Speed and Power

Yoga with Zoe in the AM

PM
It's not often a session makes me feel like vomiting. Tonight was one of those rare sessions. I also felt like crying and slapping someone. All at once.

4 rounds of the following with 100m kettlebell run between:
10x burpees
5 "man ups" (kettlebell press-up to rows to press-up to half burpee to shoulder press)
10 x box jumps

1 minute of each of the following with 100m sprint between each:
Superman using crank-it straps
Wall squat medicine ball throws
Thrusters (the worst bit if the burpees)
Sit ups
Clean and press using barbell
Sumo squat to upright row using barbell
Squats using barbell

I didn't stay for a second session. I didn't have it in me!

Evil Elliot and Tempo Run

Wednesday

Morning - 60mins yoga with Zoe.

Evening - arrived at Primal to find that Elliot was leading the session.  I've seen him putting other's through their paces so was a bit nervous.  Turns out the nerves were not unfounded!

Started with a short, sharp run around the block after the warm-up and then made our way to the whiteboard.  The whiteboard had the session on it and it looked hard:

Part 1
1 minute per exercise

• burpees (seriously?  burpees for 1 minute!)
• plank
• thrusters (the worst bit of the burpees; from squat position with hands either side of your feet, jump back to plank position then forward to squat position etc.)
• push ups
• something else which my traumatised brain has blocked out

Part 2

12 reps of each x 3 rounds:

• box jumps
• squat to shoulder press with powerbag (15kg or 10kg)
• dips
• horizontal rows (or incline rows)
• deadlifts with 12kg (or 8kg) kettle bells
• kettlebell swings with 12kg kb
• wall squats throws with 5kg medicine ball
• slams with 'dead ball' (12kg 'ball' that doesn't bounce)

After 'part 1' Elliot rubbed off the pushups and made us do the lot again.  I think he was contemplating making us do it a third time but perhaps my look put him off.  I was certainly trying to!

Part 2 was ok the first time round.

2nd time I had trouble lifting the 12kg dead ball over my head so had to swap it for the lighter one which was 5kg.  A LOT lighter but easier on my back.

3rd time around I swapped to a 10kg powerbag as I was getting fatigued and did the deadlifts with the 8kg kettle bells.  

Elliot then threw in a 'sneaky' part 3 (what the?)

20 reps of the following:

• full sit ups
• 'froggy' sit ups
• leg raises 

each with a short sprint in between.

Tough session but a good session.

Thursday 

yoga cancelled as Ruby wasn't well

run club cancelled due to weather forecast

So, despite really not wanting to run, I took myself out for a 6km run with 3km @ 6:15/km in the middle.  Nice to see Linda in my warm-up 1km.

Every run takes me closer to my goal!

Mental Toughness Training

Sunday I really really really wanted to stay in bed.  So I did.

But I also really really really want to run this event next year and I know that each run I miss takes me further from my goal so I hatched a cunning plan to make running rewarding; I ran to Marrickville Markets (5.6k) and ate a vegan schnitzel, drank an iced chai and relaxed in the 'chai tent' while listening to the guy who plays guitar and sings there every Sunday.  Then I bought some food supplies for the week and walked to Crystal St.

When I got to Crystal St I ran for the next 5k and then walked the remaining distance home.

Monday rest day

Tuesday I really didn't feel like running despite having 5k on the program but I thought of Cheri and her very long ride on the weekend when she didn't feel like it.  I had said to her that those sessions are the ones that get you to your goal.  I gave myself a talking to and headed off for a run around Callan Park and Balmain Shores.  Easy 5k and another run closer to my goal.

Topped it off with a 60m yin yoga class.  My muscles are really feeling the lack of yoga lately.  Lucky I've got a class with Zoe before work tomorrow.

Owly vs Monkey Bars!

Friday was a well needed rest day.  Yoga in the morning for 1 hour then nothin' else for the rest of the day.

