I’m running in the Dublin Mini Marathon on Monday 1st June. It’s a 10 kilometre race. I hope you will be able to sponsor me and support Arc Cancer Support Services.
I wouldn’t quite say I’ve got the running bug. Unlike a friend of mine I don’t look forward to my run every (second) day. I’m always glad when I’ve done it and building up to 10 kilometres (again!) over the last three months have given me a real sense of achievement. And a waist!
When I started running again (about a week before a significant birthday – analyse that!) I decided I was aiming for the mini-marathon. It’s finally nearly here and it will actually be my second race! To get in the mood (!) I took part in the Terenure 5 Mile. I would highly recommend this race to anyone starting or improving. It’s a nice flat race with a dedicated lane. There were very few walkers who were instructed to walk on the pavement as the runners passed them by. It kicked off at 11am, far enough from breakfast but not after lunch (hello Mini-marathon organisers: 2pm?)
This is what me + 5 miles looks like.
Doing this race gave me a real sense of achievement and a strong idea of how I might hope to do over 10km. It was my first time running with other people and also with an audience. I didn’t really notice much except for a few incidences. There was a couple of folk rooting for us at the top of the (very slight) hill and they really spurred me on. I overheard a pedestrian saying to her companion, “God it’d really make you want to head to the pub for a pint.” Then a young kid near the end, standing outside his house, shouting, “I’ve got a Wispa for you!” cracked me up.
The only slight disappointment was that I wasn’t able to use my time (ahem 47min39sec) for the mini-marathon because it was 3 days after their closing date for qualifying times. I wonder will I manage it in under 75 minutes and make the fast joggers category…?
It’s amazing the hooks that keep you going when you are pushing yourself like this. I’m running the mini-marathon in aid of Arc Cancer Support Centre. You can sponsor me via MyCharity.ie. I know that thinking about all those donations and the work that Arc do is going to give me a massive push on the day. Thinking about the people it will benefit, two friends in particular, will keep my feet flying. Thinking about their positivity in the face of uncertainty will get me over that finish line.
I used the Run10k App to get me this far and highly recommend if you are starting from scratch.
Next plan is to start going to the Tymon Park Run and improving my speed. I will use a training programme from RunKeeper to help me do this. Nipper 1.0 says he is going to start training with me over the summer. This would be great!
This is my article from BEO.ie November edition. In this I write about iOS, Android and Web apps and sites that can help you stay healthy. Perfect timing I think for anyone planning to turn over a new leaf in January. I even spoke about my recommendations below on a recent broadcast of Splanc on Newstalk.
Táim i mo shuí sa chistin agus tá an bháisteach ag síorthitim amuigh. N’fheadar an é seo an t-am is fearr chun scríobh faoi theicneolaíocht a chabhróidh leat aire a thabhairt dod’ shláinte? Níl uaim ach tine mhór the theolaí, an dá shlipéar agus m’fhallaing sheomra. Bhraithim ciontach faoin alt seo a scríobh go háirithe ó nár rith mé féin ar maidin le drochaimsir. Ach coicís ó shin bhí mé an-mhórálach asam féin ó chríochnaigh mé clár ‘Couch to 10K’. Seo clár 13 seachtain ina ritear trí uaire in aghaidh na seachtaine. Siúlfaidh tú ag an tús le giotaí reatha anois is arís ach ag an deireadh san iomlán tá tú in ann rith gan stró ar feadh 10 ciliméadar. Bhí traenálaí agam i mo phóca i rith an chláir ar fad: feidhmchláirín beag, Couch to 10K
Ach in am scríofa an ailt seo, tá an aimsir go hainnis agus is deacair brú a chur ort féin aon ní a dhéanamh nuair mar sin atá sé. Ach, mar a deirim go minic, níor chóir dúinn in Éirinn go háirithe aon ní a chur ar ceal mar gheall ar chúpla braon báistí. Caithfimid coinneáil orainn!
Sin ceann de na tréithe is tábhachtaí faoi réim shláinte nó bhia: leanúint leat – is féidir le teicneolaíocht cabhrú go mór linn é sin a dhéanamh. Má choinníonn tú taifead den obair atá curtha isteach agat freisin, is spreagadh mór an méid sin ar laethanta dona dorcha dhúluachair na bliana. Is féidir breathnú siar ar an dul chun cinn atá déanta go dtí seo. Más féidir do chuid éachtaí a roinnt le daoine eile atá den tuairim chéanna. Beidh tacaíocht agat freisin. Más féidir leat léargas a fháil ar imeachtaí lúthchleasa do chairde féin nó daoine a bhfuil meas agat orthu, gríosófar thú chun iarracht a dhéanamh tú féin.
