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September 8, 2010

fitness: c25k wk7r1

Posted by dogpossum on September 8, 2010 6:25 PM | Comments (0)

feeling:good, calories: 454 distance: 4.6 km, duration: 00:35, pace: 07:36, effort: 4/5, sunny
Surprised I made it through the whole thing without stopping to walk. But also pleased that I made it as far as I did last time, but without the extra 10minutes walking.

"fitness: c25k wk7r1" was posted in the category fitness and running and walking and c25k

September 5, 2010

fitness: c25k wk6r3

Posted by dogpossum on September 5, 2010 6:24 PM | Comments (0)

distance: 4.8 km duration: 00:40 pace: 08:20 feeling: good, effort: 4/5, calories: 519

10 minutes extra walking because it was a glorious day.
Did the wk6 r3 run, but halved the walking time in the middle because I should have been doing wk7r1.
Felt fine, but utterly exhausted afterwards, just like after dancing and walking on the weekend.
Weak girl is weak.
2 days ago
Weather

"fitness: c25k wk6r3" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running and walking

September 3, 2010

fitness: c25k w6r2

Posted by dogpossum on September 3, 2010 10:52 PM | Comments (0)

distance: 4.6km, duration: 0:30, pace: 06:31, calories: 389, feeling: good, effort:3/5

CanNOT figure out how to map my run. :(
Had a shocking headache but decided to go for a run to see if the exercise would shake it loose. And it did. Yay. Mid-way realised I'd stuffed up with the ipod (again), so just ran to where I usually turn around, and then walked the middle walk block from there.
Realised I was late for Dr's appt afterwards, so just walked on to Summer Hill straight away.
Feeling good: cold has pretty much gone and knee/foot/etc are all ace. Running: I <3 you.
about 5 hours ago
Weather

"fitness: c25k w6r2" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running and walking

August 24, 2010

fitness: c25k w6r1

Posted by dogpossum on August 24, 2010 1:55 PM | Comments (0)

distance: 4.45km, time: 0:30, pace: 06:44, calories: 389, feeling: great, effort: 4/5

Better time, better distance. But dealing with a nasty knot of cramp in my left calf which started on Sunday during dance work. Will rest and stretch, rest and stretch.
Got puffed, got snotty (it's spring!), but think I've finally ditched that annoying slumpy bug that was bringing me down. All-strong, all the time from now on.

"fitness: c25k w6r1" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running and walking

August 18, 2010

fitness: c25k w5r3

Posted by dogpossum on August 18, 2010 5:03 PM | Comments (0)

distance: 3.99km, duration: 0:30, pace: 07:31, calories: 389, feeling: good: effort: 3/5

Had some minor knee aches yesterday and thought perhaps I shouldn't do the 20min running block of wk5r3 today, but I couldn't help myself. Will see if I pay for this. Think knee pain is related to failure to do knee exercises on weekend. Bad, bad elite athlete.
Found the longer block fine, though I worked a bit harder than I thought I would. Overall, I'm fitter than I was the first time I did this, but I have lost a lot of fitness since I finished c25k the first time

"fitness: c25k w5r3" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running and walking

August 16, 2010

fitness: c25k w5r2

Posted by dogpossum on August 16, 2010 5:01 PM | Comments (0)

distance: 3.99km, duration: 0:30, pace: 07:31, calories: 389

I am STILL running the same distance as during week 4.
The two long blocks were surprisingly unhard. I thought it was another ipod mistake, and took it as a challenge. It was nice to actually think 'oo, this will be harder' and then to push myself a bit. But I didn't actually run very fast or very far, so I guess it wasn't that big a deal.
But I'm looking forward to the rest of the week5 runs.

"fitness: c25k w5r2" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running and walking

August 13, 2010

fitness: c25k w5r1

Posted by dogpossum on August 13, 2010 10:37 PM | Comments (0)

duration: 00:30, pace: 07:31, calories: 389, effort:3/5, feeling: good, distance: 3.99km

Nice. Week 5 reminds me that this is actually running, not a doodleoodle walk. It wasn't as hard the first time, but my body made it clear that it's not really as fit as it was.
I've been off the antihistamines for a couple of days and I reckon it's making me feel less lethargic. Or at least the placebo is thoroughly on-track. :D

"fitness: c25k w5r1" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running and walking

August 11, 2010

fitness: c25k w4r3

Posted by dogpossum on August 11, 2010 8:59 PM | Comments (0)

km tracked: 3.99, pace: 07:31, duration: 0:30, calories: 389, feeling: alright

Tired tired tired. I've had enough of this low-energy tiredness. But it didn't really affect my running that much, just made me feel tiiiiired.
I did run 3 of c25k wk4 again because I've had a week off for Canberrang.

"fitness: c25k w4r3" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running and walking

August 5, 2010

fitness: c25k w4r3

Posted by dogpossum on August 5, 2010 2:12 AM | Comments (0)

feeling: good, distance: 3.99 km, duration: 00:30, pace: 07:31, calories: 389

Nice. I'm kind of ready to get back to proper running in my brainz, but I will resist and keep taking it easy so my knee doesn't explode.
less than a minute ago
Weather

"fitness: c25k w4r3" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running and walking

August 2, 2010

fitness: c25k w4r2

Posted by dogpossum on August 2, 2010 8:32 PM | Comments (0)

km tracked: 3.9, duration: 0:30, pace: 7:41, feeling: good, effort: 3/5, calories: 389

A bit stiff and sore in the hammies after yesterday's bending and scrubbing work.
2 minutes ago
Weather

"fitness: c25k w4r2" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running and walking

July 31, 2010

fitness: c25k w4r1

Posted by dogpossum on July 31, 2010 9:37 PM | Comments (0)

km tracked: 3.72; duration: 0:30; pace: 08:03; feeling: great; calories: 389; effort: 3/5; humid, overcast, sunny, warmer

HUMID! And much warmer than usual.
The slightly longer run sections were nice - came home feeling just a little bit more adrenaline charged. I'm going to have to watch I don't overdo it and bust up my knee again.

"fitness: c25k w4r1" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running and walking

July 30, 2010

fitness: c25k w3r3. again.

Posted by dogpossum on July 30, 2010 3:37 AM | Comments (0)

km tracked: 3.39; pace: 8:50; calories: 389; feeling: great

Wk3 run3 _again_. I'm pretty sure I've done this about a million times. But then, I'm not really supposed to be running properly on the bung knee yet.
I'm looking forward to proper running, but I'm also enjoying the dawdley pace.

"fitness: c25k w3r3. again." was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running and walking

July 26, 2010

fitness: c25k w3r3

Posted by dogpossum on July 26, 2010 4:27 AM | Comments (0)

km tracked: 3.39, duration: 00:30, pace: 08:50, calories: 389, feeling: good

Nice. Knee held up fine, especially after a good rub-down yesterday.
...though now I wonder if I was supposed to be doing run 1 of wk4 instead of wk3r3... ? Whatevs. Slow and steady is _definitely_ my mantra (although 'gaining without pain' might be good).
...looks like I've gotten all confused with the weeks and done run3 of week 3 twice, but not done run 1 or 2 of that week. I'll try to remember to do the same run again on Wednesday (ie a third run from week3, as they're all the same. I think). Doh.

