For so long, I have followed the 'plan' to the point of turning down lots of opportunities to do other stuff and try new things. I made it my mission to try new things after Kona. Well since Kona is now on the back burner and the new plan for next year I am making the most of my 'leave of training' and embracing a new plan of daily exercise.
My prescription to myself is 2hours per day Monday thru Friday of whatever I like, but keeping it balanced so I do not do too much or too little of one thing. If I do not FEEL like doing two hours then no biggie, so long as I do something. It is exercise and about feeling good about oneself. It is not training and about pushing myself until I meltdown (which Emma is pretty good at). On the weekends I am then free to enjoy riding after nearly a two year absence of with the 'gang'. The gang stop for breakfast half way on the rides. Something I WOULD NOT DO when in training. Now I can enjoy taking my own sweet time and if I want to swim or run in the afternoon I will. If I want to do nothing, I will do that also. Sunday I aim to make Bukit Aman my regular fixture. Running long is the one thing I am really taking my time and easing back into. At the moment I am content to just shuffle along and not worry about how far or fast I am moving. I know if I go too far and hard too soon I will be back at square one! Plus, no need to go mad, training will not resume until after CNY next year!
So I have from now until February to do as I please. The first steps into the unknown were taken today where on a whim - (yes, you read correctly, I did something on a whim!) I joined Bee, Tomato and Mich for a trail run in FRIM. It was raining so hard our 8am start was delayed until 10am but once we started it was very cool!
Now I am not accustomed to running trails. My ironman shuffle revolves around a fast cadence (when fit and healthy) and very low steps, mum said it enough when I was a kid and today I could hear her voice "Emma, pick your feet up!" I am not as stretchy as I used to be in the days of practically having rubber band legs when playing badminton. I used to be able to jump and lunge all around the court and bounce back up. Just thinking about that kind of movement now hurts!
Once I got into the run I felt pretty good. Probably the best I have felt for a couple of weeks. (Told you the mojo is coming back and just in time for Hawaii!) So I tried to push a little and get my heart rate up. That was pretty easy mind, as the hills kinda blew my lungs. But then my lower back, read: right kidney area starting really hurting when going down hill and tackling anything that was rocky - so basically everywhere. It was getting pretty uncomfortable and then I realised it was because I was doing something totally unnatural - I was having to pick my feet up!!
On occasion I go for a massage, when they get to my right lower back - kidney area, they start making noises and then ask "got pain ah?" pressing deep into my side. Erm, yes, ouchy! This is something I need to get checked out, something to put on the new todo list now I have the time!
As for the trail run? Frigging GREAT FUN. Something different and something I would like to do more of. I am totally pooped now and so have spent the rest of the day vegetating. I am hoping to snag a road bike in Napa for the mountains and a MTB (that will be a first) in Hawaii for the trails!
Ironman is not forgotten, it is just 'on hold' for the moment and so long as I keep the body moving, when the time comes to switch, I think I will be stronger than ever :) Watch out IM China!
7 comments:
woo hoo
love reading your blog. honest and humble, not the usual fantastic plastic we're so great talk...
good luck, bart
FRIM is my previous train base too for my running.Nice place.
Keep it up..cheers
PMTEY
Woo Hoo indeed :)
Thank You Bart, I really appreciate it when people take the time to make a comment. When we receive a complement, a 'pat on the back' the meaning and impact it gives the receiver is HUGE. But the actual action is very small and so often not seen as needed.
But believe me it is, you never know when a few simple words can change someones day :)
Checked out your blog too, I hope you do better at 'balancing' then me!!
Cheers Tey, was fun. Gonna buy me a camelBack now!
great...trails is fun and exciting. And it will force you to run differently as well...
Hello Emma, I enjoy reading your blog; but what I do not understand is that you are obviously having quite a hard time with your health and may be a bit overtrained. So what do you do? You train "as you like" for 2 hours a day in a week - that makes 14hrs of weekly training. That's what quite a few of people do when preparing for an IM... Maybe it would be just really good for you to put up your feet up and do nothing for at least after Kona. Your body may appreciate that. Just my 2 cents. Get well soon.
Hi Miro, hope you are well.
Yes, you are not the first, it does seem like a lot. But truthfully it doesn't feel like much after churning out a lot more than that over the past two years.
I say 2hours but if I don't feel like it then I won't. It is not about smashing myself, I am just exercising to how I feel. I also have a little more time now so finding 2hours a day is not too much of a strain.
Like most of you keeping active is my drug of choice and doing nothing I would go crazy so it's just about feeling good and not feeling exhausted from the huge sessions I would normally put in. So far so good :)
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