Rho's Diary

yay

Hey guys,
It sure feels great to be posting again, with a HUGE weight lifted off my shoulders! MY exam is finally over! And it wasn't half as bad as I thought!

Hey Juliette, you are soooo right! When loading all that veg into my basket I didn't think it'd be so heavy, but it sure destroyed my shoulders! Maybe that's why the lat exercises were so difficult the following day...I can't wait for my next weight training session because I'll have a chance to do things better, like you said. PS: Santa really came through for me. Thanks (hug)

Hey Miss Ladybug, I think it's cool how different yoga is, dependent on the trainer, everything! I actually use aromatherapy oil quite a lot! I get the little bottles of oil from Body Shop, which I then burn in a proper oil burner. I've been doing just that for the last few days at home, and even though it's been really stressful I've felt a lot calmer than I usually would, and I'm pretty sure it's thanks to them - pomegranate oil, lavender, sandalwood - they're so gorgeous!

Hey Lukewarm, the guy made me sort of laugh. Maybe I was feeling a little smug and thinking 'Yeah, you wait until 6 months time' and that's what I didn't respond...ah well, freedom of speech, I suppose :) Don't you just love that feeling of getting fresh groceries every day - it feels really great (except for the spending part). I love being able to walk everywhere. I was thinking beyond my 10K walk in June, and I think I found the ultimate one for me - it's 100K, and usually takes between 25 and 30 hours. I find myself getting excited about this, but I guess I need to pace myself.. I'm glad you find the exercises somewhat helpful. It's really great to realise that weight training is not my enemy, and I can indulge to my heart's content. About the weigh-in, d'you know - I haven't thought about it in a few days! Which is a first for me! I guess I've been concentrating on how loose my clothes are, and just enjoying my body a bit more. I'll try to weigh myself before the end of this week though...(fear)

Risty dear, thanks a lot. I do feel a lot better. It's really been up and down, hasn't it... I wish someone told me when I was young how much of a mountain life is - you're constantly climbing up and down! And thanks for the support - it's been what's kept me going these last few days especially! I wish I was more open to the concept of riding a bike - I think the gym's put me off for a long while though! Good luck with it though, and let me know how you get on :) I hope to work out tomorrow after work, tired or not, but it's cardio :(, and then incline walking on the treadmill (in preparation for the 10K)

Ok, I'm off to bed now. Ciao guys, and thanks again for all your support. You're the best!
 
Awww, I'm glad you're doing better! It must be nice to have that exam outta the way for sure! I'm also glad I'm able to help and support you :)

About that 10k, you said you training on the treadmill on an incline? Do you know if where you're doing the actual 10k if there will be a lot of hills and things? If not, I guess you'll be prepared for it anyhow! I would love to try something like 100k... sounds awesome yet scary at the same time. I can't imagine all that walking, but I'd so be up to doing it, lol. Are you actually thinking about participating? I think it would be such an achievement for sure!
 
Ooohh, I'm really scared Risty,

I've been reading up on it throughout today and it's really scary! Not only is it from London to Brighton (that would make sense only to British people, I suppose), but the 30 hour walk is carried on without sleep! So you literally walk for 30 hours (I think the latest has been 48 hours)! As fun as it sounds, I'm reminded of how dreadfully unprepared I am for it. I've been reading testimonials from those who've done the trek in the past (see Oxfam - Trailwalker UK) and it's obvious that it's not the sort of thing you just stumble into. But whether or not I can do it this year, I'll definitely be able to do it next year. So that's a good target to reach for, I suppose.

On the 10K there won't be hills and stuff (it's in the middle of London, so the highest we'll be climbing is probably Tower bridge or something). So I guess I'm prepared for that!
 
30 hours of straight walking? that sounds brutal...

One note for your 10K - be sure to not do all your training on a treadmill - running outside on a hard surface is totally different than the cushioned surface of a treadmill - doing at least half your training on the surface you will be doing th ereal event on will be the best way to go..
 
RhoRho... 100k? That is ambitious and freaky. :shivers: Good for you, that is a serious goal. I'm admiring you for the 10k, I don't think I can imagine 30 hours of walking...unless you are an adept sleepwalker. I need sleep, or I become a monster. Movie producers should film the end of the 100k for zombie footage for their next 'walking undead' movie. I bet those people will look perfect :) I'm so glad for you that you are through with your exam by the way!

