Lack of sleep

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!"

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

Alain Boutefeu

Six months into running alone, I realized I may need someone to challenge me. And so I put an advertisement in craigslist for a running partner. Alain responded to my advertisement. My running has never been the same since then. Alain has run all his life. Running is second nature for him. In his peak running career he has some remarkable running times. A back surgery slowed him down, but he has returned to his passion. Alain has an infections passion for running. His knowledge and tips about racing, body recovery and small anecdotes constantly remind me how fortunate I am to have someone guide and support me through this sport. Alain is very patient with me and reminds me the follies of new enthusiastic runners (I have made every one of them) He still doesn’t give up.

When I took up running, I thought that the only thing you need was a pair of shoes, sunscreen, water and attitude. I am slowly learning that it is a science and a fascinating one too. I have now added to my subscription of magazines running times, runners, trail runners and really have to fight now buying too many running books. When I started running with Alain, I had a 9-minute mile. I now have a 7.30 – 8.00 minute mile run. Running with someone better than you can challenge you but also bring out your potential. My first 5k run ( Komen Race For The Cure), I ran @ 7.23, i placed 5th in my age group(30-39), 16th in Female overall, and 92 in the race. In my first half marathon (silver commet, Atlanta) was 1.44:46 minutes. I was placed 8/121. I am always excited at my records but Alain says he always knew my potential. It is great to have someone believe in you and to see beyond what you can. I don’t get to run often with Alain these days, as I have moved to Atlanta. But every time I go back to the San Francisco, we run together and catch up on things. We are planning to run the way to cool 50K race on March 10th. To my friend and running partner, I want to thank you for helping me recognize my potential.

Injury

Six weeks after injury I am still not running. I tried to run 2 weeks ago but after a 40 mile week my ankle swelled. I was able to do small runs but my ankle couldn’t take long runs. I decided to stay off running. My goal for this year is to participate in a triathlon. I have non-existent swimming skills; I can float, do freestyle for a couple of yards and that’s where it stops.

I decided that the best time to start training for swimming is now, when my ankle is recovering. So I signed up for some swimming classes and have started swimming. On my first day of class my teacher told me that my strokes were strong and with practice I would be able to compete in a tri. I was able to do maximum 4 laps. Swimming was hard. Running is so much easier. I train at the YMCA and 36 laps denotes a mile of swimming. The second day of swimming, I was able to do 17 laps. I told myself no matter what happens I have to stay in the pool for an hour. And in an hour I did 17 laps.

I tend to get impatient with myself (my friends would say with others too). I wanted to swim back-to-back laps and swim a mile…etc. I had remind myself how I started running. One mile at a time and how I felt then and that with practice I would be able to swim the distance I wanted. Learning a new skill is good for you. It always humbles me, it makes me work harder, it makes get stronger, and it challenges my mind.

I have to admit…I may enjoy swimming, but running is still my passion…..Talking of passion…it is important to share your passion with people. I was fortunate to find one of those people, my running partner and friend Alain Boutefeu. ..Will share with you about Alain in my next blog.

My Victories

In August, 2006 I moved from Atlanta and separated from my husband of eight years. I took up a new job in Atlanta. Moving to Atlanta was such a culture shock for me. I took many issues for granted in the Bay area and realized that the South was very different from what I had known about America. One thing I have to vouch for is the Southern hospitality. It never fails.

Through all this change, the only constant in my life was running. I was following my training schedule for my marathon training. The humidity in Atlanta ( August) suffocated me. I was not used to running on paved roads. I was a trail runner and for some reason Atlantian’s love their roads. That was the biggest challenge for me.

I trained for a year to participate for my first marathon in Sacramento, CA ( CIM), December 3rd, 2006, but five days before the marathon I sprained my ankle playing table-tennis ( ping-pong). I went to Sacramento thinking that my ankle would heal, but the plane journey had only aggravated the ankle and it swelled (a melon size). I could barely walk. I went to the CIM expo to get my T-shirt and number and had to tell them I wasn’t running. I cried for a long time.

The whole year I was preparing myself for this event. And through this journey I had reached my new goal weight, a new respectful relationship with myself, and a new job. I had dreamed of crying with joy after finishing my first marathon, to celebrate my life victories. I did cry..and even today as I write a tear slides down my cheek, reminding me that those were joyous victories, victories that have made me a better person today….

What did I learn from the injury….buy a pair of cross-training shoe if you are doing any other activity that requires side steps (running shoes only support forward motion). When they tell you don’t do anything before your race they mean it!!!. But most of all I learned humility and that I have to continue my mission. I still haven’t recovered from my sprained ankle. After 6 weeks of injury, my ankle still has a swelling. So I am not running ….well kind of…will share in next blog

History of Running

On January 1st 2006, I took up running. I started running because i was looking for a new challenge in my life. I had just finished my doctorate and felt a void after completing school. The intensity of school had kept me challenged, but once that was done, i felt very empty. I was not a runner. In fact I started first running in the gym, one mile a day. Slowly, moved to 2 and the rest is history. After one month of running in the gym, i decided to try running outside. I was scared to run out because i had heard that running has negative impact on your knees. But my goal was to run a marathon. I ran alone. When i ran, i felt a sense of power , for the first time in my life i felt invigorated by an activity. I soon realised that running was not a physical exercise, but a mental challenge. I also started thinking clearly on my runs. Able to solve problems that i would otherwise have kept in the back burner. Running made me look candidly at my life and my issues. I had decided that by the end of the year i would change my life. Things that were not working for me. So far I have lost 30 pounds running. I was a size 8 when i started running and now a 0. But most of all. I feel powerful, fit and confident of my ability to tackle any growth opportunities that come my way. I call hurdles as growth opportunities because that is the way i see things in my life. In my next blog i will share with you some of those growth opportunities with you.