"fitness: c25k w3r3" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running and walking

July 23, 2010

fitness: c25k wk3r3

Posted by dogpossum on July 23, 2010 4:24 AM | Comments (0)

km tracked: 3.39km, duration: 00:30, pace: 08:50, calories: 389

Feeling pretty good, except I've just had no energy and been a bit puffy post-run. Not in a 'I've run really fast way' but in a 'I can't get any air' way. I figure it's just a cold or bug I've been battling.
Either way, the running itself is going fine, but I can't seem to go as far as I usually do...

"fitness: c25k wk3r3" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running and walking

July 21, 2010

fitness: c25k w3r1

Posted by dogpossum on July 21, 2010 2:45 AM | Comments (0)

distance: 3.23 km duration: 00:30, pace: 09:18, calories: 389

How could I get a shorter distance when I'm actually running _more_?
Whatevs. Running is nice. We are still pain-free and it is great. I'm gonna continue with the c25k to steadily build me up to previous levels of orsm and avoid injury. It'd be frustrating, if it weren't for the fact that both my podiatrist and I are amazed that (with dodgy foot) I'm actually _walking_ without pain, let alone running. I am made of strongs, I think. :D

"fitness: c25k w3r1" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running and walking

July 19, 2010

fitness: c25k w2r3

Posted by dogpossum on July 19, 2010 2:47 AM | Comments (0)

km tracked: 3.23, duration: 00:30, pace: 9:18, calories: 389

Nice.

"fitness: c25k w2r3" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running and walking

July 12, 2010

fitness: c25k w1r1

Posted by dogpossum on July 12, 2010 2:52 AM | Comments (0)

duration: 00:30, distance: 3.69km, pace: 8.07, feeling: good, calories: 389

Doing the first run of c25k with a friend who's starting and wanted company. Not sure I'm any good at running with other people - I don't like the way it distracts me from my own rhythm. Even though the company was nice.
Knees are *knock on wood* feeling GREAT. But I've had about enough of this snot - it's making me tiiiiiired.

"fitness: c25k w1r1" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running and walking

July 9, 2010

fitness: c25k w2r2

Posted by dogpossum on July 9, 2010 10:21 PM | Comments (0)

duration: 00:30, kilometres tracked: 3.19km, calories: 389, feeling: good, pace: 7:38

Feeling fatigued from constant allergy issues... wonder if I actually have a cold? Either way: boo to lack of energy.
But it's still very nice to be out and running/walking about regularly again. Still no knee pain, so feeling pretty optimistic about returning to proper running. Might continue with c25k til end, though, as I like the structure.

"fitness: c25k w2r2" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running and walking

July 5, 2010

fitness: c25k w1r3

Posted by dogpossum on July 5, 2010 11:20 PM | Comments (0)

km tracked: 3.52, duration: 00:30, pace: 08:31, calories: 389, effort: 3/5, feeling: great

chilly and rainy, but: new tracksuit pants! Had to fang it to catch the lights and nearly kicked my own arse. No aches in the bodgy foot, no knee pain, nothing but persistent allergy snot (which is NOTHING!).

"fitness: c25k w1r3" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running

July 2, 2010

fitness: c25k w1r2

Posted by dogpossum on July 2, 2010 1:51 AM | Comments (0)

km tracked: 3.63, duration: 00:30, feeling: great, effort: 2/5, calories: 389, pace: 08:15

Still doing the first week of c25k because it didn't give me any pain the other day. Had shocking allergies last night, so a nice walk/run in the sun helped get rid of the snot, but kind of made me tired. Not sure whether to keep going with the supergentle program or to risk it with something more.... Might keep it mellow for a month, til the podiatrist-enforced unloading period is done.

"fitness: c25k w1r2" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running and walking

June 29, 2010

fitness: c25k w1r1

Posted by dogpossum on June 29, 2010 9:16 PM | Comments (0)

km tracked: 3.51, duration: 00:30, pace: 08:32, calories: 389, effort: 1/5, feeling: great

Did the first c25k run this morning because I _really_ wanted to get out and do some running but couldn't trust myself not to overdo it. It was frustrating to have to stop running during the intervals, but the gentler program was a very good idea.
Now have about sixty million exercises and stretches to do post-running, so that takes me _longer_ than the actual runs.
It was very nice to get out again, and my knees feel ok atm. We'll see how they feel tomorrow, though.
I think I'll keep going with c25k from the beginning 3 days a week, but alternate it with some cycling and yoga to get a proper amount of exercise. If my joints can hack it. Will take it easy for now, though, until the podiatrist's exercises get me full of strongs.

"fitness: c25k w1r1" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running and walking

April 19, 2010

E210k: wk4, run1

Posted by dogpossum on April 19, 2010 9:55 PM | Comments (2)

distance: 6.16 km, time: 00:45, pace: 07:18, calories: 584, effort: 4/5, feeling: ok

I've decided to stop pushing my bad foot with the Bridge to 10k program as it was leaving me really really sore. So I started at week 4 of the Ease into 10k, which is essentially starting 2 weeks before the B210k begins. So I did 4 x 8 min runs + 3x1min rests and 10 min warm up and down. This is heaps gentler than the 3 x 15min blocks I was doing.
I'm still very tight in the calves (a side effect of bad foot) and had to use my 1min intervals to streeeeeetch. New shoes are wonderful but a little snug across the toes, so I also had to stop to adjust them during the 1min intervals.
But, overall, it was a nice run. And I made better time over this distance than I have done during the C25k. I think. :D

humid, sunny

Edit: My knees hurt a _lot_, so I think I'm going to have to take a serious break from running for a while to get over the impact of the longer B210k runs. I wish I'd followed my initial instinct and gone with the easier runs at first. Oh well. But the pain is quite debilitating - I've got very sore knees, and I've had trouble with pains in my shins (like shin splints, but actually almost certainly related to my bung foot) and begun to get some ache in my sore foot.
So it's time to ease off. This is quite demoralising. I'm addicted to running, mostly for the way it improves me mood, and makes it easier to manage stress and anxiety. I am going to need to find some sort of exercise substitute so I can keep my fitness and mood up. Cycling, unfortunately, is terrible for my sore knees. Dancing isn't much good either.

"E210k: wk4, run1" was posted in the category B210k and E210k and bikes and c25k and fitness and running

fitness: social dancing

Posted by dogpossum on April 19, 2010 9:54 PM | Comments (0)

time: 02:30, feeling: good, effort: 4/5

Fast tempos, lots of solo and lindy hop, lots of sweating and super fun. I LOVE having better fitness and control from running.
But it left me quite sore the next day - the B210K runs are really taking their toll on my joints. I think I'll ease it off next week.

hot

"fitness: social dancing" was posted in the category B210k and c25k and fitness and lindy hop and other dances

April 15, 2010

B210k: wk2, run2

Posted by dogpossum on April 15, 2010 9:52 PM | Comments (0)

distance: 7.86 km, time: 00:57, pace: 07:15, calories: 740, effort: 5/5

Slow runner is sloooooow.

sunny

"B210k: wk2, run2" was posted in the category B210k and c25k and fitness and running

April 12, 2010

B210K: wk2, run1

Posted by dogpossum on April 12, 2010 9:51 PM | Comments (0)

distance: 7.28 km, time: 00:57, pace: 07:50, calories: 740, effort: 5/5

Tired, now. It was a long run and I was puffing like crazy at the end.
Some arsehole in a 4wd yelled out his window at me for about a minute because I ran past him on a zebra crossing. This is the first time this has happened to me running rather than cycling.
I didn't yell back, mostly because I was 2mins from home and puffed, but I kept thinking 'wish he'd check his speedo for me - I bet I'm pwning this'.
Why do these sorts of arseholes think the worst insult they can yell at a woman is 'fat cow'? Particularly when they're _stitting_ in a car?
Motorists are fuckwits. I, however, am a running ninja. 7km _and_ I pwned the patriarchy. All in one run.

