T-12 weeks Auroville Training & some weight loss thoughts

Hey guys!!!

I was so not ready for the week to begin last night. But when I woke up at 4.50 a.m. ten minutes before my alarm was set to go off, I felt good and recharged. I quickly finished my workout - Jillian Michaels - 30DS- Level 2 before the Husband and toddler kid woke up. This is my fifth consecutive day of working out. Half marathon training has officially begun!

It happened sometime last week. Once I registered for the Auroville half, I knew I had to get serious. A half marathon is no easy task. Completing 21.1k on the feet is quite painful literally. And I want the second time to feel better than the first.

So a quick recap of Auroville Half Training - T-12 weeks

Thursday - 21/11 - 5k run
Friday -22/11 - JM- No more trouble zone
Saturday -23/11 - 6 week 6 pack lvl 1

Ofcourse, the first half of the week passed without any real workout, and thats how I panicked once I officially signed up for the race.

In fact I also did a long run on Sunday and worked out today. With my new schedule, I find very little time in the mornings to hit the gym. Chittu time has become limited right now, and I don't want to further eat into it at any cost. So for now, I am optimising using a combination of home workouts for strength training and running.

Another important thing I noticed that I seem to lose weight when I am not exactly obsessing over the weighing scale. I guess the fact that I know I have not gained weight, pushes me to to eat more rather than the fear of gaining when I am not regularly weighing myself. I do have a few more kilos to go before I reach the magical 60s. But yes certainly, I want to reach that zone soon.Just I have a bad feeling its going to take me REALLY long to get there.

Whats up at your end?

Half Marathon Training - Week 8 Recap

I have officially signed up for the Kaveri Trail - Half Marathon to be held on 15th September 2013 at a very scenic location near Bangalore. It is known to be one of the finest trail races in this part of the world :) Anyone wants to run this as well? The registrations are fast closing!

I have been on a 13 week modified version of the Hal Higdon plan in preparation for the race. It requires 6 days of exercise and 1 day rest in a week. It also calls for atleast 3 running days - of which lately I have run only 2 a week. One is to be a long run, which I do on Sundays when other people want to kind of just chill out!!!

Week 8 - the workouts:

• I exercised 6 out of 7 days - 3 days of carido ( 2 days running) and 3 days strength
• The weekday run - a 7.2 km run - I was feeling pretty good!
• The long run on Sunday a planned 13k was ruined by a very very painful metatarsal toe joint on the left foot. I still ran about 12k before the pain got unbearable.
• I did 3 strength workouts including - JM's No More Trouble Zone, Yoga Melt Down and Level 2 of the 30 day shred
• I am feeling really strong muscles

The food:

• Even though I have not been able to run as frequently as before, I continued to eat slightly higher carb food - adding a cup of rice at lunch (sometimes even 2) and an added roti at dinner
• Another reason I continued to eat like that is because of some stomach issues which I was having
• There were also meals outside and ice cream in addition to some unnecessary chocolate - totally avoidable!

The weight

• I have been weighing in around 77 kg - that means a gain of atleast 2 kg
• More eating + more strength training + lesser running = weight gain! Boo!
• Higher the weight = Slower running! Double boo!

The Pain:

• Knee pain has been kept fairly at bay thanks to proper stretching
• The new kid on the block is the pain below the toe :) and I am yet to see the doctor

You can read Half marathon Training- Week 6 & 7 recap here

Only 5 weeks left!
 

Half Marathon Training - Week 6 & 7 Recap

Sorry guys!!!!

Really - I am caught up in the practical difficullties of moving jobs, moving home & pressing financial commitments in the wake of our new home  that now bloggy time is much reduced!

Quickly then, since I missed week 6 recap last week, here goes:

• I worked out 6 out of 7 days which was fantastic!
• However I could not accomodate my weekday runs!
• The longest run of the week was a 10k which was slow and possibly the hardest run so far
• Strength training went well
• The week ended with severe PMS and so I decided to really take the next week easy!

