Blog on Hold ~~~~~

.....until Physio for hamstring is finished and back running. Unless something else happens in the meantime!

First Physio ~~~~~

I'm really tired tonight; physio went well; will need quite a bit more over the next few weeks -  once a week, I'm guessing should do it with strengthening exercises to do at home until hamstring is strong enough to run again.


Day 29 Plank :  I couldn't get anywhere near 4.5 minutes, so I'm leaving it as 4 minutes my PB!

Easter Monday Walking ~~~~~

45 min Walking

Starting from school, in and around Renwick and back to school.

45 minutes
4.5km
AHR 56-67% of Max,
Avg. Cadence 130spm 
TR 1.3....Minor.

Day 28 Plank : 4 minutes....last 30 seconds sheer pain!  Can't imagine 4.5 tomorrow!!

 

Easter Sunday Walk ~~~~~

Easter Sunday Walk.

1hour 14mins

6.4km

Avg. Cadence 127spm

AHR 61%-73%

TE 1.3 ... Minor!

Training Pace : Medium Aerobic

1hour 14 minutes walking

Day 27, Plank: 4 minutes.... Done, but only just!

Bowral Parkrun ~~~~~

I walked with the tail runner this morning and did the 5km, including the climb up the grassy hill at the finish, and had no pain whatsoever!  I'm still surprised that, with hamstring torn comletely from the bone, I don't have any pain while walking.  It puzzles me, but not complaining!.  I think I'll be back running sooner than expected; physiotherapist might have more information on that next Tuesday.


Now, how about this and what does it say about our Bowral Parkrunners?  Before the start I was presented with a huge bunch of the most gorgeous flowers!  Just to welcome me back!  Nearly fell over with shock first and then delight!  Where else would this happen?  Damned if I know!


Day 27, Plank ... Rest! But I did another 3.5 minutes to get ready for 4 minutes tomorrow!

"I Walk the Line" ~~~~~

My walk this morning ......From home to school and back.  Over the Easter break I've volunteered, as I always do on school holidays, to look after the farm animals which includes letting the chooks out in the morning and putting them back into their shed in the afternoon, so I'm making that my daily walk until school resumes next week.  This afternoon, I'll drive, not walk back to lock the chooks up for the night, feed them and the goats and the fish and give Amy her walk which really means she'll round up the chooks and chase them back into their shed!  I only have to say the word "chooks" and within seconds she's at the garage rearing to go!

60 minutes walk

Very overcast and cool, slight sprinkle.  Walk OK; used metronome at 115spm; glutes on left leg a bit sore.  I start physio next Tuesday and will ask about this.  Icing at home.,...
before plank!

Walk: 60 minutes
Distance  4.27km
AHR 54% - 69%
Avg. Cadence 111spm; Max 174spm

TE  1.2...Minor!  But on the rise!

Day 25, Plank  3.5 minutes! 
 Made it...just!  This is getting really tough and I can't imagine how I'll ever get to 5 minutes!

 

"Walk That Walk" ~~~~

Very pleased with this morning's walk.  Glorious, sunny day.... who wouldn't be happy to be just out walking?  I'm not a fast walker, in fact I don't like walking at all, more casual walker than speed, so this morning on the way back to the car, I put the metronome app on my phone, set 140spm, but  that was too fast, changed to 135 and kept time with it all the way back, even up the last hill, which is pretty good for someone like me who's not a walker


I parked near the school, walked down Bong Bong Road, along Old South Road as far as the airstrip and then back.  No hammie pain; left glutes felt a bit stiff on the way back.  Beats me how I can walk with one complete hamstring tear, another not quite complete and still not feel any pain when walking!  Sitting down is a different matter!  Ouch!!

56:58 minutes walk

Today's Walk:
56:58 min
Distance 4.77km
AHR 50-63%
Avg cadence 134spm


TE ...1.4   MINOR!  But at least it registered on the scale today!


Day 24, Plank  3 minutes...done!  Last 15 seconds just made it!

"Walk - Don't Run" ~~~

OK, I didn't run!  Beautifully sunny and warm morning  -  love this Autumn time of year!I walked around Renwick.

Today:  25 min. 2km  TE = Minor!

Injured leg a bit stiff to start but soon got into the swing of things! Interesting seeing all the new houses being built and I played a mind game of which ones I wouldn't like to live in and which ones I would, ruling out all the ones with such steep driveways going up or down to the house!

At home, hammie good, sat on ice pack for 20 minutes and then did plank!!

