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So this weeks training. I shall call it Week 1 of 46 :pac:
I'm on steroids and an antibiotic for my wheezy chest this week. I was tired and lazy after work every evening so I didn't do anything until Thursday when I did my first outdoor spin in 3 months (detailed above).
Friday night we had a team meeting to discuss the plans for the Ras team and to get to know each other. I had planned waiting a few weeks to try cycling with the club but I decided to take the plunge and arranged to show my commitment by going Saturday.
I was very nervous on the way in but as soon as I got there I was glad I came out. It was lovely to see everyone again. The pace was very high from the beginning and I was struggling. I could feel every pound of fat I've put on over the last few months. There were a few times where I wanted to turn back but hung on for 18kms. I turned at the barrack Obama plaza and headed back to Nenagh on my own. Happy to have cycled in a group without crashing :-)
This morning I decided to try go a bit further so joined the gang again at 8am for their spin around the lake. Terrified again but pushed through it. Weather worse today than yesterday but that's winter for ya! Some more of the ras girls were out. It's lovely to see 9 girls out, last year it was just me alone with all the lads. We made it to Portumna in 58 minutes and I had been shelled out the back on the last climb into town. Turned for home and cycled like a snail against the wind to Nenagh. Took me 1hr 30 minutes to get back!!! 2hrs 30 total on the bike today, 61kms.
Very happy to be back on the road. I have miles to go to get back to fitness but there is a long winter ahead. Happy days
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Week 2
Monday 20th - Trainer road Granite on the turbo, 1 hour of high cadence work. I have never done a specific high cadence session before. Enjoyed it.
Thursday 23rd - I had planned to set out early to get an hour in before junior training but life conspired to delay me and I only managed 20 mins. As usual I was over dressed for the conditions. At junior training I went with the slower boys and this suited me well as I'm soooo slow myself! Was great to be back at it. Pity the Thursday session wont be happening again until next March as the evenings are too dark now.
Friday 24th - Long spin on my own. The wind was very tough and I suffered a lot. My fitness is gone but I know I have to be patient, it will come with time. Got a puncture with about 30 km to go and despite two very nice members of the public stopping their cars to offer assistance, I managed to change it all by myself for the first time without help. Woohoo. Delighted to be self sufficient. 67kms in 2hrs 55 mins
Missed the club spins this weekend as I was at a wedding. Final one of the year, it was a great day. I laughed so much my stomach muscles are sore today. Six weddings in a year is very expensive, only two next year thank god!
Sunday 26th - Wrecked today and stuffed after an all you can eat buffet at the Jasmine Palace- yum!! Hopped on the turbo this evening for an easy 45 mins spin.
Goodish week. Im still trying to find a balance between life and training. Life is winning at the moment but as Im still trying to rebuild my training that's fine at the moment. Things will change as the months go by so Im happy to collect the brownie points at the minute
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Cool! The log has serious purpose now. I'll have to keep an eye on this and JB's log. Our 2 resident cycling hoochies
Jasmine Palace all you can eat, now there is a throwback to my childhood. Happy days. Shame I've since given up Chinese :cool:0 -
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Week 3
Tuesday 28th Oct Heavy rain today made me whimp out of my planned road spin and hit the turbo instead. I really like doing the trainer road stuff, makes the sessions more challenging and go faster. 1:30 of Zone 2 work mainly which felt much tougher than it should have.
Wed 29th Oct Stressful cycle! Although I did regularly remind myself that it's great that I'm back cycling and shouldn't forget that. Problem is for the first 45 minutes I was annoyed by cars driving too close to me, another one pulling out in front of me, some fool breaking suddenly and a van trying it's best to shove me into the ditch aaaaaggg! Then I turned onto the N7 and the relative safety of the cycle lane but of course there was a gale blowing straight at me and I crawled the rest of the way home. 53kms in 2:20ish. Sooooo ridiculously slow.
I started eating much healthier yesterday, maybe the lack of sugar is making me a bit tetchy
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Thursday 30th Oct An hour on the turbo following Trainer road Black. It was meant to be easy. It wasn't! Good session though, Im liking the different things it makes you focus on like breathing and high cadence. Sweat buckets!
Saturday 1st Nov Club spin. The only aim for this spin was to hang on to the bunch as long as possible. Delighted to say I managed to stay on a bit longer than two weeks ago, even after an early slip out the back!! Average speed until I was dropped for good was 29kph then I slowly trundled home. 80kms in 3hrs
Sunday 2nd Nov Joined up with the club again for the weekly spin round Lough Derg. When I did this two weeks ago I managed to hang on for about 55 minutes. The aim today was to hang on a bit longer than that. Thankfully the wind was behind us to Portumna and I think the speed was a little slower than two weeks ago. Glad to say I hung on for about 10 minutes longer this week. After a brief pee stop outside Portumna the gang set off single file for a rolling over session which would last 55 mins. I think I lasted 200metres on the back before the gap opened and I was once again on my own. I have no speed in me at all but that's ok. It will come. Kept going on my own, struggling against the wind and a shower of very sore hailstones!! Rang MrBally8 to collect me when I'd had enough 90 kms in total. The longest cycle I've done since the beginning of July. Whoop!
