Tag Archives: Running hindrances

When your body is telling you to rest…

23 Mar

It happens to us all…we work hard, train hard, and push and push – until our body finally kicks back and says STOP. That’s been me for the last 5 days – sick with flu and absolutely no training- it sucks!

I have a fairly demanding job, life and top that with trying to train hard I knew when having a few days away from work that I would cop it. I woke up on the first day and felt under the weather and went downhill from there.

Normally with running if it is in my head and not below my neck I will train, but this went straight on my chest so I stopped. You know when you get that rattle in your chest when breathing? Yep that’s been me. I have been a bit fed up but it has also been good to stop.

Still not feeling great so just waiting until my body allows me to train again, and in the mean time I have been reading and working out my next phase on training and getting my eating back on track after having a few days of not eating LCHF all the time. 

There are heaps of articles about running and sickness. A few things I have learned over the years based on my experience are:

1. If it doesn’t feel 100% right and not like a normal cold then go to the doctor and don’t train until you know things are ok and you feel better.*

2. If it is any sort of sickness that travels to your chest slow right down or stop training.

3. Enjoy the rest. It is clearly your body saying you need it.

4. Don’t stress it and panic you’ll suddenly gain a gazillion kg just because you haven’t trained for a gew days. Seriously if you rely on training that much to maintain your weight you have issues. Diet is the most important and training is secondary. 

5. Use the time to plan your goals, think about how things are going and be productive if you really can’t have a few days not concentrating on training. 

6. Feed that cold with food and water. Stay warm and hydrated. I am a shocker at drinking water but have guzzled lots the last few days.

7. Stay well. Feeling better and recovering from a cold/flu/virus is more important than going back to training sooner. Especially if you have a race coming up or when you are sick. If you do have a race and wake up feeling unwell take it easy and don’t push it (or if feeling really bad – dont run it!!) hard as it could end up far worse than just a few days off training. 

*I’m not a doctor and I always write based on my experience, so ALWAYS seek professional advice and do not take my posts as any form of that..if unwell please see a doctor.

Anyway next time I post I am hoping to be back running and feeling better! 

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My Knight in Shining Armour Around the Lake

21 Aug

The choking incident…

Have you every drunk your water too quickly and it has gone down the wrong way? That’s what happened to me this morning, and I was running at the time. I was just trotting around the lake near where I live and I took a massive gulp of water. Almost immediately I felt my face burn and my throat felt like it was closing up – I realised it wasn’t like normal and I staggered to the side of the path.

I started really coughing and then found myself a little short of breath and really wheezy and making a sound that resembled someone that was on their last legs – and I was fighting for my breath! I noticed a couple of girls walking by me and looked up as if to say HELP but they carried on walking as did another couple, and a guy with a little boy walked by – but then he came back, asked me if I was ok, and I managed to say ‘water gone down wrong way’  and he basically whacked me on the back a few times and after the third or fourth time I felt much better.

knight in shining armour

ok so he wasn’t riding a horse but you get the idea..

My knight in shining armour! 

I was a bit scared as at one point as unlike other occasions where I have coughed and it has all come good – this didn’t feel right, so very thankful – whoever he is…

It just made me realise how easy it is to just walk on by, and I’ve gotten myself into a few scrapes when running – thankfully most of the time I have been with people – but it did make me think. I always try to stop and help people unless it looks like a dodgy scenario in which case I would call for help – but I kind of wonder have we really got to that point in life where we are afraid (or don’t want to) help people?…sorry rant over.

Learning to have a rest

I was running by myself today as I was meant to be on the Sunshine Coast running a 10k race – but I decided a week or two ago not to do it, due to a number of reasons – I knew the week just gone was going to be a crazy one with work – as we were working to a deadline which unfortunately meant a lot of hours (thankfully we made the deadline – yay!) so I knew I would be exhausted (which I am), and also the 10k race didn’t start until 9am which personally I think is nuts. Back in the UK I could have handled it but not in Queensland even in winter.   I would have crashed and burned I think as it has been a warm day and I would have no carbs to pull on.

So I had a nice lie in and woke up and ran at leisure – it was great bar the choking part! I have another race next weekend so in hindsight it was pretty silly to sign up for two in a row as these days with LCHF eating I do find it harder.

