Learning from Arsenal

Well it has been good progress so far in life. Been hitting the gym regularly. Got myself Nike Free Version 4 (trying out the minimalist trend!) to rotate with my Nike Structure 16s. And yesterday was particularly a good day because I ran over an hour and my left leg felt pretty okay. Not perfect though. Cause at around the 47th minute mark, the outside of the left knee felt uncomfortable. I stretched a bit and honestly I was pain free. Woke up this morning and was again pain free (THANK YOU LORD). But had the same discomfort in my left knee. So I stretched thoroughly and religiously and am happy to report that the discomfort has left me!

Man, that is progress in my head. Two weeks ago 4kms would have left my knee feeling destroyed. During the Hyd Marathon, I practically wept at the 15k mark. Honestly I know I have a long way to go but am getting results for working hard, so there is no cheat sheet here. You work and you get results. So I have to work.

Anyway, things have been going swimmingly well for my football team as well. Despite being bogged down with injuries themselves (just like me!), Arsenal have shown such resilience in the face of so many naysayers that I can't help but feel inspired by them. So, am going to dedicate my first official half marathon (and the reason I even started this blog) to my team. Every time on October 6th when I am running in Coimbatore and I feel like giving up, I will think of Arsenal. Every time the sides of my stomach feel like they are about to be knackered, I will think of Ramsey's broken leg and how he came back from that injury and has now become a goal scoring machine. Every moment I think this is simply not worth it, I will think of the boys in the Arsenal jersey. Everyone critic, journalist doubted Arsenal could compete with the big guys but now they have been silenced. Not because the lads are better than the rest, but because they just don't give up. They have that spirit. The Gooner spirit. The one that says that they will not back down to any opposition. Win or lose, they show up suited for war. And I am a Gooner. I have that spirit too.

Happy running! And if you're an Arsenal fan, happy EPL season! 

Tight hamstrings - the cause of all evil

Ok so according to my PT, my hamstrings are so freaking tight that he does not expect them to loosen up in time for Hyderabad but promised me I should be fine in maybe another week after aggressive rounds of stretching every day.

And I have to say, yesterday was PAINFUL. I could not handle it. I had to keep running on the treadmill for a period of five minutes and then stretch my hamstrings. The running part I liked because I realised that every single time I returned to the treadmill, it hurt a little less but stretching? I cannot emphasise on how painful it was. The PT assisted/tortured me during those moments and when I went back home after an hour, I genuinely felt like I ached all over the body especially my hips.

But when I woke up this morning, my left leg felt about as good as I can possibly hope in this short time frame. I have also changed my running form and paying more attention to my upper body and that has helped me a lot. I have not stretched today so far (it's only 5pm) but I feel very tired today just not ready to move past the pain I felt yesterday.

But then Sunday is Hyderabad. That means I just don't have the luxury to call it a day on my IT band and hammies and say - screw it. But then I am also feeling really optimistic about September. By next week, my knee issues will most likely be sorted (I am being VERY aggressive) and with my changed running form and constant stretching, I should get back on HM training track as early as next week. No rolling hills for me for a while though, that's for sure but the focus is on training, strengthening and stretching. I found out yesterday that even though I thought I was stretching certain muscles like my hamstrings, generally when they are tight, we go easy on them and that should be the opposite. I have been doing this subconsciously but it has caught up to me. Happy running.

A good day

Yesterday was a very good day. No...I did not run pain  free. In fact I did not run at all. But I cycled for close to 20kms and spent the whole day with runners and those adapting a healthy lifestyle and it was great. Morning I woke up late and biked about 7kms from Jayanagar to Koramangala for a special vegan buffet lunch that had been organised for runners by a runner. I spent hours there with my friend Radha (who has recently turned vegan) and tried everything from almond and cashew milk, to vegan cheese and even had some vegan pizza. Good think I had cycled my way to the lunch cause there is no way I would have worked out those calories otherwise :P

Then I biked another 10k right after lunch to IIM Bangalore where a movie was screened for runners called Unbreakable. It was the story of ultra runners and how they conquer the incredibly difficult Western States 100 where they have to run a 100 miles through a mountain terrain. Watching it I certainly felt a little dumb about complaining about my IT Band problems after only having run 20k! But then it was also terribly inspirtational. I biked home another 5km after that and I was really pooped. Did I mention it had also rained cats and dogs in Bangalore yesterday which meant I was very wet for a lot of the time?

