Week 43?! Wow...this year has whipped past...seems like yesterday I was doing my Week 1 recap and not really sure what 2013 would bring. It's definitely been a growth and learning year for both Hubs and I...to continue on that front, next week I start my Olympic weightlifting class at PISE! Egads, what have I gotten myself into?! Sounded like a good idea at the time when I signed up. I just hope and pray that I'm not in a class with a bunch of buff young bucks and then me...little five foot middle aged pipsqueak. I'm excited and terrified at the same time, but I'm going to bite the bullet and just do it. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?
WORKOUTS:
Sunday: circuit
Gadzooks, my shoulder was absolutely killing me so I did a circuit and scaled the upper body stuff so I wasn't lifting quite as heavy. Sigh...just as my lower body is getting back on track, my upper body is starting to squawk.
Monday: bootcamp
Tuesday: rest
Visit to see the physio...thank goodness!
Wednesday: rest
Bah...had to skip bootcamp as I had had needles the night before...most of them were in my upper body so I considered going and just doing lower body stuff but then I thought better of it. With my luck, I'd end up pushing it too hard and straining my glute or hammy again.
Thursday: rest
Friday: bootcamp
Lots of stairs and plyo with this class and I could feel hammy wasn't super loving it, so I modified again. Sometimes I wonder if I baby it too much, but then again it's taken months to recover so whatevs...gotta do what feels right.
Saturday: 8K run
Wahooo! I'm getting closer and closer to 10K and I'm SO excited. I felt a couple of twinges here and there but overall it was a great run.
FOOD:
A couple of little miscues here and there...Halloween treats have hit the office and I snarfled back a couple of boxes of Smarties lickety split. I've also failed miserably at the Great Dairy Experiment of 2013...I've been craving yoghourt for weeks. Like as in every time I go to the grocery store, I look longingly at all the colourful yoghourt containers in the dairy aisle...not sure what mineral or whatever I'm missing, but I've been jonesing for it for ages. I finally gave in and bought a container of Greek yoghourt and pounded some back last night. Oy vey folks...my stomach today looks like I'm five months pregnant and is as taut as a drum. It hurts to press down on it and it's so bad my lulus are cutting into my stomach! Ugh...I should just know better.
RECIPES:
Smoky butternut squash pasta and a delicious Slow Cooker Apple Butter from Oh She Glows...also improvised a roasted cherry tomato and garlic pasta with chickpeas, basil and olives (which was delicious, if I do say myself...heh).
Monday, October 28, 2013
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
This Post Brought to You by the Letter P
Physio, progress, pecs, posture...as I sat in the physio's office yesterday and let my mind wander as she stuck me full of needles, I realized yesterday was full of P words. Back for my monthly check in with my old physio girl...honestly, I know I say it overandoverandover again about how great she is, but I'm going to say it again...she's SO fabulous and I'm so happy that I found her. I actually had a panicky thought last night about what would I ever do if she moved away or something. Must not think of such horrible thoughts, lest I crawl into the fetal position and hide under my desk.
In my last post I was saying how much better I'd been feeling and she was thrilled with how I was doing on the lower half of my body. I was standing better and more evenly on both legs...the first time I came to see her, I was actually almost standing solely on one leg I was so far shifted over to the left. She liked how my hip, hammy and glute were doing so that means the stretching, rollering and exercises I've been doing are key and working. My upper body, however, was a whole different story. I was still feeling sore from Friday's workout and woke up Tuesday morning with a stiff neck, so had her check me out and sure enough...my scapula and back were locked up and my whole torso was restricted in movement. I had done a lot of chest movements on Friday and because my back wasn't helping stabilize me, my poor little wee pecs were doing all the work and...well, let's just say they were a wee bit pissed off. It's all very interesting because I had noticed recently that pushups were inordinately hard for me...I thought I was just losing fitness, but because I couldn't activate my back muscles, I was relying solely on my chest to do all the work. Not good.
My super fabulous physio girl worked on me diligently as I peppered her with questions. What was causing all the issues, what can I do to stop this from happening, how can I get better? Stretching, different exercises?! It all came down to my posture. Yep, I admit it...I'm a serial sloucher and have been for the better part of my life. The one awesome thing about working with weights is that I've made huge progress in my back muscles and my posture has improved greatly...my physio said that my shoulder and back position now is good, but I've got what is know as "forward head posture".
Caused by years of slouching and sitting at the computer for work, my head position was far in front of my shoulders, much like the second picture and causing all sort of issues. My ears are supposed to be in line with my shoulders, but they were at least few inches forward...then I throw in a restricted back/torso, hypermobility and a bajillion pushups and it's a recipe for a big old hot mess.
If you're interested in seeing if you've got forward head posture, check out this link. Basically, your shoulder blades and the back of your head should touch the wall when you're standing. When my physio put me in the proper position, it felt so weird! But when I checked out what I looked like in the mirror, it did look way better than the Hunchback of Notre Dame position I had before. She gave me homework to work on my head position and watch how I'm seated at work (I tend to schlump to the right when I sit) and check back in a month, but not before she did a round of beloved needles all over my neck, traps and pecs. Not gonna lie, didn't love it but I've come to embrace the pain as a sign that I'm getting better. Or at least that's what I tell myself when I'm writhing in pain. Heh.
So there we go. I am feeling way, way better and now that I know what's up and what I can do, I'm all over it as I want 2014 to be the Year of Being Pain Free.
In my last post I was saying how much better I'd been feeling and she was thrilled with how I was doing on the lower half of my body. I was standing better and more evenly on both legs...the first time I came to see her, I was actually almost standing solely on one leg I was so far shifted over to the left. She liked how my hip, hammy and glute were doing so that means the stretching, rollering and exercises I've been doing are key and working. My upper body, however, was a whole different story. I was still feeling sore from Friday's workout and woke up Tuesday morning with a stiff neck, so had her check me out and sure enough...my scapula and back were locked up and my whole torso was restricted in movement. I had done a lot of chest movements on Friday and because my back wasn't helping stabilize me, my poor little wee pecs were doing all the work and...well, let's just say they were a wee bit pissed off. It's all very interesting because I had noticed recently that pushups were inordinately hard for me...I thought I was just losing fitness, but because I couldn't activate my back muscles, I was relying solely on my chest to do all the work. Not good.
My super fabulous physio girl worked on me diligently as I peppered her with questions. What was causing all the issues, what can I do to stop this from happening, how can I get better? Stretching, different exercises?! It all came down to my posture. Yep, I admit it...I'm a serial sloucher and have been for the better part of my life. The one awesome thing about working with weights is that I've made huge progress in my back muscles and my posture has improved greatly...my physio said that my shoulder and back position now is good, but I've got what is know as "forward head posture".
Caused by years of slouching and sitting at the computer for work, my head position was far in front of my shoulders, much like the second picture and causing all sort of issues. My ears are supposed to be in line with my shoulders, but they were at least few inches forward...then I throw in a restricted back/torso, hypermobility and a bajillion pushups and it's a recipe for a big old hot mess.
If you're interested in seeing if you've got forward head posture, check out this link. Basically, your shoulder blades and the back of your head should touch the wall when you're standing. When my physio put me in the proper position, it felt so weird! But when I checked out what I looked like in the mirror, it did look way better than the Hunchback of Notre Dame position I had before. She gave me homework to work on my head position and watch how I'm seated at work (I tend to schlump to the right when I sit) and check back in a month, but not before she did a round of beloved needles all over my neck, traps and pecs. Not gonna lie, didn't love it but I've come to embrace the pain as a sign that I'm getting better. Or at least that's what I tell myself when I'm writhing in pain. Heh.
So there we go. I am feeling way, way better and now that I know what's up and what I can do, I'm all over it as I want 2014 to be the Year of Being Pain Free.
Monday, October 21, 2013
2103 - Week 41/42 Recap
OK, back on track with the weekly posts! I'm feeling optimistic and (knock on wood) physically I've been feeling better than I have in ages. Back in the summer, I was achy, sore and seemed to be facing injury after injury, niggle after niggle...every morning I would wake up feeling a million years old. The past while all the little issues I've been dealing with seemed to have gotten better and I'm feeling really, really good...I've been a very diligent girl and have been stretching and rollering nightly, and have eased back into exercise so I don't overdo things. I'm finally feeling stronger and I think I'm almost ready to attack a Jason bootcamp. Girding loins as we speak, folks...Jason is force to be reckoned with!
WORKOUTS:
Two weeks worth!
Week 41:
Sunday - 6.5K run
Monday - bootcamp
Tuesday - rest
Wednesday - 30 mins treadmill
Thursday - rest
Friday - bootcamp
Saturday - strength
Week 42:
Sunday - Volunteering at Goodlife Victoria Marathon
I didn't work out but I stood for over eight hours and spent two hours taking down the finish line...I think that counts, no? Heh.
Monday - run 7K
Tuesday - rest
Wednesday - 30 mins treadmill
Thursday - rest
Friday - circuit/strength
We were in Vancouver for a quick overnight trip...Hubs was volunteering at We Day at Rogers Arena, so I decided to tag along and "practice retirement", as Hubs and I like to say. It was awesome...he had to head off very early in the morning, so I got up and had a lovely, long, leisurely workout at the hotel gym, which was fantastic. They had a full bench press set up, barbells and all ranges of dumbbells so I was in heaven...I ended up working out for over an hour and a half! Seriously, am so in love with strength work.
Saturday - 7.5K run
Yahooo! Am getting close to our usual weekend run distance, 10K. So far, so good.
