2km Run Non-Stop

After 2 weeks of feeling downright rubbish, I started to take Pharmaton* on Wednesday. It seems to have had the desired effect although who knows why or how or if that's a good thing or not!

So, back at the gym today. I was really chuffed to do a 2km run without any walking breaks, in 12 mins 55 secs. I set the pace at 9.5 km/hr which seemed just right. I think my muscles actually prefer to move faster but in terms of energy use, that speed worked. I upped the pace for the last 100 metres to 12.5 km/hr, which is a comfortable sprint. The right butt/groin pain was intermittent and mild. I knew it would hurt later but at the time, it was manageable. Since coming home, I've iced my right butt (the pain kicked in fairly quickly).

The rest of the session was the usual weights and stretches. I didn't push my abs as they felt a bit twingey and I reckon the running places good demands on my core.

All in all, a satisfying workout. If only my right hip would resolve, I'd be very pleased.

Edit 14/07/2012: * I stopped taking Pharmaton on the following Monday when it was clear that it wasn't having any positive effect and was in fact causing digestive problems. I suspect it's good for people whose vitamin/mineral levels are low but I know my diet etc is very good these days so no need for supplements like this. I guess my energy problems have another cause.

Rung Out

I'm not sure what's been going on with me over the past 10 days. I was particularly tired/sleepy/worn out after last week's gym session and took the usual painkillers for the right butt/hip/leg discomfort to be able to sleep on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. Monday, I was taking painkillers for a headache and generally feeling rung out. And that theme has continued and continues....

I've basically felt like all my get up and go has got up and gone. I feel drained mentally. Physically, I actually think I've recovered from the gym session, but my head/brain is completely fatigued. I went out birding on Tuesday and Wednesday, when the sun shone, but mentally, it felt like an up-hill climb the whole time. All I really wanted to do was crash out. I haven't had any patience or tolerance for anything that requires effort/thought. By Friday, the task of figuring out what to feed myself for the day was as much as I could manage. Needless to say, I skipped my gym session and had a very quiet, still day at home. And, it genuinely felt like it took all day to figure out what to eat for the next meal.

My hayfever has been really bad too, which doesn't help. And, I've been getting momentary episodes of vertigo on a daily basis. Most often, it's whilst propped up in bed, reading, before I go to sleep but I've also had them whilst watching TV or working at my PC. Interestingly, the week before I had the last severe attack of vertigo/vestibular neuritis, I felt very drained/exhausted. The other issue which dogged me for a few weeks was daily and almost constant severe scalp tenderness around the back/sides of my head. Basically, my scalp suddenly gets extremely painful when palpated and, if I rub/massage the areas, the relief I feel through my whole body is immense. I guess it's excessive muscle tension or something.Cause, unknown; solution, unknown....as usual!...but today, it's fine.

Furthermore, I look as pale as I feel, which never helps. All in all, I look and feel like death warmed up and I've no idea why. I took an iron tablet on Friday in the hope that was the problem but it had no effect. Yesterday, I wondered whether maybe I needed to do some exercise to kick start my system. It was a kind of kill or cure solution. In the afternoon, I got on my exercise bike and did 30 mins (7.5 miles) at varying levels of difficult and speed. I followed that with 10 minutes of stretches, glute bridges and general hip strengthening. I felt no better for it. I still felt completely mentally drained. I had no sense of any energy or adrenaline. Within about an hour of finishing, I felt even more tired and drained than I did before and the usual right butt/hip/groin discomfort had kicked in. The only bonus was I slept well last night!

Today will be another quiet day, doing nothing. I feel so completely mentally fatigued. My brain feels fried and I've got no capacity to cope with any demands etc. I don't feel like driving anywhere to go birding. At the slightest sign of effort, I want to give up and go home. I guess it's depression....due to the continuing social isolation and grind/pain of rehabilitation. Generally, I find ways of coping but every so often, it gets too much and my head says enough is enough....

Ah well....

Another week at the Gym

Back at the gym today after missing a couple of Fridays due to other commitments. However, I did do a couple of sessions on the exercise bike, 30 mins, varying difficulties/speed, 8 miles, to make up for missing those gym days.

So, today's set:

• 5 mins exercise bike
• Hip/lower back stretches
• Glute bridges (10 secs hold) 3 reps then with 6kg dumbbell across hips 10 reps, 10 sec hold. 5 single leg glute bridges (each leg), 5 sec hold each.
• Press ups (plus) (at 45 deg angle) 2 x 8 reps
• Run/walk on treadmill (2km in 13:30 mins)
• Seated rows 8kg 10 reps (kept arms extended so just worked scapular muscles), 10 kg 3 x 10 reps.
• Wobble board 4 mins (5 squats)
• Trunk twist using cable weights 6kg 2 x 10 reps 
• Chest fly with cable weights (4kg 2 x 10 reps) 
• Tricep extensions using cable/rope 8kg 2 x 10 reps 
• Ab crunch machine 20kg 10 reps, 25kg 10 reps 
• Leg Press 41kg 10 reps
• Combo lateral/front shoulder raises whilst sitting on exercise ball 3kg 5 x 5 reps
• Lying on the floor, starting with elbows by my side, arms bent 90 degs, then pushing weight upwards against gravity, straightening the arm (modified front raise) 4kg 3 x 10 reps.
• Reverse abs 2 x 10 reps, Plank 2 x 35 sec hold
• Stretching: hips/lower back, hamstrings and chest/pecs/lats.

As ever, the limiting factor on the run was my right butt/hip. Pain kicked in after 3 mins running. Painful/sore through this afternoon in spite of icing it. Generally tired this afternoon, as usual. My right calf muscle coped a lot better with the run today, which is an improvement.