Ok, I SWEAR I've posted since 16th March! Infact, I thought I posted last week!
PT has been going great guns since I posted. Dale and I are working hard and it is GREAT! I'm kicking ass at boxing and we've incorporated ducking and leaning with that. I've even surprised him with how hard I'm hitting :) Actually, pretty much all of PT is great. We're burning over 600 calories a session which is great but now we're aiming for 800 - can't wait to crack that number!
Last Sunday, I did an awesome home session. It nearly killed me though! I did a walk that includes 4 laps of the local Little Athletics track and up the stairs...which are steep! It's close to 80 steps. Then I came home and did lunges, squats, The Plank and a few other bits. I burnt close to 900 cal that day. The down side was that the walk is only 3.98 Km and took me 10 min longer than my 4Km walk at the park! How does that work?!
After my PT last week, it took almost a week for my legs to recover. And the day they did, I tortured myself some more :). Then I had PT again but it seemed to FIX my legs! No pain at all!
I've just finished my home circuit and knocked 1 min off from last week...which included an extra 50m walk AND an extra lap of the stairs. I even jogged up half the stairs on the second round! It was HARD!!!! When I got to the top of the second round, I was really sucking in the air and my chest felt like it was on fire... but I LOVED it! I can't wait to do it again! I'm thinking I might try to sneak a session in tomorrow after work. I'll have DD in tow but I'm sure she can help in some way. I may have to cut the walk short and she can sit at the top and count how many laps I do on the stairs or something...
I've been missing my training as I'm not getting in as much as I'd like. But life has not been conducive lately. Not that that should be an excuse. There are no excuses. I have to find the time!
This week I have PT Tues, Wed I really will not have time (work, grocery shopping, dinner with friends), Thursday I can do gym before work, Friday after work. That's my plan!
Happy exercising!
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Getting my Groove back
So yesterday I had PT. I always worry when I have my first session back after time off - even though I only missed one session. And I was a little worried about how I'd cope with the cold. When I got up, my head felt like a cement weight and I REALLY didn't feel like training. But along I went.
I was so incredibly relieved when I didn't see the tow rope laid out ready for my torture. I REALLY didn't feel up to it. Especially since my back had been sore enough on Monday to warrant my more serious pain meds (half of why my head was heavy - they leave me so hung over!). Instead, we warmed up with a short hike uphill to a nice grassy area where we did 15 min of boxing. I did not feel like boxing. I felt like crawling into a hammock in the sun with a big sombrero and going to sleep. Dale had other ideas.
10 quick squats and some basic limbering moves followed by a serious of boxing combo's including ducking and back bends. The ducking was fun. The back bends were not.
After that we moved back to the gym where he tortured me with seated bench presses at weights not previously conquered. I sucked so much that he actually had to spot me for once. It was challenging. But I didn't quit - I surprised myself actually. After that we moved on to leg work. Lunges. I love lunges... but not yesterday! Nonetheless, I lunged away and then we included a kick and then added weights. By the end, I was REALLY struggling! It was a great workout!
This morning my legs were killing. But I loved it! It was fantastic! It's the kind of pain and burn I was getting when I was training for the stair climb. It is a good pain. It is brilliant!!!
This afternoon? Not so brilliant. LOL stairs, inclines, attempting to sit - all result in PAIN! LOL But I secretly love it ;)
After work today, I grabbed DD and took her for a walk. She loves to "train" with Mummy which is really just me making her walk at a fast pace and not stop to look at every leaf on the sidewalk, every insect or bug we pass, to pick every flower in the neighbourhood. LOL. She doesn't do too bad. We walked around 2Km in 30 min. It wasn't overly fast for me but I doubt my legs could have handled much more. They still hurt a lot and I'm stretching like mad to keep injury at bay and to prevent a relapse like I had in Nov. I am loving it though! I feel like I have a little more of my groove back :)
I was so incredibly relieved when I didn't see the tow rope laid out ready for my torture. I REALLY didn't feel up to it. Especially since my back had been sore enough on Monday to warrant my more serious pain meds (half of why my head was heavy - they leave me so hung over!). Instead, we warmed up with a short hike uphill to a nice grassy area where we did 15 min of boxing. I did not feel like boxing. I felt like crawling into a hammock in the sun with a big sombrero and going to sleep. Dale had other ideas.
10 quick squats and some basic limbering moves followed by a serious of boxing combo's including ducking and back bends. The ducking was fun. The back bends were not.
After that we moved back to the gym where he tortured me with seated bench presses at weights not previously conquered. I sucked so much that he actually had to spot me for once. It was challenging. But I didn't quit - I surprised myself actually. After that we moved on to leg work. Lunges. I love lunges... but not yesterday! Nonetheless, I lunged away and then we included a kick and then added weights. By the end, I was REALLY struggling! It was a great workout!
This morning my legs were killing. But I loved it! It was fantastic! It's the kind of pain and burn I was getting when I was training for the stair climb. It is a good pain. It is brilliant!!!
This afternoon? Not so brilliant. LOL stairs, inclines, attempting to sit - all result in PAIN! LOL But I secretly love it ;)
After work today, I grabbed DD and took her for a walk. She loves to "train" with Mummy which is really just me making her walk at a fast pace and not stop to look at every leaf on the sidewalk, every insect or bug we pass, to pick every flower in the neighbourhood. LOL. She doesn't do too bad. We walked around 2Km in 30 min. It wasn't overly fast for me but I doubt my legs could have handled much more. They still hurt a lot and I'm stretching like mad to keep injury at bay and to prevent a relapse like I had in Nov. I am loving it though! I feel like I have a little more of my groove back :)
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Slack
Ok, so I've not been as good at keeping this blog up to date as I would like. I'd like to say it's because I've been busy exercising and making myself into a svelt sexy beast... but that would be lying. Don't get me wrong - I HAVE been training. I've done some brilliant sessions... just none on my own. I can't recall the last time I trained on my own. No, actually, I took DD for a walk a few weeks back and found some ace training stairs. Other than that, most of my training sessions have been at the gym with Dale.