FOOD:
Bang on! Oversnacking has been reigned in. One thing that I have added that I've been finding has been making a huge difference in how I feel is a probiotic capsule every day. I've cut out dairy so unfortunately can't do yoghourt, but ever since I've been taking a probiotic, my stomach has been feeling amazing.
RECIPES:
Butternut squash soup from Vegetarian times and Mapo Tofu from Wandering Chopsticks.
WORKOUTS:
Two weeks worth!
Week 41:
Sunday - 6.5K run
Monday - bootcamp
Tuesday - rest
Wednesday - 30 mins treadmill
Thursday - rest
Friday - bootcamp
Saturday - strength
Week 42:
Sunday - Volunteering at Goodlife Victoria Marathon
I didn't work out but I stood for over eight hours and spent two hours taking down the finish line...I think that counts, no? Heh.
Monday - run 7K
Tuesday - rest
Wednesday - 30 mins treadmill
Thursday - rest
Friday - circuit/strength
We were in Vancouver for a quick overnight trip...Hubs was volunteering at We Day at Rogers Arena, so I decided to tag along and "practice retirement", as Hubs and I like to say. It was awesome...he had to head off very early in the morning, so I got up and had a lovely, long, leisurely workout at the hotel gym, which was fantastic. They had a full bench press set up, barbells and all ranges of dumbbells so I was in heaven...I ended up working out for over an hour and a half! Seriously, am so in love with strength work.
Saturday - 7.5K run
Yahooo! Am getting close to our usual weekend run distance, 10K. So far, so good.
FOOD:
Bang on! Oversnacking has been reigned in. One thing that I have added that I've been finding has been making a huge difference in how I feel is a probiotic capsule every day. I've cut out dairy so unfortunately can't do yoghourt, but ever since I've been taking a probiotic, my stomach has been feeling amazing.
RECIPES:
Butternut squash soup from Vegetarian times and Mapo Tofu from Wandering Chopsticks.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
2013 Goodlife Victoria Marathon - Race Recap, Volunteer Edition
Best weekend ever. I always thought that the race organizers for the Goodlife Victoria were brilliant to schedule the race on the Thanksgiving long weekend, but this weekend Thanksgiving Day took on a whole new meaning for me.
Race weekend events kicked off for us with a fundraiser on Friday night for a running group called Every Step Counts, a walking and running program designed for people experiencing challenges or barriers with housing, mental health, poverty, addiction and other related issues. I'd heard about this group a few years ago and thought wow...I know what running has done for me and how it's made a significant impact on my life, so I wanted to throw my full support behind this group. This was our first time attending this fundraiser and it was a great evening. Keynote speaker...
OK, you probably can't see clearly who it is, but it's Dick Beardsley...yep, that Dick Beardsley of the 1982 Boston Marathon Duel in the Sun fame. He was an amazing speaker...after his famous run against Alberto Salazar, he had a series of unfortunate accidents and ended up becoming addicted to prescription drugs. Clean for years, his story was inspiring to everyone, but particularly for those in the group struggling with addictions.
There was a live and silent auction at the event as well...what, I get to eat and shop?! My kind of fundraiser! I ended up bidding on a Global knife and sharpener and some gift certificates to a restaurant. What can I say, I'm a foodie.
Saturday morning I headed down to the race expo to listen to some of the speakers and then trotted down to the finish line to start my first volunteer shift of the weekend. OK...just gonna say that I am super happy that I've been working with weights because it was four hours of setting up fencing and signage. I made the mistake of doing some upper body strength work that morning, so needless to say, by the end of my shift I was one tired, sore and hungry girl.
Sunday...the day I've been waiting for all year! I've been so excited for this, and was so stoked when I headed down to the finish line that morning. As soon as I got to the medal area, I was put to work checking and sorting the medals. It was a beautiful, beautiful day and there were tons of spectators lining the finishers chute.
After we sorted them, we had to hang them on the racks so we could load them onto the arms of the people who were handing them out...we were like a well oiled machine! As we worked, I got to know some of the other volunteers and made some quick friends.
After we finished hanging the medals up, I managed to squeeze into the line up to hand out medals...this was the moment that I'd waited for all year! Each finish line has its own meaning for every runner...all the sacrifice and everyone has their own story. I'm sure no one will remember who it was who gave them their medal, but I was truly honoured to be able to be a teeny tiny part of their marathon experience.
The winner of the marathon, Lamech Mokono, enjoying some well deserved drink and food after a course setting record of 2:13:42.
I'm a bit of a runner groupie, so I stealthily snapped this picture of the half marathon winner, Hilary Stellingwerff. If her name sounds familiar, it should...she competed in the 1500m distance in the 2012 London Olympics and just barely missed qualifying for the final heat. I was a little awestruck.
It was a long day out there, but I didn't feel tired in the slightest...I stood for almost six hours straight handing out medals, and I could not wipe the smile off my face even if I tried. I loved every millisecond of the day...I had so many big smiles, so many thank yous for volunteering, and I even got a few extremely sweaty hugs! One fellow asked for a hug after I gave him his medal and warned that he was sweaty...I exclaimed "bring it on!!" and he enveloped me in a huge bear hug! It was pretty funny, and got a good laugh from the crowd around us. Another memorable moment for me came when I was giving a woman her medal and she started to cry and we spontaneously hugged...I could feel how proud and emotional she was...like I said, each marathon is a journey and I was so happy that I could be a small part of hers.
And so concludes the Year of Volunteering. All in all...this weekend was truly amazing. As I said, it was so fitting that it was Thanksgiving. I found myself getting verklempt throughout the day...last year at the race I was having one of the worst days of my life, and this year I was having one of the best. I had never considered volunteering before, and was so thankful that out of an unfortunate situation came something that I've enjoyed so much....I'm a true believer of all things for a reason and I think I'm hooked on volunteering for races now! The other thing that became so apparent to me is how the race is such a community event...I love how running can bring so many people together from all walks of life.
Race weekend events kicked off for us with a fundraiser on Friday night for a running group called Every Step Counts, a walking and running program designed for people experiencing challenges or barriers with housing, mental health, poverty, addiction and other related issues. I'd heard about this group a few years ago and thought wow...I know what running has done for me and how it's made a significant impact on my life, so I wanted to throw my full support behind this group. This was our first time attending this fundraiser and it was a great evening. Keynote speaker...
OK, you probably can't see clearly who it is, but it's Dick Beardsley...yep, that Dick Beardsley of the 1982 Boston Marathon Duel in the Sun fame. He was an amazing speaker...after his famous run against Alberto Salazar, he had a series of unfortunate accidents and ended up becoming addicted to prescription drugs. Clean for years, his story was inspiring to everyone, but particularly for those in the group struggling with addictions.
There was a live and silent auction at the event as well...what, I get to eat and shop?! My kind of fundraiser! I ended up bidding on a Global knife and sharpener and some gift certificates to a restaurant. What can I say, I'm a foodie.
Saturday morning I headed down to the race expo to listen to some of the speakers and then trotted down to the finish line to start my first volunteer shift of the weekend. OK...just gonna say that I am super happy that I've been working with weights because it was four hours of setting up fencing and signage. I made the mistake of doing some upper body strength work that morning, so needless to say, by the end of my shift I was one tired, sore and hungry girl.
my handiwork...
signs, signs and more signs...
slowly but surely, it's coming along...
I deserve every single calorie on this plate!!!
Sunday...the day I've been waiting for all year! I've been so excited for this, and was so stoked when I headed down to the finish line that morning. As soon as I got to the medal area, I was put to work checking and sorting the medals. It was a beautiful, beautiful day and there were tons of spectators lining the finishers chute.
lookit them all!
After we sorted them, we had to hang them on the racks so we could load them onto the arms of the people who were handing them out...we were like a well oiled machine! As we worked, I got to know some of the other volunteers and made some quick friends.
medal me, baby!
After we finished hanging the medals up, I managed to squeeze into the line up to hand out medals...this was the moment that I'd waited for all year! Each finish line has its own meaning for every runner...all the sacrifice and everyone has their own story. I'm sure no one will remember who it was who gave them their medal, but I was truly honoured to be able to be a teeny tiny part of their marathon experience.
aren't these gorgeous?!
The winner of the marathon, Lamech Mokono, enjoying some well deserved drink and food after a course setting record of 2:13:42.
I'm a bit of a runner groupie, so I stealthily snapped this picture of the half marathon winner, Hilary Stellingwerff. If her name sounds familiar, it should...she competed in the 1500m distance in the 2012 London Olympics and just barely missed qualifying for the final heat. I was a little awestruck.
i'm not worthy, i'm not worthy
It was a long day out there, but I didn't feel tired in the slightest...I stood for almost six hours straight handing out medals, and I could not wipe the smile off my face even if I tried. I loved every millisecond of the day...I had so many big smiles, so many thank yous for volunteering, and I even got a few extremely sweaty hugs! One fellow asked for a hug after I gave him his medal and warned that he was sweaty...I exclaimed "bring it on!!" and he enveloped me in a huge bear hug! It was pretty funny, and got a good laugh from the crowd around us. Another memorable moment for me came when I was giving a woman her medal and she started to cry and we spontaneously hugged...I could feel how proud and emotional she was...like I said, each marathon is a journey and I was so happy that I could be a small part of hers.
And so concludes the Year of Volunteering. All in all...this weekend was truly amazing. As I said, it was so fitting that it was Thanksgiving. I found myself getting verklempt throughout the day...last year at the race I was having one of the worst days of my life, and this year I was having one of the best. I had never considered volunteering before, and was so thankful that out of an unfortunate situation came something that I've enjoyed so much....I'm a true believer of all things for a reason and I think I'm hooked on volunteering for races now! The other thing that became so apparent to me is how the race is such a community event...I love how running can bring so many people together from all walks of life.
finish line, i'll see you again next year!