But that said I had a brilliant day. My cardio was taken care of as well as my cross training. I stretched religious and today I went to the gym without complaining and finished the whole routine without any knee pain. Am going to test my leg left on Sunday. Which means more stretching today and tomorrow no matter what. As well as another round of gymming tomorrow. I can't wait for this weekend cause Arsenal plays its first game of the season! And next week I will be jetting off to Hyderabad for the Hyderabad Marathon. So am finishing this week in no pain and plenty of hope. Keep running and stay safe. 

The crouch is not cool for your body

We have all had parents or grandparents telling us to sit up straight growing up and apparently that particular posture is key is ensuring faster recovery from injuries like mine (IT Band Syndrome). You see I have generally the worst posture of all time. Seriously. When I was a kid I was not a very confident person and hence would crouch while walking around and generally not pay attention to my posture at all. And being a backpack person, my natural gait suffered (I still carry a backpack!).

So, yesterday I was sitting at the PT's office absolutely devastated that even though my left knee seems to be on the mend, it's still taking much much longer than I had expected it to. And that's when my physiotherapist, the fabulous Dr Gladson told me that my posture was all wrong and that was hindering faster recovery. It also not helps that my job requires me to be sitting for hours at length and my go-to stance while working is the crouch. While I must say that in the past year since I started working out, I have improved my stance considerably, it's the little things that you ignore that end up biting you in the ass. I think it's also because I have naturally broad shoulders for my height, I tend subconsciously minimise it by crouching. But my muscles are put under a strain every time I do this. While I have been told to sit up straight more times than anyone else I know, I finally paid attention to the doctor's words yesterday.

Anyway I decided that from today I will not bring my shoulders together in order to blend in and be invisible (childhood trait but nothing is set on stone). Gladson said that in order to achieve perfect posture while siting and working on a cubicle, you need to position your butt in the far end of the chair which will naturally make you sit up straight. Then you need to pull your chair close to the desk, so your hands rest comfortably on the desk while you type on the laptop. It's as simple as that but is definitely easier said than done. Right now my mind is looking for any kind of slip up to bring me back to my original position but I am mentally being aware of my own body. And what's better is that I am already noticing that lower my back does not hurt as much as it used to just a day ago. It may be the easiest tip on earth but one really needs to be aware of their own body and what it does to literally pull you down. Am still hoping to run a bit tomorrow but essentially that depends on how confident I feel about my left knee. Happy running you guys :)

Falling sick

I fell sick and remained sick for the whole week. Viral infection is going around the city and of course I had to catch it. I didn't even have energy to stretch or anything! Now I feel like a potato or something but much much weaker (although I don't know how a potato can feel weak but am sick so cut me some slack!).

Thankfully I feel much much much better today, so I have figured that I will spend some time at the gym in the evening. And then my mom is forcing me to watch Chennai Express, so I will be going for the 8.30pm show. Hopefully I am home by at least 11 and I get some sleep cause tomorrow I wake up at 5 to bike to Lalbhagh and then run for about 10-15k depending on how I feel. My legs feel relatively good despite my whole body aching, so I am very hopeful about tomorrow. Now from this coming week I am going to get serious about my training, my sleep schedule (I have to wake up by 6am from now on and hence should force myself to sleep by 10pm the previous night no matter what), and my stretching and eating habits.

No more falling sick and my legs are going to get strong whether they like it or not. Sure injury sucks but with training, strengthening and STRETCHING (I still hate it though), I think anyone can become a serious runner. Happy running you guys and eid mubarak! :D

Running costs big bucks!

So here's the thing - the last couple of weeks I have been on a massive spending spree because everything you hear about running before you are a runner is a total lie - it's not the cheapest workout ever. In fact it is very expensive if you want to maintain a running lifestyle!

For one thing, I went on another run in the Kanakpura road and ended up straining my IT band again (this time my left leg fell victim). And since I have never experienced any pain on my left leg, I felt pretty horrible for a couple of days when the knee felt heavy and useless....

So I splurged and bought a foam roller. Yup I finally succumbed to the lure of putting myself through even more pain so I can enjoy a pain free run. Left IT band has been screaming every time I have run a foam roller through it but I have seen loads of improvement in both my legs, so I am going to eschew the horror that is foam rolling yourself when your muscles are tight and just be grateful that I can run at all.