Beartas Sláinte
Mar sin, lena n-áireamh, is iad beartas, taifead, spreagadh agus tacaíocht na ceithre rudaí is mó cabhair nuair atá tú ag tabhairt faoi réim shláinte. Féach nodanna eile ar shuíomh iontach an rialtais Get Ireland Active – tá neart ann chun thú a ghríosadh ó eolas agus firicí faoi shláinte go cluichí liathróide is rannta. Is fiú go mór roinnt ama a chaitheamh ar an suíomh seo.
“Ach Roseanne,” cloisim uaibh, “is colún teicneolaíochta seo, ní slí maireachtála! B’fhéidir gurb ionann an dá rud duitse ach bhí mise ag súil leis an alt sin faoi iOS5 nár scríobh tú go fóill!” Ach, a chairde, tá neart suíomhanna is feidhmchláiríní iOS is Android ann a chabhródh leat beartas agus taifead a dhéanamh agus spreagadh is tacaíocht a fháil nuair a bheas tú ag tabhairt faoi rún sláinte. B’fhéidir go mb’fhearr i bhfad an t-alt seo a scríobh do Bheo mhí Eanair nuair atá dea-mhianta na hathbhliana snasta úr ar bharr d’intinne. Ach dar liom, tá tú i bhfad níos fearr tabhairt faoi dhea-mhian ag am a oireann duit in ionad am nuair atá brú seachtrach ort é a dhéanamh.
Seo mo rogha de fheidmhcláiríní idirlín is gutháin a chabhródh go mór le duine atá ag tabhairt faoi.
Couch to 10K
Seo an ceann ar bhain mise feidhm as, ón tolg i leith. D’éirigh liom meachan a chailleadh lena chabhair agus, ar a laghad, tomhas ghúna amháin. Thaitin sé go mór liom mar lig sé dom taifead a choinneáil, chabhraigh sé liom mo dhul chun cinn a fhorbairt de réir a chéile agus má bhí fonn orm, lig an feidhmchláirín seo dom mo dhul chun cinn a roinnt le mo chairde ar Twitter agus ar Facebook. Fuair mé an-chuid tacaíochta ó mo chairde dá bharr. Is féidir éisteacht le do cheol féin ar d’iPod le linn a bheith ag rith. Le fáil mar fheidhmchláirín iOS.
Runkeeper.com
Seo an suíomh atá in úsáid agam anois, tharla an Couch 10K críochnaithe agam. Anois tá an nós agam, ligfidh seo dom taifead a choimeád. Tá suíomh ann, www.runkeeper.com, a ligeann duit taifead a choinneáil ded’ chuid cleachtadh lúthchleasa, bealach a leagan amach roimh ré, foireann sráide a chruthú agus ranganna áitiúla a aimsiú. Chomh maith leis an suíomh iontach, is féidir RunKeeper a chur ar uirlísí iOS, Android, Windows 7 agus le déanaí Symbian (e.g. Nokia). Ar iOS is féidir éisteacht le ceol ar an iPod le linn do chleachtadh aclaíochta (seachas snámh…!)
Nike Training Club
Seo ceann do na mná amháin. Is sás é ó Nike ar ndóigh atá lán le gnáthaimh aclaíochta idir 15 agus 45 nóiméad. Tá físeanna le gach gnáthamh a thugann treoir duit conas gach cuid den ghnáthamh a dhéanamh. Tá treoir ann freisin faoi na huirlisí a bheidh de dhíth (liathróid leighis, mata, meacháin, tromáin lúith srl.). Tá trí léibhéal difriúla ann do thosaitheoirí, idirmheánach is don ard-lúthchleasaí. Is féidir éisteacht le do cheol féin ar an iPod le linn an bhabhta traenála agus is féidir do dhul chun cinn a roinnt ar Facebook agus má tá ballraíocht agat ar Nike.com/NikeWomen, is féidir é a roinnt ansin. Má bhíonn ballraíocht agat ann freisin, gheobhaidh tú gnáthaimh bhreise mar dhuais. Thaitníonn an feidhmchláirín seo go mór liom: tá cuma an-dheas air agus tá na gnáthaimh crua, an-chrua! An t-aon míbhuntáiste ná nach bhfuil an feidhmchláirín seo ar fáil ach don iOS.
