Getting back on the track!

[Lexigent]

Hello!

 

I'm lex. I found this forum through a friend on a journalling site and decided to give it a go.

 

Outside of sports/fitness, I'm a big theatre fan (Shakespeare for preference, but if there are cheap tickets going I will see other things). I like to read, I write a bit, and I really like cooking for people. I listen to the radio a lot (I always have BBC Four audio dramas on in the background when I'm doing my chores). My favourite audio dramas/podcasts currently are Answer Me This!, The West Wing Weekly, The Reservoir Tapes, Tracks, Sawbones, Stuff You Missed In History Class (to name a few).

 

FItness-wise, I'm primarily into running. I've been running 10k distance for a little over a year now. I hurt my foot late last year and had to pause for two months, and while I still did other cardio, my running form suffered. So I am currently focussing on getting back to 10k form. I am running a 10k with a group at the beginning of March, so that's an added motivation!

 

My Main Quest is that I would really love to do a triathlon this year. Doing swimming and cycling as my replacement cardio when I was injured made me realise how much I like doing both of them, and so the triathlon plan was born. I'm aiming for sprint distance, which is a challenge but one that I feel is doable.

 

My goals for the next couple of weeks are:

 

Goal 1 (fitness): Run 51 min (8.5k) without interruption by the end of the challenge. I have an app with a running plan that should get me race ready for the start of March.

 

Goal 2 (fitness): Do my physio exercises every day. I have some chronic pain issues that need addressing before I can do anything strength-training-wise.

 

Goal 3 (diet): No caffeine after 2pm.

 

Goal 4 (level up your life): Start the day with the "Start to the Day" app (faith-focussed impulses for the day).

 

[SkyGirl]

Welcome @Lexigent! 

 

2 hours ago, Lexigent said:

Doing swimming and cycling as my replacement cardio when I was injured made me realise how much I like doing both of them, and so the triathlon plan was born.

 

This really excited me for some reason! I love how you took an obstacle and used it to branch out and find new loves and strengths - good for you!

 

Your goals look great - I like how your short-term goals all add up to your long-term goals, and how you're including health (caffeine consumption) and faith in your planning.

 

I'm excited to follow your progress and so glad you found your way here!!

[Mindrah]

Hi and Welcome!

 

On 1/8/2018 at 7:13 AM, Lexigent said:

 

Goal 1 (fitness): Run 51 min (8.5k) without interruption by the end of the challenge. I have an app with a running plan that should get me race ready for the start of March.

 

I am currently doing a learn to run program and I hope that by the end of the year (or more like July) I too will be able to run 10k! I'm glad to see that even though you were injured you kept on trying to improve or maintain your fitness. I hope your foot heals quickly and well. 

 

Doing a triathlon sounds like a great adventure!

 

I hope your challenge is going well!

[Lexigent]

Thank you @SkyGirl and @Mindrah.

 

My challenge is going well.

 

Goal 1 (run 51 min or 8.5k without stopping):

 

I ran four times last week. I have completed two runs this week and am now back up to running 5k without stopping. I just went out to my favourite sporting good shop and bought some new running clothes. I didn't have many cold-weather running clothes and I want to start running outside and in the mornings more so getting some longsleeve tops and another pair of warm running trousers was in order. I did a morning run this week and was surprised by how well it worked. I'm about to do the next run in the plan just now, which should be 6k.

 

Goal 2 (physio):

 

I did my exercises every day, though on some days I managed more exercises/reps than others. Still, I saw the osteopath on Friday and there was a big improvement in range of motion and pain levels in my neck. I definitely feel better, which encourages me to keep doing the exercises. I've been given a few new ones, which are VERY HARD, but I am only supposed to do 1-3 reps a day so we'll see how that goes.

 

Goal 3 (no caffeine after 2pm):  This one is so hard! But I managed it all week.

 

Goal 4 (Start to the Day app): Managed to do that one every morning! It's only a short thing to read, I do it at the same time as I have breakfast.

[SkyGirl]

You're doing great!! Way to go!   

[Marianne]

Great goals Lexiguy! It's exciting to read about someone who's experienced in fitness taking on a new challenge as a beginner - I'd love to know about how your running knowledge informs the other triathlon activities, and vice versa, and any new insights you acquire along the way.

 

Have you tried decaffeinated coffee? I made the switch a few years ago and it turned out far easier than if I'd tried to quit coffee altogether.

 

Looking forward to the next installment!