And then I also bought Nike Dri Fit socks which also cost a bomb. I mean a pair costs close to 500 bucks and I had to buy a bunch and I could not find cheaper alternatives to saving my toes as the only place that stocks cheaper Toe socks is Decathalon in Sajjapura road and they are apparently out of stock (total bummer!).

And my final splurge? I bought a cycle! Yup I am not officially an all around health nut. I got a relatively cheap Hercules Roadeo Turner and it's six speed with great balance and I got it all for under 8 grand (it helped that I flirted with a shopkeeper a bit so he gave me free carrier installed plus a free bottle holder...am completely shameless).

My baby is blue and aptly called Bergkamp because it flies!

But that's when I started noticing - you need to keep buying things in order to supplement your running life span. Foam rollers, physio therapy (because let's face it most runners run into injuries no matter what), yoga mats, the right gear and clothing even the right water bottles and belts!

And then I realised that I didn't care. Sure, when I look back to that time when someone told me about how cheap running is compared to a gym (I now go to a gym because you need to add cross training to supplement your running! LOL), I have to chuckle at the absurdity of the statement. That person is perhaps just a morning jogger who does not have to invest in their own health more than keeping themselves fit. But then that feeling I get at the end of a run when I have pushed myself beyond what I thought possible? It's priceless. I cannot explain it. So next time I worry about buying new shoes (which are also expensive), I am just going to remember that I love running at the end of the day.

Maybe this is why runners generally find it hard to talk about anything other than running - they invest so much of themselves in this "hobby" that it becomes part of their identity. And anyone who wakes up at 4.30am in the morning just to run 15 plus kilometres is definitely invested. And that's a great feeling. So keep spending as you get better and keep getting better. Once you run down this path (pun intended), you find yourself completely changed for the better and that's everything.

P.S The Premier League starts August 17th! Adding to my woes is now the fact I have to juggle running with staying up late watching Arsenal matches...on the other hand - yay!!!! Arsenal is back in my world again! 

Dreams coming true and more cheesy lines

I know I have been radio-silence for almost two weeks now but I have good reason for it - I was terribly lazy. Yes. The lazy-bug caught me good. I actually did not work out or run for four days after the race cause I was "too busy with work." But then my friend did the best thing for me - he hooked me with an awesome running group.

We are called the BeeGeeRunBugs and most are from my own locality and they are mid-serious runners who for the most part run half marathons. And they are so much fun. And guess what? I ran 19k on Saturday! I was in pain after the run but I completed in two and half hours and it was the most exhilarating moment yet and next weekend I am running 20k again. Which means I am off to physiotherapy/gym this evening. What's great is that with continuous stretching my right knee was fine by Monday morning (oh I ran another 7.5k on Sunday!).

I can now officially boast of being a semi-serous runner who is ready to take on half marathons! I can run that distance! I am so happy I could burst. My dream when I started the blog has actually come true. I don't know if I want to run down streets yelling in joy or completely break down in tears knowing that I was able to overcome this injury and keep running.

I think this is my lesson from my whole short running career. There are more mountains to climb. Actual half marathons to run....full marathons to run but for now I am happy reveling in the fact that I have officially in my own way become a runner.

Keep running you guys...there is no greater feeling that accomplishing your goals in life.

P.S I have brand new socks which I will blog about soon enough and I have a new running wardrobe consisting of dri-fit t-shirts! AND I might be buying a new cycle. It's an all around great month for me :)

I made it to top 10!

Yesterday I ran in the 10k category of the Chennai Half Marathon and I finished 8th in women! I mean my timing was not great (just about 60 minutes) but the city boasts such terriblly humid conditions that we were all struggling to push past that heaviness that envelopes you through the run.

I was out of breath at the 3.7k mark and had no idea what my timing was but the marathon itself was so brilliantly organised and the atmosphere was so amazing that I genuinely wanted to give my best. Honestly it was one of the most organised runs I have been to so far. Everything from collection of the bibs to the goody bag was so brilliant that I was simply impressed right from the get go.

