Getting to the Core

Last night I decided to bring out my Core Board. I've had it for a few years but all I've ever used it for was to collect dust. It's been sitting under the coffee table in my hall for years. I'd decided to go back to my daily abs routine which I havent done in a while. For now I've just been doing abs 3x a week, that is whenever I go to gym. Gave it a good cleaning and used it while watching Ugly Betty and Desperate Housewives.

I've never had such a good abs workout in a long, long time! Did about 45 minutes of squats, balancing poses and crunches.

Today I woke up late and missed 45 minutes of workout time. Nevertheless within an hour, I had a blast of a workout, with 30 minutes of cardio - interval training walking and sprinting. Followed with back exercises and 100 situps. Finally my abs are showing signs of concavity again!

PS my core board looks a little different from that above - instead of a flat base it actually stands on 4 legs.

Outdoor & Indoor

Woke up this morning to the sound of thunder....Hmmm was feeling a bit lazy and thought I'd sleep in. BUt since I've been told that I've gained weight beyond recognition PLUS I need to get my act together to start training for the KL Marathon. I've rested from long distance running for 3 months - my left hip was sore and all but now it's better although on certain days it still feels tight, especially if I dont exercise and stretch. Woes of a wannabe runner.

Anyway, we started running even though the sky was dark. We managed about 2km before it started raining. Just as we'd started running our second loop we felt raindrops. My girlfriend and I decided to turn back while the guys (being macho of course) carried on. In any case the guys were much faster so they were already further ahead whilst Julia and I could still turn back. We continued our run on the treadmill..Did about another 4.5km indoors.

WHile we were at the gym, one of my friend's husband who is a Dutchman came and used the treadmill beside mine. He is a marathon runner and has the physique. Here I was sprinting on my treadmill and when I looked over to his, he was running at 15.2km per hour!!!! And when he slowed down to a slow jog, he was at 9.9km per hour..gosh that is like sprinting for me already! BUt he is tall, and his 1 stride is probably my 5 strides.

'Twas a good run!

Hip Hip Hooray!

Ever since the Singapore Marathon I've been having this niggling hip soreness. It's not a sharp pain but a dull ache, and it throbs sometimes. I've been stretching and stretching my hip flexors but somehow they were still sore. It gets worse when I don't exercise and actually improves when I do! It stretches from the front at the hip flexor all the way to the lower back, and it's only on my left side. There have been a few times where I laid off exercise for a few days but it never went away.

Strangely, after laying off for 4 days last week, and missing the Wild Wild Run, my left hip is finally beginning to feel normal!It is still a teeny weeny tight but it doesnt feel so bad - previously it would still feel tight even when I am resting in bed. It's been feeling more normal the last 2 days, and I hope this lasts!

Hip hip hooray!

Battling Body Dysmorphic Disorder

I often make a joke about my body dysmorphic disorder(BDD) but seriously, it isn't really funny. I've just discovered that BDD actually does fall under OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) I guess it's the same thing that

1. it is a mental disorder
2. it is irrational

It's funny that although I have a distorted image of my body shape, I could never be anorexic nor bulimic. I could never be anorexic because I can't imagine starving myself, knowing that I won't have energy to run...I love running too much to give it up. (unless if I have to because of physical or health reasons, that is a different issue alltogether). And I can't imagine sticking my finger down my throat after every meal - that is disgusting.

So it remains a mental issue to me.

It's also strange because as far as I can remember, until I turned 18 I never worried about the way I look. Media and people around you have such great influence. I began to be more conscious about my body shape when I was in college, when boys used to tease me about my weight. Actually looking back I wasn't that fat, chubby yes, but I'd seen fatter people. BUt all the teasing has scarred me and still goes with me until now.

It was this whole reason that I'd started exercising..I've been exercising for 18 years now, and I love it. I exercise not just to lose weight but it makes me fitter and healthier. But sadly my mental health is not as good - I have to get rid of this perception that I am fat. I know that sometimes when I lament about this to friends, people find it hard to understand - especially those who are bigger than me - and they may think I'm insensitive, but it really is a psychological issue. I have double standards against myself. There are people who are bigger than me, but I don't see them as fat but I see myself as fat. And for people who tell me "oh be happy with yourself", I think "yea right, easy for you to say when you are so slim".

Although I know that my physical body will not last, yet I am still preoccupied with it. I know I should be thinking of a more eternal perspective, yet I am still caught up with earthly matters.

I seriously have a problem, but I dont know how to get out of it. I know what I'm supposed to do, but it's such a struggle.

Getting Better

Had to give the Wild Wild Run a miss...caught a bad bug from my colleague, I've been waking up to very stuffed up nose and phlegm every morning. Even though I didn't catch a cold or had a bad cough, I just felt very very tired and worn down, the same kind of feeling that you get when on medication. The funny part was, I wasn't on medication.

I believe that when you get a viral attack, the antibodies are working very hard, that's why you feel so tired even though you aren't really that sick. You tend to feel extremely sluggish and groggy. Well at least I did. Not to mention 4 days of no exercise, and my energy just plummeted.

I also made a day trip to PD on Sunday, which was another reason why I had to give the run a miss - I knew I would be driving back alone at night, and could not afford to be tired and sleepy while driving.

I started running again yesterday, a slow and easy one, and you would not believe how much of mucus i had in my nose (ok, too much information i know..) Today I feel much better, although still a little stuffy but I regained some energy and could run as normal.