Gym sessions have been good. Dale has stepped up and increased my sessions as per my request. We've been doing some very different and unconventional activities. Using these massive towing ropes as you would when skipping in the school play ground. Sounds easy but those things get heavy! I've been burning as much in a 30-40 min cardio (rope, boxing, squats) and 15 min weights session as I was previously in a 60 min full on cardio session! It's great!
But then I had a bad week. Nothing too detrimental but I was sore. Now my confidence is shot again. That week we did a session similar to my previous ones - very boring and barely broke a sweat. Actually, I didn't break a sweat. That was a hard session to endure after all the fun I'd been having!
I have made a massive improvement though. I've dramatically reduced my intake. I no longer eat when I'm bored. I'm only eating when I'm actually hungry. No mindless eating. Sounds like I'm on a winner huh? Well, despite the decrease in consumption and the improvement in the foods I'm eating - I'm still not losing weight :( My weight remains unchanged yet my body size has increased. UNFAIR! The sexy jeans I bought not long ago are now too tight :( DEVESTATING! So it is time to kick things up another notch. Lets combine the training and the food.
My only issue is I'm sick. Two weeks ago I got a head cold. Not enough to stop me from training (No, I had other things to prevent me from training which I will get to shortly) but it was there. The cold has developed into an upper respiratory and sinus infection which has my head feeling like a lead weight and me coughing like a trouper. The coughing scares me as I have previously put my back out coughing and I always worry I will repeat that. So I'm ensuring I brace well when I cough! The thing the cold has developed into is enough to stop me from training. I am hoping to get out and do some today though!
The last few weeks have been manic and very stressful in the Dewy household. Actually, the last 6 weeks. It was DD's birthday last month which was a very busy week. There was dance, her party, a friend's party, her actual birthday, another friend's party - the social life of a 4 year old! But of course, that was only part of it.
On the 9th Feb, I had a serious of frantic calls from my DH as I drove home from work. DD had swallowed a coin. She was breathing fine. At first I laughed it off saying she'd pass it. After all, it happens to millions of children each year. Right? Well, I spoke with one of the Dr's at work the next day who said I should get her X-Ray'd to make sure it has moved to the stomach and isn't blocking her airway lower down. Made sense as DD was crying all night the night she did it. So I organised the X-Ray which showed it was in her small bowel... so she should pass it. Our GP told us that if it hadn't passed in her stool by the Sunday (day 4) we should take her to hospital. So the joys of checking her bowel motions began. Some parts of parenthood are just too gross to include in the job description! Lucky for her Mummy is a nurse and deals with poo all the time!
The coin hadn't surfaced by Sunday so I rang the local ED to get their opinion. They said that since she was still having pain we should come in. Unimpressed at spending hours upon hours in a waiting room, we tried a semi-local 24 hour super clinic first. We were seen surprisingly quick. And left just as quickly. The Dr held the X-Ray upside down instantly shooting my confidence in his abilities. He said go to hospital. I suggested another X-Ray first. He declined (I get the impression he really had no idea what he was doing) and we headed for RCH.
The triage nurse in ED at RCH was an old friend of mine and he got us through pretty quickly. We saw a Nurse Practitioner who seemed stressed and annoyed. There was lots of huffing and puffing and sighing from her. With a non-committal glance at the X-Ray she told us that these things happen all the time and that they don't do anything for swallowed coins, open safety pins, or thumb tacks. Now, considering we do in adults, I'm not entirely sure why they wouldn't in children! She then went on to tell me that the only reason DD is telling me she is in pain is because she did the wrong thing. Ahhhh, excuse me?! We left very quickly, DH feeling like an idiot and me fuming at the attitude we got. In the mean time, DD (who was continuing to play like her normal happy self) was complaining of stomach pain. We went home and continued life.
Two days later, Tuesday and Day 6 post swallowing the coin, DD woke later than normal and was instantly complaining of stomach pain. She was pale and distressed. She could hardly walk and was unusually clingy. She told me she was just hungry and then proceeded to eat two bowel of porridge. In the meantime, I continued getting ready for PT. Then all hell broke lose. DD suddenly began projectile vomitting. Nice. I almost literally threw her into the shower whilst I rang DH and cleaned the couch at the same time. I ordered him home NOW. She was showing the classic signs of a bowel obstruction. After soaking up the vomit and cleaning her up, I left her in the shower whilst I packed a bag for hospital (sorry about the water restrictions!). As soon as I had her bag packed, I got her out and dressed her then headed for the local hospital. We got in straight away and they were great. They actually looked at her and assessed her. We actually saw a Dr. By this time DD had perked up and happily playing. They ordered an X-Ray (her second one) and we went off for that. She was slightly less scared than her first one. The X-Ray showed the coin hadn't moved but they didn't think it was in the small bowel. We were told they'd like to scope her to remove the coin but needed to talk to the boss. The boss said to let it pass but it might take a year. Again, we were sent home. How did they think she would pass this?!
Every night DD would wake with pain and crying. On the Friday I spoke to a gastroenterologist at work who said it might pass from the small bowel but could easily get stuck and to keep watching her. A week later he asked how she was doing. I told him she hadn't improved and he told me to speak with his boss. They both looked at the X-Ray and told me it needed to come out. I was given the name of a Dr at RCH to try and get in with and told to tell my GP to order another X-Ray.
I saw the GP the next day and we organised an X-Ray. It showed that in three weeks it hadn't moved but this report said it was now in the stomach near the duodenum... how exactly had it travelled UPWARDS?! Frustrated, I rang the specialist the next day but couldn't get in. I spoke with his nurse who was astounded at how we had been treated to date. She suggested I get one of work's Dr's to call RCH. The only issue was that the right people weren't available for another two days. I kept an eye on DD and on the Friday of week 3 one of the Dr's at work rang RCH and spoke to their oncall gastroenterologist. When they heard DD's symptoms, they tried to get us a bed for that day. When that failed, they asked us in to review her. The end result was her being booked in for a gastroscopy on the Tuesday. 1 day before 4 weeks.