Saturday the big kahuna!  Wentworth Park workout and Blackwattle Bay run.  Something for everyone.  I LOVE this workout!

Started at Wentworth Park then ran up the hill and around the corner to our little park where we climbed a wall, commando crawled across the grass and I did not 1, but two full sets of monkey bars!!  Yeay me!!  First time ever!!!

We then ran back to Wentworth park and to the first exercise station.  I'm never going to remember which order we did what exercise so I'll just list them.  If you click the link above you'll see on the map little icons where we did a set of 1 or two exercises so you can use your imagination:

• planks over low bar with press up in between x 4
• dips 
• leg raises 
• incline rows
• leg raises
• sideways jump things over a diagonal bar
• box jumps
• chin ups
• obstacle course without touching the ground (first time ever!!)
• stair repeats x 5
• squats 
• upper and lower ab crunches
• side crunches
• hill repeats
• step ups with high knee
• leg raises in pairs
• horrible hamstring exercise in pairs
• supermans in pairs
• pushups in pairs 
• incline rows while everyone held plank position
• plank while everyone else took turns to do incline rows
• balance beam
• more dips (thanks Chris!)
• running backwards across the citywest overpass
• upper and lower ab crunches 
• hill repeat up anzac bridge spiral 'onramp'
• stair repeats with box jump in between x 3
• stair pyramid repeats with the following in between (push ups, sit ups, pressup position to plank position x 10)
• jumping over 'logs'
• more monkey bars (yeay me!)

All up about 2:15 and about 10km distance.

I think I earned a massage!

Midweek Long Day, I mean Run

Thursday is midweek long run day.  10km on the schedule, body in need of yoga and a work presentation at night so nothing for it but to be up and running by 5:45am at the latest so I could get to yoga before work.

My cunning plan to post my plan on Facebook in order to have accountability worked nicely with a text from Mary this morning to check that I was up and running.  Thanks Mary!

My iPhone is still packing a sad with frequent intensity and this morning was no different.  The mapmyrun app crashed at 2.69km but luckily I knew that from my place around the bay, over the new footbridge and home is 10k thanks to my trusty housemate Stella.

Took a photo of the sunrise as it was very pretty (much prettier in real life):

Run was made all the better by a wave from Rachel and Action and a short trot and chat with Linda.

Made it to work in time for yoga so all is well :)

The Results Are In

Official results are in and it's a personal best time for City 2 Surf 92:25 so over 1min faster than my last time in 2007.  I was pretty surprised as I didn't think I was anywhere near the form I was in when I ran in 07.

Had 5km on the program today.  Got held up at work then tried to open Mapmyrun app and it crashed.  Restarted my phone and the app wouldn't open.  Restarted the phone and the app opened but would not record my run so I decided to head off and run for 30mins as that was all the time I had left before yoga.  Restarted my phone for a third time so I could see the time and tried the mapmyrun app for a fourth time and it worked finally.  Ran around the block and got back to my car in 25:33... total distance of 3.78km.

1 hour of yin yoga helped loosen up all the tight muscles.

I have to start leaving work earlier as I have to cut every run short due to lack of time.  At least I'm running regularly I guess.  That's a big improvement.

Lessons learned

My friend and former team leader Mark has a list of 'things I already know' and on that list is 'meditation works'.  He said to me that when things aren't going well he refers to that list and reads 'meditation works' and thinks... Ah yeah!  I already knew that!

On the list of things I already know is the following:

• Some days you feel great.  Other days you don't.  
• Clint's cure helps my digestion

The last point is important because I was feeling great while I ate the foods Clint suggested for gut repair but I got a bit excited and reintroduced a heap of foods really quickly and something upsets my tummy but I don't know what it is because I didn't reintroduce foods one by one to find out what it is.  This is good because all I have to do is follow the plan properly and work out what it is.

This is bad because I have to follow the plan again till my tummy settles down again.  

