Posts Tagged with: "Run"

The Lonerunner’s blog is the funniest running blog I have ever read.  Here are just some excerpts that left me laughing out loud:

“…I want to initiate a new program wherein runners can donate the hideous, terrible designed and gayish looking Runners shorts-shorts. All collected running shorts will be unstitched and remade as umbrellas.”

“…’Doubling’ will greatly quicken your pace, increase your endurance and most significantly your deodorant purchase.”

“…I have a big problem with the word Fartlek. It sounds like a Fart and saying is never sexy. And If we say, ‘I am  Fartleking with different partners.’-that will never,ever sound right to a non-runner.”  

To the Lonerunner, I’m a big fan.  Keep us laughing.  Run on, friend!

I know, I know…I’ve been absent lately.  Mother Hen has been watching over her kids at school the past few days and was also neck-deep in work.  

Despite the chaotic sched, I just knew I had to take time off to post about Rush’s Run Clinic after seeing that the 1st of only 2 female sessions was today!  Ack, sorry to disappoint my fellow running women!  Men can still sign up until June 19.

Sessions are free!  Click here to visit the Rush Active Achiever website.

To Vince of Rush, hats off to you and your company for promoting running through these sessions.  I hope more companies follow suit.

Last Sunday, I dropped by my brothers’ place to pick up my new old bike.  One of my brothers unselfishly agreed to lend me his mountain bike so I could gradually dip my feet into the world of cycling.

– My new hand-me-down bike –

I have three brothers.  And they have three bikes, if I’m not mistaken.  

The eldest brother was a cyclist in his 20s.  Having an 11 year age gap, I remember watching him in awe as a little girl every time he got ready to leave or returned from his cycling adventure wearing his cleats (which looked so high tech at that time).  I recall his tattered, overused logbook and how he tediously monitored his distance, time, and everything else in it.  He taught me that wearing the yellow jersey was the coolest thing in the Tour de France.  

One time, while on my way home to Makati riding our school bus along Marcos Highway in Antipolo, I was pleasantly surprised to see my Kuya waving from outside my window.  My bus mates suspiciously asked who it was I was smiling at.  And, I replied with pride “That’s my Kuya!”

My two other brothers enjoyed cycling too, but never got into it as seriously as the eldest.  It was the 2nd brother who lent me the mountain bike.  The 3rd was asleep (at noontime!) when I picked up the bike.

So, before they allowed me to bring home the bike, my two kuyas commanded me to test ride the bike.  I rode it up and down the driveway.  Okay, it looked like I passed that test.

Next, they demonstrated how to shift gears and how to reattach them should the gears fall off.  Easy peasy, I thought.

Lastly, they showed me how to remove the front wheel for transporting the bike.  Wait a minute, run that by me again.  They showed me a 2nd time and asked me to do it myself.  I did it twice.  Then, they told me to load the bike unto my car.  Such tough instructors, I tell you!

When all that was said and done, my eldest brother gave his final words of advise much like a nervous dad discussing the birds and the bees with his teener.  Spinning his hands in the air, he said “Don’t push down with your feet.  Focus on circular motions.”  Okay!  “When you are about to climb up, shift your gears, take a deep breath, and push forward.” Got it.  Then he looked at the bike and said, this time like a mother giving her baby away for adoption, “I’m going to miss you!”

I felt pangs of guilt, but I knew that he knew his baby would be in good hands.  I will try to ride the bike at least once a week.  And, hopefully, I’ll enjoy it.  I’m sure not as much as I love running though.

This morning, I lay flat on my back in the middle of our garage as the hubby slowly backed up the car making sure both right tires ran over my left shin.  Then, cringing in pain I cried out “Do it again! This time slower!”

Okay, it didn’t exactly happen that way.  For the most part, only the intense, grit-your-teeth pain is real.

– My left leg gets some ice before the “massage” – 

I went for my third visit to the physical therapist this morning.  After eight days of shin pain, limping, and absolutely no running, I knew it was time to bite the bullet—or, in my case, the towel if I wanted to run again…quick.  

Since last week, after consulting my doctor about this shin pain (which, as it turns out, is not at all related to my runner’s knee— how lucky am I, huh?), I’ve been to 3 therapy sessions, which to put it quite simply is not my idea of fun.  

The doctor ordered the therapist to “release” my shins, which is probably the scientific world’s version of tough love for athletes.  By “release”, the doctor means that the therapist will massage, push, shove, depress, elbow, manhandle the area of injury for around 5 minutes until all those tiny lumps in the muscles have disappeared—and the patient has been reduced to a little helpless fetus who can barely utter a sound due to exhaustion.

The two “release” sessions last week were tough and, silly me, each time the therapist would attempt to do her stuff, I would pull my leg away in fear of the pain that was about the run through my body.  In hindsight, I wonder if she got any work done at all.

On the second session, as she tried to push on my already bruised leg (which was released two days before), I shut my eyes saying “ouch ouch ouch” reaching almost a meditative state only to have my doctor enter the booth to say as politely as he could “Please be quiet.  You are going to scare my other patients.”  I wanted to pull my shirt over my face in embarrassment.

Today was different.  Eight days of no running had turned me into a monster over the weekend and I had to put an end to it.  Last night, I told my hubby in the bravest voice possible “I’ll visit my therapist tomorrow and ask her to release my shins and get rid of these lumps—no matter how painful.  I just want to run again.”  The hubby nods in silence, but I read his mind and it said “I hope you know what you’re doing!” Then, I immediately add “Do you think taking a double dose of Ponstan before the session will help?”

To cut a long story short, my therapist did release my shin again this morning.  And, as I was very cooperative (you should’ve heard me screaming “Bring it on, Lady!”—kidding!), she was able to reduce the lumps significantly, although not entirely.  The towel she gave became my best friend during those long 5 minutes of my life; it became my mask (one must cover one’s hideous, pain-filled face), sound-muffler, tension-reliever and, of course, sweat-absorber.  It looked like I had been to hell and back in all of those 5 minutes, but when the therapist assured me that I could run again as soon as these lumps were gone, I knew it was worth it.

So, yes, I do feel that a car ran over my shins this morning.  But, I have a feeling that one last session of tough love on these bones of mine will get me running again by the end of the week.  Anything for running, baby!

Just wanted to let you know I’m alive and kicking.  A bit down and depleted from the tumultuous week I had—a rollercoaster of sorts due to the evil injury that came and went every hour of every single day.  I didn’t know if I was injured, recovering, fully recovered, or just going insane.  All I know is that I did all I could to alleviate the tightness in my legs during the past week.

I skipped blogging for two reasons:

1) I was getting really frustrated furious about the injury.  Had I ranted about it over here you would leave your computer screen with your eyebrows connected as one, both nostrils flaring, then you’d head straight for your boss, husband/wife, or best friend and yell at them for simply breathing.

2) This baby Macbook Pro of mine needed some upgrades.  It was the first time I parted with it for three whole days (not counting vacations) and, while I thought I would die of boredom, I actually felt liberated from the reins of the world wide web…and oh yes, work.  (Forgive me for not answering your comments yet.  I will soon!  Let me catch up on work first!)

Anyhow, I’m back.  I’ve got my 10k race bib for Doc Fit which I’ll be exchanging for a 5k due to the injury.  For now, my 10k debut (not that it’ll be such a momentous occassion) will have to wait…just until June I hope.