This morning we were doing interval training. As the venue is closer than usual, I walked there instead of riding my bike. It wasn't as cold as it has been lately, probably about 2 degrees when I set out. It got down to 0 apparently, but I was running by then, so it didn't register.
I was expecting the training to be much the same as the last time, but Krissi and Brad managed to add some more variety after the warmup. We started by jogging around the outside of the two ovals. Usually, I'm at the back of the group, but today I was in the middle and had to stop myself from going past the front runners. Most unusual for me. Mind you, I was back near the tail end when we did the rest of the running. I'm not sure if I mentioned that I seem to be coping better with the warmup run, but it is definitely getting easier. I also thought that maybe my 20 min walk had given me a bit of a headstart on the others.
The rest of the warmup consisted of a set of runs across the oval - knees up, bum kicks, sideways, grapevines and surges. I am not at all keen on surges, but I'm getting better at them. It's just as well, as the intervals that we ran were a series of surges. We jogged, surged, surged, and surged again, then did a recovery walk / jog. The first few times, we were surging down one side of the oval and recovering down the other side. Eventually we surged all the way around the oval and then recovered down one side. The last time we did intervals where we ran as fast as we could then jogged.
Krissi told me that I was moving my upper body from side to side too much, and showed me a way to move my arms to control it. I did that for the rest of the session, and it really did help. I felt like I was making less effort on the surges, even though I was definitely running faster through each section.
Last time we came to the oval, I found I couldn't run three quarters of the way around at a faster pace without dropping back to a walk, so I was really pleased to be able to manage to get the whole way around without stopping. I've made it a policy during this journey to a fitter and healthier me that I will remember to notice improvements and to celebrate them, no matter how small they are. I'm glad I adopted the policy, as I get so many opportunities to be pleased with my progress. Even something simple like being able to bend over and pick something up is worth a happy smile and a feeling of quiet achievement.
I walked home. I felt a little stiff and sore on the walk and that feeling continued all day. While I'd been running I'd noticed that my right calf was quite tight. Of course, I kept running but I made sure I stretched it out well. After a few hours, the tightness had transferred itself to my hamstring, which was a relief, as I had been worried I'd hurt my calf. I was really looking forward to Yoga this evening for the stretching.
At the start of the class I told the instructor that I wasn't injured but I was very sore after Body Attack. I wanted her to understand why this week I was suddenly klutzy. She asked me where I was sore and told me we'd be doing lots of hamstring work during the session. She also advised me to touch my toe down if I wasn't able to balance, but fortunately I managed most of the poses.
The stretches were great! During the class I found myself feeling better and better. One thing that amazes me is that I can work up a sweat during Yoga. I certainly feel my abs after class too.
Now that I'm home I'm starting to feel some of my sore muscles again, but it's what my first personal trainer, Kelly, would have called "good pain". I used to think that was a ridiculous thing to say but I now know exactly what Kelly meant. It is "good pain".
I'm trying to work out whether I'd be better to take a rest day tomorrow or go to the gym in the morning. I guess it depends what I do when I get there. I'll decide when I wake up. Thursday, I have my personal training session. If I'm up to it, there's another Body Attack class. I'll see how I'm travelling.
By the way, thanks ladies for telling me about the Enell bra. It looks pretty impressive. I think I'll have to give it a go.
Tuesday, 31 July 2007
Monday, 30 July 2007
Body Attack
I took Jaykay's advice and gave Body Attack a go. It was great advice. The class wasn't too crowded, and I was the only beginner. There was another lady about my age and everyone else was young and thin. I was hoping my cardio fitness was up to the challenge. Fortunately, it was.
The instructor explained that it was ok to do the low impact version of the exercises and to do the exercises without the arms. She also told us that there were two blocks of cardio, and if we weren't fit enough, we could bale after the first block. I thought she was saying that for my benefit, but some people did leave half way through.
It's always interesting doing a new class. They all seem to start off at different paces. Today, we did a couple of stretches, really fast, and then we were into it. Totally different to Yoga and Body Balance. The instructor talked about the low impact option, but she always started off high impact. In most cases, it wasn't until she saw people struggling that she'd show the low impact option.
