Day 16, Jan 15th 2019 Easy/Threshold/Easy Run

I found this pic after my workout, but I sure hope the claims are correct


Today my plan say to run 10 minutes at an easy pace, 20 at threshold pace then cool down with  another 10 minutes easy. Sounds simple right? Well, I can assure you, it is not on an elliptical machine. The first 10 minutes are ok, quads burn a little but its ok. Heart rate is at 120, excellent, right where i need it to be, I think. Then comes threshold, which is around 160-170 heart rate for me. OMG, my quads are screaming, I actually feel like im going at the speed of a hamster in its wheel, glance at my heart rate, on my Apple watch, 138!!! WTH, that can't be right, I'm sweating like im in a sauna, my quads feel like that might catch fire, my arms are going like the clappers. I know this because I can hear my bingo wings slapping around like the beat to a techno song (ex fat girl to not so fat girl problems ;) ) and still my heart rate isn't going too high. Now, luckily for me, my elliptical doubles up as an exercise bike as well, so I sit down and pedal like Im flying down a steep hill and swing my arms in a running motion, finally, my heart rate comes up, all be it not enough, and the techno beat quietens, for now. So I alternate between standing up to do the eliptical and sitting on the bike, for 1 minute of each, which quickly becomes more cycling than standing, but what can you do. Finally, those agonising 20 minutes end I get to cool down at a slightly quicker than walking pace, using my elliptical as I am sure it was intended and those 10 minutes pass quickly. I get off much like Bridget Jones in the move of the same name, as my legs gave way 😂 Fortunately, I managed to stop myself hitting the floor and knackering one, or both, of knees. 

Streeeeeeeetching next, lots and lots of stretching, I do this seated as my legs are shot 😅

Next its arms and abs day, so I start off with 12 arm circles, 12 box press ups, 12 triceps dips

If that wasn't torturous enough, I now have to do core work, 35 sit ups, 15 crunches, 15 leg raises, 15 Russian twists with a 2kg kettle bell, its supposed to be 4kg but I dont trust myself not to drop it in my lap 😉 Finally ending with a 25 second plank (kneeling) 4 kids and 20 something years of no exercise, it is all I am capable of at this stage, still, one day I might be able to get up on my toes. 

We sure do pay for the rest days!!!!


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day 7, Jan 6th 2019, Strength and Stretches

Image
We all know the importance of stretching and strengthening for running, but lets be honest, who actually does it? I know in the past, its something I have dipped in and out of, not really committed to it. I really want to be able to run this marathon the best I am capable of. I am not so much bothered about time, but I want to enjoy it, I want to be smiling my way round and most importantly,  I want to be able to walk the next day 😉 So after a 10 minute warm up on the elliptical to get my heart rate up and the blood flowing I started with resistance calf stretches, 20 on each leg, an exercise the physio gave me to re-strengthen my calves after tearing both last year. I followed them with heel raises and dips on the stairs. I still can't manage more than 2 on each leg so do those then continue doing both together for another 19 reps. Next came arms, 10 circles, 10 windmills, 10 wall push ups (so much easier than actual push ups) and finishing with 10 floor tricep d...
Read more

Day 19, 18th Sept 2018

Image
so after a self imposed eight day hiatus, i am back to training. I haven't been idle, well, not for most of the week anyway. Kitchen renovation, is still ongoing as hubs work gets in the way of progress, and i have done a few strength exercises. Today was a Tuesday, that can only mean one thing, HILLS. I only went and staring my calf during the blooming warm up 😩 So I took things easy and tried to run it off. By the time we had finished the warm up run it was a bit tight but felt ok so I went ahead with the hill training. 8 Reps, running up as fast as I could, for as far as I could. I was knackered at the end but we still had a mile and a half to run to get back to the car. My lovely friend Cathy was driving us, thankfully. Getting out of the car, my calf was so tight, despite the cool down run and stretches. Gentle work outs for a bit. Last time this happened to my other leg, I ended up tearing it.
Read more

Intro

Image
This is me, an almost 49 year old mother of four. I took up running just over two years ago, I won't bore you with why, that story has been told too many times ;) I've entered the London Marathon ballot and wrote to several charities, in the hope of getting in next year. A few weeks after entering I received a call from Epilepsy Action offering me a place, yay, gulp, shit just  got real. I was excited, but did gulp a bit, marathon training is a big commitment and I have heard several people mention it takes over your life for a few months, so there was a little bit of ''what have i done''. After the initial shock i took the decision to start training early, i picked up a couple of injuries at the beginning of this year, and could do with upping my mileage slowly so as to avoid aggravating said injuries. I know my calf is still weak, it lets me know after every run! I've had other runners tell me ''There are other marathons'' ...
Read more