Workout Log 4/3/2014-11/3/2014
4/3/2014 -6.8 Kms Run + Yoga + legs
5/3/2014-Indoor Wall Climbing
6/3/2014 – Yoga
7/3/2014 – ~4 Kms TNT with Woodstock, trained alone, coaching the session
8/3/2014 – restday, lots of walking
9/3/2014 – 7 Km run -Handicap. 34:03
10/3/2014 – 10 Km run
11/3/2014 – Boxercise
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Workout Log 22/2 – 3/3
22/2 – none
23/2 – brisk walk no idea how far it was @Manila
24/2 – none
25/2 – Ran 6.8 Km + core
26/2 – 1.5 hour climb
27/2 – 5 Km run
28/2 – arm weights + core
1/3 – 7 Km run
2/3 – Yoga + 1 hour climb
3/3 – none
Okey, I think my year is starting to pick up and going to get busy. Not much work to do, however lots of learning and studying at work and uni and deadlines respectively. Eeek cramming!
Been tweeting and updating too via my onelifecat FB page if you noticed.
My gym membership with Hardcandy is now activated for March, rejoined them because they gave me the same deal the first time I joined them 2 years ago, not a bad deal. Free 6 months free. Run club at work is getting active. Tomorrow will be a start of the week’s workout, too busy today to fit something in, glad my muscles are saying im sore so that means rest.
I’ve registered for City2Surf, that will be my longest distance goal for the year. I hope to still keep my red bib to run under 70 Mins for the 14Kms! I am daunted with the thought running that distance again. I know i’m not the best runner, but any insane runner would understand how pressuring it could be coming back from injury, from a past of a good PB year and now its just starting all over again. Its not even getting faster, the learning processes of acceptance and letting go of pressuring and being hard on myself, and to focus and enjoy the run and able to run again is what I should be doing.
I’ve got a 71% score for my Jantastic for the month because I missed logging my runs when I was traveling. oh well it’s not the end of the world!
Hope you are keeping fit!
Workout log – 6/2/2014-21/2/2014
While I am on holidays, it’s always difficult to organize how to get fit, running routes (very hard to find runner friendly areas and strengthening). Found out that Benguet State University where I am an alumni have new rules… I knew I’ve heard no ID policy before, but now they have placards saying “Jogging Time – 5am-7am.”
I was able to run 2x from 6pm and on the third time a guard told me “jogging” is not allowed on the time I was there. I just told them I was on my way to the oval. I found that annoying, being an alumni and if they are worried about pedestrian congestion, well, the university is closed at 6pm, officer finish at 5pm!
I was able to do my weight workout at a local gym – A&A near the provincial capitol where my sister go. So I am glad to do few runs and some workouts to balance all the lots of eating as usual. 🙂
5/2/2014 – none
6/2/2014 – none
7/2/2014 – 7.6 Km @Makati neighborhood
8/2/2014 – none
9/2/2014 – 5 km + gym arms, core, legs
10/2/2014 – none
11/2/2014 – 5.7 km
12/2/2014 – none
13/2/2014 – none
14/2/2014 – 4.6 Km
15/2/2014 – gym – whole body workout
16/2/2014 – 5.7 km
18/2/2014 – 5.7 Km run + 8.4 Km Hike
19/2/2014 – 8.4 Km Hike
20/2/2014 – none
21/2/2014 – 8.9 km
Workout log 28/1/2014-3/2/2014
28/1/2014 – 7.57 Km Run
29/1/2014 – Wall climbing
30/1/2014 – 4.56 Km, 1 Mi PB with Woodstock Runners TNT
31/1/2014 – Wall climbing
1/2/2014 – 11.56 Km Run with Woodstock Runners
2/2/2014 – Yoga @ lululemon Balmain
3/2/2014 – Arm weights, Legs, Core
weight – 43Kls
Thirtieth of January 2014 and it’s Thursday. Woodstock Runner’s Thursday Night Training, and this Thursday is not my coaching duties, still coughing, and did not know what the training is scheduled on that day. But I was definitely going as it is also the end of the month Pub night!
