Just chillin'

Physio told me to rest over the weekend, well that's what I did. Yesterday I went to the local Aquatic Centre and made use of their spa and sauna for well over an hour. I must admit though, I felt guilty as I am not used to doing this sort of self indulgent stuff when the kids and my husband are home. But, I needed this and I felt better for it - if only for a short time.

I started off in the spa for 15 minutes and felt so totally relaxed while all the jets belted my body around. It was such a nice change of pace to just sit and watch the world go by. I was making up little stories in my own mind about what each person was up to for the day. Some looked so stressed and in need of the therapy I was indulging in, while other's were revelling in the "just being", these were sitting beside me in the spa. I found myself just thinking about how we live our lives and how fast paced everything is. How little attention we actually pay to ourselves, not just physically but mentally as well. And how the only time we nurture ourselves is when things start to fall apart at the seams.

So with that in mind, I jumped out of the spa and straight into a cold shower for 1 minute of sheer bone chilling therapy. If there had of been not one person in the centre I think I may have screamed like an opera singer. Everything stood on end - holy cow it was cold. I stood there right till the last second of the minute being up, and then walked straight into the sauna for 15 mins of "oven baking".

Talk about taking your breath away. It was like opening up the oven door and then trying to take a big breath of air. My lungs shrivelled and it took a good minute before I felt comfortable in there. I made my way up to the back corner and tried to hide away from the fact that almost every seating position was taken up by men. Quite intimidating really - every eye made its way my way as I entered but I soon came to realise after some talk that they were all in here for pretty much the same reason as I was. Illness or injury - they each had their own story, journey and needed to gain solace in this inferno just as much as I did. They seemed quite surprised about how someone my age was dealing with issues that someone their age's were dealing with. It was nice to share war wounds.

15 mins up and back in the cold shower only to do it all again with the spa and sauna. And there I had just over and hour of hot/cold therapy. I walked out of the centre with not a single pain in my hip and felt quite flexible as I took advantage of the heat in the sauna for gentle stretching exercises. When I got home I took my 400mg Ibuprofen and felt relief right through the night.

This morning I woke up with only a slight twinge in my groin. It's like a little stitch every time I put my foot down and it grabs me right in my groin and slightly in my outer hip. So I took my Ibuprofen again and did all my stretches again which gave me relief right up till tonight. So I think I do feel somewhat better but not 100% even with all the rest I have had.

Tomorrow I look forward to some cycling but I wont be pushing it and trying to rock out some huge kilometres and I hope to follow it up with a back, shoulders and leg massage. Time to continue nurturing - I hope you all do the same and look after yourselves.

There is only one of you - TAKE CARE.

Physio report.

I have just come back from physio and it's a no go for running this weekend or any activity for that matter. I must rest and stretch - that is all as I still have pain in my groin. Then on Monday through to Wednesday I can swim and bike and I need to call her to let her know how I feel. If I feel okay I will then, and only then be allowed to do a light run on Friday as Thursday is my proposed swim day anyway. But, should the pain in my groin continue it's a no go for running for the remainder of next week. I also have an appointment booked with a Specialist Sports Medicine Doctor, but this is not till the 20th of July. That is so far away, feels like an eternity.

Anyway, the reason Lisa wants me to see the Sports Medicine Doc is because after lying on her table for my weekly stretch I tried to get up and my back got "caught" again. Exactly like it did after my Xray and exactly the way it always has for the last 14 years. I can't remember the last time I actually have fallen asleep on my back or stomach - it's just never been possible. And I always fear trying to move after being in this position as the pain is excruciating. So, before Lisa continues to manipulate my back too much she would like to have it checked out by a Doctor.

The last time I actually saw my rheumatologist was a year ago and I don't really want to go back unless I can hardly walk. I don't really want to go back on Prednisone again - even though it is a great drug, it really is only a bandaid fix. So, it will be interesting to see if another specialist has another take on what is happening to me. My diagnosis has always been Bilateral Sacroiliitis or Spondylosis of unknown origin. I can handle having this condition to a degree but not knowing its origin is annoying as hell.

Anyway, I hope you all have a totally wonderful weekend and I hope to enjoy my days off too. I look forward to spending tomorrow morning with the kids at their tennis and then just putting my feet up for the remainder of the weekend. Take care all and have a run for me.

Wake up call.

I would like to start off by saying that today was another great day in the water. I entered with only one thought in my head - nice, easy swim. Did I do that? I think so but I added a couple of sprints in there to spice things up a bit. Here's the session:

• 500m Fr/s Warm up

• 8 x100m Fr/s sighting the first 25m.