 Week 7 was this:

•   I did not exercise much except for the long run on Sunday - 11.2k even though the mapmyrun app on my iphone screwed up and showed only 9.6 kms
• The long run was good and even though I felt tired by the 6k mark I was able to get into the "zone" around the 7k mark and finished strong!!!

 Food:

• Much chocolate was ingested with no reason and so also carbs. I have clamped down now!

Weight:

• Still stays around 75 so not much difference

 Pain

• I am feeling good - almost pain free except my knees on long run days!

So that brings me to week 8 now. That means I've got just under 6 weeks to hit the D-day! I am very very nervous and have serious moments of self doubt. But still, I want to give this all I have.

Regular blogging should resume soon!

You can read:

Half marathon training week 5 recap - here

HalfMarathon Training- Week 5 recap

I'm in the sixth week of training for the Kaveri Trail Marathon. For those who don't know it is a trail run with the most picturesque venue for a runner. The trails travel parallel to the Kaveri River in the vicinity of the Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary. For new readers, last year I ran the 10k and decided that my first half marathon would be on the same trail! Training is coming up well, so far. As my weekday runs get longer, I need to leave the house by 6 a.m.so that I can wind up and be back in time for the rest of my duties!

Quick recap:

Workouts -

• I only did 5 out of 6 workouts this week. I missed a cross training workout on Saturday but made up by exercising on a rest day yesterday.
• Sunday's scheduled 10k was quite good.
• Finally I have added proper strength training - last week I did teh barre workouts which I raved about here
• I also have dumbells at home now!!!

Food -

• While running longer distances, or engaging in any rigorous exercise routine for that matter - food is fuel for the body's machinery. Any stupidity on that front will invariably lead to injury. So I am consciously being responsible about that. I eat lots of complex carbs, simple carbs, fruits, legumes and vegetables.
• I am not calorie counting. But my guess is that I am not going overboard either.
• I always have at hand (also pack to work) healthy snacks - one roti- subzi, low fat cheese slice,boiled peanuts, roasted channa, sugar free peanut butter, yogurt, fruit & cut veggies to eat as a snack (obviously not all ,but certainly 2 or more)
• I am consciously also trying to curtail my white rice consumption
• For those interested I drink gatorade when I go on longer runs 8k+

Weight -

• I am holding up at around 75kgs ( I guess there is no weight gain, may be a tiny loss?)  which may be good since I can physically feel my quads, glutes and thighs getting strong.

Pain -

• Knee pain is gone!!! Thanks to strength training and religious stretching exercises I am doing!
• But I am feeling some lovely soreness in my arms,chest and thighs  after Jillian Micheals - No More Trouble Zones!

Overall I am feeling good and confident that I will be able to size up to running a half marathon in the coming seven weeks!

You can read:

Half marathon Training - Week 4 recap here

Half Marathon Training - Week 4 recap

Can you believe - time has flown so fast and I am already in the 5th week of half marathon training using the Hal Higdon Novice 1 Half Marathon Training Plan that I modified to suit my weekly schedules. I will be running the awesome Kaveri Trail  half-marathon distance i.e 13.1 miles a.k.a 21.1 kms (really?????)  in September this year. If I dwell too long on that distance, I might just have a panic attack, but yes unbelievable, right?

 

You can click here to see my training plan.. Here is last week's summary:

 

Workouts:

 

• I did 6 out of 6 planned workouts. Only on Friday a 5.5k run was notched down to a 4k walk thanks to sleep deprivation & muscle fatigue cos I just could not get myself to run!
• On the strength front I have been making small changes. I have added some body weight exercises - lunges, squats, free style exercises with the pilates ball and kettlebell.
• Today I did a killer sequence of exercises. I will link up to that in my next post after assessing my pain level tomorrow!
• Pump cant happen this month - the timing just does not suit me!!!

 

Food:

 

• Unnecessary carbs - sweets, sugar, Pizza, buttermilk rice (to soothe my abused stomach) have found their way to my stomach!!!
• I know I need to clamp down. I've said that many times last week, but it better happen soon!

