Showerlessness

This has been such a busy week. I'm tired. Tired of not having my own shower, tired of having to traipse over to various friends' places (thank you guys! you know who you are and how grateful I am!), tired of having plaster dust all over my apartment. I've been going to bed quite late because by the time I come home, walk the dog, go for a run, get dinner, drive to friend's place for shower, and come home...it's already 11.30pm.

But...in the grand scheme of things I really shouldn't complain. After all, these are merely small inconveniences. No shower for a week? Big deal. People have lost so much more - homes, possessions, a sense of safety and security, loved ones, even their own lives - in the Christchurch earthquake this week. Yes, I really shouldn't complain.

On to good news! I'm really proud of myself for managing to maintain my fitness routine this week despite my "showerlessness". My week so far:

Monday - My epic (epic!!) 4k run
Tuesday - Ashtanga yoga (even bought a 10-class pass!)
Wednesday - Rest
Thursday - 4k interval run
Friday - W6D2 of C25k

Hoping to throw in an extra run tomorrow or Sunday. Felt pretty strong in today's W6D2 session - think I can graduate to the next level now, and build up to a strong 4k (or, dare I say, 5k?) ahead of the fun run on 19 March. I can feel myself improving, which is so awesome. It's motivation to keep going, really!

4k, baby!

Oh wow, oh my. I, like, totally ran a 4k without stopping! Am totally happy about it, oh yeah.

Only 1k left to go in my goal of being able to run 5km without stopping :) And it's true what they say, it does get easier - once you've done 4k, 5k doesn't seem so hard after all!

My 'accidental' 4k distance trial yesterday happened because I missed the marker (again!) for my 1.6k (W6D2 of the C25k program) - totally ran past it and only realised after passing the 2k mark. At which point I thought "Oh well, might as well keep going!"

Am feeling pretty good now for the Brooks River Run. Will need to suss out the route though, to see how hilly it is (hopefully it'll be mostly flat!)

Yoga today. I'm well prepared for the soreness that will ensue. Hopefully we'll get to have some nice dinner afterwards to make up for it!

Oh yeah and I'm without a shower for this week. Bathroom's getting repaired - we kinda have a mould problem. With water damage. Might post some photos tonight if I'm so inclined.

New shoes, Ashtanga yoga and a fun run!

This has been one hectic week. Or at least it feels that way. I haven't had a chance to blog, but have kept up with tracking my progress on dailymile.com. And it's been so humid that I don't feel like I've slept properly either, plus I've been going to bed at about 12.30 most nights this week. Strange, considering I was quite tired from working out and just couldn't sit down and face the computer afterwards. Instead, I've been logging the workouts on dailymile the next day :P

Anyway, this week I've trained three times, doing W6D2 of the C25k program. I've been doing a slightly extended version, because I am lazy and just picked the most easy-to-remember route markers. So, instead of Run 1.6km, Walk 400m, Run 1.6km...I've been doing Run 1.67km, Walk 400m, Run 1.74km - according to the mapping function on both Map My Run and dailymile.

My spiffy new runners feel amazing! They are so comfy, that even when my legs are sore towards the end of the run, my feet still feel fine. Now I need to get some proper running socks, methinks - and ditch the old and mismatched cheapo cotton ones! It's funny how that I am starting to buy new gear for this endeavour. Next thing you know, it'll be all heart rate monitors and high performance attire (and I'm only half-joking).

OH OH OH...ANNNNDDDDD...I've gone and done it! I've signed up for a fun run. Yup. Me. It's the Brooks River Run happening on Saturday 19 March at Coulson Gardens in Maribyrnong. It's only a 4km run but for me it's gonna be a big test, because so far I've only managed 3km without stopping.

Btw, friends tell me there is no such thing as a fun run :D

Well, I have about three weeks to train for this event. And I can do it! (self-motivation, right there.)

In other news, I went back to Ashtanga yoga this week. I used to go to Ashtanga Melbourne back when it was in Collingwood, but haven't been back since they moved to new digs in Fitzroy some time ago. Actually, it was probably a good few years ago!

Which probably explains the fact that I've forgotten how intense Ashtanga can be! Sweat was literally running down my face during the 1.5 hour class. I was utterly soaked - it looked like I had jut ran around in the rain with my clothes on. But it felt really good. My limbs were all loose and stretched out, like they've been uncoiled from a really tight spring. Had a falafel sandwich (on Turkish bread, no less) afterwards and felt really tired, but in a good way.