Day 23, Plank 3.0 minutes!!  I did it and wasn't as hard as yesterday's 2.5min. for some reason, but not easy at all!  Happy I made it!

3.0 minutes!

 

"Walking in a Winter Wonderland" ~~~~~

Gosh!  It was freezing as I went walking on my first day out after hamstring injury!  I parked on the other side of Renwick and walked out and back along Scarlet Street where it's quiet and flat;  it's also very shaded so that added to the chill that made me want to break into a jog....but I didn't!  I know Garmin details aren't necessary at this time, but I still like to see them!  Didn't wear HR monitor but will tomorrow so as get all stats.




Scarlet Street Walk

Walk .....31 minutes
Distance
2.43km


No pain at all while walking and same now at home; injured left leg just felt a bit different from the other one...probably stiff from no use over past 2 weeks but no pain at all which is great! So far, so good and tomorow I'll go out again.


Day 22, Plank 2.5 minutes ..... 3 min tomorrow!!

2.5 minutes today ...  Really tough!

After the Orthopaedic Surgeon's Appointment! ~~~~~

GOOD NEWS :  No surgery!  Physio starts immediately; walking, indoor cycling and swimming ... all according to how much I can do without any pain!  Possibly anything up to 6 months before I'll completely forget about it, but anything is better than having surgery unless there are no other options.  So here I go, starting all over again with a short walk tomorrow!

Day 21 Plank, 2.5 minutes : Just made it!  Don't think I had even another 5 seconds left in me!

Rest Day ~~~~~

Even plank has a rest day; don't know why.  I don't need one!


Day 20 is Day 29 Repeated!
Plank : 2.5 minutes .... Done!  I find it helps by breathing in and out as loudly as possible!

2.5 min. plank (without the beard!)

Still Doing Plank Challenge !!!

Day 19 Plank Challenge:
2.5 minutes .... Hard!  But still hope to get to day 30.

I Know How It Feels!

Ultrasound Results ..... Not what I expected to hear!

I certainly expected to have some physio but I most certainly didn't expect surgery but that's the news I heard this morning.  The ultrasound showed a complete tear of one of the 3 hamstring muscles from the pelvic bone and a partial tear in another ...that's the bad news! The third muscle seems to have come through unscathed and that's the good news!  The only way to fix the complete tear is surgery to reattatch it to the bone.....what have I done to deserve this!!!!!!


Monday afternoon, I have an appointment with an orthopaedic surgeon - same one who repaired torn medial meniscus in knees some years ago;  he's going to be surprised to see me turn up again at this stage of my life! 


So, that's it for some time to come, I guess!  Neverthelss, I still managed today's plank...


Day 18 Plank : 2 minutes...not easy!  And took twice as long to get up off the floor!




.

Another Plank ~~~~~

I wasn't feeling too bright today with hamstring pain ......


Day 16 Plank : 2 minutes ..... not so easy!!

Just a Plank ~~~~~ and Hamstring Ultrasound

Had ultrasound on hamstring this aftenoon and, without knowing full details, results not what I was hoping for.  Seems there's a partial tear of the muscle from whatever bone the hamstring is attached to.  I'll hear more, I dare say, when I see GP on Friday morning.  Dismal news!




Day 16 Plank : 
1.5 minutes.  Easy!

Slow Tempo ~~~~

Should have been a slow Tempo (15-20mins) and it was such a cool morning I SHOULD have been running well. Instead, to see how good or bad my hamstring was, I got out for a walk and just an occasionl slow jog. Some pain when walking, more when jogging, so I know there's definitely a problem.  I find this all so frustrating and I'm getting more down in the dumps as each day passes. Ultrasound tomorrow at 3:00pm so I might fnd out something then or on Friday when I see the doc again.




Day 14 Plank: 1.5mintes...Easy!

Plank ~~~~

No running until after hamstring ultrasound, Friday.

Day 13 Plank : 1.5minutes. ...Easy!

Disaster Strikes ~~~~~

A hamstring niggle has been bothering me for some time but nothing serious until yesterday at Bowral Parkrun.  Did my usual warm-up, started well down the grassy hill and was ahead of VP; felt good and thought a PB might be a possibility.  Just before the turnaround at 2.5km .....BOOM!  Hamstring gave way just as if there was no leg there at all to stand on and down I went on both knees!  Some wonderful nearby parkrunners stopped, one of whom was a doctor from the practice I go to, got me to my feet and, insisting I was OK inspite of two bloodied knees, I continued to run.


