It's one of those days...

:-( I need to get myself out of this but I need to do it myself...

The Run

As I type this, my thighs and my core are aching. If I hadn't gone for a massage yesterday, my back would have been aching too. And all I can think about is curling up in bed... Yesterday Kath and I took part in The Run that was organized by Pusat Ehsan Al-Ameerah Al-Hajjah Maryam. Pusat Ehsan is a non-government, non-profit organisation committed to provide quality education and rehabilitation services for physically and intellectually challenged individuals. I had wanted to register for The Run because I felt I needed another target before the Penang Bridge International Marathon this November.

In terms of training, I had bought Kath and I a book on running by Matt Roberts (I will do an official book review one day!) and Kath started following the programme for the 21km marathon. By right, I only need to do the programme for the 10km marathon but since I didn't want to work out alone, I decided to follow Kath's programme. So she would call me in the mornings to wake me up, pick me up from my house and then we would either run outside or run at the gym with some resistance training.

The training must have paid off... somehow! Yesterday's run was not the usual 10km but it was 12km instead which must have been determined by the route they had chosen. We had to run up Mabohai hills which Kath and I consider a killer because running uphill can't possibly ever be pleasant. We were successul in running up half way but had to walk the other half because Kath had a pain in her knee. Then as we turned on to the road that was running past Immigration & Labour Department, we never realized how hilly the road was after running there several times as part of our practice! Fortunately it was flat all the way after that except for the uneven road surface which we had to be mindful of.

I had wanted my brain to kick into auto-pilot mode which I'm sure it did half way through because I could feel my legs starting to fail me but I didn't want to stop running. I was afraid that I would lose my momentum. Kath and I reminded ourselves that it doesn't matter how slow you go so long as you do not stop (a Confucious quote). We joked how we should have had that quote printed on the back of our shirts so that we could motivate other runners behind us. So I kept running.

Kath and I even designed our own shirts for this run. We had the Company logo printed on the back with our names. Justin who was running 21km ran past me but managed to put his arm around my shoulder to say Hi. That was a pleasant surprise! And there were a few others as well who knew us and took the time to say Hello!

Kath and I agreed that it was important to finish strong. As we were approaching the finishing line and being encouraged by the other runners, we started running faster and stronger! We held hands as we both ran across the finishing line. This being my 3rd marathon, it was a finish I was proud of and I hope that the same feeling can be replicated in the next marathon.

I didn't have a lot of time to rest in the afternoon so I was thankful for the rest when my head finally hit the pillow last night.

What made this run memorable was having Kath beside me all the way. We gave each other encouragement and support. We may not have ran it in a time which we could say we're totally proud of but that didn't matter because we didn't stop and just kept on going until we finished it.

From zero marathons to my third marathon - I believe I am making incredible progress.

The photo below (courtesy of ranoadidas.com) captures the start of our run, our specially made shirts and our sexy behinds. I can't wait for Penang!

 

The Adventure Begins Again!

With a lot of support and encouragement from someone very close to me and after many weeks and days of thinking... I finally came to a decision to embark on my weight loss adventures again.

In one of my earlier posts, I had mentioned the Dukan Diet and my true weight. I decided to sign up for it hearing Melissa had such great results. 4.5kg weight loss in I think a month or so with several inches off her thighs and tummy and hips. A girl's dream...

I am on what they call the ATTACK phase whereby I eat pure proteins. I am on my 5th day and I have lost a total of 4.4kg! I feel elated seeing the numbers on the weighing scale going down again and I do feel lighter. Last night my jeans, which had been feeling somewhat snug, began to fit comfortably and a Tshirt which I had bought in August last year finally fits me! That is the kind of encouragement I need... along with my personal cheerleader.

I am really proud of myself for beginning this adventure once again! More to share in future posts...

Still Running...

My company just confirmed that they will sponsor personnel wishing to join the upcoming Standard Chartered Marathon to be held on Sunday, 8th April. I know there's a few people in the office interested including me! So my deadline to train for my first ever 10km run has been pushed forward by a month.

With that in mind, when I am running be it on the treadmill or outdoors, I have 3 things in my head that keep me going even though I am tired:

1. The 10km marathon which I must finish

2. .....

3. .....

I can't share the last two yet until some time later in the year or perhaps even next year :-) Nonetheless, it keeps me focused. 