Decided to just come back after work and change from home as I am picking team mate Lawrence anyway. As I am trying to get something done at work, I accidentally pushed the time too close to 6PM and as I learned Lawrence got his license back too, so that is good news, He is happy to drive himself to TNT.
Got in the track just on time, no warm ups and learned it was Magic Mile and 400m repeats. Racing a Mi or any speed work is always hard. Conditions was hot and windy.
Did the drills lead by coach Angela and I was already buggered. I knew I was going to be slow this day. Wasn’t expecting anything, i’ve accepted I’m going to be slow.
And so coach Martin called out for the start of the Mile Run and told us to consider it as a race! *gulp, scared*
Looked around to see who I can pace with. I did run with Jamie the last time, but she wasn’t there. I knew Jenny is running well at the moment and I can try to be on her tail at least.
Four laps, that is how long it will take us to complete the mile. I started conservatively, this is tricky as you do not want to blow your engine just yet. The plan is going well, I was just behind Jen, and lap 2nd, I was breathing on her neck, I did not want to go in front of her as I knew she is faster than me, Lap 3, she wasn’t gearing up, yet I felt I can lead Lap 3 and try lap 4. So I got up ahead of her and just slowly picking my pace, we hit 1 Km at the 3rd lap as I heard my watch beep, and so I encouraged her there is 1 more lap to go and pick her pace up. I can hear her breathing and she said “she’s trying” and I told her to keep on trying, at 200M to go, I told her to give it all and sprint it as I went, I can hear her breathing on my neck this time, so she pushed me too, it was a good race. As we crossed the line, I had my time at 6 mins 32, so I thought that was slower than the last one of 6.29.
But after the 400 m repeats that was the only time I finally stopped my watch, and it alarmed me I broke my mile record. Hah! Happy. 6.16. Surprise surprise!
Oh and I just found out as I am uploading my stats… I also beat my fastest 1K (based on nikeplus watch stats…i don’t know my 1K stats)
I only did seven 400m laps tho. Was already hard enough.
Workout Log 21/1/2014-27/1/2014
21/1/2014 – 5.76 Km run
22/1/2014 – core+leg workout (squats, lunges, dead lifts) + 1 ++ hr wall climb
23/1/2014 – 5×3 min ~ 4 Kms
24/1/2014 – run through the city ~5Km
25/1/2014 – 7.11 Km with Woodstock Runners Saturday Training Run
26/1/2014 – 7 Km around the Bay – Australia Day Woodstock Run
27/1/2014 – Arms + Core
Weight = 43 Kls
** 3rd week still with cough 
Because I have weak core …
I was told by my Chiro (Chris and Toby of Spine Associates) last year, one “cause” of my “back pain” injury was because I have a weak core.
I was prescribed with number of core exercises . It took me double the time I run, very time consuming, just like any sports health practitioner will give an injured person. I did religiously did it, but not help, whenever I feel my “core” I felt it is still so soft and wobbly.
One day during my Chiro visit, Toby gave me new exercises and he told me that whenever I do the exercises i should engage and contract my core like rock hard, that he had to demonstrate to me that even when you are doing your normal routine of talking, walking, your “core” should be as strong when you are doing exercise. He was talking to me and he asked me to feel that even when he was talking his core was engaged.
So that has been my project eversince. Not a 6 pack but a stronger core, beneath all those 6 pack abs. I noticed did help me strengthen my core, but the most exercise that I have noticed my core getting stronger was when i started doing wall climbing. 4-5 weeks of once a day climb of 2 hours amazingly did get me a core! I found my core after how many years!
And because of this, i am inspired to maintain my core strength and here are few of exercises I like doing and part of my 100+ crunches a day for 2014.
Fat Dogs – Learned this from our Level 2 coaching course. Start in push-up positon with your feet together. Flex your right foot, bend your right leg, and bring it out to the side with your inner thigh facing the floor. Try to touch your knee to your elbow while slightly bending at your waist. Return the foot to starting position with control and switch sides. This counts as one rep, so complete this three times doing 50 reps each time.
