I should really try write these the week after, so I remember what was going through my head then, but alas I am lazy. This no morning runs were completed, I felt that the past few weeks had included so many long runs that perhaps taking it easy wasn't a bad idea... hopefully we'll start running in the morning again soon, if I can get out of bed!! A big incentive is that it is getting stupidly hot in the evenings and I'd prefer to run in the (hopefully) cooler mornings.
Monday evening 22/09/08
Distance run: 7km
Route: Boys High (loop)
time: 52:28 mins
Intervals: 60/120
Wednesday morning 14/09/08
Distance run: 4km
Route: Mackenzie (this was a public holiday)
Time: 30:46 mins
Intervals: 60/120
Friday evening 12/09/08
Distance run: 4km walked
Saturday morning 13/08/08
Distance run: 10km
Route: CSIR
Time: 1:17:25
Intervals: 60/90
Total distance this week: 28km
The CSIR run was quite nice actually. I kindof thought it would be a lot worse, but still took it quite easy. There were the hills especially the last one from one side of campus to the other. I however don't think I walked any more of it than I had to to follow the intervals. However the route didn't have long enough downhills to take advantage of, which I sometimes do, by running all the way through my rest interval, and the next running interval, but only on downhills.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Some Pics
When I like pictures of me... this is a pic from the Phobians 15km race, check those sexy, melanin deficient, legs :P
When I don't like pictures of me... ok so this was 15km later, after crossing back and forth over a mountain (uh...um... ok large hill) on the Ou Voedpad run.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Major Bleakness
I know it's stupid, but I stored all of my exercise data on my work laptop, mainly because it has a COM port which I can use to download the data (my personal computer needs a USB-Serial adaptor). So I had ALL the data that I've gathered since being in Pretoria on that PC! Which is really sad, because it's quite interesting information that I can't get back!
Oh, did I say that my laptop was stolen from my office at work this past weekend? My window was pried open and my laptop taken from my desk :( I guess it serves me right for leaving my blinds open. The saw it in the window, but we are supposed to have a really good security system, state industrial secrets and all!
Sometimes, just sometimes, I hate my country.
On the bright side, I did start this blog, to store an outline of the data, and I also have my old fashioned logbook...still
Oh, did I say that my laptop was stolen from my office at work this past weekend? My window was pried open and my laptop taken from my desk :( I guess it serves me right for leaving my blinds open. The saw it in the window, but we are supposed to have a really good security system, state industrial secrets and all!
Sometimes, just sometimes, I hate my country.
On the bright side, I did start this blog, to store an outline of the data, and I also have my old fashioned logbook...still
Week 38 (14/09/08 - 21/09/08)
This week I started my 30th year on planet Earth! And started the last year of my Twenties... oh well :P. It was a good week.
Monday morning 15/09/08
Nadda: I think I was lazy again after too good a weekend
Monday evening 15/09/08
Distance run: 7km
Route: Lynwood (loop)
time: 52:16 mins
Walked to and from running: 2km
Wednesday morning 17/09/08
Laziness
Wednesday evening 17/09/08
Distance run: 7km
Route: Premier
Time: 56:13 mins
Intervals: 60/120
Friday morning 12/09/08
Nadda: I have no excuse except laziness and resting for the 10km run that I did the on Saturday
Friday evening 12/09/08
Distance run: 2km walked
Saturday morning 13/08/08
Distance run: 10km
Route: CSIR
Time: 1:17:25
Intervals: 60/90
Total distance this week: 28km
The CSIR run was quite nice actually. I kindof thought it would be a lot worse, but still took it quite easy. There were the hills especially the last one from one side of campus to the other. I however don't think I walked any more of it than I had to to follow the intervals. However the route didn't have long enough downhills to take advantage of, which I sometimes do, by running all the way through my rest interval, and the next running interval, but only on downhills.
Monday morning 15/09/08
Nadda: I think I was lazy again after too good a weekend
Monday evening 15/09/08
Distance run: 7km
Route: Lynwood (loop)
time: 52:16 mins
Walked to and from running: 2km
Wednesday morning 17/09/08
Laziness
Wednesday evening 17/09/08
Distance run: 7km
Route: Premier
Time: 56:13 mins
Intervals: 60/120
Friday morning 12/09/08
Nadda: I have no excuse except laziness and resting for the 10km run that I did the on Saturday
Friday evening 12/09/08
Distance run: 2km walked
Saturday morning 13/08/08
Distance run: 10km
Route: CSIR
Time: 1:17:25
Intervals: 60/90
Total distance this week: 28km
The CSIR run was quite nice actually. I kindof thought it would be a lot worse, but still took it quite easy. There were the hills especially the last one from one side of campus to the other. I however don't think I walked any more of it than I had to to follow the intervals. However the route didn't have long enough downhills to take advantage of, which I sometimes do, by running all the way through my rest interval, and the next running interval, but only on downhills.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Ou Voedpad 10 Miler
OK so the link is in Afrikaans, sorry to those of you who can't read it. You'll have to read my interpretation. The 10 mile run started at TUT ( Tswane University of Technology) heading west and within three miles we were led onto an old footpath, heading north over the Magaliesberg. I stupidly sprinted down most of the north face of the mountain, and I think it's a miracle that I didn't twist my ankle, but I really do enjoy running down mountains :)
Then we headed west over the entrance to the Daspoort tunnel and then a little further on we headed straight up the mountain to head back south and finally east back to TUT. I think my description is useless...
It was a pretty tough but I never felt REALLY tired at any point. I guess a lot had to do with the necessity to walk single file up much of the track. The scenery was magnificent, being able to see the whole of Pretoria, North and South of the Magaliesberg.
So far this is the furthest I've run and even though it was at quite a slow pace, I think that had it been on a flatter surface, and not hampered by other walkers I'd have been able to do it in atleast 20mins less. Which is encouraging for a 21km.
Then we headed west over the entrance to the Daspoort tunnel and then a little further on we headed straight up the mountain to head back south and finally east back to TUT. I think my description is useless...
It was a pretty tough but I never felt REALLY tired at any point. I guess a lot had to do with the necessity to walk single file up much of the track. The scenery was magnificent, being able to see the whole of Pretoria, North and South of the Magaliesberg.
So far this is the furthest I've run and even though it was at quite a slow pace, I think that had it been on a flatter surface, and not hampered by other walkers I'd have been able to do it in atleast 20mins less. Which is encouraging for a 21km.
Week 37 (07/09/08 - 13/09/08)
Once again I have only the data in my log book (which I am once again very grateful for keeping) to add to this blog.
Monday morning 8/09/08
Nadda: I think I was lazy after too good a weekend
Monday evening 8/09/08
Distance run: 7km
Route: Clarke
Walked to and from running: 2km
Wednesday morning 10/09/08
Distance run: 2km
Time: 14:19
Wednesday evening 10/09/08
Distance run: 7.5km
Route: Spiral
Walked to and from running: 2km
Friday morning 12/09/08
Nadda: I have no excuse except laziness and resting for the 16km run that I did the on Saturday
Friday evening 12/09/08
Distance run: 4km
Saturday morning 13/08/08
Distance run: 16km
Route: Ou Voedpad 10 Miler!!
Time: 2:21
Total distance this week: 38.5km
Monday morning 8/09/08
Nadda: I think I was lazy after too good a weekend
Monday evening 8/09/08
Distance run: 7km
Route: Clarke
Walked to and from running: 2km
Wednesday morning 10/09/08
Distance run: 2km
Time: 14:19
Wednesday evening 10/09/08
Distance run: 7.5km
Route: Spiral
Walked to and from running: 2km
Friday morning 12/09/08
Nadda: I have no excuse except laziness and resting for the 16km run that I did the on Saturday
Friday evening 12/09/08
Distance run: 4km
Saturday morning 13/08/08
Distance run: 16km
Route: Ou Voedpad 10 Miler!!
Time: 2:21
Total distance this week: 38.5km
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Week 36
Ok so it's high time for a new post, well this will be the first of a few so I'll keep it short. Unfortunately my laptop with all my polar HR data on it was stolen from my office at work, so the data will be a little sparse. Serves me right for not posting regularly, or backing up personal data :(
Monday morning 1/09/08
Distance run: 2km
Time: 14:26
Pace: 7:13
Monday evening 1/09/08
Distance run: 6km
Time: 45:32
Wednesday morning 3/09/08
Distance run: 2km
Time: 14 ish
Wednesday evening 3/09/08
Distance run: 6km
Walked to and from running: 2km
Friday morning 5/09/08
Nadda: I think this had something to do with a running friends birthday
Friday evening 29/08/08
Distance run: 4km
Saturday afternoon 30/08/08
Nadda:
Total distance this week: 22km
Monday morning 1/09/08
Distance run: 2km
Time: 14:26
Pace: 7:13
Monday evening 1/09/08
Distance run: 6km
Time: 45:32
Wednesday morning 3/09/08
Distance run: 2km
Time: 14 ish
Wednesday evening 3/09/08
Distance run: 6km
Walked to and from running: 2km
Friday morning 5/09/08
Nadda: I think this had something to do with a running friends birthday
Friday evening 29/08/08
Distance run: 4km
Saturday afternoon 30/08/08
Nadda:
Total distance this week: 22km
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Realisations
I meantioned in an earlier post that I'd realised something, that being the fact that I'm pretty limited in the output I can produce. So trying to get a little bit faster by running slightly longer is kindof in vane. Thing is, I can consistently complete a longer run in less than 8min/km, which is fine to achieve my goal. Whats more, sometimes walking for longer actually leaves my overall pace unchanged, if not improved. So I'm going to stop trying to run for longer, and make sure my "rest" intervals are long enough for me to really rest.
Granted I did run 6km yesterday in 42:30 with the intervals set to 75/90 and I think that was my fasted 6km time trial time. But still I think it's probably better for me to be at a comfortable pace, but doing more distance, than going any faster at this stage. So that's what I intend to do. Possibly, tomorrow, possibly next week I'll start doing 7km in the evenings, after having walked 1km to the club, and 1km home, that is 9km in total that evening, add to that the 2km run I do in the morning on the same day and I'll be doing 11km a day!! 33km a week, and thats if theres no race on Saturday!
