Week 8.. Like Never Before…

Imagine a week that starts with - The trainer didn't show up first thing on Monday morning!! I am telling you the truth - before my phone could wake me up there was a message: I will do take the make up class on Friday. Then goes a frantic boo-hoo message to coach saying - he didn't turn up.

So it was on coach's advise that my week started off on a different note.

Mon - 7.5 km of slow running on wobbly knees
Tues - 25 laps of swimming - could have done more but just decided to bum about. Was my first swim of the season (and 2014) - not bad..
Wed -  Guess what? Trainer showed up.. leg strengthening followed by lower core
Thu - Back at Kanateerva - the goal was 10 X 1 min (1 min running and 1 min walking). Was the first time I was ever doing this and I felt that I could have gone on a bit longer but why do more than what the coach prescribes (leading cause of injuries!). I think even coach felt that my workout was 'not bad!'
Fri - Make up class from trainer where he explained to me why he is petrified of dogs and sprints as soon as he sees one! Workout was upper body with weights and upper core.
Sat - the day for the four letter word - R-E-S-T!
Sun - Pinkathon!!

My 12 year old at the start line.. thanks FlashBlubzz for the lovely click

Another Flashblubzz picture of my 10 year old. You can see she's having a rollicking time :)

My daughters enrolled for the 3K, my cousin and niece for the 5K and finally I for the 10K. So, my run started first and I was very casual and uncompetitive about it. I ran the first 5 to 6 km comfortably. Almost the whole world was ahead of me but I didn't feel too worried about it. After last week's 9 km in 1.15 mins my expectation was to just continue to do a bit better than last saturday. Somehow after the  6.5 km mark I started to feel that I had a lot left in me and that's when I started to push.

 For the first time in my life I closed at negative splits - my last two kms were the fastest during the entire race. I completed the 10K distance at a 1.08 which was only one min faster than my PB. Oh and I am forgetting another 'first' - my last 200m were at a pace of 5.07!!

Pacemakers team was super. Patrick taking pictures, Coach and I exchanged a hi-five, Brijesh screamed a GG (go gauri), Alifiah, Saroja, Neera the other PM ladies who ran the race, Anand - who paced me the last 200m and Jagmohan who I grabbed to overcome my breathlessness. For the record it is NOT the same with the 3Bs (Bobby, Brojen and Brijesh) but still had some fun exchanging mindless banterings with the buses - Bus TimTim, Bus Vaishali, non-bus Narayani and poor Ash Nath caught between the nonsense exchange. I got to meet so many many virtual friends for the first time - TFC gals, mommies of my kids classmates. Caught up with Sree for the first time after I quit Cosmos.

Anyway it was fun AND my babies, girls running for the girls, did a 23 and 28 mins for their very first 3km. My niece rocked it as did my namesake cousin.

The family gurlzzz - the ones who ran the Pinkathon :)

I gotta say the knees are still wobbly. The other injuries seem to be getting better. And I have a confession to make - the weight is going no-where… that's obvious from those pictures - I don't want to see my own race pictures, for the same reason I don't want to see the scales - they all show the stuff I don't want to see.

Back to another week of training. Part of it would be the Contours Women's Day run! Now that I 'know' I have my legs back, maybe, I will go ahead and just do it as part of my training - do the 10k and add some more distance, treating it as long distance weekend run! Good idea, whaddya say?

Week 7 - It's all in the mind… what's in yours?

Like they would say to everyone at the Golden Temple - Satsriyakaal... what a week dudes...

Started with my own 14th wedding anniversary and then my brothers 17th and my brother-in-law's 20th and add to that Valentines day - you know quite clearly by now - how much cake I have eaten through this week! :)

Oh. yeah - Active Holiday Company has a home

From another perspective it was also the week of getting my new Active Holiday Company office ready - which incidentally is on the first floor (and no lift), so there was a lot of climbing up and down the stairs that I hope that suitably set off the effect of the cake..

I think the training has improved as well - in the sense - it was all on track with as it was supposed to be..

Monday - SURPRISE - trainer showed up and took me through an hour of lower body and core work out. Yes he doesn't waste a minute - that is when he shows up!

Tuesday - Spent the evening with the coach at Kanateerva. Good warm up - for some strange reason, my warm up runs are always the best. One hour - 7.3km + 1.2 km warm up. The good thing about going to run with coach is that he doesn't let me bunk warm up and stretches. I might have said that before but I realised it more this week as all my other runs were on my own.

Wednesday - Bootcampish work out with the trainer - upper body and core work out

Thursday - Warn up of 1.2 km and then 2 kms of hill run - all in all a less than 30 mins work out but then the 42 started showing up in the form of a niggle in the left knee. Decided to not do anything after that.

Friday - spent nursing the dodgy  knee

Saturday - finally fed up after a rest day that was not supposed  to be a rest day I decided to go out

cycling - low impact and good cross training 11km in 37 mins. I wish my Garmin looked like this when I am running... well, some day maybe - like I keep saying - my aim is to qualify for Boston when I turn 80! This was the day I spent at the Pink Carnival with my 10 year old brat - Gayatri's very first Zumba!!