There was a lot of jumping in the first fifteen minutes, and I ended up having to take an emergency toilet break. That's never happened to me in a class before. I think I would have struggled on until half time and left then, but luckily someone else dashed out to get water, so I figured I could dash out too. I apologised to the instructor after the class, and she told me about a move in the last program that she had to take the low impact option for because it affected her the same way. The other thing that I'll know for next time is to wear a more supportive bra. Usually my standard sports bra is fine for the gym but not today.
The second half of the program had a fair bit of running in it, and some agility work. I was thanking the running course as I did really well in this section. I also managed to do the high impact option most of the time, and there were only a couple of times I didn't do the arm movements. There was one move that was particularly satisfying for me. I used to do walk aerobics at home, and I had a walk / jog program that included a kind of kicking to each side and swapping feet move. I used to just jog through that on the DVD as my knees weren't up to it. I have no idea what to call it, but we did exactly the same move today in the class, and I was able to do it comfortably.
The calorie burn for the class was excellent. I'll definitely go back and do this one again.
The instructor explained that it was ok to do the low impact version of the exercises and to do the exercises without the arms. She also told us that there were two blocks of cardio, and if we weren't fit enough, we could bale after the first block. I thought she was saying that for my benefit, but some people did leave half way through.
It's always interesting doing a new class. They all seem to start off at different paces. Today, we did a couple of stretches, really fast, and then we were into it. Totally different to Yoga and Body Balance. The instructor talked about the low impact option, but she always started off high impact. In most cases, it wasn't until she saw people struggling that she'd show the low impact option.
There was a lot of jumping in the first fifteen minutes, and I ended up having to take an emergency toilet break. That's never happened to me in a class before. I think I would have struggled on until half time and left then, but luckily someone else dashed out to get water, so I figured I could dash out too. I apologised to the instructor after the class, and she told me about a move in the last program that she had to take the low impact option for because it affected her the same way. The other thing that I'll know for next time is to wear a more supportive bra. Usually my standard sports bra is fine for the gym but not today.
The second half of the program had a fair bit of running in it, and some agility work. I was thanking the running course as I did really well in this section. I also managed to do the high impact option most of the time, and there were only a couple of times I didn't do the arm movements. There was one move that was particularly satisfying for me. I used to do walk aerobics at home, and I had a walk / jog program that included a kind of kicking to each side and swapping feet move. I used to just jog through that on the DVD as my knees weren't up to it. I have no idea what to call it, but we did exactly the same move today in the class, and I was able to do it comfortably.
The calorie burn for the class was excellent. I'll definitely go back and do this one again.
Friday, 27 July 2007
Weights and Body Balance
I headed to the gym tonight, trying to work out what sort of work out I'd do. I was invited to a cookware party and I was in a bit of a dilemma about being a good guest and arriving on time, or going to Body Balance and being late. I chose the 'almost a good guest' option by phoning ahead to say I was running late. I also didn't tell the hostess that I'd chosen a gym class rather than arriving on time.
I realised that I couldn't get through my whole program and get to the class, so I opted to do half of it, and hopefully do the other half tomorrow. You get an abs workout in Body Balance, so I skipped them without feeling guilty.
I've been trying to work my butt when I'm doing lunges. I have to really think about it, so I'm not sure I'm getting it. At the moment I'm doing static lunges with one foot on a step while I hold a weights bar between my legs. By the time I've positioned my feet, set my shoulders, locked my abs on, remembered to breathe and relaxed, clenching my butt seems like one too many things for me to do.
I felt like I was on top of the triceps exercise today, so I might put the weight up. I'm lowering that one towards my forehead while I lie back on the bench, so I want to be very sure that I can manage the weight. Going around with a bar shaped indentation in my forehead isn't a good look. I use the same weight for bicep curls straight after, and they are well under control. I was even remembering to control the bar on the way back down when I got to the end of the second set, so I've got room to move there.
The classroom for Body Balance was a little cold, and I had forgotten to take a long-sleeved top with me, so I was relieved that I warmed up fairly quickly. It amazes me that you can get warm doing a few Tai Chi moves. They are so graceful that I expect them to be effortless. I was definitely doing better with the balance moves today. I'm only wobbling a little as opposed to a lot. I even managed to get through the odd routine without touching down.