"B210K: wk2, run1" was posted in the category B210k and c25k and fitness and running

April 2, 2010

B210k: wk1, run3

Posted by dogpossum on April 2, 2010 9:47 PM | Comments (0)

distance: 6.53 km, time: 00:53 08:06, calories: 688, effort: 5/5

The running is still hard, but not as hard as Wednesday. Had seriously tight calves/hamms though, so I had to spend my first two 1min walking intervals stretching. Dunno if I'll be able to hack the jump to week 2's longer intervals. We'll see.
The stupid B210k app is SCREWED and restarted my third run again. So I ended up running further than planned (by about 5minutes) in that section again.

"B210k: wk1, run3" was posted in the category B210k and c25k and fitness and running

c25k: wk9, run3

Posted by dogpossum on April 2, 2010 9:42 PM | Comments (0)

distance: 4.51 km, time: 00:40, pace: 08:52, calories: 519, effort: 4/5

The streets were really empty and it was strange running without an audience.
I feel really good, and I even managed to pick up my speed a bit in the last few minutes to get back to my starting place. Now I need to work on getting my time down - I do just under 1k walking to cool up and down, so I really need to get my running speed up to get to 5k in 30minutes.

cloudy

"c25k: wk9, run3" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running

March 31, 2010

c25k: wk9, run2

Posted by dogpossum on March 31, 2010 9:39 PM | Comments (0)

distance: 5.14 km, time: 00:40, pace: 07:46, calories: 519, effort: 4/5

Got to the end of the running part and literally groaned in disappointment. This is getting easier (and funner).

cloudy, overcast

"c25k: wk9, run2" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running

March 29, 2010

c25k: wk9, run1

Posted by dogpossum on March 29, 2010 9:38 PM | Comments (0)

distance: 5.09 km, time: 00:40, pace: 07:51, calories: 519, effort: 5/5

I had difficulty finding my rhythm in the first ten minutes or so, but it was fine after that. It was a bit challenging, but not as hard as wk8run3 was. I feel pretty good now.

hot, humid, overcast

"c25k: wk9, run1" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running

March 26, 2010

c25k: wk8, run3

Posted by dogpossum on March 26, 2010 8:49 PM | Comments (0)

distance: 5.29 km, time: 00:38, pace: 07:10, calories: 493, effort: 5/5

Much better today! I've broken the 5k mark, which is very exciting (time for a new goal, I think). The flatter route made all the difference. Imagine what it would be like running a route that was actually flat!

sunny

"c25k: wk8, run3" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running

March 24, 2010

c25k: wk8, run3

Posted by dogpossum on March 24, 2010 8:47 PM | Comments (0)

distance: 4.4 km, time: 00:38, pace: 08:38, calories: 493, effort: 5/5, feeling: not too good

Had to walk at about the 20min mark, then ran then had to walk, then ran, then finally just had to walk home. Woke up feeling tiiiired in my body and found the (quite hilly) new route really hard. Feel so rough after the run I suspect some sort of cold in my future. :(
But at least I got in 20mins of running and went the whole distance - I couldn't have done that 3 weeks ago. I'll repeat run2 of week8 next, then have another go at run3.

cloudy, hot

"c25k: wk8, run3" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running

March 22, 2010

c25k, wk8, run2

Posted by dogpossum on March 22, 2010 8:46 PM | Comments (0)

distance: 4.88 km, time: 00:38, pace: 07:47, calories: 493, effort: 5/5

Cool weather, but very cloudy and with some sprinkly rain. Not enough birds. Running was about the same level as hardness, though the transition to the hillier route has required more effort in parts. Very tired afterwards, probably because I didn't go to bed early enough. :D

cloudy, humid, overcast

"c25k, wk8, run2" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running

March 20, 2010

reports

Posted by dogpossum on March 20, 2010 4:49 PM | Comments (3)

Running report: I can run for 28 minutes without stopping. I'm at run 3 of week 8 of the c25k. I am badass. I am considering some sort of fun run situation.

DJing report: went to BBS and DJed. DJing for blues dancers is a bit boring. Blues dancing events are a bit boring. Having said that, I had a very good time. For my money (and it was), BBS offers the most interesting bands and venues at any Australian dance event. G$ has some great photos here. That's one of his there with this post.
My DJing was ok, and I think I did a pretty good job on the... Sunday night I think it was. On the whole I didn't hear a whole lot of really inspiring DJing over the weekend. Most of the sets seem to lack coherency or flow. And they tended to be really low energy. The low energy is a real suck at an entire weekend of blues - you really need to keep the energy up there so people dance. One exception was Chris Haarm, who did some really nice work warming the room on the Friday night. I think his set was my favourite.
The bands, though, ROCKED. And that's how it should be.
I don't think I'll bother with another blues weekend. I ended up going for a run on the Sunday because I didn't feel like I'd had enough exercise. And that's just wrong for an exchange.

Learnz report: I am working my way through this pgrad diploma. It's really hard not directing your own learnz. I don't like waiting for someone else to decide when I'm ready for the next bit of learn. I also much prefer following my own interests rather than having to follow someone else's curriculum. Remind me to talk a bit about this more later on.

Intertubes report: I have neglected this blog for twitter. And my learnz.

That's it.

"reports" was posted in the category academia and c25k and djing and lindy hop and other dances and melbourne and music

March 19, 2010

c25k: wk8, run1

Posted by dogpossum on March 19, 2010 8:43 PM | Comments (0)

distnace: 4.71 km, time: 00:35, pace: 07:26, calories: 454, effort: 5/5

I feel really good. It was still hard in the last 5 minutes, but not as hard as I thought it'd be, especially as I went a slightly more hilly route.

sunny

"c25k: wk8, run1" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running

c25k: wk8, run1

Posted by dogpossum on March 19, 2010 8:41 PM | Comments (0)

distnace: 4.71 km, time: 00:35, pace: 07:26, effort: 5/5, calories: 454

I feel really good. It was still hard in the last 5 minutes, but not as hard as I thought it'd be, especially as I went a slightly more hilly route.

sunny

"c25k: wk8, run1" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running

March 17, 2010

c25k: wk7, run3

Posted by dogpossum on March 17, 2010 8:39 PM | Comments (0)

distance: 4.55 km, time: 00:35, pace: 07:41, calories: 454, effort: 4/5

This is getting easier. In that I can actually get through the running without praying for the cooldown in the last 3 minutes. But today it actually left me feeling good, and the endorphines are finally beginning to kick in.