[Lexigent]

On 1/15/2018 at 8:00 AM, Marianne said:

I'd love to know about how your running knowledge informs the other triathlon activities, and vice versa, and any new insights you acquire along the way.

 

I did swimming as crosstraining this week. I still find it a bit strange because with running, because I've done it for so long I know how to pace myself, I know how I can keep running even when it feels rough, and I know what a "good" or "successful" training run feels like. With swimming, because I'm so new to it, I don't (yet) have that experience. But I noticed that I apply some of my running knowledge to pacing and building up skills. It sounds really simple but I slow myself down when I get out of breath doing the front crawl, and because I am TERRIBLE at front crawl, I'm slowly trying to build myself up to being able to do longer distances by alternating it with breaststroke, the way you alternate running and walking when you learn how to run. I need to make/find a proper plan for how much to increase by what time.

 

As far as the other direction goes - you can get away with non-ideal form/technique in running, but swimming is a lot less forgiving. So it will be good for my mental focus and paying attention to form when running.

 

I have no idea how I'll fare on the bike once I get to that point but we'll see!

 

Quote

Have you tried decaffeinated coffee? I made the switch a few years ago and it turned out far easier than if I'd tried to quit coffee altogether.

 

I have decaf tea to drink when I get home after work, it makes my evenings so much nicer!

[Eulalia-r]

I have subscribed to stuff you missed in history class, looks interesting!

 

How cold are the temperatures you are running in? I once saw someone running during the polar vortex in Montreal. I didn’t know that was possible.

[Lexigent]

Grand, I hope you enjoy!

 

We have single-digit temperatures at the moment, occasionally they dip below zero. So not that cold compared to the polar vortex but still too chilly for a t-shirt!

[SkyGirl]

How are you doing with your goals this week, @Lexigent? Have things warmed up at all for you?   

[Lexigent]

Oh hi! Thanks for asking.

 

Things are going well. 

 

Goal 1 (running): The training calendar this week was pretty brutal on me because I had a lot on at work, and had to get up early nearly every day, but I managed all my workouts. It's still cold and today was wet as well, but I also did treadmill training this week when it was slippery outside and found I now much prefer running outdoors.

 

Goal 2 (physio): I had a breakthrough with my pain and have started a gym-based physio programme, to help with strengthening the muscles and keeping the pain away. I'm trying not to get too excited because there is a lot of work still to do. But this goal will change not to two physio gym sessions a week. I go to the gym for my crosstraining anyway but I will have to plan in some extra time for these.

 

Goal 3 (caffeine): I managed this on five out of seven days this week. Given the craziness of my schedule I'm not surprised, but I hope I can do better next week. I have a day off, which is sorely needed.

 

Goal 4 (faith): I still read the Start to the Day every day over breakfast, so that's going okay.

[SkyGirl]

How rude of me to miss your reply!!    I hope this past week was a little less crazy for you! How is your physio program going? Are you finding success in cutting back caffeine?

[Lexigent]

Had a bit of an odd one this week, lots of ups and downs.

 

I‘m doing okay on the running. The plan got fairly intense this week - three runs and two sessions of crosstraining - so I haven‘t been able to fit much physio in unfortunately. The learning from this week is that I am going to try and schedule them for the days where I am at the gym anyway for my crosstraining. Otherwise it just won’t get done. 

 

I have an appointment booked for a gym induction to put together a strength training programme for me. I was meant to see the guy who does them today actually, but he was really ill and I gave up my slot because he looked so rough. I don‘t know why they made him come in at all because he shouldn‘t have been in work. 

 

Anyhoo, I have been feeling like I don‘t do anything else besides work and train and that‘s been affecting my mood a bit. Like, exercise is fun, but there are lots of other things I want to be doing too! But on the plus side, I have done all three triathlon sports this week for the first time.

 

Tomorrow is my first long run. It‘s supposed to be 60 minutes and I‘m oddly nervous about it. I’ve done it lots before, but not in a long while! I lost my way the other day and had to walk home for about an hour, so I‘ll make sure that doesn‘t happen tomorrow.

 

The caffeine cutback is going fine. So is the faith thing.

[Lexigent]

So, the challenge is finished now and I think I did alright.

 

I did Start to the Day every morning.

 

I mostly managed to stay caffeine-free after 2pm.

 

I stuck to my running plan and my two long runs (10k/60 min) went well.

 

I let the physio slide a bit because pain levels improved so much I felt I didn‘t need them as much. I have booked for a strength training induction now so I can add strength training to my training routine.