Sunday, October 6, 2013
2013 - Week 40 Recap
Carpe diem. Today, the world is my oyster...Hubs was busy all day yesterday so I took the opportunity to get all the stuff I usually do on Sunday (weekly cooking, gobs of chores) done on Saturday, so today I'm gonna catch a little of what I like to call "Cindy Time". What to do, what to do...hee hee. We started off the day with a relaxed, leisurely run...it's a gorgeous, gorgeous warm Fall day here in Victoria...such a contrast to last week where we had our first storm of the season, with gale force winds and monsoon rains.
view from my deck as I sit here and blog...what an amazing day!
yep, still in my shorts and flip flops!
I sure as heck hope this amazing weather holds up next weekend...Goodlife Victoria Marathon is on, and the forecast isn't looking all that great, boo urns. I'm a volunteer machine for this race...I think I mentioned before that I got the thumbs up to hand out the medals at the marathon (I cannot wait!!) but I also volunteered to help out at the volunteer night, help set up the finish line the day before the race, and will be working the full race day. I'm so excited...it's a huge event for Victoria and it's going to be pretty cool to be a tiny little part of it. Will make sure I capture as much of the day(s) as I can so I can regale you with all of my volunteer hijinx. Heh.
WORKOUTS:
Sunday: strength/bike intervals
Oy vey, the intervals were hard. I mean, they're always hard but it took everything in me to keep going. The only word I can think to describe the workout was meh.
Monday: treadmill
My bootcamp buddy D was sick so I decided to stay home and work out...plus it was gale force winds and pouring rain too.
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: sick (booo!!)
Yup...now I know why I was feeling like such crap on Sunday. I was feeling bone achingly tired on Monday and really off on Tuesday, and had this weird scratchy throat for days...woke up Wednesday morning with an awful, awful headache and feeling achy all over...every time I stood up the area behind my eyes would just throb. No workout.
Thursday: rest
Friday: circuit
I was browsing around online to find some different class options now that our bootcamp is being cancelled for the winter, and came across this workout that looked really good so I decided to give it a go...
Kettlebell swing - 20
Pushups - 20
Goblet squat - 15
Push press - 20
Situps - 20
Burpees - 20
Walking lunges - 20 per leg
Bent over row - 10
Thrusters - 20
Side plank dips - 15 per side
Goal is to do as many rounds of this as possible in 45 minutes. Confession time...I only did two rounds because I was starving. It took me about 10 minutes per round and I was sweating bullets because it's pretty intense, but I looooooved it. Will try and see if I can work may way up to 4 rounds in 45 minutes.
Saturday: strength
FOOD:
Pretty good overall but I think I've been feeling carb-y lately and have been indulging too much in healthy snacks. Yes, whole grain crackers and hummus is healthy, but stuffing myself on them isn't the greatest. Also had a realization about how much sugar really affects me since we've cut back a lot on the sweets we eat. On Friday I threw all caution to the wind and had a soy pumpkin spice latte (with whip, people...egads!). I rarely ever order coffee drinks like this because I don't like drinking my calories, but I always have one per year because a friend and I used to go for these all the time, and when she moved away it became a ritual to email each other when we had our first one of the season. It was delicious, but later on that day my stomach puffed up like a balloon...I hadn't experienced this in ages since we started to eat clean...I would regularly get bloated and puffy because we were indulging ourselves in either salty or sugary foods. I decided to look up the nutritional information and I was honestly shocked...
Based on a grande size soy pumpkin spice latte with whip:
Calories - 350
Fat - 12 grams (5 grams saturated)
Cholesterol - 25 milligrams
Sodium - 230 grams
Protein - 13 grams
Sugar - 41 grams
Forty one grams of sugar!?! WTF?! There's four grams of sugar in one teaspoon, so in that one drink I had over TEN TEASPOONS OF SUGAR. No wonder I puffed up like a balloon...good thing I only have one of those per year.
RECIPES:
Sesame scented turkey meatballs with smashed chickpea salad, cauliflower pesto with linguine and a black bean ragout, all from the Smitten Kitchen cookbook. The black bean ragout didn't turn out...for some reason there was a lot of water for the amount of beans, so by the time it would have taken to get rid of all the liquid, the beans would have been mush so I decided to turn it into soup, which is still delish. Gotta roll with the punches!
Monday, September 30, 2013
2013 - Week 39 Recap
So it's probably not much of a surprise, but I'm a creature of habit...I like my routine, I like to know what's going on, I like having a schedule. Last week I got thrown a bit of a wrench...looks like the morning bootcamps I've been going to for the past five years are going to be cancelled for the winter. Not enough attendance and hard to find trainers to come out and teach at 5:30 a.m. While I totally and completely understand why the classes are being cancelled, I'm the kind of person that reacts better to having someone tell me what to do. Tell me to run hill after hill? I'm there. Ask me to do 50 pushups? Cool. Put me in a gym on my own? I'm a befuddled mess. So now that the PISE classes are no longer a go and morning bootcamp is out, I'm kind of in limbo as far as what the winter workout routine will be...long runs on weekends will still be key but other than that...well I guess the world is my oyster! And maybe this is an opportunity to try something new, right? I'm going to put this out there because...well, maybe if I put it out in the ether it might just happen....but I've been toying with the idea of trying crossfit. OK, there, I said it! A lot of folks at PISE are into it and a lot of our workouts were crossfit-esque and I loooved it...anyways, maybe one day I'll get up my nerve to enter a box and try it out.
WORKOUTS:
Sunday: Strength circuit
Monday: bootcamp
First bootcamp in almost three months! Felt great to be back...we did some hills and a circuit, and overall I was pretty pleased that my cardio hadn't suffered too much. Overall I felt pretty good but my hip felt a little achy afterwards. I had an appointment with my old physio, and she totally showed me some cool tricks to help keep my hip loose. As she was working on me, she felt that something was stopping me from activating my left glute...she says the glute muscle is there but it's not firing for some reason and my movement is restricted. It was amazingly cool...she released some of the fascia in my stomach (I do hold a lot of tension there) and immediately I could move so much better and was able to activate my glutes! I was actually stunned, it was crazy how much it helped. She seriously is amazing.
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: treadmill run
Thursday: rest
Friday: bootcamp
Hurray! Two bootcamps this week. Definitely took it easy and didn't push hard...can't believe how much I missed it, so a little bit sad that October will be the last month until likely some time in early 2014.
Saturday: 6K run outside
Farthest I've ran in months! Glute felt great but Mr. Left Hammy was feeling a bit tight so I walked a bit at the end to make sure I didn't overdo things. I was actually chuckling a bit on the run as I was thinking that two years ago, I was running 32K and not thinking that much of it...now I can barely do 6K. Darn injuries!
FOOD:
Overall, pretty good. I found I was super hungry this week and a bit crave-y, so had to get that under control.
RECIPES:
Chickpea burgers from Chloe's Kitchen
WORKOUTS:
Sunday: Strength circuit
Monday: bootcamp
First bootcamp in almost three months! Felt great to be back...we did some hills and a circuit, and overall I was pretty pleased that my cardio hadn't suffered too much. Overall I felt pretty good but my hip felt a little achy afterwards. I had an appointment with my old physio, and she totally showed me some cool tricks to help keep my hip loose. As she was working on me, she felt that something was stopping me from activating my left glute...she says the glute muscle is there but it's not firing for some reason and my movement is restricted. It was amazingly cool...she released some of the fascia in my stomach (I do hold a lot of tension there) and immediately I could move so much better and was able to activate my glutes! I was actually stunned, it was crazy how much it helped. She seriously is amazing.
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: treadmill run
Thursday: rest
Friday: bootcamp
Hurray! Two bootcamps this week. Definitely took it easy and didn't push hard...can't believe how much I missed it, so a little bit sad that October will be the last month until likely some time in early 2014.
Saturday: 6K run outside
Farthest I've ran in months! Glute felt great but Mr. Left Hammy was feeling a bit tight so I walked a bit at the end to make sure I didn't overdo things. I was actually chuckling a bit on the run as I was thinking that two years ago, I was running 32K and not thinking that much of it...now I can barely do 6K. Darn injuries!
FOOD:
Overall, pretty good. I found I was super hungry this week and a bit crave-y, so had to get that under control.
RECIPES:
Chickpea burgers from Chloe's Kitchen
Sunday, September 22, 2013
2013 - Week 38 Recap
Back in the saddle! I've been cleared by new physio guy to start increasing my distances by half a kilometre each run until I'm back at the usual distances that we do. I also got the green light to head back to bootcamp, so I'm going tomorrow to an early morning class out at Esquimalt Lagoon. Will for sure take it super easy and let my body get used to things again...not gonna lie, it's going to be hard to get up at 5am again, but do love starting off my day with a workout.
The amazing thing I've noticed is that ever since I've been working with my old physio again, I'm feeling less sore all over. I still have a couple of niggles I need to work on, but I used to absolutely ache all over, particularly my legs. I think getting my body in alignment and being super diligent with my stretching and rollering has been key...every night I spend at least half an hour with my best friends the foam roller, lacrosse ball and the rolling stick.
Oh! And some other exciting news...so I've mentioned a few times that I've been really enjoying working with weights, right? Well, I decided to sign up for a beginner lifting class at PISE called Raise the Bar...
Olympic Lifting is an extremely technical, demanding and rewarding form of strength training. Raise the Bar is your introduction to Olympic Lifting that starts with mastering 4 major lifts (Front Squats, Deadlifts, Bent-Over Row and Overhead Press) before transitioning into Olympic Lifting instruction. Working within a small group is essential for each participant to receive the personalized feedback required for safe progression through more advanced lifting techniques.