Post race goals

I have a few things on my mind at the moment running wise.

MAF Training

Reading a lot of information about Phil Maffetone and his MAF Method I feel that one session a week might not be the way to go I think I need to go the whole hog. So the plan is to run MAF style over the next few months as much as I can and maybe sneak in the odd park run and then by say end of November – see if it is really making any difference.

LCHF = Endurance not Speed

In addition, with my Low Carb High/Healthy Fat lifestyle I am finding with my running I am slower than I was due to lack of carbs I guess as I just don’t seem to have as much power – but my endurance is  getting really good just at a slower pace. Sometimes I feel once I have found my pace I could keep running and running – so I am also thinking of pushing up the distances again and seeing how I go by the end of the year.

If I find that I am doing ok I might try a half marathon which whilst I have done lots of them would be my first on LCHF, and if that goes well then maybe just maybe I could try for my sixth marathon…..but that is a very slim maybe right now!

Anyway long post for me today – the inner ramblings of the mad running woman….Have a great week!

 

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Slowing things down with #lchf and running

9 Aug

It’s been an interesting few weeks in life, work, and training – and I think this week things finally caught up with me. The last 7 days have been literally like running through treacle where energy and training has been concerned.

I found a few days running I literally felt like I didn’t want to get out of bed, when I woke up I felt like I had had no sleep and I generally struggled with motivation to train. Many people will argue it is because I am not having ‘enough’ carbohydrate – but I have been eating low carb high fat for a while so it would have happened sooner if that was the case. But at one point it felt debilitating and my husband even took our son out for a few hours on the weekend so that I could sleep – and sleep I did – 4 hours during the day!

I’m coming out of it now and have deduced (I’m no doctor but I do know my body) that it was all down to not enough water and just generally being run down and tired with work, training, life – I think we all have those moments. So it has been back to it today with training, and then I’m training with my friend tomorrow to pick things back up. I also treated myself to a new pair of Kayano’s this week to give me an extra spring in my step 🙂

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New shoes! Enough to put a spring in anyone’s step!

I think as a parent working full time sometimes we underestimate how busy our lives are – I know I do anyway – and I keep pushing to do things and have finally had to take a step back and say ‘ok – what do I have to let go of here, and who do I have to say no to?’ – running stays of course! I need it for my sanity!!

I had a think and here are some tips for if you don’t feel like training….got any other suggestions? Feel free to share in the comments 🙂

Running motivation

4 tips for when you don’t feel like training

  1. Don’t force it. 

I do find sometimes that when I feel like I need a rest and I then go to the gym I do feel better – but sometimes I know to take a rest. I think if you are feeling generally stressed and like you just need a breather then take one! The gym will still be there when you get back – but sometimes you need a rest and in not feeling like training it can be your body’s way of telling you to rest or that you aren’t firing on all 4 cylinders – alternatively if you aren’t enjoying your training just have a rest too – you don’t want to resent your running!

2. Do something different

If you find that you are tired of doing the same thing all the time and it is really becoming an effort – why not shake things up a bit and do something different? Run outside if you are a treadmill runner, or do some running drills or fartlek or what about trying out a trail run.

3. Run with someone else

I find that running with someone else has been amazing during winter as when I would have happily stayed in bed under the duvet – knowing someone is waiting for me to meet them to run has made me accountable and forced me to get up and train – I have always felt better for it – unless coming down with something.

4. Work towards a goal

Having a goal to work towards will do wonders for the motivation. I remember when I was training up for the Gold Coast Marathon last year I braved all sorts of cold and heat to get my training done – and not training wasn’t an option! I was focussed on getting to the start line 🙂

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Sometimes there are more important things than running!

24 May

I haven’t written for a while as life outside of running for me has been a bit crazy. We’ve been flying around as a family trying to fit lots of things into our life, and as a result my son got a cold and I was feeling under the weather last week and at the weekend, and I also started a new job so getting used to not working completely for myself and just the general routine has been challenging – but so far so good!.

