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Ok so I'll try to keep this short and sweet
Since I last updated:
Sat 23rd Feb:
Had an exam at 10.30. Went great. Finished college at 12. I was so happy to have a whole Saturday afternoon free for a change. Off I went for a swim. 84 lengths of easy fc. Nice and slow, just a relaxing enjoyable one.
Sun 24th Feb:
87.63km cycle with the Wheelers. Felt strong the whole way :eek: Dont know what happened there
Mon 25th Feb:
Taught my first aerobics class at work today. The girls were great, they really went for it. We all had great fun. My ankle started to hurt which is so frustrating as it hadnt been bothering me for a while now. It's obvious that it's the lateral moves that's causing it. I'm just going to grin and bear it until the course finishes. I'll get it sorted afterwards. I need to if I'm going to teach aerobics in the future.
Tuesday - rest day
Wed 27th Feb:
Great craic at work this morning with a high intensity game of hockey. I love shocking the lads. Every year before we start playing it, I pretend that I have no idea how to even hold the stick. Then I whop their scrany arses:D running rings around them. Hee hee
Hill repeats on the bike later on. Thankfully all 4 of us girls have lights now so it's not nearly as dangerous as it was the last time. 6 times up Port Hill. Delighted with that. This time last year I thought that people were mad to try it twice.
Thurs 28th Feb + Friday 1st March;
No time for training. College work more important.
Sat 2nd March:
50 mins circuit training in college. Ankle sore from the side stepping in the warm up.
Sunday 3rd March:
83.84 km cycle with the Wheelers. This cycle was the fastest long cycle I've ever done. I was traumatised by the end of it. Seriously I had to pedal for my life the whole way round and even still I was dropped at nearly every drag. 30kph average speed which is low because of all the hills we encountered. Broken afterwards but delighted with myself.
Mon 4th March:
1600m swim after work. Added in some sprints.
Tues 5th March;
40 min turbo. Just spinning up and down through the gears. 20 minute treadmill run after. Happy to report no ankle pain. God I miss running!
Rest day on Wed
Thursday 7th March:
Up at 5:50 to be at club swim for 6:30 :eek: It's the first time I've gotten up this early for a swim since last August
Great session. Started off with lots of kick work, then arms only and some sprints. I only managed 2150m while most others in my lane did 2750. I'll be back next week. 0 -
Dont know why I've been so crap at updating this recently. I spend so much time reading everyone else's I guess.
Anyhoo...
Friday 8th March - Managed to fit a 50 min turbo session and a 25 min treadmill run in between studying for 2 exams.
Saturday 9th March- Exam in the morning in college- resistance programming. All the beefy gym lads were laughing about how easy it would be while the ladies were freaking out. My knowledge of weight lifting was very limited before the course. Need not have worried- I got second highest mark in the class. The lads were disgusted
Circuit training for the afternoon. About 2 hours of anaerobic, aerobic and LME stations. Wrecked after.
Sunday 10th March - Didnt feel well at all so skipped the club cycle. As the day went on I felt a bit better and guilt got me on to the turbo for an hour and three quarters.
Monday 12th March - Got caught late at work so missed the public swim hour at 5. Unplanned rest day.
Tuesday 13th March - Back to the tri club turbo session for the first time in nearly a year! Was great to see all the lads and catch up. Realised how much I like training with others. Tough enough session. Very enjoyable.
Wednesday 14th March - Swim after work. I didnt get a chance to do my 400 TT in Feb so decided to do it today. Nice long easy warm up and then I was off. Hammered the first length (by my standards) in 24 seconds. Was worried that I had really gone off too fast as I struggled for breath over the next couple lengths. I glanced at the watch at one stage and realised something was off. I have one of those finger lap counters which you press at the end of each length. I'm well used to it and pressing the button is automatic to me. However when I looked at it, it said 9 when it should have read an even number, so was it 8 and I pressed it an extra time by accident or 10 and I forgot to press it at some stage? Agghhh. I spent the next few lengths trying to figure it out. As I came to what I thought was the second last length of 16 I really powered it on and pushed home for the last 25m. Pressed stop and caught my breath. Looked at my time 7:25 :oI'd only done 350m not 400!!! I was feicked from it so no way I was going to try again. Positives from it- 2 more lengths would have taken me another 75seconds max probably less. That would have meant max time of 8:40 maybe and indicates an improvement of over 20 seconds from my last TT. I'll hopefully get a chance to try again before the end of the week.