 

Weight:

 

• This morning the scale showed 76.4 a gain from the 75.something I was seeing last week. Time to cut out the rice again, I guess!

 

Pain:

 

• Knee pain has returned!!! Ouch!! I better go back to knee strengthening exercises regularly!

 

You can read : Half Marathon Training week 3 recap here and click on the links in there to go back further and see how I progressed from running a 5k to a 10k!

Half Marathon Training - Week 3 recap

I am now in the fourth week of half marathon training. Here are the highlights of week 3:

Workouts

• I did 5 out of 6 planned workouts. I took it easy the day before the 10k.
• I ran the 10 k race in 1:17 mins. You can see my timing here.That means I shaved off almost 13 minutes from my first 10k in Sep 2012! I also feature amongst the faster average of runners in this race!
• I still need to up strength training a bit - right now relying on Jillian Micheals Banish fat workout and some free style yoga I do. But am seriously contemplating restarting body pump!
• For one cross training - I wish I could cycle in the open/ go swimming. But am having to restrict myselfto the elliptical workouts in the gym. Any other ideas doable ideas for cross training?

Food

• Last week I was fairly relaxed on the food front.
• I ate many unnecessary sweets and fried snacks in Chennai in the name of the 10k
• Right now eating is back to normal, but am fighting sugar cravings
• I went to an ayurveda doc for my stomach issues. Now I have to begin taking the meds!

Weight

• Has been holding in the 75-76 range. How long do you think it will take me to reach the 60s?

You can read

• half marathon training week 2 recap here
• halfmarathon training week 1 recap here

Half marathon Training - week 2 recap

Getting into week 3 of half marathon training and also ready to tackle the upcoming 10k this weekend.

Highlights of last week's workout:

• Total mileage last week - 17 kms. That's still lesser than the half marathon distance.
• Sunday's long run was a designated 6.5k. But I extended and did 7k in preparation of the 10k this weekend. 7k in 58:24!
• Again all work outs were done. Not one missed.
• I find that my quads, glutes and hamstrings are engaged when I run. Until now, I only felt the impact of running - knees and below! Now - my thighs have been sore for a week almost!
• I actually feel like I am running faster & my gait feels better .
• I do one day of yoga, one day of assorted gym cardio, one day of Jillian Micheals Banish Fat Boost Metabolism, One treadmill run, One road run and One trail run! So far, so good!
• My workouts get wrapped up in an hour. That should work well. Sunday is long run day and I can give more than one hour on that day!

Highlights of eating:

• After severe stomach issues such as the one I discussed here, I have added whole grain to every meal - complex carbs from - brown rice, whole wheat, whole grain poha, millets including - ragi, bajra and jowar
• I  find that when my meals are satiating - i feel the lesser urge to snack!
• When I run I get hungry - I have added a pre & post workout snack - 2 marie biscuits/ half granola bar, ragi laddoo (recipe soon!), some dates etc
• I have also added fruit as a evening/ morning snack
• Overall, my eating is very conscious compared to before. But still there is the ocassion of a rare bite of dessert here and there. Striving towards perfection, though!

Weight update : my weight holds around the 75mark. I'm hoping that the final pounds will melt down with the increased mileage and consistent rigorous exercise.

That's it from me guys! More later!

 

You can read half marathon training- week 1 recap here.

 

Half marathon - training week 1 update

Hey guys, just checking in!!!

My first week of half marathon training is over and I'm in the second week now. Both week 1 & 2 are similar. In fact it is also similar to my  regular workout pattern, except there is a little more running to do, obviously. So weeks 1 & 2 are the easiest of the lot and we'll be progressing to more rigorous stuff soon. But here are my thoughts on what I think needs more improvement:

• core strength
• running without/ with lesser knee pain
• more strength training - lower body - back, legs etc

Though my knee pain is not yet at the unbearable level, I think it is still there. Infact it appeared after yesterday's 6.5k aka 4 mile run. I guess my knee joints and muscles in the region need some strength training! Any advise guys?