As a result of all of the above I missed a few runs which initially I was really beating myself up about – but it was something my friend Sam said to me when I cancelled that made me think – she said:

Screen Shot 2016-03-22 at 11.57.56 am

Running for fun! Sam and I finishing the Twilight Half Marathon earlier this year 🙂

“We’re just doing it for fun anyway, no stress!”

Exactly right.

I’m not a professional runner, I do this for fun and I think the moment it starts to feel like it’s a burden will be the moment I stop doing it. So I reframed how I was thinking and thought ok – no worries it’s ok to have a week off, and I am good to go next week.

I think sometimes it is so easy to get caught up into things and to accept that we cannot always do everything – and sometimes things have to go – and for me on this occasion – it was running.

I’m back now – feeling better and ready to run tomorrow. I also entered the City to South – just to give myself a challenge. It will be very slow but I’m doing it with my friend and it will be FUN 🙂 Then after that it’s the Dubbo Stampede which will again be FUN (and hilly) running around the Dubbo Zoo – so a few things to look forward to running wise.

It’s a short post today but lots more posts to come.

Have a great week of running and having fun!

Zoe xoxo

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Running in Brisbane and heat stroke

29 Feb

Hope you had a great weekend of running.

I’m slowly building back up for the half marathon I have in a few weeks time. It feels so much harder than last year but I have to remember that I had an injury to recover from and it has been hotter which brings me to my post today.

Saturday according to the weather forecasts was going to be a boiling hot day, so my friends and I arranged to do a run in the city. We left at 5.00am to be there and running by 5.30am.

I felt pretty good and decided a few kilometres in that I’d like to pick the pace up – as I wanted to get as ready for my race in March as I could. So I said to the girls that I would push on and they were all good so I did.

I felt pretty good for a while. As I ran I looked around me at Brisbane early in the morning. I don’t tend to go into the city much so it was a real treat to be there running by the bridge and Eagle Street Pier etc. It’s so picturesque around there I love it.

Running by the river - the girl that runs

Brisbane by the river first thing in the morning – so beautiful and picturesque

We were running all the way from the Regatta Hotel to New Farm and back for a good solid 20k – It’s a little bit boring as it is just a straight line but good to get the distance in. But it all got a bit too much by the time I got to New Farm at the 10km mark as the heat hit me.

Running In A Sauna

I literally felt like someone had pushed me into a sauna and locked the door – and as much as I wanted to I just couldn’t get out. I drank a fair bit of water but didn’t seem to be able to cool down. The girls caught up and I decided to run back rather than going on any further – so I turned around and started trotting again, filling up on water whenever I could. The girls had gone a slightly shorter way back and it had more shade. So I hit the sun again. I passed my friends – feeling good – and that’s when the trouble started.

I got to having about 7.5k left to go and was running along the river, when I started to feel hot again. It was literally like I was running through treacle and in a sauna, and my head hurt so I walked for a while. One of my friends passed me and then the other caught up and I decided to try and push on again. I did for a while and got caught in the local park run race which pulled me along.

It was crazy that I could be freezing cold on a boiling hot morning!

Thankfully I was in the shade but I started to feel myself wobbling and I suddenly went very cold and got goosebumps all over me. It was crazy that I could be freezing cold on a boiling hot morning. I grabbed onto the railings where I was running as I felt like I was going to pass out or be sick. I decided it would be good to vomit over the side of it as I didn’t want the park runners to have to run through vomit!

So there I was dry wretching when my friend came up beside me. I told her to carry on but she insisted on staying to make sure I was ok. We ended up walking the last kilometre to the finish of our run and I was feeling much better by the time we got back. I’m so thankful to my lovely friends and them pulling me through!

So I thought about it and wondered whether it was my rushing to run off quicker that made me sick – but I deduced it came down to the heat, the distance and potentially yes pushing on a little too quick. But I finished my 20km run and am ready for my next one – but will be thankful when it cools down!

Running in the Brisbane CBD - the girl that runs

View whilst running of the Brisbane Bridge 🙂

Heat Stroke

Heat stroke is a real issue and especially here in summer in Queensland. When back in London I had a similar problem, and we had an unusually hot day. I was running 18 miles (30k) and I pushed hard, got back to the running club club house and felt freezing cold, and to cut a long story short I ended up collapsing at a local supermarket and being carted off to hospital. I’ll write in more detail about it another time – but it was a rude awakening that we runners should take the heat seriously and be really careful.

