From Couch Potato to 21km

26 Oct 2009

2009-10-27T01:20:00.003+08:00

It's been 1 1/2 years since my last weigh in for Shape magazine Weight Loss Diary articles. I am totally ashamed of myself. I have allowed "life" to take over by not finding the time to exercise. I am a mess!! Now, 7kg later, I am back to being a blub! FUCKING HELL! The kilos stop here!

Taken May 2008

Blub photo 2009

FUCK!

I want to exercise!!

2008-11-06T01:13:00.002+08:00

My poor neglected blog. The same as my poor neglected exercise regime. Been almost 2 weeks since I last had a decent run, a month since I poled and more than a month since I did weight training. This is not on! I'm missing my dose of happy hormones and my body feels stiff from lack of exercise.

I've been sleeping late most nights, especially Wednesday onwards towards the weekend to fulfill cake orders. Then the days are filled with ferrying my children to and from classes and school. Weekends usually for the children, even then sometimes between cake delivery.

Gawd, sound like such lame excuses for not exercising. If only I can exercise as hard as I work and still have time for my children and a social life! Yup, I'm a woman who wants it all!!

On the plus side, since I last posted, I ran in my first 10km run. I'm pumped for more! ON ON ON!!

Lack of exercise

2008-06-17T00:02:00.002+08:00

I am not a happy camper. Been too busy to work out lately. Not good for my "I love to eat" soul! Since the start of school holidays, I've not had a chance to run or get to the gym. Only the occasional yoga at home if I'm not rushing out to send kids to Mandarin class. My usual 1+hours of running when kids in Mandarin class had to be on hold and used to do the marketing and run errands. I am not pleased!

I need to plan my time better and schedule in regular exercise time or I will burst!

Pole dancing classes have been such a hoot. My arms are sore in places not explored in weight training. Joe, hate to say this but Em is tougher than you. No, I lie. I loved saying that! Muahahaha! Seriously, I miss my regular weight training session with Joe, when he encouraged me to hold that extra 20 more counts or lift for a few more times.

So I start tomorrow! Going to get back to running in the mornings and hitting the gym 2 - 3 times a week!

Pole Dancing

2008-05-05T14:41:00.004+08:00

I've seen Em in action in the newspaper and magazines doing pole dancing. I have been so tempted to take up classes. I can't spare the time! Maple who is mad about pole dancing has shown me some moves. Man, that woman can move.

I'm always in search of interesting ways to keep my body fit and toned and pole dancing seems to be it. I don't think going for classes once a week and then not practice the rest of the week is going to be enough. How much would a pole at home cost? Doing my research now and see what I found!

Link

I want to learn!

Yoga classes in KL

2008-05-02T06:05:00.001+08:00

The Divine Life Society will be holding 3-month course of yoga classes this Sunday, 4 May 2008 from 4.30pm - 5.30pm. Venue: Vivekananda Ashrama, Brickfields. Only RM100 for 3 months!

For more information, contact Uncle Nesan (03) 4021 4557 or Mr Param (03) 7956 0875

My first 10km run

2008-04-27T19:20:00.002+08:00

I have been looking forward to participate in my first 10km run. With my busy schedule, I had my doubts about being able to train up for the run. Nevertheless I made an effort. I was ready to complete the 10km even if I had to walk most part of the way.

Collection of the vest was two days prior to the run. I didn't have time to collect earlier, so went on Saturday. Klang is more than 50km away from my home, also a place I am not familiar with. As I had received the notification to collect the vest, the number was listed on the notification card. As I approached Klang, I called the number listed and got someone on the phone. The phone conversation went like this:

Me: Hello, I'm on my way to your club house to collect my vest for the run tomorrow.

Man interrupts: Ya, come come.

Me: I'm not familiar with Klang. Can you please give me directions to get to your club house?

(The rest of the conversation to be read out loud in your best Phua Chu Kang impersonation)

Man: Aiya, I don no lah. You come to Klang first.

Me: I'm on the MRRII, which exit should I take?

Man: You ask me also I don no. You don ask me where to turn. You come to Klang first ok. You come to Klang I tell you.

So, I drove on to find the exit to Klang and I find myself approaching Klang town. I was not looking forward to calling the number again as the man was abrupt and rude on the phone.

Me: Hello, I'm in Klang town now. Where do I go?

Man: I don no. I don no how to tell you how to come here lah. You no ware de genra hospital is ah?