Thats all from me - my eating is far from stellar - nothing too dangerous but serving sizes have gone up and so has the weight! Running ALWAYS makes me more hungry!Hopefully more exercise should do the weight loss trick. I want to be in the 60's by August 2013. Let's see!

 

A running post :) and the jitters too!

I try to keep my mind from thinking about the half marathon I signed up to run in July while on a runner's high! I guess running is something that is directly gratifying for me - it very clearly improves my stamina & endurance and tones up my body. At every next run, I can challenge myself to running longer although I have not consciously worked on my running speed except on the treadmill 5k.

 

Running is addictive.

 

Running is liberating.

 

Running is joy, confidence and meditation combined.

 

I made some mistakes that I have paid for painfully - shin splits are NOT fun!!! Every time Chittu wanted to sit in my lap, I'd have to beg him to please be gentle, which really he does not much understand. I ran on the road to save 10 minutes of morning madness.

 

When I started out running initially I religiously ran ONLY in Lalbagh where I found a trail soil - i.e not tarred/ paved ways. Running on sand is much softer on the knees than running on the road. Later after I had about 3 10k events under my belt, I became an over confident missy. I started running the moment I stepped out of my apartment complex, ran past the civil court, the metro station, the MG Road artery, pretty bouganvilla lined bungalows with Porsche's parked outside their towering gates, past the cubbon park walkers and a road that made me momentarily forget I was in India. Honestly I was loving it!

 

And then came the shin splits that made walking a single step after a short period of sitting  very painful. There was also the pain in the joint between my upper thigh and hip that made standing so psinful I was contantly thumping at that joint and that made Chittu think I was playing a game and he would thump me on my legs which were extremely painful at the calves. And finally there was also the knee pain that came as a result of continuing to run with injury.

 

And now here I am obviously under a lot of guilt that I am under- prepared for the event less than 2 months away, that I was irresponsible despite the Scientist's repeated warnings and that I might not be able to do the run. Anyway, i guess I'll go back to running 2-3 times a week and alternate with cross training like the elliptical/ bking on the recumbent bike.

 

Everything happens for the good they say! Is it not?

A half marathon soon, March Goals & April Plans

Do you guys remember this post - where I declared that I had whimsically signed up for a half marathon? Yikes!!! A half marathon! What in the world was I thinking? With my weight, running a 10k is a bad enough challenge. A half marathon? Like 21.1kms, dear reader, I must have momentarily been out of my mind!

 

I've got just about 3 months. And then there is this event in mid May. But I shall atempt the half. And please note that my voice is feeble. I have absolutely no confidence, I fear I will screw up my knees  and I am simply going to train on my own. Because I want to try. And I know that running that much is going to take a lot from me. Hello, early morning runs.

 

I am also  trying to focus on spending enough time with Chittu for I fear he is getting way too attached to Maami. I have moments of maternal instinct where I want to quit the job and stay home with my son, but I know such hasty decisions are never a good thing! But yes, I want to ensure that  when my son wakes up in the morning either the Scientist or I are at home. So I have modified my work out schedule for the month of April. I will instead take advantage of my new found exercise at home joy and mix and match with other workouts that will give me a good combination of cardio, strength, core and stretching!

 

My aim for this month will be to seriously up the running mileage and down the weight. I am trying.  I am also making small changes to my eating style. If I make any headway with weight loss, you know I will be sure to share.

Goals for April:

• Be able run 8k comfortably
• Hope to see 75 or lower on the scale
• Spend time with Chittu
• Continue to exercise in the evenings!
• I am expecting some serious stress at work and home this month - hope I will tide over without resorting to food!

For March, I got in a total of 26 work out days!!! Thats like my highest ever I guess, and mostly because I began to exercise at home! Weight wise I am almost exactly the same as I was the start of March or should I say I have weighed around the same for a long while now - atleast 3-4 months.