I made my way back, slowly and painfully, to just where the climb up the grassy hill begins and a second BOOM!!  Not a leg to stand on and down I went again on both knees.  This time I knew the hamstring had suffered something really bad and parkrunners stopped, took an arm each and got me back up the hill..... where I was greeted by a round of applause!  But how embarrassed and in pain was I!!


A decision was made for me and without my knowing anything about it :  message sent to the doctor who had finished his run and had left to do surgery at the practice.  And so it came about that I was driven off to the surgery where the doctor saw me immediately and did a magnificent job in bandaging both bloody knees!  I had a script for painkillers and a referral for an ultrasound on the hamstring;  he also arranged for me to see him after ultrasound results next week.

So now I'm fully expecting time off and terribly disapponted!  I loved the new program I'd started 2 weeks ago and was running so well at Parkrun on Saturday before my leg buckled under me...twice!  Nevertheless, how good were the parkrunners who stopped, gave up their run and got me back to the start.  I feel truly blessed to be part of such a wonderful group of people who I might never have met if it hadn't been for Bowral Parkrun!

Still able to do plank!  1 min. yesterday; 1.5 min. today...Easy!

A Satisfying Training Session ~~~~~~~~

....in more ways than one!  To begin at the beginning ~~~~~  as I was leaving the school at 10:30 this morning, one of the very disturbed boys was in the soccer field screaming and throwing stones, branches...anything he could find at two teachers who were following at a safe distance.  At one stage he picked up a huge stick and approached the teacher, who stood his ground, as if he was going to run a spear through him.  None of this is terribly unusual but this kid seemed to be in an awful rage and I decided to wait rather than drive past where he was standing on the road.




I don't know the rules about when they're off school property, but the teachers eventually left.  My training session was to do short hill sprints and I intended jogging from school and running uphill on Bong Bong Road which meant passing the boy who was standing at the corner.  I pretended I didn't know anything of the earlier incident and told him I needed someone to pace me for some hill sprints  and would he help me.  He was a bit reluctant in case he got into trouble, (what could be worse than what I'd already witnessed!!) but having told him I'd take the blame if there was any, he agreed to jog with me and we set off! 






Well, we had a fantastic session together!  The kid called every 5 seconds on his watch to make sure I got to the 30 second mark on time; he did some reps at his pace but then slowed down to keep my pace all the way up hill. We did 10 x 30 seconds and I was all in, while he was just puffing! After the session he was OK to come back to class with me while I explained to the principal and other teachers where we'd been, what we'd done, how he'd helped etc.  etc. and we'd arranged to have another session next week.


I  left and was so pleased with the outcome of what had been a very ugly confrontation earlier and probably would have ended with the police being called as happens when things go really bad. We had a lovely big hug, the kid and me and I came home with the feeling it had been the best and most satisfying hill sprint session I'd ever done!  I felt I had to write about it here in my blog...it made me feel so good after ...but so sorry for these kids to have such awful problems at such a young age... and what happens to them later in life?  I hope all is not lost!






Today:
Warm-up jog from school
10 x 30sec. short hill sprints
Wait around at the top 10-15 sec
Jog down
Repeat 10 times
Jog back to school.

Day 11 Plank 1 minute ...Easy!

A good day by any standards!

Distance Run ~~~~~

I changed Friday's distance run to today because I want an easy session before Saturday's parkrun, so tomorrow I'll do the short hill repeats.  I drove across to my favourite course ...our Bowral Parkrun course starting and finishing at Briars Country Inn.  10:00am before I began and it was hot but there was a slight breeze to help me along.  I ran the parkrun 5km even though the program is based on time, not distance and I was pleased that I didn't stop or slow down at all, just kept the same steady pace from start to finish..... with the help of my Chi app.   Happy with that!


Program:
Distance run 20-30 minutes


36:52 min (5k)
Avg. pace 7:25
Avg HR  80-92%
Avg Cadence 174spm
TE  3.4 ....Improving!  WooHoo!  That's what I like to see!

Day 10 Plank 1 minute....Easy!

Today Off ~~~~` Except for Plank!

Day 8 of 30 Day Plank Challenge ~~~~

45 seconds ....Easy!

Week 2 ~~~ For this "Age-constrained Runner!

Monday:      Off
Tuesday:      5km Road and Trail Repeats  +  45 second plank
Wednesday: OFF ... 45 sec. plank
Thursday:    Short Hill Repeats + 1 min plank
Friday:         Distance Run + 1 min plank
Saturday:     PARKRUN BOWRAL+ 1 min plank
Sunday:        Long Run+ 1.5 min plank


Tuesday...

