I had a remedial massage this morning; it was meant to work out the kinks and it was really good. The therapist was awesome and really comprehensive and knew his stuff. I am a little sore now, which is normal after a heavy massage but I feel much better overall, especially mentally. I felt so good I went for a jog tonight, I went 5.8kms in 52 minutes. I couldn't believe it. The only issue I had was some digestive problems *ahem* towards the end which had my increase my pace pretty good. I am not sure why it happens, but I am going to have to investigate it a little further because this isn't the first time it has happened.
I am quite tired now, even though I had a nap before my run. I think it will be an early night for me.
Take care,
Megs x
Friday, May 27, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
My moment..
I have commited. Not been comitted, but commited to completing my first competition run. I am partcipating in the townsville running festival and I will be doing the 5k run. It says its a fun run/walk, but there wont be any walking from me - unless I break something and then it might be a crawl. I was so excited. I conteplated entering for the 10k run, but its on August 7th which is a around 10 weeks from now and I know that whilst I may get to the 10k's in that time, I may not be running at a pace I would be happy to compete with. Also, when you have competition runs planned you have to do something called tapering. Basically this means in the 2-4weeks pre run you need to reduce the amount you run to conserve energy and reduce the likelihood of injuries and strain occuring in this time. It sounds weird right? I mean you would almost expect this to be the most cruicial part of training, the preparation but in fact its probably around the time where you will run the least.
I headed to the gym this morning - decided I wanted to do some speed work so I went and streched my piraformus out on the foam roller and then I did 20 minutes on the treadmill trying different speeds and inclines. Basically I did 30seconds at 9, then had a 30 sec rest, then I did 1 minute at incline six and speed 6.5 simulating running up a hill then I would have a minute rest and start again. I have to say the hill work really got my heart rate up which was great :-) I then did some weights, some lunges, medicine ball slams (which are a great stress relief although make alot of noise on the concrete gym floor tee hee) and some crunches. I then topped it off with some time on the bike. I burnt 440 calories in 60 minutes which isnt too bad. In terms of calorie burning, I find that running gives me the most success. Its unusual for me to do a run that burns less than 520 calories.
I might be a bit quiet over the next week. I have exams comming up. only two but two pretty intense exams. Although it may be a nice distraction (or procrastination) to spend some time blogging!
Take Care,
Megs x
I headed to the gym this morning - decided I wanted to do some speed work so I went and streched my piraformus out on the foam roller and then I did 20 minutes on the treadmill trying different speeds and inclines. Basically I did 30seconds at 9, then had a 30 sec rest, then I did 1 minute at incline six and speed 6.5 simulating running up a hill then I would have a minute rest and start again. I have to say the hill work really got my heart rate up which was great :-) I then did some weights, some lunges, medicine ball slams (which are a great stress relief although make alot of noise on the concrete gym floor tee hee) and some crunches. I then topped it off with some time on the bike. I burnt 440 calories in 60 minutes which isnt too bad. In terms of calorie burning, I find that running gives me the most success. Its unusual for me to do a run that burns less than 520 calories.
I might be a bit quiet over the next week. I have exams comming up. only two but two pretty intense exams. Although it may be a nice distraction (or procrastination) to spend some time blogging!
Take Care,
Megs x
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Motivation and the like..
I was having a bit of a blah day today. After my really good weekend and my excellent run on Sunday I was just feeling a little flat (back to reality blues shall we say). I took the dogs for a walk in the morning and then I planned on going to do hill runs or a circuit class tonight but really had little motivation to do so. Instead I spent the afternoon watching TV and avoiding studying like the plague! While I was sitting all comfy like on the lounge I was reading Dean K's book and it mentioned motivation. Basically he was talking about how some days he doesn;t want to do a long run, or it seems impossible to overcome fatigue and get out there but he reminds himself about that feeling that you get afterwards - its that pure rush of endorphins and the happiness at acomplishing something and pushing your body like that. So, instead of remaining where I was I grabbed a protein shake and decided to jog out a new route.
It was quite a nice run, lots of shade and well kept paths. I kept my pace even (I have a tendency at the moment to go hard at the begining in the hope to increase my overall time but it doesn't work like that because basically you end up getting fatigued and having to slow right down at the end which drags your time back down) and I jogged out how I was feeling. While I was out there I thought of the different changes you experience in just one jog. In the first 500m's I get breathless, I get the lung burning sensation while I try and adjust my breathing - essentially I am looking for four counts in and then four counts out. Some people say in through your nose, out through your mouth but I am more of a mouth breather when I run. Once I settle into a breathing routine I feel better and then around 3kms I start to get a bit more fatigued, my legs get that heavy feeling and I start to make a more concentrated effort to run. I start to think about what my body is doing here because when you start to fatigue, you start to lose your form and are more likely to injure yourself. At around 4.5kms my legs feel like lead, I start to really concentrate on lifting my feet, I am using feeling the burn by now usually in my shins and piraformus which is still giving me trouble. When I stop I get the weirdest sensation, it feels like my legs go limp for a minute and in this time its important to keep walking around to give them a chance to bounce back.
