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)
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
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 :)
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