The Plan

Okay, I don't actually have a plan together yet, but I think I've made some progress.  I went to work out at the Y this morning, which wasn't exactly what I wanted to do after getting only a couple of hours of sleep last night.  As I was warming up, I noticed that my hip felt a little strange - not quite sore, but not quite right.  After stretching, I decided to ignore those feelings and run anyway.  The feeling subsided as the adrenaline increased and I managed 0.8 of a mile.  I feel like the cycling afterwards helps, so I did about 20 minutes before stretching again.  I felt pretty good afterward - the high usually lasts for an hour or so.  It's hard to describe the feeling I get in my hip, it feels like a combination of itching and tingling, but I know it's not a good thing.  I did a little poking around on several websites and came up with a logical answer - it would explain years of odd experiences with my hip.  Snapping hip syndrome - it sounds so benign!  I tried some recommended stretches and found that they hit the spot exactly.  Since my next appointment with my doctor isn't until September, I think I will try the stretches for a while and see if the pain returns.  So from disheartened to hopeful in a matter of hours, I think I can start to put together a short term plan. 

Time to Revise the Plan

My original goal was to be able to run 3 miles by June 1st - it's now June 28 and I'm nowhere near that.  I was well on my way to meeting that goal when my hip began protesting the abuse.  In my usual fashion, I ignored all good sense and kept running until I could barely walk.  I took it easy for a while, did some physio, and really tried to undo the damage I had done.  The pain started to subside and I tried to get out a few times, but I was still in some pain.  I began working very long days and the pain in my hip pretty much disappeared.  After a very frustrating morning, I decided to take out my stress at the Y.  For the first time in a long time, there was no pain during or after.  Unfortunately, my schedule became increasingly busy and my hopes of moving toward my goal became increasingly eroded.
I now have about a week of downtime before my days get busy again. I want to use this time to regroup and make a plan for getting back on track with my running.  I was only able to run 0.75 of a mile today and I was really disappointed in myself.  Then I started to think about how hard I was being on myself.  And finally, I realized that what I needed was a new plan.  Rome wasn't built in a day, and I'm pretty sure that there may have been a little planning involved.  I'm sure by the next post I will have a new direction.

Just Another Friday in Wasaga

Three times out in one week!  Today was a quickie at the Y - I got my 3/4 of a mile of running in and lifted a few hundred pounds.  I had a bit of a break through with my running in that short jaunt.  I have always landed on the ball of my foot when running, and I have been told that heel first is the way most people run.  Today I tried to land more on my heels; it was awkward at first but I found that it wasn't all that bad once I got into a rhythm.  I'll have to see if there is any difference in the pain in  my hip.  There seems to be some dissension about which is the better method, so I will try go with whatever works.  I also managed to get in a bit of a bike this afternoon too.  It was nice to tour around the parks but the wind made it a good workout too.  My new helmet is awesome - I barely noticed I was wearing it.  As much as I am attached to my trusty old bike, I think I'm going to have to start looking for a new one that doesn't tend to veer erratically.  I suppose i should have bought a lottery ticket tonight!

Back on the Treadmill :)

It’s been too long since my last post. I did get out on my good old bike and pulled off 30 kilometers in 75 minutes my first time out. It was amazing. After that, I just got too busy to fit in the gym or biking. It may sound like a cop out, but I’ve been doing a lot of 12 – 16 hour days mixed in with some slightly shorter days. It’s hard to find the time to sneak in a workout. After almost two months, I managed to make it to the Y on Saturday. I wasn’t sure how I would make out with my hip – I vowed to take it easy. Making sure to warm up and stretch, I pulled of a ¾ mile run and followed it up with 20 min of biking. At this point I was thinking that the break hadn’t had much of a negative effect on my progress, but when I hit the weights, I definitely noticed a difference. I don’t really like doing the weights and I only do them because I know that my arms don’t get much of a workout otherwise. The next day I could feel it in my hip a bit, but I was quite happy with the outcome. Monday was true to form, and by noon, I really needed to work out some stress. I repeated my Saturday performance with a little bit more effort this time. I felt pretty good the next day, and my hip was only protesting a little bit (it didn’t help that I wore 3 inch heels on Monday as well). I can still feel my hip today, but it’s barely noticeable. I think I will try to run again tomorrow to see if the pain increases. I have no issues with turning to cycling for a while, I just wish there was a little less wind. My goal of running 3 miles by June first is all but shot now, but once I get a feel for my hip, I will be setting a new date for my 3 mile mark.