I am glad I went out and having a jog around. Because of the on and off discomfort I have been getting, especially my shins, piraformus and my left ankle I went and jumped into a cold bath (absolutely awesome on a cold evening - NOT) and sat in there for about 10 minutes, then i went and had a hot shower and rubbed deep heat onto all the parts I use when I run, but especially the sore bits. I am feeling pretty good now. Oh I also have a few cups of water, make sure dinner is eaten within the hour (or at least some sort of snack with some protein and carbs) and then take my magnesium which helps with muscle repair.
Now, I am off to lie in bed and read my book. I am sleeeeeeepy!!!
Take Care,
Megs x
It was quite a nice run, lots of shade and well kept paths. I kept my pace even (I have a tendency at the moment to go hard at the begining in the hope to increase my overall time but it doesn't work like that because basically you end up getting fatigued and having to slow right down at the end which drags your time back down) and I jogged out how I was feeling. While I was out there I thought of the different changes you experience in just one jog. In the first 500m's I get breathless, I get the lung burning sensation while I try and adjust my breathing - essentially I am looking for four counts in and then four counts out. Some people say in through your nose, out through your mouth but I am more of a mouth breather when I run. Once I settle into a breathing routine I feel better and then around 3kms I start to get a bit more fatigued, my legs get that heavy feeling and I start to make a more concentrated effort to run. I start to think about what my body is doing here because when you start to fatigue, you start to lose your form and are more likely to injure yourself. At around 4.5kms my legs feel like lead, I start to really concentrate on lifting my feet, I am using feeling the burn by now usually in my shins and piraformus which is still giving me trouble. When I stop I get the weirdest sensation, it feels like my legs go limp for a minute and in this time its important to keep walking around to give them a chance to bounce back.
I am glad I went out and having a jog around. Because of the on and off discomfort I have been getting, especially my shins, piraformus and my left ankle I went and jumped into a cold bath (absolutely awesome on a cold evening - NOT) and sat in there for about 10 minutes, then i went and had a hot shower and rubbed deep heat onto all the parts I use when I run, but especially the sore bits. I am feeling pretty good now. Oh I also have a few cups of water, make sure dinner is eaten within the hour (or at least some sort of snack with some protein and carbs) and then take my magnesium which helps with muscle repair.
Now, I am off to lie in bed and read my book. I am sleeeeeeepy!!!
Take Care,
Megs x
Saturday, May 21, 2011
A weekend of indulgence...
The tank was empty, both my physical and mental tanks. I have had a full on two months with uni, placement and a new job - plus the usual going's on of being married etc. I felt like my whole body had been drained and I was just walking around doing the things that I had to do. I still went to the gym, because I KNEW I had to, I still hit my amazing 5k mark because I knew it was important to me but neither exercise or running held the same appeal, I did it because not doing it was worse than using up whatever energy I had left in the tanks.
It is literally the worst feeling I know, sinking into depression and lethargy, where my mind takes a front seat to my physical needs and drains the life out of me. I went to the Dr, I needed help - he has changed my medication but I cant make the switch until after my exams in 13 days because it will be hard on me - part and parcel of letting these chemicals into my body, although they have been invaluable for my overall wellbeing. So S decided that we needed to spend the night away. We went to Mackay and spent the night at the Clarion on the Marina. It was a no guilts weekend, we could eat what we wanted, drink what we wanted and do whatever the hell we wanted. Exercise wasn't in the equation, our bodies needed to rest. We needed to spend time looking outside whatever little sphere we had delved into and try and break out of it.
