You are currently browsing the monthly archive for August, 2007.
OMG, we’re nearly into September already….how frightenting that the year has just flown by 
I’ve not done any kind of exercise for the last couple of days. My excuse this morning was just plain tiredness. Alana decided that she wanted to come and jump into our bed at 3.30 this morning as she was scared of the wind. Now I don’t mind her getting into our bed, but when I then can’t get back to sleep because of the wind and the fact that she is a bit of a mover and a shaker in the bed then I get grumpy. When the alarm went off at 5.45am I turned it off and it was only then that I went back to sleep 
Yesterday I didn’t even bother setting the alarm. I knew when I went to bed that I wanted to have a sleep in so decided that it would be my rest day.
My shins are feeling a bit better today. I’ve been trying to remember to ice and then rub the Comfrey cream in and have been fairly successful, but not really diligent enough. Will try a light run on the treadmill in the morning and see how they feel.
I decided to sign up for the Bootcamp. It doesn’t start until the beginning of October so hopefully I’ll be fully recovered by then (thanks for your concern though JoJo 
)
Talking of wind, I was sure that our huge gum tree in the back yard was going to fall down last night as the wind was just howling. I did manage to sleep through most of it until Alana woke me up though!!
This tree lost a few branches though:
And here’s another lovely sunset from Monday night:
Exercise: 30 Min Walk - Treadmill, 10 Minute Ski Machine Thingy!!, Situps
Whenever Hubby is out playing squash of an evening I tend to stay up later than normal, mainly wiling the time away on the computer, so of course this means that I get to bed late and then don’t really feel like getting up to go to the gym in the morning
This morning was no exception, however I was eager for another run on the treadmill, and even though I turned the alarm off before it was supposed to go off, and had every intention of going back to sleep, I got out of bed instead (mainly ‘cos I had to go to the loo!!).
I knew as soon as I started walking on the treadmill to warm up, that I wasn’t going to be able to run, as my shins started to hurt. Not good 
Might have to cut back on the running for a little while, well, at least until these shins stop hurting!!
Now is anyone else addicted to Facebook? I’m really having alot of fun with it and I’ve found tons of old work friends through it as well. And the best bit is playing Scrabble, so if anyone is on and you want to add me as your friend, just send me a PM or an email with your name and I’ll see if I can find you. And I’m always up for a game of Scrabble
Alana’s Quote: “Oh that’s devastating!”
Exercise: 15 Min HIIT Session - Crosstrainer, Circuit, Abs
I really, really wanted to run on the treadmill again this morning, but the physio had advised that I should have a day’s break inbetween running and do something different, so the cross trainer called to me instead.
I wanted to do a longer circuit but I ran out of energy really quickly. Looking back on last night’s dinner, I ate enough to give me enough fuel to get through a workout, but it just wasn’t happening. I jumped on the spin bike and cranked the tension up a bit, but I didn’t even have enough energy to do more than 5 minutes, and hopped off after that 
At least the stomach muscles got a good workout, although I couldn’t even get a 60 second plank done today
Went and saw the physio this afternoon so he could check on the calf now that I’ve started running. Am happy to report that he’s given me the thumbs up and reckons it’s pretty much healed now, but I still need to build up my distance and speed slowly (I’m sure I’ve heard that somewhere before 
). He did suggest varying my training though and not doing the same thing 2 days in a row. I will happily oblige knowing that I can run again
A question for you all (especially Kathy as she attends Fernwood too). They are advertising a “Miss Military Bootcamp” at the beginning of October for 8 weeks, twice a week. It’ll be at the footy oval across the road from the gym, and there are two sessions, one at 6am and another at 6.30pm, which gives people the choice of when they can make it. The only thing stopping me from signing up is that it’s going to cost $15 per session, which means that if I sign up for the full 8 weeks, at 2 sessions per week, I’m going to have to fork out $240. Is it excessive to charge this on top of the $40 a fortnight that I already pay for memebership? Should it not already be included as an additional part of the membership? What do you all think?
Alana’s Quote: “Yes but I’m already competent at doing that!”
Exercise: 45 min Run/Walk - Treadmill (7’s Blue)
My calf is feeling really good now. There’s no niggles whatsoever
I felt good running on the treadmill and probably could have carried on for a while longer but I thought I’d try and not push it too hard for the next week or so.
Unfortunately my shins are still a little tender, and pushing on them is quite painful
I went and saw CV at lunchtime today and they are now feeling much better. I’m sure I could hear her whispering “shin splints, shin splints”, although she didn’t say it out loud!! I will try and remember to ice them tonight and tomorrow morning before I go to work, although I barely have enough time to do everything that has to be done before work, but I’ll just have to make time somehow. May just need to take the ice stick to work with me and do it there.