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! I'm super excited, but admittedly, I'm a little nervous...I signed up on my own, so won't know anyone in class...but I think because it's a small group, it will be fine. So why did I sign up for this? I've been wanting to do some barbell work for awhile because I actually have one at home that's sitting at home begging me to use it. Every time I pick up the dumbbells, I swear it whimpers a bit and lets out a lonely sigh...sob...lift me, nice lady? Never one to want to see good equipment go to waste, I jumped at the chance when I saw this class particularly because it goes through some fundamental lifts like the deadlift, which is a fantastic all around exercise that strengthens the whole body...I really want to make sure I learn the right technique to avoid injury and going to a small class with lots of personal instruction is perfect. Plus I really like PISE so want to continue to take some classes there and support the trainers and the great facility that they have there. Six sessions starting in November...the only bad part is that the class starts late at 8pm (this is around the time that I'm donning my pyjamas), but it's sorta good because then there will be less people around to witness my pathetic lifting technique. Heh.
WORKOUTS:
Sunday: strength
Monday: 30 mins treadmill run
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: 30 mins treadmill run
Thurs: rest
Friday: 30 mins treadmill run
Saturday: 5.5K run, 10 minute circuit
FOOD:
Pretty good overall. I was on a bit of a slide back on my week of vacation, but I was on vacation, man! Anyways, I strayed a bit that week but have been back on the clean eating train.
RECIPES:
Whole wheat pasta with lentils and leek from Gourmet Nutrition, Cumin Lime Quinoa salad and Tofu Quiche with Sundried Tomatoes, Mushrooms and Basil from Oh She Glows (the tofu quiche was fabulous, by the way!).
The amazing thing I've noticed is that ever since I've been working with my old physio again, I'm feeling less sore all over. I still have a couple of niggles I need to work on, but I used to absolutely ache all over, particularly my legs. I think getting my body in alignment and being super diligent with my stretching and rollering has been key...every night I spend at least half an hour with my best friends the foam roller, lacrosse ball and the rolling stick.
Oh! And some other exciting news...so I've mentioned a few times that I've been really enjoying working with weights, right? Well, I decided to sign up for a beginner lifting class at PISE called Raise the Bar...
Olympic Lifting is an extremely technical, demanding and rewarding form of strength training. Raise the Bar is your introduction to Olympic Lifting that starts with mastering 4 major lifts (Front Squats, Deadlifts, Bent-Over Row and Overhead Press) before transitioning into Olympic Lifting instruction. Working within a small group is essential for each participant to receive the personalized feedback required for safe progression through more advanced lifting techniques.
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! I'm super excited, but admittedly, I'm a little nervous...I signed up on my own, so won't know anyone in class...but I think because it's a small group, it will be fine. So why did I sign up for this? I've been wanting to do some barbell work for awhile because I actually have one at home that's sitting at home begging me to use it. Every time I pick up the dumbbells, I swear it whimpers a bit and lets out a lonely sigh...sob...lift me, nice lady? Never one to want to see good equipment go to waste, I jumped at the chance when I saw this class particularly because it goes through some fundamental lifts like the deadlift, which is a fantastic all around exercise that strengthens the whole body...I really want to make sure I learn the right technique to avoid injury and going to a small class with lots of personal instruction is perfect. Plus I really like PISE so want to continue to take some classes there and support the trainers and the great facility that they have there. Six sessions starting in November...the only bad part is that the class starts late at 8pm (this is around the time that I'm donning my pyjamas), but it's sorta good because then there will be less people around to witness my pathetic lifting technique. Heh.
yikes...what have I gotten myself into?!
WORKOUTS:
Sunday: strength
Monday: 30 mins treadmill run
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: 30 mins treadmill run
Thurs: rest
Friday: 30 mins treadmill run
Saturday: 5.5K run, 10 minute circuit
FOOD:
Pretty good overall. I was on a bit of a slide back on my week of vacation, but I was on vacation, man! Anyways, I strayed a bit that week but have been back on the clean eating train.
RECIPES:
Whole wheat pasta with lentils and leek from Gourmet Nutrition, Cumin Lime Quinoa salad and Tofu Quiche with Sundried Tomatoes, Mushrooms and Basil from Oh She Glows (the tofu quiche was fabulous, by the way!).
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Eating Clean: Final Thoughts
I can't believe it's been six months since we changed how we ate and started to eat clean! Man, time flies...I know, I say this over and over again, but it just blows my mind. Like seriously, it's going to be Christmas soon. Gack.
So yeah...it's been six months since we've changed how we ate and yep, we're still following the plan. After seeing Hubs' awesome results on his cholesterol levels, we are basically doing more of the same...cut way back on our meat and refined sugars, we eat tons of fish, veggies and fruits, whole grains and beans galore and cut way, way back on salt...I still, however, cannot get the man to drink water. Bah.
What have we noticed six months in? Well, a lot with Hubs. He doesn't get the afternoon crazy drop off like he used to get after eating lunch, and he's noticed a big difference in our runs and when he was playing hockey. He used to get easily gassed at hockey, but the first night he came home and said he felt fantastic and could keep up with the young bucks no problem. He was also getting these weird hives after his workouts, bad enough that he had to take antihistamines every time we'd run but he stopped taking them soon after we changed our diet.
With me, the biggest change has been the sodium. The hardest thing for me for sure, as I'm a total salt fiend...honestly, the saltier the better...like I was the kind of girl that would stick my finger in the bag of Doritos so I could get all the salty seasoning at the bottom of the bag. This is crazy...but I actually find a lot of foods too salty now.
Gasp.
I know! This is crazy! I actually kind of can't believe that I used to eat some of the stuff I did and don't know how I did it. I rarely season my food now, and cook with very little salt...I also buy all low sodium or no salt added foods. If I go to a restaurant to eat a meal, I'm almost always dying of thirst after. Take today for instance...I went out at lunch to get a soup and sandwich and ordered a cream of cauliflower soup. As I tucked into my lunch, I thought man, this soup is salty...I actually didn't really enjoy it but finished it off anyways (there are starving kids in Africa you know!) and felt sick all afternoon and have been guzzling water constantly since then. Blah. Same thing happened a few weeks ago when I opened up a bag of those Quaker rice chips...I had a few and thought holy crap this is salty and actually ended up throwing them out. I actually don't like how salty things make me feel now.
So...if a diehard saltaholic like me can change, anyone can make a change for the better. Eating clean might seem hard at first, but it's so worth it for your health and both Hubs and I are totally on the clean eating wagon. Yes...it's way more fun to have a monster mud pie or a burger and fries...and it's not like you can't do that stuff occasionally. Hubs and I still eat out and have our one cheat meal a week (not a full day of debaucherous eating like we did before) and we're still diehard foodies, but we're finding that we actually crave healthy food now. The other benefit to eating clean is that I used to be an avid food logger and calorie counter. I'm not against those things because they're great tools for losing weight, but I've found that if I concentrate on eating healthy foods most of the time (we all need to live a little!) and incorporate strength training into my workouts, I'm able to maintain a weight that I'm comfortable at fairly easily after a lifetime of struggling with my weight.
Eat healthy, lift something heavy and run a little...who woulda thunk.
So yeah...it's been six months since we've changed how we ate and yep, we're still following the plan. After seeing Hubs' awesome results on his cholesterol levels, we are basically doing more of the same...cut way back on our meat and refined sugars, we eat tons of fish, veggies and fruits, whole grains and beans galore and cut way, way back on salt...I still, however, cannot get the man to drink water. Bah.
What have we noticed six months in? Well, a lot with Hubs. He doesn't get the afternoon crazy drop off like he used to get after eating lunch, and he's noticed a big difference in our runs and when he was playing hockey. He used to get easily gassed at hockey, but the first night he came home and said he felt fantastic and could keep up with the young bucks no problem. He was also getting these weird hives after his workouts, bad enough that he had to take antihistamines every time we'd run but he stopped taking them soon after we changed our diet.
With me, the biggest change has been the sodium. The hardest thing for me for sure, as I'm a total salt fiend...honestly, the saltier the better...like I was the kind of girl that would stick my finger in the bag of Doritos so I could get all the salty seasoning at the bottom of the bag. This is crazy...but I actually find a lot of foods too salty now.
Gasp.
I know! This is crazy! I actually kind of can't believe that I used to eat some of the stuff I did and don't know how I did it. I rarely season my food now, and cook with very little salt...I also buy all low sodium or no salt added foods. If I go to a restaurant to eat a meal, I'm almost always dying of thirst after. Take today for instance...I went out at lunch to get a soup and sandwich and ordered a cream of cauliflower soup. As I tucked into my lunch, I thought man, this soup is salty...I actually didn't really enjoy it but finished it off anyways (there are starving kids in Africa you know!) and felt sick all afternoon and have been guzzling water constantly since then. Blah. Same thing happened a few weeks ago when I opened up a bag of those Quaker rice chips...I had a few and thought holy crap this is salty and actually ended up throwing them out. I actually don't like how salty things make me feel now.
So...if a diehard saltaholic like me can change, anyone can make a change for the better. Eating clean might seem hard at first, but it's so worth it for your health and both Hubs and I are totally on the clean eating wagon. Yes...it's way more fun to have a monster mud pie or a burger and fries...and it's not like you can't do that stuff occasionally. Hubs and I still eat out and have our one cheat meal a week (not a full day of debaucherous eating like we did before) and we're still diehard foodies, but we're finding that we actually crave healthy food now. The other benefit to eating clean is that I used to be an avid food logger and calorie counter. I'm not against those things because they're great tools for losing weight, but I've found that if I concentrate on eating healthy foods most of the time (we all need to live a little!) and incorporate strength training into my workouts, I'm able to maintain a weight that I'm comfortable at fairly easily after a lifetime of struggling with my weight.