Bring on the Sun

It's March break and I'm working more now than when school is in! I keep using this work thing as an excuse not to go to the gym... In some ways that has been a good thing. Over the last couple of weeks, I have been very careful not to aggravate my hip any more than necessary. The result is that I can walk without favouring it and the pain is barely noticeable. That being said, I want to take some time this weekend to get out my trusty bike (20 yrs old!). I hope all it needs is a little TLC. I am planning on laying off the running for another few weeks so that I don't go right back to where I started with the pain. I suppose I will have to get into the pool again too – thinking of the smell of the chlorine evokes a visceral antagonism that is not easily suppressed (used up all of my big words for the day ;). My partner in crime has been pretty busy as well, so the both of us need to get our derrieres in gear and get back on schedule. I think I might just pop in on the way home tonight…

Beyond My Limits

After my last post, I went to the Y and ran a mile.  Then I did it again the next day.  I haven't been able to run since.  I did exactly what I told myself I wouldn't do - push beyond my limits.  Over the last couple of weeks, I have been cycling and swimming to keep active.  I love cycling, and I find it pretty easy; however, using a stationary takes the joy right out of it.  I can't wait until I can get outside again.  I took on quite a few more hours in my business, so it has been hard to work in physiotherapy and the time at the Y.  My hip seems to get better every day, but I jar it quite often which seems to set me back.  I came down with a cold this morning, so I think I'm going to take a few days to recover from that and maybe give my hip a rest too.  I plan to stick with the biking and the swimming until I can run outside comfortably.  As much as it sounds like I haven't had a great few weeks, I have made some progress.  I've noticed an increase in muscle tone and definition.  I've dropped five pounds (for a total of 60) and it has become really noticeable in my face and other normally boney areas.  In the coming month, I want to work on getting my eating under control.  I eat too few fruits and veggies and too much junk food.  It's not so much about losing weight as it is promoting a healthy body so that I can achieve my goals.  I will take this sunny streak as a premonition of the month to come and look forward to moving onward.

Back At It Again

I was starting to worry that I was never going to get back to the running.  With the physio, my hip has gotten better, but there is still a lot of pain.  I decided yesterday that I was going to run anyway - I have just missed it so much that I didn't care if it made the pain worse.  I did my stretching before going to the Y and my hip was feeling not too bad.  I tried a new plan of attack - minimize the amount of impact by skipping the walking as much as possible.  I did a four minute warm up while catching up with my partner in crime.  I started running and my hip protested a bit at first.  The pain subsided, I got into a groove, and it was feeling great to run.  After a couple of minutes, I realized that the running wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.  After a few more minutes I thought maybe I can get a half a mile in.  Still feeling strong, I thought I might just be able to make it to a mile.  As I approached the mile mark, I was starting to tire and feel a little out of breath.  I pushed through to the end and was really proud of myself for hanging in there.  I probably could have gone farther, but I knew I was already pushing my hip too far.  I went through my physio regime while I waited for my partner to finish her 5k.  We then went on to do a 12 mile cycle together, which was a little more difficult after the run.  I felt really good afterwards, and my hip really didn't seem to hurt any more than before I went.  I think using the heel lift and changing my stride a bit made a big difference.  I plan to go in again this afternoon, but I have no idea if I'm going to run again or not.  My hip is pretty tender in the morning usually, but right now it's not that bad so a run may be in order.  Hopefully I'm back on track and I'll make my June 1st goal :)

Brick Wall??

In my last post I said I was going to pay for my running, and here I am five days later and still paying. I was good on Saturday and I stuck to my plan to only walk for 30 minutes. It was disappointing, but I figured walking a bit was better than feeling sorry for myself. Swimming has not been my favourite activity, but it was a lot more fun going with someone. I found that I pushed myself more, especially after realizing that they were going to do 60 lengths in the time that I might pull off 12 or so! Monday was a true Monday – I needed something to pick me up. I decided to try swimming again as my hip was still protesting. I managed to do my 12 lengths, but this time it was more difficult than any other time I’ve been. My form was better, I inhaled less water, but I was so out of breath after each length! It was then that I started to worry a bit. I’ve had premature heartbeats for as long as I can remember. They usually are the result of me taking new medication (Claritin was one of the worst!) or having way too much caffeine. I’ve been having them constantly since at least Saturday, and the frequency is a bit higher than I’m used to. Normally, this would only annoy me; however, this time things are a little different. I am so tired and I am yawning all the time. I can’t seem to catch my breath even when I’m barely doing anything and it’s a struggle just to get through the day (apparently this is not serious enough to get me an appointment with my doctor any time in the next month :S). Add in the hip pain, and I’m in pretty rough shape. Even with all that going on, I couldn’t bail on going to the Y this morning and let down my friend. I have been avoiding the cycling, so today was the day to try it out. I’m not a fan of stationary bikes, but cycling for me is pretty easy. I did 10.75 miles in 30 minutes, which isn’t anywhere near what I used to be able to pull off, but it was a start. I finally made it in for my running assessment today. It was tough because of my hip, but I learned a lot about myself. The most disturbing thing is that I have one leg longer than the other… the leg I broke when I was only a couple years old. Coincidence? Anyway, I think the physio is really going to help me get back on track. I’m disappointed that I won’t be running for a week or two, but maybe this way I will work on the swimming and cycling more.