Now most anyone who knows me, knows that I have a pretty good appetite when it comes to food and rarely leave anything on my plate. However I’ve been done over by a Chicken Ceaser Salad. I went to Daiseys on Friday night and the Chicken Ceaser Salad that I ordered wasn’t so much massive (although it was in a very big bowl) but it was absolutely chocabloc full of bacon, parmesan cheese and croutons, along with the chicken and lettuce. I will be going back there soon for another one, it was that good
I am a very proud mother right now. Alana is reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I’m not sure if I was reading at this level when I was her age but it puts a big smile on my face to see her sitting there with this huge book in front of her. She has also picked up the recorder very quickly and knows all the notes without having to look at the page
Alana’s Quote: “Mum, what’s a soul?” (try answering that one!!)
Exercise: 7km Run/Walk - MMCT (7’s Yellow)
Oh what a great feeling - to be out again running with my bestest buddy
I met Michelle at 7am for a gentle stroll along MMCT. Had set Gav so that he beeped after 5 mins and then again after 2 mins, so in effect I was running for 5 minutes and walking for 2. No problems with the calf at all
However my shins are a bit sore still. I did ice them when I got home with my icer thingy that I’d bought a few weeks ago and have never used I’m seeing CV on Monday so I’m hoping that she’s going to do some magic on them and make them all better
I’m betting that there are going to be a few sunburnt people at work on Monday. The weather today was gorgeous and I managed to get out in the garden and pull some weeds. I’m gradually working my way down the back yard, clearing the weeds. I’m about a quarter of the way through and the big weeds are yet to come.
Have decided that this Spring I’m going to plant as many plants in the garden as possible so that there’s no room for weeds to come through!! Might face the weekend crowds and take a stroll through Bunnings tomorrow
Exercise: 30 Min Walk/Run - Treadmill, 10 Min HIIT - Cross Trainer, Core (7’s Blue)
So I stepped on the treadmill with a great deal of both excitement and trepidation this morning. All these thoughts going through my head - was it going to hurt, am I going to damage it again, how long will I be able to run before it starts to hurt!!
I did a 5 minute walking warm up, gradually building up the speed. Then I stopped and stretched for a minute or so, then gingerly upped the pace to 8kph. What would normally feel like a very slow pace didn’t feel so slow today. I jogged happily for 5 minutes, feeling no pain in the calf at all, then stopped again and stretched. Did a 2 minute walk and then upped the speed to 9kph. Another 5 minutes and still no pain Repeated this process again and then decided that 30 minutes was plenty for my first time back.
There’s a small niggle in my shins still, so I’m hoping that when I go and see my MT on Monday she’ll be able work the niggle out and stop them hurting. I’m applying Arnica cream to the shins and Comfrey cream to the calf so hopefully with all of the extra attention they’re getting, it’ll all sort itself out soon
Oh yeah, managed to do two 60 second planks too!! (way too many 2’s in that sentence!!)
I stopped at McDonalds this morning to pick up a Latte on the way to work. I was quite disturbed to see quite a few children sitting down eating breakfast there. I don’t understand why a parent would bring a child to McDonalds for breakfast rather than feeding them something much better for them at home. I really couldn’t see anything that was healthy or nutritious on the breakfast menu.
We are in for a fantastic weekend of weather so I’m hoping to be able to get out in the garden and pull some more of those weeds out. They seem to have just appeared overnight. This summer I am determined to actually do some serious work in the garden, so that it isn’t so much hard work over the winter. I just need to find where I put my green thumbs now
I’m allowed to run
I went to the Physio this morning and he had a bit of a feel of the calf then decided it was time to try a light jog on the treadmill after some calf raises and 5 minutes of walking warm up. And the didn’t hurt at all once I was running.
The Physio had left me in their rehab room with all the equipment and told me to do all the stuff above, then come back into the main room once I’d finished. I was so tempted to keep on running after the 5 minutes was up as it felt great, but then thought that I’d better not push it otherwise I might just do damage again.
He then hooked me up to this machine that has 4 cups attached and stuck them on my calf. I nearly hit the roof when he turned the machine on. It felt like tiny bolts of lightning were being frazzled into my calf. Seems that it makes the nerves do all sorts of weird things and makes the muscle work without doing anything. I had to leave it on for 10 minutes and it actually didn’t feel too bad after a little while, in fact I almost dozed off while he went to finish up with another patient.
Okay, so I’m allowed to run in 5 minute intervals - actually he told me I had to shuffle more than run. Nothing too hard, but also not too slow that it doesn’t feel comfortable. So tomorrow I’m on that treadmill at 6am
Now I have to ask - is it normal for a Physio to be seeing 3 patients at once? As I walked into the main room (which has about 6 beds in various places, some with curtains and some without) he was already seeing a lady who looked like she had some device on her leg. So he then does the feely bit with me and sends me over to the Rehab area. Then when I walk back into the main room once I’m finished on the treadmill, the lady with the bung leg is sitting on the edge of the bed, waiting for him it looks like, and he’s talking to another person in another cubicle. So I have to wait for him to finish chatting, which takes at least 15 minutes, as does the lady!! Just seems a bit much to me!