But then the night before the run, the city saw heavy heavy rains with thundershowers! I was really worried that it may not stop raining but thankfully it stopped around 11.30pm and I got a few good hours of sleep. I woke up at 3.45am and ate a banana. Then stretched really really well for a good 20 minutes. I wore my socks, my shoes and I wore my running belt too because I wanted to carry my cellphone during the run. My MP3 player was charged and I was as ready as I could be. Reached the venue at around 4.30pm and the atmosphere was electric.

The organisers had thought of everything and while they were showing the crowd to do the Zumba (I HATE Zumba), I went off with other regular runners where we did our own set of warms up and stretches...no matter what kind of warm up these events boast, most runners I know prefer their own routine and generally chuck these Zumba warmups. Stretched again and that's when I noticed that I was already sweating and thirsty.

The problem is that I run in Bangalore, where the temperatures are low and boasts almost no humid conditions. The only problems I have faced are my knees as the roads go up and down quite often and I am already recovering from a knee injury. But when I started running, I knew that my knees were going to be just fine and I just had to run the best I can but the humidity (which was really high thanks to the previous night's thunder showers), made it so hard. At around the 6k mark I felt like I was wearing another human suit that was hugging me around my chest. But I knew that half the battle was won and the sights were beautiful. Besant Nagar beach is one of the most beautiful beaches ever especially in the morning and Chennai looked so beautiful that day.

I was simply determined that no matter what, I would have fun because there is no way you can run long distances without enjoying the experience. I cracked jokes and ran at a good pace and kept up with the runners but it was at the half way point when I realised I was actually passing people by and that I was running ahead of most. And thanks to my training so far, I did not stop really until I reached the 8k point. Now I regret having stopped at all because otherwise I would have cracked 60 minutes. I smiled and made funny faces every time a photographer was nearby. But in the last 2k I was all business. I kept with the fastest runners in my near vicinity and they were all men. I was the only girl for a long time (I knew there had been more than a few that had already surpassed me but behind me I did not spot too many). In the last 1,000 metres I honestly just wanted to give up when this guy behind me shouted - "come on now! keep going". I took that as a sign and kept putting one leg in front of the other at a good pace despite the fact my chest felt constricted.

In the last 500 metres something wonderful happened. I was nearly at the end when this woman who had already finished her run, yelled at me - "Beat them all....just keep running!" Something about the way she said it and how she said it, spurred me on. I suddenly increased my pace and beat two other guys in front of me. And then, the finish line. I had done it in 60 minutes. The same girl who could not run 17 minutes because of a knee injury a few months ago had finished 8th in women and 120 overall out of 1,000 runners.

Me with my fancy medal right after the run!

It's not much but it's a high you get from knowing that you ran a race quite well. I know I can improve my timing now and do better and now I am all the more looking forward to my first half marathon in September because with training and enough sacrifices, anything is possible. And for some reason even now when I remember that moment when that woman cheered me on, I almost well up. I guess that's the kind of spirit and human connection you find at these events. People are willing to push you and push themselves and I have not found that in any other facet of my life. Anyway, I am off now. I have to get to my gym tonight and then a 15k run either on Wednesday or Thursday and my friend has promised me to hook me up with a running group near my house, so I can train for good time for my half marathon. I am just really happy.

Oh and I stretched really well right after my run and got to meet loads of dedicated and wonderful runners. It really was a wonderful experience and I can't wait till my next run. Happy running because if it's not happy, then it's not worth it.

Ran my farthest distance today!

Well from now on I guess nearly every run I run will be the "farthest" I have run yet but I still can't help being proud of having run 13.2km (8.2 miles) and I am very very happy! For one even though my right knee felt a bit off in the beginning, it never actually troubled me until I was well into one hour of running and nearly 9k into the run. My body didn't feel like it ran out of fuel (although I was very very tired after 11k) even after running 13k. And here's the best part- apart from one moment when my knee suddenly shot up after I stretched, I am currently without any pain.

I had drunk chocolate milk before going for the run. I cycled for five minutes and then stretched for a good twenty minutes before going. I still felt that I would end up in extreme pain by the end of it as I have literally never run anything more than 11km and that was last week! But those last 2.2km were not as bad as I thought they would be. I took breaks this time around. I finished my run in 1 hour and 27 minutes. And through it all I had taken about 15 minutes worth of break. Honestly this was better than I was hoping for this week and in fact in that last lap I actually accelerated. I came home had a glass of banana milkshake immediately after drinking water. I have noticed that when I don't eat immediately after a long run, I get massive painful headaches a couple of hours after the run and I really don't want to deal with the headache today and I just want to recover as soon as I can possibly.