Relieved that someone was finally listening and assessing DD, I took her home and thought about how to prepare her for the day. Knowing how scared she was over the X-Ray, I elected not to tell her anything until the day before.
Monday after work, I told DD that we were going to see Dr Tony again the next day and that he was going to make her tummy better by removing the coin. That we'd have another X-Ray in the morning and then we'd go see some nurses like Mummy. That she'd be asked some questions and then see a different Dr who would put a magic straw into her hand and later she would have some magic fairy dust through the magic straw. I told her that Mummy would go with her to a special room and the magic fairy dust would make her sleepy; that whilst asleep the fairies would help Dr Tony take the coin out of her tummy and she would feel better. That when she woke she'd have to be careful of the magic straw and not pull it out.
The day was very stressful. DH was trying to be stoic and not show his concern. Knowing his history of not coping in emergencies or with hospital staff, I had earlier told him I'd take her on my own. But his behavior and concern had me reassess that. I asked him to drop us off and pick us up so he was included and felt useful. That wasn't enough for him. I told him to come to X-Ray with us (which he refused to take her in for. He just wanted to sit there and LOOK like he was helping - annoyed much?) and then go to work. I didn't want DD to freak out by having us both there. Then she wanted him to come to day surg with us. No problem. He was fairly well behaved and didn't ramp up DD's anxiety. He wasn't rude to staff (I may have given him a talking to and reminded him that I am also a nurse and he wouldn't like it if I was treated that way). The only issue I had was when he began to work in the waiting room. At that point I suggested he go to work. He quickly put it away.
DD was fantastic all day. No complaints about fasting. She got scared a few times and kept asking for a nap. But she was brilliant. She freaked in the anesthetic room because there were so many people in there. But she was brilliant. So brave. She even got an award for her bravery :)
The Dr saw me afterwards and said the coin was in the stomach. An easy retrieval. It might have taken 2 years for her to pass it and there was no way it could have staid there. We did the right thing. It was a relief to hear that.
DD was sore for a few days afterwards but, a week later, is fine.
So, the last 6 weeks have been a nightmare. Hopefully now I can refocus on my training and get somewhere with it!
Gym sessions have been good. Dale has stepped up and increased my sessions as per my request. We've been doing some very different and unconventional activities. Using these massive towing ropes as you would when skipping in the school play ground. Sounds easy but those things get heavy! I've been burning as much in a 30-40 min cardio (rope, boxing, squats) and 15 min weights session as I was previously in a 60 min full on cardio session! It's great!
But then I had a bad week. Nothing too detrimental but I was sore. Now my confidence is shot again. That week we did a session similar to my previous ones - very boring and barely broke a sweat. Actually, I didn't break a sweat. That was a hard session to endure after all the fun I'd been having!
I have made a massive improvement though. I've dramatically reduced my intake. I no longer eat when I'm bored. I'm only eating when I'm actually hungry. No mindless eating. Sounds like I'm on a winner huh? Well, despite the decrease in consumption and the improvement in the foods I'm eating - I'm still not losing weight :( My weight remains unchanged yet my body size has increased. UNFAIR! The sexy jeans I bought not long ago are now too tight :( DEVESTATING! So it is time to kick things up another notch. Lets combine the training and the food.
My only issue is I'm sick. Two weeks ago I got a head cold. Not enough to stop me from training (No, I had other things to prevent me from training which I will get to shortly) but it was there. The cold has developed into an upper respiratory and sinus infection which has my head feeling like a lead weight and me coughing like a trouper. The coughing scares me as I have previously put my back out coughing and I always worry I will repeat that. So I'm ensuring I brace well when I cough! The thing the cold has developed into is enough to stop me from training. I am hoping to get out and do some today though!
The last few weeks have been manic and very stressful in the Dewy household. Actually, the last 6 weeks. It was DD's birthday last month which was a very busy week. There was dance, her party, a friend's party, her actual birthday, another friend's party - the social life of a 4 year old! But of course, that was only part of it.
On the 9th Feb, I had a serious of frantic calls from my DH as I drove home from work. DD had swallowed a coin. She was breathing fine. At first I laughed it off saying she'd pass it. After all, it happens to millions of children each year. Right? Well, I spoke with one of the Dr's at work the next day who said I should get her X-Ray'd to make sure it has moved to the stomach and isn't blocking her airway lower down. Made sense as DD was crying all night the night she did it. So I organised the X-Ray which showed it was in her small bowel... so she should pass it. Our GP told us that if it hadn't passed in her stool by the Sunday (day 4) we should take her to hospital. So the joys of checking her bowel motions began. Some parts of parenthood are just too gross to include in the job description! Lucky for her Mummy is a nurse and deals with poo all the time!
The coin hadn't surfaced by Sunday so I rang the local ED to get their opinion. They said that since she was still having pain we should come in. Unimpressed at spending hours upon hours in a waiting room, we tried a semi-local 24 hour super clinic first. We were seen surprisingly quick. And left just as quickly. The Dr held the X-Ray upside down instantly shooting my confidence in his abilities. He said go to hospital. I suggested another X-Ray first. He declined (I get the impression he really had no idea what he was doing) and we headed for RCH.
The triage nurse in ED at RCH was an old friend of mine and he got us through pretty quickly. We saw a Nurse Practitioner who seemed stressed and annoyed. There was lots of huffing and puffing and sighing from her. With a non-committal glance at the X-Ray she told us that these things happen all the time and that they don't do anything for swallowed coins, open safety pins, or thumb tacks. Now, considering we do in adults, I'm not entirely sure why they wouldn't in children! She then went on to tell me that the only reason DD is telling me she is in pain is because she did the wrong thing. Ahhhh, excuse me?! We left very quickly, DH feeling like an idiot and me fuming at the attitude we got. In the mean time, DD (who was continuing to play like her normal happy self) was complaining of stomach pain. We went home and continued life.
Two days later, Tuesday and Day 6 post swallowing the coin, DD woke later than normal and was instantly complaining of stomach pain. She was pale and distressed. She could hardly walk and was unusually clingy. She told me she was just hungry and then proceeded to eat two bowel of porridge. In the meantime, I continued getting ready for PT. Then all hell broke lose. DD suddenly began projectile vomitting. Nice. I almost literally threw her into the shower whilst I rang DH and cleaned the couch at the same time. I ordered him home NOW. She was showing the classic signs of a bowel obstruction. After soaking up the vomit and cleaning her up, I left her in the shower whilst I packed a bag for hospital (sorry about the water restrictions!). As soon as I had her bag packed, I got her out and dressed her then headed for the local hospital. We got in straight away and they were great. They actually looked at her and assessed her. We actually saw a Dr. By this time DD had perked up and happily playing. They ordered an X-Ray (her second one) and we went off for that. She was slightly less scared than her first one. The X-Ray showed the coin hadn't moved but they didn't think it was in the small bowel. We were told they'd like to scope her to remove the coin but needed to talk to the boss. The boss said to let it pass but it might take a year. Again, we were sent home. How did they think she would pass this?!
Every night DD would wake with pain and crying. On the Friday I spoke to a gastroenterologist at work who said it might pass from the small bowel but could easily get stuck and to keep watching her. A week later he asked how she was doing. I told him she hadn't improved and he told me to speak with his boss. They both looked at the X-Ray and told me it needed to come out. I was given the name of a Dr at RCH to try and get in with and told to tell my GP to order another X-Ray.
I saw the GP the next day and we organised an X-Ray. It showed that in three weeks it hadn't moved but this report said it was now in the stomach near the duodenum... how exactly had it travelled UPWARDS?! Frustrated, I rang the specialist the next day but couldn't get in. I spoke with his nurse who was astounded at how we had been treated to date. She suggested I get one of work's Dr's to call RCH. The only issue was that the right people weren't available for another two days. I kept an eye on DD and on the Friday of week 3 one of the Dr's at work rang RCH and spoke to their oncall gastroenterologist. When they heard DD's symptoms, they tried to get us a bed for that day. When that failed, they asked us in to review her. The end result was her being booked in for a gastroscopy on the Tuesday. 1 day before 4 weeks.
Relieved that someone was finally listening and assessing DD, I took her home and thought about how to prepare her for the day. Knowing how scared she was over the X-Ray, I elected not to tell her anything until the day before.
Monday after work, I told DD that we were going to see Dr Tony again the next day and that he was going to make her tummy better by removing the coin. That we'd have another X-Ray in the morning and then we'd go see some nurses like Mummy. That she'd be asked some questions and then see a different Dr who would put a magic straw into her hand and later she would have some magic fairy dust through the magic straw. I told her that Mummy would go with her to a special room and the magic fairy dust would make her sleepy; that whilst asleep the fairies would help Dr Tony take the coin out of her tummy and she would feel better. That when she woke she'd have to be careful of the magic straw and not pull it out.
The day was very stressful. DH was trying to be stoic and not show his concern. Knowing his history of not coping in emergencies or with hospital staff, I had earlier told him I'd take her on my own. But his behavior and concern had me reassess that. I asked him to drop us off and pick us up so he was included and felt useful. That wasn't enough for him. I told him to come to X-Ray with us (which he refused to take her in for. He just wanted to sit there and LOOK like he was helping - annoyed much?) and then go to work. I didn't want DD to freak out by having us both there. Then she wanted him to come to day surg with us. No problem. He was fairly well behaved and didn't ramp up DD's anxiety. He wasn't rude to staff (I may have given him a talking to and reminded him that I am also a nurse and he wouldn't like it if I was treated that way). The only issue I had was when he began to work in the waiting room. At that point I suggested he go to work. He quickly put it away.
DD was fantastic all day. No complaints about fasting. She got scared a few times and kept asking for a nap. But she was brilliant. She freaked in the anesthetic room because there were so many people in there. But she was brilliant. So brave. She even got an award for her bravery :)
The Dr saw me afterwards and said the coin was in the stomach. An easy retrieval. It might have taken 2 years for her to pass it and there was no way it could have staid there. We did the right thing. It was a relief to hear that.
DD was sore for a few days afterwards but, a week later, is fine.
So, the last 6 weeks have been a nightmare. Hopefully now I can refocus on my training and get somewhere with it!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
One extreme to another
So, the time before last, I blogged about walking in the rain. Pouring rain. Which resulted in me getting a) very very wet and b) falling over and hurting my knee.
Well, today the weather is more reflective of a true Australian Summer. We were told to expect 40 degrees today. Yuck. I dislike Summer. But, in true Dewy fashion, I didn't let it stop me from my normal Sunday workout.
I've been really enjoying my walks in the park and decided several days ago that I would still walk there today. Sure the weather would be disgustingly hot and there is little practical shade on the walking track... but I'd be prepared! I'd wait until after 3 so as to reduce my risk of being burnt. I'd actually wear sunscreen and a hat this time! (remember I got burnt not long ago!). I'd put water in the freezer for my walk so it would be cold when I needed it (and it was icy when I started!). I'd take an extra cold bottle of water for when I got back to the car to cool down with a wet cloth. I'd take a very cold bottle of sport drink to rehydrate quickly. I'd hydrate before I left (which I did!).
I did all of those things.
I started out on my walk around 1530 hrs. I started off at a good speed. I could feel myself huffing and puffing and figured it was just the weather. When I got to the half way mark (which, by the way, is all uphill!) I checked my watch. I was a whole minute and a half ahead of my time! Awesome!
A quick about turn and I headed back down the hill. I kept up the pace. But around 300m down the hill I began to feel a little light headed. Ick. I knew it was the heat and kept up my fluids. By this time (around 20 min into the walk) my water was no longer icy. It was barely cold!
I kept pushing on and another 200m down the path I felt sick. I wanted to throw up. I knew what was happening. I was overheating. A quick glance at my HRM showed that my HR was fine. It was elevated but well within the norms of exercise. In fact, it's been way way higher before! It was sitting around 160 bpm where on the treadmill it would have been over 170 bpm. Knowing exactly what was happening, I began to look around for a seat in the shade to have a quick rest - there was no way I was sitting on the long grass where snakes might be hiding!!!
Around another 300m I found a bench in the shade. I had a quick sit and felt a wee better. But not quickly enough. I worried that if I didn't keep moving, I wasn't going to make it back to the car. And today, unlike most days, the track was desserted - clearly the rest of the North Eastern Suburbs had brains and were not risking the extreme heat! I was starting to worry, if I'm honest, about passing out on the path and not being found for hours... which would obviously result in bad things including extreme sunburn and so forth. So I slowed myself down. I made myself back off.
A little further down the track, I had another break in the shade. Head between my knees to get the blood back to my head. I kept drinking water. When I felt steady, I took off again. I made myself slow my pace down. My music began irritating me - making me feel more light headed. I knew things were getting bad. I contemplated calling home but knew I could get back to the car before DH could get to me. And I'd still have to walk to the car because you can't get vehicles on the track. I HAD to make myself slow down. I told myself that my time didn't matter today - I just had to get home safely.
I began to worry how I was going to drive home. I saw another spot down the path and took my last break. This was the longest break I took. I felt much better after that break. But I still didn't know how I was going to get to the car. The heat was killing me. The sun was killing me! I could feel myself burning despite my 3 inch thick sunscreen!!!
Finally, I got to the car. FINALLY! I hit stop on the HRM as I unlocked the car. Before I got in the car, I turned the ignition on and turned the A/C to full throttle. I put all the windows down. I fumbled with the insulation bag I'd brought with my sport drink and ice bricks but eventually got the bricks out. I put them on two of the spots we use in nursing to cool someone down quickly. It made me feel more dizzy as my temp rapidly dropped. I got rid of the hat. When I felt steady, I moved my car to the disabled spot in the shade. The only shade. There was a car next to me with people in it. I fumbled to undo my sport drink and have a sip. I moved the bricks to another spot to cool me down. I was fighting the urge to vomit. I poured my spare bottle onto a towel and wiped myself down. I used that on the back of my neck to aid the cooling process. I laid the drivers seat back to give myself a chance to recover quicker.
I knew I looked crap. I was worried. And I wondered why the people in the next car didn't ask if I was ok. I was surprised that they didn't.
I spent 10 min moving the ice bricks and re-wetting my towel. Slowly, the fog lifted from my brain. I felt better. I didn't feel as hot. The nausea left. I sat up properly again and let everything settle.
I tentatively drove home. The whole way I felt better. I did, however, question my sanity at having trained in such heat! I decided today was not the day to start my leg work (which had been approved by my physio!) and vowed to recover as soon as I got home.
Once home, I downed more water. I stretched my muscles. I hit the shower. Oh how good did that cool water feel!!! But it did nothing for my headache! Several hours later, I still have a bad headache. I've had countless glasses of water but nothing seems to be helping. I'm hoping it will be gone in the morning!
Since being home, I have discovered that I actually ended up training in the hottest part of the day. Our maximum temp was *only* 39 today. When I got in the car after my walk, the temp was actually 37 degrees - it had been 30 when I left home. OUCH!
I have lernt that next time I should (and will) either train in air conditioning such as the gym or home, OR wait for the cooler part of the day.
Oh, and if you're curious what my time for the 4Km walk was (in 37 degrees Celcius and with a grand total of 5 min break) - it was 40 min and 32 sec!!! Soooo if I hadn't taken any breaks, I would have shaved at least a couple of minutes off of my time!
Well, today the weather is more reflective of a true Australian Summer. We were told to expect 40 degrees today. Yuck. I dislike Summer. But, in true Dewy fashion, I didn't let it stop me from my normal Sunday workout.
I've been really enjoying my walks in the park and decided several days ago that I would still walk there today. Sure the weather would be disgustingly hot and there is little practical shade on the walking track... but I'd be prepared! I'd wait until after 3 so as to reduce my risk of being burnt. I'd actually wear sunscreen and a hat this time! (remember I got burnt not long ago!). I'd put water in the freezer for my walk so it would be cold when I needed it (and it was icy when I started!). I'd take an extra cold bottle of water for when I got back to the car to cool down with a wet cloth. I'd take a very cold bottle of sport drink to rehydrate quickly. I'd hydrate before I left (which I did!).
I did all of those things.
I started out on my walk around 1530 hrs. I started off at a good speed. I could feel myself huffing and puffing and figured it was just the weather. When I got to the half way mark (which, by the way, is all uphill!) I checked my watch. I was a whole minute and a half ahead of my time! Awesome!
A quick about turn and I headed back down the hill. I kept up the pace. But around 300m down the hill I began to feel a little light headed. Ick. I knew it was the heat and kept up my fluids. By this time (around 20 min into the walk) my water was no longer icy. It was barely cold!
I kept pushing on and another 200m down the path I felt sick. I wanted to throw up. I knew what was happening. I was overheating. A quick glance at my HRM showed that my HR was fine. It was elevated but well within the norms of exercise. In fact, it's been way way higher before! It was sitting around 160 bpm where on the treadmill it would have been over 170 bpm. Knowing exactly what was happening, I began to look around for a seat in the shade to have a quick rest - there was no way I was sitting on the long grass where snakes might be hiding!!!