I'm very glad I did Yoga before I did Balance. In Yoga, it seems to me that you take longer to get into a pose and you hold if for longer. In Balance you move from pose to pose quite quickly. I think it would be easy to hurt yourself. Speaking of which, I had to pull out of a Swan pose as my right knee seemed too stretched. I think I was in the wrong position as I didn't have the same problem with my left knee. Mind you, it's taken me a while to work out what to do with the Swan pose. It finally clicked last week.
We did quite a lot of lower back work and my back is tired now. Typically I don't have back problems, although, like most people who work at a pc, I carry tension in my back. I don't remember ever working so hard on my back before. My inelegant bum lifts on the fitball work my butt and my lower back, but that's pretty much it as far as I remember. It was a good workout.
The other thing I like is that we do a fair bit of twisting. As a driver, that's important. I can see a real difference in how far I can turn towards the back to look over my shoulder now. That's got to be good.
Tomorrow I'm going bush walking in the afternoon. I am planning to run in the morning, but I have to decide if I'll meet up with the girls and run around East Basin (16 km) or if I'll run to work and back to see what it's like (10 km). I'm leaning towards the 10 km run.
I've definitely decided against City to Surf and I've booked myself to come home to Melbourne that weekend. Once I made the decision not to go I wasn't so daunted about running, so I think it was the right choice for me.
I discovered today that there's a clash with the Canberra Times Fun Run and the first Spring into Shape session. I think I'll do the Spring into Shape run though, as that weekend is when I'd like to celebrate my birthday with my family. I thought I'd do the Runner’s World Run it Off Challenge and use the last of the SIS runs as my run. Anyway, that's the current plan. As ever, it's subject to change. :-)
I realised that I couldn't get through my whole program and get to the class, so I opted to do half of it, and hopefully do the other half tomorrow. You get an abs workout in Body Balance, so I skipped them without feeling guilty.
I've been trying to work my butt when I'm doing lunges. I have to really think about it, so I'm not sure I'm getting it. At the moment I'm doing static lunges with one foot on a step while I hold a weights bar between my legs. By the time I've positioned my feet, set my shoulders, locked my abs on, remembered to breathe and relaxed, clenching my butt seems like one too many things for me to do.
I felt like I was on top of the triceps exercise today, so I might put the weight up. I'm lowering that one towards my forehead while I lie back on the bench, so I want to be very sure that I can manage the weight. Going around with a bar shaped indentation in my forehead isn't a good look. I use the same weight for bicep curls straight after, and they are well under control. I was even remembering to control the bar on the way back down when I got to the end of the second set, so I've got room to move there.
The classroom for Body Balance was a little cold, and I had forgotten to take a long-sleeved top with me, so I was relieved that I warmed up fairly quickly. It amazes me that you can get warm doing a few Tai Chi moves. They are so graceful that I expect them to be effortless. I was definitely doing better with the balance moves today. I'm only wobbling a little as opposed to a lot. I even managed to get through the odd routine without touching down.
I'm very glad I did Yoga before I did Balance. In Yoga, it seems to me that you take longer to get into a pose and you hold if for longer. In Balance you move from pose to pose quite quickly. I think it would be easy to hurt yourself. Speaking of which, I had to pull out of a Swan pose as my right knee seemed too stretched. I think I was in the wrong position as I didn't have the same problem with my left knee. Mind you, it's taken me a while to work out what to do with the Swan pose. It finally clicked last week.
We did quite a lot of lower back work and my back is tired now. Typically I don't have back problems, although, like most people who work at a pc, I carry tension in my back. I don't remember ever working so hard on my back before. My inelegant bum lifts on the fitball work my butt and my lower back, but that's pretty much it as far as I remember. It was a good workout.
The other thing I like is that we do a fair bit of twisting. As a driver, that's important. I can see a real difference in how far I can turn towards the back to look over my shoulder now. That's got to be good.
Tomorrow I'm going bush walking in the afternoon. I am planning to run in the morning, but I have to decide if I'll meet up with the girls and run around East Basin (16 km) or if I'll run to work and back to see what it's like (10 km). I'm leaning towards the 10 km run.
I've definitely decided against City to Surf and I've booked myself to come home to Melbourne that weekend. Once I made the decision not to go I wasn't so daunted about running, so I think it was the right choice for me.