I also had another banana. By 12 noon I plan on having my lunch along with a cup of curd. Protein is incredibly important for runners and as a vegetarian I have to rely on things like cheese, curd and milk to get my requisite protein and calcium intake . I know there are those who believe that vegetarians don't have enough energy to run because they don't eat meat and I call bullshit for that. With enough veggies and carbs introduced to the diet, you will have more than enough fuel not only to run long hours in the day but also go about the rest of your day like nothing happened.

Also, please let this be some source of inspiration to anyone who just happens upon this blog and thinks they can't really run - I could not run 17 minutes a month ago without experiencing extreme pain and now I ran for an hour and a half and I am fine. You just need to be inspired. You need to work hard and you need to be dedicated. I find that runners are often the most determined people I meet and that's because when the rest of the world is still sleeping or is feeling "too tired", runners are out of the house and pushing their bodies beyond what can be expected of it. They inspire me and I honestly can't wait till September when I run my first half marathon! Next week is 15km. Wish me luck and happy running. 

Time for some great news

I ran for 75 minutes straight yesterday and no knee pain! It slightly hurt for a bit at the 31 minute mark but for the most part my right leg acted like there was no problem! I know this is just a start and probably when I do my first 13k run on Thursday I might end up with some pain but I am relishing my wins. I have no pain to report today and apart from the fact, I always seem to be hungry these days, I am fit as a fiddle.

This Sunday is the chennai half marathon and I have logged in several 10k runs so far this month and will be running 13 this Thursday. So I am ready. Hopefully. Not jinxing this. Happy running and let's make it to the half marathon mark already!

Why be so negative??????

I had a very odd experience yesterday. I was sitting at work when one of my colleagues asked me if I enjoyed doing "risky" things like running and trekking. I didn't quite understand him at first cause I never thought of running as ever being risky and trekking is a fun activity that pushes you to face fear and enjoy nature. I never thought that I was going out of my way to put myself in danger, just that I was enjoying my life the way I want to enjoy it.

I smiled at him and told him that I enjoy what I do and running is one of my passions and I love pushing my body to its limits. He further probed about what would happen if I broke my leg. I was once again nice and told him I would let it heal...he didn't stop! He kept on asking me if I thought it will still be worth it if I spent  my life limping after a terrible tragic accident wrought on by my running. And the whole time he had this smile on his face like - "oh I am so superior for playing it so safe...you definitely are going to injure yourself."

I just wanted to wipe that smug grin off his face with a swift punch but I controlled my anger and told him that even if I could never run for the rest of my life, I would still find a way to be active and would never regret taking up running because it has given me some of the best moments of my life and has made me a stronger person mentally at least.

But I spent the whole night feeling irritated. I don't know about you guys but when someone says something negative before a run and I am generally in a bad mood, I have TERRIBLE runs. I either injure myself or something or the other goes wrong and I hated this man for smiling about it and it made me even more irritated. My parents know not to say anything bad before a run because when you are running for over an hour, you have nothing to do but replay that bad moment over and over again and running for me is my zen. I find happiness here. I just don't understand why people have to pull others down in life. I mean, if you can't run or you think you will injure yourself, then don't run! Why spread your shadow of negativity on someone who is just trying to do something that's important to them? Anyway, today I could not run (my knee is locked from yesterday's run). So I spent an hour stretching with the therapist and my IT band feels terrible (hence the knee pain). But am doing much better this evening. I even biked for 40 minutes straight. There was a time when I could not even do 10 minutes on my exercise bike without my legs absolutely caving and I did 40 minutes! I think I will hold onto to that today rather than a petty man's petty words. We push ourselves because if we don't, no one will. And if we are not doing what we love in life in fear of what might happen, then we might as well not live. So I am off this Sunday running another 11-12k. (STRETCHING religiously this time!) and I am going to love my life.

Happy running! :)

Running on a 11k budget

This morning I woke up at 6.30am with minimum fuss and decided that it was time to scale up beyond 10k. The reasoning behind this is the fact I am running 10k on July 7th and have done that distance or similar distances quite a few times but I have never gone beyond it. So I thought if I logged in a couple of 11 and 13 ks before the run, my body would get acclimatised to not only running 10k easily but also prepare itself half marathon in September.