I agree! Gauging your fit of your clothes is the best way to determine any loss. I refuse to look at the scale until the 1st of June. I'm becoming super discouraged. I look at the treadmill and I'm like "**** off" because I'm not seeing any difference. Sorry this isn't the place to vent!

Ohh and the aromatherapy oil sounds heavenly...I've never burned scented oil before but I imagine sooty whisps of smoke burning off. I guess it's not different than a candle. I kind of like the idea actually, sounds cool. If it improves my mood, why not!
 
Hey my RhoRho!

Yeah the 100k definately does sound scary and I guess it's not something to stumble into. I think I'd be dumb enough to stumble into it though, I think it would be very horrible though. I think that working up towards it for next year is an awesome goal! Working towards doing something like that for a year will definately get you into shape that's for sure! I really hope that you will be able to do it next year, it would be so great to be able to say... wow.. I just completed a 100k walk and it took me 30 hours and I'm so proud!
 
100K????? Geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez!
I'm just preparing to walk 41 kilometers this Saturday. There's no way in any hot or cold place I would try to do 100 kilometers without some sleep in between. Our 41K will take us about 10 hours (with some stops included). It's not a competition, just a friendly social event. (Let's see how social we are at 35K..) I've been doing quite a lot of walking lately just to prepare not only my muscles but also the soles of my feet etc. to that amount of wear&tear. I'll tell you how it went on Sunday, and by then I'm sure to have some dos and dont's for the next time (it's an annual event).
100K!?!?!?!?!?!? OMG :eek:
Juliette
 
100k Wow that sounds mad.
I am trying to build myself up to a 10k run (run! more like jog, walk, jog :) ).
Good on you for setting these goals.
I am starting to find weight loss and exercise a bit addictive. Its a long way from where I was 4 months ago.
Keep up the good work.
 
Hi guys,

Haven't had much of a chance to post since yesterday as I'm now back at work and trying to play catch up! As for this 100K walk...unfortunately I'm not a sleepwalker, although this reminded me of this Stephen King story I read - I forget what it's called. But it was a 420km or mile walk that certain young people had to undertake. If they dropped below a certain walking speed, they were shot dead. So they had to sleep, pee, do everything while walking. I think that 100 people started the race, but only 1 was left alive at the end. I cried so much at the end of that story, but I remember feeling how much of a challenge that would be. But, as I said, I'm pacing myself.

Mal, very good point there. I didn't actually think of that, but now that you've mentioned it I'll do some of my training on the hard road. It would be so much easier if the roads had trees on either side like a boulevard - it would be so pleasant... But this is London, so I've only got the smoke and the smog to keep me company...

Hey Lukewarm, I'm still really thrilled about my exams, although I'm a bit sad (I'll update later)I know the 10K will be more than ok - to be honest, I'm more concerned about the person I'll be walking with because I know she's not as fit as I am, and I need to make sure I remain patient... And I totally agree with you - looking at the scales discourages me. It's enough for me to know I'm busting my ass working out, so it's very annoying to look at the scales to see that only a 0.5 pound loss has been registered, or none at all. I think I'll stick to weighing myself once a fortnight..:mad:

Risty, if I can say that to myself, I would be the proudest person ever. Not even a multimillionaire would have anything on me. Because I'll know I can achieve anything. The more I read about the walk the more I realise it'll have to be next year (even though I still fancy doing it this year)..

Juliette, you're doing a 41K walk this Saturday FOR PLEASURE. A 100K would be nothing for you :D With or without sleep, I'm sure of it.. The very best of luck with it. And yes, do tell how it went (I need tips from those who've actually done it)

Hey Penfold, good for you on doing a 10K run. I'm only doing a walk, and even the 100K is a walk. I'm sure the jog-walk-jog is still miles better than just a plod-walk-plod... Still, it's all exercise so I ain't complaining...

I'm off to my yoga class now - I guess last week's killer session didn't kill me enough. I think I'm ready for it today though. I've had my yoghurt with sharon fruit and mixed nuts in it, so I've got the energy for it. I'll update later, as well as check diaries (work sucks - taking all of my time.
Enjoy your day guys..
 
Hi RhoRho... yeah I read that book too, The Long Walk, I think. What always made the book seem a little ridiculous was the fact that these people had to continue on at 4.0 mph. That's crazy, while still trying to perform all natural bodily functions? 3.5 mph would be a little bit more realistic, though still pushing it in my opinion. At least with your 100k no one would be shooting at you! I think it's an awesome goal. Incredibly difficult, but cool.

