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.