Thank you FlashBlubZz for capturing my Zumba Baby!!

Sunday - The Pinkathon got postponed by a week thanks to RaGa who didn't do much in the city either (except for inagurating some six month old highway), but anyway I slept in and lazily tried to keep postponing the long run. Finally, the sun had set and the week was almost over. The worst part was that I had downed two wines and more than just a piece of cake today.. so I started chasing my 11km run... I quit running at 9km but topped it with a 3.2 km walk to compensate for not running for 11 km. Now, I know that the base is pretty low to be even reporting this and it is nothing like the 9km that I have done in less than 60 mins, but I have to add that last Sunday I was at a 9.5km in 90 mins and this week I finished a 9 km in 75 mins. AND I had my fastest 1km (in a warm up session obviously) at a 7.13 pace. So, I closed the week almost guilt free.

The injuries - I dare say - are feeling a little better: I have had to use the stick a bit less - I mean to get myself to do what I am supposed to do! ;-)

This week I thought a lot about thoughts. Ramdom thoughts, good thoughts, evil thoughts, past thoughts, future thoughts and thoughts that others may have while running. Almost each time I am out running, after some point of going over the debate - why am I doing this (usually unanswered in the mind but somehow 'I get it' towards the end as it becomes a secondary thought!), I find my mind drawn a lot towards what I would like to write about in my next book, about people who have said things that I find totally inspiring and worth capturing. This is how it was even when I wrote Wise Enough to be Foolish - even though I had written this (my first book) in 4 days, I had rewritten and edited it for almost an entire year - while running. I would have a thought while running and somehow it would find itself in the book. I experience such a creative burst while running that I almost regret that one can't write and run at the same time. Now, that's a pain point someone can address - invent that thing that allows you to run and write at the same time! ;-)

Anyway, going back to the thoughts, I am thinking what others think about when they are running. I agree when they say that about breaking barriers: it's all in the mind. But the mind of a runner has very few barriers.. so if you are a runner and if you have a mind, leave me a note today and share with the world - what goes on in your mind when you are running...

Just do it.. :)

Week 6 - Ah, that muscle!!

You know that your training has really begun when your gluteus is in so much pain that simple activities like sitting on and getting up from a chair make you realise that those muscles exist in your body. So let's just say that this week was about that…

Mon: Trainer didn't show up for the first day of training and I was so happy - you will soon see why!!

Tues: Coaching at Kanateerva - 1.2 km warm up, stretches, 6 km running, stretches and the entire day spent cleaning my cupboard. Such a satisfying experience and I am thinking good exercise too (mental and physical).

Wed: The trainer showed up and 45 mins of 'boot-camp' was enough to set off some new muscle discoveries that lasted almost the entire week. Today, was another detox day - bathroom cupboard cleaning!

Thu: Kanateerva with Coach Pani - I so like doing a one to one with him in the evenings - without the pressure of a group - I do love them but because my running group is made up of super achievers who run at an average pace - twice as fast as mine - it often leaves me feeling inadequate! The workout was 1.2 km warn up, 7 km running and stretches before and after. Running with all those muscles paining was really challenging..  very tough run!

Fri: The trainer was supposed to come in to make up for Monday's class - his SMS at 6.30 am saying that he won't be able to come in was just music to my ears.. Rest Day.. ahhh finally! Good idea for this to be a rest day also in anticipation of the next days long run.

Sat: The long run didn't happen for a few reasons but I did squeeze in a 5 km run late evening.

Sun:  Woke up late (missing the Pinkathon practise run), went for masala dosa breakfast, then a movie with the kids, cheered the good looking Bangalore cyclists with Dharma along the way, lunch at in-laws, nap and then it was sun set!!

I know you are thinking another day of excuses for missing the long run - but then I kicked my own a@# and went out for the designated 90 mins of my feet. The directive was - no speed and no distance pressure - only 90 mins continuous running. Got home at 8.45 but proud of myself that I kept at it. Even though I was on my own, I think this is the run where the group running really plays an important role as the left and right of my brain keep squabbling over my goal. At 45 mins it said 'just do another 15 mins and quit', while the other side was persistent that 'it's supposed to be a 90 min workout..' - maybe I should switch to group running with this one as a group would make sure your left and right brain are on the same page - 90 mins!

Satisfying week in terms of moving a bit closer to building stamina and endurance - the goal for the next few weeks. My new trainer is appalled at my poor flexibility but he says my strength is 'not bad' - so there - I knew all that running the past few years had to count for something!! But he is slowly and surely going to work on getting that stupid hamstring sorted.. Honestly, with all the new muscle pain I am not sure how the injuries are doing.

Food wise it is really tough to be in control - spl when all the work out makes me hungry all time. But keeping from chocolate is worse! One day I HAD to give in and I made some divine crepes (using my sister in law's new recipe) and chomped them with no less than Nutella.