sunny

"c25k: wk7, run3" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running

March 15, 2010

c25k: wk7, run2

Posted by dogpossum on March 15, 2010 8:38 PM | Comments (0)

distance: 4.11 km, time: 00:35, pace: 08:30, calories: 454, effort: 5/5

Achey right knee, probably part of my bung foot adjusting to the longer runs. Last five minutes were _hard_, but I didn't stop running. The nice, cooler weather is good.

cloudy

"c25k: wk7, run2" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running

March 12, 2010

c25k: wk7, run1

Posted by dogpossum on March 12, 2010 8:36 PM | Comments (0)

distance: 4 km, time: 00:35, pace: 08:44, calories: 454, effort: 4/5

Another 25 minutes without stopping. But it was a challenge. These longer runs are _tiring_. But I did it all without stopping. Very very slooooowly.

sunny

"c25k: wk7, run1" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and lindy hop and other dances

March 10, 2010

c25k: wk6, run3

Posted by dogpossum on March 10, 2010 8:33 PM | Comments (0)

distance: 4.12 km, time: 00:35, pace: 08:30, calories: 454, effort: 5/5

25mins without stopping was hard. Hills are really hard - this was much easier on the flat. I had to pause for 2secs to fix my shoelace once (too tight and hurting my foot). But I got all the way through. I'd repeat this run if wk7 run1 wasn't the same thing.
But I'm feeling pretty good. Tired, but good.

cloudy, humid

"c25k: wk6, run3" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running

March 7, 2010

c25k: wk6, run2

Posted by dogpossum on March 7, 2010 8:29 PM | Comments (0)

distance: 4.45 km, time: 00:30, pace: 06:44, effort: 4/5

Running after lunch: hot and fullstomachyuck.
Running on little sleep and much dancing: challenging.
Running on the super-flat with less humidity: super easy - felt like cheating.
No cockatoos, but many crows.

hot, sunny

"c25k: wk6, run2" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running

March 5, 2010

c25k: wk6, run1

Posted by dogpossum on March 5, 2010 8:23 PM | Comments (0)

distance: 4.84 km, time: 00:30, pace: 06:11, effort: 3/5, calories: 389

It's hotter in Melbourne than Sydney, and I felt a bit rough after a late night and dancing. But I did it all. It's much easier running in a flat town - hence my longer distance I guess. No cockatoos, though.

humid, overcast

"c25k: wk6, run1" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running

March 3, 2010

c25k: wk5, run3

Posted by dogpossum on March 3, 2010 8:18 PM | Comments (0)

distance: 3.71 km, time: 00:30, pace: 08:05, calories: 389, effort: 4/5

20minutes running without stopping!
Really felt the impact in my knees without the resting walks, and also the limited range of movement in my right ankle. Tired, but triumphant.

sunny,

"c25k: wk5, run3" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running

mid-week report

Posted by dogpossum on March 3, 2010 10:05 AM | Comments (1)

This is just going to be an account of things I've done lately, as I'm trying to get my brain in gear for doing readings and some writing.

Today I did the third run of week five of c25k. That was 5 minutes walking, 20 minutes running, 5 minutes walking. I ran for twenty whole minutes without having to stop. I haven't been able to do that since I was in an athletics squad at thirteen. It's pretty bloody amazing. And it wasn't as hard as I thought. My knees did get a bit sore from the impact, and I really felt the limited range of movement in my right ankle, but otherwise it was ok. I'm pretty tired now, and I don't have that massive, crazy adrenaline-charged energy I usually have on days I run, but I don't feel terrible at all. In fact, I am tough.

Tomorrow I'm off to Melbourne for Blues Before Sunrise, a blues dancing exchange. I'm not doing workshops. I never do any more - I'd much rather spend the daylight hours being a tourist and socialising. I'm not interested in any of the teachers either, which is usually the deciding factor. I'd really like it if Damon Stone came back so I could do some historically informed blues dancing classes.
I'm doing some DJing there (as I mentioned earlier), and I'm interested in seeing how Melbourne's social dancing is going these days. I'll probably play the sort of set I do at Roxbury these days, as Melbourne used to have slightly higher tempos than the Sydney SP gigs, but I'll also keep an eye on the lower tempo range as it's an after-class gig.

I'm also looking forward to buying a good sports bra. I've lost a bit of weight since I started running and this has meant that most of my clothes no longer fit the same way. Most of my wardrobe is cope-with-able, but I'm finding that I really need to get a smaller bra. I've got three super awesome Berlei ones that are actually still in good shape, even though they're about two or three years old. Apparently the elastic goes in bras after a few zillion washes, so you should replace them. But I like these and they were fricking expensive ($70 each). They're not, though, really fitting properly, and I'm getting some bad bounce which actually gives me a bit of a stitch. Egads. So I'm going to go in and get fitted at Myer and then have a look at the outlet store in Brunswick to see if they have what I'm after. I really do have to buy at least one good one for running in.

The semester has started and I've been to two of my three classes. There's an option of getting credit for one subject because of my previous study, but I'm not sure I'll take it. I should, because it'll save me heaps of money and make the workload easier, but I'm actually interested in the content. It's really just basic semiotics and critical thinking, but it's applied to information systems and data management, which is interesting. I really could just do the readings and guide myself through the content on my own (seeing as how I've spent a couple of higher degrees learning just how to do that), but I think the discussions in class could be interesting. At any rate, I have until week four to make up my mind and then withdraw without academic penalty. I should withdraw - it'll save me 1.5 thousand dollars.
Classes have been interesting. The one I'm thinking of dropping was a little frustrating. It really was like being in a first year semiotics/intro to cultural studies subject, but in a very light weight way. It felt as though the discussion was going really. really. really. slowly. Partly because the group doesn't have the sort of discussion skills you get from an arts degree, but also because the tutor/lecturer is kind of adversarial, and this shut down the contributions. It's also because it seems as though information management people are only just discovering concepts like cultural diversity, active readership, meaning as a product of reader + text not inherent in text, etc etc.
The literature is equally slow - it's very tentative about its claims about audiences and users and the status of texts, which is very ANNOYING. These things are so standardly basic in cultural studies, it feels as though we are reinventing the wheel, but without actually using any round shapes. It's a bit interesting because it also makes clear the fact that info management really does rely on the idea that texts do have innate or essential value and meaning. If they didn't, you wouldn't collect and catalogue them and libraries wouldn't exist. The very nature of cataloguing is that texts and items carry meaning within them.
I think this is why the field is having such difficulty accommodating the idea of users as a diverse bunch with different needs and interests. If your text is the important bit, you really have to assume that readers have a shared value system and shared approaches to text. I'd like to see how the literature ultimately deals with this stuff, but right now articles published in the 1990s are all 'you know what - anything can be information! Even a building!' and I'm all 'oh fuck, didn't we talk about this thirty years ago?' So it's very frustrating, but also reveals a whole lot about the way museums and libraries and things work.
It's super frustrating because I'm used to teaching these things to undergrads, and I'm not particularly enjoying the way the tutor in our classes is handling discussion. This stuff really requires a lot of talk and testing from students; they really have to actually do the whole 'meaning is made not innate to texts' thing in class through their own discussions and exploration of readings. But this can't happen if your (white, male, hetero, alpha-male...) tutor can't let the discussion move away from him-as-focus. It's really emphasising the way patriarchy relies on masculinist ways of communicating and engaging in public talk and the negotiation of ideas to maintain the status quo. And while this tutor is all about 'multiple approaches to texts' and so on, he can't see that his own discursive style is enforcing boring old hierarchies and status and modes of engagement that marginalise women and not-patriarchy-types. This is way poop when your group is 90% middle aged women with badass careers behind them. I mean, you've gotta be doing something wrong if you manage to reduce a loud, enthusiastic, cooperative group of mature aged women students to silence. Self-reflexivity, please.

