Off The Tracks For Some Time

I injured my left knee while I was training to run New Balance 3K. My personal trainer isn't to blame for that - actually, he warned me beforehand that this could happen but I just wouldn't listen to him. 

I'm having a lot of pain on my knee right now. Both my bone doctor and my coach have told me not to run for some time. It's really hard and it's kind of bringing me down, but I know that if I run, it'll just get worse. So I've had to stop running.

I'm having physiotherapy. I'm also applying some Chinese patches on my knee. That's all I can do for now. We'll see how my joints evolve. I'll have an MRI taken soon.  Then my doctor will prescribe some meds for my osteo-arthritis.

I'm a bit afraid of regaining weight, as I'm not using my legs too much. My trainer says it won't happen. Training me in a healthy and thorough way is his job & concern right now.

I've always trusted my trainer, in spite of my own stubborness, and no matter how many times I've questioned him. He's simply outstanding.

I guess there's nothing else I can do for the time being...

V-Day

So today is V-Day. And the 'V' stands for 'Vegetarian'. 

(BTW, I really look up to true vegans - yes, they may seem a bit freaky but they're worth of respect for what they believe in, as well as for their way of sticking to those beliefs.)

It's V-Day for me today, June 24th, 2011 b-e-c-a-u-s-e my new lifestyle, as regards nutrition, is starting. Since now on, I'll only be eating vegetarian meals.

In fact, I'll be a semi-vegetarian: an ovo-lacto-pollo-pesco one. Translation: I won't be consuming any red meat (no beef, lamb, pork, ham, sausages, hot dogs, barbecue, etc) but I'll still be consuming eggs, dairy, chicken and fish. I don't really feel very comfortable about eating chicken, but as it tackles the issue of loose skin and as it helps boost your metabolism, then I'll keep having chicken once in a while, at least for the time being.

What inspired me to choose this path for myself... I was having lunch in a vegetarian restaurant with a person about whom I should say he's become a positive influence in my life lately, and suddenly I asked him why he'd turned a vegetarian. His answer was VERY inspiring. It was a sort of empathic experience, actually. I felt what he was feeling when he decided to quit on red meat. And that made me want to follow his steps and start this vegetarian phase in my life. 

Well, I'm feeling great about my decision - in fact, I'm a little euphoric. This is one of those things that make me feel happy with myself. And I want to cling to it. Feels good!

Yes, BJ, now I'll be able to look at your rabbit Ralph without feeling bad (lol).

 

From LOSING IT! With Jillian Michaels

Friday, June 24, 2011

Overcoming a Setback

It happens — you miss a few workouts and you feel like you've fallen off the weight-loss wagon. It's tempting to mentally slap yourself around, right? (Or head for the fridge.) Before you start, I want to remind you of something: Being hard on yourself is the Old You.

The New You knows how to deal with setbacks and get back on the wagon. And after all, there are no mistakes, just learning experiences. Weight loss is a process — it takes time. You will encounter small failures — everyone does — but every pound you gain can be lost.

And if you miss a workout, it's not the end of the world! Get to the gym the next day and continue to focus on your short-term goals. Just because you made bad choices today doesn't mean you can't start over tomorrow. New day? New beginning. And don't you forget it! 

She's my hero!

It should be illegal

It should be illegal to utter discouraging words and address them to the people who are working their asses off in order to become fit. That act is no different from discrimination. Yes, I'm fat and yes, I don't look like a fairy tale princess or a top fashion model. Well, that's MY problem and not anybody else's. And there's something called freedom of speech, so I can talk about fitness, exercise, workouts, as much as I want and whenever I want. And I can dream, can't I? Dreaming is not prohibited by law. 

I can become whatever I want to become. Why not? It's my choice. I'll make my own decisions and, if I should end my days eating clean, exercising and running, until the last minute of my life, then I'm not to blame for that. I can turn into whatever I want to turn into, whether they like it or not. It's my life, anyway! 

So it's high time you put your guns down - stop criticising me, buddies. Come on, if fitness has corrupted my mind, so be it! I'm happy this way, and I'm not going to change. You think it's a bad thing that I let my fitness journey define me? Well, again - that's my choice!

And this line goes to so-and-so... Come on, buddy, whose side are you on???

Call me self-assured, arrogant or whatever you want. Well, take me or leave me - but don't bother me!

I know some day I will get there... You may not see me then, but I promise you WILL hear my laughter...

That's all I've got to say. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

New Balance 3K

 

I DID IT!!!

(Thanks, Bran!)

2 days left...

... and I'm freaking out.

