Tuesday, August 18, 2009

coocoo for coconuts!

good afternoon friends.

i have been feeling really nervous lately about my half-marathon race because sometimes i can run and sometimes my bum pain makes it impossible. the bum pain isn't here at the moment but could reoccur at anytime!

last week i opted out of my run in favour of the elliptical machine on tuesday, and did a 45-minute treadmill run with varying inclines on thursday. thursday's run took the life out of me - i guess it was all of the varying speeds and inclines. there is this one part where you run at about 5 mph but at 8% incline for 3 minutes. i could do it but after i thought i was having some sort of asthma attack ... really couldn't breathe! i took a 10-minute walk break and then finished up the run. scary! on saturday i went running outside despite the heat and it was great. i wet my hair before going, put on sunscreen, a hat and my fuel belt and hit the road for about 4 miles.

i am worried because i'm behind in my training. i should have completed a 7 and an 8-mile long run by now and i haven't. i am nowhere close to that! actually that's a lie - i have run 6 miles once or twice this season but i'm hardly working up to that. i find that when i have bum pain i have to ease back into running and not push it too hard. does anyone have any advice for getting back up to my training level without risking injury?

on the other hand, if i can't finish the half-marathon, who really cares? i would have a pretty good reason for stopping (quitting ... bah) if i'm in pain. i mean, it's not like i wouldn't finish because i'm a lazy bum! i guess all i can do is keep trying and do my best. and my best is good enough. and people like me. yes!

work has been REALLY busy! busy is good but too busy can be overwhelming. this weekend is the can fit pro conference downtown so i'll be working there. i don't mind working on the weekend when i get to attend what i assume will be an interesting trade and consumer show. maybe i'll learn the latest underground fitness crazes ... and share them all with you of course. ;)

in other news, i have been using coconut oil lately. my boyfriend and i went on an outback safari tour in the dominican. if you click on the link it's the exact tour and you can read about all the neat stuff we did. one of the high selling points for me was a visit to a real dominican home where they grow and process coconuts! i learned all about chopping a coconut, mincing the coconut meat, and pressing it to make oil.

i bought my coconut oil fresh from the coconut oil farm/place in dominican republic. straight from the coconut into a bottle and sold to me for $10 US ... it can't get any fresher than that. coconut oil is used for cooking, added to many drinks like pina coladas, as a relief for constipation and it aids in weight loss (apparently ... maybe because of the last reason lol). our tour guide said taking 3 TBSP of oil relieves constipation, taking 1 TBSP with salt has the opposite effect, and drinking a drop in the morning and at night helps you lose weight. he also said that they put it in some of the blended drinks at the resort so don't drink more than a couple pina coladas at a time. i wish i knew that before i went on safari!

coconut oil is a VERY healthy oil and has a high heating point so it's great for cooking. did you know that coconut oil and coconut butter are the same thing? it's true - just the butter is in solidified form - so should be stored in the fridge. in the new cookbooks at work we are all about the coconut oil so it's definitely something you want to implement in your diet. i think i'll stick to cooking with it for now. the smell is amazing too. mmmmmmm.

here is me on tour, holding a coconut with a big pile of coconuts in the background. it was so hot so they kept feeding us bottled pop ... i love bottles! for some reason holding the glass makes me feel classy.

8 comments:

Randi said...

I don't really have any tips on the bum pain. But I think you should go to a physiotherapist. Or a sports therapist or something. Will your insurance cover it? Even if not, it probably costs $75 for the initial consultation and $50 for follow up treatments (that's what mine costs.) Even if they could give you stretches or something it might be worth it.

Jaime said...

That's so cool about the coconut oil! Now I really wish FH had wanted to go on a fun tour in DR. I'm leaving that bum at home next time! haha.

Lex said...

Ahaha I definitely thought they'd warn you about the Pina Coladas!! Our resort told us on several occasions to drink them in moderation!
Maybe they were tired of declogging the toilets!! Aahahhaha

Anonymous said...

Oooh, that sounds so fun! I've been hearing a lot about coconut oil lately, too.

Ha ha! Jaime, my husband is the same way! When we went to Jamaica he didn't want to go on the tours that I thought sounded fun. But I find he responds well to threats. ;o)

Post Grad Hair Cut said...

Man. Even though I'm not a fan of pop, something about seeing it in a glass bottle makes it look super refreshing.

Angela Power said...

OMG I can't believe I haven't come back over here in so long!!!

Firstly, you're doing great with your running and setting the bar high will always lead to pushing yourself whether or not it means getting "there". I can totally relate to having an unpredictable injury that may or maynot flare up and kybosh the whole thing. All you can do is be mindful and treat your body as best as you can.

I also know the other side of it too where the pressure is intimidating. Sometimes that works against me instead of for me and I "rebel" against the "schedule" Race days are scarry for me, but both times I've done my itty bitty 5k races it was like I ran a marathon it felt so wonderful to be a part of it all :)

I've done that Outback Safari tour and it is one of the highlights of my experience in the DR. I'll always remember it forever. It was a HUGE eye opener for me because it was my frist time travelling ANYWHERE! I even was told the SAME thing about the coconut oil! I thought I picked up some kind of BUG the amount of times I was running to the bathroom! turned out it was the 4598584 pina coladas I had! lol

P.O.M. said...

We're in the same boat with the injury thing and the race coming up. I think you have a great attitude about it though. Just do you best. If you have to stop, you have to stop. I bet you that you'll be fine though and finish that pesky 13.1.

Have you tried the 'sit on a tennis ball' thing. It hurts like heck - you roll your sore bum around on it. But it really helps.

When is your race again? I think i you can just get one 10 miler in before your race, you will be fine.

Anonymous said...

nice post. thanks.