I had yesterday off work as Alana was full of cold and really needed to be at home, not infecting everyone else at school. This gave me the opportunity to have a bit of a spring clean. I managed to get the lawns mowed, did a bit of gardening, got all the washing out on the line, dried and brought back in again. Even managed to put it all away apart from the stuff that needs ironing, and I chucked the vacuum cleaner around the house too. I actually felt like I’d had a very productive day for a change
Now all I need to do is put some stuff on Ebay, which I took photos of yesterday but didn’t get time to upload, and do all the ironing that I created from washing all the clothes. It’s nice to look forward to a weekend without having to clean and wash and iron
Exercise: 30 Min Power Walk - Treadmill, Situps (7’s Yellow)
Another one of those mornings where I laid in bed for 5 minutes after the alarm went off contemplating whether I wanted to get out of bed or not. The funny thing is that I wanted to go to the gym, but I just didn’t want to get out of my nice warm comfortable bed
I’m not happy. My shins are hurting. No idea why as I’ve done nothing to aggravate them. I mean it’s not like I’ve been running or anything. They started hurting on Saturday morning, after being out on Friday night. I just can’t remember doing anything that would have caused them to be sore…..unless Jo Jo kicked me and I don’t remember it
Is anyone out there experienced with cutting, splicing and putting certain bits of music together? I want to use it for my HIIT training so that I’ve got 8 seconds of fast, high energy stuff, followed by 12 seconds of recovery music. I’ve got a program on my PC but it just all seems too hard Any help greatly appreciated
Exercise: 45 Mins Power Walk - Treadmill, Core Work
Okay, I’ve just had a huge realisation….they’ve taken Chocettes off the shelves They’ve also taken them off the Cadbury Website. Why would they stop making them? They are one of the best chocolates, if you have to eat chocolate
I ended up going to bed at 9pm last night. I did try to read for a while, but fell asleep while reading I got woken up about 45 mins later by an urgent phone call, so didn’t get back to bed for another hour. Of course when the alarm went off at 5.45am I was not getting up for anything. However, 5 minutes later I hadn’t fallen back to sleep, so instead of just laying in bed watching the clock, got up and went to the gym. I even surprised myself by going
My plank was a 60 second one this morning
Saw an article about the Yarra Ranges shire extending the Warburton Trail to Healesville. It’ll be called the Yarra Valley Rail Trail How cool will this trail be if it does go ahead.
Exercise: 34km Bike Ride - Bellarine Rail Trail
Ah yes, hasn’t this event come around quickly. It only seems like last week that I did the same ride with Michelle who was running the 34km. How time flies when you’re having fun.
Eat Em picked me up at 5.30am, which meant that my alarm went off at 5am To say that I was half awake was an understatement. My bike fitted in Eat Em’s car very nicely though. Just needed to take the front wheel off. Tiger Boy met us at my place and then we went over to Michelles and picked her up too.
A word of advice - do not EVER buy coffee from McDonalds drive thru, you know that Pronto stuff - YUK!! How they can call it Latte is a joke. It tasted disgusting - Bleugh!!
Made it down to Geelong with time to wander over to the toilets in the showgrounds. I must make it a priorty to come down to Geelong one Sunday so that we can browse through the market. There were some real bargains to be had. Celeste I thought of you when I saw one of those Balaklavas that the bandits wear when they’re holding up a place - you know the ones where there are holes for the eyes, nose and mouth And at $4 I thought it was a real steal (get it!!)
It certainly wasn’t as cold this year as it was last year and there seemed to be alot more people too.
The trail was quite dry, with just a few puddles in places. Michelle, as usual, did really well and ran the 34km in 3 hr 26min. And for anyone who hasn’t done the trail, the toilets are at 16km, not 13km Needless to say, Michelle’s splits were a bit quicker between 12 and 16km
This is where you get a first glimpse of the ocean
And we were just in time to see one of the steam trains coming out of Queenscliff station
I really enjoyed myself today, and it was wonderful to catch up with Chilliman, Sam and Steve. I am very tired now though as I didn’t go to bed as early as I’d hoped last night and my lack of sleep is catching up with me. I’ll just watch Austalian Idol and then toodle off to bed!!
Exercise: 1 Hr Power Walk (7’s Yellow)
Was out partying last night - had a great time with Jo Jo….I’ve found someone who can drink as much as me - in fact I think she might be able to drink me under the table
Got to bed really late, and then a text message woke me up at about 8.15am. Of course I couldn’t get back to sleep after that and was tossing and turning in the bed, so rather than keep waking Hubby up decided to go out for a power walk. This is where I ended up - I’m sure there are many people who travel this path often
I looked out for anyone who might be recognisable, but alas, I could see no familiar faces
Loads of people out exercising, and the river was very busy with rowers too.