• 10 x 50m kick with flippers

• 20 x 25m sprints Fr/s, Bk/s Br/s, Fr/s

• 300m cool down

The last two days gave me alot to think about while I was swimming. Like, what in God's name am I trying to get out of my running. Well, I want to run my Half Marathon, I want to run all the smaller races inbetween now and then keep up the training all the way to my 70.3 next year. Okay, so if that's what I want to do and I have never, ever, ever been a runner before and I want nothing else but to get there injury free then I need to let up a little. I have been trying to get this baby to sprint before it could even walk and the result is aggravation of my SIJ's which has caused intense pain in my right hip and groin two days after my 7km run in the city and 7km bridge run. The X-rays I had yesterday also revealed an 'os acetabulae' or bony spur on the head of my femur.

Okay, so what does all this mean. Well, the word S-L-O-W comes to mind when it involves running. Not that I have to run slowly, just that I have to increase my mileage slowly. I had looked back over my training over the last month or so and I had gone from running about 10km a week to last week running 24km. What was I expecting. Something had to give a little and my weak back is letting me know that it didn't appreciate it. So I have vowed to myself that I will once and for all listen to myself. I will take heed and not tempt fate anymore. I must and will increase my kilometres slowly, and if I feel the need to do more kilometres because I think my numbers are too small for the week I will take it out on the bike. There, I said it.

So, tomorrow is another day of physio and I am sure there will be more bruises cropping up - oh well. Lisa has shown me another new trick to add to the collection. I have to get a golf ball, put it on the floor and then (wait for it) roll my right buttock on it as my "buns of steel" have too many trigger points on it. Holy cow are the only words (well not really) that come to mind. There are many more but I am trying to keep this clean. I have this one trigger point at about the 12 o'clock mark that sends a spasm down the back of my leg. But after some 10 secs of applying pressure it settles and I find myself relaxing on the ball and not feeling it at all. But, you guessed it, when I move to a new spot I go cross eyed.

Thank goodness I don't stay looking like this.

In terms of the running I will be guided by what physio says tomorrow. Fingers crossed they will stand firm with what they said yesterday and I should be able to go for a run. I was hoping before all of this happened to do a 10km run but I will go for a run around the block - 8km if all feels good. And yes I will run nicely and calmly.

Why did the chicken cross the road?

I have decided that I really, REally, REALly, REALLY like running. Even with all the aches and pains I get after, I still enjoy the feeling I get when I run. I feel free, alive, strong and blessed to be able to do this, something I only dreamed of a year ago. When I run I have time to think about all the things I have accomplished and the things that I have yet to accomplish in the future. I feel at times almost "super human", not because I run like a gazelle but because I now feel stronger than I ever thought imagineable. Every stride I take now has purpose, intention - from the first heel strike right through to the next heel strike. Before, I questioned every aspect of my running - breathing, torso position, placement of feet, pacing.

Now, dont get me wrong, there is still alot to get right but it just feels so much easier. I don't have to think about my pace anymore - for the most partI could pretty much set my watch by my pace. It's not lightening speed but on average I am dead set on 5min30sec/km, quite a manageable speed for now. My breathing starts off not too crash hot but it then settles into a really relaxed mode and at times I actually find myself only breathing through my nose. My torso positioning now is always in a relaxed shoulders, relaxed hands and slightly leaning forward - my husband now says I actually look like a runner and seem to be falling into my stride. So not having to think of all these things during my run now, allows me to actually just enjoy the run. AND I DO.

Yesterday I signed up for another run. It is part of the same series I ran on Sunday but this time it is a 10km run at Dolls Point. Sounds pretty but I am sure there will be hills through this run due to the area. I look forward to it and it still gives me time to prepare as it is on the 11th July. Good thing too, after the run they give you yummy pancakes, oranges, bananas and lots of fluids as they did last time. I think I consumed half a banana, a quarter orange, 3 pancakes and 3 glasses of water. YUM.

Yesterday was designated as a rest day - I had groin and hip pain, not during rest only when I would get up and walk and put pressure on my right leg. So I took regular Ibuprofen and just rested it totally yesterday and discussed this ailment with Lisa (physio). Not quite sure if this was true hip pain, groin pain or referred from my back she made me lie on my back and asked me to raise my right leg/knee and she began to press down, this caused hip pain as well as slight groin pain. I now have an X-ray booked for tomorrow. Clinical notes state: +ve hip quadrant test. I guess all will be revealed in the next couple of days - or not. X-rays are funny things as is my body. Frustrating really - it's always 2 steps forward, 4 steps back. What do you do, I am no "spring chicken", and this chook has arthritis so I must tread carefully or I run the risk of being used for dog meat.

On a more positive note, I ran the bridge's today and I did it in an even faster time than before - 36min50secs for 6.7km. I initially thought it was 7km but I was corrected today, nevermind I still have run it 30 secs faster than my last attempt. YAY for me. This old chook still has some kick in her.

Official Results.

Bib No: 658
Distance: 7km
Time: 38 mins 48 secs
Place: 29th out of 79 runners.