Spider Crawl. Learned this from Barefoot Inc running workshop. Begin standing up with your feet shoulder-width apart. Circle your arms around and over your head and crawl into pushup position, keeping your legs straight. Do one pushup and slowly crawl back to starting position. Make sure your feet stay planted. Repeat 10 times and do three sets.
(Images from cosmopolitan)
And the competitorrunning from Lesley Patterson
And with my new wooohoo first ever android phone I downloaded an app called: Caynax A6W
SMC, First Race in almost 1 year 3 months!
The last time I pushed myself in a in race mode was October 2012, 4Km at Sri Chinmoy at the Bay Run. I knew I was already running in injury by that time. And was the same month I admitted myself for treatment for my back. Since then, I was told not to run.
Late 2013, back from my US trip, I wanted to get fitter, my injury still unknown till now, and was told that it is chronic. Can sound frustrating, but told myself to just take it easy, run at my own pace, do light exercises just to get back. So by the end of 2013, I planned to just do shorter race for now. Park Runs, 5Kms, 4 Kms..maybe really short ones…like track races.
To get the goals ticked, I scheduled and plan to run a park run or 3rd weekend of January. I wasn’t feeling 100% for more than 2 weeks now because of a cough. But yes, because I am stubborn, if you can see my workout logs, i still did some exercises. Maybe it is not good for me. I was contemplating of doing Parkrun at St. Peter’s last 18/1/2014, however assessing how my legs were feeling when I did my own Pyramid session Thursday before with the Woodstock Runners, I don’t think I’d be up for hills. So I decided to do 5Kms at Sydney Marathon Clinic.
This my first race for this new course, so I did not know what to expect. I did suss out the results from the past 5Kms and I feel pressured by myself to do good. But Matt told me to just go and enjoy the run. So I stopped worrying about the time and told myself to go have a go in racing. I do put a very high expectation on myself, and bit disappointed I’m less fitter less quick, but I always try to remind myself, I should be thankful I can run, and do some exercise. Who cares about the time?? It is just ourselves really, we are our own competition.
Got to Smithfield just after 630am just before the half Marathon runners are to start at 7am. Enough time to warm up and just soak up the fun run atmosphere again. Saw a lot of familiar faces. And while waiting I kept telling myself to just go and enjoy the run. Plus I was coughing, I do not know what impact this condition will give me. Anyway off we went at 8am. Running with my Nike Plus watch, i turned it on, but not intending to look at the time or distance, which I could not resist doing. Looked at it twice, and the timing and the distance were off comparing to the kilometer markers along the course. So that was confusing for me. The course is very different compared to the old course. I find it harder. The traffic free course though is better along a bike path, in the bushes. What I did not like were the main big power lines. I figured out it could have been the culprit why my watch is acting up.
The distance from the Nike Plus is not right …
With friend Manal from MRG Fitness
BluesBuffet of Coolrunning and Runningcat
Photo credits from Manal of MRG Fitness.
I started slow, but I think was not that slow, I had to stop and walk at first water stop. I remembered passing two females, where one of them I call Ms Butterfly as she was wearing her pink wings. She caught to me at the turn around point and left me after wards. She was very encouraging though and I was going neck to neck with her Husband – I figured that out when Ms Butterfly is running back, a daughter says go mom and comes next yelled out go dad. I was already feeling a stitch after the water station and can hear the water “splashing” like the “plop-plop” sound in my stomach. How could that be? I just had a sip? How annoying. Tried to ignore while I massage the side stitch.
At the start line, behind Ms. Butterfly
Maybe 1.5 more kilometers to go, 2nd time I gave up and walked again until Ms butterfly’s husband went passed me and said, not long to go. So I picked the pace up.. Tried to tell myself to just run beside him so I don’t walk, but the problem with my legs it just goes quicker, and I feel awkward he picked me up and I am about to leave him… he will understand I told myself. All I am happy to do was under 25 Mins. I am so unfamiliar of the course I did not know when we are close to the finish or not, I can see the industrial buildings and a tennis court, I wasn’t sure and could not even remember if that’s where the start was! But when I saw a glimpse of the banners at the start maybe 600m to the finish, I just tried to speed up and called out to ms butterfly’s hubby to pick it up and run harder. I come closer to the finish and saw the time it was 8:23:53 and so I ran quicker to try to be just under 24 mins (funny how the goal just changed like that from under 25 to under 24).