On another note...in response to Romy's comment... I am quite aware that on Saturday I dressed up like a woman, however...I'm pretty sure I'm not one! :P The fact that they are all the rage for your half of the gene pool makes no difference to me! Me and a turquoise top... I'm sorry! Glad you guys are getting to the gym... watch this space for news about my lastest toy... Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
Granted I did run 6km yesterday in 42:30 with the intervals set to 75/90 and I think that was my fasted 6km time trial time. But still I think it's probably better for me to be at a comfortable pace, but doing more distance, than going any faster at this stage. So that's what I intend to do. Possibly, tomorrow, possibly next week I'll start doing 7km in the evenings, after having walked 1km to the club, and 1km home, that is 9km in total that evening, add to that the 2km run I do in the morning on the same day and I'll be doing 11km a day!! 33km a week, and thats if theres no race on Saturday!
On another note...in response to Romy's comment... I am quite aware that on Saturday I dressed up like a woman, however...I'm pretty sure I'm not one! :P The fact that they are all the rage for your half of the gene pool makes no difference to me! Me and a turquoise top... I'm sorry! Glad you guys are getting to the gym... watch this space for news about my lastest toy... Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Spar Ladies Race 2008
I've done blonde(maybe I'll dig the photo's out sometime), and redhead, this year a black afro ddin't seem like a bad idea! Unfotunately my faithful sidekick Davina wasn't there this year :(
However the socks against my chest got really itchy...not to mention moist and manky!
Here are some pics of the other palooka's that decided to run the race :P
Believe it or not thats a pic of my sexy behind!! :P
And this is a pic of me, with a sagging chest, and my running partner, Melodie, she is patient enough to run when I can run, and walk when I need to walk. I say... whats wrong with her :P
And here is a pic of me looking rather tired, but happy to be out of my gimp suit..
The race itself was hot and there was a lot more walking done than I normally do. Add to the heat a pair of sox on my chest and a wig, and it makes for a VERY hot mark...excuse the pun...it was never going to be fast so the 81 minutes was quite alright for me :) Not sure about the turquoise T-Shirt though.
However the socks against my chest got really itchy...not to mention moist and manky!Here are some pics of the other palooka's that decided to run the race :P
Believe it or not thats a pic of my sexy behind!! :P
And this is a pic of me, with a sagging chest, and my running partner, Melodie, she is patient enough to run when I can run, and walk when I need to walk. I say... whats wrong with her :P
And here is a pic of me looking rather tired, but happy to be out of my gimp suit..
The race itself was hot and there was a lot more walking done than I normally do. Add to the heat a pair of sox on my chest and a wig, and it makes for a VERY hot mark...excuse the pun...it was never going to be fast so the 81 minutes was quite alright for me :) Not sure about the turquoise T-Shirt though.
Week 35
I think monday morning was just too much this week and got left out. The intention was to keep pushing the running time up, but it never happened. I've come to a realisation, but I'll talk about that in my next post.
Monday evening 25/08/08
Distance run: 6km
Time: 48:00
Pace: 8:00
Interval (w/r): 80/55
Wednesday morning 27/08/08
Distance run: 2km
Time: 14:11
Pace: 7:05
Interval (w/r): 60/75
Wednesday evening 27/08/08
Distance run: 6km
Time: 45:34
Pace: 7:35
Interval (w/r): 80/60
Friday morning 29/08/08
Distance run: 2km
Time: 14:09
Pace: 7:04
Interval (w/r): 60/75
Friday evening 29/08/08
Distance run: 4km
Time: 34:36
Pace: 8:39
Interval (w/r): Walked
Saturday afternoon 30/08/08
Distance run: 10km
Time: 1:21:21
Pace: 8:08
Interval (w/r): 2:00/1:00
Total distance this week: 30km
The walk on Friday was because I knew I'd be doing the Spar Ladies Race on Saturday afternoon. It was good fun, but damn hot!! Nothing like a bunch of sweaty guys in girls clothing for a good laugh... especially when you are one of them...see my next post
Monday evening 25/08/08
Distance run: 6km
Time: 48:00
Pace: 8:00
Interval (w/r): 80/55
Wednesday morning 27/08/08
Distance run: 2km
Time: 14:11
Pace: 7:05
Interval (w/r): 60/75
Wednesday evening 27/08/08
Distance run: 6km
Time: 45:34
Pace: 7:35
Interval (w/r): 80/60
Friday morning 29/08/08
Distance run: 2km
Time: 14:09
Pace: 7:04
Interval (w/r): 60/75
Friday evening 29/08/08
Distance run: 4km
Time: 34:36
Pace: 8:39
Interval (w/r): Walked
Saturday afternoon 30/08/08
Distance run: 10km
Time: 1:21:21
Pace: 8:08
Interval (w/r): 2:00/1:00
Total distance this week: 30km
The walk on Friday was because I knew I'd be doing the Spar Ladies Race on Saturday afternoon. It was good fun, but damn hot!! Nothing like a bunch of sweaty guys in girls clothing for a good laugh... especially when you are one of them...see my next post
Monday, September 1, 2008
Week 34
This week, I started increasing the running time in my early morning runs by 5 seconds every day. I think I'm going to go back to my old style of putting every exercise seperately, I think it's clearer to see whats been happening.
Monday morning 18/08/08
Distance run: 2km
Time: 14:52
Pace: 7:28
Interval (w/r): 60/65
Monday evening 18/08/08
Distance run: 6km
Time: 46:21
Pace: 7:43
Interval (w/r): 70/50
Wednesday morning 20/08/08
Distance run: 2km
Time: 14:06
Pace: 7:03
Interval (w/r): 60/70
Wednesday evening 20/08/08
Distance run: 6km
Time: 45:28
Pace: 7:34
Interval (w/r): 70/50
Friday evening 22/08/08
Distance run: 5.5km
Time: 50:26
Pace: 9:10
Interval (w/r): Walked
Total distance this week: 21.5km
I was trying to increase the running time rapidly, and it seemed to work fine until a little bit of wine for a friends birthday on Thursday night spoilt the party :P
Monday morning 18/08/08
Distance run: 2km
Time: 14:52
Pace: 7:28
Interval (w/r): 60/65
Monday evening 18/08/08
Distance run: 6km
Time: 46:21
Pace: 7:43
Interval (w/r): 70/50
Wednesday morning 20/08/08
Distance run: 2km
Time: 14:06
Pace: 7:03
Interval (w/r): 60/70
Wednesday evening 20/08/08
Distance run: 6km
Time: 45:28
Pace: 7:34
Interval (w/r): 70/50
Friday evening 22/08/08
Distance run: 5.5km
Time: 50:26
Pace: 9:10
Interval (w/r): Walked
Total distance this week: 21.5km
I was trying to increase the running time rapidly, and it seemed to work fine until a little bit of wine for a friends birthday on Thursday night spoilt the party :P
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
900km!!
Just a quicky to note that yesterday I went over 900km! Check out the "RUNNING (and walking) TOTAL" in the left panel. Ok so it's taken more than a year, but I think by the end of September I'll probably be over 1000km! And thats almost an average of 60km a month for 15 straight months... I think I must be nuts!
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Week 33 - the rest
I started the 2 runs a day this week, as mentioned in my previous post. So in total I ran 22km this week, which is not too shabby I guess, it's just that I've run faster and I'm not feeling particularly strong. The morning runs are great, and it's quite nice to just do a short run in the morning. It wakes you up for the day! I haven't been running them particularly fast. Wednesday was 7:19 and Friday 7:15, but that should improve as the running time goes up. As for next week, my running partner has suggested that we increase the running time by 5 seconds a day. I'm a bit skeptical but I'll give it a go.
Yesterday while running I was thinking that there must be an optimal resting time for me. That is clearly demonstrated by a 10km run we did a few weeks ago. I'd wanted to do an easy run, so I set the rest interval at 2mins and the running time to 45 seconds. But the result was a very satisfying 79mins for 10km. OK it's not fast, but it just demonstrated to me that if I rest enough I could complete a run faster.
So that set me thinking... wouldn't it be cool if someone interested in this kind of thing (people with chronic illnesses) could help me work out an optimal program? I spoke to my club manager about a training program, but I really don't think he understood what my problem is, and he didn't seem to be interested in taking the time to find out. So what I am seriously thinking of doing is offering myself as a study subject to the biokinetics department at the University of Pretoria. Perhaps there would be a student who would be interested in working with me, and perhaps my cardiologist, to get the most out of me? Because, if I'm honest with myself, even though I'm listening to my body, I'm also kindof clutching in the dark at this thing. It would be great to have someone really interested in researching exercise options for someone like me.
Anyone have any comments? Suggestions?
Yesterday while running I was thinking that there must be an optimal resting time for me. That is clearly demonstrated by a 10km run we did a few weeks ago. I'd wanted to do an easy run, so I set the rest interval at 2mins and the running time to 45 seconds. But the result was a very satisfying 79mins for 10km. OK it's not fast, but it just demonstrated to me that if I rest enough I could complete a run faster.
So that set me thinking... wouldn't it be cool if someone interested in this kind of thing (people with chronic illnesses) could help me work out an optimal program? I spoke to my club manager about a training program, but I really don't think he understood what my problem is, and he didn't seem to be interested in taking the time to find out. So what I am seriously thinking of doing is offering myself as a study subject to the biokinetics department at the University of Pretoria. Perhaps there would be a student who would be interested in working with me, and perhaps my cardiologist, to get the most out of me? Because, if I'm honest with myself, even though I'm listening to my body, I'm also kindof clutching in the dark at this thing. It would be great to have someone really interested in researching exercise options for someone like me.
Anyone have any comments? Suggestions?
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Week 33 - Atleast the first half of it
What I learned from the 15km and the 30km is that I need to get more distance under my belt, I need to do more 10km+ runs. At the same time though, I really want to get a little faster. Add to that what I learned from last years summer - I don't run well in the heat and humidity. All this adds up to one thing. I need to some morning training.
I can't follow any of the traditional training plans, for obvious reasons. I can't follow the pace goals that those programs set you, and I'm not sure if I can follow the distance goals just yet either. However any morning run adds to my distance and I've read that you can gain from splitting your training into shorter session split between the morning and evening. So basically, to get to the distance goals the traditional programs suggest I will just run more short runs in the mornings.
I also want to work on my pace and endurance, extending the time I spend running while maintaining my resting time. My goal pace is currently 6min/km. What I decided to do was to measure out a straight km. So there and back would give me 2km. On this course I can change my running/walking times until I am comfortable running at 6min/km. Once I've done that I'll increase the distance to 3km and so on.
In the evenings for now I will probably try to get my pace to about 7:30 a km and keep it there, while increasing the distance I run. I think until the end of August I'll continue to run 6's and then start running 7's in September. However when summer comes I will probably try to run more in the mornings and less in the hot afterrnoons.