But I am really really really enjoying being back in a class again, as a student not a teacher. I did have to fight my instinct to manage the discussion in the first tutorial (especially when I could see the tutor squashing the discussion). It is hard to change the way I work in such a familiar setting. Tutorials are so clearly hierarchical. The tutor really is the alpha, or at least the guiding, structuring entity. And while I don't mind being in the beta position (yahoo! no lesson planning!), I'm finding it hard not to act on my instincts to lubricate discussion. I think in part it's because I'm also used to being in academic discussions where everyone knows how to talk - you know how to keep things rolling along.
I also think it's a part of being a woman in talk - women tend to do more affirming, active listening and general social lubrication. I've noticed that women tend to respond to alphas in a particular way - affirming, listening, agreeing rather than volunteering ideas, disagreeing or asserting themselves. In a group setting, when faced with an alpha, I tend to square up, to assert myself. And I'm trying not to do that in this class because it then encourages a sort of competition between me and other alphas, but it also provokes a particular response from the women in the group - agreeing, nodding, etc. And while that's all very nice, it also shuts you off from the sort of serious, hardcore communicating women do in all-female groups. Sure, there are particular hierarchies and power dynamics at work there, but they're not such blunt objects. So I need to chill and step back because a) I'm not responsible for the smooth and productive running of the tute, and b) these are my peers, not my students and I'll gain a lot from remembering that.
Basically, this has reminded me of how challenging being a university student is, and of how academia is - despite all this talk about discourse and collegiality - absolutely all about competitive, masculinised interaction. While it was professionally a good idea to learn how to do this type of behaviour when I was teaching, it's actually a fairly shitty way to be in a cooperative, collaborative class setting. So I'm trying to - once again - stop talking and to listen more. To not be the first one to answer questions, and to not 'take control' of the discussion or social setting, even by doing things like massaging conversation or discussion, or heading off at the pass disruptive influences.
It's also a real change to be a student within the university. I'm used to the status and privilege of teaching and researching. But as a student, no one will provide my reader, no one will tell me where to be at any one time, no one will organise rooms for me. Staff deal with me in a different way (I'm definitely lower status). It's super-nice to have other students treat me as peers, though. It's strange because though I've always tried not to be a 'we are gods' type academic, I've still benefited from the higher status of being staff. But I just haven't noticed it. So that shift in status is kind of destabilising.
I noticed it most yesterday when I couldn't find my lecture room. When you're doing the teaching, everyone has to wait for you to find the room. But when you're a student, things just continue whether you're there or not. I found this a bit daunting because it was the first class of the semester for a new subject. So coming in late, I found it tricky to catch up.
This class was discussing stuff I really know nothing about - the internal architecture of information systems like google or databases or search engines. It's taught by a computer science dood (who's really a very good teacher and a lovely guy) and it's run a bit like a computer science subject - practical lab work and lots of contact hours, but NO READINGS (that blows my brain). So I'm going to have to learn how to learn in this new type of setting.
I'm kind of lucky that I do do dance classes regularly - I have ongoing experience learning how to learn in a class, and being comfortable with not knowing things. I think that dancers in the lindy world are very much about learning and knowledge... well, most of them are. The ones who are interested in historical dance forms tend to be very interested in learning. Learning new steps, routines, etc. But there's a great deal of difference between learning a routine from an archival clip or being in a dance class, and learning how to construct databases in a computer lab.

So being a student again is challenging. But it's also very exciting. I really love being in a group again, rather than working independently as you do during a PhD. I love hearing other people talk about their ideas, and having my own brain fired up by their saying things I'd never have come up with. I love this part of teaching, but when you're part of the group it's as though you have permission to just let your brain go, and follow ideas much further. When I'm teaching, I have to stay on track and keep the discussion within some sort of structure, as you have some goals and definite things to achieve. But when you're a stood, you can just let your brain run on and on and on. It's fabulous, and I love it SO MUCH.

Meanwhile, less fabulously, the bathroom renovation continues. The tiling is going on as I type, insulated by my headphones. The floor will go in today (hopefully), and then it will be tiled tomorrow. The vanity should be in by the end of the week, and the plumber in and doing the bits and pieces that make water work and the toilet exist. Next week they put in the fittings and shower screen. So, really, it won't possibly be done by next Wednesday, unless we're really lucky. But it should be done by Friday.
I haven't had a shower since Friday, and though I'm doing a good job with buckets, I'm looking forward to showering in Melbourne. Especially as I'll be dancing so much. But the bathroom will look good, and I think I did a good job choosing the tiles. It's all white, but the shade of white matches the old tub. The shiny (rather than matte) tiles mean it's already far brighter in there, and the whiteness is really good for light. There're no external windows, just a skylight, but the new downlights have also made a big difference. I'm not entirely happy about the vanity, as it will just eat up room, but we just couldn't afford a custom-made one, which is what would be required. Well, we could have afforded it, but it's not a good investment in a flat we won't spend the rest of our lives in.

And that's just about it, I think. I have some readings to do now. :D

"mid-week report" was posted in the category academia and c25k and domesticity and learning and lindy hop and other dances and melbourne and teaching

March 1, 2010

c25k: wk5, run2

Posted by dogpossum on March 1, 2010 8:15 PM | Comments (0)

distance: 3.91 km, time: 00:30, pace: 07:40, calories: 389, feeling: good

A little chilly starting out, but that's a nice change. The 8minute running blocks were a lot easier than I thought they'd be. I feel surprisingly good.

overcast

"c25k: wk5, run2" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running

February 26, 2010

c25k: wk5, run1

Posted by dogpossum on February 26, 2010 8:11 PM | Comments (0)

distance: 3.55 km, time: 00:30, pace: 08:26, calories: 243, feeling: good, effort: 3/5

Running in the cool is much nicer. Longer running sections were far easier than I expected. Had some achey in the arch of my left foot which became a tightness in my calf. Must stretch more effectively.
Got stuck at some lights for aaaaages so didn't get as far :( Wish we weren't bounded by so many busy roads in such a small blob.
No cockatoos, just bridge views.

cloudy

"c25k: wk5, run1" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running

running -> exercise -> dancing -> jazz history

Posted by dogpossum on February 26, 2010 9:39 AM | Comments (0)

There's a man upstairs in our bathroom banging and hammering and sawing. It's really loud. Bathing without a shower is difficult, but not that bad. It'll be nice when we get our shower back, though.