On Saturday we went and saw pirates of the carribean, was great. We did some shopping and I was happy to buy a pair of size 18 Millers jeans which fit well and made me realise how far I had come (only just fit into size 24's at the begining of the year). I also told S I wanted a book about running, I love reading about running and wanted to hear more stories of how other runners do it. Then I came across Dean Karnazes book - 50 marathons, 50 Days. He is an ultramarathon runner, its incredible - his idea was quite simple (and in the title) he wanted to run a marathon a day for 50 days, it was a huge undertaking and must have pushed his body to the absolute limits but he made a commitment and his team and sponsors made a commitment to him and he honoured it. Although he is an ultramarathon runner, his book really does target all levels - inbetween the pages are running advice for everyone and it was just what I needed. Running isn't "fun" as he says, exercise isnt a ball of laughs rolling on the ground say like playing your favourite computer game or watching your favourite TV show, its more about the mental side of life - making commitments and goals, challenging yourself, understanding your body, nutrition, healthier living. His words encompass everything I am trying to achieve. I would be lying to you all if I said I loved what I do everyday, I simply dont. I had a PT sesh at the gym on Friday and from the minute I made the appointment with friend and trainer E I didnt want to go - I simply wasnt in the mood. I was tired, drained and irritable. BUT I went, because its important to push myself, to say well right now you arent seeing the benefits of getting off your ass because there seems to be so many roadblocks telling you not too, but its not an option to not go. I made the commitment and I need to honour it. In his goal Dean speaks of wanting to stop, he isnt superman - it would have been brutal. A marathon is around 42.5kms, can you imagine that every day for 50 days straight, not to mention the press and other commitments he had and being away from family. But he did it, because he had a long term goal and it was important to honour that.
So I had my weekend away, but it wasnt so much the drinking Moet Champers, or the delicious vegetable risotto, or even the snickers cheesecake that made me feel like me again (that stubborn as an ass, must do it if you cannot tell me I can) but that someone ignited in me what I had long ago discovered, I am determined, I will succeed. There is nothing wrong with stopping and saying, what am I doing? Where the hell am I? The journey isnt linear, its ass about and I am going to be in all sorts of challenging positions but at the end of the day, I am going to grit my teeth, get off the lounge, put down the chocolate and get on with it.
Take Care,
Megs x
It is literally the worst feeling I know, sinking into depression and lethargy, where my mind takes a front seat to my physical needs and drains the life out of me. I went to the Dr, I needed help - he has changed my medication but I cant make the switch until after my exams in 13 days because it will be hard on me - part and parcel of letting these chemicals into my body, although they have been invaluable for my overall wellbeing. So S decided that we needed to spend the night away. We went to Mackay and spent the night at the Clarion on the Marina. It was a no guilts weekend, we could eat what we wanted, drink what we wanted and do whatever the hell we wanted. Exercise wasn't in the equation, our bodies needed to rest. We needed to spend time looking outside whatever little sphere we had delved into and try and break out of it.
On Saturday we went and saw pirates of the carribean, was great. We did some shopping and I was happy to buy a pair of size 18 Millers jeans which fit well and made me realise how far I had come (only just fit into size 24's at the begining of the year). I also told S I wanted a book about running, I love reading about running and wanted to hear more stories of how other runners do it. Then I came across Dean Karnazes book - 50 marathons, 50 Days. He is an ultramarathon runner, its incredible - his idea was quite simple (and in the title) he wanted to run a marathon a day for 50 days, it was a huge undertaking and must have pushed his body to the absolute limits but he made a commitment and his team and sponsors made a commitment to him and he honoured it. Although he is an ultramarathon runner, his book really does target all levels - inbetween the pages are running advice for everyone and it was just what I needed. Running isn't "fun" as he says, exercise isnt a ball of laughs rolling on the ground say like playing your favourite computer game or watching your favourite TV show, its more about the mental side of life - making commitments and goals, challenging yourself, understanding your body, nutrition, healthier living. His words encompass everything I am trying to achieve. I would be lying to you all if I said I loved what I do everyday, I simply dont. I had a PT sesh at the gym on Friday and from the minute I made the appointment with friend and trainer E I didnt want to go - I simply wasnt in the mood. I was tired, drained and irritable. BUT I went, because its important to push myself, to say well right now you arent seeing the benefits of getting off your ass because there seems to be so many roadblocks telling you not too, but its not an option to not go. I made the commitment and I need to honour it. In his goal Dean speaks of wanting to stop, he isnt superman - it would have been brutal. A marathon is around 42.5kms, can you imagine that every day for 50 days straight, not to mention the press and other commitments he had and being away from family. But he did it, because he had a long term goal and it was important to honour that.
So I had my weekend away, but it wasnt so much the drinking Moet Champers, or the delicious vegetable risotto, or even the snickers cheesecake that made me feel like me again (that stubborn as an ass, must do it if you cannot tell me I can) but that someone ignited in me what I had long ago discovered, I am determined, I will succeed. There is nothing wrong with stopping and saying, what am I doing? Where the hell am I? The journey isnt linear, its ass about and I am going to be in all sorts of challenging positions but at the end of the day, I am going to grit my teeth, get off the lounge, put down the chocolate and get on with it.