I know what you mean, I felt really awkward doing a 5k with my mom and sister, because I knew that I was holding them back. They were totally nice about it, saying that they liked walking it and were having fun, but if I hadn't have been there they would have been jogging. So yes while I was on the other side of your situation, I know that it's always ideal to have a partner that equals your fitness level. I told my mother that I'm not doing another race with her until I'm able to jog the entire thing!

What is sharon fruit? I know you're busy actually I should just look it up. Well I hope you have fun at yoga, and get worked out! I will check later to see what's up and if you're feeling better. Have a beautiful day :hug2:
 
Hi,
Hope the yoga went well.
Three months ago, I could'nt even walk 4 miles without my shins playing up, now three months later I managed to jog-walk-jog it. It is amazing how loosing weight and exercising makes things soo much easier. I could never see me jogging 4 miles, but now that I have done that, I can aim for the 10k.
With the changes you have made I am sure you will see big changes really soon, so the 10k walk will be ideal and before you know it you will be jogging 10k's as well.
All the best.
 
That's right Lukewarm - that's the title of the book.. What made me really was the fact that you ended up making friends and getting attached to your fellow walkers, and then if they fell you could't really help them up, so they got shot and you had to carry on nonetheless..

It doesn't matter that you couldn't keep up with your mom and sister. The fact is you're becoming a lot fitter, and soon you'll find you have to be patient with someone who's not as fit as you. It's just the circle of life, I guess :)
My knees are shot to hell so jogging's sort of out of the question for me for now (which is why I use the X-trainer so much instead of pounding on the treadmill) so you're really brave to think of jogging the entire thing..

Sharon fruit? Hmmnn, it's a really sweet fruit (sort of a cross between mango and a satsuma, and it's the size of a tomato, but the orange colour of a mango). Supermarkets here seem to fly them from South Africa. But they're lovely, and are a very welcome change from the standard apples and oranges..

Hey Penfold (I really need to check your diary out - it'd be nice to see your progress and goals like you do mine - see if I can help as well :)) My knees still play up so I can't jog like you (lucky you), but I'm sure that as time goes on, it'll become easier for my knees to bear my weight, which I suspect might be part of the problem. Ah well, walking before running.. Or jogging :)
 
Hey,

I think that waiting until next year would be wise for the big one! Hehe. There's nothing wrong with waiting and getting prepared for something like that.

I wish you and your friend luck with the 10k. It's great that your friend is going and not worrying about not being as fit. I'm sure that walking and talking together will make it so you won't even think about you not doing the speed you can. It'll be a good experience for you guys to do that together and maybe it'll help your friend get into the whole fitness kick! Ya never know!

Thanks for the explanation on the sharon fruit, I had never heard about it.
 
Ok - quick post before dashing off to bed. I'm so tired I can barely keep my eyes open.

Yesterday was my weight training. I had stomach cramps (because of you know what), but I thought that if I skipped a day because of cramps I would end up skipping more, so I dragged my sorry ass into the gym. I was in a daze throughout the workout - I wonder if anyone else feels that way during their time of the month, all spaced out, like you're living in a dream constantly wanting to wake up... Well that's how I felt throughout yesterday and most of today, in fact. So I went through my workout, but I hadn't organised myself properly. What I should have done was gather all the bits of equipment I needed (the dumbbells and the barbell and the ball and the bench) and laid them out beside me. But I didn't. So when it was time for the various exercises I found myself running to different parts of the gym to gather the pieces I needed. Usually I'm sweating profusely throughout my workout (weight training or cardio), but yesterday I was off and on. So, by the end of the workout, I didn't feel like I'd done such a great job. But my muscles were weak and wouldn't do any more, so I went home. I woke up today, in no pain, and immediately I cussed myself for 'not working hard enough to feel pain'. But then I got to work, and after a couple of hours at my desk, I felt EVERY muscle aching, especially my bum! Guess it was delayed effect!

