I had hardly any sleep last night....personal issues kept me awake most of the night..i was contemplating if i should run or not.....i decided to go ahead and run....the best decision i made...running makes you think clear....running makes you feel strong....running makes you push your boundaries....
I had more problems keeping the speed than completing my distance. I enventually ran a pace of 9.10 with three breaks for water. I did better than yesterday.... I realize i have to have patience.... and it will come together.
It was real cold 34 F and windy....but the euphoria of running was enough to keep me going....I just hope my ankle feels as good as i do...can't wait to run 20 miles..well tomorrow is rest day.i plan to spin and do weights 2 hours of training.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Yoga
I continue to feel tired. So I did not engage in any cardio today. Ended up doing an hour of yoga. After i started running, I have lost my flexibility but working out in the gym, i seem to gain some of my flexibility back.
I realized that my body is so used to doing some physical activity that everyday i have to do something. Whether it is swimming, running, cycling or yoga.
I hope to recover better next week. I have had a hectic week with regards to work and dealing with personal issues. All this affects the way we recover from our workouts. Additionally, i have not been sleeping well. All these factors put together is a disaster for injury. So i am going to slow down just a little bit.
I realized that my body is so used to doing some physical activity that everyday i have to do something. Whether it is swimming, running, cycling or yoga.
I hope to recover better next week. I have had a hectic week with regards to work and dealing with personal issues. All this affects the way we recover from our workouts. Additionally, i have not been sleeping well. All these factors put together is a disaster for injury. So i am going to slow down just a little bit.
Tired
After my Tuesday workout my body was really tired. I did my first one mile run on the treadmill at the gym. Went slow and ran at a 12.00 minute pace. Running felt OK. My ankle didn't hurt. I also did an hour of weights.
I had to go buy new shoes for running. Got a Nike Pegasus. Never ran in a Nike before so it will be interesting to run in one. I posted my entry for cool online. Just in case i can't make it to the race someone else could run.
One of the lessons i have recently learned is to know when to hold on to your cards and when to fold. I have decided that it is better to make sure that my ankle is healed completely than to run cool for emotional reasons. There will be other opportunities to run cool. But coming to that decision was hard. You really have to strip your ego. Because often some of us run for ego reasons. To tell ourselves or our friends we did it. This injury has really taught me to be humble and that being aligned with your source keeps you balanced. Running has always been my way of understanding myself. And that is one reason i am addicted to running.
Planning to run 2 miles today. It is very cold out here. Still have to get used to running in the cold.
I had to go buy new shoes for running. Got a Nike Pegasus. Never ran in a Nike before so it will be interesting to run in one. I posted my entry for cool online. Just in case i can't make it to the race someone else could run.
One of the lessons i have recently learned is to know when to hold on to your cards and when to fold. I have decided that it is better to make sure that my ankle is healed completely than to run cool for emotional reasons. There will be other opportunities to run cool. But coming to that decision was hard. You really have to strip your ego. Because often some of us run for ego reasons. To tell ourselves or our friends we did it. This injury has really taught me to be humble and that being aligned with your source keeps you balanced. Running has always been my way of understanding myself. And that is one reason i am addicted to running.
Planning to run 2 miles today. It is very cold out here. Still have to get used to running in the cold.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Thoughts
Mahatma Gandhi once said" A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes".
It is so true in everything you do. If you are a pessimist then you never think the best of anyone...you will always find faults and negativity in people, situations or challenges.
Today I challenged myself to do 60 minutes of stair climber and ended up doing 7 miles and 350 floors. I realised that i am stronger in mind than i give myself credit. Exercising makes you even stronger, not just physically but mentally. And mental strength has helped me come through a divorce, helped me tell people not to take advantage of my kindness or to treat me with respect.
I worked out for 2.5 hours today. And also had a long day at work. But i feel very accomplished. My body is now accustomed to waking up early. I love morning workouts. They are so refreshing. I am planning on my first one mile run tomorrow.
My ankle is healing well. I continue to ice and perform all the exercise my PT suggested. I am grateful for my health.
It is so true in everything you do. If you are a pessimist then you never think the best of anyone...you will always find faults and negativity in people, situations or challenges.
Today I challenged myself to do 60 minutes of stair climber and ended up doing 7 miles and 350 floors. I realised that i am stronger in mind than i give myself credit. Exercising makes you even stronger, not just physically but mentally. And mental strength has helped me come through a divorce, helped me tell people not to take advantage of my kindness or to treat me with respect.
I worked out for 2.5 hours today. And also had a long day at work. But i feel very accomplished. My body is now accustomed to waking up early. I love morning workouts. They are so refreshing. I am planning on my first one mile run tomorrow.
My ankle is healing well. I continue to ice and perform all the exercise my PT suggested. I am grateful for my health.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Getting back on track
It has been a hectic week. First week of school is the most difficult time. But I managed to get in a few workouts. I started using the StairMaster. And at level 15 & 16 I have managed to do 6.3 miles in 50 minutes and 310 floors. It is a killer. Gets your quads. I have been weight training three times a week. I have been seeing a lot of the gym. I hate going to the gym. I feel very claustrophobic but I am trying to keep my endurance up.