Ok, bedtime! Gonna do a distance trial tomorrow, see if all this interval training is paying off. Nites!

New runners, new runners, yay yay yay!

Got new runners today! I think it's time to retire my tatty 10-year-old (at least) Nikes. I bought them in Hong Kong in like 1998 or something, which makes them closer to being 12 years old. They're probably not even real Nikes - they were so cheap that I'm thinking they're probably knockoffs from China.

I know of specialist running shops that get you to run on a treadmill while they video your feet and see how they work, whether you pronate or supinate, and how much cushioning and support you need. I wasn't sure if places like Rebel Sport or Athlete's Foot do this, so I had them on my list to check out, together with Active Feet in Prahran. Then my workmate recommended I check out Shoe Logic at the Melbourne City Baths. So off I went after work.

Shoe Logic offers the above-mentioned service for free if you buy shoes from them, otherwise it costs $20. Which is fair enough for such a specialised service. There was only one guy working the shop, so I had to wait around for a bit while he served another customer, but that okay - I killed time reading Runner's World, which is a pretty awesome magazine full of training and nutrition tips, exercises and race advice.

So this is how it works. First, I had to run barefoot on a treadmill, while being video-ed. Then the video was analysed, and a few potentially suitable shoes were selected. My feet tend to roll in a little when I run, so I needed shoes that will support my arches and my inner foot.

Tried on the Brooks Ravenna first, which felt great (think anything would've felt great after those old runners!) but the foot was a bit too narrow. And my feet were still rolling in a little on the video - as in my running line was still not ideal. Then I tried on a couple of Asics Kayana Gels, which provided much better support, but they cut into my ankle when I did them up firmly, due to the what the guy said was the front profile of the shoe, which was cut higher than your regular running shoe.

Now for the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 11. Had a run on the treadmill and it was the best of the lot. My feet were supported, and they were comfy. Also, I'm glad I ended up waiting around and reading Runner's World, because the mag did a review on running shoes and the store was offering 10% off shoes featured in the article that they carried. And mine were in there :)

So here they are, my new babies!

These are going to make me go faster.

Can't wait to go for a run in them!


Shoe Logic
Cnr Swanston and Franklin Streets (at Melbourne City Baths)
Melbourne
t: +61 3 9662 3555

Milestone alert!!!

OMG I ran 3km today. Without stopping. Uh huh. That's right. You heard me. Three kilometres. Which has, like, NEVER happened before in my adult life. I say adult life because I did a bit of track and field in school (which was compulsory) and remembered doing a 10km run/walk at a school camp.

It feels so AWESOME to see these gradual but significant improvements in my running in such a short time - it's currently Week 3 of my Couch to 5k mission. Granted, I'm not a fast runner (yet), but the fact I could actually pull 3km (well 3.21km to be exact, but that's just boasting) out of the bag without feeling like I wanna fall over and pass out, is pretty good in my book :)

Check out my epic run here on both dailymile and Map My Run.

I definitely need new running shoes. Will get some tomorrow or this weekend, for sure. 

I'm also thinking about getting a heart rate monitor - dailymile forums seem to agree that the Garmin Forerunner is the way to go. Whether I get the latest 405cx model or the older 305 model remains to be seen, think I'll shop around a bit and see what the prices are like. Any ideas from you folks out there (if you happen to be reading my little little blog)? 

Thursday afternoon lunch treat

I don't normally eat a lot of bread (just two slices of toast in the morning with Nuttelex and Vegemite, I'm not the type who could easily eat toast in the morning, have a sandwich for lunch and a bread roll with dinner - my stomach wouldn't be able to handle it) - but every once in a while I have a craving for one of those awesome filled rolls that can be found in provedores and delis, like Lygon Food Store and King & Godfree's.

So here is my treat for the week - mortadella, bocconcini, tomato and lettuce on a toasted sourdough baguette. Om nom nom.

Where to find a good sandwich in Carlton:

Lygon Food Store
263 Lygon St
Carlton
t: +61 3 9347 6279
www.lygonfoodstore.com.au

King & Godfree
293 Lygon Street
Carlton
t: +61 3 9347 1619

Map My Run vs dailymile

Found this website called dailymile, which is kinda like Map My Run. Decided to sign up and am now transferring all my workouts from MMR to DM. More like copying it over. Only because DM has widgets that can be linked to Blogger. So we can have two opinions about how I'm progressing with my workouts, and if we are in agreement about the number of calories burnt, haha.