I intended going for the yoga class I attended last week tonight, but thanks to a fire on the train tracks I wasn't able to get to the gym in time. I was quite irritated, but decided to focus on cardio. But the gym is being refurbished, so the screen separating the ladies' section from the general area had been taken away, so we were in clear view of all the men. At first I felt a little self-conscious (why?!), but that soon left me as I sweated and worked my ass off. I noticed a funny thing - I worked a lot harder, and burnt 600 calories. Now I have a feeling that this extra effort is the result of working out in full view of the men. I didn't want to be seen as a wimpish female (there were a few of those in the gym today - leisurely riding their bikes on level 1 and chatting at the top of their voices..) But I felt great by the end of the workout! I felt really empowered - the cramps even disappeared during the workout (but returned afterwards)..

So that's my little update. I have something else to say but I'm too tired to frame it properly. Jeez, that workout must have really tired me out - I'm exhausted!

Good night all. Have a lovely evening, whatever you do. (Thanks Risty - just saw your comment, which you must have posted as I drafted this post :) I'll catch up with you tomorrow)
 
Good job on the workouts! I'm glad you got over your initial feeling of working out in front of the men too, some people would have just left. I'm glad you stuck it out and intern did even better! That's just great!

When I weight lift, and whatnot, the soreness in my muscles come the next day. My muscles will feel tired and used for sure the first day, but not sore. Delayed reaction for sure! hehehe
 
WOW. 100k. That's long.

Just pooping in to say "hi". I read parts of your journal when I first came in here, and I wish you the best of luck!
 
I love your descriptions of the people you encounter at your gym, it's so fun :) I wanted to say thank you, because you with your yoga (and Risty with her kick-boxing) inspired me to try out my first yoga class tomorrow morning. I'm excited! I really am drawing strength! I'm telling myself, Rho did this, I'm going to try it too. I hope my teacher is patient with me.

Wow I know how you feel about having to exercise in front of those guys. I feel intimidated but then I get angry at myself for feeling initimidated. Actually I think I'm just an all around scaredy-cat because I feel equally intimidated by a 15 y.o. kid, a 20 y.o. girl, and by a 40 y.o. man.
:rolleyes:

You're right, at some point I'll be in shape and adjusting my speed for other people too :) can't wait for that to happen! I also wanted to say how great it is that you pushed yourself at the gym when you hadn't felt like going. I'm always amazed with everyone's dedication, you're doing really well....it's wonderful. I hope you have a nice day.
 
Hey guys,

Thanks for your kind words. I haven't posted in the last few days cos my body's given up on me. I'm ill (yet again!!) If I had enough strength I'd be really angry cos I was ill not too long ago - barely a couple of weeks ago.

I got back to work on Tuesday, not having really recovered from the stress of my exams - I didn't even get enough sleep as my exam ended quite late Monday night. Then it was back to a hectic work schedule which meant I worked late every night this week. To make matters worse for myself, I went to the gym every night this week. Then I made the mistake of leaving the window open when going to bed so I woke up yesterday feeling like death itself. It was terrible. It's the first time I've fallen ill so quickly (literally within a few hours) and I got bad real fast. But I've been loading up on lemons and ginger tea together with sinus medicine (my face really hurts too).

So that's my little post. I was hoping to update on a little discovery I made during my last cardio workout (to do with breathing), but here I am, barely able to raise my head. The movie Signs is on tv right now, which suits my mood perfectly because I can't stand anything loud and garish and cheerful right now..

I hope everyone's ok and not suffering setbacks. Lukewarm, I'm really proud of you on trying out new things. Oftentimes, we simply need to break through the barriers of fear that hold us down and prevent us from taking the next step to our goals. Since I began this diary, I'm finding that out more and more. Every little challenge that we overcome, even if it's the thought of not going to the gym, not watching our food - every little challenge we overcome gets us one little step closer. That's all I have the strength to say (or type up) for now.

Risty & Petite Mint, thanks ever so much for your support. I promise to catch up on your progress once I get better. Don't I feel like such a failure as a friend and supporter..

Take it easy guys...
 
Hi Rho, take your time and rest as much as possible, I hope you get better soon. You're a great supporter but you need to focus on getting over your illness :hug2: Make sure you get some sleep!
 
Awww, I'm sorry you're sick again! I really hope you get better soon! Do you take any vitamin supplements? Maybe your body isn't getting enough vitamins that it needs. You never know.

I think you're a great supporter but if you're sick, you're sick and the main thing is to rest and get better! We all understand that if you're not on as much because you're sick that's perfectly fine! Don't feel like a failure because you're not :)

Get better soon!
 
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