Kathy tagged me…
Jobs I’ve Held: Receptionist, Telex Operator, Purchasing Officer, Customer Service Manager, Administrator (many varying roles), PA
Movies I Can Watch Over & Over: Meet Joe Black, Top Gun, Dirty Dancing, Bridget Jones Diary The Big Blue
My Guilty Pleasures: Expensive Perfume, Trainers, Wasting the day reading a whole book!
Places I have lived (in order): Nowrich UK, Ipswich UK, Clayton, Croydon, Kilsyth, Wantirna, Rowville, Chirnside Park, Bayswater, Lilydale, Redland Bay, Oxenford, Carrara, Tuggeranong, East Ringwood, Reading UK, Godalming UK, Woking UK, Guildford UK, Bisley UK, Kilsyth, North Croydon (phew, what a little wanderer I’ve been!!)
Shows I enjoy: Big Brother, Ugly Betty, Australian Idol, Border Security, Top Gear, Biggest Loser, Getaway and other travel shows
Places I Have Been on Holiday: Queenstown NZ, Nice, Frejus, Paris, Ibiza, Alicante, Avignon, Cornwall, Edinburgh, Blackpool, Noosa, Echuca, Sydney, Gold Coast, Phillip Island, Wilsons Prom, Adelaide, Eildon,
Favorite Foods: Roast Potatoes, Chocolate, Hawaiian Pizza, Kettle Chips, (I could carry on!!)
Websites I Visit Daily: Ausrun Forum, Bloglines, everyone’s blogs, BOM
Body Parts I Have Injured: Hip, Knee, Calf (never broken a bone…yet!!)
Awards I’ve Won: Karate trophies, swimming awards, Netball trophies
Nicknames You’ve Been Called: JK, JB, JJ, J
Exercise: Weights, Core
Okay, I admit it, last night before I went to sleep I was really half hearted about wanting to get out of bed and go to the gym this morning. Don’t get me wrong, I still got all my gym gear laid out and set the alarm, but in the back of my head I had already given myself the option of not getting up and going because I was going to bed really late (it was about midnight when I turned off the light).
For some reason I actually woke up before the alarm went off. I was still awake when the alarm went, so turned it off and laid in bed for a couple of minutes willing myself to go back to sleep. Of course by doing this I actually felt more awake and I also realised that I had to get up and go to the loo anyway, so without any more thought, I just put my clothes on and headed out the door.
My legs were a little bit tender this morning as I went and saw CV for my massage last night, and decided to rest them and do some weights instead. Normally I’ll work a particular muscle group but this morning I just felt like doing an all over session, so just hopped from one piece of equpment to the next. Didn’t do any hand weights at all though, just stuck to the machines. I also managed to do a couple of planks and some necessary stretching. Not a real sweat inducing session, but a nice change.
I totally embarassed myself at the supermarket at lunch time. I’d just walked in the door and picked up a basket, when for some unexplained reason I slipped over. Now this was not just any ordinary old slip, oh no, it was the type of slip that if it had been caught on camera probably would have won $10,000 in Funniest Home Videos. Unfortunately I landed on my elbow and my left knee and they’re now sporting bruises and are very sore to touch
Alana’s Quote: “Hey Mum, why don’t we put your money and my money together and buy a Nintendo DS?” (she has $12 in her purse)
Exercise: 30 Mins Walk, Undulating Course - Treadmill, 15 Mins HIIT - Bike, Core
How cold was it this morning I had to scrape ice off the windscreen, which I haven’t had to do for ages. I’d sort of got into a false sense of security that all the cold mornings had finished now until next winter. WRONG!!
There were still plenty of people at the gym even though it was freezing, mainly all the diehards who are there every morning. It did amuse me to see them all huddled outside the main entrance waiting for the doors to be unlocked though. I don’t understand why they don’t just sit in their warm cars until they can walk straight in without having to queue outside Is there some stigma with being the first in line??
The fog wasn’t too bad at 6am, but when I came out of the gym at 7am it had descended on us and it was pretty murky. This photo was taken at 9am, just as the fog was starting to clear. You can probably tell that where I live is in a little gully and we cop the fog pretty bad, even when all the fog in the surrounding areas has cleared.
Alana wanted to wear some of my perfume to school today. My girlfriend gave me a bottle of John Paul Gautier recently, which is a very strong smell, quite overpowering even!! I’d put a little bit on Alana yesterday and she’d asked this morning if she could wear it again, which I’d said was okay. She decided that she could spray it herself, and I walked into the bathroom to find that she’d completely doused herself in it, and the whole house ended up smelling very pretty I just hope that nobody is allergic to perfume in her classroom!!
