CADENCE COUNTS - JANATHON DAY 12

After the epic mud run of yesterday, my ITB is a little tender to put it mildly. Going downstairs ensures that I look like I have aged 20 years, say no more.

Tonight I took to my turbo trainer for a spin session to ensure I was not going to do too much damage to an already painful ITB. Whilst buying black trail socks for my mud runs ( my white socks are white no longer!), I also purchased a foam roller as I am sure this will not be the first time that an area of my lower half will need to have acquaintance with such a piece of equipment. Therefore to keep my legs working with less impact I went to greet my bike.



iPod on and a cadence workout set, I was working my way through the rear cog with 10 mins at each cog working my way towards the smaller one. Once my cycle computer is set up I will be able to see exactly what my cadence is doing but for now I use a rhythm in my head and check my cadence every now and again by counting the reps.

Tonight my heart rate monitor came along for the ride and was showing me a time of 50min 22secs with 446 calories burnt. Average heart rate was 146 with maximum at 161. It was a sweaty affair but then when is it not when it comes to turbo training.

I will keep this short and sweet as I have a date with my book now, it is an amazingly compelling read Forgetting Zoe by Ray Robinson. Unfortunately I have no idea how some people can read whilst spinning but it gives me an excuse to snuggle down for what is left of the evening and become engrossed in my book.

Good night.

PROUD, SO PROUD

Myself and Mr T have been looking through the photos of the Exmoor Beast which Mr participated in on Sunday. I am so very proud of him, not least for completing the 100 mile distance, but for all the training he put in from day one.
It all started in the Pyrenees and ended up on Exmoor. Whilst we were travelling through France, he got to ride some amazing Cols and a new level of excitement for his riding was born. He immediately entered himself into the Exmoor Beast on our return and training got underway.

He was shattered on Sunday evening but amazingly refreshed after a good night's sleep, with very few aches or pains. Shows what training does to prepare your mind and body for endurance events.
Here he is:

Mr T

Tonight we have been looking at events that we could both enter, with trepidation on my part I might add!!! Cycling is still not a discipline I am wholeheartedly confident in, since most times I have been out I have managed to fall off, being unable to get my SPD's unclipped in time before my body reached the tarmac! The only answer, training, training and more training.
Looks like we are set on the Lands End 100 in October 2012, my distance being 100km, Mr will be doing the 100 mile route. Sounds like an amazing route as far as reviews go. Entry opens on 3rd Jan 2012 so have popped it in the diary to ensure I enter.
Here's to staying on the bike...........

WINTER TRANING

My winter training is looking somewhat different than last year, mainly due to the addition of 2 new elements: cycling and swimming.

This time last year, I was unable to swim front crawl for toffee, seriously!! I had NEVER mastered the breathing technique needed to successfully get myself from one end of the pool to another without a) taking in way too much pool water than is healthy b) breathing like I am taking my last breath.

Needless to say if I was to master this freestyle swimming malarkey I needed some help.
This help came in the form of my lovely niece who I hasten to add is an amazingly competent swimmer, swimming in county championships but most importantly a patient and very thorough teacher. She went through the basic techniques with me, breathing, position of body, arm stroke, etc over a period of 2 sessions. Before long I felt much more confident and was able to manage around 50m without stopping before a short break. Phew, I was getting there!! Thanks Amber x
As if by magic, around the same time as my first achievements in the pool, my local running and triathlon club, www.buderats.co.uk were sorting out their winter swimming training sessions again. BONUS! I put myself down as being interested in taking an 11 week course of swimming sessions through the club, starting in September this would give another discipline to work towards over the winter months.
All I can say is that I AM LOVING IT. We are certainly not being given an easy ride, we are ramping up to 2000m a session at the moment, but I feel I am getting stronger and ever so slightly faster as I go through the weeks
.
Last nights session looked a little something like this:
Warm up: 400m F/C ( 16 lengths)
Main session: 6 x 100m F/C with 20 secs rest between reps
200m kicking
7 x 50m F/C all done within a minute
Warm down: 200m pull and 200m drill
I come away feeling shattered - in a very good way!

This fits into my week perfectly:
Monday: Swim for 1 hour with RATS
Tuesday: Run for an hour with RATS
Wednesday: Turbo train on bike for an hour or an hour in the pool
Thursday: Technical / speedwork session with RATS (1 hour)
Friday: Early morning swim then Pilates (1 hour)
Saturday/Sunday: Long run or bike ride outside

Am loving the variety this gives me and am feeling stronger for it, winter training never looked so good.