I discovered today that there's a clash with the Canberra Times Fun Run and the first Spring into Shape session. I think I'll do the Spring into Shape run though, as that weekend is when I'd like to celebrate my birthday with my family. I thought I'd do the Runner’s World Run it Off Challenge and use the last of the SIS runs as my run. Anyway, that's the current plan. As ever, it's subject to change. :-)
Tuesday, 24 July 2007
Hill Running and Yoga
This morning I went running as planned. It certainly is easier to get out of bed when you know you are meeting someone. The "warmer" weather was an added bonus. It was 2 degrees when I left home and it only got down to 0 today.
We had an adventure before we started running. The group was meeting at the bottom of Red Hill Lookout Road. One of the women who was joining us drove into a ditch when she was parking. We tried pushing her out, but we couldn't get any leverage with one of the wheels. Fortunately, someone had a four wheel drive. A quick phone call to their partner, asking them to bring recovery gear, and it was all sorted. I'm a "call the RACV" driver so I was very impressed by the competence displayed by the various parties involved in the rescue.
As you will have gathered from the name of the road, the hill leads to a lookout. You get fantastic views of Canberra up there, not that I spent much time looking at them this morning. I'm not sure how much elevation we gained on the run, but the hill is 725 m high and Canberra's elevation is 580 m, so it will be 145 m at the most. We ran a total of about 4 km today, which included our warm up run at the base of the hill and one and a half trips up to the top and back, so I figure the hill run was about 1 km long.
I was really pleased with the run. When we started, we'd been advised to take it slowly. Brad suggested we bound if we were able, but told us not to worry about it if it was too much to think about. I tried it at the start, and it did feel good, but all too soon I was focussed on putting one foot in front of the other and breathing.
To my surprise, I ran quite a way before I dropped to a walk break. Before I stopped the first time, I picked a landmark ahead and reached it. I took that approach for the rest of the run. I aimed to make the running sections longer than the walking sections. For example, I'd run two catseyes and walk one. I also tried to keep the pace up while I was walking.
It was such a good feeling to get to the top. Lola ran the whole way up, and I arrived with her, so I felt like I made good time, all things considered. Running down was a blast! It seemed like a long way down, which made us realise just how far we'd come up. When we were all at the bottom, Brad and Krissi turned us around to start all over again. I hadn't expected that, but I was happy to do it. I was quietly proud of that, as it meant that I was feeling strong and that I was in a good space mentally.
Before we reached the turnaround point Brad told us that he'd like us to try to surge the last bit. I was following the others up the hill, thinking I didn't have a surge in me. When I got close Krissi was encouraging me to take off, and my feet just went. I powered up the last little bit of the run, totally surprised that I was capable of going any faster. I had a moment of madness where I was going to suggest that we run the rest of the way to the top, but I managed to keep my mouth shut.
At the end of the run we did our stretching and you could tell people were on a real high. It took a while before people started to leave.
My legs have felt progressively more tired as the day has worn on. At the moment I'm feeling stiff and sore. A hot shower before I go to bed sounds like a plan. I was glad it was Yoga tonight, as the stretching really helps. That's why I first went to Yoga.
Tonight Michelle didn't tell us what type of Yoga we were doing so I stayed back after class and asked. It was a combination of style, and was kind of a Power Yoga thing. I'm keeping track, in case I ever decide to find a yoga class outside the gym. Tonight's session really flowed. Not so much of the downward dog but plenty of good stretches and balancing work. I'm definitely getting better at the balance work.
I got the spot in the front and centre of the class, which was terrific, as I had a great view of what Michelle was doing. I did have a moment's anxiety about everyone seeing what a klutz I was, but I quickly got over it.
On the home front, Dad is out of hospital and is recovering well. He sounds in excellent form. Mum has gone into hospital overnight and she will be having her angiogram in the morning. She should be home tomorrow. I'm going to stay at home tomorrow night, instead of in a hotel. I know it's a little antisocial on the work front as I'm travelling with a colleague, but I explained the situation to them and they understand.
Thanks for all your well wishes. They are much appreciated.
Oh, and JayKay .. I'll give Body Attack a go. After all, if I can run up Red Hill I can survive an energetic gym class.