Exercise: 20 Mins Cross Trainer, 15 Mins Skipping, 5 Mins Stepper, Core work
I didn’t really have a clear picture in my mind this morning of what I really wanted to do when I got to the gym, so I just played it by ear. I could have done a spin class. This class I enjoy. The instructor is firm, but fair, so you don’t feel guilty if you aren’t going flat out. This class is always busy and I really didn’t feel like squashing into a room with 15 other women, so decided to do lots of calf work.
The cross trainer I did while on tip toes. I could really feel my calves burning. The skipping I did on my toes, along with some fast skipping. I was so pleased that I could do 15 minutes without dying a sweaty death. I stopped a couple of times to stretch my calf and have a drink, but tried to keep the stopping to a minimum so that I kept the heart rate up. I then jumped on the stepper and did a solid 5 minute step. I had it on level 12, which meant that I couldn’t slacken off at all or else I’d just end up at the bottom of the step 5 minutes was more than enough to feel the burn in the calves!!
I’m trying to incorporate planks into all of my gym sessions as these have an immediate effect on my core. I know that Em can do them for 90 seconds non stop, so that’s my goal. I’m not there yet, in fact I’ve got a fair way to go before I achieve 90 seconds continuously, but I’m working on it.
Had an appointment at the Physio this morning, before work. As my normal girlie was on holiday I saw a different person. This guy was just fantastic, even if he could talk the hind legs off a donkey. Being a runner, rogainer, rock climber etc. himself, he was really experienced and knew exactly the spot that I’d torn my calf as he’s had the same injury. He was much better at the massage too, not nearly as painful as the girlie, and I came away feeling much better about everything, even if he did think that I’m not up to running yet At least I can continue doing everything that I’m already doing, and he wants me to add more hills too when I’m walking
I’m thinking that I may have to actually consider not entering any events at the Melbourne Marathon as there are only 8 weeks left before the event and I haven’t even started back running yet. I’ll see what happens over the next couple of weeks and then make a decision
Exercise: Pilates Class
Even though I don’t think much of the instructor, I really enjoyed this class. There were a few moments though when it showed my previous lack of participation in this class when we were instructed to grab a fitball. I really haven’t done much work with the fitball, apart from the normal situps laying on the ball, so when we were instructed to do push ups with our feet on the ball, I was all over the place as I have never done this exercise. It did give me a giggle though. And when we had to lay on our backs, put our bums up in the air and then lift each leg alternatively, while balancing our heels on the ball, well you needed to have been there to see what a laugh I must have given the instructor That ball had a life of its own, honestly!! Note to self: practice at home!!
I took these photos last night. The clouds and the sunset mixed together were just amazing!!
Exercise: 30 Mins Power Walk - Treadmill, 15 Mins HIIT Cross Trainer
Just a quickie today, as I’m almost ready to go home.
Nearly didn’t make it to the gym this morning as I was reading my book until quite late. I’m trying to finish the one I’m currently reading so that I can get stuck into the new Harry Potter one that I’ve borrowed from a friend. Anyway when the alarm went off my first instinct was to turn over and go back to sleep but then I laid in bed for a minute mulling over why I should go to the gym compared to why I shouldn’t. I soon got out of bed
Have been recommended a product called Comfrey cream. It’s available in Health food shops. Went at lunch time and picked some up. It states that it encourages healing of broken bones!! Wasn’t too expensive as far as creams go ($9.95). Let’s see how good it is. I’ll do as they say and apply twice a day.
Okay, gotta go. Have a great weekend everyone, and good luck to all who are running the City to Surf in Sydney
Exercise: Circuit, 10 Mins Spin Bike
There are lots of different classes that I can attend at the gym, but unfortunately they don’t have a circuit class, and I lurve doing circuit classes. So last night I wrote down a nice little circuit that I could do at the gym this morning in the Aerobics room. The Aerobics room only has classes on a Wednesday and Friday morning so there was nobody in there.
I used a Step, a skipping rope and some hand weights and did 3 sets of 30 second reps of the follwoing exercises:
Burpees
Situps
Triceps Dips
Lunges
Squats
Pushups
Star jumps
Good Mornings (with 3kg weights)
Skipping
Sprints
Step Ups
Running leg extensions
I stopped after each circuit and stretched my calf out as it was feeling a little bit tight. It’s amazing how unfit I felt while doing the circuit. I sounded like I was about to keel over as I was gasping for breath. I think it was the continuous lunges and the continuous squats, which I did plyometrically (is that a word?) that caused me the most exhaustion, followed closely by the Burpees. Once again the skipping was the most enjoyable part of the whole circuit.