So I started this disjointed training this morning, running the 2km stretch in 14:38 (7:19/km), and not feeling particularly uncomfortable about it. I will change the times every Monday, hopefully I'll get to the 6min/km mark quite quickly over this short distance. I've yet to see what I feel like this afternoon, but it is a great way to start the day!
I can't follow any of the traditional training plans, for obvious reasons. I can't follow the pace goals that those programs set you, and I'm not sure if I can follow the distance goals just yet either. However any morning run adds to my distance and I've read that you can gain from splitting your training into shorter session split between the morning and evening. So basically, to get to the distance goals the traditional programs suggest I will just run more short runs in the mornings.
I also want to work on my pace and endurance, extending the time I spend running while maintaining my resting time. My goal pace is currently 6min/km. What I decided to do was to measure out a straight km. So there and back would give me 2km. On this course I can change my running/walking times until I am comfortable running at 6min/km. Once I've done that I'll increase the distance to 3km and so on.
In the evenings for now I will probably try to get my pace to about 7:30 a km and keep it there, while increasing the distance I run. I think until the end of August I'll continue to run 6's and then start running 7's in September. However when summer comes I will probably try to run more in the mornings and less in the hot afterrnoons.
So I started this disjointed training this morning, running the 2km stretch in 14:38 (7:19/km), and not feeling particularly uncomfortable about it. I will change the times every Monday, hopefully I'll get to the 6min/km mark quite quickly over this short distance. I've yet to see what I feel like this afternoon, but it is a great way to start the day!
Week 32 - Sortof back into it (3-9Aug)
What incredibly frustrating about being me is that I work really hard to get to a level of fitness, for months at a time, and all of that seems to vanish in a few moments when I get sick. That not only makes going for a run less fun, but also destroys my motivation! So I went for a walk on Sunday 3 Aug, did what I assume was about 5km in 50mins, which was fine. It was when I went for my first run on Monday evening that I realised my fitness was seriously compromised.
The route was Spiral which is 5.5km and it took a dismal 51 mins to complete, because I simply couldn't run, there was nothing there when I tried to turn it on :( . The running club was doing a VO2 Max test on Wednesday, so I skipped that and went for another 60min walk, which I assume was about 6km. Friday was a little better, I did 4km in 33min, but still far off the pace of the 15km I'd done 3 weeks before.
There is a possible added reason for my feeling a bit flat. I was taking some supplements, Co-Enzyme Q10, which I haven't actually run past my doctor...so don't tell him :P. But when I got some symptoms that my INR was too high, bruising etc, I stopped taking them and went for a long overdue blood test...yes I hate them! My blood was pretty much fine, but I don't really want to start taking them again and have them change my INR. Next time I see my Cardiologist I will ask him about Co-Q10, I've done a little research and there seems to be some strong indications that this stuff may be of some help. If coming off it has contributed to my feeling less fit then thats a clear indication in my book... however, the eternal skeptic says, it could also just be psychosomatic!
Anyway, whats the moral of the story? Firstly, don't over do it Mark! Duh! And second, don't try things without talking to a doctor (in my defence I started on a very small dose)
The route was Spiral which is 5.5km and it took a dismal 51 mins to complete, because I simply couldn't run, there was nothing there when I tried to turn it on :( . The running club was doing a VO2 Max test on Wednesday, so I skipped that and went for another 60min walk, which I assume was about 6km. Friday was a little better, I did 4km in 33min, but still far off the pace of the 15km I'd done 3 weeks before.
There is a possible added reason for my feeling a bit flat. I was taking some supplements, Co-Enzyme Q10, which I haven't actually run past my doctor...so don't tell him :P. But when I got some symptoms that my INR was too high, bruising etc, I stopped taking them and went for a long overdue blood test...yes I hate them! My blood was pretty much fine, but I don't really want to start taking them again and have them change my INR. Next time I see my Cardiologist I will ask him about Co-Q10, I've done a little research and there seems to be some strong indications that this stuff may be of some help. If coming off it has contributed to my feeling less fit then thats a clear indication in my book... however, the eternal skeptic says, it could also just be psychosomatic!
Anyway, whats the moral of the story? Firstly, don't over do it Mark! Duh! And second, don't try things without talking to a doctor (in my defence I started on a very small dose)
Week 31 - Straight after Walk the Talk
To say that 30km was over doing it is an understatement I guess. I was finished! I think that probably contributed wit what happened later in the week. I got to work on Wednesday and all was fine, however by about 10am my hands were really cold. I got a cup of coffee and put my hands under the hot tap, when I got back to my office I put the aircon on hot, which I very seldom do (energy use, carbon footprint etc). Nothing worked and half an hour later I was shivering like I was outside in subzero temperatures in my undies.
Needless to say I went home, which was interesting considering I ride a motorcycle (energy use, carbon footprint, financially sensible). I got home and went to bed. I then sent SA Doc what must have been a really annoying sms, but considering my other close doc friend was in SCOTLAND at the time, she was my only option. She told me my symptoms were pretty broad and that, considering my condition, I should see a doctor. I knew she would say that, so I went to the doctor, because at this stage I was pretty alarmed.
The doctor was unimpressed by my "alarming" symptoms and sent me home with a letter booking me off till the weekend. He said I had "viremia", which is short for "I have no idea what you have but you will live", and told me it would pass in 48 hours, which it did! I had fever and a headache all of Wednesday night, read a book most of Thursday, slept like a log on Thursday night and went back to work on Friday.
Needless to say the only exercise I did was 2.8 VERY slow km's on monday.
Needless to say I went home, which was interesting considering I ride a motorcycle (energy use, carbon footprint, financially sensible). I got home and went to bed. I then sent SA Doc what must have been a really annoying sms, but considering my other close doc friend was in SCOTLAND at the time, she was my only option. She told me my symptoms were pretty broad and that, considering my condition, I should see a doctor. I knew she would say that, so I went to the doctor, because at this stage I was pretty alarmed.
The doctor was unimpressed by my "alarming" symptoms and sent me home with a letter booking me off till the weekend. He said I had "viremia", which is short for "I have no idea what you have but you will live", and told me it would pass in 48 hours, which it did! I had fever and a headache all of Wednesday night, read a book most of Thursday, slept like a log on Thursday night and went back to work on Friday.
Needless to say the only exercise I did was 2.8 VERY slow km's on monday.
Monday, July 28, 2008
30km 702 Walk the Talk
OH MY WORD!! So I thought, ah, it'll be fine, I ran 15km last weekend, what can a measly 30km walk do to me?! WRONG!! It was tough, the last 10km, as predicted by one of the guys at the club, was really hard.
I had organised park and ride tickets, which I had hoped would get us close to the start/finish. They, unfortunately weren't included in the race pack, and because I got someone else to fetch the packs, on Saturday, there was no time to query it. So we drove to the venue and parked where the parking attendant said was as close as we could get, which was like 3kms walk from the start!
In an attempt to keep down the weight of the backpack I was carrying (for snacks :P ) I left my beanie behind, which made me quite miserable for the first 3/4km while I warmed up. It's unbelievable how hilly Johannesburg is. One thinks that Cape Town has all the mountains, but theres the Flats inbetween! It seemed like we were always on an incline, either up or down.
All was good for most of the way and when the 15km walkers peeled off there was a very mild desire to go with them, but everything was still working fine, so we continued. I remember going passed the 21 in 3,5hrs, which had us pegged on 10min/km. It's not bad, but it does mean that there is no way I could walk a half marathon. Some running will definitely be needed.
After that I was desperately counting the kms down, my feet were burning and the tops of my quads were aching. The only thing that gave some relief was actually to run a little! Which we did down some of the downhills and sometimes on the few flats that there were.
Then once you have finally got to the finish line... in just under 5hrs...you have to walk back to the car!!! Through a throng of 40/50 thousand people!! I collapsed for a few minutes on the grass after the finish for a few minutes, but decided if the body cools down it will me much more difficult to get back to the car. It was a LONG way.
Anyway all said and done, I enjoyed it mostly. Lessons learned - more than 20km worth of walking is nuts! - from last week and this week, many more 15km+ runs must be completed before I attempt a 21, even if my heart can cope with it, my body (muscles and joints) still needs to get used to the longer distances.
I got home had a wonderful shower, climbed into bed for a well deserved nap. Then again went to bed at 9pm and slept through till 6, gotta love it! Only thing is the sore muscles and tendons this morning, i think this afternoon's run will end up being a 2km stretch session.
I had organised park and ride tickets, which I had hoped would get us close to the start/finish. They, unfortunately weren't included in the race pack, and because I got someone else to fetch the packs, on Saturday, there was no time to query it. So we drove to the venue and parked where the parking attendant said was as close as we could get, which was like 3kms walk from the start!
In an attempt to keep down the weight of the backpack I was carrying (for snacks :P ) I left my beanie behind, which made me quite miserable for the first 3/4km while I warmed up. It's unbelievable how hilly Johannesburg is. One thinks that Cape Town has all the mountains, but theres the Flats inbetween! It seemed like we were always on an incline, either up or down.
All was good for most of the way and when the 15km walkers peeled off there was a very mild desire to go with them, but everything was still working fine, so we continued. I remember going passed the 21 in 3,5hrs, which had us pegged on 10min/km. It's not bad, but it does mean that there is no way I could walk a half marathon. Some running will definitely be needed.
After that I was desperately counting the kms down, my feet were burning and the tops of my quads were aching. The only thing that gave some relief was actually to run a little! Which we did down some of the downhills and sometimes on the few flats that there were.
Then once you have finally got to the finish line... in just under 5hrs...you have to walk back to the car!!! Through a throng of 40/50 thousand people!! I collapsed for a few minutes on the grass after the finish for a few minutes, but decided if the body cools down it will me much more difficult to get back to the car. It was a LONG way.
Anyway all said and done, I enjoyed it mostly. Lessons learned - more than 20km worth of walking is nuts! - from last week and this week, many more 15km+ runs must be completed before I attempt a 21, even if my heart can cope with it, my body (muscles and joints) still needs to get used to the longer distances.
I got home had a wonderful shower, climbed into bed for a well deserved nap. Then again went to bed at 9pm and slept through till 6, gotta love it! Only thing is the sore muscles and tendons this morning, i think this afternoon's run will end up being a 2km stretch session.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Week 30 2008
Last week's 15km is well behind me and now the 30km walk which I signed up for looms ahead. I've done a 20km walk 3 or 4 years ago and can't remember anything particularly bad about it. Except that we took pretty long, but an hour of that was spent by a good friends girlfriend bursting to go to the loo... so get it out before you start the race, it seems that there will be 1000 other people making the same mistake if you forget!