Me: I drove pass that. I've just passed a signboard saying this road goes to Kapar.

Man: AIYA!! You go too fa oredi! Too fa oredi. You fine genra hospital lah. You fine petro station, you ask where Banting road is. You ask sumbodi.

Me: Then where do I go once I'm at the general hospital? Where do I turn?

Man: You go to genra hospital, you stop at petro station ask somebody.

WHAT????!!!

Me (trying to keep my cool as I really want to get to the club house to get my vest):
From the general hospital where I go? Can you please tell me which direction I should go. Any landmark?

Man: You go genra hospital, you stop at petrol station, you ask somebody where Banting road. Stop at petrol station and ask.

By this time, my blood was boiling. Can someone please tell this idiot that most petrol station workers are foreigners? They won't know where to go!!! This rude man on the other end of the line knows shit and he is the contact person? I drove more than 50km to encounter this? If this Klang Pacers can't even get a simple thing like putting the right person to take calls, how am I to be confident of their organizing skills? I was still contemplating driving around just to find the club house to collect my vest to participate in the run. However, I was just too angry by now. 50+km drive + RM7 in toll by now and I have no idea where to go. I used the street directory but still didn't know where to go. I call to ask someone and encountered a rude idiot. I would still need to try to find the starting line after I've picked up the vest. I would have to wake up at 3am the next morning as it is almost an hour drive to get to the starting line (taking into consideration I would have to look for the place) and deal with a 100+km return trip + RM14 in tolls. All this I had taken into consideration before when I signed up but now, it seems like too much trouble.

Needless to say I am very disappointed. Disappointed that someone had ruined what was to be my first 10km run.

101-year-old marathon runner

2008-04-15T13:11:00.002+08:00

A friend sent this link about Buster who is 101-years-old. Not only is he alive at 101, he is training for the London marathon! Read all about Buster here.

Yoga

2008-04-09T14:54:00.002+08:00

I have not posted for a few days. Not difficult to choose between sitting down and updating my blog or get my butt off the chair and off to the gym. The Klang-Pacers run is a little more than 2 weeks away! I'm feeling the pressure but I also know I can finish the 10km if I walk, so if I have to walk 3/4 of the way, so be it lah. There is only so much I can do with juggling motherhood, cake orders and being a wife.

I have been attending yoga classes every Sunday afternoon - a 3-month course which is ending soon. Last Sunday, I was very tempted to skip the class as I was feeling very tired. I'm glad I forced myself to go 'coz I felt great after the class! Found this great site on Yoga which explains the different poses and their benefits.

I am feeling tired today. Strange how I feel tired on days I do not exercise. Time to hit the gym or go for a run tomorrow!

Friday, 28 March

2008-03-29T00:26:00.002+08:00

The last time I did any form of exercise this week was Sunday at my yoga class and I'm not pleased! I found myself thinking of stealing some time to go out and run or go for a swim or get to the gym while baking! Definitely won't be in any form to work out having slept at 3 or 4am the night before. My trainer used to tell me not to waste my time working out after having had only 4 hours of sleep. Rest will be better for my body.

Even though I slept at 3.30am last night, I couldn't stand it anymore. I went out this morning for brisk walking and some jogging. Did about 4km today. Some workout is better than none! What I did this morning would have been deemed a "wasted training" as it wasn't meant to build up stamina or speed. I didn't care. I just needed to be outdoors, to feel wind in my face and SWEAT! Instead of feeling tired today, I feel more energetic compared to the past couple of days. Never again. No more going for days without some form of exercise. I have a fitball at home, my place has an interesting terrain of hills and dips to brisk walk or run in and the New Balance Klang-Pacers Half Marathon is less than a month away! I can't even run 3km right now, how am I going to run 10km? I'm very sure I'll be able to walk the entire 10km though.

22 March 2008

2008-03-23T00:21:00.003+08:00

Took a break from exercising yesterday and felt really antsy the whole day! I was tired as I'd been running and/or working on weights every day. This morning, I just had to get up and work up a sweat so I went out for a quick brisk walk and jog.

I've been using the New Balance W767 with TS2 for the past year. I love those shoes. Best sports shoes I've ever owned. Perfect for someone who is flatfooted like me as I need to use inserts and I need the balance.Photo from this site

The pair I have is wearing out a little. Moreover, on www.marathontraining.com, their article on shoes recommends having two pairs of shoes and "Flip-flopping their use every other day increases the life expectancy of each pair". Today I bought the updated version W768 which I intend to use for the upcoming New Balance Klang-Pacers Half Marathon where I'll be running the 10km category (registration form here).