5km Road Repeats
10 min warm-up
6 x 2 min @ guesstimate 5k pace
2 min RI easy jogging
10 min cool-down.

Ran on Scarlet Street and Inkerman Road for shade; at 11:00am it was hot!
 

Inkerman Road

Scarlet Street

45 sec Plank .... Easy!!

6 x 2min ....Avg. pace 6:39;  7:09;  6:34;  6:56;  6:13;  6:40
TE 1.3 Minor! 

7:09 probably nearest to present 5km pace; 6:40 would see a Bowral Parkrun PB!   We continue to try!

 

Today : OFF! ~~~~

    

            Rest Day!  Even planking has the day off!


I don't feel at all the worse for wear at the completion of Week 1, in fact I could have gone out today and done something, but guided by discipline rather than feelings, I've taken the day as rest!

Long Run ~~~~~

9:30am start (with Leah) from school, Diamond Fields Road and back.  Hard, hot and hilly run!


40-60 minutes on program....we did 65 minutes.
TE 2.3 ~~~ Maintaining.
Avg HR 68%-84%
Stretches (and lots of cold water!) back at school.


That's Week 1 completed of the new 12 week program for "Time and Age-constrained Runners!"

At home, Day 6 of 30 day plank challenge ~~~  40 seconds...Easy!

Bowral Parkrun ~~~~~

Ah!  A much better run today than last week! A cool, misty morning driving to Briars Inn but, as always, hot on the cycle path.  VP set to pace 7:00m/k so as to finish in 35 minutes...I was close!  76 runners today.


5km in 35:12
Avg. pace 7:04m/k
Avg HR 87-95%
Avg. cadence 174spm..app set for 175
6:46, 7:01;  7:02;  7:01;  7:21
TE  3.9  = Improving... 4.0 would have been 'Highly Improving'!
91.06% Age Grade.


About 10 min warm-up + couple strides.  

Finishing with a Token!

I was happy with today's run....any improvement on last Saturday's 38 min would make me happy!


At home:  Day 5 Plank......40 seconds..Easy!

Hill Strides ~~~~~

It should have been a steeper hill but it was too hot to find one!  To compensate for lack of steepness, I ran the incline for a little longer than in program.




10-20 seconds hill strides
Walk Down
Wait 1-3 mins.
Start with 4-5 and progress to 8-10.


After school (about 11:00am).....Long incline other side of Renwick where there was shade.


Short warm-up jog
5 x 20 secs.  walk down...
1 min RI
Short jog cool down.

At home:  Day 4 Plank 30 seconds....Easy!

Distance Run ~~~~~

Distance Run  :  20 - 30 minutes @ 8:00 - 8:30m/k
Day 3 ... Plank 30 seconds.


I drove across to our Bowral Parkrun course this morning, but by 10:00am when I arrived it was terribly hot....far too hot ... but I love running this course whenever I get the chance ... so pretty and serene beside the river.  Talking of the river .... I'd have given anything to have taken a flying leap into the water on the way back ... I was so hot I had to stand in the shade of trees several times before being on my way again.  I suppose the river could be dangerous.. reeds etc. and no one to come to the rescue is a sobering thought!  Although as kids, we used swim without any fear in the Hawkesbury River whenever we stayed with grandparents in Pitt Town, outside Windsor.




20-30 minutes became 38min.
5km parkrun course incl. that hill!
Avg. pace 7:44m/k
Avg. HR 76-89%
Avg. cadence 171spm ... had app. set for 175
TE 3.0 ....  Improving......woohoo!!


Finished with usual stretches in the shade.

 
Day 3 Plank 30 sec.    Easy!!

Planking! ~~~~~ That's All!

Day 2 .... 20 seconds.  Easy!

Road & Trail Repeats ~~~~

Chevalier track, instead of road, so as to run on grass surface.  I didn't use the lanes; ran across and back on the oval.  Lovely cool breeze .. Autumn you are most welcome! ..

Directions were to "guesstimate" 5km pace for this session by asking 'could I maintain this pace for 5km?'  If the answer is 'yes', keep going;  if the answer is 'no', slow down.  Pity I didn't read that before starting, instead of now at home because I definitely belong to the latter category .. couldn't have maintained the pace for 5km!  Oh well, lesson learned for next time!

Warm-up jog
8 x 1 minute across oval
RI 2 min jog
HR 65%-73%
TE....Minor!!
Ahead of VP (Virtual Partner) for all 8 reps.
Stretches.

Started March, 30 day Plank!
Day 1.... 20 seconds!  WooHoo!!  Easy!!