Wow! It's been awhile sent my last post and so much has happened in the interim. Where shall I begin...
I completed a 5 day juice detox (http://www.schkinnymaninny.com.au/) last week given I had 2 holidays within the month. (I know, it's a hard life...lol) My body was feeling sluggish from all the delicious food and cocktails I consumed. I decided it was time to reboot the system and prepare it for health and happiness and I haven't looked back. I've completed a few juice detoxs in the past but this particular one is hands down the best one for me. They deliver the juices/soups (6 a day) daily to your door so it takes all the guess work out preparing your meals. Very tasty juices/soups.
These days I'm eating alot more fruits/vegetables/legumes/nuts/seeds than I was before. I cannot believe how much energy I have! I don't sleep in. For those who know me, know I love to sleep in, especially on the weekends. 10am was the usual time I would get up, but now I'm up around 7:30am on Saturdays and Sundays! Given I have more time now, I reintroduced 1/2 hour meditation sessions to my day which goes beautifully with healthy eating and regular exercise. It's been a long time since I felt this good. Happy for no reason. This in itself makes me want to continue this way of life. Plus, I've lost a few kilos and my skin is glowing, so why wouldn't I?!
Regarding my foot tendonitis, well the good news is I'm out walking again, yeah! I'm still visiting my physio every 2 months for a check up as the tendonitis is still lurking around but only just! It all depends on the type of shoes I wear. I recently holidayed in Thailand and wore sandals and thongs and geez, these kinds of footwear stirred up the tendonitis big time. So I'm sticking to good sturdy supportive shoes like sneakers, boots and closed in shoes, so far so good.
I headed out for a 1 hour and 20 minute walk this morning in my new Men's Vasque Wasatch GTX boots. Loving these boots! I was in Tasmania a few weeks ago and lucky enough (the weather on Cradle Mountain is very unpredictable) to head out for 2 hikes using these boots. The shoes were great on both hikes. Not even a blister! I researched intensively before I purchased a pair. The majority of the reviews stated these boots require no wear in time, which has been spot on so far. I gotta say, they are so much more sturdier than the Merrell's (Moab & Chameleon) I previously owned.
My current weekly training regime (as advised by my physio) 3 x 1 hour walks (done on my lunch breaks due to it being winter here in Australia. Once daylight saving kicks in (October), I'll increase the time/distance by walking home after work) and 1 x longer walk on the weekends. Each weekend adding an additional 10 minutes to the time. This weekend I walked 1 hour and 20 minutes. I walk every second day and bike ride the inbetween days roughly for 45 minutes. My legs are feeling strong. I'm still doing my daily physio exercises which has helped immensely with toning my butt and building muscles around my knees. My right knee is going great guns, no pain whatsoever. Only time will tell how the foot goes as I increase the time/distance and add my backpack to the story.
In regards to my backpack, I purchased the remaining items for my trip next year. I'm contemplating purchasing a new backpack possibly an osprey or deuter 32litre pack. I like how these particular packs do not touch your back allowing the air to flow. Plus, with a smaller pack I'm less likely to fill it with 'maybe' items.
To refresh your memory or if you couldn't be bothered to read any of my other posts, I'm walking the Le Puy route to raise funds for cancer research as my dear father passed away from lung cancer in 2011. I dreamt of my dad the other night. I was walking the camino and he was walking alongside of me. I felt really happy and safe with him by my side. I also recall I was eating dinner with fellow pilgrims and my dad was plopped at the head of the table eating with us. I looked over at him and he looked happy. If today's walk is anything to go by, I can see this walk will indeed be a very emotional one for me. I think of my dad often when I walk alone, emotions stir. My thoughts are transported back to his last few days in the hospital. I've come to realise I have not mourned his passing. I feel I need this walk to allow myself to do so. Even typing those words reinforces the thought. I walk for you Dad, in your memory, in your honour, to say thank you for being the man/father/friend you were. I love and miss dearly every single day.
" Those we love don't go away, they walk beside us every day. Unseen, unheard, but always near; still loved, still missed and very dear "
Bonjour, comment allez-vous?
Last week I attended my first French class and absolutely loved it! The class is filled with a great bunch of people and the teacher is very engaging. The course is held at 'The French Centre' in Sydney.
I'm pleased with the way they structure their lessons by using lots of repetition and conversation rather than written. I feel I learn alot through this style of teaching. They also provide a CD outlining the lessons we learn in class so you can continue your studies at home. This to is helping immensely.
Compared to Italian (which I can speak fluently) some of the French words are a little harder to pronounce. The good news is, I'm starting to see and hear the similarities between French and Italian which is helping me grasp this beautiful language.
Looking forward to attending next week's class!
Au revoir!
:)
Whilst I was away at a 3 day silent meditation retreat last week, it dawned on me, I need a plan B!
As you know, I'm suffering from tendonitis in my left foot and the healing process is very slow, which in turn is doing my head in...lol
So, I've come to the conclusion if my foot isn't 100% before my walk in September, I'll hold off until April 2013. Some of the obvious benefits by holding off are, more time for healing to take place, save more, train more and possibly extend my overall trip to a 4 month holiday, which is very tempting!
Alas, my heart wants to do this walk this year, lets see if it's in the cards!
:)
It's been a little over 2 weeks since my last entry and lots has happened. To begin with, my tendonitis is still lingering around, although the healing process is taking effect, thank god! I returned to walking as mentioned in my last entry, alas, it was a little too much, too soon for my poor foot. I obtained a new pain due to sheltering the affected areas. So, I decided to stop walking and remove my new orthotics as I had a sneaking suspicion they were contributing to the tendonitis. And waaalaaa, the healing is moving forward in leaps and bounds!