Measurements for my final appearance in the Weight Loss Diary of Shape magazine (Malaysia) was done today. I have lost 12kg since I started on my weight loss journey! The article will appear in the May issued of Shape Malaysia which will be in newsstands from the 3rd week of April.

I reckoned since I was going to the gym for the measurements to be taken, I was already in my exercise gear. Funny how I find any excuse to get hot and sweaty these days. Went on the elliptical machine for 20 minutes and then some weight training. There is a set of exercises I particularly like which involves movements like those made by baseball batters. Works the core muscles. Love it! I went home happy with my shoe purchase and having worked my abs.

20 March 2008

2008-03-20T22:10:00.003+08:00

An interesting morning! As usual, my kids wake up early when it's not a school day. I am usually a grouch when I do not get enough sleep, so they left me to sleep in. Of all days as today I was going to take them with me for my morning run. Ah well... We arrived at the hills quite late. Fortunately, the place is green enough that the air is cool and fresh at 10am.

Laura and Adam were gung-ho about getting into a jog. I was going to go for at least 6km, so we were to jog 4 lamp posts and walk for 2. Kids got distracted by the monkeys there and at some point decided to run ahead of me. Then they got too tired, so they lagged behind. Our helper was there too. She tried to keep up and it was helpful having someone keep an eye on the kids too. After the 3km loop, the kids had had enough. They wanted to go to the nearest playground. So, I continued on. By now, I was warmed up enough and thought it was a good idea to see how far I could run. I managed to do more than 2km at a stretch. This is after brisk walking/running 3km. That felt good! Now to run a 3km loop.

19 March 2008

2008-03-20T00:28:00.002+08:00

I'm sure moms can relate to this. This morning, I had to decide... Make a trip to the market or go for my brisk walk/run? My freezer was starting to echo and I swear I see little eskimos starting to dig through my freezer to get some ice fishing done 'coz we're out of food in there. So, off I went to the market to stock up. I have some time between dropping my children off in school and picking up my son from kindie, so I hit the gym. I have missed doing weight training. There is something about picking up the dumbbells and giving the body a good workout. Work until the muscles get tired. Satisfaction!

I started out on the elliptical machine on cardio mode for 20 minutes. I felt a difference as I wasn't gasping for breath before 10 minutes like I used to. The elliptical is preferred to the treadmill for sure! Burnt 280 calories (according to the machine) in 20 minutes. Nicely warmed up, I hit the weights. Did one of my faves - lunges. I do not know of many people who will say they like lunges. My trainer, Joe, had shown me some moves which involves lunges and upper body workouts. Perfect! Topped with some other core exercises on ball, plank and side plank. My body screamed ENOUGH! There was a short debate between my body and mind whether to do some brisk walking on the treadmill. My mind said "Go for it!", but my body remember the last time I tried getting on treadmill after an intense workout and my back muscles seized up. I decided to give my body a break. Tomorrow is a holiday, I'll bring my kids with me to brisk walk/run outdoors instead.

New Balance Klang Pacers 1/2 Marathon

2008-03-19T00:36:00.003+08:00

Instead of sleeping, I'd decided to flip through today's newspaper to keep up with the news. Stumbled upon an article on the New Balance Klang Pacers Half Marathon which will be on 27 April. There will be a 10km category. My first challenge! This is the run which I will aim for.

Alright, time to get some sleep and train again tomorrow. My plan is to continue with run 4, walk 2 tomorrow and then hit the gym for weight training in the afternoon after dropping kids off in school.

18 March 2008

2008-03-18T12:07:00.002+08:00

Today is my 40th birthday! I have never felt better in my life. And fitter than ever before.

I slept late last night so wasn't up to running much. I brisk walked instead, aiming to run more tomorrow. I was late getting to the path too, so didn't have enough time to go 6km. I brisk walked 3km, by which time I was warmed up enough to attempt running and ran 1km. Felt good after that. I love "happy hormones" after exercise.