Around another 300m I found a bench in the shade. I had a quick sit and felt a wee better. But not quickly enough. I worried that if I didn't keep moving, I wasn't going to make it back to the car. And today, unlike most days, the track was desserted - clearly the rest of the North Eastern Suburbs had brains and were not risking the extreme heat! I was starting to worry, if I'm honest, about passing out on the path and not being found for hours... which would obviously result in bad things including extreme sunburn and so forth. So I slowed myself down. I made myself back off.
A little further down the track, I had another break in the shade. Head between my knees to get the blood back to my head. I kept drinking water. When I felt steady, I took off again. I made myself slow my pace down. My music began irritating me - making me feel more light headed. I knew things were getting bad. I contemplated calling home but knew I could get back to the car before DH could get to me. And I'd still have to walk to the car because you can't get vehicles on the track. I HAD to make myself slow down. I told myself that my time didn't matter today - I just had to get home safely.
I began to worry how I was going to drive home. I saw another spot down the path and took my last break. This was the longest break I took. I felt much better after that break. But I still didn't know how I was going to get to the car. The heat was killing me. The sun was killing me! I could feel myself burning despite my 3 inch thick sunscreen!!!
Finally, I got to the car. FINALLY! I hit stop on the HRM as I unlocked the car. Before I got in the car, I turned the ignition on and turned the A/C to full throttle. I put all the windows down. I fumbled with the insulation bag I'd brought with my sport drink and ice bricks but eventually got the bricks out. I put them on two of the spots we use in nursing to cool someone down quickly. It made me feel more dizzy as my temp rapidly dropped. I got rid of the hat. When I felt steady, I moved my car to the disabled spot in the shade. The only shade. There was a car next to me with people in it. I fumbled to undo my sport drink and have a sip. I moved the bricks to another spot to cool me down. I was fighting the urge to vomit. I poured my spare bottle onto a towel and wiped myself down. I used that on the back of my neck to aid the cooling process. I laid the drivers seat back to give myself a chance to recover quicker.
I knew I looked crap. I was worried. And I wondered why the people in the next car didn't ask if I was ok. I was surprised that they didn't.
I spent 10 min moving the ice bricks and re-wetting my towel. Slowly, the fog lifted from my brain. I felt better. I didn't feel as hot. The nausea left. I sat up properly again and let everything settle.
I tentatively drove home. The whole way I felt better. I did, however, question my sanity at having trained in such heat! I decided today was not the day to start my leg work (which had been approved by my physio!) and vowed to recover as soon as I got home.
Once home, I downed more water. I stretched my muscles. I hit the shower. Oh how good did that cool water feel!!! But it did nothing for my headache! Several hours later, I still have a bad headache. I've had countless glasses of water but nothing seems to be helping. I'm hoping it will be gone in the morning!
Since being home, I have discovered that I actually ended up training in the hottest part of the day. Our maximum temp was *only* 39 today. When I got in the car after my walk, the temp was actually 37 degrees - it had been 30 when I left home. OUCH!
I have lernt that next time I should (and will) either train in air conditioning such as the gym or home, OR wait for the cooler part of the day.
Oh, and if you're curious what my time for the 4Km walk was (in 37 degrees Celcius and with a grand total of 5 min break) - it was 40 min and 32 sec!!! Soooo if I hadn't taken any breaks, I would have shaved at least a couple of minutes off of my time!
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Still training
So, my knee's been playing up a bit since my fall. Not so nice. My back finally gets better (thank goodness it wasn't aggrevated by the fall!) and my knee goes. So, right when physio decides I can return to leg work (squats, lunges etc) - my knee decides otherwise! I MISS that stuff! I NEED to do that stuff to get ready for the Eureka Climb later in the year!
I'm trying my best to be patient... but my patience is running out with my body! I had physio on Saturday and he wants me to strap my knee for the next week when I'm training. No biggie, I can handle that. I haven't tested it since my appointment because now my back is hurting. So not happy! But, considering he found some decent knots in my hips, I'm assuming it's just because we've dealt with the knots. And I'm bruised. I have so many bruises from physio!!!!
BUT, last week I needed to train. For my sanity, I needed to train. But the idea of the gym just did not appeal to me. So I went to Westerfold's park. They have some really nice walking tracks. So I chose my old fav and headed off. I struggled because I felt like I wasn't really working. I didn't feel like I was walking fast enough. I couldn't feel my heart rate increase (although my newly repaired HRM tells me it was climbing - maybe not as much as normal but it was climbing!). I just didn't feel like I was working. So I pushed myself. Soon enough I got to the hill I used to dread on my bike. Off I climbed. It didn't seem as steep when walking...
By the time I got back to my car, my thighs were beginning to burn. I felt a little tired. I stopped my HRM and unlocked the car. Then I noticed the sign. I had just walked 4Km. Hmmmm I normally only do 3 on my treadmill and since my Nov (when I did my back again) that takes me around 35 min. I looked at the stats on my watch and saw I'd done it (4Km) in 39.25 min! And that was with two stops (one to adjust music and the other to take a quick call from DH). WOOT!
Spurred on, I returned after work the next day. The weather was great - not as warm as I'd thought it would be. I trotted off along the same route. Hat on, sunscreen on (got badly burnt the other weekend!), water bottle in hand, music on - off I went!
This time I tried not to push myself to hard but was secretly hoping to knock 5 min off my time. Silly, I know! But I still didn't feel like I was walking as fast as on the treadmill (FYI, this is because when you're on a treadmill, the belt pulls your leg back for you which makes you have to move it forward quicker). I kept going and when I got to the top of the hill, I did a quick time check to see if I was at least on track to do the same time as the day before. I was a little ahead! WOOT! I hightailed it back to the car, resisting the urge for a jog. When I got back to the car, a time check revealed that I had done it in 37.09 min! Not 5 min but I'll take any reduction thanks! I did a few stretches and got in my car to go home.
The next day, I was sore. Very sore. Wanting to go home from work sore. I don't really know WHY I was sore but I think I needed to do more back stretches - a bit hard in the park. But that's ok. I'm feeling better today . I haven't trained since Fri but am hoping to get a (gentle) walk in later today. PT has been canceled for tomorrow (Dale's made a boo boo in his diary) and so I'll prob do some training at home tomorrow as well. But all in all, things are looking good!