This weel I did 17.2 km, we took it very easy, because I don't think the body was quite happy by Monday, and on Wednesday and Friday we decided to take it easy aswell, because of the large distance to be covered tomorrow. I'm more worried about muscles getting stiff and feet getting sore than any cardiovascular problems. 5hrs on your feet is a long time. Then again I have done long hikes before, but thats different I think, the varying terrain gives your muscles and feet a break every now and then, whereas tar road for 5/6hrs is going to be tough.
A friend contacted me on Facebook about a walk she did not too long ago, but this was insane... 100km! 29hrs! I'm sure that must include rest breaks and meal breaks, but still thats more than a day spent on the same goal. Kudo's to her! I think I'll give that kind of distance a miss for now. I think 30km is about the limit. I think the big thing in something that long would be boredom! Perhaps I should have invested in an iPod before this one... oh well.
So it's a 5am start for me tomorrow morning and then a whole mission in and around Joburg. Wish me luck.
This weel I did 17.2 km, we took it very easy, because I don't think the body was quite happy by Monday, and on Wednesday and Friday we decided to take it easy aswell, because of the large distance to be covered tomorrow. I'm more worried about muscles getting stiff and feet getting sore than any cardiovascular problems. 5hrs on your feet is a long time. Then again I have done long hikes before, but thats different I think, the varying terrain gives your muscles and feet a break every now and then, whereas tar road for 5/6hrs is going to be tough.
A friend contacted me on Facebook about a walk she did not too long ago, but this was insane... 100km! 29hrs! I'm sure that must include rest breaks and meal breaks, but still thats more than a day spent on the same goal. Kudo's to her! I think I'll give that kind of distance a miss for now. I think 30km is about the limit. I think the big thing in something that long would be boredom! Perhaps I should have invested in an iPod before this one... oh well.
So it's a 5am start for me tomorrow morning and then a whole mission in and around Joburg. Wish me luck.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Week 29 2008 and my first 15km
The past week was a big week, although I didn't get a run in on Monday because I was in Cape Town, I did get a 6 in on Wednesday and a 4 in on Friday, but a four, only because I was planning on doing a 15 on Saturday morning.
I also managed, as promised to get a 6km run in on the previous Friday, in Cape Town with my old Run Walk For Life club. I didn't recognise anyone there and the manager had changed, but it was nice, and strange to be running around a familiar old route. It was a comfortable run although the girl I was running with took some time to get used to my "fartlek" "style".
Back to Saturday's 15km, it was the Marcel van't Slot Memorial race and took us on a 2 lap course around a quite hilly part of Pretoria. What was really nice was that the start was within a km of where I live so we cycled to the start, no looking for parking, no fighting traffic to get home.
This was the first time I tried running more than 10km so I changed the intervals to 50 seconds running and 2 minutes walking. In the beginning this was frustrating as everyone passes you rather quickly while you are on a walking interval, and often I gave in to the the temptation to run for a bit longer. Mostly I followed the intervals and pointed out to someone, who told me to run to the top of a hill, that it was all about pacing yourself. We left him behind somewhere around the 9km mark.
However, on the second lap I did push down a very long downhill section, continuing through two running intervals and the rest interval inbetween. What is really cool about this race is that I lapped the 10th km at 1hr14:33 which is my fastest time since moving to Pretoria, and it was in a 15km race, running slower intervals that I usually do! Just show's how much fitter I really am getting!
Around about the 13km mark however, the wheels started to wobble, I could feel that my legs weren't used to the longer time on the road and the faster finish, on a mostly downhill course to the end, didn't materialise. I also remember at that stage that the top of my quads, where I assume they join my hips, got quite tired. But I also remember not feeling short of breath or like I was pushing particularly hard, my muscles were just tired, perhaps I had the same problem of not taking in enough sugar on route.
In the end I completed the 15km in 1hr52:22 which I think is fantastic, it's just under 7:30min/km and I need to be under 8min/km to comfortably finish a half marathon. Slowly, it seems like this thing might be coming together.
After the race, when everything had cooled down I found that, not only where my muscles tired, but my knees hurt and so did the outside of my right foot, not quite sure what that means. I think that my body needs to get used to longer times on the road, I guess an added 40mins is quite significant. I was pretty exhausted on Saturday and spent most of the rest of the day relaxing in bed. I couldn't sleep very much though, I guess I was over tired. The knee and foot pain went away but the muscle stiffness remains, but I think I'll be fine to run a 6km again this afternoon.
This coming weekend should be interesting, I'm doing the 30km 702 Walk the Talk around Joburg. After this weekend I'm not sure it was a great idea. Especially considering that I'm likely to spend 5hrs walking!! Oh well it's too late to pull out now! Wish me luck
I also managed, as promised to get a 6km run in on the previous Friday, in Cape Town with my old Run Walk For Life club. I didn't recognise anyone there and the manager had changed, but it was nice, and strange to be running around a familiar old route. It was a comfortable run although the girl I was running with took some time to get used to my "fartlek" "style".
Back to Saturday's 15km, it was the Marcel van't Slot Memorial race and took us on a 2 lap course around a quite hilly part of Pretoria. What was really nice was that the start was within a km of where I live so we cycled to the start, no looking for parking, no fighting traffic to get home.
This was the first time I tried running more than 10km so I changed the intervals to 50 seconds running and 2 minutes walking. In the beginning this was frustrating as everyone passes you rather quickly while you are on a walking interval, and often I gave in to the the temptation to run for a bit longer. Mostly I followed the intervals and pointed out to someone, who told me to run to the top of a hill, that it was all about pacing yourself. We left him behind somewhere around the 9km mark.
However, on the second lap I did push down a very long downhill section, continuing through two running intervals and the rest interval inbetween. What is really cool about this race is that I lapped the 10th km at 1hr14:33 which is my fastest time since moving to Pretoria, and it was in a 15km race, running slower intervals that I usually do! Just show's how much fitter I really am getting!
Around about the 13km mark however, the wheels started to wobble, I could feel that my legs weren't used to the longer time on the road and the faster finish, on a mostly downhill course to the end, didn't materialise. I also remember at that stage that the top of my quads, where I assume they join my hips, got quite tired. But I also remember not feeling short of breath or like I was pushing particularly hard, my muscles were just tired, perhaps I had the same problem of not taking in enough sugar on route.
In the end I completed the 15km in 1hr52:22 which I think is fantastic, it's just under 7:30min/km and I need to be under 8min/km to comfortably finish a half marathon. Slowly, it seems like this thing might be coming together.
After the race, when everything had cooled down I found that, not only where my muscles tired, but my knees hurt and so did the outside of my right foot, not quite sure what that means. I think that my body needs to get used to longer times on the road, I guess an added 40mins is quite significant. I was pretty exhausted on Saturday and spent most of the rest of the day relaxing in bed. I couldn't sleep very much though, I guess I was over tired. The knee and foot pain went away but the muscle stiffness remains, but I think I'll be fine to run a 6km again this afternoon.
This coming weekend should be interesting, I'm doing the 30km 702 Walk the Talk around Joburg. After this weekend I'm not sure it was a great idea. Especially considering that I'm likely to spend 5hrs walking!! Oh well it's too late to pull out now! Wish me luck
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Week 28
I'm writing an early post this week because I'm going to be Cape Town over the weekend and won't get to a PC.
Yesterday I ran a route that I previously called "Hell on tar" ...it doesn't really seem like hell anymore. We have even added some extra distance to it, to make up 6km. In the spirit of saving the planet a kilometer at a time I also cycled to and from the club in the not so cold weather. I'll see if it's ok to continue when it is really cold.
Afterwards, in the shower I was thinking that I haven't had any real cardiac symptoms for a long time. Sure I watch what I eat, make sure I get enough rest and exercise regularly, but in my day to day life I don't experience any symptoms, which is awesome.
This week, I will have run 18km if I run tomorrow. I'm planning on running at my old Run Walk For Life club in Bergvliet. Hopefully the Cape Town weather stays away!
Yesterday I ran a route that I previously called "Hell on tar" ...it doesn't really seem like hell anymore. We have even added some extra distance to it, to make up 6km. In the spirit of saving the planet a kilometer at a time I also cycled to and from the club in the not so cold weather. I'll see if it's ok to continue when it is really cold.
Afterwards, in the shower I was thinking that I haven't had any real cardiac symptoms for a long time. Sure I watch what I eat, make sure I get enough rest and exercise regularly, but in my day to day life I don't experience any symptoms, which is awesome.
This week, I will have run 18km if I run tomorrow. I'm planning on running at my old Run Walk For Life club in Bergvliet. Hopefully the Cape Town weather stays away!
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Week 27 2008
I'm gonna try do a weekly thing again, see how far I get. Rand 16km this week. It should have been 18 but I ate wrong yesterday. I'm still really amazed at what a difference diet makes to how you feel while training. I usually eat my own lunch that I bring from home. Something like a sandwich on low GI bread or wholewheat pasta with whatever sauce I have leftover.
Yesterday we had a braai for lunch so I had two boerewors rolls for lunch. Also having spent very little time in my office I hadn't had a chance to eat the fruit I normally eat daily either. This all conspired, i think to make me very miserable in yesterdays run, amd I settled for just doing 4km, while feeling the wors bouncing around in my tummy. I can't help but wonder if you get used to eating healthy, and if your body protests when you take a day off.
It's all good though, I'm gonna do a 15km in two weeks time and then walk 30km in the 702 the weekend after. So I'll make up the mileage.
A few months ago I decided I didn't feel like paying too much for petrol, driving an old car, so I bought myself a 250cc motorcycle. I was asked to help out in a race this morning, hosted by our running club. I led the lead runner around the course. Other than the fact that my hands nearly fell off because it was so cold, it was quite fun.
I'm going to Cape Town this coming Friday and I hope to go for a run at my old club, Bergvliet Run Walk For Life. I'm hoping the weather down there is good enough to go out for a 6. Will be nice to see all the old crowd that I used to run with.
Yesterday we had a braai for lunch so I had two boerewors rolls for lunch. Also having spent very little time in my office I hadn't had a chance to eat the fruit I normally eat daily either. This all conspired, i think to make me very miserable in yesterdays run, amd I settled for just doing 4km, while feeling the wors bouncing around in my tummy. I can't help but wonder if you get used to eating healthy, and if your body protests when you take a day off.
It's all good though, I'm gonna do a 15km in two weeks time and then walk 30km in the 702 the weekend after. So I'll make up the mileage.