Later on that night I was back out on Portroe hill with 3 girls from the club for a bike hill repeat session. 8 times up it this time. Soon we will start timing ourselves and trying to get faster.
Thursday 14th March - Woohoo managed to get up for a second week running for the 6.30 am club swim. Very tough fast session this morning. Was really pushing it for the whole thing. 2250m total
Went home for a nap after then met 2 girls from the club for a run. I was nervous for a few reasons- these girls are fast! and I havent ran on the road since mid January. My longest run since return from injury has been 2.5 miles. So I decided to turn back after 1.5 miles just to be safe. Of course I got caught up in the chat and stuck with them for the whole run. They were doing an easy recovery run. I was dying like I was in the middle of a 10k race. Long way to go in my recover. Still I'm delighted with it- 4.4 miles with a 9:20 minute mile average.
Friday 15th March - Legs sore today so I'm giving myself another rest day. Made 2 batches of brownies for the club duathlon tomorrow. I've eaten 7 so far. I'm about to puke 0 -
Lots of positivity, lot's of smilies, kicking the guys asses, some WooHoo's, and a 400m TT attempt- whats not to like here?;)Solobally8 wrote: »
Wednesday 14th March - Swim after work. I didnt get a chance to do my 400 TT in Feb so decided to do it today. Nice long easy warm up and then I was off. Hammered the first length (by my standards) in 24 seconds. Was worried that I had really gone off too fast as I struggled for breath over the next couple lengths.
I'm far from qualified to give swim advice, but one common theme evident from those improving on the 400m thread, is setting off the first 100m steady and controlled (you're holding something back). Maybe give that a shot next time? Firing your guns hard on the first length will leave you struggling (I found this out last night in a big way!:))0 -
Kurt Godel wrote: »
Firing your guns hard on the first length will leave you struggling (I found this out last night in a big way!:))
Thanks Kurt any advice is totally welcome. I knew myself I had gone off way too hard when my heart was beating out of my chest before I even hit the wall in the first length. I'll do my best to keep it controlled over the first 100m next time. 0 -
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Ah here if its a girls day out count me in.Solobally8 wrote: »Ha I'm just waiting for you to book your flight0 -
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Monday 18th March
Cycled to Borrisokane to watch some clubmates run the 10k. Left home late so was busting my arse trying to get there in time. Realised about 10 miles in that I was never going to make it in time for the start so I eased off a bit and just enjoyed the cycle. It's been a long time since I've cycled on my own. Gosh it was probably last September, every cycle since then has been with the Wheelers or some girls from the club. Anyways it was nice to just cruise along and not kill myself for a change.
Arrived at the race, it must have started late as I was immediately behind the ambulance and garda car once I got into the centre of the village. Cycled the race route as I didnt want to just wait around for 50 minutes. (Never do this, it's not a good idea!)
Had a nice chat with the gang from the club (one of the girls was 4th placed female- woohoo) and then cycled back home. Really went for it on the way home, pushed the pace trying to outrun the hailstones (boy did they hurt my face!) 64.63km in total. Nice way to spend a bank holiday:)
Tuesday 19th March
Went for a rub down with my friend who is a physical therapist. Told me I had nicely developed calves (I think it was a compliment)
Wednesday 20th March
Bike hill repeats with the girls again. Warmed up on the turbo for a few minutes first. 8 times up and down Port hill. Our neighbours think we are mental.
Thursday 21st March
6.30am club swim session. I'm still too focused on not drowning to keep note of what we do but I remember we did lots of fin work, then kick board and then 5x100 followed by 4x25 sprints twice for the main set. 2250m total.
I have 3 exams this weekend and havent looked at the stuff yet! Have lost interest after having last weekend off. Need to cop on. And while I'm at it I HAVE to stop eating crap. It's beyond a joke now:o0 -
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So I ended up taking Tuesday off as well. 2 days off in a row :eek:
Had a half day at work on Wednesday so I went along to be a participant in the day course exams at college. Just over an hour of cardio and body conditioning stuff. Then off to cycle hill repeats with the girls. I gave up after 6 and went home. My legs were tired and I was finding each repeat very tough. Got to my gate and told myself to cop on, all I would be doing for the rest of the night would be sitting down. So I turned around and cycled back to the girls to do 3 more. Happy with myself for going back after giving up.
