Impossible is for the Unwilling

Day 669

​ Challenge:
- Day 6 8 Weeks to 5k I started the ZR5k Training with my daughter, and decided to continue a running programme with her. Yesterday, she was feeling a bit tired so I suggested she have a day off. She said she'd have the weekend to recover but I reminded her that this programme is 7 days per week and Sundays were the long-run days. She was disappointed. I don't want her to become discouraged and stop altogether. Then Mianevem mentioned some running programme she was following so I looked into it. Today, therefore, is the last day I will be doing this particular challenge (see, I have learnt how to drop something that simply doesn't work for me ), and on Monday, my daughter and I will start Thomas Watson's C25K and see how that goes.
​ Programme:
- Day 5 Ironheart Right knee still didn't like the lunges. The physio taped it a couple of days ago but that tape is off now and I didn't tape just for a few lunges. Still, they were better than last week's!
​ Splits app. Intermediate, day 13. 21 minutes.
​ Exercise bike. Venus Rising, ep 3 - Sulphur Sky. 25min/12.42k (pace: 2'02"). Interestingly enough, exactly the same as yesterday.

Younger daughter attended a party at the water park today. It's mid-November. Who expects rain and a max temp of 12 degrees at this time of year?! Perhaps in the Northern Hemisphere! She said the water was warm but she was blue around the lips when she got home and headed for a hot shower.

Well, at least she had fun and we didn't have to worry about sunburn!

CaptainCanuck and Mianevem I must confess that when I first started the ZR5k training, I was a little disinclined to confess to my speed, but I made myself do it. After all, this is my thread, a record of what I am doing. I did find it a little embarrassing that other people I know would cover the same distance in a third the time, but very soon I put a stop to that sort of nonsense. If I hadn't, quite honestly I would have quit because there would have been no point in doing it - I wasn't good enough. Fortunately, however, I'm one of those people who really don't give much of a damn about what other people think, (Yeah, I'll wear last year's fashion even next year!!) and focussed instead of my achievement. The fact that I actually ran - nonstop - for 42 minutes is totally amazing! A few weeks ago, I was hugely chuffed by the fact that I'd finally run for 15 minutes! And now look!! But I've got to keep working at this, and every .1 of a mile that I can crank up the treadmill is a win. I look at what you two do (and others), and quite honestly, I don't feel jealous - I feel inspired. Thank you for your kind words.

I second CaptainCanuck. Another mistake beginners often make is thinking that all the other runners are judging them. Most of them don't, exactly because they know how much effort it is to go out (or step on the treadmill) every single time and try to chase improvement. (Or if they do, they just lack humility, and people who lack humility rarely get far in sports.)

I think it is really great that you are making progress on your running. No rolling of eyes here. The thing I have found is that a lot of runners, especially the less serious ones, are constantly comparing themselves to the people that they see out. The thing is that you don't know if the person that you just passed is a world class marathon runner taking a recovery day, or the person that just passed you is having the run of their life. I have found it is best to stick to your plan and not to worry about others too much.

Day 668

Challenge:
- Day 5 8 Weeks to 5k I find the more I challenge myself, the more I rise to the challenge - so long as it's a modest challenge! I hadn't been sure that I would be able to run my 2 minutes at 5m/8k (yeah, you fast runners - don't roll your eyes and giggle!) when there was only 1 minute of rest between the three sets, but I decided I'd give it a go and if I need to drop the speed a bit, then I would. Anyway, started with my 2min warm-up walk, then ran. After the second 2min run, I realised that I had to lower my walking pace a little to enable myself that bit more rest, so I dropped it to 2.5m/4k from the 3m/4.8k I had been doing. And then I did the third set - all at 5m/8k! So I'm pretty pleased. Must be the new shoes.
Programme:
- Day 4 Ironheart
Splits app. Intermediate, day 12. 23 minutes again.
Exercise bike. Venus Rising, ep 2 - Evening Star. 25min/12.42k (pace: 2'02").
iacta alea est Rolled 3 to begin with. The floor is clearer now so I was able to do the whole pattern. Oh, it was abysmal! I went through it four times before I was happy that I'd actually remembered it! Then came pattern 2. These are all the lower patterns that we now tend to whip through, and 2 is often just skipped. We'll often do 1 as a warm-up, then straight on to pattern 4 and up. And I couldn't remember pattern 2 either! Argh! My memory must have been sucked out by memory-sucking aliens overnight. I hear they come out in spring. So I did pattern 2 a few times until I could do it without having to think. I'm really loving this die-rolling! Sorry I hadn't thought of it sooner but glad I finally did.