We had an adventure before we started running. The group was meeting at the bottom of Red Hill Lookout Road. One of the women who was joining us drove into a ditch when she was parking. We tried pushing her out, but we couldn't get any leverage with one of the wheels. Fortunately, someone had a four wheel drive. A quick phone call to their partner, asking them to bring recovery gear, and it was all sorted. I'm a "call the RACV" driver so I was very impressed by the competence displayed by the various parties involved in the rescue.
As you will have gathered from the name of the road, the hill leads to a lookout. You get fantastic views of Canberra up there, not that I spent much time looking at them this morning. I'm not sure how much elevation we gained on the run, but the hill is 725 m high and Canberra's elevation is 580 m, so it will be 145 m at the most. We ran a total of about 4 km today, which included our warm up run at the base of the hill and one and a half trips up to the top and back, so I figure the hill run was about 1 km long.
I was really pleased with the run. When we started, we'd been advised to take it slowly. Brad suggested we bound if we were able, but told us not to worry about it if it was too much to think about. I tried it at the start, and it did feel good, but all too soon I was focussed on putting one foot in front of the other and breathing.
To my surprise, I ran quite a way before I dropped to a walk break. Before I stopped the first time, I picked a landmark ahead and reached it. I took that approach for the rest of the run. I aimed to make the running sections longer than the walking sections. For example, I'd run two catseyes and walk one. I also tried to keep the pace up while I was walking.
It was such a good feeling to get to the top. Lola ran the whole way up, and I arrived with her, so I felt like I made good time, all things considered. Running down was a blast! It seemed like a long way down, which made us realise just how far we'd come up. When we were all at the bottom, Brad and Krissi turned us around to start all over again. I hadn't expected that, but I was happy to do it. I was quietly proud of that, as it meant that I was feeling strong and that I was in a good space mentally.
Before we reached the turnaround point Brad told us that he'd like us to try to surge the last bit. I was following the others up the hill, thinking I didn't have a surge in me. When I got close Krissi was encouraging me to take off, and my feet just went. I powered up the last little bit of the run, totally surprised that I was capable of going any faster. I had a moment of madness where I was going to suggest that we run the rest of the way to the top, but I managed to keep my mouth shut.
At the end of the run we did our stretching and you could tell people were on a real high. It took a while before people started to leave.
My legs have felt progressively more tired as the day has worn on. At the moment I'm feeling stiff and sore. A hot shower before I go to bed sounds like a plan. I was glad it was Yoga tonight, as the stretching really helps. That's why I first went to Yoga.
Tonight Michelle didn't tell us what type of Yoga we were doing so I stayed back after class and asked. It was a combination of style, and was kind of a Power Yoga thing. I'm keeping track, in case I ever decide to find a yoga class outside the gym. Tonight's session really flowed. Not so much of the downward dog but plenty of good stretches and balancing work. I'm definitely getting better at the balance work.
I got the spot in the front and centre of the class, which was terrific, as I had a great view of what Michelle was doing. I did have a moment's anxiety about everyone seeing what a klutz I was, but I quickly got over it.
On the home front, Dad is out of hospital and is recovering well. He sounds in excellent form. Mum has gone into hospital overnight and she will be having her angiogram in the morning. She should be home tomorrow. I'm going to stay at home tomorrow night, instead of in a hotel. I know it's a little antisocial on the work front as I'm travelling with a colleague, but I explained the situation to them and they understand.
Thanks for all your well wishes. They are much appreciated.
Oh, and JayKay .. I'll give Body Attack a go. After all, if I can run up Red Hill I can survive an energetic gym class.
Monday, 23 July 2007
Weights program
I headed off to the gym on my way home from work. Because my bus trip is so much shorter now, I'm getting to the gym when it's busier. That meant that I had to work around the "amazing abs" class, which was using all the mats and fitballs. I can manage without a mat, but the fitball is kind of essential for my two fitball exercises.
The problem with changing the order of the exercises is that you tire as you go. I ended up doing my arm exercises before the two fitball exercises, and so my poor old arms were already worn out! I'm sure I'm going to feel it tomorrow. Mind you, Leanne always likes to see my muscles shaking, so I'm sure she would have been pleased.
While the "amazing abs" class were doing their stuff I was checking out the class. In the past, I was always really glad that I hadn't gone along to it, but I'm starting to get delusions of ability. Before you know it, I'll be signing up for half an hour of torture. I nearly gave Body Attack a trial today too. If I'm not careful I'll be heading back to RPM!