A few months ago I decided I didn't feel like paying too much for petrol, driving an old car, so I bought myself a 250cc motorcycle. I was asked to help out in a race this morning, hosted by our running club. I led the lead runner around the course. Other than the fact that my hands nearly fell off because it was so cold, it was quite fun.
I'm going to Cape Town this coming Friday and I hope to go for a run at my old club, Bergvliet Run Walk For Life. I'm hoping the weather down there is good enough to go out for a 6. Will be nice to see all the old crowd that I used to run with.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Another week another month
This month has been particularly good to me, I think the cold dry weather really helps me to cope better. When I compare how I felt in summertime to how I feel now, the difference is huge.
This month has been my best yet! If I run 6km this evening, which I will, then my monthly total will be 88km! I'm normally running 6km per training session at the moment and I'm trying to do a 10km every 3 weekends. Sometimes this doesn't work out. I wanted to do one next weekend but was roped into helping out with the race as our club is hosting. So I ended up doing a "slow" 10km yesterday morning. What was really cool was that I really had thought it would be a slow one, like 90mins total. Even with a 2min rest interval and a running time of 45s the total time for the 10km was 79mins.
Upcoming runs/races/events that are already planned are: the 702 Walk the Talk 30km walk, and the Spar 10km Ladies race. But there will need to be a few more 10km soon and then I will need to look at 10-15km races aswell, so that I can get closer to the 21km mark. However considering yesterday's run, I'm sure that I would be able to maintain that pace for a long time and that would mean finishing a 21 in 2:46. I think the cutoff time for the 2 oceans half marathon is 3hrs, but if I'm wrong and it's 2,5hrs then I think I should be able to get to a pace that I can maintain to acheive that time quite easily. I must just make sure I can do the distance.
This month has been my best yet! If I run 6km this evening, which I will, then my monthly total will be 88km! I'm normally running 6km per training session at the moment and I'm trying to do a 10km every 3 weekends. Sometimes this doesn't work out. I wanted to do one next weekend but was roped into helping out with the race as our club is hosting. So I ended up doing a "slow" 10km yesterday morning. What was really cool was that I really had thought it would be a slow one, like 90mins total. Even with a 2min rest interval and a running time of 45s the total time for the 10km was 79mins.
Upcoming runs/races/events that are already planned are: the 702 Walk the Talk 30km walk, and the Spar 10km Ladies race. But there will need to be a few more 10km soon and then I will need to look at 10-15km races aswell, so that I can get closer to the 21km mark. However considering yesterday's run, I'm sure that I would be able to maintain that pace for a long time and that would mean finishing a 21 in 2:46. I think the cutoff time for the 2 oceans half marathon is 3hrs, but if I'm wrong and it's 2,5hrs then I think I should be able to get to a pace that I can maintain to acheive that time quite easily. I must just make sure I can do the distance.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
A week away from the office
I spent most of this week in the county's "playground" Durban. It was cold and wet and there were an unbelievable number of traffic lights out of order! But Durban is great as it seems to have no traffic, atleast nothing compared to the M3 in Cape Town or the N1 between Joburg and Pretoria.
I was there to run a robotics competition for school kids. On the whole it was alright, and the competition was mostly a success. I think next year will be much better if we are kept on as the technical team.
Whats the point? I don't travel and exercise well. Luckily this time it was only 1 run missed. I felt really shoddy on Friday after a late Thursday night prize giving and a 6:30 flight back to Gauteng, but I went intending only to walk 4km but ended up being encouraged to do a normal 6km. As usual I felt much better afterwards.
So after a "mamoth" 25km week last week I only managed a measly 12 this week, but considering I was clocking 12 a week 3 months ago, as I was only doing 4km three times a week it's still pretty cool.
I still can't get my "Running Total" updated as I still haven't properly sorted out my log book. There are certain days on which I'm not sure I ran, I can't remember not running, but I can't be sure. Anyway thats pretty much all I have this week. I think I must find another 10km to do on the 5th of July and I must definitely enter the Spar ladies 10km... cause it's fun.
I was there to run a robotics competition for school kids. On the whole it was alright, and the competition was mostly a success. I think next year will be much better if we are kept on as the technical team.
Whats the point? I don't travel and exercise well. Luckily this time it was only 1 run missed. I felt really shoddy on Friday after a late Thursday night prize giving and a 6:30 flight back to Gauteng, but I went intending only to walk 4km but ended up being encouraged to do a normal 6km. As usual I felt much better afterwards.
So after a "mamoth" 25km week last week I only managed a measly 12 this week, but considering I was clocking 12 a week 3 months ago, as I was only doing 4km three times a week it's still pretty cool.
I still can't get my "Running Total" updated as I still haven't properly sorted out my log book. There are certain days on which I'm not sure I ran, I can't remember not running, but I can't be sure. Anyway thats pretty much all I have this week. I think I must find another 10km to do on the 5th of July and I must definitely enter the Spar ladies 10km... cause it's fun.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Good one!
So I ran the "Silver Oaks Crossing : Race for faith" 9.3km this morning. When I got out of bed I could have sworn I was insane, when I got out of the car into the crisp... no crisp sounds too nice... the biting morning air, I knew I deserved to be in an asylumn, but 7:30 came, really late for the start of a race and we ran it.
My watch beeped away merrily and kept us well paced. I'm currently runnning intervals of 40/60 seconds, thats 40 running and 60 walking. The combined pace is quite good at 7:13, about 67mins for the 9.3km. I'm quite happy with that, if the race was another 700m long I probably would have made it in about 72/73mins. Which I think is a significant improvement on 76mins.
I'm unable to write a proper log this week and haven't been able for a while as my log book went missing. I think I've figured out what happened. It fell out of my bag while I was on my motorbike. Luckily it's quite new so not much data is lost.
I recieved a "1000km with Run Walk For Life" certificate at a little prize giving on Wednesday, which considering everything I think is quite fantastic. More than 600km of it has been in the past year. The other distance was from when I was less enthusiastic in Cape Town.
I'm going through a bit of an "up" at the moment, I'm feeling strong and "fast" and I feel like I'm definitely going to get there. Running a 10km and not really being tired afterwards just lets me know that I'm doing this thing right and not hurting myself. I think I want to do atleast 2 more 10km runs and then I will give a 15km a try. We are currently running 6km three times a week and will probably push that up to 7km in the next month or two. Then I think I'll be happy that I can do a little more than double that in a race.
Sorry if I'm rambling, but I'm just putting some thoughts down. I'm a little frustrated with my watch at the moment. My Polar S610i, which I think is a fantastic training watch on the whole, lets me down in races. I set intervals so that I can move at a comfortable pace. Unfortunately it seems that it can only handle 30 interval repetitions! So after 50 minutes (30 * 100 seconds) my watch decides it is time for me to cool down. So I have to stop it completely and restart! This not only stuffs up my intervals but also messes up my full race time! I wrote to Polar to find out if there is a fix, I'll post what the result is.
What else I can tell you is that including this morning I did 25.3km this week and from now on I should be doing about 18km a week, which I find to be quite hectic. Thats my two cents worth for now, I hope to update my "Running Total" with an accurate number as soon as I have replaced my log book. I think it should be at about 700km by now though.
My watch beeped away merrily and kept us well paced. I'm currently runnning intervals of 40/60 seconds, thats 40 running and 60 walking. The combined pace is quite good at 7:13, about 67mins for the 9.3km. I'm quite happy with that, if the race was another 700m long I probably would have made it in about 72/73mins. Which I think is a significant improvement on 76mins.
I'm unable to write a proper log this week and haven't been able for a while as my log book went missing. I think I've figured out what happened. It fell out of my bag while I was on my motorbike. Luckily it's quite new so not much data is lost.
I recieved a "1000km with Run Walk For Life" certificate at a little prize giving on Wednesday, which considering everything I think is quite fantastic. More than 600km of it has been in the past year. The other distance was from when I was less enthusiastic in Cape Town.
I'm going through a bit of an "up" at the moment, I'm feeling strong and "fast" and I feel like I'm definitely going to get there. Running a 10km and not really being tired afterwards just lets me know that I'm doing this thing right and not hurting myself. I think I want to do atleast 2 more 10km runs and then I will give a 15km a try. We are currently running 6km three times a week and will probably push that up to 7km in the next month or two. Then I think I'll be happy that I can do a little more than double that in a race.
Sorry if I'm rambling, but I'm just putting some thoughts down. I'm a little frustrated with my watch at the moment. My Polar S610i, which I think is a fantastic training watch on the whole, lets me down in races. I set intervals so that I can move at a comfortable pace. Unfortunately it seems that it can only handle 30 interval repetitions! So after 50 minutes (30 * 100 seconds) my watch decides it is time for me to cool down. So I have to stop it completely and restart! This not only stuffs up my intervals but also messes up my full race time! I wrote to Polar to find out if there is a fix, I'll post what the result is.
What else I can tell you is that including this morning I did 25.3km this week and from now on I should be doing about 18km a week, which I find to be quite hectic. Thats my two cents worth for now, I hope to update my "Running Total" with an accurate number as soon as I have replaced my log book. I think it should be at about 700km by now though.
Friday, May 30, 2008
What the cardiologist said about my atrial flutter...
This post is more than 2 months late as my last cardiologist appointment was before the Mpumalanga bike ride in April, but it was written already, not sure why I didn't put it up, so here it is for posterity sake. The "about the atrial flutter" thing is actually to get more hits so if you're reading this as a link to find out more about atrial flutter, I do have it, read more about my cardiac history to see what I'm doing about it.
I was a little apprehensive going back to the cardiologist, it was 6 months down the line and when we parted last time he had hinted at a possible implanted device. I'm up for most things but I don't want to be THAT dependent on technology. So if he did suggest surgery I was gonna go running back to my old doctor and ask him for a second opinion.
Mildly paranoid as I am, I also had visions of him telling me that I've been abusing my body... I must stop exercising... I have deteriorated etc. But those weren't to be the results I would receive from him.
As per usual I went for an ECG where I still found it strange to sit while she stuck the, not so sticky, electrodes all over my chest. I watched as my heart rate fluctuated between 60 and 75. Somehow she picked a set of waves somewhere in the middle and I was done.
After waiting for what seemed like forever, considering the fortune my medical aid is paying for this appointment, I finally got to see the doctor. He was incessantly answering the phone, but after umming and ahing and taking what seemed like an awful amount of time doing the hands on physical examination...checking the pulse, and, I assume, water retention in my ankles, then listening to my heart from all sorts of positions, then listening to my breathing, again I assume for water on the lungs. Finally he tapped my on my back, which I assume has something to do with my kidneys... need to read more about why.