Brisk walk: 3km Run: 1km Time: 35 minutes

17 March 2008

2008-03-18T00:45:00.000+08:00

I have been meaning to start my distance running training, making attempts running/brisk walking near my home and also at the lovely hill I mentioned. Something always turns up and I can't follow the training schedule I found on this marathon training site. How do I know how far I have walked or run? Do I need a pedometer? I cannot run the entire 6.5km yet, so where do I start? A chat with Colleen gave me a great idea. Instead of concentrating on the distance in km or timing my brisk walking and running, I will use lamp posts as a guide. Last Friday, I ran the distance of 3 lamp posts and walked the distance of 2 lamp posts. Today, I ran the distance of 4 lamp posts and walked 2 lamp posts. I will try run 5 walk 3 tomorrow and then run 5 walk 2 the next day. And I will increase as I go until I am able to run the entire 3km loop and eventually 6km loop.

Today, I ran 4 walked 2 for 6km. Took me 45 minutes. A good start...

Intro

2008-03-17T23:01:00.000+08:00

Why didn't I exercise? I didn't have time with my busy schedule. I'm a mother with 2 kids. I didn't like the feeling of stickiness after sweating. I didn't like feeling short of breath. I find the treadmill or stationery bike extremely boring. I was never very athletic in school so didn't feel the need to start exercising now. I tried joining a gym when in my 20's 'coz everyone I knew was doing that but stopped going after a few times. I guess that was how I ballooned up to 71kg (in my 153cm frame) in my late 30's. By this time, I was unhappy with myself. Yes, mid-life crisis to be blamed as well. My family suffered my quick temper, mood swings and unhappiness. I was feeling like such a bitch as I have a loving husband and two beautiful children.

When my friend told me that Shape magazine was to be launched in Malaysia and need someone to be featured in their "Weight Loss Diary" section, I jumped at the opportunity. I didn't know what to expect or what was expected of me. It was through WLD that I met my personal trainer from Celebrity Fitness, Joe Christin. My head was in a spin when Joe talked about core muscles, core strength training, weight training, changing mindset and no cardio. Joe might as well had spoken in Greek 'coz I didn't understand much of what he said. Yes, I was ready to change my mindset and NO CARDIO? Music to my ears! He didn't give me a chance to think much or change my mind. I had slept at 4am that morning, worked on a wedding cake which was to be delivered that afternoon. All that was on my mind was getting the wedding cake to the venue on time to be set up for the banquet. Joe asked me to choose what days 3 times a week to train with him. I blurted out Mon, Wed and Fri. Time? 11am. "Good, I'll see you on Wednesday!" What? Start day after tomorrow? I was sleepy and in a daze but excited at the same time. Shit! Time to get back to the wedding cake!

Wednesday morning came and I got myself geared up for the gym. Time to work with this 6ft+ tall, blonde Aryan. I was prepared to listen to everything he has to say and do as he say. Hey, I'm 5' 1/2" tall. He's a whole foot taller than me and he has excellent posture. I'll listen. First session was not as painful as I thought. We chatted and I got weighed and measured. My stats were not good. My body fat percentage was 37.8%. OBESE! My visceral fat was 12%. I was headed for a repeat in history - diabetes and hypertension like my parents. I was ready for change and ready for Joe to show me how.

Joe showed me exercises to strengthen my core, revamped my diet and after a month, I had lost more than 20cm in measurements and 2kg in weight. My VF% and BF% went down. I felt motivated. The bonus was no need to get on the treadmill. Weeks and months passed and I was getting fitter, more coordinated, I gained more stamina and more strength. My posture improved, my weight and measurements kept dropping. I was motivated. Motivated enough to sign up for a 5km Fun Run. Having been a couch potato all my life until about 3 months before that, I was excited even though I didn't run the entire 5km. The seed that maybe I will eventually be running a marathon was planted.

However, I still didn't like brisk walking/running on a treadmill in the gym. I get bored after 5 minutes. I start counting cars - red ones 1 2 3 4 5, green ones, trucks, etc and shit, it's still only 8 minutes since I started. Joe tried putting me on interval training on the treadmill - run speed 10.5 1 minute, 5.5 speed 1 minute - for 3km. I felt like dying. I was afraid of falling off the treadmill, I was short of breath. I hated it! I gave all sorts of excuses not to do interval training on the treadmill. Then Colleen told me about a lovely place close to my children's Mandarin class which she also goes to. I drove up there after dropping my kids off and I started brisk walking the 3km loop. I loved it so much, I walked another 3km loop. Just enough time before I picked my kids up from class. Whenever I could, I would go to this hill to brisk walk and now some running too. My goal of joining a 15km race and eventually 21km is becoming more tangible now. And so my running training begins....