First Run

I went on my first run in 9 days due to shin splints….and it felt GOOOODD! *sigh*

As I dressed up, i was asking myself if i could do it. Then in response i told myself to just try, after all, my body will only go where my mind does. I started out real slow as it hurt still but i kept pushing on. I achieved my goal and i am so proud! There was some walking in between but i still was within my average pace of 8:33/km for a distance of 3.8km.

It felt like therapy!

As i watched the sun rise over the Aberdare ranges (i think) and hearing my shoes hit the tarmac and my breath fill and expand my lungs, i couldn’t help but thank God that i can run and i have the opportunity and the chance to do so.

i still intend to do the Stanchart 21k in October and i came across this:

http://ventureoutapp.com/blog/prepare-for-your-first-marathon/ 

Great advice and it has a link to training plans that you can choose to suit you!

I will download and share with you all my training fails and successes. I plan to seriously do yoga this time around because this injury is no fun.

Lots has been going on on the job front and i could do with some prayers and positive vibrations.

In the meantime whatever your fitness regimen is, enjoy it.

When you do that which you didn’t think you could….

I am back home for the holidays and i am so happy. To be with family and the newest addition who is growing bigger and bigger, i can hardly believe it.

Another reason i love being here is because it is my favourite place in the world to run. There are hills and other runners to pace with and encourage each other.

Using the app Strava i realised that i can run 5k in 41 minutes! I didn’t know i could do that!

My goal is now to run that same distance in less than 38 minutes.

I just might be able to do the 21k Stanchart marathon in October.

A step at a time.

#Totalfitchallenge

HEY HEY HEY!!!
It’s here again! WOOHOO!!
Wow! I was beginning to flag in my fitness regime, being ill for two weeks has not helped.

I did this challenge last year and what i like about it is that it works out different parts of your body and you really work up a sweat!

Here is the link: http://totalfitgroup.com/challenge/
Sign up and you will get the exercises in your email for free! Only for 21 days. At the end you will be so proud of yourself and you will feel the change in your body.

I will keep you posted on my progress.
*laces up and begins*

Stanchart Marathon 2014

Hi all!

I did the 10km marathon on Sunday!

My training was not up to par, so i was always aware that i would not run but walk. The point was that i was going to do it and finish it!

The sun was out bright and early this year, 7 am, the crowd was big and it was a bit scary watching some two guys do stretches, jumping around and jogging, i put them in the semi elite category and proceeded to ignore them and i went on with my lunges, arm and leg stretches.

I met an old lady that i walked with last year. So with my head phones on, my friends and her daughter by my side i set off up Uhuru Highway.

It was not as brutal as i thought it would be but it was tough.
Towards the last 1 km i began to feel blisters forming and i could not wait to finish!
I was looking around and i saw one or two women in make up running and/or walking. The sight made me balk.
I mean, what is up with that! You looked like you were dead or dying or very very sick! Ugh! Please spare us that look again. It is not attractive.

There were some fit looking men..rrrr! I hope to see you next year. Motivation if ever i needed it *wink!

Lessons:
Next year i will have a sun hat/cap. The sun in my eyes was no fun.

Maybe next year i will do the 21km….let’s wait and see.

Training never stops so let’s keep fit people!

#TOTALFIT 21 day challenge

In a moment i registered myself for the 21 day challenge organised by Mr Shut Up and Train aka Rahman “Ray” Grayson.

I thought i would be able to do it (not too sure about that now) but boy is it making me rethink my actions and thoughts about it! Lol!

Every day he sends a new challenge on email and updates it on the site. Once you have done it, you post it on any social media site in order to be accountable to yourself and your followers.

Today is day 9 and i surprised i made it this far and that i am still logging on to see what the daily challenges are. My jaw dropped when i saw what the challenge was, but i strapped on my kit and gave it a shot. It is true: The only workout you regret is the one you didn’t do.

Does it hurt? Yes.

Am i enjoying it? Sometimes

I can’t say that i can see a change, but i can feel it..my muscles getting firmer and it makes me smile!

Here is the link:

http://challenge.totalfitgroup.com/

Have a look see and decide if you will do it. I know it’s late but better late than never yes?

Mara Trip! (A Fitness Goal to Work Towards)

I have just been informed that i will be going to the Mara with some year 6 kids (11-12 year olds) for three days, from the 29th of June – 2nd of July.

I am excited and humbled that the school thought of me to go with the kids seeing as there are other staff who could have gone.

One of my colleagues knows that i have not been working out for 3 weeks (gasp!)

She told me to get on that exercise tip immediately. She says there will be lots of walking and games that will be played and the kids will pull me in and i definitely wouldn’t want to be aching and paining then. i would want to get in on it. That is the perfect goal to work towards and to have a massive workout at the end of it all.

I cannot wait! 

In the meantime today i lace up my shoes and go for a mini jog -maybe 20 minutes and then follow up with some yoga.

Seeing as the Stanchart Marathon is coming up and i still want to do the 21 km walking or 10 km running, this is a great day to achieve that as well as accomplish one of my new years goals.

How is everyone coming along with their new years goals/resolutions? It is never too late to start, even if you failed, just get up and tr again (just like everyone else)

..The day after

So here we are; the day after the marathon.

I had been thinking about the Stanchart marathon since January. Playing with the idea of participating, to walk, to run or to jog.

I did participate and i walked.

Fast walked.