Then he did the echo cardiogram... it continually surprises me that he does it himself... anyway the good news is that he found my ejection fraction(EF) to be between 44 and 46%. I'm not sure how accurate the measurement techniques are but he seemed quite confident that there was an improvement. The thing is that I can't say that I FEEL an improvement. Sure I go about my day much like I assume any other "normal" person does. I work a full day, go for a run and then go to bed between 9 and 11 without being completely exhausted. But I've felt this way for ages... what does a 10% increase in heart function (previous EF was 36%) do, or feel like.
So I'm going to continue being an eternal pessimist and assume that the last EF of 36% was under measured and this EF of 44% was over measured, and assume that I'm somewhere in between at about 40%. I wish I knew exactly what my EF was when I was first diagnosed 9yrs ago, but considering climbing a flight of stairs was a problem I'm sure there is a huge improvement. And then if I look at my exercise log book, last May I started out doing very short runs, now I do 5km three times a week... I sometimes find the run itself tough, but I recover fine. So maybe there is a definite improvement... I will convince my self when I do my first half marathon.
First I need to survive next week's 400km bicycle tour...
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Ok ok!! I know I must be more consistent!
So I haven't posted for more than a month, terrible I know, but in all honesty I have been REALLY busy. I try to blog on weekends and I honestly haven't managed to get to a PC on the weekend for ages!
The good news is that I have been pretty consistent with my running. Except for a week in the Western Cape when I went to visit my sister and her new baby... oh and a week where I did the cycle ride mentioned in my previous post... IT WAS TORTURE by the way... otherwise I have been consistently exercising three times a week, recently more.
So here's what I've been up to in brief:
Cardiologist visit
I actually wrote a post which I must put up later this week. But the jist was that my echo indicated a significant improvement in Ejection Fraction. I'm always a little sceptical because I know that you can have errors in measurement, but it was good news.
Great Mpumalanga bike ride
Scenery: Fantastic!
People: Awesome!
Route: Hell
The route advertised and mentioned in my last post was SO not the route followed! Because there were so few entrants the organisers had to use smaller venues and so the route had to change. I wish they had told me because I probably would not have gone. I completed day 1, 6 and 7, for the rest I took the sag wagon at some point as the hills and the distance were just too great. My body was saying "dude, you're pushing too hard" by the last day I had a bit of a cold and I decided not to ride.
Do I regret going? No.
Would I do the same route again? No.
Would I go on another cycling holiday? Very likely yes.
Western Cape visit
Managed to get in one 15km ride and a 2,5hr hike up table mountain. It's always cool to come back and appreciate what you've left behind. But I should have done more and I felt it for a week or two when I got back.
Since then
Somewhere along the line I realised that I have less than a year left to get to my goal of a 21km, so I kindof decided I need to commit to some longer runs than just doing a 5km 3 times a week. So I've decided with my training partner that we will do atleast 1 10km run a month, and as those get easier or quicker we will start to do some slightly longer runs aswell.
I also decided that I would like to lose a bit of my belly so I'm following a mild weight training regime. So far I am down to my long time minimum weight of 74kg's I hope to get to about 70, I'll be happy with that.
So we did the first 10km yesterday and I thought I wasn't ready for it. It seemed like an easy route and as I got to the finish I realised I had lots left over. I completed it in 1hr16 which is fine for me although under 70mins would be much better, but I'm not looking for a time, my first priority is always just to finish. Time will look after itself.
I feel like perhaps the extra strength in my legs... and perhaps the rest of my body... helped me out yesterday, so I'm going to continue with the weights as long as it's helping me to do so.
I also looked online for info about "alternative" treatments for heart conditions. I've seen Carnitine and Co-Enzyme Q10 mentioned regularly so I will try a small dose of this for the next two months. Hopefully I feel more energetic and these items will help my heart get stronger aswell.
Summary
Basically if you thought I had gotten lazy you are wrong, I've been working hard, sometimes feeling like I'm getting nowhere, but whether I'm going through an optimistic or pessimistic phase (I know I do!! LOTS) I'm still keeping active and getting slowly closer to my goal. Watch this space :)
The good news is that I have been pretty consistent with my running. Except for a week in the Western Cape when I went to visit my sister and her new baby... oh and a week where I did the cycle ride mentioned in my previous post... IT WAS TORTURE by the way... otherwise I have been consistently exercising three times a week, recently more.
So here's what I've been up to in brief:
Cardiologist visit
I actually wrote a post which I must put up later this week. But the jist was that my echo indicated a significant improvement in Ejection Fraction. I'm always a little sceptical because I know that you can have errors in measurement, but it was good news.
Great Mpumalanga bike ride
Scenery: Fantastic!
People: Awesome!
Route: Hell
The route advertised and mentioned in my last post was SO not the route followed! Because there were so few entrants the organisers had to use smaller venues and so the route had to change. I wish they had told me because I probably would not have gone. I completed day 1, 6 and 7, for the rest I took the sag wagon at some point as the hills and the distance were just too great. My body was saying "dude, you're pushing too hard" by the last day I had a bit of a cold and I decided not to ride.
Do I regret going? No.
Would I do the same route again? No.
Would I go on another cycling holiday? Very likely yes.
Western Cape visit
Managed to get in one 15km ride and a 2,5hr hike up table mountain. It's always cool to come back and appreciate what you've left behind. But I should have done more and I felt it for a week or two when I got back.
Since then
Somewhere along the line I realised that I have less than a year left to get to my goal of a 21km, so I kindof decided I need to commit to some longer runs than just doing a 5km 3 times a week. So I've decided with my training partner that we will do atleast 1 10km run a month, and as those get easier or quicker we will start to do some slightly longer runs aswell.
I also decided that I would like to lose a bit of my belly so I'm following a mild weight training regime. So far I am down to my long time minimum weight of 74kg's I hope to get to about 70, I'll be happy with that.
So we did the first 10km yesterday and I thought I wasn't ready for it. It seemed like an easy route and as I got to the finish I realised I had lots left over. I completed it in 1hr16 which is fine for me although under 70mins would be much better, but I'm not looking for a time, my first priority is always just to finish. Time will look after itself.
I feel like perhaps the extra strength in my legs... and perhaps the rest of my body... helped me out yesterday, so I'm going to continue with the weights as long as it's helping me to do so.
I also looked online for info about "alternative" treatments for heart conditions. I've seen Carnitine and Co-Enzyme Q10 mentioned regularly so I will try a small dose of this for the next two months. Hopefully I feel more energetic and these items will help my heart get stronger aswell.
Summary
Basically if you thought I had gotten lazy you are wrong, I've been working hard, sometimes feeling like I'm getting nowhere, but whether I'm going through an optimistic or pessimistic phase (I know I do!! LOTS) I'm still keeping active and getting slowly closer to my goal. Watch this space :)
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Cycling is still easier... I think.
Because I'm going to do this big cycle ride I've been riding twice a week, more to get my butt used to the saddle more than anything else. But what has become quite clear to me again is that I find cycling a lot easier than running. I don't know why but I suspect that it's because while running you are continually lifting your body of the ground, energy that is expended which doesn't move you forward. Perhaps I run badly. With cycling all your effort goes into forward motion, so perhaps thats why it seems easier to me.
About the Great Mpumalanga Bike Ride that I'm doing early next month, I thought I'd give an over view for those of you who think I'm mad. I know the ride will be quite hilly, but considering we have an entire day to get to the next camp site, I hope I can take it slow enough not to be entirely exhausted at the end of every day. I'm sure the scenery will make up for the effort required to get from site to site. I'm going to try to keep a diary, which I might post when I get back.
The route is as follows:
Day 1 Saturday 5 April - Nelspruit to Sabie 45km
Day 2 Sunday - Sabie to Lydenberg 43km
Day 3 Monday - Lydenberg to Brandraai 62km
Day 4 Tuesday - Brandraai to Pilgrems Rest 77km
Day 5 Wednesday - Rest day at Pilgrims Rest, I think I might need this day!!
Day 6 Thursday - Pilgrims Rest to Hazy View 47km
Day 7 Friday - Hazy View to White River 38km
Day 8 Saturday - White River to Nelspruit 20km
Ok so now that I put it down like that and look at it... and look at it again I'm a bit scared!! But I think I'm pretty fit, if anything I'll just fall into bed every evening and sleep like I've never slept before. Oh and it's a camping trip so no terribly comfy bed... I think I'm going to invest in one of those expensive self inflatinf airmattresses.
I would have liked to take a GPS to record this, alas my GPS willl run out of juice after the first day. Perhaps I can rig up some kind of charger so I can record the route... and especially the contour!!
I'm sure this won't be my last post about this, I'm getting quite excited.
About the Great Mpumalanga Bike Ride that I'm doing early next month, I thought I'd give an over view for those of you who think I'm mad. I know the ride will be quite hilly, but considering we have an entire day to get to the next camp site, I hope I can take it slow enough not to be entirely exhausted at the end of every day. I'm sure the scenery will make up for the effort required to get from site to site. I'm going to try to keep a diary, which I might post when I get back.
The route is as follows:
Day 1 Saturday 5 April - Nelspruit to Sabie 45km
Day 2 Sunday - Sabie to Lydenberg 43km
Day 3 Monday - Lydenberg to Brandraai 62km
Day 4 Tuesday - Brandraai to Pilgrems Rest 77km
Day 5 Wednesday - Rest day at Pilgrims Rest, I think I might need this day!!
Day 6 Thursday - Pilgrims Rest to Hazy View 47km
Day 7 Friday - Hazy View to White River 38km
Day 8 Saturday - White River to Nelspruit 20km
Ok so now that I put it down like that and look at it... and look at it again I'm a bit scared!! But I think I'm pretty fit, if anything I'll just fall into bed every evening and sleep like I've never slept before. Oh and it's a camping trip so no terribly comfy bed... I think I'm going to invest in one of those expensive self inflatinf airmattresses.
I would have liked to take a GPS to record this, alas my GPS willl run out of juice after the first day. Perhaps I can rig up some kind of charger so I can record the route... and especially the contour!!
I'm sure this won't be my last post about this, I'm getting quite excited.
Week 11 Exercise Log
Enjoyed this week a lot, the weather seems to be cooling off and I'm finding I have more energy. Also cycled on Sunday and Tuesday in preparation for the bike ride next month. I put the running interval up by 5 seconds which actually makes a surprising difference to the average pace that I end up running.
