Last year, around the same time of the year, I got a hip injury after I started running again after a long summer holiday post-high school, pre-university. Within two weeks I went from running 3km to running 5km to 8km and at least 3 times a week. I got way too excited and didn't listen to people telling me to be careful.
I love running, I love the feeling of strength it gives me, the sense that I can clear my mind and can feel myself moving forward, being outside in the fresh air, rain or shine. Of course I don't love the times when it doesn't go well and when I can't keep my breath under control. Those are the times I get super frustrated, running gives me a strange sense of control while letting go. It's quite strange to put my thoughts about running in writing but it is also letting me reflect on the past few weeks of getting in shape again.
When this semester started I was not in the mindset of exercising and eating healthy, I was just eating what I wanted, studying, hanging out with friends but I had lost the excitement of feeling fit. During the summer I biked 20 km a day when I went to work and then walked around all day at work so I got fitter and more toned without consciously trying. Then the cartilage below my kneecap got inflamed and I could barely walk for weeks (overenthusiastic moving once again...). So when the semester started and I didn't move anymore I gained 10 kg (not even joking). After losing 5 kilo's without wanting to last semester due to insane amounts of personal and academic stress it isn't crazy that when this stress stopped bothering me I gained the lost weight.
A month and half ago I started running again. I was terrified that it wouldn't go well so decided to not even bring my phone with running app just in case my hips would hurt again. I did a slow program with a friend, running for a few minutes then walking etc. And my hips didn't hurt. So slowly I began running more frequently in combination with the yoga class I have been following for most of this semester and it went well. A friend of mine then told me about Kayla Itsines 12 week Bikini Body Guide which she had started, so after getting the guide I began also! I am now at the end of week 2 and I feel great! In the past 8 days I had 8 workouts. This might sound excessive but all the workouts are building muscles and the workouts are created so that you can actually do them without getting injured. With running I am not going crazy and running short distances. After one month of running I was able to get from barely being able to run for 3 minutes straight to running 3,5 km straight and no hip pain. I therefore am being careful about going longer distances and for now will keep running this distance, 3-3,5 km (sometimes a little shorter distance if I am running faster).
The BBG program is running 3 times a week and 3 workouts from the guide and it's been amazing! I have gotten rid of my weighing scale (dropped it off at a friend's place for safe keeping) and am only thinking about how my body feels and what the progress pictures show me rather than what the scale tells me. I took before pictures at the beginning of week 1 and today at the end of week 2. I can really already see that I am getting slightly more toned around my legs and stomach! I am a bit nervous to show these pictures but I am thinking about making an instagram account dedicated to my fitness and progress to help motivate myself and follow other people who are also working out and can help motivate me. For now though, here is a picture of me during week 2's ab and arm workout this past Wednesday while I felt like I was slowly dying...
