked up as I notched up the incline on the trainer it just wasn't the same. And my feet. They hurt. I don't know if it was the new socks or the fact that your feet don't actually lift off the pads on a cross trainer (except for the above three minutes).

So of course when I got off I Googled cross trainers versus treadmills. We don't have a treadmill but maybe I should get one if the evidence suggests it is better. Surely it's more interesting than a cross trainer. Reports though are positive for both, with special emphasis on the non-impact nature of the trainer. I think it's back to outdoors for the next run and the beast that is the cross trainer can slumber till the next dark, rainy night.

Stats tonight: heart rate 165av, 187max, 332kcal, 30min. Red face factor: 8/10.

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Relay for Life - Take 2

Last Saturday night, well, Sunday morning, my JP and I headed over to Croydon athletics track at 2.30am to participate in the Relay for Life. We were invited to keep my bro and sis-in-law company because, strangely, the team didn't have anyone to fill the 3-5.30am shift on the relay.

The relay went for 18 hours - from 6pm Sat to 10am Sun - and when we agreed to participate we thought it would be a doddle. But it wasn't. Alright, it wasn't like running a marathon but walking around and around and around a track in the middle of the night after only 2.5 hours sleep was harder than it looked. Simply because of lack of energy. Even a hot chocolate at the 4am mark didn't make that much difference to how I felt.

It's not like I went home with muscle strain but it was hard on my feet and calves. And when I thought at 5am that since we've started running now I would be able to handle a few or half dozen laps running, it turned out I lasted only two laps before my body protested. I guess since it's not natural to be up at that time of night isn't going to readily agree to running. Although the boys from the East Ringwood Footy Club didn't seem to have a problem as they sprinted past lap after lap. Then again they were about 20 years younger than me!

Surprisingly it was actually quite nice being up at that time of night. If only my body agreed. But it was a great experience and one that I would participate in again. Being part, even a tiny part, of a $92,000 fund raising effort felt pretty special.

Relay for Life

We did the Relay for Life relay last night - 3-5.30am. I'll post tomorrow when I'm not so whacked.

Lead Legs

Tonight I did it tough. My legs felt like lead even though I had done a stretching and strengthening session two nights ago for the first time in a couple of months. Maybe that was why though - my legs still had some muscle soreness. It was a case tonight of putting one foot in front of the other and getting into a rhythm, and not looking to the top of the next hill. I kept my eyes down and I was able to get to the top by simply not knowing how much further rather than any real mental fortitude tonight. It was also cold like it hasn't been in weeks and I had to put on a sleeveless hoodie stockpiled with tissues because I just knew the cold would make my nose run.

That's the thing - okay, one of the things - I'm finding about running... every little thing affects my rhythm. I need to blow my nose, I get an itch, I get another itch, I scratch, I blow my nose, I adjust my heart rate monitor band, I get another itch. I'm out of rhythm every 30 seconds or so which has an impact, especially for a duck-footed, lead-legged runner like me.

I've also discovered that smells cause my nose to run more. I thought now that winter is over that the smoke smells from open fireplaces would cease, and although they've diminished, some people are still lighting up their fires. I know it's cosy, especially out here in the hills... but don't they know it's bad for the environment. And bad for me as I puff along gasping in lungfuls of cold smoky, smelly air. But now that it's officially Spring I've also got to contend with the smells of wattle, and jasmine, and clover grass (I really don't know what it is but it's a smell I've disliked since childhood and have always blamed meadow clover). And then my nose runs more from hayfever. Oh the joys of outdoor sporting pursuits.

When I'm not running the flower smells are wonderful. But I wish I could switch them off on those nights that I am pounding the pavement and gasping for breath.

Stats tonight: heart rate - 167av, 187max, 328kcal, 29min. Red face factor: 9/10.

On the Road

I started a new blog rather than fill my day-to-day blog with my running adventures, and so as not to bore those who just aren't interested in whether I run, walk or gad about in hob-nailed boots.

We - that is my jogging partner (JP) and I - started running about three months ago. I prefer to say 12 weeks as it sounds shorter to my ears and therefore justifies my lack of progress. Of course it depends how you define progress. I am better at running than when I started. But I haven't managed to run a marathon yet. I haven't even managed a 4km fun run without slowing to a walk. But I am getting ahead of myself. My plan is to run the 5km fun run in April next year for the Children's Hospital Appeal... without stopping. That is my definition of improvement. Do I walk, or not. Once I've mastered that I guess I'll start doing all that other stuff that helps me actually determine my progress such as distance and time.

So tonight our run involved running the 'nature' course up through Hodkins Ridge Reserve. My JP finds this course easier than our regular route and I find it harder. It was the scene of my first 'spit'. And again the scene of my second 'spit'... tonight. An infestation of lacewing bugs in the warm evening air and open mouthed breathing (gasping) don't mix. But I found my teeth were a good filter, as well as the choking mechanism.

So stats tonight: heart rate = 171av, 190max, 367kcal, 31min. Red face factor: 10/10.