Today, after the splits workout, I finally remembered to photograph myself in side splits. There is an app, you see (actually, probably more than one!), that will measure angles, and I wanted to see what my angle currently was. Easier to measure improvement that way. Now, given this was the first time I've tried this, I'm going to measure again the next couple of days and take the average. Then I'll leave it for a bit - I don't believe in frequent measurement because sometimes improvement is so slow as to be imperceptible, and then there is disappointment - and measure again. Today's measurement, though, was 160 degrees, which, given that my hamstring still isn't quite right and therefore I haven't been able to stretch very well on that side for months, is pretty good. My challenge - get to 170 degrees by the New Year!

Training still hasn't resumed but we're hoping late next week. Given that about 95% of the eligible over-12 population has been vaccinated, I think they're still being a little too conservative! Anyway, only four more weeks until the Christmas shut-down and it would be nice to have a little formal training before then. So fingers crossed!

Day 667

Challenge:
- Day 4 8 Weeks to 5k
Programme:
- Day 3 Ironheart Why did I think today was going to be an easier day?! Wow, feel those shoulders burn.
Splits app. Intermediate, day 11. 23 minutes today.

Saw the physio today and he showed me (again) how to tape my knee. I watched really carefully so perhaps I'll actually be able to do it right! Afterwards, I bought some new runners. OMG, I thought I'd have to sell one of the children! My feet were measured electronically - arch height, the whole box and dice - and the result was the most expensive shoes I have ever bought! They'd better make me run like Usain!!

I was looking something up on YouTube and, you know how you end up falling down that YouTube rabbit hole? Well, somehow I found this one, and I did it for a bit of fun. Except, I couldn't do it all! I couldn't get up from the floor using only one leg! But it was funny when one of the cats was chasing my fingers as I moved them around my body.

Fremen The only weapon I get to play with is Arnis sticks. I love them! I've even learnt to twirl them around without crashing them into my knees!!

When I was practicing Aikido I really liked training with weapons: jo (stick) and bokken (sword), after hundreds and thousands of repetitions sometimes in the end, however, it gave me the feeling of having done "something good"

Day 666 <-- oh-oh!

Challenge:
- Day 3 8 Weeks to 5k Again I ran at 5m/8k and walked at 3m/4.8k. I needed the two minutes of walking to get enough breath for the next two minutes of running, so I'm not sure how this speed will go the next time I have to run, as there is only one minute of walking between runs. Might have to adjust the speed a bit, but that's okay - I'm happy with how I'm going and considering that 8 weeks ago, I started "running" at a mere 3.8m/6k, I've already some a long way. It doesn't matter how slow you go, so long as you go!
Programme:
- Day 2 Ironheart I don't know what I did today but the right knee (the troublesome one) was really not happy with lunges. Didn't matter whether it was the back leg or the front, so they weren't so low as normal. Strangely, the knee had no problem with the squats... Good thing I get to see the physio tomorrow.
Splits app. Intermediate, day 10.
Exercise bike. Venus Rising, ep 1 - Morning Star. 12.75k/25min. A sci-fi story, this time, so I'm collecting things like Air Recycling Filters and Trace Gas Analysers.

Nevetharine I can see how it can be almost meditative, allowing the mind to roam free, but if I try to do something like that, my form goes right out the window!
Mianevem You're welcome.
Fremen It took me a while to get there, and I had to work out why I felt that way, but I'm totally there now. I like having fun while working out, which is why I sometimes just choose a workout without any other reason than it looks like fun. I'm not sure I can say I'm having "fun" while drilling - I guess in a way I am, but it's a very different sort!
val.lavigne86 Good luck!