Busy Busy Busy

I've just gone through a couple of busy weeks with my business, but somehow I've managed to keep up with my training.  In my last post, I was optimistic about the pain I've been having; however, after my workout on Tuesday (1.44 miles in 17 minutes), I found that my hip was pretty sore. My stroke improvement class is coming along - I seem to whine less and less each week.  Yesterday, I got to work on my back crawl, which used to be a nice relaxing stroke; however, I have learned that there is much more to it than I had thought!  I had the pleasure of company for my workout last night.  I think that having someone with me made me push through the pain, but I'm definitely paying for it this morning (1.47 miles in 18).  The other day, I called a physiotherapy centre that was recommended by my doctor, and found out that I can get a whole running package to help get me started.  I hesitated because the cost is fairly substancial, but I think that it will be essential for me actually making it to running a marathon.  So, I suppose later today I will book my first appointment and worry about how I'm going to finance it later.  Add in new shoes, a new swim suit (my old ones are either waaay to big or waaay too old), and maybe some appropriate workout clothes, and I'm going to be eating pb&j for a while lol!  I price I'm willing to pay.  It's been almost 10 years since I met my last big goal, and I'm so glad that I have finally found the next big one :)

One Blah Sunday in January

I haven't been out to the Y as much as I would like lately - I was torn between resting my whining ankle and hip and maintaining my schedule.  I went out this afternoon not knowing what I was going to do when I got there.  As I'm wandering through the machines, I look at the bikes and the elliptical machines and thought ick!  So true to form, I hopped on the treadmill hoping that all would be well.  I was pleasantly surprised when there was only some minor pain - moreso from the walking than from the running.  Now this is where I may have been a little overzealous - I decided that I was going to skip up to running 1.5 min intervals the whole way through.  I really enjoyed the workout and didn't have a problem with the increase - but I again was overzealous and decided to see how long I could run at the very end of my workout.  So, after 50 min of walking and running, I managed 3.5 min (0.26 miles) before I came to my senses and cooled down.  So today I did a total of 1.36 miles in 17 min, and a grand total of almost 4 miles in 58 min.  I must admit that it felt great, but I know I'm going to pay for it later.  As I write this, my cheeks are still rather pink.  The one thing I wish I could change is how red my face goes.  Perhaps that is something that will lessen as I get more in shape.  Hopefully I will get out to the Y for a swim tomorrow - test the waters out in Collingwood.

Speedbump or Roadblock?

I think I was trying to ignore the fact that my ankle was hurting more, and that the pain was beginning to move into my hip as well. Saturday evening I went to the Y and talked myself into continuing with my running schedule... bad move. On Sunday, I had to admit that this problem wasn't going to go away if I didn't change something. So, yesterday I went to the pool to work on my rather lackluster swimming skills. I can't believe how hard it is just to swim two lengths in a row! I guess as a kid I never really swam in a straight line and my objective was more to see how many somersaults I could do consecutively! I managed to do a total of 12 lengths in some fashion or another. This morning I realized just how hard the swimming is on my neck and shoulder. It seems that I am amassing a number of issues to work out. Right now, I’m contemplating what I am going to do tonight – do I test out the ankle? Do I work on the swimming? Or maybe I should try cycling for a change so that I can add a pain in the derriere to my list of annoyances.

It's Always About the Math

I sat here tonight and calculated just how I'm going to make it to 3 miles by June first.  My original plan was to use five minute intervals to convert walking to running, with a total of 10 intervals.  The plan was to start at one minute of running per interval, then after three weeks, up the running to one and a half minutes, and so on.  Over the last week, I have been adding the half minute to one interval at a time.  This means that today, I did four 1 1/2 minute intervals and six 1 minute intervals, and Friday I will do five and five.  I checked out the math of this second strategy and it will actually get me to my goal just slightly ahead of time.  This new strategy makes sense to me and seems less painful overall.

I'm starting to appreciate some of the fringe benefits of working out - chatting with new people, checking out what other people are up to, and feeling like I belong there.  I realize that the Y will slowly take on the smell of an old arena change room, and the equipment will begin to show the telltale signs of age, but for now, it is a great place to spend a couple of hours! 