I’ve written a couple of previous posts about running in the heat if you are new to it.

Anyway onwards and upwards. Yet again I have learned my lesson and am looking forward to my next long run this coming weekend 🙂

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How to treat and prevent blisters @azumioinc

14 Jan

Hey there! I hope you are having a good week and that you are getting to run lots. It’s been a mixed bag of a week for me with trying to still keep off my feet a little bit to let my bursitis heal but I am feeling much better and the pain is starting to subside.

I’m volunteering at a ParkRun at the weekend in Southbank as my running club Intraining has organised volunteers and needed help and I figured in order to ensure I kept my pace down that I would volunteer for the 35 minute 5k. That works out to about 7 minute km which is a lot slower than I would normally run but I am hoping I get to run comfortably and encourage people along the way if they need help.

Anyway I’ve been a guest blogger for Azumio for a good few months now and I was running out of ideas as to what to write and my latest post is all about blisters – how to treat them and how to prevent them in the first place. I am no podiatrist but with all the hassles I had in the lead up to the Gold Coast Marathon last year with that horrendous blister to the point it nearly sidelined me I figure I have a few tips from what I learned along the way.

blister before treated - the girl that runs

This was my blister at its largest – it was a monster – at least an inch and a half big! yuk.

You can read the post on Azumio’s blog – but always remember if you have any injuries or problems please always consult a professional.

Have a great rest of the week and happy running 🙂

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4 things to do when recovering from an injury

12 Jan

We are 12 days into 2016 and my year didn’t really start as planned. I planned to kick start my training but instead ended up on the bench resting over Christmas and then running very short and slow runs last week as well as doing lots of physio exercises thanks to bursitis on my hip.

I have been seriously frustrated but I am pleased to say I think it is starting to come good and I managed to run 5k this morning pain free – albeit it was slow but I finally felt I might be turning a slight corner and recovering rather than suffering – yay!

It’s hard being on ‘the bench’ and in the past I have pushed through and ended up even more injured and out of action for even longer so I am glad I have been patient as it seems to be paying off.

In today’s post I decided to give some tips based on advice I have had to tell myself whilst I haven’t been able to train and then reduced training.

injury

4 things to do when recovering from an injury

1. Listen to your professional therapist and do the exercises!

I’m not too good at remembering to do my physio exercises, generally I am more likely to do them when I am in pain than when I don’t feel too much discomfort.

Don’t do what I do!

Listen to your professional therapist and do what they say to ensure you recover as quickly as possible. If they tell you to RICE (Rest Ice Compression Elevation) – do it, if they tell you to do certain exercises – do them 🙂

2. Try not to let it get you down 

It’s easier said than done to not feel down when injured. I was so frustrated when I hurt my hip as I had done a great run, felt like I was finally coming back to feeling strong again and BAM! I over strode and have been seeing my physio ever since.

I got really down and became a recluse for the first week as I didn’t want to hear about how great everyones running was going, but my good friends helped me snap out of it.

Most of my running friends have experienced an injury at least once so we all understand one another’s pain, and my lovely personal trainer friend has been great tailoring my training around the many parts of my body that have hurt at one time or another! I found I felt better knowing I had support around me rather than hiding in my hole feeling sorry for myself.

3. Stay involved 

It’s easy to pull away when you can’t train especially when it is an injury that requires long term treatment – but from a mental point of view to stay involved gives hope and positive vibes that you’ll be back at some point.

If you can’t train then you could volunteer at ParkRuns or events you regularly attend to stay involved and still feel like you are a part of the running community.

4. Keep training the parts of your body that you can!

Depending on what your doctor or physio says you could do other types of training i.e. swimming* or cycling* or weights* – this all depends on the nature of your injury of course.

I plan to start swimming soon once my physio lets me to try something else in tandem with my running to get me stronger but not be too harsh on my body as well as the running.

*Always seek professional medical advice or advice from an expert such as a physiotherapist before trying anything new. I am not a doctor I am just expressing my opinions and experience.

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