Side note: The registrations for Kaveri Trail Marathon are up! http://www.kaveritrailmarathon.com/. It's happening on September 14th (10k) and 15th (half and full marathons). I will be running the half marathon depending on my knee sitch. Either way I am running it :P You can register till mid August so there is some time left!

Anyway I was determined to avoid the mistakes I made during my 9k run earlier last week. This morning I woke up and ate an entire banana a good half hour before my run. I took my water bottle with me and it looked rather ideal.

To be honest it rather was for the first half hour but around the 7k mark my knee started aching. Like shooting pain. So I stopped and stretched my leg out for a bit and I realised I could easily keep going. My wall hit me the second I crossed the 8.8k mark. I immediately felt drained but I figured I had already completed so much might as well go the distance. That last 1k was weird. Because I stopped for a few minutes after 10k and stretched a bit but when I started running again both my knees and my legs felt like they were on fire for about 15 seconds and then it became alright again. This muscle strain is definitely making my life miserable.

I stretched the moment I got back home (about four to five minutes after the run) and had a bowl of rice and curd and a glass of banana milkshake. To be honest, the rest of my body is just fine. A bit battered but perfectly fine because I took in proteins and carbs and immediately fueled my body. But my knee? Well I was in pain for at least 3 hours after the run and right now my right knee feels brittle. I am off to physiotherapy when I am done with work and hopefully it sorts out.

I need a foam roller this very second! But other than that I am excited. I am going to cross train tomorrow and either Saturday or Sunday I am repeating another 11k. My goal for next Wednesday/Thursday is 13k and then the Chennai Half marathon. I want to log in at least two weeks of 15k next month before scaling up again. I want to do a couple of 19/20k runs before Kaveri and I sincerely hope my knee does not let me down.

Happy running! And there is no greater feeling than finishing a run and knowing you did your best.

Ran 9.5k!

Today was both a great day and a bad day for me. How you ask? I did not want to run and hence got bored of it after crossing 28 minutes. It was also the day when I had decided to run 9k. So you can imagine how terrible the next half hour was spent. I just kept mentally pushing myself until the run became as natural as sleeping.

The weird thing is that I started feeling some pain around 15th minute and that came and went throughout the run. My right knee when adjusted felt okay enough for me to keep running but from 35th minute to the 45th minute it felt like my knee was strapped to weights because it felt brittle and hard.

But the last 15 minutes was fine. This is the longest I have run since April and while that may not seem like much, my body and my muscles have gotten used to not running that distance and hence protested a bit. Rest of the day has been quite tiring and I have been sooooo hungry. I had snacks and biscuits to keep me going through the day. To be honest I want to curl up and sleep right now but I can't. I have to work. Tomorrow I get my ass to the gym and work on my core. Today I just have to resign myself to the fact I look and feel like death warmed over...(I am laughing right now cause I know I sound uber dramatic).

I need to figure out a more potent diet to keep me going maybe even look into supplements to keep the energy up because next week is me doing a couple of 11ks. This Sunday again I am going for another 10k run.

And  my knee? Well, the pain keeps coming and going but my right knee has taken it better than it ever has in a long long time. I am extremely optimistic because of just that. I am excited for July 7th when my body would have completely gotten used to running more than 10k and hence the 10k run itself will hopefully feel like a walk in the park. Alright guys. I am off now. I have work and that's not stopping for anyone.

Happy running and happy feet to you all!

Running a lot lately

Today was a good day. Actually it's been a good week. Even though I took a good two full days off and did zilch on Friday and Saturday, this week was really good. Because on Thursday I logged in 6.6k in 45 minutes. I started feeling pain at around 23 minute mark but it was really manageable. I was however in pain by the 35th minute. I however finished the run and never stopped to walk. I stretched in between but I could run.

But by the time I made it home, despite the stretching my right knee was in pain - manageable but very much existent. So I went to the gym where my physiotherapist stretched my right leg so badly that I was nearly crying at the end of it. But my leg felt so much lighter by the end of it! Not going to lie though that last stretch that he had me do (he lifted my leg up in the air and twisted my ankle outwards and pushed my leg further up), was pure agony and I actually screamed out loud.