Chomh maith leis na feidhmchláiríní seo ar mo ghuthán, tá ceann a ligeann duit do ráta chroí a thaifead, tá feidhmchláirín eile Nike a d’fhéadfadh comhrá a dhéanamh le mo bhróga (tá slis sa sáile s’acu) agus ceann darbh ainm de MoodAgent a ligeann dom líostaí ceoil a chruthú bunaithe ar an bhfonn a bheadh orm féin. Tá feidhmchláiríní ann freisin a déanann cluiche de thraenáil: féach mar shampla Fitocracy nó Zombies Run. Má tá tuilleadh uait féach an liosta ar Greatist.
Má cheapann tú go bhfuil sé dochreidte go mbeadh do bhróga in ann teachtaireachtaí a chur chuig do ghuthán, nó chuig bunachar éigin sa néal, breathnaigh ar Withings. Pleascfaidh d’intinn!
Last year a friend sent me a link to an ad on Activelink about a research project being undertaken by a PhD student in DCU School of Nursing. The project is researching the effect of the expectant mother’s diet on their child’s taste preferences. I was happy to take part. I had to keep a food diary for a week in my last trimester, for a week in the first 3 months’ of Nipper 3.0’s life and last week the researcher, Aileen Kennedy, came to our house and undertook a taste test with her. Lastly we had to keep a food diary for her for 3 days.
Aileen is still seeking participants for the study. All the details and lots of questions are answered over on Rollercoaster.ie. So if you are due before January 2011 and would like to help explore this then follow the link above and get in touch with Aileen.
Now that I’m feeling a little more energetic I’ve been trying out a few exercises. A friend recommended this video which is good and totally do-able. The fact that another new mum recommended it is a bonus. Also note that the video is 9 mins long and after a 6 hour labour that’s like so easy, right?!
However I also really like this one because it allows me to exercise with Nipper 3.0 in the morning after we walk back from the school. It’s kind of difficult to do those push-ups with someone laughing in your face though!
As a friend on Twitter said you also want to be careful about the timing of your exercise with baby:
I’m also heading along to a kettle bells class which is run in a park nearby by a dad from the school. I’ll give it a go and take it very easy but I sat in on a class today and it looked like I should be able to manage it especially as the exercises built up in stages. I like to exercise in a class because I find it far more motivating. I had seen this class taking place on my way to and from work and the school. The fact that it takes place outdoors really appeals to me. I’ll let you know how I get on!
Photo right owned by MarianF55 (cc) On a recent visit to the Coombe Women’s Hospital for an antenatal appointment with my midwife she shared some great news with me. We were chatting about this and that and she told me that she had done her training on the Domino Scheme in the National Maternity Hospital in Holles St. This is the scheme under which I had Nipper 1.0 and 2.0. Domino stands for Domiciliary/ In and Out. It means that mothers on the scheme can have their babies at home or go in, have their baby and then go home within 6 to 12 hours if everything checks out. These schemes are woman centred and open only to women with uncomplicated pregnancies (e.g. no first timers over 35, no multiple pregnancies, no previous caesarean etc.) Expectant mothers are looked after by a team of midwives but if required can always be referred to a specialist.
I found my experience on the Domino Scheme in Holles st. really empowering and the quality of care was top notch considering the Victorian-era hospital in which they work. I never had to wait for an appointment and in fact when I opted for a home birth in my second pregnancy I had all my appointments at home. Can you imagine if these schemes were available to women all over Ireland how much time would be saved? Surely the recent Swine Flu “epidemic” underlines the need to keep at risk groups from congregating? There will of course always be women who need specialist care and there will of course always be women who think they need special care but I feel the Domino scheme gave me very special care.
Anyway the good news is that the Coombe have finally got the go-ahead for their Domino Scheme and will start taking bookings soon for August/ September babies. So if you have just found out you are pregnant and you are outside the catchment for the Rotunda or Holles St. give the Coombe a ring and book yourself in. You won’t regret it!
(Oh and yes I have great plans for a post about the poor state of websites and the pathetic use of online services among health care services in Ireland.)