I've got running tomorrow. We're heading up Red Hill. I don't know how far we'll go but it is definitely going to be challenging. Lola is kindly picking me up, as it's a little too far for me on the bike at that time of day.
I still don't have unescorted building access so I haven't tried walking, running or riding to work yet. It's "nearly there" I'm told. I'm starting to think about how I organise this - I'll have to get some work clothes and toiletries to work, figure out what I'm doing about all the abolutely essential stuff I carry in my handbag, and so on. This should be interesting.
I have to travel to Melbourne for work this week, which means I'll be missing my personal training session. I'm not going to cancel it until the tickets are booked, as I've been told that I'm travelling a couple of times already and it hasn't happened. I'm glad it's on the cards for this week though, as both my parents are having heart maintenance. Dad had an angioplasty and a stent inserted today and Mum is having an angiogram on Wednesday, in preparation for a heart valve replacement. They are both being really brave. The breaking news is that Dad's procedure went well and he is in good form. I'll be able to see them for myself, which is always reassuring.
I think it's fabulous that the two of them can get treatment that will improve their quality of life so much. We really are lucky to live in Australia. Mind you, I'm trying not to take that luck for granted. One of the reasons I realised I had to do something about my health was that I am so much like my mother. I see the health problems she has been experiencing with her diabetes and I would prefer not to have them too.
Please God they will both recover well and quickly.
The problem with changing the order of the exercises is that you tire as you go. I ended up doing my arm exercises before the two fitball exercises, and so my poor old arms were already worn out! I'm sure I'm going to feel it tomorrow. Mind you, Leanne always likes to see my muscles shaking, so I'm sure she would have been pleased.
While the "amazing abs" class were doing their stuff I was checking out the class. In the past, I was always really glad that I hadn't gone along to it, but I'm starting to get delusions of ability. Before you know it, I'll be signing up for half an hour of torture. I nearly gave Body Attack a trial today too. If I'm not careful I'll be heading back to RPM!
I've got running tomorrow. We're heading up Red Hill. I don't know how far we'll go but it is definitely going to be challenging. Lola is kindly picking me up, as it's a little too far for me on the bike at that time of day.
I still don't have unescorted building access so I haven't tried walking, running or riding to work yet. It's "nearly there" I'm told. I'm starting to think about how I organise this - I'll have to get some work clothes and toiletries to work, figure out what I'm doing about all the abolutely essential stuff I carry in my handbag, and so on. This should be interesting.
I have to travel to Melbourne for work this week, which means I'll be missing my personal training session. I'm not going to cancel it until the tickets are booked, as I've been told that I'm travelling a couple of times already and it hasn't happened. I'm glad it's on the cards for this week though, as both my parents are having heart maintenance. Dad had an angioplasty and a stent inserted today and Mum is having an angiogram on Wednesday, in preparation for a heart valve replacement. They are both being really brave. The breaking news is that Dad's procedure went well and he is in good form. I'll be able to see them for myself, which is always reassuring.
I think it's fabulous that the two of them can get treatment that will improve their quality of life so much. We really are lucky to live in Australia. Mind you, I'm trying not to take that luck for granted. One of the reasons I realised I had to do something about my health was that I am so much like my mother. I see the health problems she has been experiencing with her diabetes and I would prefer not to have them too.
Please God they will both recover well and quickly.
Sunday, 22 July 2007
A quiet weekend
This weekend my exercise was fairly low key. I went for a walk with my sister, Janet, on Saturday morning, then headed off with my sister, Trish, this morning to walk the dog and to watch one of my nephews play football. This afternoon, I realised that my niece and nephew were looking for something to do while they were visiting so I suggested that we go for a walk around Kororoit Creek. The creek is quite a lot of fun for kids, with a couple of playgrounds, stepping stones, rocks to climb, ducks to feed, and trees to hide amongst, so they were happy to come along with me.
Laura was running on ahead while Michael was busy describing, in excruciating detail, the pedometer his dad had given him recently. While listening to Michael explain the seven different functions of his whizz-bang pedometer I was watching Laura, who was having a great time running and skipping ahead of us. It reminded me of something I'd read in my Chi Running book, about how much fun kids have when they run. They don't worry about what they are wearing or whether or not they have the right shoes on. They just run.