Eat healthy, lift something heavy and run a little...who woulda thunk.
Friday, September 13, 2013
Catching Up
Oh hi!
Yes, I'm alive. I know, I know...it's been almost three weeks since I've posted anything but it's been crazy busy, honestly! We were on vaycay for a bit and then things haven't really slowed down until now and I'm finally getting some time to breathe.
So what's up, you ask? Let's see...let's start with my broken ass problem. OK, I'm going to tempt the exercise gods but I think...I think...that I'm finally on track and I'm on the mend. I'd just been having so many issues with the butt and hamstring strains, but the thing that was really bugging me was the constant niggles and issues that were happening with my back and neck. My back had been doing so well for so long and then it seemed like all of a sudden the wheels fell off the bus. Anyways...I've been back to see my "old" physio a few times...I really like my new guy but she just has so much more history with me (I think I've been seeing her for about five years) and knows me like the back of her hand. Plus the fact that I just plain old love her and think she's the most fabulous thing since sliced bread but I digress. She's a big believer in cranio-sacral therapy...I know some people may think it's a bunch of voodoo hokum, but this stuff works! At least for me. It was all light touches that I could barely feel, but voila...no neck pain or hip pain today! Well, I do have some residual achiness because she also brought out the needles (gah) and I have a few good sized bruises from some really tight spots she released.
I asked her if I should (for the next while anyways) do some more regular visits with her to keep on top of things once I'm all healed up...I was thinking about checking in once every two months to make sure I'm not getting tight in certain areas and opening myself up to injuries again...it's truly been frustrating to not be able to move my body like I want to. Because she knows my past history, she didn't feel all the craziness that's been happening was actually due to the workouts I was doing (hurray!) but that my bloody rotten desk job was the cause and being hypermobile doesn't help either. Things were probably starting to show up but I was probably ignoring the signs and pushed things too long (hence why I want to start going for maintenance check ins). She said that all the clients she has that have the multitude of issues and injuries that I do have desk jobs...as the cliche goes, it's all connected and tightness in one spot affects another and another and then blammo! You have a broken ass. Well hear me now...I'm lucky enough to have a standing desk at work but haven't been using it fully...I now vow to start working my way up to standing at least half the day and working on my posture because yes, I'm a serial sloucher and desk slumper. Hmmmm...I feel a 2014 goal coming on! I'm tired of having all these recurring issues and I'm committed to do whatever it takes to get things stay injury and issue-free.
As far as workouts go (no, I won't make you suffer through three weeks of detailed recaps...ha!), I've still been keeping at 'er and doing short runs (now up to 4K), strength work and circuits at home so I won't lose too much fitness. Sadly, the ladies I was training with at PISE aren't able to continue on for various reasons so I'm a little sad about that, but we did get a book of kickass workouts that I've been using, which has been awesome. I think if things start looking pretty good, I might start back one day at my other bootcamp and slowly add days until I'm back at it three days a week...I've been missing my good buddy D a lot.
Anyways, there you go. I'm still alive and kicking, and hoping things are back on track now so I won't be such a stranger.
Yes, I'm alive. I know, I know...it's been almost three weeks since I've posted anything but it's been crazy busy, honestly! We were on vaycay for a bit and then things haven't really slowed down until now and I'm finally getting some time to breathe.
So what's up, you ask? Let's see...let's start with my broken ass problem. OK, I'm going to tempt the exercise gods but I think...I think...that I'm finally on track and I'm on the mend. I'd just been having so many issues with the butt and hamstring strains, but the thing that was really bugging me was the constant niggles and issues that were happening with my back and neck. My back had been doing so well for so long and then it seemed like all of a sudden the wheels fell off the bus. Anyways...I've been back to see my "old" physio a few times...I really like my new guy but she just has so much more history with me (I think I've been seeing her for about five years) and knows me like the back of her hand. Plus the fact that I just plain old love her and think she's the most fabulous thing since sliced bread but I digress. She's a big believer in cranio-sacral therapy...I know some people may think it's a bunch of voodoo hokum, but this stuff works! At least for me. It was all light touches that I could barely feel, but voila...no neck pain or hip pain today! Well, I do have some residual achiness because she also brought out the needles (gah) and I have a few good sized bruises from some really tight spots she released.
I asked her if I should (for the next while anyways) do some more regular visits with her to keep on top of things once I'm all healed up...I was thinking about checking in once every two months to make sure I'm not getting tight in certain areas and opening myself up to injuries again...it's truly been frustrating to not be able to move my body like I want to. Because she knows my past history, she didn't feel all the craziness that's been happening was actually due to the workouts I was doing (hurray!) but that my bloody rotten desk job was the cause and being hypermobile doesn't help either. Things were probably starting to show up but I was probably ignoring the signs and pushed things too long (hence why I want to start going for maintenance check ins). She said that all the clients she has that have the multitude of issues and injuries that I do have desk jobs...as the cliche goes, it's all connected and tightness in one spot affects another and another and then blammo! You have a broken ass. Well hear me now...I'm lucky enough to have a standing desk at work but haven't been using it fully...I now vow to start working my way up to standing at least half the day and working on my posture because yes, I'm a serial sloucher and desk slumper. Hmmmm...I feel a 2014 goal coming on! I'm tired of having all these recurring issues and I'm committed to do whatever it takes to get things stay injury and issue-free.
As far as workouts go (no, I won't make you suffer through three weeks of detailed recaps...ha!), I've still been keeping at 'er and doing short runs (now up to 4K), strength work and circuits at home so I won't lose too much fitness. Sadly, the ladies I was training with at PISE aren't able to continue on for various reasons so I'm a little sad about that, but we did get a book of kickass workouts that I've been using, which has been awesome. I think if things start looking pretty good, I might start back one day at my other bootcamp and slowly add days until I'm back at it three days a week...I've been missing my good buddy D a lot.
Anyways, there you go. I'm still alive and kicking, and hoping things are back on track now so I won't be such a stranger.
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Foodie at the Finish Line
Yahooooieeeeeee!
I think my race volunteering gigs for the rest of the year are set...hurray! I gotta say, I've really enjoyed the races I volunteered at so far this year and think I'm going to continue this going forward. It's fun, I get to meet lots of cool people and I'm surrounded by runners...what could be better, I ask? OK, maybe being surrounded by Chippendale's dancers might be marginally better but it's pretty close. Hee hee.
So third race of the year is this weekend, Splash of Color, right here in little old Victoria! It's one of these colour runs that are super popular right now. I was going to sign up for it but thought nope...this is the Year of Volunteering, and I'm doing the Color Me Rad next year with D anyways so it's all good. I requested the finish line and because I was the very first little old volunteer, I got my wish so I'll be the crazy little Asian, throwing colours all over the runners. So excited!
Fourth race is also set as well I think...I got the heads up that I'll be at the finish line for the Goodlife Victoria this year too...I can't tell you how freaking excited I am, and the perfect ending to the Year of Volunteering! A few months ago I sent an email to the volunteer coordinator at the Goodlife Victoria...I have a friend on the organizing committee so worked that angle...it's not what you know but who you know, amirite?! Anyways, I told her how what happened to me last year made me realize how amazing the volunteers were and that I wanted to give back to the race and, if possible, could I pretty please with sugar on top be at the finish line? My friend was at a committee meeting last night and said that apparently they all remembered who I was (yep, the infamous 20K collapser, that's me!) and that I'd be at the finish line as requested...squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
So that's it. It looks like things are all set and I'll truly be Foodie at the Finish Line four times this year. Four times is the charm, right? Wink.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
2013 - Week 33 Recap
Can't hardly wait. Last two days until Hubs and I are off on vaycay for a week and I'm seriously dying here. It's been a busy summer and we're looking forward to some time off. What are we doing? Mostly stuff around the house and then we're spending a few days in the big smoke (Vancouver) and yes, we're going to some cool new restaurants so we may indulge a wee tiny bit, hee hee. And maybe some shopping too. Also using that time off to go pay a visit to my regular physio...we moved offices recently so when I broke my ass, I couldn't get in to see my regular person so booked somewhere else as it's right in the same complex I work in. Now don't get me wrong...I really like the new physio and think he's awesome, but all physios have different approaches and my regular physio has worked with me for years and got me through the marathon training in one piece and virtually injury free. I think there must be something going on bigger than all the crazy niggles I've been having issues with (now the right calf that's been bugging me since last December has flared up and is causing me some grief...seriously, when will this end?!) and my regular person has a holistic approach that seems to have worked in the past. All I want is to get better so I can get back at 'er...so far it's been broken ass, left inner thigh issue, Achilles heel injury, right calf niggle, wayward ribs and my lower back was bugging me because I had a vertebra out....I'm so ready for things to just feel good! Just gotta say, thank god for "Team Wong"...my RMT, physio(s) and chiro.
WORKOUTS:
Sunday: strength work
Monday: home circuit
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: 2K treadmill run
Back at it after hurting my left inner thigh. Overall felt OK but getting a bit of a pulling feeling at the back of the knee. Please do NOT be IT band syndrome...
Thursday: rest
Friday: intervals on stationery bike
Saturday: 3K treadmill run, strength work
FOOD:
Bang on except one indulgence that I must write about...anyone ever tried the Bavarian mustard pretzels from Starbucks?! Holy, these things are crazy delicious...it gave me a crazy stomach ache after I ate it but it was worth it.