Thank you dear God for small joys! I think despite all of this my weight has sort of come down but I am keeping away from the scales as advised by Paul McKenna - he says real weight difference shows up only once in a couple of weeks and it is advisable to check weight no more than twice in a couple of months. So that's that! But that apart, I have been good I think..

Bangalore has started to get hot and I need to increase my water in-take to at least 3 to 4 litres a day.

Finally the one other thing that stuck out throughout the week was how much I slept.. I have napped almost every single day, woken up late in the morning and I am afraid to even count how many hours a day I have slept every day! But I would rather be this than sleep deprived..

So that's how the week went and now its time to say happy 14th wedding anniversary to Uday and me - I can't believe I managed to con him into marrying me and managed to keep him conned all these years :)

Week 5 - Shoes or Barefoot?

So… another week has gone by… and since my group starts training only next week (my week #6), I was pretty much left to my own means to work out on my own. This week was also my last day as a corporate slave….

Let’s begin with an update on the training, which is not a lot to write about but I need to submit honestly and report – as it was…

27 Jan, Mon – Took the day off from work and did very little, feeling pleased with my 10K the day before

28 Jan, Tues – Flew to Delhi and went shopping as I realized that I had arrived a tad too early – like a day ahead of schedule – training was substituted with long walks at markets (like at least a 6 to 7k walk!)

29 Jan, Wed – Spent the day at a trade fair – so again no ‘work out’ but the day was spent on my feet – I shpuld have gone out for a run and had the most sincere intentions to do so, but just looking at the fog outside my room made me change my mind.. (oh yes I had forgotten to carry my running jacket I now remember)

30 Jan, Thu – Back to Bangalore. Guilty after no work out for 3 days, I went cycling for 10 kms and intended to run at least 5km after that. Stopped after 2km – more on that below

31 Jan, Fri – cycled for 11 km and pain in the calves was incredible. So back to the ‘Stick’ massage and no running

01 Feb, Sat – went for the Pacemakers party. Could barely dance for 10 mins and reported to a running friend that I need a medical check up as my lung capacity seems incredibly diminished.

02 Feb, Sun – 

Had registered with Giri for Pinkathon’s promo duathalon and so I moved my backside to the start line with my cycle. He was to run 10K after I finished 20K cycling. Now this is something I had NEVER done before… 

I have never cycled more than 11-12 km at a stretch. I was aiming at a 1.06 finish. It was a 5K loop. After the first 2.5 km I remember feeling so tired that I decided that I would take it easy after the first round and I took in big gulps of oxygen to fill my over worked lungs. 

But looking back I think it may have just been starting trouble – and as I finished my 20km in 54 mins, I wondered if I really need a medical check up. And, since I was on the saddle anyway, I biked another 10K to give Giri company. Oh and can I show off by saying that it was our first podium finish? Thanks Giri for coming along and running with me…Thanks Gaurav for fixing my bike, gears and lending me you bottle holder (mine got whacked)! 

Thank you Pinkathon, Milind Soman and Protons

With Giridhar Kamath - Thank you dude!!

So all in all I can only call this a good week of cross training. But let’s get down to what happened after the 2km (the only run of this week). I TRIED TO RUN IN  SHOES!! I am one of those who got sucked in to minimalist running almost as soon as I took up running (when was that? Not sure – could have been 2010 I think!!!) – so I have very little experience running in shoes. I am not entirely convinced that one is better than the other but something came over me that nudged me to try running with shoes on last Thursday and gwad – it was like running with LEAD tied on my thighs (yes and not feet). It wasn’t one of those heavy shoes – it was the lightweight Nike Free Run but I don’t think it has to do with the shoes – simply with the fact that my muscles are no longer used to shoes and so that was an failed experiment (not to be tried again I think!). 

To give you an idea I have added a selection of how the heels of my shoes have changed since I started running – these days just wearing heels socially for a couple of hours – sets off agony in my calf muscles… 

what i was wearing in 2010, 11, 12 and 13 Left to Right

Heels I wear these days if you can call them that.. 

My under utilised Nike Free Run with my third pair of VFFs

Heels, heels, heels… 

Nutrition wise I realized that I am not making too much headway so I have downloaded MyFitnessPal on my i-Phone to count the calories. Since too much calorie count leaves me tired and stressed I am going after 1600 calories a day.

I also zeroed in on a trainer so that is good progress. We start work this week - if he turns up.

Injury wise – the Achilles continued to pain and more than just the podium was waiting for me as soon as I got off the cycle after my 30km ride. A terrible pain in the middle of the foot (just outside the arch) – seems like it could be initial stage of Plantar Fasciitis – particularly since it is caused due to weak Achilles and calves. But worry not – the good ole golf ball and yes the dear loyal Stick has helped a LOT. I am able to put almost equal weight on both the feet and that is as good as it can get till we start to train with the trainer and my very dear coach this week!

Till then, stay away from that Chocobar - of that's for me not you!!