Meanwhile, I'm still on the c25k, and did the first run of week 5 today. It's a nine week program, so I'm over half way. This is the point, though, where most people tend to give up. I actually feel quite good. It's not as difficult as I thought, probably because it starts so gradually and then builds progressively. Today's program involved:
a 5 minute warm up walk
5 minute run
3 minute walk
5 minute run
3 minute walk
5 minute run
5 minute cool down walk

I was surprised that I could do all the running bits without having to stop, and I remember thinking as I finished the first run 'Woah, I just ran five minutes without stopping. Haven't been able to do that in years.' I still breathe really loudly (though not as loudly as I used to) and I certainly couldn't hold a conversation at the same time (which is the ideal running pace). But I didn't have to walk during any of the running bits and I felt pretty ok the whole way.
I actually quite like the sessions. Thirty minutes of exercise is a tiny amount, but it's time well spent - no dilly dallying about - and it leaves me feeling really good. I have pretty bad snots at the moment because our bathroom is being ripped to bits, but that's not affecting my running the way it used to. I have some new aches in my left foot, under the arch, but that feels like a hamstring issue, and I have very tight calves, so I always need to stretch my hamstrings. So, generally, I feel pretty good. I'm knocking on wood as I type, as I can't really believe this is going so well.
There are a few things that seem key to the usefulness of this approach to training. Firstly, the audio cues on the ipod are essential. It tells me when to start running, when to start walking, when I'm half way. Secondly, the music is really good. I choose songs that either pump me up, or warm me up (or down) gently. I might end up using spoken podcasts later, as they distract me from the exercise and make the going easier. After this, the steady progress, with a structure to the sessions that changes weekly (and more frequently as you progress) makes the sessions more interesting. And I think the most important part is having clear goals.
One of the things that's made it difficult to stick to a serious exercise program in the past is the lack of goals. Learning tranky doo is fun, but once you have that under control, it's difficult to feel motivate. One routine after another is also kind of dull. Working on dance stuff with a partner is nice, but I think that without clear goals you tend to get a bit distracted and demotivated. I guess that's why competitions are so useful.

So I really like the couch to 5k program. I'm especially happy with the fact that I can run five minutes without stopping. No pain in my feet, and I can actually breathe. It's very satisfying. To think that I'll be running half an hour without stopping soon is almost beyond the imagining.
One of the other things I like about it, is feeling my muscles toning up. I feel as though my jubbly bits are kind of being compressed and firmed up into muscle. The muscles I have underneath the jubbly are slowly being revealed. I'm fascinated by my arm muscles, which are entirely the result of cycling. I can't believe cycling gives you arm muscles. But then cycling in a hilly city is challenging - you work harder. You use your arms to control your bike, and you tend to overwork your arms if you're too tight in your shoulders and too weak in your core. But I'm also beginning to feel stronger and more stable in my core, which is fab. I'm also finding it easier to activate my lats (so important for dancing) and other individual muscle (and groups) which in turn makes it easier to reduce the energy I spend. Using the right muscles for the job means that I become more efficient in my movement - less flobbering about out of control, less overusing the wrong muscle.
So while I'm muscling up, I'm also finding that other, tighter muscle groups (my lower back, my shoulders) are loosening up. As the rest of my body steps up and starts doing its job, those places can relax and stop doing more than their fair share. It's all very interesting. I'm especially exploring the way these changes affect my dancing and other activities. I can feel myself becoming more stable. I have more energy and greater stamina.
This is also making me the most annoying student in classes on Tuesday night. Hollywood style lindy hop (as in west coast not east, centred on dancers like Dean Collins rather than the Whitey's Lindy Hoppers) is a foreign country. It's fascinatingly technical, using the same principles as the lindy I'm used to, but in different ways. It's complex, and yet when it's done right, it's very energy efficient.
I'm particularly fascinated by the swingout. This type of swingout uses much the same principles of momentum and dynamic energy, but in a very different way. The thing that makes a swingout so amazing is that the follow moves towards the lead, then turns and changes direction, moving away from him. This simple process is actually really complex, in terms of energy and momentum. It's too easy to lose all your energy and momentum when you change direction, so the challenge is keeping that energy in your bodies, and yet still changing direction.
This type of swingout involves a more thorough 'leading' of the follow, but it also seems to use a less 'natural' approach to movement... that statement could perhaps be the product of ignorance, but it seems as though the lead has to be more aware of energy and where the follow is and also where he is. I use a gendered pronoun deliberately. I'm the only female lead in the class, and I'm finding the gender stuff is quite different in this type of scene. An emphasis on vintage dressing seems to reflect a more conservative approach to gender roles. Women follow, men lead. There's also been less emphasis on improvisation within the swingout.
For me, improvisation (within the swingout and elsewhere) is the follow's opportunity to 'speak.' A decent lead doesn't 'allow' the follow time to speak, but actually incorporates these contributions into their leading. So the two really do function as a team. The more comprehensive leading seems to micromanage the follow's movement, and it's been tricky figuring out where and how I should add in my jazz steps (I follow in the second class and usually socially - I rarely lead socially these days, which I am about to change).
The classes this week did look at variations on the swingout, and this was really interesting. It also meant that I had to stop and learn the basic footwork and shape of this type of swingout properly. I'm also wondering whether I should adopt this type of swingout when leading in class. That's the sensible thing to do, but I worry that it will mean I'll lose all memory of any other swingout completely. Which is kind of bullshitty, as any swingout I have now is no doubt so riddled with personal habits and problems it's already kind of broke. Learning a new swingout will make me conscious of all these idiosyncrasies and make it possible to rebuild a stronger swingout.

At any rate, I'm thoroughly enjoying being in classes again. It's so new, it's challenging. I'm also out of practice, in terms of knowing how to learn in class, and I'm quite enjoying the way this makes everything more difficult. I am also the type of student who asks questions and really likes to get things right, so I'm annoying everyone. I still find leading makes more sense. I just have no sense of what my body is doing when I'm following. I'm really not aware of my body and muscles and so on when I'm following. I think it's because when I'm leading I not only have to understand what I'm doing, but also be aware of my follow and what's happening in their body, so understanding my own body becomes the first part of understanding momentum and how we make it work between us. What I don't understand is why I can't figure this out when I'm following.
This stuff makes it really difficult to follow in class. I can look at the moves and understand how they work, and I can also figure out how I'd lead it, but the lead I'm working with mightn't, so I have to let them figure it out. But because I can't feel the follow (because that's me), I don't really understand what's going wrong/right in our partnership at that moment. Meanwhile, I find it really difficult to stop concentrating on the lead and to start engaging with following. Part of me wonders if I should just give up on following altogether. But then the rest of me refuses to be beaten.

I still haven't found a good yoga class. Sigh.

But I have spent some lovely time in the library this week, reading some really good stuff on Frank Trumbauer, Bix Beiderbecke and Jack Teagarden and listening along to my music as I go. I've also been digging into the library's music collection, listening to some of their neat stuff as I read. It's all been really really interesting. These guys are interesting because they were white, very popular and also totally top notch. And there these moments where they recorded with African American musicians in the 20s and 30s and I think 'how the fuck did this happen in segregated America?' I've also come across interesting references to the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, a band popularly considered a crappy novelty band who claimed they invented jazz. They didn't. But while they weren't the most awesome band, they were very influential, and I keep coming across musicians and bands they worked with who were very good. This stuff is also interesting because Bix, Tram and Teagarden worked in Paul Whiteman's band. I generally think of Whiteman's stuff as a sort of wet, watered down jazz with strings and sweet arrangements. But this sort of dance music was super popular. And while I don't like it much at all, the sales of this stuff bolstered the recorded music industry generally, which in turn made it possible for artists I do to have recorded. I don't think it's actually that simple a connection, but there's definitely a complex relationship between class, race, musical aesthetics (sweet or hot?) live performances, venue ownership and management, radio broadcasting and recorded music during this period.
I don't know that much about this yet, but it's definitely caught my eye. I hope I'll have time during the semester to chase these thoughts down. Probably not. Classes start next week, and I'm going to have to do some clever catching up after BBS.