My personal trainer has just done something amazing for me. He's kinda 'run a sim'. Two days ago, he told me: "On Wednesday, I want you to run for 18 minutes." After running the 3K at the May Celebrations on 05/25, we discussed how long it'd have taken me to get to the finish line if I'd run all of it (I only managed to run 60-65%). We agreed it may have taken me 18 minutes, and that's why he came up with this brilliant idea: I was going to run for 18 minutes today. Well, I couldn't help screaming when he made the announcement. I knew he had a good point so I couldn't find any good reason to object, but of course my inner voice told me, "You know you can't run for eighteen minutes, so what's the point???" I was so shocked that I didn't even utter a 'yes' or a 'no'...

"... and I'll be running with you", he said. Wooooooow!!! That was really awesome! Branwell hurt his knee about two months ago, and he's been taking good care of it since then - he's even had to stop playing football, something he's found particularly hard to do because he really LOVES football. So running together somehow implied that he was making my needs a priority, even if this meant that he'd have to commit himself to force his knee a bit here. And no doubt he was pushing me to run 3K without stopping, but at the same time he'd be there to encourage me all the way. Yes - truly amazing.

So we ran together. Well, I should say we jogged, and sometimes I nearly walked, but it was still moving as if I was running. Or something like that. Wow, I was so tired after the first 4 minutes, having a look at my watch every 20 seconds... The way my trainer backed me up was more than impressive (thanks, Bran!). He just wouldn't let me fail. He kept telling me "You're doing good" all the time. He also asked many times how I was feeling, if my bad knee hurt, if everything was OK. 

And he let me take control of the timing. So I'd stop when I needed to stop. And I just DIDN'T WANT to stop, so when I passed the pain threshold, he explained how our bodies worked and how I should feel afterwards. So I DIDN'T stop until I felt I'd had enough. AND THAT WAS 24 MINUTES AFTER STARTING JOGGING. Unbelievable!!! I beat my personal best... wow, that couldn't possibly describe it; the last time I'd run, I'd only jogged for 10 minutes! And, WOW, that was only 15 days ago! It was... it was... CRAZY! Not only had I passed the 12-minute running test - I'd doubled the bet and done it T-W-I-C-E!!!

... Now my trainer is taking for granted I CAN run for 20 minutes, so I'm supposed to do my 3K running without stopping. I mean, it makes sense, why wouldn't I be able to run all of it, if it might take me 18 minutes (or at least, no more than 20) and I can run for 24? Well, it's hard to figure it out, to picture it in my mind. I still believe I can't run over 300 metres (0.33K). Sometimes I just have to take my trainer's word for what I can or can't do. He knows better than I do!

And he tried to tell me that, anyway, it'd be OK if I didn't manage to run the whole distance on Sunday. I just couldn't hear him. I don't want to fail. I need to do this! And so I'm calling all angels for help. H-E-L-P!!! Preeeee!!! Preeeee!!! Help meeeeeeee!!!

3 days left...

... and it's so hard to know what to feel!

I'm totally in panic but also on autopilot.

4 days left

So difficult to rise today...

I'm incredibly sore, and my back is hurting a little.

Yesterday's session was tough. Branwell broke me emotionally.

"We're dealing with pain here", he said. And pushed me real hard.

No worries, I'll be fine.

Well, it seems I'm still in one piece...

Smile in the face of adversity... or face adversity with a smile (whatever).

Yeah, smile and keep going for it!

Life is like a cup of tea

I can see life at the bottom of my cup of jasmine tea.

And life is perfect like the leaves of a jasmine flower...

5 days left...

I'm running New Balance 3K on Sunday, June 12th.

I've got some last minute doubts. I know it's normal. I'm starting to panic. I know it's normal. I'm nervous, anxious and affluter. Again - I know it's normal.

I say to myself, "Nike, just do it". Just get up, get dressed, go out, stand on the starting line, and then - run, run, run. That's all. Switch off your mind. Feel your breath, listen to your heart beating, lift your feet off the ground, step on the road under your soles, keep an eye on the horizon... and run.

What else is there? What else do I have? Just this passion for running, for challenging myself, for proving my strength and determination, for pursuing my dreams...

Just run, gal. Just run. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Fate?

... I keep training!

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS...

... and it's truly a GREAT thing to discover where your heart beats.

A visit to Chinatown (I)

An interesting walk along the streets of Chinatown... And I had my first auriculotherapy intervention. 

 

Auriculotherapy

What is Auriculotherapy?

Many people have heard of reflexology where the systems of the entire body is represented on the bottom of the feet or hands, auriculotherapy is very much the same.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) the outer part of the ear, the auricle, views the entire body and organ systems in an upside down fetus representation.

What can auricular treat?

Auriculotherapy can be used to treat the same body systems as standard acupuncture. This form of therapy can treat not only musculoskeletal issues, but organ system dysfunctions as well as addictions, weight loss, and smoking cessation.

Treatments for addictions, weight loss, smoking cessation are popular options using auriculotherapy. 

How is this treated?

By using needles with or without electric stimulation, or vaccaria seeds that are taped to a specific acupuncture point on the ear.