I started physical therapy (for my ankle) today and the therapist said that I should start running one mile and see if the swelling increases. But she wants me to run and at the same time work on some ankle exercises. She asked me to get some stability shoes. I feel so excited that I can run again…. even if it is one mile. I feel blessed.
One thing that has helped my healing is meditation and really connecting with my body. And believing that my body is going to heal. Research shows that stress can actually impede healing. So I am trying to have a drama free life....something that is so difficult for me. Drama seems to follow me no matter how hard I shy away from it.
I feel so blessed that I discovered running and try to live a healthy life. I strongly believe that a healthy body is a healthy mind. My productivity has really increased since I started running. But more than anything my concentration is great. I have long days. Wake up at 5.30 am and sleep at 11.00pm.
I have been working out almost 6 days a week for one hour minimum. I feel really good that I have been disciplined to go to the gym.
I started physical therapy (for my ankle) today and the therapist said that I should start running one mile and see if the swelling increases. But she wants me to run and at the same time work on some ankle exercises. She asked me to get some stability shoes. I feel so excited that I can run again…. even if it is one mile. I feel blessed.
One thing that has helped my healing is meditation and really connecting with my body. And believing that my body is going to heal. Research shows that stress can actually impede healing. So I am trying to have a drama free life....something that is so difficult for me. Drama seems to follow me no matter how hard I shy away from it.
I feel so blessed that I discovered running and try to live a healthy life. I strongly believe that a healthy body is a healthy mind. My productivity has really increased since I started running. But more than anything my concentration is great. I have long days. Wake up at 5.30 am and sleep at 11.00pm.
I have been working out almost 6 days a week for one hour minimum. I feel really good that I have been disciplined to go to the gym.
Friday, January 12, 2007
Runners High
I haven't really enjoyed working out in the gym because it appears that no other aerobic exercise is able to produce the runners high that i have experienced. So in every activity i look to get that high. Last night i tried a spinning class at the gym. And i realized that it came close to feeling of a runners high. Spinning has a high aerobic intensity and one can make it as hard as they want. And it really got my heart pumping. While talking to Alain a couple of days ago i was telling him that my heart rate is high when i swim and he found that interesting as he was mentioning that swimming is not know as a high aerobic exercise. I realize that my heart rate is high during swimming because i haven't learned to breathe well. So the effort is because of the lack of proper breathing rather than because of pushing certain muscles. On the other hand, the cycling does gets you going.
So i went back to the gym for another cycling class . And that too early morning ( 6.30 am) i went back to experience the runners high...and again it was close....it felt good...i put a lot of effort and i felt very satisfied. After a 45 minute class i was so pumped up that i participated in a 45 abdominal crunch class and i was still pumped so ended doing an hour of weights. So today was similar to a long run day ( 16 miles or so). I have decided that I am going to spend the same amount of time in the gym as i would if i was running. That way my body gets used to working out for long periods of time.
I feel really good today. Waking up early, I feel i have accomplished so much already. And it is not even noon.... I am so looking forward to running soon....
I concur with Sasha Azevendo, a runner athlete who said "I run because it's my passion, and not just a sport. Every time I walk out the door, I know why I'm going where I'm going and I'm already focused on that special place where I find my peace and solitude. Running, to me, is more than just a physical exercise...it's a consistent reward for victory!"
So i went back to the gym for another cycling class . And that too early morning ( 6.30 am) i went back to experience the runners high...and again it was close....it felt good...i put a lot of effort and i felt very satisfied. After a 45 minute class i was so pumped up that i participated in a 45 abdominal crunch class and i was still pumped so ended doing an hour of weights. So today was similar to a long run day ( 16 miles or so). I have decided that I am going to spend the same amount of time in the gym as i would if i was running. That way my body gets used to working out for long periods of time.
I feel really good today. Waking up early, I feel i have accomplished so much already. And it is not even noon.... I am so looking forward to running soon....
I concur with Sasha Azevendo, a runner athlete who said "I run because it's my passion, and not just a sport. Every time I walk out the door, I know why I'm going where I'm going and I'm already focused on that special place where I find my peace and solitude. Running, to me, is more than just a physical exercise...it's a consistent reward for victory!"
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Fear of not running

Today i realized that being a new runner i had so many dreams and aspirations. I wanted to see what my first marathon time would be, how i could beat my own 5K PR etc... Running has been the only constant in my life for the last one year. Running was my stress buster. But with the injury comes this fear that I may not be able to run. Although the injury appears to be minor..the fear of not running is still real.
I realized that holding on to that fear was really limiting me. I was like a stuck record talking to anyone who would listen about how i enjoyed running and now i can't run. I think unconsciously I had given up the idea of my ankle healing. And that i just lacked patience. Today, i let go of that fear. I no longer fear that i won't run...i know that i will run one day...if not today, tomorrow or a week from now...one day i will run. And till then i will keep my endurance up so that when i am ready to run....i won't loose out on the endurance.
This incident has made me so humble. I feel down by the fact i can't run...but then i look at people who can't even walk and have a smile on their face. I can't let this small injury detract me from my goal of being healthy and strong. It would be great to have support groups for injured runners...don't know if one exist.
Posted is a picture of me at the finishing line of the Silver Comet Half Marathon in Atlanta, GA. My personal time. 1:44:46
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