I can't believe it, 29th - who would have ever thought. A year ago I would have laughed in your face if you said that I was going to get 29th and enjoy running. I look forward to the next run with such anticipation.

Sri Chinmoy Series Race 4: Centennial Park 7km Race Review.

Have you ever had a day where you wake up and just know that this will be a fabulous day, when you can just feel it in your bones from the moment your eyes open. Well, today was that day.

As usual the night before I don't sleep very well. I wasn't nervous about the race, YET - but I am always scared I am going to sleep through the alarm. I toss and turn the whole night through. So when the alarm did finally go off at 4:30am, I was well and truly ready to get this ball rolling. I had all my stuff ready to go last night so all I needed to do was have a shower, get dressed, have brekkie and go to my friends house at 6am. I was bludging a ride - thanks Mel, Michael, Sienna and Phoenix.

We arrived at Centennial Park at about 7am and got around to picking up our bibs for the race. This series was so well organised - not a single hold up anywhere, everyone was lovely. The only bad thing was "it was freezing" again. Actually 4 degrees celsius to be exact - but it didn't last long thank goodness.
The Half Marathoners took off first, I can't believe in less then 100 days I will be doing a Half too and the thought got a bit scarey. So I quickly banished the thought and stayed focused on my soon to be 7km. There wasn't as much hype in this run as there was last Sunday - everyone seemed quite composed - except for me. I get really excited, I can't help it - I talk to people around me and smile at them. I'm sure they think I'm a bit weird - but I really cant help it. This is just so much fun. And I do get people smiling along with me even if at first they don't want to.

So as the starters hooter went off I remember saying to Mel "lets not get caught up in the initial rush, set your own pace and stick to it". I was alot better at it today - I let people pass me because I knew in my head that I would see them again, and I did. My pace was so dead on normal that at the 1km mark I looked down at my watch at it read 5min 30 sec, I was happy I was on target. At the 2km mark once again 5min 31 secs - and I was feeling fine. I remember looking at Mel and just smiling and knowing that today was a good day.

As I continued running I started to feel lighter on my legs and I just started to inch away from Mel. I knew she would want me to run my own race and push myself so I just focused on the path ahead and kept going. I don't remember seeing the 3km marker but as I hit the 4km mark I was dead on 22minutes - 5min30sec pace was holding steady. I think it was about this time the HM guys started to lap me - I could hear them coming like race horses in the distance. Boy, can they run - magnificent to see. My friend Mel's partner Michael was running this race. Gee's he is quick and not a single look of fatigue on his face - I wish.

Anyway it was about the 5km mark I decided to play my game again. I wanted to see how many I could catch and overtake and I am happy to report that I overtook about 9 runners. Last Sunday I could feel myself having to race to overtake, today it just happened. Everyone I set my sight's on were mine. Even running up the hill I overtook 2 - how cool. The home stretch was the best though - I overtook 3 there and I finished nice and strong - striding out nice and long. I finished with an unofficial time of 38min 42 secs. Mel was not far behind and I cheered for her right over the finishing line. Below is a photo of Mel and I just after the race:
It was the best morning and once again I can't wait to do it again. Only next time I want to do a 10K race. I need the distances to start increasing.

I know about 2 or so posts ago I mentioned the fact that I needed new runners and that I was going to buy some overseas - well my husband, whom might I add is the most supportive husband ever told me to go out and buy some ASAP yesterday as I needed them for today. He didn't want me to wait and then hurt myself, so here is what I bought and ran with today:
Asics GT 2150's - bliss - the only word I can use to describe how beautifully comfy they felt. I didn't have any red areas of pressure on my feet and they felt really quite light on. A great buy but a bit expensive here in Aus. But they sure are PRETTY.

Nothing fancy post.

Since the colder weather has started it seems the only thing I say is "Gee's I hate the cold". Well here's a positive for winter: Semolina for breakfast.

I am not too big a fan of porridge but boy do I love semolina. I buy the one that has been ground down to it finest property and add water to it whilst bringing it to the boil. I keep adding water as it thickens to get it to the precise consistency that I like. Then I serve it up with some yummy honey and raw sugar. Talk about warming up your insides.

It also has the innate ability to bring back childhood memories for me. Early morning swim sessions in an outdoor pool, begging mum to let me stay home because I was sick (cough, cough) , teeth chattering so much I thought I would chip a tooth in the process , finding it hard to breathe as I finally dove into a partially heated pool, crying so hard that the chlorinated pool became saltwater in an instance - only to come home to a yummy semolina breakfast to warm up my tum tum from the loving hands of my mum.

The other thing I love about Semolina is that it is cheap and its a great way to fill your stomach. In today's society where there is just about every breakfast cereal on the market with price tags to match - this is a great buy and one I relish having on a cold winter's morning without breaking the budget.