This is good because I lost weight on the program 

It's also bad because I found it a bit restrictive as I couldn't eat out

Which is good because I saved a lot of money!

Interestingly, apart from the juice cleanse I felt strong when I was eating according to the repair phase of the plan.  So it's good because I'll feel strong again... and I won't be having to stop and rush to the loo on long runs.  

All that just to get to the point which was:

Yoga this morning 

Primal fit session with Ray this evening.  I didn't feel strong and my guts were churning.  

Rolled on foam roller after the session.  

Blah

The blahs.  I got em.

Had 5k (1 easy, 3 hard, 1 easy) on the schedule so ran before yoga tonight.  Headed to the old RunClub 3km timetrial course (about 1.2km) then ran the timetrial course at a 'hard' pace and then ran back again with few km extra as I had the time and I was 6km short on yesterday's run.

Tummy played up towards the end so had to cut it short and walk carefully to the toilet.  This is becoming a pattern :-/

Goodbye Gretel

My faithful running friend Gretel the Garmin has had a bad week.  On Monday night she filled with water and tonight the strap broke.  Sadly it is time for her to retire.

This morning I did 1 hour of yoga and tonight went for a 10k run with Linda.

Surprisingly my legs felt good; I was concerned that I'd have a bad case of DOMS as Monday and Wednesday night at Primal were brutal leg sessions and I'm running more consistently this week.

Tomorrow is a rest day and I'd normally do 1 hour of restorative yoga but I have a Primal social rock-climbing event so I'll do that and do power yoga in the morning if I can get out of bed in time.

Monday -  went to BodyMindLife to do a 1 hour relaxing yin yoga class.  Arrived a bit early and forgot to mention I was there for the 7:30 yin class and not the power vinyasa at 7:15.  10mins into the class I realised I was in the wrong room.  Ah well, the universe provides... perhaps I was not meant to do yin that night?  Good class.

I notice that I am stronger in my core and upper body and this is having a positive effect on my practice.   I think soon I will be able to flow from chaturanga dandasana to upward facing dog without the floor flop.  So it looks more like this:



Tuesday - Primal session with Ray
Warmup - Skipping
In pairs with 5kg medicine ball 3 sets of the following:
10 chest throws to wall (and each other)
10 each side, throws to wall (and each other)
10 floor slams to each other

Then 3 sets of the following:
10 supermen using ropes
10 incline pull ups using ropes
10 clean and press using 10kg bag

10 sets of:
5 lat pulldowns using bands
5 burpees

In pairs big circuit 1 min of each of the following:
rowing
5kg medicine ball to wall squat and high throw
8 kg kettle bell push up and single arm row
15kg walking lunges
lie on floor and pull yourself to standing using rope hand over hand

Mobility exercises using broomstick
shoulder x 2
twist
twist and reach to ankle

stretch.

My form is getting better in the burpees so I think it won't be long before I can do a full pushup!  Wahoo!

Two weeks ago I bought a chin-up bar and installed it in the doorway to my walk in wardrobe (thanks to Wazza for the idea).  I've been doing chin downs (I can't yet to a chin up!) by pushing off with my feet so I am in the chin up position and then lowering myself as slowly as possible.  Initially this meant rocketing towards the floor with very little resistance.  Now, after two weeks of doing 5 overhand and 5 underhand each day I can almost hold myself up for 3 seconds.  This may not seem much but I've never been able to do that.

Improvements, definite improvements.

Travel, juggling and a 'fun' with fruit

How did I go while away in Brisbane?


Wednesday am: meditation, yoga at BML studio
Wednesday pm:
Meditation, journalling

Thursday am: meditation, run
Conference
Thursday pm: yoga called this my rest day
Dinner
Meditation 

Friday am:
Yoga, meditation, run 
Conference
Friday pm: Train to Sunshine Coast
Meditation, yoga 

Saturday 
Yoga assisted by Buddy, run, meditation am and pm

Sunday
Meditation am and pm, yoga

Monday am: Meditation, run
Bus to Brisbane
Fly to sydney
Monday pm:
Yoga at studio
Meditation. 