Take Care,
Megs x
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
What does today mean to you?
Is it a good day? A bad day? Or is there, like always, room for improvement?
Today is going down as a good day for me. On the 19th May 2011 I jogged 5.1kms in 45 minutes. I made it. Oh the urge to vomit was pretty strong at the end and my legs felt like they were going to fall off and I had to mentally kick my ass for the last 2kms, but I did it. Little old me! Who couldn't run more than 200m in the begining, just ran 5.1kms!!
Today I feel:
- Awesome.
- Empowered.
- Motivated.
- Sore (in a good way)
Today is MY DAY!
Take care,
Megs x
Today is going down as a good day for me. On the 19th May 2011 I jogged 5.1kms in 45 minutes. I made it. Oh the urge to vomit was pretty strong at the end and my legs felt like they were going to fall off and I had to mentally kick my ass for the last 2kms, but I did it. Little old me! Who couldn't run more than 200m in the begining, just ran 5.1kms!!
Today I feel:
- Awesome.
- Empowered.
- Motivated.
- Sore (in a good way)
Today is MY DAY!
Take care,
Megs x
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Morning, morning!
I got up at 7am on this beautiful Sunday morning and hit the pavement! Was a great morning for a jog, there was a breeze and now its getting cooler I was able to jog without feeling overwhelmed by the heat.
This morning I went 4.7kms in 40 minutes. I am so stoked. I decided to take a different route this morning and was happy when I stopped at my front door to realise how far I had jogged. I always find the first km to be the toughest and at around the 200/400m mark I wanted to stop, I thought nah I am not doing this, this morning. But instead I gave myself a mental head slap and a bit of a grunt and kept going. During the last km I knew I was starting to get a little tired, but I knew I just had to keep going! I could smell home and I was determined to make it to my front door - I dropped my pace a little to help get me through it and by george I was happy to see our car and then our house in the distance :-) But it was more a happiness that I had gotten so far! My av. pace was 9min a km, which is okay!
I have decided that I am defintely going to do the Townsville 5km fun run, and then hopefully I am still going to be able to do the central coast 10k run in November. The 5k run is in 12 weeks exactly, so time to start working on improving my pace and just get to that magic 5km mark, which I now know is so very possible.
I also wanted to share with you all a current photo which I am very proud of!
It was taken last night before I went out to dinner. Am very happy to see I have quite a cute little waist happening now LOL.
Take Care,
Megs xx
This morning I went 4.7kms in 40 minutes. I am so stoked. I decided to take a different route this morning and was happy when I stopped at my front door to realise how far I had jogged. I always find the first km to be the toughest and at around the 200/400m mark I wanted to stop, I thought nah I am not doing this, this morning. But instead I gave myself a mental head slap and a bit of a grunt and kept going. During the last km I knew I was starting to get a little tired, but I knew I just had to keep going! I could smell home and I was determined to make it to my front door - I dropped my pace a little to help get me through it and by george I was happy to see our car and then our house in the distance :-) But it was more a happiness that I had gotten so far! My av. pace was 9min a km, which is okay!
I have decided that I am defintely going to do the Townsville 5km fun run, and then hopefully I am still going to be able to do the central coast 10k run in November. The 5k run is in 12 weeks exactly, so time to start working on improving my pace and just get to that magic 5km mark, which I now know is so very possible.
I also wanted to share with you all a current photo which I am very proud of!
It was taken last night before I went out to dinner. Am very happy to see I have quite a cute little waist happening now LOL.
Take Care,
Megs xx
Friday, May 13, 2011
Weigh in Day..
Today is weigh in day :-)
Lost 0.8 this week, and 5.5cm! Pretty happy with that.
Stats:
Sw: 121.3
Cw: 103.9
Ltw: 0.8
Ltd: 17.4
Mini goal: 100
Overall goal: 85
Cm loss in total is 73.5cm! Wheeeeeeee!
Take Care,
Megs x
Lost 0.8 this week, and 5.5cm! Pretty happy with that.
Stats:
Sw: 121.3
Cw: 103.9
Ltw: 0.8
Ltd: 17.4
Mini goal: 100
Overall goal: 85
Cm loss in total is 73.5cm! Wheeeeeeee!
Take Care,
Megs x
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Overcomming an injury...
One of the hardest challenges I have had since starting this journey has learning to rest when I have injured myself.