0.96 miles today, and next workout will be 1 whole mile - woohoo!

A New Home for My Thoughts on My Journey

After fighting with another program for a few days, here I am, and hopefully here I stay. Saturday morning swimming was a bust after discovering that the remote for the cable box was not working. After an hour of jiggery-pokery, I admitted defeat over the remote and realized I was too late to go for a swim. I did manage to make it out that evening though. I thought I'd jump in, work on my technique, and have some fun while I was at it. One of my worst enemies - frustration - hampered my plan. I just couldn't seem to get comfortable in the water; breathing was next to impossible. I managed to make it across the pool a few times and relied on my exceptional floating abilities to keep me going. I discovered the evils of chlorine that evening. I smelled of it after I showered, I smelled of it after showering the next day, and my hair still smells of it! I suppose I will have to ask around to see how others deal with it. Today I struggled to get out the door when I intended to, but I made it for my workout. While I was running, I realized that I probably need to increase my pace again to make the running seem more natural. I'm not sure how that will affect my game plan, but I suppose I will find out. Today I ran 0.9 of a mile and hopefully next time will be 0.92 or 0.96. It would be great to be at 1 mile by the end of the week. Upward and onward!

I think I Left the Best Parts Out of the First Few Blogs...

First off, I have to say that I am pretty proud of myself for dragging myself out to the Y this morning - it was about the last thing I felt like doing after having a rather sleepless night. I'm now up to 0.86 of a mile and by the end of next week I will be over the mile mark :) In my earlier posts I think I left out some interesting facts. I was infact terrified of the treadmill to begin with. I held on for dear life going about 2 miles an hour! Every time I got off I felt like I had just been on a roller coaster. I take my mp3 player (thanks to my brother and sister-in-law) and listen to the new Black Eyed Peas album. I don't think anyone else there has as much fun as I do rockin out on the treadmill :) The only problem was that I would get so into it that I would snag the earphone cord with my hand and send the player halfway across the gym! I found that rather embarassing and quite annoying. Once, I didn't wait for the belt to completely stop before turning around and trying to walk off of it... I think I hurt my pride a little more than my butt when I fell off lol! I actually looked around and said out loud "Did anyone see that??" and then laughed my head off for the rest of the workout. It didn't take too long for me to figure out how to safely dismount the treadmill and keep my mp3 player from launching across the room. I've also overcome the need to hold on for dear life and enjoy just walking or running hands free. Tomorrow I think I'm going to go work on my swimming technique - I saw some of my classmates practicing today, so I suppose I should get out there and do some too.

Not that it means a whole lot, but I'm ranked #3 in my age group for the number of fitpoints earned so far this month. The scary thing is, I was ranked #1 last month!!

Can One Survive Without the Use of Their Arms?!

I think the stroke improvement class is going to kill me! So far I like the instructor - she's a bit young but seems to know what she's talking about. I was pretty intimidated going into the class, but the other people seem pretty nice and it was fun. I have never really swam with goggles before and that will take some getting used to. I think the first thing I really need to work on is learning how to breath effectively and keep my head in the water. Hopefully by next week my arms will have recovered - I've never had a very strong upper body. Tomorrow it's back to the treadmill - although I'm tempted to take the day off to recharge a bit. The last two weeks have had some really big changes, and sometimes i need to learn to slow down and have a little patience.

The First Speed Bump

I was thinking earlier this week what my first real challenge would be. I think it's here. I've had a kink in my neck for almost a week. It's driving me nuts - but worse is that it's making me feel not so great. It didn't stop me from going to work out this morning (0.82 miles) but it sure makes getting anything done more difficult. I'm wondering how my stroke improvement class is going to go tomorrow... I've endured chronic migraines for years - if I let a little pain in my neck stop me now, it will be a sad sad thing. I guess I'll continue to worship the Advil gods and hope that it works itself out :)

Happy New Year!

It's the 4th day of the New Year, and I am so glad to get back to a somewhat normal routine. I made it out on a cold blustery Saturday and got my workout in (3 miles - only 0.77 running) and today as well. I never would have thought that I would prefer to run over walking. Walking gives me the worst shin splints, but running doesn't! I can't wait until I up my running time (two weeks give or take). I did increase my running speed, so next time I will almost be at 0.8 of a mile. I kind of have mixed feelings about the stroke improvement class on Thursday - I don't know what to expect, and I'm going to have to get up a lot earlier than I would like to lol! Oh, and Zumba tomorrow - that is gonna kill me, but it's so fun!