Week 3 Summary
All bike! 291.7 kms in 11:450 -
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RacoonQueen wrote: »Just reading through here now...Rás na mBan..no bother to you A!
God tis far from not a bother It's going to be very tough but I'll do my best to get there (in one piece!) 0 -
A bit of catching up to do here...
Week 4: Saturday 8th Nov and Sunday 9th Nov Was in Madrid for a few days this week so I didnt get any training in Monday to Friday. Great time in Madrid, eating, drinking, eating!!
So Saturday morning I headed off to the club spin. I was doing well for the first 40k but then we started roll overs and after doing one I was out the back on my own
Rolled home 66kms in 2:48. My right achilles was a bit sore after the spin, I had come down off a step awkwardly in Madrid and knew I had pulled it. Stupid crappy body!
Sunday I went out for the club spin around the lake. I have to say I have never struggled so much on a cycle in my life. From the outset I was struggling and my heel was killing me. I was determined to make it the whole way round the lake this time though so once I was dropped in Portumna I kept going like a snail. Luckily one of the other girls waited for me in Mountshannon and dragged my sorry arse the rest of the way back to Portroe. I felt like I got the knock before the spin even started. That last climb up Charlies Hill (a hill I have climbed many times before) was soooo tough, I was going so slow I thought I might have to get off and walk. 110.4kms in 4:43
Week 5
Decided to back off a bit this week instead of the planned increase in mileage in order to give the achilles a chance to recover.
Tuesday 11th Nov 50 minute easy turbo, achilles very sore
Thursday 13th Nov 1hr 20 minute turbo, achilles improved
Friday 14th Nov45 mins turbo, found it tough when it should have been easy
Saturday 15th NovYes you guessed it - more turbo! 1 hr easy spinning, achilles much better
Sunday 16th Nov Club Spin around Lough Derg. While I still felt slow and fat compared to everyone else, I felt much better than last week on this spin. I even managed to stay with the group for the longest distance yet 110.4 kms in 4:33
Some serious soul searching today. I'm questioning my ability and the reality of me ever being good enough to do the Ras. The other girls are at another level to me. I'm so far behind them. I suppose I have to just accept where I am. 15 weeks off, 21 lbs overweight I have a long road ahead to get back to any kind of fitness. I expected to be further along 5 weeks in but I'm sure the improvements will come once I start being consistent in my training.0 -
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What she and he said.....and I'll add, weren't you "invited" to try out for the Ras? If so, then someone sees something in you that makes them believe you are capable. We all feel inadequate from time to time, so that's just normal if you ask me....but two things stand out for me about you - you train with your heart, and you never quit. I admire you for so many reasons. Believe in yourself. 0
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Week 6
Tuesday 18th Nov Finally made it to my first club winter turbo session. Managed to get there in time for the junior training beforehand so I ended up doing 2 hrs 20 mins. Fantastic to see such big numbers of juniors there, I guess 16 or so. Anyways the senior session was an eye-opener. I haven't worked that hard on the turbo in ages. I was a sweaty purple mess
Thurs 20th Nov I had planned a 2 hour road spin but the fog never lifted so I ended up doing 1:30 on the turbo following trainer road fletcher. An easy leg spinning session.
Sat 21st Nov What a difference a week makes! Great spin today I managed the whole spin and even rolled through every time during the interval session from Roscrea to Tullamore. I think the pace was slower than usual but I don't care, I thrilled to stay with the slower bunch. I was bullied into climbing up Templederry with the gang and in the end I was glad I did as it wasn't so bad and I have been avoiding the hills as much as possible. 107kms in 4 hours.
Sunday 22nd Nov We usually go round the lake but today the lads decided to take us towards the midlands with climbs up the Wolftrap and the Cut. I knew I wouldn't be able for the climbs so I planned turning early at Kinnity. It was very cold and looked icy as we headed off at 8am. I was terrified I would fall. All I could think of was my collarbone snapping again. Luckily the roads were dry and the pace was steady so I soon relaxed. We got to Kinnity in no time and four of us girls turned back. Yesterday I had two of those girls pull me up the climb, today I did most of the work at the front as I felt very strong and they were suffering! 100k in 4 hours. Great spin.
Summary Great week, great for my motivation. Great to feel strong again. My right calf/Achilles is still very sore so I'm going to have to get it looked at. Next week I'm going to try fit in the 5 sessions I'm supposed to be doing and to hit the right mileage.0 -
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RacoonQueen wrote: »Must come down and do that spin around the lake with you sometime. Really enjoyed it when I was in Nenagh a couple of years ago...better get the bike fitness up a bit more first though
Any time RQ, you are more than welcome!0 -
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