With a lady old enough to be my mom.

I was filled with lots of questions the night before:

Am i sure i could do it?

Why oh why did i register to do the 10km instead of the 5km? Surely that would have been a better place to start?

What are the security arrangements? What would happen if…the unimaginable  happened?

WAS I SURE I COULD DO IT??

I needn’t have feared.

I walked 2kms to the start of the race and it was a sea of white.

After a cursory security check i went and joined what looked like the group of 10km participants.

I did a little stretching with minimum space. You could feel the anticipation in the air.

I was way at the back and so i didn’t realise that we had been flagged off by the Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero. It seemed like we were being flagged off in intervals of a few minutes. Soon enough i had crossed the starting line.

I had met a friend and we set off catching up on our lives.

So we walked and walked and we realized that we were among the last! To make matters worse, there was a group of 3 older gentlemen who were discussing the state of different companies who had passed us.  We increased our pace and decided that they were the group to beat.

Intermittently they  would pass us and we would jog to overtake them  and then yet again they would pass us.

We got serious and set a fast pace and maintained it. We also realized that there was an older lady and a Chinese lady who were ahead of us. How could that be? The next goal was to reach them and pass them. Privately, i had set the time of not more than 2 hours at the most for the 10km walk.

We caught up to the first lady and kept pace with her. We realized that the elder Chinese lady was way fitter than us so we let her be. We kept pace with her and even had some conversation with her. It was fun.

As we got to the last 2 kms i realised that i had about 20-2 mins to get to my time of 1hr 45 mins (i had 15mins to spare)

My friend N.O. was more than willing to help me get to that goal. We left lady friend behind and picked up the pace. We were excited. We hadn’t cut any corners and the end was so so near.

The closer we got to the finishing line the harder it was to actually cross it….because there were so many people taking pictures!!

I waded through…and i crossed the line! YAY FOR ME!! 🙂

I also did my thing and took some pics and soaked in the feeling of accomplishment.

Today, there is a little stiffness in my calves but that’s about it.

Next year i could do it running/jogging. And beat my record of 1:45mins.

Thank you for following me on this journey. Let’s continue with our fitness regime.

In the meantime i wanna congratulate myself by stuffing myself with some masala chips and fried chicken as well as a huge piece of cake.

Join me?

To all of us who want to give up again and again.

No matter what, don’t give up.

Fitness Boot Camp

Hello hello all.

I finally tell you about the Fitness Boot Camp event that i went for.

It was a bright morning and i was a bit skeptical as to how that would turn out seeing as i had not hydrated very well.

The trainer Liza was great. Very friendly and encouraging.

I went with one of my best friends- let’s call her N. When we got there, there were 2 other girls waiting for the Boot Camp to start.

The first hour was broken into sessions for strength training, warm ups, and cardio; which included lunges, burpees, sit ups, sprints, jogs and a huddle game.

It was tough. Tougher than i thought it would be.

Unfortunately N did not fare too well. She was woozy (due to a light dinner and no breakfast) and called it quits 30 minutes into the session.

After that we went into the first obstacle course of the day.

First we had to do a set of 6 star jumps, then a bear crawl to a set of tyres and do no less than 5 push ups. Jog to a climbing net (i hate it! lol).

Thereafter do a set of jumps over 3 tyres that were cut in half while turning 180 degrees in the air. Finally do a crawl walk (hands and heels forwards) to the end. Repeat 3 times.

After that a two minute cool down session and we went for more exercises on a hill.

We had to do side jogs up the hill, twice. Do lunges up the hill, twice. Lastly, sprint up the hill, twice. *cue exhausted sigh*

Lastly we did the last obstacle course. We had to bear crawl a distance of 20m, dash back to the beginning, carry a set of 4 kg each, get to the second base and do a set of 8 squats. Go back to the beginning and forward crawl to the second base; go back to the beginning, take a tyre and carry it on your shoulder, go back to the beginning and change shoulders. Finally, choose one of the four and do it.

At the end, Liza kindly served us with fruit salad and juice 🙂

I enjoyed the session though at some point i was complaining and doing my own thing.

Would i do it again? Yes.

Would i recommend it? Yes.

I could not sit right for two days but the upside is that i could really feel my body getting a thorough work out.

Here is the link to their site: http://fitculturekenya.com/

Enjoy your work out session and remember not to push yourself too hard.

Hair and Fitness

So in the quest for fitness i have come up with a challenge: How to handle my hair during work out sessions.

I have seen lots of ladies with sweatbands to catch the sweat and prevent it from getting into the eyes, but my question has always been how to handle the sweat from the middle of the head..

One thing i have learnt is that it is essential to clean the scalp after working out because the sweat build up, oil and bacteria could cause eruptions on the face or an itchy scalp. Not good.

What  i have found that works for me is to leave it out in the open. (Washing dreadlocks after every workout session is not practical)

First things first, you could tie a sweatband. For those with long hair you could tie it in a loose bun and then let it air out afterwards. You could also wash it out with plain water-depends on how fast your hair dries though.

Alternatively, you could rinse it out with plain water, tie some twists and then undo them in a few hours or the next day.

There is also the option of using water and tea tree oil in a spray bottle or a mild shampoo, and then spritzing it into your hair after a session. Tea tree oil has great anti bacterial properties that is a plus to your scalp. A massage will also be beneficial. I hope this helps you during your fitness sessions. 🙂