RECIPES:
Nothing new this week. Dang.
WORKOUTS:
Sunday: strength work
Monday: home circuit
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: 2K treadmill run
Back at it after hurting my left inner thigh. Overall felt OK but getting a bit of a pulling feeling at the back of the knee. Please do NOT be IT band syndrome...
Thursday: rest
Friday: intervals on stationery bike
Saturday: 3K treadmill run, strength work
FOOD:
Bang on except one indulgence that I must write about...anyone ever tried the Bavarian mustard pretzels from Starbucks?! Holy, these things are crazy delicious...it gave me a crazy stomach ache after I ate it but it was worth it.
RECIPES:
Nothing new this week. Dang.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
2013 - Week 32 Recap
Perspective...sometimes that's all you need. This past weekend I went to Lake Cowichan to hang out with a group of friends I've known forever...met them when I was fifteen at my very first job as a grocery store cashier, so I'm talking close to thirty years here! We've gone through so much together and seen each other through so many phases of our lives...the crappy teenage years, the just-figuring-shizz-out twenties, the its-finally-getting-better thirties and now the I-think-I've-finally-figured-it-out-forties. Anyways...Hubs and I went up to hang out with these girlfriends and their spouses, and we had such a great time. As we hung out on the beach and spent time chatting around the campfire, I thought wow...how lucky am I to have such wonderful friends...like these are the types of friends that I would drop everything for if they needed me.
Then I got the news. One of the spouses was missing from the festivities, and I thought it was a bit odd but thought she couldn't make it up for work or something. Turns out she just got the diagnosis of breast cancer...when I heard that, my stomach dropped. As we sat around and talked about what was happening (thankfully the men were doing boy talk about RVs and fifth wheels), everyone started talking about their health issues and what was going on with them. As I sat and listened, I was so thankful that all I was dealing with right now was a broken ass and busted leg. Yes...ask me a week ago and I was having a pity party and wallowing in pissoffedness, but I'm not dealing with a diagnosis of cancer or other major health problems. Perspective, right? Truly, instead of waking up in the morning feeling grumpy or tired, I should be thankful and grateful every single day for what I'm blessed to have. Yep, gonna do that starting tomorrow along with sending healing vibes to my girlfriend.
WORKOUTS:
Sunday: 3K treadmill run, strength
Monday: 3K treadmill run
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: 3.5K treadmill run, strength
Second injury, grrr. Talked to Danya and she thinks possibly slightly torn adductor muscle, and gave me some ideas how to deal with it as my physio was away on vaycay.
Thursday: rest
Friday: rest
Saturday: home circuit
FOOD:
Stellar...up until Saturday when we went to the cabin. What happens at the cabin, stays at the cabin. Heh.
RECIPES:
Garden vegetable soup from Alton Brown and Israeli Couscous Salad with Smoked Paprika...the couscous is amazing. More than amazing actually! Trust me, try this one, a total winner....I would never steer you wrong when it comes to food.
Then I got the news. One of the spouses was missing from the festivities, and I thought it was a bit odd but thought she couldn't make it up for work or something. Turns out she just got the diagnosis of breast cancer...when I heard that, my stomach dropped. As we sat around and talked about what was happening (thankfully the men were doing boy talk about RVs and fifth wheels), everyone started talking about their health issues and what was going on with them. As I sat and listened, I was so thankful that all I was dealing with right now was a broken ass and busted leg. Yes...ask me a week ago and I was having a pity party and wallowing in pissoffedness, but I'm not dealing with a diagnosis of cancer or other major health problems. Perspective, right? Truly, instead of waking up in the morning feeling grumpy or tired, I should be thankful and grateful every single day for what I'm blessed to have. Yep, gonna do that starting tomorrow along with sending healing vibes to my girlfriend.
WORKOUTS:
Sunday: 3K treadmill run, strength
Monday: 3K treadmill run
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: 3.5K treadmill run, strength
Second injury, grrr. Talked to Danya and she thinks possibly slightly torn adductor muscle, and gave me some ideas how to deal with it as my physio was away on vaycay.
Thursday: rest
Friday: rest
Saturday: home circuit
FOOD:
Stellar...up until Saturday when we went to the cabin. What happens at the cabin, stays at the cabin. Heh.
RECIPES:
Garden vegetable soup from Alton Brown and Israeli Couscous Salad with Smoked Paprika...the couscous is amazing. More than amazing actually! Trust me, try this one, a total winner....I would never steer you wrong when it comes to food.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Two Steps Forward, One Step Back
Oh the humanity. So...remember how I just said that my butt was getting better? That it wasn't hurting on my runs? That things were looking up and I was feeling good? Yeah, not so much.
Yesterday I did an easy run on the treadmill and then decided to do 3 sets of 10 squats and lunges. Nothing crazy, no weights on either...done billions of squats and lunges in the past as they're a staple at bootcamp. Butt was feeling good, I was happy...and then on the last set of lunges, I felt a small twang in my left inner thigh. I stopped immediately and stretched it and tried again, and decided nope...better hold off and not push things. It didn't hurt like crazy like when I hurt my glute, but I thought I'd just better be careful and thought it was a niggle. Rollered and stretched as per my new routine.
This morning I get up and it feels OK. Maybe a bit tight but nothing too bad, it felt a bit sensitive to the touch but I wasn't in major pain or anything like I was the last time. I decided that to be on the safe side, I'd take a tensor bandage to work and ice it. Then I look and I've got a freakin' bruise on my inner thigh...I've strained another &#*$#(@ muscle.
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.
Sob. I feel like I'm taking two steps forward, one step back. OK, three steps back maybe is more like it! Is this a test from head office or something? I know a lot of people are dealing with way worse injuries than me, and it's comforting to read how other bloggers are fighting their way back from strains, pulls and fractures and are doing great. And really...first world problems, right? Way bigger fish to fry in the grand scheme of things. Just right now, I feel almost like I'm afraid to do anything because I'm worried about pulling something else...I'm almost scared to do any upper body stuff because if I strained my shoulder or something...well, may as well take me out back and put me out of my misery.
Yes, I'm frustrated. Yes, I'm pissed at myself. Yes, I had a bit of a pity party today. Exercise is a huge part of my life and basically my existence, so to not be able to do it really drives me crazy. Anyways...next steps...rest for a few days, stick to some easy upper body stuff (am not willing to risk any injuries!) and then go from there. And I guess I gotta look at the silver lining...butt feels awesome. Always gotta look at the bright side...this too, shall pass.
Yesterday I did an easy run on the treadmill and then decided to do 3 sets of 10 squats and lunges. Nothing crazy, no weights on either...done billions of squats and lunges in the past as they're a staple at bootcamp. Butt was feeling good, I was happy...and then on the last set of lunges, I felt a small twang in my left inner thigh. I stopped immediately and stretched it and tried again, and decided nope...better hold off and not push things. It didn't hurt like crazy like when I hurt my glute, but I thought I'd just better be careful and thought it was a niggle. Rollered and stretched as per my new routine.
This morning I get up and it feels OK. Maybe a bit tight but nothing too bad, it felt a bit sensitive to the touch but I wasn't in major pain or anything like I was the last time. I decided that to be on the safe side, I'd take a tensor bandage to work and ice it. Then I look and I've got a freakin' bruise on my inner thigh...I've strained another &#*$#(@ muscle.
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.
this is what i looked like today when i saw the bruise
Sob. I feel like I'm taking two steps forward, one step back. OK, three steps back maybe is more like it! Is this a test from head office or something? I know a lot of people are dealing with way worse injuries than me, and it's comforting to read how other bloggers are fighting their way back from strains, pulls and fractures and are doing great. And really...first world problems, right? Way bigger fish to fry in the grand scheme of things. Just right now, I feel almost like I'm afraid to do anything because I'm worried about pulling something else...I'm almost scared to do any upper body stuff because if I strained my shoulder or something...well, may as well take me out back and put me out of my misery.
Yes, I'm frustrated. Yes, I'm pissed at myself. Yes, I had a bit of a pity party today. Exercise is a huge part of my life and basically my existence, so to not be able to do it really drives me crazy. Anyways...next steps...rest for a few days, stick to some easy upper body stuff (am not willing to risk any injuries!) and then go from there. And I guess I gotta look at the silver lining...butt feels awesome. Always gotta look at the bright side...this too, shall pass.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
2013 - Week 31 Recap
It sure doesn't take long to lose fitness, I tell ya. This past Friday I got the green light from my physio to add in some lower body strength training and start lengthening the distances on my runs as things are looking pretty good with the old bum...wooohooo! So far, it doesn't feel like my cardio has suffered too much but not so with the strength side of things...I did 3 sets of 10 air squats and lunges to start on Sunday and I couldn't believe how sore I've been the past two days! I guess it's been almost a month since I hurt myself so I'll need some time to build things back up again slowly but surely...I don't want a repeat of this little incident ever again.
This whole broken ass thing really got to thinking though...over the past six months I've definitely asked a lot of my body but really haven't looked after it that well...mea culpa. I've been bad at stretching and rollering consistently and haven't been getting regular massages to keep things loose and limber, which I think has resulted in a lot of the issues I've been having with my ribs coming out of place more often than usual. Well, no more...I'm vowing to roller and stretch nightly and make regular appointments with my most amazing and fabulous RMT. "Niggles no more!" is my new motto.
WORKOUTS:
Sunday: home workout - hundreds
Yes, I like to torture myself...hundred pushups, situps, burpees and mountain climbers. I admit that I didn't do the jump in the burpees but once the butt is better, I'm there.
