Morning Has Broken

I've just embarked on an attachment program with IBN and this means that now I have the regular schedule of a working person--eight to six work hours. Now I know why nobody wants to grow up.

I've always done my workouts in the evening, just as the sun is starting to set. I do squeeze in a few strength or pilates in the morning, but the bulk of my sweat-time is done when I'm just winding down from the day but still have enough energy to give it my all. It's not too cold or hot, and I still can see the sceneries and the people all around me.

But now that I reach home very late, with growling stomach and wasted stamina, I'm facing an uphill task in trying to motivate myself to work out. I heard that doing cardio before you sleep is like playing for Camp Insomnia, and that when my mind is so buzzing and tired the last thing I should do is cardio. 

And I do have something against the darkness. Which will still be there when I wake up early to squeeze in the cardio anyway.

My plan was to do strength in the morning, and then cardio at night. I'm starting to think if I should switch that. This sounds like a job for...

...the PROs and CONs TABLE!

Cardio in the morning

PROs

Caffeine substitute (after all, caffeine is the hormonal substitute for adrenaline )-->keeps me energized and maybe put me in the right frame of mind (which did not happen this morning)

Acclimatize for races--which always start in the morning

Keeps up my metabolism

CONs

Too easy to oversleep

Research shows that one performs their best in a workout in the evening after a day's work

Sleepy, tired

Cold!

Dark

Hardly any company

(the last two points supplement this next one: GOOSEBUMPS)

This isn't starting to look good for the morning run/swim/cycle. Especially the swim--the morning breeze is already freezing when I step outside; I don't want to even think about the water!

Since it is a new habit after all, I will give it some time--maybe a week or two--and see if I can get used to it as well as the benefits I might reap. 

Pit-stop!

So my worst fears are confirmed: I did strain my knee and ankle. If my body's being rebellious, it's two weeks out of action. Should I discount it by 'listening' to my body? They say you only hear what you want to hear, and the last thing I want is fooling myself!

And my ingrown toe is still there. I can't swim due to fear of infection. I can't bike or run even if my ankle and knee are fine cause I can't wear shoes. If you suggest running barefooted, the dirt may get into the wound. I can't let my toe sweat at all. It's horrible.

My body's feeling weird too. Like I get heart palpitations sometimes and suddenly I'd feel so weak and numb and limp. I feel cold too easily lately too. Hm. Curious, curious.

That Twisted Ankle!

It's not a sprain, but I think I've twisted both my knee and ankle of the same leg. No running, but can I cycle?

Secret Weapon: Tunes (1)

Why Do I Run?

"Eh girl ah, so thin already stop running lah, now proper weight, don't need to continue exercising"

--THEM


I always loved running... it was something you could do by yourself, and under your own power.  You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs.  
~Jesse Owens



For me, running is my me-time. An intimate moment between me, myself and I. A personal competition. A reintroduction to my body and mind. A small bridge to my sanity in the hectic frenzy (a neoplastic neoplasm!) of life. 


Why do I run? It's not just for those numbers on the scale anymore. It's not just for the timing on the watch. "I run to save myself" may be an exaggeration--I run to free myself, and to find myself. 

The Jakarta Conundrum

You don't see joggers here in Jakarta often.

Between the hazardous traffic ('Pedestrian crossing'? What's that?) and the poisonous smog that permeates every inch of the city, the only running you'd see here is limited in the gym--or when people are running for their buses, or when there's a robbery going on...

If you're lucky and happen to be pretty loaded on cash, you'd stay in one of those nice neighbourhoods where the traffic is slight and the pollution slightly better. They may have nice pedestrian walkways there for you too--that's not the case for where I'm living.

I heard that for most people, jogging means going to Monas and jogging around the monument. There is a Jakarta Marathon, which many runners turn away from due to their concerns for having to prepare a lung transplant or an iron lung once they're done.

It's pretty sad, y'know, 'cause with the hectic lifestyle and the burgeoning middle class (and fast food restaurant and the corresponding ever expanding waistline), the one thing Jakartans lack is an incentive to exercise. Slimming centers and gyms however, are the rage here (like spa and relaxation centers--a worthy investment here: a tip for you if you're a budding investor). That means that the only running and cycling people are doing are rooted at the spot on expensive equipments. As for all those not-so-well-off middle class which is the target for all those fast food restaurants? If they can't afford the gym, well... walking is not really a pleasant option here due to the danger and the smog (we hop into the cars for really anything that is more than 5 minutes walk).

The fitness buffs however, can take advantage of the many many triathlons, marathons and other sporting events happening around Indonesia--usually in beautiful islands like Bintan, Bali and Lombok--if they don't mind chalking up the mileage (budget airlines are a-dime-a-dozen here). I'd be looking out for them--you should too, if you like to enjoy a race and a vacation all in one weekend.

As for my stay in Jakarta, I'd make do with the exercise mat and the resistance band--and little jogs and runs in the wee morning when the smog hasn't blotted out the sky.

Money, Money, Money!

I've mentioned how I'm going to go sign up for races to keep me psyched and preoccupied. What I didn't mention is this burgeoning headache everytime I check another event--more specifically, the 'Events&Prices' categories. There are two tabs beside this one currently open: one for the Bintan Triathlon and another one for the OCBC Cycle 2010. Getting fit has never been so expensive, especially if you're on student budget!

By the way, how are you expected to carry your bicycle to Bintan? Air-mail it or literally haul it into the ferry?