This is so helpful! Thank you!
I was doing a bunch of single leg work on the bosu last year regularly, no clue why I stopped doing them. I do a lot of the above mentioned exercises, but I'm going add in a few more things it looks like and see what I can make happen

val.lavigne86 Mid-last year and mid-this year, I strained each hamstring once. Or rather, they were strained for me while doing partner stretches - which my physio says is the best way to strain a hamstring! Although I had pretty good flexibility, what I lacked (and still lack - it's a work-in-progress!) is strength, so many of the hamstring exercises I have been given work on strengthening that hammy (my quads are pretty strong). I do single-leg straight leg deadlifts with dumbbell, split squats, keiser pull-downs, and single-leg bridges. If you have a slider (or equivalent), single-leg side lunges are also good. Other exercises such as fast side stepping or grapevine, and single leg balance on unstable base (I have a wobble board but you can also use a pillow), work not just on strength but also flexibility.
Why am I saying this? Experience (and subsequently research) has taught me that if you don't have strong hamstrings and you push for flexibility (or the splits - I was at about a 170degree vertical when my hamstring popped this year), you're in a better position to injure yourself.

Ohhh this sounds familiar so I've probably come across it at some point. I do not have much mobility myself especially in my hips and hamstrings, it's pretty terrible. I have a personal goal to be able to do the splits both directions, so I'm on the hunt for something to help me with getting towards that end game. Something that gets me doing the not-so-ideal movements is not terrible idea!

That is accurate! The drive to be better at something does make it loads easier to stay on top of what others may think is the worst training ever and keep pushing at it. General fitness for the sake of staying fit is a special kind of mental beast for sure especially without any specific direction, lack of motivation or sense of even the small gains. The tiny little achievements or incremental PBs/PRs are the fuel for bigger things and the continued work at it!

val.lavigne86 It's called Splits training in 30 days by Leap Fitness Group. Does it work? Dunno. I first used it last year when things were all locked down, then, after having done it for two months (beginner and intermediate), I stopped when training restarted. Some months ago, I strained my hamstring so I've been rehabbing, and then we went into lock down again. Once my hammy got to a certain lower level of pain () I restarted the programme because I wanted to maintain some flexibility. I do see improvement, but I don't know if it's the improvement you see with someone who could get to a certain point before and is returning to it due to doing stretches, or whether a real beginner would see the same gains. You're not in that position, though. I do recommend it as a general leg stretching app, however, because it tells me when to change and which stretch to do next and I can't avoid the ones I don't like!

I think I need to be able to see the practical application of whatever I'm doing, rather than the theoretical or potential. So doing high reps of the thing I actually want to improve is much easier than doing high reps of something that will/may eventually get me better at said thing. I think that here, martial artist/dancers/athletes (who, by training, can see an improvement in the particular thing they need to improve for their art) have the advantage over the person who just wants to get and stay fit, which is probably why it can be so difficult for that person. When you're truly engaged in achieving something (running that first 5k, doing a handstand, maintaining balance in crane stance, whatever) and you can see those little gains, it is easier to stick at it to achieve that goal. The thing is, there is a measurable goal, and achievement is motivational and inspirational.

I used to love repetition a ton with exercise, but find that I am much of the same mindset now. I like a lot of fitness stuffs, but I find I can't be consistent with things that I don't actively help towards a specific goal or that I inherently just enjoy. Especially high numbers of a single exercise(s) on the regular - not enjoyable.
On the flip side, I can drill the crap out of 2 or 3 things for an hour (jits) and not only stay engaged, but be pleased with my time spent on it as that is literally the only way I can get better at it.
Interesting how the noodle works and how it can be for individuals and even differing stages in ones life depending on goals and/or overall mental state.

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What app are you using for the Splits?

It is the reason why I never oblige myself to do a training that bores me to get where I don't care
In martial arts it's simple, if you like what you do you get better the more you do it
It becomes more complicated when you train "to feel good" because there is no real clear goal and then, at least for me, the goal is to have fun while I train, if I don't have fun anymore then it's time to change training