Category Archives: fitness

c25k: wk5, run1

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

running -> exercise -> dancing -> jazz history

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 and walking and huffing and puffing

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.