Monday 10 March 2008
Distance: 5.5km
Total time: 40:13
Intervals: 35/60
Pace: 7:29 min/km
Average HR:
Route: Spiral
Wednesday 5 March 2008
Distance: 5.1km
Total time: 38:00
Intervals: 35/60
Pace: 7:27 min/km
Average HR:
Route: Nicholson
Friday 29 February 2008
Distance: 5km
Total time: 40
Intervals: Didn't have a watch
Pace: 8 min/km
Average HR:
Route: Lynwood
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Training plans
As it seems to be going better again, I think I must think of how fast I want to be going and then keep it there if possible. The problem is that there are two aims that I have in mind, going a little faster and going a lot further. The question is how to do both?
While running yesterday I think I came up with a plan. At the moment I can comfortably complete 4, 5, 6 and at a push even 10km. Problem is that my ultimate goal, to complete the Two Oceans Half Marathon, means that I need to be able to run at a pace faster than 8.5km for the entire race. At the moment I'm quite close to that, so I think I need to speed up a bit. I would be more comfortable at a pace of about 7min/km. That should have me finishing in about 2hrs 15, with a lot of time left till the three hour cuttoff. Question is how to get there and maintian it for greater distances.
What I'm going to do is stick to my "style" of running, where I run and walk. At the moment my walking time is 1min and my running time is 30s. This allows an average pace of around 8min/km, which in itself will be fast enough to allow me to complete the race in time, but I don't want to cut it too fine. Then at a certain training distance, 5/6km at the moment I will keep the walking time the same and slowly increase my running time till I reach the 7min/km mark. Only once I can comfortably run that distance at 7min/km will I start training to go another km.
It's pretty simple, but it makes sense to me and should allow me to progress without hurting myself. I will try to keep doing a monthly 10km race aswell to keep track of my progress. Once I can run a 10km in under 70 minutes then I will start looking to run slightly longer distances. A great suggestion from one of the Run Walk For Life coaches was that in a race if you can find 2 km markers you can run from one back to the previous one, and then continue running, this immediately adds 2km to your race distance, which is a great way to start moving towards the final goal of 21.1km.
While running yesterday I think I came up with a plan. At the moment I can comfortably complete 4, 5, 6 and at a push even 10km. Problem is that my ultimate goal, to complete the Two Oceans Half Marathon, means that I need to be able to run at a pace faster than 8.5km for the entire race. At the moment I'm quite close to that, so I think I need to speed up a bit. I would be more comfortable at a pace of about 7min/km. That should have me finishing in about 2hrs 15, with a lot of time left till the three hour cuttoff. Question is how to get there and maintian it for greater distances.
What I'm going to do is stick to my "style" of running, where I run and walk. At the moment my walking time is 1min and my running time is 30s. This allows an average pace of around 8min/km, which in itself will be fast enough to allow me to complete the race in time, but I don't want to cut it too fine. Then at a certain training distance, 5/6km at the moment I will keep the walking time the same and slowly increase my running time till I reach the 7min/km mark. Only once I can comfortably run that distance at 7min/km will I start training to go another km.
It's pretty simple, but it makes sense to me and should allow me to progress without hurting myself. I will try to keep doing a monthly 10km race aswell to keep track of my progress. Once I can run a 10km in under 70 minutes then I will start looking to run slightly longer distances. A great suggestion from one of the Run Walk For Life coaches was that in a race if you can find 2 km markers you can run from one back to the previous one, and then continue running, this immediately adds 2km to your race distance, which is a great way to start moving towards the final goal of 21.1km.
Week 10 Exercise Log
Took things very easy this week, except for on Wednesday's time trial which I pushed just a little bit. I think last time I did a 10km I didn't give myself enough rest afterwards, so this week I only did 4kms every day. Although on Sunday I went for an hours ride and on Tuesday I went for another 45min ride, so I guess I had quite a busy week. Work is a little stressful at the moment, so it's probably good to be getting some more exercise. I am reminded that I find cycling a lot easier than running, but the risks of cycling seem to be greater, so I'd rather run for now...besides I have a goal to achieve.
Monday 3 March 2008
Distance: 4km
Total time: 30:28
Intervals: 30/60
Pace: 8:04 min/km
Average HR: 139
Route: Boys High
Wednesday 5 March 2008
Distance: 4km
Total time: 28:14
Intervals: 45/60
Pace: 7:12 min/km
Average HR: 146
Route: Time Trial Clockwise
Friday 29 February 2008
Distance: 4.02km
Total time: 31:59
Intervals: 30/60
Pace: 7:57 min/km
Average HR: 139
Route: Clarke
What's cool for me about this week is that I'm back below the 8min/km mark. I'll try and keep it there
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Deloitte Pretoria 10km race
I wasn't expecting much from this race as I really haven't been feeling strong lately. We decided to do it because we are attempting to do one 10km every month, this is the one for March... I missed February as I was sick and I will miss the April one as I will be away on the bike ride.
For those of you who know that my creative writing sucks scroll down tow paragraphs.
As for the race, as always I hated getting out of bed. It was so warm and comfortable... I pressed the snooze button and rolled over. My conscience pricked me and two minutes later I was out of bed, walking into walls and doors etc. This is where everything got forgotten. I took my meds, took a bight of an energy bar, drank some energade and realised I had no apples... I looked at a very miserable looking banana... when it smiled back, with a gooey grin, I threw it in the bin. I threw some rediculously short shorts on...the slightly less short shorts had been destroyed in a garage walkby... never mind. I was supposed to put my licence number on my shirt the night before but I rather went to bed. Ofcourse that meant I forgot the safety pins. I got fetched by an overly keen and chirpy lady from run walk for life two seconds later, meaning that I forgot my heart rate monitor and GPS.
Then instead of walking to the start, which was literally three hundred meters from my bed, we drove to a secure parking lot... I should have suspected something when the walk to the race start was DOWNHILL all the way, I was still asleep. We got our numbers and they had safety pins! YAY.
Ambled to the start, we were there for not more than five minutes when the gun went off and everyone surged ahead. I felt pretty good most of the way, because I had forgotten my watch I kept a count of how many paces we had run and walked. Depending on how I felt we ran for longer or shorter usually longer on the downhills and shorter on the uphills. All in all it was a good race, I didn't feel particularly tired and we finished in a not too terrible 1:19. Granted it's 2 minutes slower than the last race, but then I was quite sick three weeks ago!
Then came the comical ending, after collecting our goddie bags and taking full advantage of the run walk for life hospitality tent, we began the great trek back to the car. The temptation to rag Melinda about the UPHILL and the distance to her car was impossible to resist. When she couldn't get back to her car because the code on the gate had changed... well living this down will take a LONG time.
But it was all good fun, and whats more is that at the end of the 10km I didn't feel dead tire, I think I could have pushed on for another few km... maybe the 21 is doable afterall.
For those of you who know that my creative writing sucks scroll down tow paragraphs.
As for the race, as always I hated getting out of bed. It was so warm and comfortable... I pressed the snooze button and rolled over. My conscience pricked me and two minutes later I was out of bed, walking into walls and doors etc. This is where everything got forgotten. I took my meds, took a bight of an energy bar, drank some energade and realised I had no apples... I looked at a very miserable looking banana... when it smiled back, with a gooey grin, I threw it in the bin. I threw some rediculously short shorts on...the slightly less short shorts had been destroyed in a garage walkby... never mind. I was supposed to put my licence number on my shirt the night before but I rather went to bed. Ofcourse that meant I forgot the safety pins. I got fetched by an overly keen and chirpy lady from run walk for life two seconds later, meaning that I forgot my heart rate monitor and GPS.
Then instead of walking to the start, which was literally three hundred meters from my bed, we drove to a secure parking lot... I should have suspected something when the walk to the race start was DOWNHILL all the way, I was still asleep. We got our numbers and they had safety pins! YAY.
Ambled to the start, we were there for not more than five minutes when the gun went off and everyone surged ahead. I felt pretty good most of the way, because I had forgotten my watch I kept a count of how many paces we had run and walked. Depending on how I felt we ran for longer or shorter usually longer on the downhills and shorter on the uphills. All in all it was a good race, I didn't feel particularly tired and we finished in a not too terrible 1:19. Granted it's 2 minutes slower than the last race, but then I was quite sick three weeks ago!
Then came the comical ending, after collecting our goddie bags and taking full advantage of the run walk for life hospitality tent, we began the great trek back to the car. The temptation to rag Melinda about the UPHILL and the distance to her car was impossible to resist. When she couldn't get back to her car because the code on the gate had changed... well living this down will take a LONG time.
But it was all good fun, and whats more is that at the end of the 10km I didn't feel dead tire, I think I could have pushed on for another few km... maybe the 21 is doable afterall.
Week 9 Exercise Log
Felt a lot better this week, my lungs were clear and I didn't cough as much. I didn't go any faster but it felt easier, it also feels like it's been cooler the past few days, maybe that's why. I'm not sure if I posted about it yet, but I'm going to do the Great Mpumalanga Bike Ride next month. It is not a race, it's a tour of the countryside at a snails pace. Nevertheless, I feel I should at least get my butt used to sitting in a saddle again, so my alarm time has been changed to 5:30... I'm lucky if I can drag myself out of bed, and even when I do get out of bed and get dressed, it's very lucky if I don't go back to sleep for another "2 minutes". However on Wednesday I did manage to do 20 minutes on an exercise bike, and another 30 minutes on Thursday, and the plan is to do more on Sunday. Oh and I almost forgot this week I did the Deloitte Pretoria 10km Race
Monday 25 February 2008Distance: 6km
Total time: 55:00
Intervals: 30/60
Pace: 8:59
Average HR: 129
Route: Lynwood
Wednesday 27 February 2008
Distance: 5.2km
Total time: 42:12
Intervals: 30/60
Pace: 8:18 min/km
Average HR: 150
Route: Death on tar... I mean Premier
Friday 29 February 2008
Rained out
Saturday 1 March 2008
Distance: 10km
Total time: 1:19
Intervals: Don't know
Pace: just under 8min/km
Average HR: Don't know
Route: Deloitte 10km
Week 8 Exercise Log
Still trying to get over my cold. Got myself a venteze inhaler... ok so it wasn't prescribed but I have used one before, it just allows me to breathe easier and to clear my lungs.