The other day, I decided to join my colleagues on a run. We excitedly changed into our gear at 5pm, started the run/walk at 5:15pm and finished 56 minutes and 55 seconds later. We ran past the Indera Samudra Grand Hall at Empire Hotel, followed the road past the golf course and some beautiful beaches which led us to the end of the road connected to Jerudong beach and the Jerudong Fish Market. We continued up the highway, running opposite the traffic, ran past Bukit Shahbandar and back into Empire Hotel. It was fun because there was 5 of us altogether. I ran with Kath who set the pace for me but the 3 other boys, they were fast! Even though they were fast, I was not bothered. It would not have been a race of me against them, it was a test for myself in terms of my stamina and persistence. Kath taught me how to slow down without having to start walking so that I wouldn't lose momentum. It was useful especially in those moments where I felt tired. At the last leg, I sprinted just so I could get my heart rate up. According to my friends, we ran about 5km! My first ever 5km run and it was all unexpected!

And then today, I was meant to go for another run with Kath but that got postponed to tomorrow. So I pushed myself to go to the gym. Afternoons are a little bit challenging for workouts. I find myself more fresh to workout in the mornings. Being aware of how I was feeling, I decided to take it easy on the treadmill and ended up doing as follows:

10 mins @ 5km/h - walk

10 mins @ 6km/h - jog

10 mins @ 5km/h - walk

10 mins @ 6km/h - jog

5 mins @ 5km/h - walk

10 mins @ 6.5 km/h - jog faster

4 mins @ 5.5km/h - walk 

1 min @ 8.5km/h - run!

I then lifted some weights before stretching to conclude my workout. 

I feel really good about myself and I like the pace of how things are going. It is encouraging me to do more and to continue doing my best.

The Last Workout for 2011

It was meant to be my second outdoor, on real road run this morning but it rained. So despite being awake at 6am ready to go, Kath and I had to wait till 7am to head to the gym when it would be open. We both settled into our respective runs on the treadmill with our iPod Shuffles keeping us company. I was also watching TV at that point and reading the subtitles but overall in my mind, I kept thinking about my preparation for the 10km I will run in 4 months time. 

The runs the past 2 times I have been to the gym seem comfortable and at the last lap of my workout I ran faster at 8.0km/h just to get my heart rate up. I only felt the ache in my knee after I was done with the 2 - 3 minutes of it. But Kath and I pressed on and decided to excitedly follow this magazine she bought when she was in Penang on body toning. It was a very good magazine with a number of body resistance exercises focusing on different areas.

We followed what it said in the magazine. Today's combination of body resistance exercises was legs, back and waist. It was a very good combination and since we didn't know our "strength", Kath and I opted the beginners route of 2 sets of 10 repetitions. I'm glad we did. I think I would have cringed a lot more today if we did the intermediate route!

What made it a real good workout today was having Kath there. We were motivating each other. Making sure we counted things off together. Made sure we did things correctly. And just suffered together. Suffering with another certainly seems more appealing than suffering on your own! I'm really happy that today being the last day of the year, I had a chance to be with my close friend Kath, working out together and making me look forward our workout in the new year!

That outdoor run will have to wait till 2nd January 2012! Tomorrow I rest and tonight I spend time with my family to usher in the new year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

You have...

A turn of events recently!

Instead of people asking me, "Have you lost weight?", I have had two people this month making a statement, "You have lost weight." And they say it with such calm and sincerity in their voice too. One of them said to me, "Whatever you have been doing, continue doing it." I had flashbacks in my head of what exactly have I been doing? It couldn't possibly be all the durian and tarap I have been eaten that fell from the tree in our backyard or the cempedak that was given to us by my brother. Nor could it be of all the late night snacking I have been doing before heading to bed. What is it?

I have not stepped on the weighing scale. I am not sure if I want to right now. I am just going to judge based on the clothes that used to fit me when I was at my smallest. Some things are a bit tight around the arms, chest, tummy and hips so I am aiming to fit into them again.

My gratitude to the two who made the statement. You (amongst other things) have certainly made my month! 

 

For You vs. For Others

I am demotivated with one part of my life.

And when I sought for advice last night, these words of wisdom gave me a nice big slap across my face:

"Not unless you are ready and willing to do something for yourself instead of others"

Then it dawned upon me, the part of my life which I am demotivated about, who have I been doing it for?

It also made me realise how the dancing, the singing, the music, the fervent need to train for the marathon etc albeit difficult, can drive me mad, yet overall makes me happy I had never really complained about. It was because I was doing it for myself, not for anyone in my life. It was a measured choice and if I was unhappy with something (recently I had decided to stop dancing with one teacher), I would simply make a change and move on, not dwelling too much with my choice.

So the words of wisdom said many other things but he also said:

"If you do it for yourself then you will do it best and even be willing to take risk without frustration"

How true. But right now, with that part of my life that I am currently demotivated about, it is making me reassess - who have I been doing it for? And have I forgotten about doing it for me? Now here's a lesson of, "when you change your perspective, you change your world. When you change your perspective, you change how you move in this world."

Whatever it is, I need to get myself out of this!