Pushing it a Bit!

Distance: 1 mile
Time: 7:59

Same route as the last one - round the local block, and this time I felt great through the first 0.35 of a mile. I reached the half way point in about 3:30, but the leg went a bit dead after that. Still managed to keep going, focussing on keeping tight abs and bum (my weak areas, according to the physio), and managed to keep going reasonably well.

Even so - my fitness isn't what it was, and in spite of pushing it all round the lap, I still only just managed to finish the mile just under 8 minutes. Leg wasn't twingeinh though, which is progress, but I've iced in to be safe.

Also just got some Nike Frees - interesting concept, supposed to stop the foot being "lazy" as it doesn't give a lot of support. Just getting used to them around the house at the moment - I'll report back!

My first mile

...for about three months!

After mucking about with physio exercises, body pump, weights, wobble boards etc, I finally decided to go for a one mile run. I measured the course out on the bike, and conveniently found that it was near as made no difference exactly a mile round a nearby block.

The left knee twinged badly on one bit of pavement with a sharp camber to the right, but I changed sides of the road and it eased up. My leg did get a bit "frozen" about half way round, but lasted out, and I made it to the end. Hasty icing followed with a gel pack and in the bath!

Hmmmm - not bad!

Weight: 15st 12lbs

Wow! Dropped two pounds just like that :o)

And my knee isn't too bad today either. Not going to risk another run, but I am doing plenty of physio. Just spent five minutes wibbling on the wobbleboard, and doing lots of leg strengtheners. I mustn't neglect all the back/core strength stuff either, as that is important too. I just don't like falling off Swiss balls!

Still want to get back and do more serious training though - this is all a bit of a joke. After spectating at FLM on Sunday, I've really got my mojo back :o) Got to be a slow and sure build-up though :o( Going to plan some target races tonight :o)

Mini Run Part Two

Weight: just under 16 stone again

Bah! Put on about 3 pounds carb-loading in sympathy with Kim (EP). Hope I can carb unload as well!

After watching FLM yesterday I *soooooo* want to run again! Leg didn't twinge for long afterthe run last week, so i decided to go round the block with the camber in the more favourable direction. Seemed to go reasonably okay. Yes - it did twinge, but not as much as before, and I'm hoping that as long as I build up gradually, anything that just twinges will strengthen the leg in the end.

had a cold bath afterwards, or at least soaked the knee.

FLM 2005

BAH! Spectating rather than running, but I was determined to have a good time.

Loads of trouble with the trains getting up there, arrived after the gun went but managed to get Evil Pixie (Kim) into her pen before the runners crossed the line. Then we headed over to the red start, and after watching them go through, we wandered through Greenwich Park to the DLR, and off to Mudchute. Sadly just too late to see Paula.

The rest of the day was fab fun, and is detailed with pics on Fran's (Meerkat's) website

Wibble :oS

Weight: 15st 9.7lbs

Just a short run round the block today to try the knee out. Silly me - went the wrong way round which meant running on some severe cambers that would have put pressure on the dodgy bit. Still - got home feeling okay, although clearly not as fit as I was :o(

Later on - the knee started to twinge a bit - nothing drastic, but enough to make me realised that I'm going to have to keep the physio stuff going and take this veeeeery slowly.

Swim: 2 miles (128 lengths)

Weight: 15st 10.5

Grr - weight has mysteriously gone up by 1.5lbs for no obvious reason!

Main activiy of today was a long swim. I set out intending to try for two miles after feeling fairly good at the end of 100 lengths the other day. The worst thing about it was the tedium - it's rather a boring activity going up and down the pool all those times. I was actually fine until towards the end, when I started to feel really pretty tired, and my shoulders were aching. How anyone can swim the channel is beyond me!

Still - 2 miles is only about 30 lengths off the ironman swim distance of 2.4 miles, so I'm getting therre. I guess the negative side of that is that most tri's over sprint distance use open water, and you don't get the benefit of a heafty push off every 25 metres, and you can't grab the side while you take a quick breather! Even so, I think I'd feel okay now if I was doing an Olympic distance tri with the 1500m swim - 64 lengths (1600m) felt like an absolute doddle! Maybe time to think about doing some open water stuff and getting hold of a wetsuit. Quite how I take swigs of lucozade sport while in open water is another matter!

I built some time trials into today's session:

100m: 2:02 (PB by 3 seconds)
200m: 4:21 (PB - by 24 seconds)
400m: 9:15 (PB by 15 seconds)

I also tried out the tri bars - a bit wobbly but they feel good, and with a bit of getting used to them should be fine :o)

I was tempted to try a short run as well, but I'll save that for tomorrow.

Pump it Up!

Weight: 15 stone 10

Grrr - weight has gone up again today for no obvious reason, didn't exactly stuff me face yesterday!

Had a great Body Pump class, would liek to have added a swim to it but I was up too late. Going to do tons of physio exercises. Already done the single leg stuff down the gym. Onto the wobble board tonight!

Going to Great Lengths...

Weight: 15 stone 10

Swim: 2.5k (100 lengths)
Seriously tempted to do 2 miles, but my parking ticket was running out. It was only another 28 lengths. Odd that - "only" 28 lengths- a while ago I'd never have said that. That's 6.5k swimming so far this week.

Body Pump
Started with sore abs and biceps - guess the swim took more out of me than I realised! Great class though. Biceps track actually felt pretty easy, as did 12.5kg each end on the chest. Just wish I could get my squat weight up more. Knee was a bit tender at the start so decided not to risk more than 7.5kg

But - It's not even FLM 2005 yet?!?

Correct - but I've injured my knee so after lots of physio which is helping, but too late to train, I've deferred until next year.

So - with a guaranteed place, I can get down to some serious training once the knee finally heals. I've been swimming a lot (did 2k Sunday and 2k today), plus some bike riding, and in the next couple of weeks, I'll be back running again.

This blog is to chart my progress!!