Right, that's enough of that.

"running -> exercise -> dancing -> jazz history" was posted in the category c25k and lindy hop and other dances and music and research and yoga

February 24, 2010

c25k: wk4, run3

Posted by dogpossum on February 24, 2010 8:07 PM | Comments (0)

distance: 4.06 km, time: 00:30, pace: 07:23, calories: 278

Good! No cockatoos, but I realised you can see the Harbour Bridge for a large part of the run. Must look up more.
Slightly flatter beginning part and a cooler day made a big difference in my stamina.

overcast

"c25k: wk4, run3" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running

February 22, 2010

c25k: wk4, run2

Posted by dogpossum on February 22, 2010 8:03 PM | Comments (0)

distance: 3.57 km, time: 00:30, pace: 08:24, calories: 389, feeling: good, effort:4/5

Had trouble breathing because of allergies so I had to walk a bit at one point. :( No cockatoos to see for motivation. :(
Feel ok now, but disappointed I couldn't quite make it 100%

hot, sunny

"c25k: wk4, run2" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running

running and walking and huffing and puffing

Posted by dogpossum on February 22, 2010 9:57 AM | Comments (0)

So I'm still on the couch to 5k plan (which I talked about here.)

Even now, I'm still surprised by the reality of exercise. Simply put, it's good for you. I know, in my brains, that it's good, but it's quite another thing to feel the goodness in your body. I'm fairly fit. Pretty healthy by your average person's standards, sort of okishly fit (but really needing to get in shape) by a lindy hopper's standards. This means that I can walk up and down stairs without puffing, I walk to and from the station or to the shop without any effort, and generally find a walk of a kilometre or two easypeasy. It also means that I can ride my bike around doing errands and small bits of commuting without any real effort, I can dance most tempos without fear, and that I have very good balance and coordination on bike or on legs. It also means that I feel that lovely endorphine rush-and-jump about ten minutes into exercise... or two songs (six minutes) into dancing.
I think of this as a basic level of fitness. Enough to stop me blowing up. But it's not really being fit - not properly 'in shape' for lindy hop. It's enough to be at that minimum level of exercise doctors recommend, but it's not enough for badassery. And I like a bit of badassery. I'm hoping that the c25k will get my fitness up high enough that I can lindy hop like a mofo, that I generally feel pretty good, and that I keep bung foot pain-free by having decent body awareness, flexibility, muscle strength and efficiency and lower weight (though this isn't really going to happen because I put on muscle like a mofo and that makes me heavier than just plain jellyblubber). A physically smaller body is nice as it gives me a greater range of movement, but a fitter body is nice not because it's smaller, but because it's muscled, and muscles mean moving without straining things or hurting myself. Also: wicked ripped.

I didn't think I'd like running. It's dull and repetitive, it's kind of harsh on the body, you go out and display your sweaty, puffing self to strangers, etc etc etc. But, surprisingly, I do like it. I like swimming laps, and that's repetitive. But c25k is structured and progressive - you have clear goals to achieve, and something to work towards. It's not as hard on my body as I'd thought. I do get a bit achey in a used-muscle way after a run (quads! argh!), but since I've started running my post-orthotic-acquisition toe-ache and foot-pain has disappeared (finally!) I've also managed to keep my bung foot under control (knock on wood), so that injury isn't troubling me (beyond a bit of normal used-muscle ache). I am noticing a bit of ache and reactive irritation because my right ankle doesn't have the range of movement I need (I can't bend it far enough because I broke it yonks ago), but this is mostly transferring to my hip and knee. This is something I do need to sort out, especially as it's also affecting my right arm and shoulder. But, generally, running has reduced my aches and pains rather than increasing them. Now I just need a good solid yoga program for restorative work and I'm rocking. I actually don't give a crap that people see me puffing and panting and kind of stumbling along the footpath. At 8am there are plenty of other puffing stumblers, thai chi oldies and, of course, cockatoos. And they're busy with their own business.

There has been a whole range of other good changes since I started running. I have:
- had insane amounts of energy. Even on - especially on - the days I run;
- felt cheery and positive rather than mildly worried and self-doubting;
- been better company (less with the worry and slump, more with the perky and confident);
- achieved more during the day (because of increased energy, less worry, greater efficiency and ability to focus, more confidence, less pain, etc);
- had less foot pain in my bung foot (huzzah!), which has led to improved mood as well;
- had more control of my muscles and better muscle tone. This means better posture, less neck/shoulder acheypain, easier breathing (less slumping!), and orsm dancing. Better muscle tone means I'm dancing with more control and energy, and also with greater 'accuracy', which is both pleasing and ego-boosting. It's also meant I don't waste as much energy when I dance, and so have greater stamina;
- been less interested in high-fat, high-sugar snacks and had a more balanced appetite generally;
- left insomnia behind. Far, far behind. I don't get to bed quite early enough, particularly on the nights before I get up earlier to run, and this is kind of wearing me down a bit. But the energy I get from running is making up for that.

These are all things I relate directly related just to taking up an interval training program which runs for 30 minutes and is done three times a week. This is in addition to my other exercise stuff (dancing, cycling, walking, etc). Just three 30 minute sessions a week. I'm not even running very far (not even 5k yet - and probably never) or very fast. Imagine what I'll be like in five weeks!

Apparently a common pattern is to be full of confidence and positivity in weeks four and five, and then just giving up. Week four has been a harder week. The running sections suddenly increased in week three, but week four has longer running sections and fewer repeats of the walk/run patterns. So I've really felt it pushing me harder in this week. I guess that's the point - the training should get steadily more challenging.

I hope I don't give up. But I do think the next couple of weeks will be challenging: I'm off to Blues Before Sunrise, a blues exchange, in Melbourne on the 5th March, and will be dancing quite a lot there until I get home on Monday. This will have me starting the week 6 runs on a Friday in Melbourne, the morning after I dance. That'll be challenging - new location, morning after strenuous exercise, first day of a new week (which is a bit hard). I've managed to make the program a bit easier for myself by accident: I start the new week on Friday and run Monday, Wednesdays and Friday. So I feel as though I'm mid-way through the week of runs when I start on Monday. Which seems easier, less intimidating than coming out of the weekend into a new block of new runs on Monday.

But I'm also worried that I'll get an exchange flu at BBS. In fact, I almost certainly will (as I usually do), and that'll mean at least 3 days sitting down. And my return to running will be delayed. Boooo. I'll also be coming back to a pretty hard core semester, the first week of hardcore lectures/readings in that week that I arrive home. Which may be complicated by an exchange flu. Double boo.
Well, I guess I'll just have to wait and see. I wish I could say that being fitter keeps me from getting colds, but it's not the case. My allergy issues mean that I tend to get respiratory infections and snotty nose/coughy chest colds more than other people. Which is arse. But I'm pretty healthy otherwise, so it's not a big deal.