I'm trying my best to be patient... but my patience is running out with my body! I had physio on Saturday and he wants me to strap my knee for the next week when I'm training. No biggie, I can handle that. I haven't tested it since my appointment because now my back is hurting. So not happy! But, considering he found some decent knots in my hips, I'm assuming it's just because we've dealt with the knots. And I'm bruised. I have so many bruises from physio!!!!
BUT, last week I needed to train. For my sanity, I needed to train. But the idea of the gym just did not appeal to me. So I went to Westerfold's park. They have some really nice walking tracks. So I chose my old fav and headed off. I struggled because I felt like I wasn't really working. I didn't feel like I was walking fast enough. I couldn't feel my heart rate increase (although my newly repaired HRM tells me it was climbing - maybe not as much as normal but it was climbing!). I just didn't feel like I was working. So I pushed myself. Soon enough I got to the hill I used to dread on my bike. Off I climbed. It didn't seem as steep when walking...
By the time I got back to my car, my thighs were beginning to burn. I felt a little tired. I stopped my HRM and unlocked the car. Then I noticed the sign. I had just walked 4Km. Hmmmm I normally only do 3 on my treadmill and since my Nov (when I did my back again) that takes me around 35 min. I looked at the stats on my watch and saw I'd done it (4Km) in 39.25 min! And that was with two stops (one to adjust music and the other to take a quick call from DH). WOOT!
Spurred on, I returned after work the next day. The weather was great - not as warm as I'd thought it would be. I trotted off along the same route. Hat on, sunscreen on (got badly burnt the other weekend!), water bottle in hand, music on - off I went!
This time I tried not to push myself to hard but was secretly hoping to knock 5 min off my time. Silly, I know! But I still didn't feel like I was walking as fast as on the treadmill (FYI, this is because when you're on a treadmill, the belt pulls your leg back for you which makes you have to move it forward quicker). I kept going and when I got to the top of the hill, I did a quick time check to see if I was at least on track to do the same time as the day before. I was a little ahead! WOOT! I hightailed it back to the car, resisting the urge for a jog. When I got back to the car, a time check revealed that I had done it in 37.09 min! Not 5 min but I'll take any reduction thanks! I did a few stretches and got in my car to go home.
The next day, I was sore. Very sore. Wanting to go home from work sore. I don't really know WHY I was sore but I think I needed to do more back stretches - a bit hard in the park. But that's ok. I'm feeling better today . I haven't trained since Fri but am hoping to get a (gentle) walk in later today. PT has been canceled for tomorrow (Dale's made a boo boo in his diary) and so I'll prob do some training at home tomorrow as well. But all in all, things are looking good!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
It's raining, it's pouring!
So, it's raining in Melbourne. Not as much as in QLD but they say we'll get 50mm in 24 hours. After dinner it was raining. I didn't think it was that bad. I felt I needed to go for a walk but didn't want to use the treadmill... and what's a bit of water...right?
WELL! by the time I walked 5 min, I was DRENCHED! Lucky I was wearing my waterproof jacket and baseball cap...or so I thought! Going up the hill hurt like hell and it was slippery. And wet (DER!). I was dodging puddles left right and centre.
At the 1.3Km mark I discover my HRM isn't working. Stupid thing. Second time in less than 12 months. Must get a new battery. If it doesn't resolve I'll throw the bloody thing out!
At around 2Km, I slip. Yup - SLIPPED! My wonderful local Govt has put these bumpy things in the sidewalk to warn visually impaired people that there is a bus stop. At selected intersections, they have also placed them - I guess to warn it's an intersection... but why only SOME intersections?!
I digress. I slipped. I was distracted trying to remove my iPhone from my pocket to check my work. I slid forward with right hand out. That broke my fall as I slid to my right knee. I had instinctively gone to protect my bad side. I didn't go straight down, I kind of did the splits (YAY for being flexible!), slipped forward, and then rolled on my left hip (OUCH!). My phone is now dented but not water logged (YAY!).
I pulled myself up quickly to escape the water flowing down the path, and kept moving. For a split second, I contemplated calling DH to collect me... but he had already told me to be careful and hadn't wanted me to go! So I pushed on. With my ego in the way, I kept going on my designated path afraid that people were watching and how pathetic I'd look if I turned around!
SO, I go a little further before back tracking. I was limping a little. The trek back up that hill was murder! I was so water logged it was foul! My pants were drenched! My SOCKS were drenched! I was paranoid about those slippery warning signs and was doing my best to avoid them!
I FINALLY got home, realising along the way that I was DRENCHED! I was cursing my stupidity and reached the conclusion that
a) I'm not meant to train
b). Training in the rain is best left to people with NO choice...or those missing a brain
c). I am unfairly accident prone!!!
And then I saw the local cricket club out walking and looking miserable... I at least had a water proof jacket on! Fat lot of good that did though!!!! When I got home, DH took a photo (to be posted at a later date!) and then I went to strip for a shower.
The first sign of how water logged I was, was that when I removed my shoes, my socks looked like they'd been just taken out of the washing machine... except I could actually wring water out of them!!!! (oh, and DH was worried about my shoes being ruined by the rain! ROFL)
THEN, I removed my jacket. It was literally dripping! As was my hat!
THEN, I notice my shirt is actually WET! As in, straight out of the machine wet! I think to myself, lucky I wore a singlet... but that too was wet through! My SKIN was wet!!!!! My UNDIES were wet! EVERYTHING was wet! I hate to think what I'd be like had I not worn my water proof jacket! HAHAHAHA
After my shower, I had a good stretch and sent DH to the pharmacy to renew my pain script - hopefully I don't need those tomorrow!
WELL! by the time I walked 5 min, I was DRENCHED! Lucky I was wearing my waterproof jacket and baseball cap...or so I thought! Going up the hill hurt like hell and it was slippery. And wet (DER!). I was dodging puddles left right and centre.