So now I am tracking my Couch to 5k mission using both sites. And what are the differences between the two, you say? Well, I'm still exploring both websites but at first glance DM looks more attractive because of all the bright colours, and has a simple, easy-to-navigate layout. Although the annoying thing is that you can't add a workout via the Training tab - you have to go back to the homepage where there is a top screen toolbar that lets you do it. It also does not let you duplicate a workout. MMR, meanwhile, lets you enter upcoming workouts and events, something which does not exist (or is not apparent) on the DM site.

Another nice thing about DM is that it lets you upload photos and videos to your newsfeed, kinda like Facebook. Both sites let you share your workouts via popular social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Digg, Stumbleupon etc, and both let you sync your devices and import your workout data to the site. The same feature on MMR is still in the works for its new beta site (which I am using), but you can still access it via their classic site.

Like all good social networking sites, both DM and MMR allow you to compare yourself with other members or with friends in your network. DM has a leaderboard that ranks members on all sorts of stuf like who received the most remarks, who motivated the most people, even who was the most humourous. Like the photos feature on DM, MMR's leaderboard is still being built for its new beta site, but competitive types can still view it on their classic site.

Where MMR kicks butt is its extra features. Aside from the Nutrition tab which lets you track your food and water intake (with stats about the percentage of fat/protein/carbs etc that you're consuming), it also has a daily log function that lets you record things like AM and PM weight, waistline, resting heart rate and even things like how you slept and your thoughts for the day. Plus, MMR has a few membership options - the most basic one is also free, and you can upgrade your membership to a paid one to access more advanced features like fitness reports, training plans and discounts from its online store.

Another thing is MMR makes it easier for you to edit your workouts, routes and daily logs, while with DM you kinda have to play around on the site for a bit before you find those functions, as they are not immediately obvious.

I'll keep exploring both sites until I find one that I like and can stick with. Will keep you posted!

There's a river outside my house

Torrential rain hit Melbourne today, causing flash floods in many parts of the city and in various suburbs. We weren't spared from the downpour - as you can see from the pictures below.

The street outside my place turned into a river, and our basement carpark got flooded in minutes. I went to my car just in time - the water was already lapping at the driver's door - and drove it to the exit, where The Boy and a few other dudes were trying to yank the automatic sliding gate open so we could drive out. The water had killed the gate's electrics but luckily we found the key that unlocks the gate's motor, which helped a little but in the end the guys had to practically rip the gate off its hinges and raise it above their heads so that we could get out. Only four cars and a couple of motorbikes escaped - the rest are currently under water :(

A waterfall cascading down the stairs to the basement

The street outside our place

Everyone came out to watch

This used to be a sidewalk

The fast-flowing flood waters

Our bicycles are still down in the basement - I hope they are okay and that everyone else's stuff is okay too. Also hope that we didn't stuff up the gate too much.

Plodding along

I'm playing around with Map My Run, the website/app that I'm using to track my Couch to 5k and general fitness progress. The site keeps getting better and better, with new stuff coming on all the time. Or rather, they are making improvements to this beta site as we go along.

I can now get the MMR to auto calculate the number of calories burnt during a workout, although I'm a little incredulous at the numbers - a 2.8km run plus 800m jog only burns 196 calories?! Surely it must be a bit more? Well, it certainly felt that way while I was doing it.

There's also a new section, called Nutrition, where you can keep a food log and how much water you drink. The food log's great, only thing is there are so many choices when it comes to picking a type of food you ate, that you spend a lot of time trying to figure it out! Try typing 'spread' into the search function and you'll see what I mean.

Today's run was pretty good, and certainly tired me out. My legs were still a bit sore from yesterday, so I was a little worried about the extra 140m I had to build in to my run. Yeah, 140m. Doesn't seem like a big deal to most people, but it does to me. I know I can do it, so part of the battle has to do with me feeling confident enough that my body can handle an extra 140m. So many times I've been afraid to push myself, but when I do, I am amazed at what my body can do. Sure, my chest hurts and it hurts to breathe, but somehow I'm still breathing and my legs are still moving and I'm still going. Even if it's only for 140m.