I'm scheduled to see my specialist tomorrow who prescribed the orthotics. Maybe I need gel inserts? (as the current ones are too hard) or like my previous inserts, I had my feet moulded using plaster/clay rather than heat moulded. Let's see what tomorrow brings.
In the interim I couldn't sit around doing no exercise whatsoever, so I invested in a new exercise bike (Guy Leech Gle-1) and what an investment it is! It's a little pricey, but well worth it as it has some great features. Atleast I'm getting my daily exercise hit and the good news is my knee is responding well to this activity. Thanks for the recommendation Brad!
My intention for this week is to head outdoors and see how my foot holds up. Fingers crossed this is the beginning of my training.
:)
Today, I finally managed to get outdoors for a 30 minute walk after 15 days of virtually no exercise. God, it felt so good to walk again! Overall the foot held up pretty well, it did feel a little tight (sprain like kind of feeling) between my foot and ankle, but no sharp shooting pains like I experienced these past few weeks. Hopefully, I'll never experience it again! Knock on wood.
I saw my physio today he was happy with my healing progress. We decided to slowly up my training program over the next weeks. For now, one day on, one day off and increasing the time along the way.
Today I mentioned to my friend Donna (who's coming on the walk) how my last Camino kind of felt like a race. So I came up with a saying 'piano, piano, arriviamo.' Translated: slowly, slowly, we will arrive. So as I was walking today, I realised prior to my tendonitis I was rushing my training walks and not enjoying the scenery (and it's so beautiful where I live). This injury has forced me to slow right down. I also left my ipod behind (only because the battery was dead) and as I began walking, I made a conscience effort to pay attention to each step whilst scanning my body for various sensations. For such a short walk, I felt like I really benefit from this practise. What a difference when you really bring your awareness to the present moment. Apparently they call this walking mediation.
It's been a little over 2 weeks since I was struck down with tendonitis in my left foot. Man, talk about a challenge! I thought my knee injury was bad, atleast with the knee I can carry on walking and attend yoga classes. Tendonitis on the other hand limits me to fewer activities like swimming and riding a stationery bike. I confess I've been slack carrying out these exercises this past week. Although, I am contemplating purchasing an exercise bike (as long as it doesn't aggravated my knee too much) like that I can continue training if the weather is crap or knock on wood, I injure myself again. Ohhh how I long to get back on the road again and walk amongst nature and hold a triangle pose. Not long now... :)
On the other hand, the good news is my Xray ruled out a stress fracture. My physio will be happy to hear this next week.
My healing techniques for foot tendonitis is taping, physio, anti-inflammatories, wearing shoes with orthotics, acupuncture (this is quite painful IMHO...lol) and plenty of rest. Having worked from home for the past 2 days allowed me to rest my foot and I gotta say, this has worked wonders for the healing process. Boni thank you for the tip. Today I noticed how much better my foot feels, still a little tender though.
It's weird trying to walk normal again, as the past 2 weeks I've been walking around with a limp. I'm trying to distribute the weight evenly but this in itself is a tough feat as I'm concerned the pain I felt several days ago will return.
Like the camino, one step at a time...
Lessons learnt: Do not rush or push myself too hard in training. Stretch before and after sessions. I really want to accomplish this walk injury free!
:)
After purchasing 2 pairs of Merrell boots (Moabs and Chameleons) I was toing and froing between the two. In the end, I opted for the Merrell Moabs mid boot.
The difference between the two (in my humble opinion) is the Chameleons are very sturdy although they lack comfort. They are a stiff boot. Whereas the Moabs are very comfy more like a sneaker and lightweight. When I'm walking in Moabs it feels like I'm walking on clouds. They provide good ankle support and alot of cushioning. Although the downside to this boot the sole is not as sturdy as the Chameleons.
Reviews from the Camino de Santiago forum indicate people either love Moabs or they don't. The main reason is due to the sole not being sturdy enough and apparently you can feel the pebbles under your feet.
Everytime I've taken these boots out for a walk, they feel great! When I finally reach the time to commence pack walks, my opinion might change.
In the meantime, these boots were made for walking...
:)
When you exercise excessively and over a short period of time injuries are bound to happen. Yep, that's what happened to me this week.
With the excitement of booking my flights and finally entering the 'Camino zone' my motivation skyrocketed (a little too much). I was out walking everyday and then suddenly, I was struck down with foot tendinopathy (tendinitous).. Boo hoo. As you can imagine my confidence was shattered.
On top of that, I also have a pre-existing knee injury (pattellofemoral pain syndrome) which flares up every now and again depending on certain (most) activities I participate in. Although, this week the knee is going great guns, thank God!
Thankfully, there's a silverlining and his name is Brad McIntosh, my awesome physiotherapist (Sydney Sports and Orthopaedic Physiotherapy). Using his expertise he instructed me to work on my butt muscles, apparently they are very weak..lol. By working on this area it will help realign my knees and feet. He also taped my foot and knee (looking a bit like a mummy these days) and instructed me to wear orthotics. Have you seen how ugly most orthotic shoes are? lol... Alas, with a bit of research I came across a few nice enough pair of orthotic shoes and sandals. (If your interested in orthotic shoes, check out online the 'Orthotic shop' and 'Peter Sheppard'). He also instructed me to continue exercising, but not at full gusto. One day on, one day off. My homework before my next visit is to plan my training program for the next 8 months. Once I have finalised my program I'll upload it.
Since seeing Brad my foot is feeling better. As much as I wanted to head out for a walk today, I reframed from doing so, Brad you would be proud! Looking forward to heading out for a walk tomorrow though.
Lesson learnt: This new injury made me realise how much I want to do this walk and remember: piano, piano, arriviamo...
2012 New Year resolutions: Obtain a rock solid butt and build my inner quad muscles.
Happy New Year everyone!
:)