ON YER BIKE!

Mr T and I awoke to a particularly sunny, blue sky day on Sunday morning and the first thing that came into my mind was to go for a bike ride with my man. We very rarely get chance to go out together and after purchasing my road bike back in the Autumn of 2010, I had only done a handful of miles on it before snow and ice set in.

This was a perfect day to get out and I needed Mr T with me as I had purchased SPD’s for the bike and as yet had not ridden with them on – I envisaged me failing to get the clips out making a very forceful union with the tarmac and needed the reassurance that there was someone at hand to laugh at help me.

That decided upon we then had to call Gran T to see if she was able to have the boys for an hour at such short notice. Hallelujah for grandparents who give us this time, only an hour, but what a great hour it was. Mr T and I started along the canal where it gave me time to get used to the shoes and familiarise myself again with my bike, turned off to Marhamchurch up a nice climb, over to Box’s Shop then back to Bude through Widemouth Bay, again a steep climb but we were rewarded with some of the best coastal views.

On our short ride we saw many people out running, walking and generally embracing the gorgeous weather. Really does lift the spirits when all is bright and crisp and shining, a great start to a Sunday.

My cross training consists of a Wednesday morning session at Fusion Fitness with Katie and our wonderful trainer David. David has endured / enjoyed many months of our regular sessions and with that has come tantrums (me), injuries (Katie and myself), laughter ( all 3 of us), and above all a real improvement in our running and fitness levels. www.fusion-fitness-bude.co.uk

Only recently has it become apparent how these weekly sessions with David have ultimately enabled me to reach a sub 2 half marathon. He focuses the training around our goals, sessions such as “All about legs” and “Psycho”come to mind as I am typing this – I wonder why!!!?

I will ultimately want to get out on my bike more as the lighter mornings and evenings are making their mark, alongside some rides with Mr T at the weekends and will work this into my training for the spring / summer. With a few duathlons and triathlons being held near by, it may come in handy if I decide to attempt my first event. Alongside my gym sessions and cycling complementing my running, I plan to stay injury free this year.

http://www.freakevents.co.uk/

GIVE AND TAKE, TAKE, TAKE!!

Running is a huge part of my life now and with various races planned throughout this year I am always “in training” for a race. Mr T has likened himself to a Runners Widow on many an occasion and weekends seem to throw up all sorts of opportunity for us to master the art of compromise.

Mr T is a keen cyclist and he too is “in training” for some races this year. Bristol bike fest in June and Plymouth 24 hour in July, he is also looking at participating in the Cornwall Tor. Needless to say weekends can become somewhat similar to NATO discussions, whereby we need to decide on what needs doing at home versus both our training needs. Recently I have lucked out on being very much the taker when it comes to training but now that Mr T has his goals in sight and on the calendar, a whole new art of give and take come into play.

I am very much a social runner, I enjoy the company of others, especially Claire and Katie, who make the miles fly by and do everything in my power to ensure I can get the long runs in with either one of them, preferably both, at the weekend. As Katie’s husband is a chef at http://www.thecastlerestaurantbude.co.uk/ means her long runs take place when Kit is home, namely Sunday mornings.

This weekend proved to be a time when I had to look at the training programme and realise that I had to do my 13 mile run ALONE on a SATURDAY morning, instead of a Sunday. First, palpitations, then the hot flushes and then I got over my selfishness and started planning my route www.mapometer.com. Mr T had put his foot down and insisted it was HIS turn to cycle on Sunday whilst it was my turn to take the boys swimming, he was right of course and I did the “right thing” and got out of my comfort zone and ran alone, I say alone but my iPod was a very welcome companion on a 2 hour wind swept affair!!

This song sums up my run this morning, the words: we are always running for the thrill of it: were very much needed when I battled up Hobbacott Lane in a 29mph wind that almost made me run backwards! I actually chuckled to myself as I must have looked hysterical, glad no one was there to witness it!

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eimgRedLkkU

The plus side of giving over of taking , is that I am now at liberty to sample many Prosecco’s and G&T’s at the party tonight, knowing that my long run has been completed and I may be able to suffer a headache in bed instead of on a run.