Monday: rest
Tuesday: 3K treadmill run
Wednesday: 3K treadmill run
Thursday: rest
Friday: intervals on stationary bike, chinups
Saturday: 3K run/circuit
Yay! Ran the full 3K with one walk break...glute felt great!
FOOD:
Bang on...yes!
RECIPES:
Arugula Salad with Penne, Chickpeas and Sundried Tomatoes (this was fantastic, highly recommend!) and the Fiesta Bean Salad from Skinnytaste and Quinoa Salad with Herbs and Sunflower Seeds from Canadian Living.
This whole broken ass thing really got to thinking though...over the past six months I've definitely asked a lot of my body but really haven't looked after it that well...mea culpa. I've been bad at stretching and rollering consistently and haven't been getting regular massages to keep things loose and limber, which I think has resulted in a lot of the issues I've been having with my ribs coming out of place more often than usual. Well, no more...I'm vowing to roller and stretch nightly and make regular appointments with my most amazing and fabulous RMT. "Niggles no more!" is my new motto.
WORKOUTS:
Sunday: home workout - hundreds
Yes, I like to torture myself...hundred pushups, situps, burpees and mountain climbers. I admit that I didn't do the jump in the burpees but once the butt is better, I'm there.
Monday: rest
Tuesday: 3K treadmill run
Wednesday: 3K treadmill run
Thursday: rest
Friday: intervals on stationary bike, chinups
Saturday: 3K run/circuit
Yay! Ran the full 3K with one walk break...glute felt great!
FOOD:
Bang on...yes!
RECIPES:
Arugula Salad with Penne, Chickpeas and Sundried Tomatoes (this was fantastic, highly recommend!) and the Fiesta Bean Salad from Skinnytaste and Quinoa Salad with Herbs and Sunflower Seeds from Canadian Living.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
2013 - Week 30 Recap
Recovery week! I took things pretty easy...a lot easier than what I had planned actually. I don't know what it was, but this week was fraught with issues. Mercury retrograde, anyone?
After a fairly successful first attempt at any kind of running in almost a month, my butt was a bit sore but overall not too bad. Success! I was pretty sore from Saturday's ladder workout so decided that most of the week would just be some easy running to get my butt and body back into the groove, so no crazy workouts were in the works...I've been having so many niggles that I figured my body deserved a rest after six months of hard workouts. Most of the week proceeded as planned until I woke up Thursday morning feeling sore and achy with a killer headache and silly me...I moved a bit too quickly out of bed and felt a click in my chest and a sharp pain in my ribs...oh great. By the time I got to work, I could feel that telltale tightening of my muscles that only happens when a rib comes out of place...again! Bah. Luckily after some rollering and stretching, I felt it click back into place...calamity avoided this time. The killer headache didn't go away though and soon I was sneezing with a runny nose...I proceeded to pound every single thing I could to avoid getting sick as this was our anniversary weekend, and there was no way I wasn't celebrating, ribs and cold be damned! Whatever I did, it worked because by the time Friday night rolled around, I felt much better...all systems go for anniversary weekend!
Now we all know bad things happen in threes, right? Sunday I went out in the garden to do some weeding and must have moved just so, and my lower back start to tense up and seize. It felt OK until I went to bed where it proceeded to ache no matter which way I slept...it bothered me so much that I ended up getting up multiple times in the middle of the night to roller and stretch...sorry Hubs. It's still bothering me today and making it hard to sit for too long. Seriously...am ready to trade this body in for a newer, younger and faster model. Taller would be good too, this five foot nothing business is for the birds.
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Anyways...thank goodness that week is over so onward and upward. Anniversary weekend was fantastic too...Hubs completely surprised me with a little giftie that got me a little verklempt (OK, a lot verklempt!) at the restaurant...
A wee pineapple for our mutual love of all things Hawaiian...happy tenth, honey...you are the best.
WORKOUTS:
Prepare to be underwhelmed folks...
Sunday: intervals on the bike
Monday: treadmill run
Two and a half kilometres doing 5 and 1's and then some chin-ups!
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: treadmill run
Three kilometres doing 5 and 1's.
Thursday: rest
Friday: rest
Just getting over feeling sickly so I took another rest day.
Saturday: 3K run/strength
First run outside in a month!! I can't tell you how awesome it felt to get out there. And I'm being such an angel and not pushing things too fast, right? Right?!
FOOD:
A few excesses here and there but none of it counted because it was my anniversary. Tee hee.
RECIPES:
Kale pesto from Fifty Shades of Kale. Awesome recipe, but warning to those with spouses...you'll both want to eat it as the amount of garlic in this would kill Dracula.
After a fairly successful first attempt at any kind of running in almost a month, my butt was a bit sore but overall not too bad. Success! I was pretty sore from Saturday's ladder workout so decided that most of the week would just be some easy running to get my butt and body back into the groove, so no crazy workouts were in the works...I've been having so many niggles that I figured my body deserved a rest after six months of hard workouts. Most of the week proceeded as planned until I woke up Thursday morning feeling sore and achy with a killer headache and silly me...I moved a bit too quickly out of bed and felt a click in my chest and a sharp pain in my ribs...oh great. By the time I got to work, I could feel that telltale tightening of my muscles that only happens when a rib comes out of place...again! Bah. Luckily after some rollering and stretching, I felt it click back into place...calamity avoided this time. The killer headache didn't go away though and soon I was sneezing with a runny nose...I proceeded to pound every single thing I could to avoid getting sick as this was our anniversary weekend, and there was no way I wasn't celebrating, ribs and cold be damned! Whatever I did, it worked because by the time Friday night rolled around, I felt much better...all systems go for anniversary weekend!
Now we all know bad things happen in threes, right? Sunday I went out in the garden to do some weeding and must have moved just so, and my lower back start to tense up and seize. It felt OK until I went to bed where it proceeded to ache no matter which way I slept...it bothered me so much that I ended up getting up multiple times in the middle of the night to roller and stretch...sorry Hubs. It's still bothering me today and making it hard to sit for too long. Seriously...am ready to trade this body in for a newer, younger and faster model. Taller would be good too, this five foot nothing business is for the birds.
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My constant companions, Ms. Tennis Ball and Mr. Foam Roller.
And yes, that's a fake palm tree in my office. What?
Anyways...thank goodness that week is over so onward and upward. Anniversary weekend was fantastic too...Hubs completely surprised me with a little giftie that got me a little verklempt (OK, a lot verklempt!) at the restaurant...
what a guy...
A wee pineapple for our mutual love of all things Hawaiian...happy tenth, honey...you are the best.
WORKOUTS:
Prepare to be underwhelmed folks...
Sunday: intervals on the bike
Monday: treadmill run
Two and a half kilometres doing 5 and 1's and then some chin-ups!
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: treadmill run
Three kilometres doing 5 and 1's.
Thursday: rest
Friday: rest
Just getting over feeling sickly so I took another rest day.
Saturday: 3K run/strength
First run outside in a month!! I can't tell you how awesome it felt to get out there. And I'm being such an angel and not pushing things too fast, right? Right?!
FOOD:
A few excesses here and there but none of it counted because it was my anniversary. Tee hee.
RECIPES:
Kale pesto from Fifty Shades of Kale. Awesome recipe, but warning to those with spouses...you'll both want to eat it as the amount of garlic in this would kill Dracula.
Monday, July 22, 2013
I Ran
I couldn't resist but add a little bit of a retro kick to today's post. Yep, you got it baby, Flock of Seagulls! I'm an 80's child, what can I say? And the title? So fitting.
Yep, I ran...but I didn't run so far away. But I'll take it! I had my physio appointment today for my weekly check in and good news...I got the green light to start running again. Wahoooie! My physio said that he could tell I was doing my homework (yes, I'm puffing my chest out proudly as I type) and that my glutes are way stronger than they were when I first went in to see him. My hip and muscles have also loosened up considerably, thanks to tons of rollering and some very intense (in other words, super painful) work with a tennis ball. I have to go slow and build back up again a bit at a time, starting off with two to three kilometres running 5 and 1's, building up to a half hour of running and then go from there. Anxious to get at 'er, I raced home and jumped on the treadmill...I admit, it took all my willpower to not keep going but I ran 2K doing 5 and 1s as prescribed and I stopped. And...drumroll please...butt is feeling pretty good! So I'm hopeful I'm on the mend. I'm back to see him in two weeks, and then we'll see if I can start adding back lunges and squats and then hopefully I'll get the all clear. So I've got a bit of a ways to go to be fully recovered, but I'm gettin' there.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
2013 - Week 28/29 Recap
OK, my broken ass is pissing me off. I know, I know...people get injured all the time and I've been able to continue to exercise so I haven't turned into a total couch potato, but there's nothing that replaces that feeling of hitting the wide open road and just giving 'er. I haven't quite hit the "feeling sorry for myself" stage quite yet, more the "wish this would just effing heal so I can get on with it" kinda feeling. I think I haven't quite fallen into the depths of despair because I've been able to continue to work out even if I'm not able to run so I'm not getting too cagey, thank goodness...but it still kinda sucks. Anyways, not rushing it and just being patient. If my foam roller was my best friend before, that thing is now glued to me at the hip figuratively and literally...I've been rollering every day and faithfully doing my rehab exercises. I've even been rollering my butt at work when things feel tight from too much sitting! Anyways, I won't bore you with all the gory details of Week 28, but I did mostly intervals on the bike to keep my cardio up, PISE classes with modifications, and some home workouts. No bootcamps as it's a lot of running and hill sprints with scads of squat, lunges and burpees...not what the ol' butt needs right now! Anyhoo, on to Week 29.