At the 1.3Km mark I discover my HRM isn't working. Stupid thing. Second time in less than 12 months. Must get a new battery. If it doesn't resolve I'll throw the bloody thing out!
At around 2Km, I slip. Yup - SLIPPED! My wonderful local Govt has put these bumpy things in the sidewalk to warn visually impaired people that there is a bus stop. At selected intersections, they have also placed them - I guess to warn it's an intersection... but why only SOME intersections?!
I digress. I slipped. I was distracted trying to remove my iPhone from my pocket to check my work. I slid forward with right hand out. That broke my fall as I slid to my right knee. I had instinctively gone to protect my bad side. I didn't go straight down, I kind of did the splits (YAY for being flexible!), slipped forward, and then rolled on my left hip (OUCH!). My phone is now dented but not water logged (YAY!).
I pulled myself up quickly to escape the water flowing down the path, and kept moving. For a split second, I contemplated calling DH to collect me... but he had already told me to be careful and hadn't wanted me to go! So I pushed on. With my ego in the way, I kept going on my designated path afraid that people were watching and how pathetic I'd look if I turned around!
SO, I go a little further before back tracking. I was limping a little. The trek back up that hill was murder! I was so water logged it was foul! My pants were drenched! My SOCKS were drenched! I was paranoid about those slippery warning signs and was doing my best to avoid them!
I FINALLY got home, realising along the way that I was DRENCHED! I was cursing my stupidity and reached the conclusion that
a) I'm not meant to train
b). Training in the rain is best left to people with NO choice...or those missing a brain
c). I am unfairly accident prone!!!
And then I saw the local cricket club out walking and looking miserable... I at least had a water proof jacket on! Fat lot of good that did though!!!! When I got home, DH took a photo (to be posted at a later date!) and then I went to strip for a shower.
The first sign of how water logged I was, was that when I removed my shoes, my socks looked like they'd been just taken out of the washing machine... except I could actually wring water out of them!!!! (oh, and DH was worried about my shoes being ruined by the rain! ROFL)
THEN, I removed my jacket. It was literally dripping! As was my hat!
THEN, I notice my shirt is actually WET! As in, straight out of the machine wet! I think to myself, lucky I wore a singlet... but that too was wet through! My SKIN was wet!!!!! My UNDIES were wet! EVERYTHING was wet! I hate to think what I'd be like had I not worn my water proof jacket! HAHAHAHA
After my shower, I had a good stretch and sent DH to the pharmacy to renew my pain script - hopefully I don't need those tomorrow!
Saturday, January 8, 2011
This is going to be my year!
Again, I've been lax with my posting. It isn't reflective of my efforts for training though! Between work, family, training, and organising the January Jelly Busters, my time is pretty limited!
Despite my efforts, I feel like I'm sliding backwards. I'm not able to do half the things I was before the latest injury. I know, it's bad of me to be comparing. But I can't help it!!! My cardio capacity has decreased, my speed has decreased, my toning has decreased. The good thing is that m weight is stable - but my body shape has changed for the worse! It's so depressing!!!
I am so tempted to go full pelt at the gym - but I know that would be detrimental. It's far too risky. I can't go backwards - I can't! At the moment I am struggling big time. My range of movement has decreased in the last three weeks. Severely. Every night, I am dreading going to sleep. I wake throughout the night with pain down the outer side of my glutes - even with my strongest meds on board. Every morning I wake with difficulty moving, even just rolling to the side to get out of bed. My lower back is so tight it is ridiculous. The problem is that NONE of my stretches are working. None! Logan (physio) is back tomorrow and I've moved my appointment forward. I am so looking forward to it!!! I'm hopeful that he can release some of it and maybe give me some new stretches to help out between visits. THEN I will feel more comfortable pressing harder in training - and returning to the gym on my own... which I still haven't done for fear of over doing it. All my sessions are restricted to home at the moment.
I'm putting a lot of pressure on myself. Not only do I want to look good for my new job in April (but who am I kidding, I'm not going to lose 30Kg before the end of April!), I want to be as fit and healthy as I can. This year I turn 30. And THIS is going to be MY year. New job. I AM going to lose this weight and be at my peak for health and fitness. We ARE going to find a new place to move to.Towards the end of the year, we ARE going to get pregnant. This is going to be my year!
Despite my efforts, I feel like I'm sliding backwards. I'm not able to do half the things I was before the latest injury. I know, it's bad of me to be comparing. But I can't help it!!! My cardio capacity has decreased, my speed has decreased, my toning has decreased. The good thing is that m weight is stable - but my body shape has changed for the worse! It's so depressing!!!
I am so tempted to go full pelt at the gym - but I know that would be detrimental. It's far too risky. I can't go backwards - I can't! At the moment I am struggling big time. My range of movement has decreased in the last three weeks. Severely. Every night, I am dreading going to sleep. I wake throughout the night with pain down the outer side of my glutes - even with my strongest meds on board. Every morning I wake with difficulty moving, even just rolling to the side to get out of bed. My lower back is so tight it is ridiculous. The problem is that NONE of my stretches are working. None! Logan (physio) is back tomorrow and I've moved my appointment forward. I am so looking forward to it!!! I'm hopeful that he can release some of it and maybe give me some new stretches to help out between visits. THEN I will feel more comfortable pressing harder in training - and returning to the gym on my own... which I still haven't done for fear of over doing it. All my sessions are restricted to home at the moment.
I'm putting a lot of pressure on myself. Not only do I want to look good for my new job in April (but who am I kidding, I'm not going to lose 30Kg before the end of April!), I want to be as fit and healthy as I can. This year I turn 30. And THIS is going to be MY year. New job. I AM going to lose this weight and be at my peak for health and fitness. We ARE going to find a new place to move to.Towards the end of the year, we ARE going to get pregnant. This is going to be my year!
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