Crossed the line, tired and hot. Thinking if I would have not stopped and walk, would have I be able to be under 23 minutes? But I stopped the self talk, and instead was appreciative that I got under 24 minutes and the goal was to enjoy the run, run under 25 mins, after no racing for a year and 3 months. I am happy and content.
Dr. Matthew Bulman of The Runner’s Clinic was also there to provide free services for the runners, which was very popular. Very long queue!
The SMC has changed since the last time I ran with them.. They had more food, lots of drinks, not just water, but no more of that packet water along the course. More sponsors and the results were straight up available after the run. I will miss next month but this is a good start for 2014. Happy.
Event: Sydney Marathon Clinic Series
Distance: 5Km
Time: 23:37.3
Workout logs 13 January to 20 January 2014
13/1/2014 – Bikram Yoga 90 mins; upper body free weights, leg body weights, *Core – 1Hr
14/1/2014 – Bikram Yoga 90 mins, 7 Km run walk, Boxercise 1 hr, lightest I’ve ever been after 2 years, weighing 41.5 kls
15/1/2014 – Yoga 30 Mins, *Core
16/1/2014 – Bikram Yoga 90 Mins, Standard Pyramid, coached Woodstock Runner’s session
17/1/2014 – *Core
18/1/2014 – *core
19/1/2014 – 5Km race @SMC, Recovery at the beach
20/1/2014- 53 mins Boxercise
Weight: 43 Kls
Notes:
From 7/1/2014 – 17/1/2014 – I enrolled myself to a 10 day Bikram Yoga
*Core – At least 300 crunches, 100 Squats, 30 Lunges (aim to do it everyday)
Canyoning
Whoa!
That was my first reaction secretly when I got the gift from Matt for Christmas.
Scared and excited. I did not know what to expect.
I’ve been wall climbing for a bit now maybe more than 10 x and well okey it’s time to take the action out doors. I like bush walking and adventure so he thought I would love the idea. What was he thinking?!?!
I’ve never experienced canyoning before, but had abseiled. I’m scared of sudden drops – roller-coaster-kind-of-feeling, but I’m fine with heights as long as there’s something that protects me like a security blanket.
So anyway, the date was booked, woke up early to head up the Mountains.
Left Katoomba with the River Deep Mountain High‘s van with our gear and food. Arrived at the Rocky Creek Trail, sorted our bags – dry bag, change of warm clothes, camera, phones, food, ropes, helmet and the wet suit.
It was a steep descent and just before we hit the start of the canyons, we were instructed to change into our wet suits and we put on our harnesses.
And so the adventure started. If I can remember there were 5-6 slides, 4 water pools, two of them I slid, 2 or them I was coaxed to jump – which was the 2nd challenging part for the day. One I was scared of overshooting the pool and landing on the creek —eeek, 2nd, the pool looks deep, so dark, I felt like its going to swallow me and last was the jump – and I was laughing by myself when I saw how high the jump was, it wasn’t even high ~ 3-5 meters? Few short abseils.
The jumping was actually okey.. ha ha. Swimming back was hard. We had the dry back pack on us where we have our change of clothes and food and mine seem to have too much air on it or the fit was just too big that i couldn’t swim properly. I’m not a good swimmer but I can manage to float and that was even making it hard. Glad Matt helped me get into the dry land!
The water is so cold, that I was shivering during lunch. The reason the guide asked us to take advantage all the sunlight we can get. Unfortunately, I did not want to risk my camera that much, and the photos of how beautiful the the canyons is, is saved in my brain’s memory bank. The rock formation, the plants the creek. Saw a water dragon and a blue tongue lizard too.
Conclusion? I’m not friend with Matt anymore for putting me in such challenge… just kidding! I did enjoyed the day and is thankful for the experience! maybe an Intermediate canyoning next time? (*eyes widen*)
(on my to dos for 2014, I will start blogging whatever, does not necessarily need to be races.)
A One-Live Cat's Life 