I may put a suggestion into the suggestion box at the gym to see if would consider including a circuit class in the timetable. I’m sure there would be alot of interest from the ladies there. I suppose they just need to able to find someone to actually run the class
I followed up the circuit with 10 minutes on the spin bike. I alternated between standing up with resistance and sitting down while free wheeling. Felt a little bit nauseous at the end but that was probably because I hadn’t eaten anything before I went to the gym and also because I pushed myself pretty hard!!
Did anyone watch the Hoddle Street special on the TV last night? How awful was that!! Do you know that I can’t even remember where I was when it happened. I’m pretty sure I was still in Melbourne but have no idea whereabouts, and I don’t even really remember it happening either I think I may have been in my own little inebriated world around that time
Exercise: 1 hr Power Walk (6.1km) - MMCT (7’s Yellow)
Gym - Shoulders, Back, Core
Met Michelle at 6am for a power walk. Of course it had to start raining just as I walked out the door didn’t it
I really, really wanted to do some running. I didn’t though It was great to actually be able to chat with Michelle in person. I haven’t really seen too much of her over the last couple of weeks, so we had tons to catch up on. There was nobody else on the trail at all, and because I’ve got out of the habit of getting all my gear together for running in the dark, I forgot my gloves and my light, so we had to keep dodging puddles and it took a while for my hands to warm up.
Went to the gym at lunch time too. It was really quiet, which I love. Unfortunately I forgot my hairband and it kept getting in the way. Grrr…
Still haven’t got my proper membership card yet. Every time I walk into the gym, whoever is on the desk checks the box with all the new cards in it, and when they can’t find it, tells me that they are going to order a new one for me. I’m sure I’ll walk in one day soon and there’ll be 10 cards there for me In the meantime my little temporary card keeps getting tattier and tattier!!
Exercise: Strength Circuit (Spin Bike, Skipping, Continuous Lunges, Continuous Squats) 10 Mins Cross Trainer (on tip toes)
I am determined to get this calf strong enough to run again. I’m trying to do all the exercises that I’ve been given, and also remember to stretch the calf often. It just takes up so much time, and trying to explain to people who walk past my office and see me squatting and doing bird impersonations against the wall can be a bit embarassing
One thing I am really enjoying is the skipping. I’d like to continue doing this once I’m back out running as it is just a fantastic cardio exercise. I want to get to the point where I can skip for 30 minutes continuously. It really does work those calf muscles.
Saw CV for my weekly torture massage. It felt as if she didn’t have to work so hard on my muscles and they felt great afterwards. She mentioned that the area where my tear was feels alot smoother this week, which hopefully means that the tear is healing.
Had a bit of a lightbulb moment this morning. I mentioned that I hadn’t been using my abs to assist my glutes when doing any kind of exercise, and once I engaged them the glutes worked perfectly. I think the reason this has happened is that I didn’t really do any kind of core work once I stopped going to the gym at Christmas, and the muscles around my core (mainly stomach area) have become very soft and flabby, so of course getting them to help the old glutes out was just not going to happen until they got stronger.
Basically what I’m saying is that if I’d kept up my core strength I might not have had this calf problem in the first place, as my stomach muscles would still be strong and would have assisted the glutes, which menas that it would not have put pressure on the hamstrings to do all the work, which would not have put more pressure on the calves, and the calf would not have torn (phew, got there in the end!), but because I’ve become very lazy with my fitness, it was my own fault that it happened A bit hard to admit, but there you go!
I’m now working really hard on building up my core strength again, and also trying to remember to engage my abs with every exercise that I do. At least that way it should become second nature whenever I do any kind of exercise. This might take a bit of time to get the hang of (and remember to do) but I so do not want any more problems that stop me from running. I’ve learnt the hard way that I just can’t ignore all the other stuff that needs to be done so that I can run without injury!
Last night I got all my clothes ready for the gym. I wanted to to do the 6.15am spin class.
Hubby mentioned that I might be a bit sore after doing my 15km walk and roller skating. I poo pooed that idea, saying that it would be really good for my muscles to do the spin class and I shouldn’t be feeling too bad.
When the alarm went off at 5.45am this morning I realised that Hubby had been right….my muscles are really aching No spin class this morning!!
I have a massage booked for this evening, so I’m hoping that CV can do her magic and make me feel much better than I am right now
Unfortunately I won’t be able to get to the gym at all today as I’ve got some things I need to do at lunch time and Hubby is playing Squash this evening. Might actually pull the finger out and get my little home circuit set up instead
Took this photo on Friday night as I was coming out of work.
Exercise: 15km Power Walk - Home to MMCT and back Home (6’s)
My plan was to do a 2 hour power walk this morning, but had no definite route planned, just to walk out the front door and see where it takes me.
