D(iagnosis) Day

I was off to the physio this morning. Not the most comfortable trip in the car. Given where the injury is, sitting can be troublesome.

I was seeing a new physio today. As we’ve not met before the conversation went something like this:

“So what seems to be the problem?”
“I’ve hurt my hamstring. I’m worried I might’ve torn it up high, in the tendon attachment” she says.
“I see you were last here in January?”
“Problems with the hip” she says.
“Uh huh. Have you had other problems with the left hip or hamstring in the past?”
“Torn hip cartilage in 2009 which required surgery” she says.
“Uh huh. Other past problems.”
Omg she thinks – does he want to know everything?
I’ll stick to the biggies, she thinks, otherwise we’re going to be here for hours.
“Partial tear in the right hamstring in 2011 requiring cortisone and a treatment involving ultrasound and a big needle;
Surgery in 2004 to remove inflamed portion of ITB and the bursa;
Plantar fasciitis requiring orthotics…” she says.

“And you still run?!” I’m hoping this was his attempt at humour.

After conducting several tests to determine the extent of the damage, the diagnosis is that of micro-tears in the attachment. Unfortunately, as I know only too well, this is the worst place to have a tear as the area has a poor blood supply and it takes forever for an injury to heal. You need a good blood supply for healthy and speedy healing.

So for the moment, until the swelling and inflammation settles down, I have to rest. Not much I can do anyway, it’s too sore. I do have one exercise to do – knee raises from a sitting or lying position. Thats it. Not quite a Mish workout! Next week I’ll start swimming using a pull buoy and he’ll give me some more exercises. The New York marathon in November is my goal – I have to be ready by then.

Now why is it that I’m so hungry when I’m not doing anything? This afternoon and evening I have been starving. I’m clock watching from meal to meal. I’ve had to employ my secret weapon frequently just to get through the day without raiding inhaling the contents of the pantry. Thank god there is no block of chocolate lurking in there!

The promise of coffee for the caffeinista sistas!

7.49am: Gindy parkrun
Distance: 6km (inc 1km warm up)
Time: 31.49min
Pace: 5.15min/km
Cals: 350

Parkrun results:
49th across the line, 1st in age group
Time: 25.39min (this included stopping to tie up shoe laces)

Weather: 6*c, wind – calm; a chilly start but a gorgeous sunny morning

It seemed really strange driving to the start of parkrun this morning as I usually run down and then run home afterwards. But not today. Why? Well there is the Mothers Day Classic 10km tomorrow so I’m saving myself(!), and Gary was shouting the caffeinista sistas aka CJ and Ruth, a coffee for doing the marathon last month. Just quietly – that was the real reason I showed up for parkrun today!Thank you Gary!

It was a chilly start this morning but we soon warmed up on the 5km run – those tricky little hills just pop up when you least expect them! That first one up to the bridge can be particularly nasty – very short and sharp. Deek’s female Indigenous squad were marshalling today as they are running tomorrow. They are training to run New York marathon later this year, as we are!

Then it was off to Birrigai Cafe for a coffee that Gary promised us for running the Canberra marathon. Trust me it was a well earned coffee! And as a special treat, Ruth also had a choccie biscuit and I had a Jaffa slice – very delicious and totally negated any calories I may have earned today from the run! Oh well, the countdown is on – only 2 more sleeps and the challenge is on (deep breath CJ).

This afternoon I baked my first ever sponge so wasn’t sure how this would turn out. I used a recipe from the Cooks Companion – my Stephanie Alexander cooking bible. I remember my nana used to make a sponge using a recipe that didn’t have the usual plain or SR flour but instead used cornflour. This is what this recipe had – cornflour, custard powder, cream of tartar, carb soda, caster sugar and eggs. It baked perfectly and, apart from a tricky situation where it stuck to the wire rack while cooling, there were no dramas. It has now been sliced horizontally and sandwiched with strawberry jam and cream.

Tomorrow its Mothers Day. So why am I getting up early to run 10km? I’m still wondering that myself!

Conquering Hospital Hill

12.33pm: lunchtime run out past Black Mountain peninsula, including Hospital Hill and Black Mountain peninsula hill
Distance: 10.2km
Time: 58.02min
Pace: 5.40min/km
Cals: 601
Weather: 19.4*c, wind – NW, 7kph; a gorgeously warm and sunny day with barely any breeze

Today I thought it was time to conquer Hospital Hill rather than go my usual way, around towards the museum. I have to be careful with running hills because it can aggravate my hip but today I felt inspired to do some hills – not sure why but I figured it couldn’t hurt. As long as I am conservative but consistent with including hills in my runs I hope to eventually regain my hill running ability, which I have to confess is sorely lacking at the moment. In fact, I can quite honestly say at this point in time, ie now, I suck at hills.

Anyways it was such a beautiful sunny day, quite warm even, with a glass off on the lake as there was very little breeze. It was stunningly gorgeous.

Trundling up Hospital Hill was a bit of an effort, as was Black Mountain peninsula. The downhills on the other hand were great!

Again I was starving all afternoon but I didn’t succumb to crap today. Though I did stand in front of the charity chocolate box in the work kitchen for what seemed like forever contemplating the range on offer. But instead I had an apple.

Well, I have printed off my nutrition plan for next week. On offer is apple & ricotta toast, Bircher muesli, beef stroganoff with pasta & beans, ginger salmon stirfry and chicken noodle soup, among others. But no chips or chocolate. And I’ve had a peek at my exercise plan. Best not to scare myself too much. Omg I think I’m going to experience DOMS next week!

And the best news of today and possibly the week is that…*drum roll*…Keren has got in to NY marathon. She’s coming to New York! Woot!

JFDI

The day started well with a weights session. But as the day wore on, the worse I began to feel. Not sick but tired, I think…..I hope. It was as if I had run out of oomph.

So I was seriously in two minds this afternoon as to whether to do the cardio schedule scheduled for after work. I reasoned that it wouldn’t hurt to miss a session after all it had been a hard week and I had done every other session. So I miss a session?  What harm would that do. I’d probably be better off resting instead.

Perfectly good reasons to just go home. Except that I didn’t. I changed into my gym gear at work, drove to the gym and tackled the session, one machine at a time. I wouldn’t go hard but I would do it.

It was a fugly session but I still managed to sweat it out. The rolling intervals were the hardest, especially when the incline increased every minute for 4 minutes, from an incline of 3% to 9% by the end. I seriously didn’t think I would have the energy to do it but I surprised myself. Ok, I was clock watching  those seconds tick over but I hung in there until I could reduce the incline and the speed again.

Tomorrow is a rest day. I need it.

The great news is that I received an email today to say that my place in the 2013 NYC marathon has been confirmed! 16 months and I’m off to New York. I can’t wait!

“Some pursue happiness – others create it.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson