Rain! No outdoor run today!

Ran 6km on the treadmill.

Old is NOT Gold

I am fitting extremely well into the veteran category. Yes my mind is youthful but undoubtedly my body is ageing.. I had 2 consecutive late nights over a week ago, and it took me a week to recover. I really hate to admit it, but my recovery process is a lot slower now. After 2 late nights, I found it difficult to wake up in the mornings to go to the gym or run. Not to mention my left toe, bunion and arch are still aching every time I start running.

I need to get motivated again. I was thinking, this time I need to get motivated not just for myself, but for people around me too. I realise my mood is heavily dependent on exercise - if I don't get enough exercise (ie 5-6 times a week) i get moody, grouchy, depressed. That's not good for the people around me. Now I have to remind myself, that I need to keep fit and stay healthy so that I can serve those around me better.

Started gymming again this morning(Mon).. oh ya, the stupid gym has decided to shift RPM class form 7.30am to 8pm. BAH! That's too late for me. Not only has the gym deprived me of hot water, now they are depriving me from having firm thighs ( I truly swear by RPM, it keeps your thighs from jiggling) and ogling over the *flexing biceps* cute instructor with nice upper body.BAH!

Well since no RPM had to do legs today..

My Favourite Polycore Design

Retirement?

I've recently qualified to be in veteran category. I don't understand why women just have 1 veteran category when men have 2 veteran categories - junior and senior vet. A bit unfair and discriminating isnt it? And not to even mention that women become veterans at 35 while men become veterans at 40.

Anyway, I was thinking maybe I should retire from running. I ran 5km this morning and my left big toe and bunion hurt like nobody's business. So I don't think I will run the Adidas run next week. I've been having this pain on my left foot for a while, on and off - despite getting rest and all that. Maybe my orthotics need to be changed. Maybe my shoes need to be changed. Or maybe my running days are just over.

I've been battling fatigue for quite a while now, my phlegm still hasn't cleared from last time, I find it incredibly difficult to run now.

Is it time to hang up my running shoes?

Grouses

Ran 4.5km outdoor today. Felt really good (maybe that's coz the distance is short), felt like I wanted to carry on, but alas, had to stop after the 2nd round as I had to rush off to send my car for servicing.

Hopefully I can do a decent run on Saturday morning, and have enough time to collect my Harry Potter book (that means I won't be first in the store!) before going to church.

Finally Celebrity Fitness called me. Every person who joins is entitled to 2 free personal training sessions. However some of us decided to join in a group, and they gave us additional 4 free PT sessions each. When we joined, we gave our names to one of the sales/marketing personnel, who eventually left the company. Thereafter, Celebrity had no records of the free training sessions. It was so difficult to even lodge a complaint because:

1. No floor managers in morning. They insist I go and see the manager after 10am. I said,"No way, I am working, I am at your gym at 6am and there should be a manager in charge"

2. Staff won't even disclose manager's number. Hello???? I just need a point of contact, not like I am getting their number for personal use. How idiotic.

3. It's even hard to get anyone to pick up the phone even.

If not for the location, I am sure not please with such shoddy attitude of the staff. Their managers also "one kind".

I have been experiencing COLD showers every morning, and have not had a single hot bath. The stupid manager had the cheek to tell me I am the only one who complained about this. He definitely lied through his teeth because I just found out from my friend this morning that she HAD already made a complaint earlier to the SAME manager. On top of that, he asked me "did you turn the lever the right way?" Hello??? Bobo the monkey also would know how to turn the lever. It doesn't take much intelligence. Which explains the type of managers they have. Besides, I don't think my nerves are damaged to the point that I can't distinguish hot from cold water.

I think even B grade actors get better treatment, talk about Celebrity.

Tough

What s struggle to complete 6km run today. It's been 11 days since I did any outdoor running. I felt like I was very low on energy, not drained yet not enough reserves to push myself. On top of that my left foot hurt a little, and I had some phlegm stuck in my throat. I never fully recovered from my last cough, nearly about 3-4 weeks ago. It was so difficult to breathe, especially uphill, trying to cough up the phlegm yet unable to.

I don't know how i'll fare in the Adidas run.

Booster

It's my first day of exercise after 11 days of fatigue and being away. It was horrible, I found I was not able to get up or drag myself out of bed. It was a catch 22 situation - i felt like I needed more sleep, yet when I get more sleep I felt even more lethargic. My body's so used to exercise that not exercising is detrimental.

Doing RPM has paid off. I think it has built a lot of lower body muscles to the extent that even when I ate a lot and didn't exercise, the weight gain wasn't significant. I just feel a bit rounded but at least not roly poly.

Today's cardio:
30 min run on treadmill
20 min on elliptical machine
45 min RPM class

Chest
Push ups
Dumbell bench press
Dumbell fly
Assisted tricep dip
Chest press
Fitball crunches

It feels good to be back in the gym!

A Recipe

Recipe for Depression

* No exercise for 10 days
* No bible reading for 14 days
* No Starbucks coffee for 5 days

Toss them all together and voila! You get the perfect recipe for depression.

Overtraining?

Woke up this morning feeling drained again. I seem to be having symptoms of overtraining: depression, fatigue (but alas, no loss of appetite). Then again, I haven’t been running as much as before, how can I be overtraining? But the fatigue is very real though. And I wake up with a mild depression every day, but it goes away when I start to exercise.

Yet, I managed to get to the gym at 6.05am. My left big toe and bunion were hurting like crazy though. Did:

Cardio:

30 min interval training: walk/run

25 min on stairclimber

30 min on elliptical machine

Weights:

Squats, full range & mid range

Adductor machine

Abductor machine

Leg curl

A friend of mine borrowed my Pilates book. Just before I lent it to her I had a good look through it. I think I should start Pilates again. It’s been ages since I’ve done it.

Decisions!

This is the month I have to decide whether I want to run the Singapore marathon this year. Try and register after July and you'll not get a place at the starting point. Yes, there are that many crazy people out there. My mind wants to do it, but often my body fails me. Every evening I think of running Pantai Hills again, but everytime I wake up in the morning, I feel like something the cat dragged in.

Every morning I've been battling to wake up(yes, I still manage to get to the gym at about 6.05-6.10am, but I am not bubbling with energy). This morning it was a struggle to do 5km even. And I didn't even do RPM class yesterday as it was cancelled. (Where did my cute instructor go??)My legs felt like lead and my upper body was so so sore from doing chest yesterday. I ran so slow I didn't even break into my usual sweat.

How? Should I, should I not?