But no pain no gain unfortunately and by the next day I was fine. But since I was living in the land of comic books and comic book movies, I ditched Friday AND Saturday. So this afternoon I felt really guilty. So I put on my running shoes and went out running. Here's this great thing I have recently discovered. There is a relatively straight road right outside my house and the road runs exactly 1.1km (actually it is little bit more but it's just a few extra metres). So when I do one round (which is running it back and forth) I complete 2.2kms. So I run 3 rounds today and came to 6.6km again. And the best part? My knee pain did not kick in until 30 minutes into the run and even then whenever I adjusted my feet, it went away! So I finished that run in 42.46 minutes and figured I might as well go for a run inside my apartment complex to round up to an even 7k. In the end I ended up doing 7.1km in 46.29 minutes. And I stretched and while I did experience that horrible pain shooting up my right knee, it was not excruciating like it usually is. And in about two hours it also went away!

I can definitely feel my leg getting better and stronger. By the end of this week, I am going in for 9k and now I know I can do it without causing myself too much pain. I really feel like I am going to do 21k come September. I am happy. We need to treasure the good days when they come along and really really appreciate them. I am off to stretch now again before sleeping and tomorrow is gym. Back to the grind and I would not have it any other way. Happy running!

I ditched everything today!

I mean yeah I showed up work. Wish I could have ditched that too. But am too excited. Why you ask? I mean I barely did my stretches. Didn't go for a run and completely bailed on my physiotherapy and gymming. But am too happy! I am going for Man of Steel tonight! I got the tickets and I convinced my  superhero genre hating friend to go along with me. Am too excited. Today my friends is my ditch day. And no I don't feel guilty. It's the best ever :D

This is about the best reason I can think of for ditching everything in the world. Can you say drool? Sigh...

P.S I am both a comic book fan nerd and a total girl. I like video games but I can't help but absolutely lose it when I see Henry Cavill. So it's a cheat day for me. For the rest of you...keep running guys...have fun and a great weekend!

Surya Namaskara

If anyone knows how to execute the Surya Namaskar (and there are so many good instructional videos out there on Youtube), then I would say that it is the perfect warm up and stretch before running (that is if you don't have any injuries. I have to stretch quite substantially because of my knee problem).

I have always noticed that doing Surya Namaskar more than once actually gets my heart rate up and not just that, it's one quick fix to stretching your calves, your thigh muscles, your arms, your back and your core.

So basically it goes without saying it's my favourite form of workout on days I just don't feel like working out too much. And you don't use any other weights except for your body weight. Once I did the Surya Namaskar just four times but I was actually not only sweating but also sore everywhere (especially my arms).

Here is a great photo I found online that perfectly describes all the poses. My favourite one? You guessed it - the groundhog pose (number 5 on the photograph). It is so amazing on your calves. But honestly if you do this a couple of times before your run, you have stretched most of your core muscles and you end up burning calories and you are warm too. Win win as far as I am concerned. It may not be a traditional form of stretching but depending on how long you hold each pose, you can either elevate your heart rate (by transitioning really fast from one pose to the next) or you can give yourself a nice relaxing stretch by going slowly and feeling each and every one of your muscles truly stretch. Yoga rocks B-)

 

Some great stretches (video)

Great stretches before running (Livestrong instructional video on stretching. Click on this link!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcda3dlOd5U



Here is a video that I absolutely love. Although the last couple of years have made me really hate Lance Armstrong, no one can deny the great work done by the Livestrong website. I am on it pretty much whenever I am free and online. It provides great advice and keeps you motivated on the tough days (yesterday was particularly bad for me because knee pain came back with a force. This muscle is starting to piss me off officially). Anyway this is a great Youtube video that all you beginners can latch onto. These are some great and yet basic stretches you can do before running.

My favourite? Well, it's the groundhog. It stretches your calf so well, that you won't be in the danger of twisting your knee muscles any time soon. Here's hoping I am perfectly fine before July and happy running you guys :)

Running without pain is heavenly

Today was the first day in months I was able to run over 30 minutes and boast no pain at the end of it. Am not saying I am cured or that my knee pain will never be an issue ever again (oh how I wish that were true) because obviously this is a long road but it felt amazing to run 31 minutes on the treadmill and clock just over 4km.