Just as Michael established that, along with all its other functions, the pedometer did count steps, I saw Laura running down one of the hills. I had this incredible feeling of envy as it looked like she was having such a good time. Suddenly I realised that it didn't matter that I was wearing my jeans; the only thing stopping me from joining her was me. I asked Michael if he'd like to run down the hill too. The two of us immediately took after her, and the tone for the walk was set. I challenged them to run across the bridge and up the hill. Off we went. We mixed up running and walking with heading off the path down to the creek and clambering over rocks.
I was absolutely stoked. It was probably only twelve months earlier that I was just starting to run, and I remember puffing and panting when I ran a short distance with some of my nephews. I also remember the kids playing up amongst a group of rocks that make great forts, while I jogged determinedly around them, building up some distance. Today, I was having a ball, running around like I was a big kid too. We passed a few people who looked a little bemused to see an adult tearing up the hill from the creek or running back down again.
I did the last part of the run with Laura staying well behind us, yelling out "I don't know either of you" and Michael running on ahead trying to make sure that the aeroplane didn't take his head off. Yes, I was the aeroplane.
Laura was running on ahead while Michael was busy describing, in excruciating detail, the pedometer his dad had given him recently. While listening to Michael explain the seven different functions of his whizz-bang pedometer I was watching Laura, who was having a great time running and skipping ahead of us. It reminded me of something I'd read in my Chi Running book, about how much fun kids have when they run. They don't worry about what they are wearing or whether or not they have the right shoes on. They just run.
Just as Michael established that, along with all its other functions, the pedometer did count steps, I saw Laura running down one of the hills. I had this incredible feeling of envy as it looked like she was having such a good time. Suddenly I realised that it didn't matter that I was wearing my jeans; the only thing stopping me from joining her was me. I asked Michael if he'd like to run down the hill too. The two of us immediately took after her, and the tone for the walk was set. I challenged them to run across the bridge and up the hill. Off we went. We mixed up running and walking with heading off the path down to the creek and clambering over rocks.
I was absolutely stoked. It was probably only twelve months earlier that I was just starting to run, and I remember puffing and panting when I ran a short distance with some of my nephews. I also remember the kids playing up amongst a group of rocks that make great forts, while I jogged determinedly around them, building up some distance. Today, I was having a ball, running around like I was a big kid too. We passed a few people who looked a little bemused to see an adult tearing up the hill from the creek or running back down again.
I did the last part of the run with Laura staying well behind us, yelling out "I don't know either of you" and Michael running on ahead trying to make sure that the aeroplane didn't take his head off. Yes, I was the aeroplane.
Friday, 20 July 2007
Body Balance
It's been really cold today. When I got to the gym I was freezing. Luckily I had a long-sleeved thermal top in my gym bag, so I put it on and headed for the treadmill. I only had 10 minutes so I started slowly to warm up and increased the pace each minute. I then headed back to the change room and got rid of the thermal top before heading off to Body Balance.
I've learned that you can get quite hot in Yoga and Body Balance, even though the movements are slow and controlled. You can also feel quite sore afterwards. My abs hurt more after Body Balance than they do after anything else.
I definitely like Yoga better than Balance, but there's only one Yoga class a week at my gym, so I'll keep going along to both.
After class there was a Tupperware party at the gym. I'm a bit of a Tupperware queen, so I decided to stick around for it. I managed to get out of there with a single purchase of something that I really need, which was a relief.
It's still cold, so I'm off to bed. Oh, and I didn't get up and exercise this morning - the toasty warm bed won!
I've learned that you can get quite hot in Yoga and Body Balance, even though the movements are slow and controlled. You can also feel quite sore afterwards. My abs hurt more after Body Balance than they do after anything else.
I definitely like Yoga better than Balance, but there's only one Yoga class a week at my gym, so I'll keep going along to both.
After class there was a Tupperware party at the gym. I'm a bit of a Tupperware queen, so I decided to stick around for it. I managed to get out of there with a single purchase of something that I really need, which was a relief.
It's still cold, so I'm off to bed. Oh, and I didn't get up and exercise this morning - the toasty warm bed won!
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