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Barefoot Running

September 20, 2010 //
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As a birthday present I received a wedge load of running and fitness books that I’d asked for.  I’ve just finished one of them ‘Born to Run’ by Christopher McDougall and am re-reading it immediately!  I’m intrigued by the idea of barefoot running – won’t it hurt my knees and hips, won’t my feet get cold, what about stones?

‘Born to Run’ is already a legend of a book amongst runners so I was desperate to read it.  It’s not just a book about running but also a manual for life and a fascinating travel story.  One of the themes of the book is that of barefoot running.  Barefoot running is gaining popularity as runners are rejecting the cushioned ‘comfort’ of traditional running shoes in favour of minimal shoes or no shoes at all!

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Categories Health, Lifestyle, Running

McKenzie Method

September 8, 2010 //
0

The McKenzie Method is a self-help treatment for people suffering from acute or chronic back pain.  I was introduced to this plan by my physiotherapist 4 years ago and swear by it.

I have suffered from back pain for about 9 years now.  Most of the time I’m fine but occasionally my back just ‘goes’.  Just about anything can cause it, from reaching into a high cupboard, sneezing or twisting whilst carrying something. I feel sharp pain on the left side of my spine in the small of my back initially and then I get a constant dragging ache until it recovers.

The McKenzie Method has drastically reduced the occurrence of my back pain and also reduced the time it takes me to recover from it.  It is no quick fix though as it requires constant attention to posture and daily exercises.  I have managed to get my pain down to one occurrence per year and the recovery down to about 4 days.  At my worst, my back was in spasm about 8 times a year and I never really fully recovered movement before the next bout.

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Categories Health, Lifestyle

Inspiration

September 1, 2010 //
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What inspires us to get up in the morning and go for a walk, run or a ride to nowhere in particular?  Obviously the blue skies and stunning scenery of Chamonix, France are enough to inspire anyone but what about when it’s raining or cold?  What made me run around the boring streets of Towcester, UK in drizzle in November rather than sit on the sofa watching the telly & eating crisps?

inspiration |ɪnspɪˌreɪʃ(ə)n|

noun

The process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, esp. to do something creative

These questions made me think about why I am who I am.  Why don’t I like having a Chinese takeaway on a Saturday night?  Why don’t I drink alcohol?  I don’t really know the answers but I have put together a top 10 list (in no particular order) of the reasons I get up in the morning and go for a hike, run or ride…

  1. I love to be outside
  2. I bizarrely like the pleasantly tired feeling after exercise
  3. I want to stay slim but still eat chocolate
  4. I like being fit
  5. I like achieving goals – training and racing
  6. It calms me down
  7. I get a chance to think without thinking about it
  8. It makes me happy
  9. It defines who I am
  10. I love it!

I’ve never really thought about why I am as active as I am before.  Lots of people think I’m mad to go for a run in the rain or cold but I think it’s the most natural thing in the world to do.  I think it’s mad for people to smoke or to eat too much that they make themselves fat.  So I guess it’s horses for courses but I do know that my muscles are pleasantly sore from this morning’s ride and that tomorrow, I’ll be pulling on my trainers again for a lovely run in the mountains.  This is me and you can’t stop me!

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Categories Health, Lifestyle, Running

Training, sunshine & Wi-Fi

July 1, 2010 //
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Well, what a couple of weeks we’ve had!  We’ve gone from 9c with rain to 30c with sunshine, the wi-fi is fixed and my training is going so well I can’t stop grinning…

The weather is already at 25c most days but is set to becoming ‘scorching’ according to the forecast – I’ve never seen the forecast for scorching before so I’m not sure how much heat to expect.  Bring it on!

And this week, after 2 months of wi-fi in the corridor outside the apartment only, we have wi-fi – in the apartment – yippee!   So my iPhone has been getting a hammering from the balcony and it’s given a whole new dimension to sun bathing!

My Dad came out to visit this week too, so I’ve been a guide and taxi service.  I only missed one training session though so it hasn’t impacted my schedule and it’s been lovely to catch up with him.  Dropped him back at Geneva airport yesterday morning so things are back to normal today.

I’ve been following my training plan for a couple of weeks now and am noticing that both my running and my riding fitness are improving.  Today I ran 9k which doesn’t sound like much I know but it was my longest run out here so far, all uphill and off-road in full heat and blazing sunshine – lovely!  I was half way through my run when it dawned on me that I was running in the Alps, in the sunshine, preparing for my favourite race – it doesn’t get much better than that!  My hubbie drove up to meet me at the end of the run and doused me in icy water from the river – boy I needed that ‘cos my face looked like a beetroot.

I’ve lost a few pounds, my thigh muscles are rock hard and I can lift my bike in and out of the garage with no problems – who needs a gym membership?  The Swiss Alpine Half Marathon is in 31 days – so the countdown begins…

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Categories Health, Lifestyle, Running

Sciatica stretch

May 19, 2010 //
2

 

Running does lots of fabulous things for me including keeping me in shape and keeping me strong but it does tend to stiffen my legs & buttocks if I don’t stretch daily.  Before I started Pilates I used to suffer from a little sciatica – nothing serious but it could have developed into something much worse.  There is one stretch in particular that stopped it in it’s tracks..

You’ll need somewhere comfy to lie down and a belt or scarf.  Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor.  Hook the belt or scarf around the back of your right thigh and hold with both hands.  Cross your left ankle over your right knee and gently raise your right leg as far as comfortable steadying it with the scarf.  You should feel a stretch in your left buttock.  Hold the stretch for a count of 15 and lower your right leg down for a count of 5 and repeat 5 times on each leg.

This is a lovely stretch for people without sciatica too as it loosens the hard to get to buttock muscles.  Enjoy daily!

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Categories Health, Lifestyle, Running
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