Fingers are crossed, though. Til then I'm just going to enjoy running healthy...

...today was, though, a challenging run. The dryer weather after a wet patch means that there're lots of flowers blooming at the moment, and I've had to get onto the antihistamines. Today's run was challenging because I was so short of breath. But I'm just going to pretend it was because I was tired or a bit fatigued from fun stuff on the weekend. Wednesday's run will be easier. Even after a Tuesday night of dance classes!

One of the things I'm trying to keep in mind, is not to overdo it. It's a bit too easy to burn really hot and bright in the first few weeks of a regime when it's all new and you're feeling all enthusiastic. But it's also a bit too easy to injure something, overdo it and become a bit tired and dejected. So even though it's tempting to add in runs (I did quite want to go yesterday morning), I'm trying to keep it to three runs a week. I'm also doing dance classes on Tuesday nights, which is a new thing, and actually physically a bit challenging - for bung foot at least. And then of course there's also at least one night of social dancing per week. So that puts me at 5 sessions per week, when I used to only do about 2. All that in addition to what I think of as 'incidental' exercise - walking and cycling about the place on errands or for commuting.
I really really don't want to overdo it. I don't want to hurt my bung foot and set me back again (which is depressing and horrid). I don't want to push myself too far and get shitty with it all. I don't want to end up too tired too soon. I figure I can stick to the c25k schedule, the social dancing and the classes. We added in a 2 hour Big Apple session this week, which my body really felt, and which I should probably position more carefully in my week - leave a rest day before and after. In the case of solo jazz stuff, I'm especially wary of my foot, as jazz involves a lot of jumping and twisting and turning, and is generally much harder on my feet and body than running. I do NOT want to hurt bung foot, as recovery will involve a long rest period and no dancing for ages. And pain. And miserableness.
I'd really really like to add in a weekly yoga class, as yoga is a perfect complement to aerobic exercise. It works as resistance training, but it's also very good for improving your technique and body awareness. It makes you use your muscles properly which is important for preventing injuries. But I can't find a good class, I don't quite have the money for it, and I worry that it will push me over my fitness limits. If I wait a week or two the c25k will only get more intense. And I'm beginning to really feel as though I need the good, solid stretching and strengthening of yoga. It's also an excellent antidote to the adrenaline charged go-go-go of running and dancing.
...I think I've just convinced myself to try the Iyengar classes at the Leichardt Yoga Room. Egads. But I miss yoga. A whole lot.

Right, that's enough talk about exercise. Except perhaps to reiterate the point that exercise is good. Really.

Btw: if you're interested, you can search for me - dogpossum - on www.dailymile.com to see what I'm actually doing, exercise wise.

"running and walking and huffing and puffing" was posted in the category c25k

February 19, 2010

c25k: wk4, run1

Posted by dogpossum on February 19, 2010 5:15 PM | Comments (0)

distance: 3.77 km, time: 00:30, pace: 07:57, calories: 389

Wk4 is harder than wk3 and I felt it. But I did the whole thing properly. Beginning to suspect I walk faster than I run. Cool temperature though.

humid, overcast

"c25k: wk4, run1" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running

February 17, 2010

c25k: wk3, run 3

Posted by dogpossum on February 17, 2010 5:14 PM | Comments (0)

distance: 3.36 km, time: 00:30, pace: 08:55 calories: 389

Feeling a bit rough after a late night dancing. Lorikeet got in my face and scared the pants off both of us. Cockatoos still rock, though. Morning running = best.
Weather was nice and cool.

clear

"c25k: wk3, run 3" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running

February 15, 2010

c25k: wk3, run2

Posted by dogpossum on February 15, 2010 5:10 PM | Comments (0)

distance: 3.43 km, time: 00:30, pace: 08:44, calories: 389

Much easier than last week. Waiting at a traffic light eats up time, but I can't fit my route in without crossing at lights. Much cooler today, and that's nice. Humidity up the wazoo, but that doesn't really bother me any more.
I saw LOTS of cockatoos eating in the grass.

humid, rain

"c25k: wk3, run2" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running

February 12, 2010

c25k: wk3, run1

Posted by dogpossum on February 12, 2010 5:06 PM | Comments (0)

distance: 3.19 km, time: 00:30, pace: 09:24 calories: 389, feeling: o

c35k wk3run1

Feeling a bit tired today. Reckon it's hormones. No pain, but I'm buggered and have a headache. Week 3 isn't as hard as I thought.

hot, humid, sunny

"c25k: wk3, run1" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running

February 10, 2010

c25k: wk3, run 1

Posted by dogpossum on February 10, 2010 4:55 PM | Comments (0)

distance: 4.24 km, time: 00:30, pace: 07:04, calories: 389

week2 run3 -

It was good not to have so much humidity.
Running after a night of hard dance classes was challenging.

sunny

"c25k: wk3, run 1" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running

c25k: wk2, run3

Posted by dogpossum on February 10, 2010 4:53 PM | Comments (0)

distance: 4.24 km, time: 00:30, pace: 07:04, calories: 389, feeling: good

week2 run3

It was good not to have so much humidity.
Running after a night of hard dance classes was challenging.

sunny

"c25k: wk2, run3" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running

February 8, 2010

c25k: wk2, run2

Posted by dogpossum on February 8, 2010 4:48 PM | Comments (0)

distance: 3.92 km, time: 00:30, pace: 07:38, feeling: good, 389 calories

wk2 run2 -
Cooler weather made the massive humidity easier to handle.

humid, overcast, rain

"c25k: wk2, run2" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running

February 4, 2010

c25k: wk2, run1

Posted by dogpossum on February 4, 2010 4:43 PM | Comments (0)

distance: 4.21 km, time: 00:30, pace: 07:07,389 calories feeling: good
c25k wk2 -
First run of week 2, it wasn't too bad. I don't run very quickly, but i keep running. The humidity is intense, but that's not too bad. My bad foot hurt a bit, and my hip, but that might improve if I rest it.

hot, humid, overcast, rain

"c25k: wk2, run1" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running

February 2, 2010

c25k: wk1, run 3

Posted by dogpossum on February 2, 2010 4:39 PM | Comments (0)

distance: 3.63 km, time: 00:30, pace: 08:15, feeling: good

wk1 run 3
ok - some aches in my bad foot, but it's more the reactive pain in my hip that troubles me. It's definitely not enough to stop me using it.

humid, rain

"c25k: wk1, run 3" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running

January 31, 2010

c25k: wk1 run2

Posted by dogpossum on January 31, 2010 4:35 PM | Comments (0)

c25k wk1, distance: 3.63km, time: 0:30, pace: 08:15, feeling: good

wk 1 run 2

hot, humid, overcast, rain

"c25k: wk1 run2" was posted in the category c25k and fitness and running

January 27, 2010

c25k: wk1, run1

Posted by dogpossum on January 27, 2010 4:27 PM | Comments (0)

distance: 3.63km, time: 0:30, pace: 08:15, 389 calories, feeling: good

wk1 run 1
Surprisingly good for the first time. Much easier than an hour or half an hour of dancing.

"c25k: wk1, run1" was posted in the category c25k and running