I could have run more but then I didn't want to tempt the running gods. But I keep thinking what a difference a week in my life has made. Last week before the therapy had begun I was running but was in such pain that if I ran 25 minutes, the rest of the day and a half would have been a nightmare. This week I felt like I could keep on running. So what's different?

Warming up!
I warmed up well in advance. Before my actual run I walked from my home to the gym at a brisk pace for about 7 minutes. This meant that when I stretched before the run, my muscles were warm and ready to listen to my commands.

Be in the moment
I was very aware of the rhythm of my legs. While I was still hooked onto my music system, I also knew that I was putting more or less equal pressure on my right leg and my left leg. The thumping sound was even and I was not dragging one over the other. My right knee was very thankful today that I didn't ask the poor thing to take all the weight.

Core action
Here's something you can all do if you aren't doing it anyway. Make sure your arms and your stomach also come for the run. What do I mean when I say that? Well I have learnt that posture is everything, so I pull my core and straighten my back when I go for a run these days. And as for my arms, I keep them bent and close to my stomach and I move my arms side to side.

So these are the things I have learnt so far. My next goal is to push for 40 minutes and see where it takes me. Happy running :)

Getting impatient

Today I don't care I am going to run for 30 minutes at least. Will do it in my gym later tonight (been working from early morning!) and I am going to make sure I don't "drag" my right foot while running. It's such a pain to teach yourself to run all over again but annoyingly I keep putting more pressure on my right leg than my left which is why I have gotten into trouble now. But today am just going to focus on the beat on my own running and going to make sure that when I am running, I am going to be equal weight on both my feet and knees. Will update later on whether or not my pain reared its ugly head. Ta!

Why I HATE Turbo Fire and still try it sometimes

I have no qualms in admitting that in my journey to finding a fit and healthy lifestyle, I have always sought the help of workout videos. While I am a fan of workout videos by Jillian Michaels (who isn't?), I regret the day I tried out TurboFire by Chalene Johnson. It's one of the most annoying and irritating programmes ever and if you are not careful, you will like me throw out your back!

I was very excited when I first got hold of the series and thought it would be great. Chalene Johnson is a smart and very peppy instructor and you instantly like her. But the problem is that she is not a very good instructor. I made one of the biggest mistakes when I tried out one of her videos called Fire 45. It's supposed to be a straight up cardio workout where you end up burning a ton of calories. But I found it plain annoying and it ended up seriously hurting my back that months later am still struggling.



Cons:

Johnson's instructions are just not good enough and while she is very upbeat, what's good about a great attitude when your cues are terrible? There were just times when she would just start a whole new routine and I would have no way of knowing how to do it. Why is this a problem? Because when you don't know how to position yourself and how to properly execute a routine, you end up hurting your body. Simple.

There were just times when I was really bored with the workout. I mean sure you spend a lot of time continuously on your feet and you are active but most of the time I was gaping around wondering what in the hell's name I was doing and how that could possibly help me.

The worst is how there are SO MANY exercises that have you hitting the ground. It's annoying and it's how I ended up hurting my back.

But if it works out for someone, I am happy for them but honestly I don't see any good reason why anyone would want to spend two to three months following a programme where the instructor does not take the time to instruct.

But even though I hate the Fire programmes, there are a few videos I really like about this workout and which is why I have not deleted it from my hard-drive forever.

What I like:
It has an amazing 10 minute stretch routine and an even better 40 minute stretch routine. So if you are in the mood to do long and soothing yoga poses and stretches, then this is heaven. But you must take time to review the video much before you attempt it, so you know what you are getting into.

Another set of videos I quite like are the HIIT videos (High Intensity Interval Training).
You get to choose from 15 minute HIIT video, 20 minutes, 25 and 30 minute HIIT videos. These are fun, heart pumping, cardio exercises. What I like about them apart from the fact you are done in no time is the fact you spend one minute learning the routine. Then you blast that routine in high speed and high intensity for a minute or more. Then you take a break for 45 seconds to one minute. So you are constantly getting breaks, getting good cues and you are still burning calories. I still would much rather do an Insanity video rather than TurboFire but if you have to do it, then I recommend just sticking to stretching and the HIIT videos. They are fun.

Happy running (btw no workout is ever going to be as fun for me as a good healthy run).