I knew that Michelle was going to do her long run today and she’d mentioned running over to MMCT and back, so I thought I’d head over there and see if I might catch up with her. And catch up with her I did, which was great. We also caught up with Em along the trail too, which was doubly nice
I was gone a bit longer than I had anticipated, and I walked further than I’d set out to do too, but all up it was great to wander along my favourite trail. I had an old boy stop me so that he could talk to me about the ducks that had moved upstream for some reason.
I also noticed that lots of trees have been cut down (or they’ve fallen down and have been cut up), probably because of all the high winds we’ve been having lately.
Gav was very excited when I pulled him out of the drawer this morning. He’s been very neglected lately and I think the excitetment might have been a little bit too much for him today as he died on me with about 1km left to go
My muscles are all feeling a little bit tender at the moment, probably due to the skipping and stepper on Friday night, the Pilates yesterday morning and my long walk this morning. Hopefully they’ll settle down a bit tonight
Alana and I went Roller Skating this afternoon, and my legs were saying why, why, why!!! The shins certainly got a good workout, that’s for sure, and they were probably the only part of my legs that hadn’t been hurting before
Here’s a picture I took of Alana, who had two little boys “chatting her up”
Alana’s Quote: “You really love running don’t you Mum?”
Exercise: Pilates Class
Thought I’d try out what I thought was a Yoga class this morning, only to find out that it was a Pilates class. Okay then, let’s give that a go instead then
Don’t you just hate when an instructor can’t get to a class on time. This one, I was told by a couple of the other girls who do the class regularly, has never been on time since she started taking the class. How piss poor is that 
Especially as I have to leave before the end of the class so that I can get home, showered and ready to take Alana to Roller Skating.
She starts off by asking if everyone has done Pilates before, which I have, albeit a very long time ago. She then mentions that this is an intermediate class Going through the back of my mind already is a little voice telling me that I’m going to be very sore tomorrow.
The instructor was one of those ones who does the move once, then gets up and watches all the class do it. Very lazy if you ask me, especially as I like to check and make sure that I’m actually doing the move properly by checking what the instructor is doing. It looked like she’d only just got out of bed as her hair hadn’t been brushed and she looked a bit of a mess. She may have not even gone to bed for all I know, but come straight in from being out clubbing, gotten changed and then walked straight back out to take the class Ah, those were the days
It was all about the stomach. Everything involved tensing the stomach, no matter what the move was, but then I suppose that’s what Pilates is, isn’t it
On to other things, Alana had her ears pierced today. She’s been talking about it for ages, but was a bit scared before. Today she had the confidence to do it, especially as a couple of her friends at Roller Skating have had theirs done and they told her how easy it was.
Of course once we got there, had picked out the earrings, paid, and was sitting in the chair with a girl at each side of her, the confidence seemed to evaporate and she decided she didn’t want it done. It was only after some gentle persuasion, being shown the little device that they use to push the earring through her ear and a bit of bribery that she eventually sat still long enough for them to do it. And of course once it had been done, Alana realised that it hadn’t hurt at all. I think she was a bit embarassed by the lilttle tantrum she’d put on in front of the girls, but it’s all over now and she has lovely little Ruby earrings in her ears
Alana’s Quote: “At least I know it won’t hurt when I get my ears pierced next time!”
Exercise: Circuit - Spin Bike, Skipping, Continuous Lunges Sumo Squats
I went to the Gym at lunchtime today to meet up with the trainer so that she could give me some exercises specifically designed to work the glutes and only the glutes. Went and got changed, only to discover when I went back to the reception area, that she had called in sick and another trainer was doing her shift. I enquired as to whether she knew what I was talking about when I mentioned writing up a program so that my muscles fired in the correct order and she looked at me blankly.
I explained exactly what the problem was and what I actually needed, and she kind of knew what I was on about. So she drags me over to the Smith Machine and has me doing squats with a fairly heavy weight on the bar. This seemed to be the only exercise she knew, and it was only when I questioned whether there were any other exercises that she actually had to think!! We did some Superman moves, and she gave my bum a good prod so that the glute muscles fired.
It was only when she turned me over and checked out my ab muscles that I realised these were the important ones to use. Me being the lazy person that I am, I just thought the muscles would do their own thing properly. When I actually used my stomach muscles, the glutes kicked in automatically - DOH!!!
So now I just have to do these exercises regularly, along with all my stretches and things should improve with my calf
I went back to they gym after work, as Hubby was able to go and pick Alana up, leaving me with enough time to do a workout. I did my little circuit, which involved the spin bike, skipping rope and lunges and squats. It didn’t take long to get a good sweat up, and I was absolutely knackered after the first set of lunges
It was only after doing the third set that I started to feel a twinge in my achilles area when I was skipping. And it was the skipping that I was enjoying the most too, although I also loved standing up and riding the spin bike with a good amount of tension on it!!
Jumped onto the stepper for 10 minutes, making sure that I was on my toes while stepping. I know my calves are going to be very sore tomorrow. Must remember to put some tiger balm on them and wear my Skins to bed tonight.
