SOUTHLAND!!

I blatantly stole this picture from this website. It looks a lot like the walkway along the river at Arrowtown - I ran here.

Well I'm currently in the Lakes District, in Arrowtown! My exercise for the day? Ice skating! And I went for a run.

I tried really hard to keep my calves and lower legs relaxed, but I think I started out a bit too fast, and struggled with form by the end of the run. I also got intimidated a bit by a very growly dog which I wasn't too impressed with.

What impressed me the least though? My sportband has decided not to work. I thought I would be all responsible and turn the sensor off to go on the plane - its a transmitting device obviously. But now it won't turn back on again. I don't think its the band that's broken, but the actual sensor thingy. This is very frustrating as I've only used at four times. It surely couldn't have been pinging away to the sportband the whole time I was travelling to Wellington and then down home? I'm not going to be able to do anything about it until I get back to Palmy anyway. Both my laptop and the receipt for it are back there. Its very frustrating though, especially after being naughty and forking out for it.

But it pales in comparison to the fact that I'm at home! Well Arrowtown isn't home, but its great to be back in the part of New Zealand I love the most (Don't tell Catherine!). So I'm really excited to catch up with my sister and her family this weekend, and go out with my parents for lunch.

Aaah its good to be here.this website

No Pain...No Gain

Is the stupidest saying ever!

Yup, so I've managed to hurt myself a little bit already. My gamy knee has decided that it doesn't really like the whole idea of this running thing. So for now, I've decided to let it have its way for a wee bit. That is until I can convince it that the way I want to run is good for it.

The way I want to run? Well I want to run like a kid again. Look at the way a kid runs next time you see one boosting its way past you at the supermarket (I don't suggest stopping outside a school = weird just a little bit. Or arrested). How you ask? Well I've been reading around a few blogs lately and some of them - usually the barefoot ones which I'm particularly interested in - have mentioned ChiRunning. Its a style of running developed by a fella who now runs ultramarathons on apparently hardly any training and hasn't injured himself in the last 10 years. Its not the unltramarathons I'm worried about - its the lack of injuries.

So I got the book. This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.

The whole thing makes so much sense though! It involves using gravity to pull you forward and your legs and feet to maintain you momentum. This is much more efficient and uses less muscles, therefore less energy. And because I big part of the form is to not let your legs come forward of your hips it completely cuts out the impact through your knee - and stops pulling on the muscles that give you shin splints if you over contract them. I'm excited about it!

My knee has always been a problem for me. Not a lot - it usually doesn't bother me actually. But when it does its a whiny little bitch (excuse the language mum!) and doesn't let up for a few days. I would particularly feel it when I was playing netball and sometimes when I'm at the gym. It might also have something do with my ankle which I have sprained so many times I can't actually sprain it anymore. It likes to play up when I'm doing lunges in Pump class. The instructors are always like "Do this and this beginner people" which is probably actually aimed at me.

I think a part of it might of actually been due to the fact that I had one day off last week....five days were 8 hours long and the 6th was 6 hours.

And then my bike got a puncture. This was probably on Friday night as I was biking home. It wasn't flat as I was biking home - not that I was aware of though. I only noticed it at the exact time I had to get on my bike to go to work. I tried pumping it up at the garage, but they were no help at all. Stupid Kenda tyres with their fancy valves. So I came home from work and thankfully my flatmate was conscious. He kindly gave me a ride, but only after I frantically changed into some running gear. I figured that since I wasn't biking, and probably wouldn't want to run when I got home, that I would run. And it actually started off great. It was only the last five or so minutes that got really difficult.

And then on Sunday my knee was like "SCREW YOU". So its getting a break today.

I thought I would go for a walk but didn't do that either, and as I am travelling tomorrow I don't think that I'll get a run in. Difficult to do on a plane.

It's ok though, because I'm going to stay with a friend. I'm sure she won't be at all embarrassed watching me run when I try to start getting my ChiRunning form sorted. She finds uncoordination amusing I'm sure.

Well I better go to bed. I still haven't finished packing. Also typical.

Ciao.