I blogged about my piraformus injury which has seen me sidelined from jogging for six weeks. It was hard, especially when I felt like I just *needed to* go jogging. I was still able to exercise, but not jog which was really quite devestating. Well after seeing the physio, doing my exercises and being a good girl (mostly, I may have done the occasional 1km to keep my form) I went for my first proper road jog this morning. I went 3.7kms in 35 minutes. I had a route planned and wanted to see how many Km's it was all up, was actually shorter than I had prepared myself for, so on Sunday when I go again I am going to extend it out a little further and that should help me hit the 4k mark.
I am also going to go to bootcamp on Saturday morning. S and I really enjoyed that (as much as you can enjoy sweating your ass off at 8am on a Saturday morning). It will be our second one! I love how much time has changed S and I. Before, our ritual on a Sat morning was to walk down to the local cafe, have a breakfast which comprised of french toast, ice cream and chocolate syrup - now our mornings together are based around exercise and we make a nice breakfast when we get home. Like scrambled eggs on toast or low fat pancakes, all half the size of that single breakfast!
Take care,
Megs
I blogged about my piraformus injury which has seen me sidelined from jogging for six weeks. It was hard, especially when I felt like I just *needed to* go jogging. I was still able to exercise, but not jog which was really quite devestating. Well after seeing the physio, doing my exercises and being a good girl (mostly, I may have done the occasional 1km to keep my form) I went for my first proper road jog this morning. I went 3.7kms in 35 minutes. I had a route planned and wanted to see how many Km's it was all up, was actually shorter than I had prepared myself for, so on Sunday when I go again I am going to extend it out a little further and that should help me hit the 4k mark.
I am also going to go to bootcamp on Saturday morning. S and I really enjoyed that (as much as you can enjoy sweating your ass off at 8am on a Saturday morning). It will be our second one! I love how much time has changed S and I. Before, our ritual on a Sat morning was to walk down to the local cafe, have a breakfast which comprised of french toast, ice cream and chocolate syrup - now our mornings together are based around exercise and we make a nice breakfast when we get home. Like scrambled eggs on toast or low fat pancakes, all half the size of that single breakfast!
Take care,
Megs
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Where have I been?
Looking back over my blog I came to realise that I have been MIA for a month. I have to say, working, prac and uni left me little time to come back and update on my musings. I also look back and can see that my last weigh in written down was 105.2, unfortunately I have only lost another 500gms on top of that amount taking me to 104.7kgs. Hard to believe really in that time I have only lost that much, but I did plateau out for two weeks and this week I had a 500gm gain. However, I do feel alot better now and I am home for good, so I can start to refocus my energy. I am heading home in 5 weeks and I would really, really like to be under 100kgs when I go home.
New stats:
Sw: 121.3
Cw: 104.7
Lost since last updated: 0.5kgs
Ltd: 16.6kgs
mini goal: 100kgs
overall goal: 88kgs.
Cm loss to date is 68cm!!
I have to say, that little pain I had in my leg turned out to be quite serious. I compressed my piraformus muscle which in turn has pinched a nerve. I have been battling with it for a month now, but finally went to the physio and hopefully I am on the mend.
In order to feel like I am back on the wagon (training the mind = training the body) I went to boot camp this morning. Was an intense 45 minutes and I was limited because I am not allowed to jog atm but the instructor and friend E gave me some alternatives to do so I still got a good workout. I did lunges with weights, medicine ball slams, held a weight plate above my head and walked around the basket ball court, lifted a tyre (with the help of S), did side squats, and two other leg exercises which are hard to explain. I had to do the circuit twice.
I am getting sick atm, can feel it in my bones LOL but hopefully a days rest will see me back on track. I am a determined woman!
Take Care,
Megs xx
New stats:
Sw: 121.3
Cw: 104.7
Lost since last updated: 0.5kgs
Ltd: 16.6kgs
mini goal: 100kgs
overall goal: 88kgs.
Cm loss to date is 68cm!!
I have to say, that little pain I had in my leg turned out to be quite serious. I compressed my piraformus muscle which in turn has pinched a nerve. I have been battling with it for a month now, but finally went to the physio and hopefully I am on the mend.
In order to feel like I am back on the wagon (training the mind = training the body) I went to boot camp this morning. Was an intense 45 minutes and I was limited because I am not allowed to jog atm but the instructor and friend E gave me some alternatives to do so I still got a good workout. I did lunges with weights, medicine ball slams, held a weight plate above my head and walked around the basket ball court, lifted a tyre (with the help of S), did side squats, and two other leg exercises which are hard to explain. I had to do the circuit twice.
I am getting sick atm, can feel it in my bones LOL but hopefully a days rest will see me back on track. I am a determined woman!
Take Care,
Megs xx
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