So I didn't manage to keep up everything, but I did more than if I'd had no plan.  


Since then I've kept up the daily meditation x 2 daily, the yoga x 6 per week but this week a 3 day fruit cleanse left me with 3 day headache so running fell by the wayside.  I trained with Primal on Thursday morning (day 3 of the fast) and it was a dizzying experience!  I don't recommend fruit only as training food.


The TM crew did a practice run on the City2Surf course yesterday morning and, despite a day of real food, I still felt pretty ordinary.  For breakfast I had a pear and a banana and in hindsight I probably should have had some complex carbs.  I felt light headed and weak right from the start of the course.  I couldn't keep the others in sight so from Edgecliff I ran by myself and didn't see the others till Bondi.  This caused all manner of negative thoughts about my running, whether I should quit the team, holding people back, despair about my lack of speed etc. etc.  


I ate two mandarins going up HBH as I was feeling very dizzy.  I could barely run even slight inclines and walked all the uphills.  Toward the end I struggled to run along Campbell Pde so had to walk/run that. I had well and truly emptied the tank!


Lesson learned, so I had a big bowl of quinoa with banana, cinnamon, raisins and almond milk for breakfast this morning.  I'm meeting Lou, Nat and Zac at Audley for a 'run' up the honeymoon stairs and back.

Presence

Presence is the theme of week 1 of the 40 Day Revolution and being present in my life this week has been a wonderful experience. 

Thursday - 1 hour yin yoga.  In Iyengar yoga this would be called restorative yoga.  The class was mainly pranayama (breathing exercises) but some really "juicy" hip openers too.  I've discovered that BodyMindLife yoga teachers use the word juicy to describe a sensation 1 notch below excrutiating.  I made a conscious decision to do more yin classes than the power yoga classes this week to help me adjust to daily yoga practice.  This has been a wise decision I think as I was expecting to be crippled after Wednesday night training with Phil but I've felt great.  The yin classes have mobilised my joints and stretched tight muscles.

Friday - 1 hour of power yoga.  It was lovely to be in a warm room!   The class wasn't too strong (perhaps because the teacher was heavily pregnant and feeling a bit sick too) however I have noticed how much stronger I'm getting in some of the postures thanks to the TM and Primal NRG training.

Two for Tuesday

When I posted this morning I forgot my training day wasn't over!  I started the 40 Day Revolution yesterday which means yoga 6 days a week for the next 6 weeks.  Tonight I did a yin yoga class, which was good as my body needed something more restorative than challenging.

Babe Run 2

Yoga am

Pilates cancelled pm so arranged to go for a run with Caro and Kate. They both left me for dead but I fought my demons (body fatigue and mind playing the "turn back now" "walk" game) and plodded along behind.

9km at 7min pace average. Slowed substantially in the later stages due to fatigue.

Let's Just Call it a Recovery Week

Wednesday - nuthin'  still recovering from the head cold
Thursday - yoga
Friday - nuthin' cos I was slack.
Saturday - 8 x Clovelly Circuit which was a short swim across the bay (sea very choppy today) and a run around the bay.  This totalled .81km per circuit according to Map My Run so I estimate I did about 6.5km run/swim in 1 hour.

Tomorrow I have planned to go kayaking however the group is ever decreasing so might be out there by myself at this rate!

Slight Incline Session

Yoga in the morning.

Fitted in a quick (13min) run between getting home from work and getting ready to go to the first Tuff Mudder team meeting this evening.  I knew it was going to be short and that I'd missed a hill session on Monday so to compensate I ran twice around the block making sure I fitted in as many 'inclines' as I could.  In NZ it would be called a flat run, here in Australia I ran a hill session.

According to MapMyRun app it was 1.99km averaging 6:34/km.