Buzzin’

Well, today was a big day.  The knee seemed to have coped with the running and gym ok, so with the first rugby session back after xmas it was time to test it properly.

I had also booked in a powerplate lesson at the gym.  I had been eyeing these funny platforms for a while (I love new gadgets!) but thought it best if someone showed me what to do before I had some terrible vibro accident!  It takes a bit of getting used to and I’m not sure I looked at my best with my face (and probably chins) vibrating like mad as I did a plank on the platform, but it’s new and exciting and if it gets me doing some planks it’s got to be a good thing, right?

So back, home, a quick banana and off to rugby.  Running around – no problem.  Then the big test, a drill involving tackling and contact.  Now the knee went back in October as I was tackled so a bit of a scary concept.  And as a not particularly tough rugby player, I really don’t usually need much of an excuse to sit out of a contact drill.  But, suprising myself, I decided to give it a go.  I figured that the knee had seemed fine, and if I avoided it now, when would I give it a go?  

At one point, I had the ball and was tackled, in pretty much exactly the same position as when my knee went.  Very very scary.  But I hit the floor, placed the ball and all was good.  Really proud of the knee for coping with it and myself for overcoming the ‘fear’.  Bring it on!

More ouch!

Hmmm, well 4 days in and I’m seriously struggling. 

Kettlebells at the gym this evening.  First time I have had a go and an alarming amount of co-ordination and concentration is required!  I did enjoy it though until I got home and realised I have pulled something.  I think its one of the muscles between the ribs so breathing is a little painful.  At least it stops me doing big sighs though!

Ouch

Hmmmm. Whose clever idea was this anyway?

Woke up this morning and apparantly overnight someone had taken an iron bar to my legs.  Well that’s how it felt anyway.  Poor legs.  Normally I secretly like a bit of the DOMS, that little ache as you use whatever part of your body you were beasting in the gym and feel a little smug inside.  I didn’t however sign up for actual pain.

This really was not condusive to gaily springing out of bed, getting the running gear on and happily bounding up the road on the planned run.  So I kind of ended up staying there in bed.  For several hours.  Oh well, it is a bank holiday after all.

But, bizarrely, knowing I had to write this, somehow I managed to drag myself out of bed for a quick ‘run’.  Not far, only a couple of miles, but did find a new route and even jogged past a Banksy.  Not many people can say they did that today.

Keeping it up

Today I booked in for circuits at the gym. Yikes. My poor quads didn’t know what had hit them.  No real exercise for 2 months and yesterdays run was probably not the best preparation, but somehow I managed to squat, sprint, step, cycle, crunch and curl my way through it.

And I did feel entitled to feel smug as I emerged from the gym at 11am knowing most of my lazy friends were probably still in bed.

Hello world!

Scary.  Dawn enters the world of blogging.  Eeeek!

Anyhoo, its a new year and all that, so time to get fit and lose that xmas podge.  Sadly the xmas podge was only the icing on the ‘not being able to exercise’ cake as my knee went ‘ping’ whilst playing rugby in mid-October.  A week before I was due to do the Great South Run.  Most annoying, and not a little painful.

So, the knee seems almost back to normal so its time to a) check it still works ok and b) get back to running. 

So today, Jan 1st, after miraculously waking up without a hangover, I managed to drag myself out for a run.  I managed 6k, albeit slowly (43 odd minutes), which I was pretty pleased with.  A few twinges from the knee on the way round but it doesn’t seem too unhappy today so fingers crossed we are pretty much there.  Just need to build up the distance and try to go a wee bit faster.