WORKOUTS:
Sunday: intervals
Doing intervals of 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off on the stationary bike. Yup, it's a total sweatfest and I'm just dripping in sweat after!
Monday: PISE
Le sigh. I may have pushed myself a teeny bit harder than I should have at class...I thought some bodyweight squats would have been OK but apparently not. Butt was feeling tight and sore the next day. Blah.
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: PISE
Sob...last class at PISE for the summer! I can't believe it's been six months since we started these sessions and I'm so, so happy that I've been fortunate enough to be part of this group. I've discovered I love strength training and want to do more of it in the future...I've always been way more cardio-focussed so am really happy that I've managed to build up my strength so things are more balanced. I've learned a lot about proper form and have tons of exercise routines from all the workouts we've done so I'll continue on with these while we're off for the summer. The ladies are all super gung ho for another round starting in late August/September and I'm so signing up for sure! This week coming up I'm going to take it a bit easy on the workouts...I think because I've been going at things pretty hard core for the last six months and I'm facing some niggles, so a little extra rest is in order starting with a massage Friday night. Yesss.
Thursday: rest
Friday: intervals
More bike intervals in the morning. These things are not easy in the morning when I'm barely half awake.
Saturday: home workout
Hubs went for a run while I went downstairs and did a ladder workout that we did at PISE, working from ten to one on the following exercises:
Bent over row
Glute bridge
Push press
Mountain climbers
Situps
Shoulder press
Pushups
Stability ball roll-ins
Renegade row
Burpees (chest to floor but no jump...NOT risking it!)
I adapted all the lower body stuff to upper or core, and man...my upper body is really feeling it today, oooch.
FOOD:
A few naughty things leapt into my mouth this week. Being better this week for sure, but it's my tenth wedding anniversary this upcoming weekend so I'm throwing all caution and better judgement to the wind and definitely something celebratory will be had!
RECIPES:
Huh. I didn't make anything new and exciting this week. Rats.
WORKOUTS:
Sunday: intervals
Doing intervals of 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off on the stationary bike. Yup, it's a total sweatfest and I'm just dripping in sweat after!
Monday: PISE
Le sigh. I may have pushed myself a teeny bit harder than I should have at class...I thought some bodyweight squats would have been OK but apparently not. Butt was feeling tight and sore the next day. Blah.
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: PISE
Sob...last class at PISE for the summer! I can't believe it's been six months since we started these sessions and I'm so, so happy that I've been fortunate enough to be part of this group. I've discovered I love strength training and want to do more of it in the future...I've always been way more cardio-focussed so am really happy that I've managed to build up my strength so things are more balanced. I've learned a lot about proper form and have tons of exercise routines from all the workouts we've done so I'll continue on with these while we're off for the summer. The ladies are all super gung ho for another round starting in late August/September and I'm so signing up for sure! This week coming up I'm going to take it a bit easy on the workouts...I think because I've been going at things pretty hard core for the last six months and I'm facing some niggles, so a little extra rest is in order starting with a massage Friday night. Yesss.
Thursday: rest
Friday: intervals
More bike intervals in the morning. These things are not easy in the morning when I'm barely half awake.
Saturday: home workout
Hubs went for a run while I went downstairs and did a ladder workout that we did at PISE, working from ten to one on the following exercises:
Bent over row
Glute bridge
Push press
Mountain climbers
Situps
Shoulder press
Pushups
Stability ball roll-ins
Renegade row
Burpees (chest to floor but no jump...NOT risking it!)
I adapted all the lower body stuff to upper or core, and man...my upper body is really feeling it today, oooch.
FOOD:
A few naughty things leapt into my mouth this week. Being better this week for sure, but it's my tenth wedding anniversary this upcoming weekend so I'm throwing all caution and better judgement to the wind and definitely something celebratory will be had!
RECIPES:
Huh. I didn't make anything new and exciting this week. Rats.
Monday, July 15, 2013
Why I Run Long Distances by The Oatmeal
I've loved the comic "The Oatmeal" for ages...hilarious, honest and a bit crude (OK, a lot crude), he's been quite often the source of those kinds of laughing fits where my stomach hurts, I can't breathe and my vision is blurry because I'm crying so hard. Anyways...his latest comic is about why he runs...he's done the full range of races, all the way from 5Ks to ultramarathons, and he talks about all the terrible and wonderful reasons of why he runs long distances. It's a five part series (seriously, you'll want to read them all), so if you're a runner...this is a must read. For those of you who know and love us runners, it'll give some insight on why we lace up our shoes and choose to run 26.2 miles and train for hours during the hot blazing summer. I won't spoil it, but his reasons for why he runs are bang on to how I feel.
So go here to read it. Go quickly, go now. Oh, and to the Oatmeal? I love you.
So go here to read it. Go quickly, go now. Oh, and to the Oatmeal? I love you.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Achy Breaky...Body?
Have I completely dated myself? OK I admit...I hated...no, I despised this song when it came out way back when but it seemed like a good segueway into this post. First...the song is old, like me. A hit back in 1992, I was a young lass of 23 back when Billy Ray sang about his achy breaky heart. Hubs and I started dating in 1992 when I was young and carefree without a worry in the world. So fast forward now 21 years later and honestly...lately I'm feeling every millisecond of the past 44 years, I swear! This leads me to the achy breaky part...does anyone else ever feel like they're a million years old some days? Lately I've so been feeling my age...I don't recover from workouts as fast as I used to, and I seem to be dealing with a lot of niggles lately...my broken ass, a vaguely unhappy Achilles (I still don't regret helping that lady!), and I had another couple of ribs that were out and bugging me last week. Quite often I wake up feeling sore especially after a hard class, but sometimes I wonder if this is normal or it's just me because I'm as old as dirt (OK, maybe I'm not that old, but I sure feel like I am). For instance, this morning...I woke up and felt soooo tired and had little muscle twinges and twangs everywhere. Anyways...I think over the next while I'm going to really make sure I up the self care on my body/muscles, and possibly treat myself to a few good massages to help with my rib issues and keep my muscles loose and limber. Oh and possibly take up line dancing as a new workout...uh, NOT. Ha!
Sunday, July 7, 2013
2013 - Week 27 Recap
Looooove Sunday afternoons...mornings are always a blur of cooking, laundry, cleaning and other domestic duties, and then once I'm done it's me and glass of something (lately it's been wine) hanging out and spending some quality time together.
Recap this week is going to be short...I went to the physiotherapist last week to see what was up with that whole butt cheek thing that happened last Friday...I don't mess around with injuries and figure if something hurts, it's your body's way of saying "what the eff, man?!". Anyways...it's confirmed that my ass is indeed broken. My left glute muscle is weak and not doing what it should so the piriformis was doing all the work and finally decided to give me the finger and go on strike. At first the physio said I could do a short run around 5K-ish, but then decided nope...he wanted me to give my butt some more rest so no running, lunges or squats for the next week until I go back to see him again. He gave me some exercises to do because, in his words, he wanted me to have "buns of steel"...he had me clench my butt cheeks and apparently the left one didn't even engage, lazy thing. Anyways, he gave me some ultrasound and did some acupuncture, which was actually pretty funny...I'm used to being in various stages of dress with practitioners and don't even bat an eyelash, but he kept apologizing the whole time while he worked on my exposed butt. Buddy, you can do whatever you want if it means I can continue to work out pain and injury free! Ha.
WORKOUTS:
Sunday: rest
Monday: home workout
So even though I have a broken ass, it doesn't mean I can't exercise so I've been going back to old workouts that I've done with Josh that were mostly upper body. Pretty soon I'm going to have no neck with the amount of pushups and stuff I'm doing. Look out, Incredible Hulk!
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: home workout
I had emailed Danya to tell her my story of woe and asked for an alternative workout to do in the meantime. Butt was feeling better so I was able to get on the stationary bike and do some intervals.
Thursday: rest
Friday: home workout
Saturday: home workout
FOOD:
Bang on again, go me!
RECIPES:
Mushroom and rice "meatloaf" from Mouthwatering Vegan.
Recap this week is going to be short...I went to the physiotherapist last week to see what was up with that whole butt cheek thing that happened last Friday...I don't mess around with injuries and figure if something hurts, it's your body's way of saying "what the eff, man?!". Anyways...it's confirmed that my ass is indeed broken. My left glute muscle is weak and not doing what it should so the piriformis was doing all the work and finally decided to give me the finger and go on strike. At first the physio said I could do a short run around 5K-ish, but then decided nope...he wanted me to give my butt some more rest so no running, lunges or squats for the next week until I go back to see him again. He gave me some exercises to do because, in his words, he wanted me to have "buns of steel"...he had me clench my butt cheeks and apparently the left one didn't even engage, lazy thing. Anyways, he gave me some ultrasound and did some acupuncture, which was actually pretty funny...I'm used to being in various stages of dress with practitioners and don't even bat an eyelash, but he kept apologizing the whole time while he worked on my exposed butt. Buddy, you can do whatever you want if it means I can continue to work out pain and injury free! Ha.
WORKOUTS:
Sunday: rest
Monday: home workout
So even though I have a broken ass, it doesn't mean I can't exercise so I've been going back to old workouts that I've done with Josh that were mostly upper body. Pretty soon I'm going to have no neck with the amount of pushups and stuff I'm doing. Look out, Incredible Hulk!
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: home workout
I had emailed Danya to tell her my story of woe and asked for an alternative workout to do in the meantime. Butt was feeling better so I was able to get on the stationary bike and do some intervals.
Thursday: rest
Friday: home workout
Saturday: home workout
FOOD:
Bang on again, go me!
RECIPES:
Mushroom and rice "meatloaf" from Mouthwatering Vegan.
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