Finished off by doing some more squats on the Smith Machine, some more Superman stretches and then working those ab muscles some more with situps.
I’ve decided to venture into the Yoga class tomorrow morning. Wish me luck
Today is an enforced rest day due to personal matters. Well, when I say personal matters I was asked by one of my girlfriends if I’d drive her to the hospital as she has to go in as a day patient and was not allowed to drive home. She had to be at the hospital at 7am, so we had to leave early to get there.
I then went and picked her up at lunchtime as she wasn’t allowed to drive home, so I couldn’t get to the gym either before work or at lunch time. And I’ve got my buddy Jojo coming over tonight, which is much more important than going to the gym, so as I said, an enforced rest day
And if you’ve had enough of my sunset photos, here are a couple I took this morning of the sunrise!!
I’m excited….there is a Boost Juice Bar opening up at Chirnside Park - YAY!!!! I know what I’ll be having as my regular lunch now (yes I know, small things etc……)
Exercise: 30 Mins Weight Session
I went back down to the gym at lunchtime today. Haven’t really had the motivation to do this of late, but it’s slowly coming back now, especially as I’m getting closer and closer to being able to run again. Unfortunately my relationship with Miss Motivation is definitely not as awe inspiring or captivating as Tuggeranong Dons. Ours is more of a domination thing, with both of us pushing each other to the limits to see who can outdo the other
It was busier at the gym than I thought it would be. It seems to go through phases where it’s either very empty of quite full. I’ve booked an appointment with one of the better personal trainers there so that she can update my program. My massage therapist recommended that I get a program written up that encourages the muscles to fire in the correct order. Yep, it seems that there is a correct firing pattern for muscles, especially when running. I think I mentioned previously that my lower back muscles and my hamstrings tend to do the majority of the work when I’m running, whereas my glutes are very lazy and don’t seem to want to do any work at all. I have been doing some exercise that CV gave me to engage the glutes but it hasn’t really done that much
Had another physio session this evening. I’ve now got a nice little circuit program mapped out that will strengthen the calf more and add in some plyometric exercises. I just need to get back down to the gym now so that I can get stuck into it. It entails using a spin bike, a skipping rope, doing continuous lunges (jumping from one leg to the other) squats where you jump up in the air and then straight into a squat and then jump back up into the air etc., and also skipping. I’ve also been advised to use the stepper and try to remember to use the front of my feet, rather than the balls to step up and down. Hopefully my calf muscles will be so strong that there will be no way that it can tear ever again
Say hello to my latest addition. Saucony Trigon 4 Guides
Exercise: 45 Mins Power Walk - Treadmill, Stretching
I got hooked on YouTube last night. Spent nearly the entire evening watching Bud Light beer commercials, which meant that I didn’t get to bed until very late. Then I had to read when I got into bed, just to get tired. I’m currently reading Chart Throb by Ben Elton. It’s a send up of all the reality pop shows like Idol etc. Very funny reading. And because I’m near the end of the book I just didn’t want to put it down until I’d finished it
So getting up this morning to get to the gym was really hard, but then I thought about the last 3 days where I haven’t done any form of exercise, and my rapidly expanding waist line, and that got me out of bed pronto!!
Took some more photos of a fantastic sunset last night as I was driving home. I actually stopped on the side of the road to take these photos as the sky was just beautiful.
TD, regarding your comment about Alana modelling, we did actually take her to a modelling agency. Long story short, we were at the Royal Melbourne Show and an agency had set up a booth and was taking kids photos, so Alana had hers done. We got a phone call about 2 weeks later asking if she’d like to come in so they could have a chat with us and get a good look at Alana.
We went to the Agency, spoke to a couple of women who were really keen to sign Alana up, probably because they don’t get many young girls with hair as long as Alana. Hubby and I discussed the pros and the cons of Alana actually doing the modelling, along with the time out of school, the cost of setting up her “portfolio”, and also our time. We also sat Alana down and tried to explain to her what was involved so that she had some input as well.
Alana was the one who made the decision that she really wasn’t that interested in doing it, especially as there would be alot of sitting around and being told what to do. Alana is probably not the most docile of children and likes to keep moving at all times. She is also not too good with being told what she can and can’t do Maybe when she’s a little bit older we can give it another go and see if she’s interested then
Now acting is something that Alana is very good at, in fact I think she excels at it. She can get those tears happening at a drop of a hat, and constantly has us amazed at her ability to turn a normal situation into something resembling a massive drama
Isn’t it wonderful to see that it’s staying lighter in the evening. I find it really hard to motivate myself to do anything other than veg out on the couch in the dark winter evenings. At least with the evening light I don’t have the same urge to hibernate, therefore more things seem to get done. Roll on Summer