Sunday 17 February 2008Distance: 5km
Total time: 54:00
Intervals: walked
Pace: 10:48
Average HR: 118
Route: Random
Monday 18 February 2008
Distance: 5km
Total time: 42
Intervals:
Pace: 8:24 min/km
Average HR: Don't know
Route: Clarke
Wednesday 20 February 2007
Distance: 4.8km
Total time: 39:00
Intervals: 30/60
Pace: 8:08 min/km
Average HR: 145
Route: Nicholson
Friday 15 February 2007
Rained out
Saturday, February 16, 2008
The Frustration is getting to me
I started run/walking again on 1 May 2007, which means that in 2.5 months I will have been "training" steadily for a full year, with the biggest break being Christmas and that was for three weeks.
It seems that since about September I have been getting steadily slower. There could be good reasons for this, like the heat and humidity, but it doesn't help my state of mind. I'm painfully aware that if I'd had a normal heart the chances are with the effort and commitment I've put in I would already be running half marathons! At the moment I don't even feel like I can walk a 10km... ok thats not entirely true, I'm still getting rid of the last symptoms of my flu, and if it weren't for that I'm sure walking the 10km would have been fine.
I wish there was a way to be more scientific about this, but all I can rely on is what my body tells me. When I've brought the running intervals back down to 20s and still I find myself getting lightheaded on easy inclines, I become a bit despondent. I have started to doubt whether this is actually doable. I believe that on the whole I have all the will power necessary, but there are physical bounds in which I must work. Can I really complete the 21 in under 3 hours?
Anyway, this is me having a low day. I'm busy hating a few people, who I blame for me being in this situation. It will pass.
It seems that since about September I have been getting steadily slower. There could be good reasons for this, like the heat and humidity, but it doesn't help my state of mind. I'm painfully aware that if I'd had a normal heart the chances are with the effort and commitment I've put in I would already be running half marathons! At the moment I don't even feel like I can walk a 10km... ok thats not entirely true, I'm still getting rid of the last symptoms of my flu, and if it weren't for that I'm sure walking the 10km would have been fine.
I wish there was a way to be more scientific about this, but all I can rely on is what my body tells me. When I've brought the running intervals back down to 20s and still I find myself getting lightheaded on easy inclines, I become a bit despondent. I have started to doubt whether this is actually doable. I believe that on the whole I have all the will power necessary, but there are physical bounds in which I must work. Can I really complete the 21 in under 3 hours?
Anyway, this is me having a low day. I'm busy hating a few people, who I blame for me being in this situation. It will pass.
Week 7 Exercise Log
We had wanted to do the 10km Irene night race on Wednesday but at the 11th hour I decided it was too soon after being sick and I wasn't feeling strong enough. Apparently it's very cool, I'll try to do it next year.
Monday 11 February 2008
Distance: 3.9km
Total time: 32:51
Intervals: 30/60
Pace: 8:30 min/km
Average HR: 8:30
Route: Premier
Wednesday 13 February 2007
Distance: 5km
Total time: 61:29
Intervals: Walked
Pace: 12:24 min/km
Average HR: 128
Route: Random Route
Friday 15 February 2007
Distance: 5km
Total time: 43:00
Intervals: 20/60
Pace: 8:41 min/km
Average HR: 139
Route: Boys High
Week 6 Exercise Log
Unfortunately this week started off on a sick note. I had a course of antibiotics and had some nasty bugs. So I took stuff easy
Wednesday 6 February 2007
Distance: 4km
Total time: 37:50
Intervals: Walked
Pace: 10:06 min/km
Average HR: 119
Route: Time Trial
Saturday 9 February 2007
Distance: 4.9km
Total time: 52:07
Route: Random Route
Skipped Friday because I had a function. Every time I get ill I seem to retain huge amounts of water or salt, or both. I know this is a little gross, but I can taste the salt when I cough. So I made a concerted effort this week to cut salt out of my diet completely, as I should do anyway, but it's easier said than done. Also this week I was just trying to recover from the flu.
Week 5 Exercise Log
Sunday 27 January 2008
Distance: 5.8km
Total time: 60:00
Intervals: N/A
Pace: 10:18 min/km
Average HR: 118
Route: N/A
Distance: 5.8km
Total time: 60:00
Intervals: N/A
Pace: 10:18 min/km
Average HR: 118
Route: N/A
Monday 28 January 2008
Distance: 4.65km
Total time: 42:22
Intervals: 40/120
Pace: 8:55 min/km
Average HR: 132
Route: Boys High
Wednesday 30 January 2007
Distance: 5.06km
Total time: 39:40
Intervals: 30/60
Pace: 7:51 min/km
Average HR: 142
Route: Clarke
Friday 1 February 2007
Distance: 5.5km
Total time: don't know
Route: Spiral
This week I tried shorter intervals on Wednesday, which seemed to be easier. Unfortunately by Friday I was nursing a sore throat and a rapidly developing chest infection. I probably shouldn't have done the Friday run.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Heart to Heart
An interesting article, by Mens Health about heart health including an interview with my old specialist. Heart to Heart
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Probably the pain killers
Refering to my last post "Palpatations...again?" according to SA Doc of All Scrubbed Up fame there are some references to the pain killer, Lentogesic, which I took on Friday night having some interactions with Atenelol. Most medications also have an effect on INR, which is controlled with Warfarin but I'm not really worried about those.
Her advice about the Lentogesic was "if you start getting palpetations, stop the lentogesic" which is exactly what I did anyway. So i think I'll delay the cardiologist visit till March when I am supposed to go anyway. Especially considering I walked 6km on Sunday, and run/walked 5 yesterday and felt fine...relatively speaking.
Her advice about the Lentogesic was "if you start getting palpetations, stop the lentogesic" which is exactly what I did anyway. So i think I'll delay the cardiologist visit till March when I am supposed to go anyway. Especially considering I walked 6km on Sunday, and run/walked 5 yesterday and felt fine...relatively speaking.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Palpitations...again?
Like I said in Week 4's exercise log, I slept very badly this past Friday(25th Jan) night. I told the people I was to run with that I couldn't come and went back to bed. My domestic arrived a few hours later, and I went about a normal Saturday morning. I was plagued by an intermittent headache, but put it down to dehydration. I went for lunch with some friends and when I got home I took down some laundry off the line and was standing in my kitchen when I suddenly felt VERY faint. It felt like when you suddenly get up out of bed and all the blood drains from your head. I sat down quickly and started to feel palpitations. It feels a bit like someone is shaking your body, but no-one is touching you. I broke out in a cold sweat, went to lie on my bed. It took 2-3mins to pass.
What's really worrying about this is that I don't remember having a bout like this since when I was rediagnosed. However there are a number a of explanations. I could put it down to being dehydrated, or to a reaction to the local anaesthetic that was administered for a minor surgical procedure. I was prescribed an antibiotic (Levofloxacin) and a pain killer (Lentogesic). I specifically told the pharmacist that I had a heart condition and asked if these drugs were appropriate. She seemed to think so. I will find out if they have any side effects.
However, for those of you who may be concerned, I don't think you should be too alarmed. I went for a 6km walk this afternoon and felt fine, but I think to be on the safe side I will also make an appointment to see the cardiologist as soon as possible.
Week 4 2008 Exercise Log
Monday 21 January 2008
Distance: 5.2km
Total time: 41:18
Intervals: 50/120
Pace: 7:56 min/km
Average HR: 145
Route: Lynwood
I had a love hate relationship with this run, when we started it was drizzling lightly and I was feeling pretty good, the first half of the route is downhill. We even stopped to try help a stranded motorist... damn automatics! And he was a tit for running out of fuel...we left him there. Anyway by the half way mark we were soaked as the rain had increased, and I was loving it, but on the way back I really struggled! But now that I look at the pace I realise that perhaps I was going too fast too soon. Considering the pace from last week. But running in the rain was great, it wasn't cold, it was just right.
Wednesday 23 January 2007
Distance: 3.5km
Total time: 30:58
Intervals: 50/120
Pace: 8:28 min/km
Average HR: 154
Route: Time trial route
It was raining again, but we were there, so we went for a run, it stayed away for the half hour we were on the road, and poured down when we left. Looking at my average heart rate, I think I need to slow down again.I think anything up to about 145 is fine, but anything above that isn't good. And I can remember not feeling very strong for this run. There are many possible explanations including what I ate for lunch that week.
Friday 25 January 2007
I went for a minor medical procedure, the cause of which doesn't form part of this blog, I wasn't feeling well enough after the local anaesthetic to run.
I said in the last log that I would do the 10km George Claasen run, but I slept terribly on Friday night and decided it wasn't a good idea to do the run.
Week 3 2008 Exercise log
Melodie (my regular running partner) and I decided this week that we would run a 10km every month from now on, well I say run, but what I mean is complete. We didn't consult Melinda (my other regular running partner) in this decision, she is simply expected to comply :P. Just to get used to doing the longer distances and being on the road for more than an hour. We decided to run the George Claasen 10km, which starts at Menlyn Shopping center, does a loop through the eastern suburbs of Pretoria and ends again at Menlyn.
Monday 14 January 2008
Distance: 5km
Total time: 41:41
Intervals: 45/105
Pace: 8:16 min/km
Average HR: 139
Route: Clarke
Wednesday 16 January 2007
Distance: 4.3km
Total time: 35:45
Intervals: 45/120
Pace: 8:15 min/km
Average HR: 139
Route: Can't remember
Friday 18 January 2007
Rained out
I handed out water at the Old Mutual marathon on Saturday 19th, it was insane to see how the front runners some by at pace. They are keeping a pace which I would struggle to keep at a sprint and they continue, for 21 or 42km!! It's crazy! They come past you and grab water sachets out of your hand with a slap. But the people I really envied are the mediocre people who could run, slowly, for the whole race. That's who I want to be, but I somehow don't think I'll ever get there. I do think I will finish a 21 one day, before the cutoff, but running an entire 21? I have serious doubts.
Week 2 2008 Exercise Log
Well I got back on the band wagon as soon as possible and it hurt. I last ran on the 17th of December, so it was almost three weeks of laziness hence I'm not really surprised! I did do a smattering of exercise, but it was mountain biking and mostly downhill... the really fun bit. Anyway back to business.
Monday 7 January 2008
Distance: 5.2km
Total time: 49:00
Intervals: 45/120
Pace: 9:25 min/km
Average HR: no idea
Route: Premier
Wednesday 9 January 2007
Distance: 4km
Total time: 33:24
Intervals: 45/120
Pace: 8:23 min/km
Average HR: 141
Route: Mackenzie
Friday 11 January 2007
Distance: 5km
Total time: 41:36
Intervals: 45/105
Pace: 8:40 min/km
Average HR: 145
Route: Boys High
First week back, this was a tough week, and I think I perhaps pushed it too hard, then again, at the moment everything feels like I'm pushing too hard at the moment.
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