Today I met up with a friend of mine who is home for Easter for a cycle and a chat. Wow it was freezing! We were laughing at how times change. A few years ago we would go on the piss when she came home, then we progressed to going out for dinner and now we are meeting up for a cycle 0 -
Friday 29th March - 8.24k run
Yippie at long last a run! I had planned to do about 5k but I just felt so good I kept going No sign of the injury. Just a few niggles here and there but that's just the body grumbling as it's not used to running any more I have to fit in 3 runs per week now if I want to be in any shape for the North Tipp Sprint in 3 weeks time.
33 mins easy spinning on the turbo after, just cos I love my bike and couldnt walk past her 0 -
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Saturday 30th March Tri Club Spin
Havent managed to go along to one of these spins in months. A fine turn out of 16 meant it was a great opportunity for catch up chats. The wind was brutal on the way out towards Moneygall. We were crawling along at times. I rolled over at record time when it was my time at the front, I would have just died with the effort and I knew the hills were coming. We turned off for Army hill and my lungs felt like they were going to explode as we climbed. I cant imagine how bad I would be if I wasnt doing hill repeats every week! I was 4th last up Some lovely descents were our rewards for the all the climbing and at times I felt much braver and confident. 64k in total. Very enjoyable.
I had planned on swimming after but was just too tired and my legs were hurting so I headed home. Had to nap in the afternoon then headed out in Shannon for a night of great laughs. Didnt hit the bed till after 4am :eek: Cant remember the last time I was out that late! Was great waking up with no hangover. 9 months alcohol free now.
Of course I was up too late to make it back in time to swim this morning. I was meeting Mr.Bally8 for a dinner date so it ended up being a rest day for me. Thats 3 this week- not good for my training but great for my spirit I have to say 0 -
So a little summary of March... meh is probably the best way to describe it.
I only managed to swim 6 times and run 4. However I did 16 bike sessions Easy to see what my favourite discipline is! I've already cycled more this year than I had by the end of April last year, 352kms to be exact. I've also swam 8.22km more than this time last year but it's just not enough. I've been slacking big time with the swimming recently.
I'm miles behind with my running- at the end of March last year I had 234.45kms ran, this year 95.27 This injury has feicked me up royally.
Anyway April should be a busy month between work and college so I expect totals to be at their lowest for the year. Training opportunities will be few and far between but then from May on I will be able to dedicate huge amounts of time to training- woohoo!0 -
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Wed 3rd April
MrBally8 is off in Madrid for a few days, twas Barcelona a few weeks ago. He has some life eh, watching Champions League matches live. I'm such a great wife. There will be payback though Any suggestions??
Ran 5.65km on the treadmill. Dont know why I went on the treadmill and not the road. Anyway I played around with the speed a bit to make it a bit more interesting. Still minding my ankle so not pushing the pace or distance. Will build up slowly. At the minute I'm focusing on getting 3 runs in per week then I'll start increasing distance and speed.
Club swim this evening. Somehow I ended up leading out the lane for the warm up :eek: woohoo I'm very happy with myself. The usual faster girls weren't there and everyone else was just looking at each other so I just said feic it and went for it. Wrecked after the warm up though:D Stepped aside and just followed for another lad for the main set then lead out the cool down again. 2050m total.0 -
Thursday 4th April
How weird it is to leave the pool at 9.30 pm and be back in it by 6.30 the following morning! I've never managed to do these 2 club swims in a row before. Stayed up way too late last night but was determined to get up for this mornings swim. Nearly backed out when the alarm went off at 5.50am. Hopped out 2 mins later, delighted with myself for getting up (it's the little things in life that give me pleasure)
Only 4 in the slow lane this morning but no really slow people to hide behind. I knew after a few lengths that I was going to suffer. My shoulders were wrecked from all the pull last night. Anyways I struggled through the set and even managed to do the hard 50s at the end. Led the lane a couple times but pushed so hard that I had to step aside and let the others through. Maybe I should stay in my place towards the back. I'd probably be better off in the end.
Bike TT this evening. I'm looking forward to it. Should tell me a lot regarding where I stand this year in comparison to last year. I feel way less fit. I'm 7lbs heavier and not training as regularly but have spent more time on the bike so I'm hoping for a good result. Will suck if I'm miles slower though.0 -
It started 20 months ago, August 2011. Things weren't going well for me on many fronts between work, home and training life. At first it was just a little flirtation, a harmless dialliance, a distraction from real life. But over time it progressed to something more. I found myself lost in day dreams, thinking of how I could get away more often, dying to spend more time together. We had so much fun, a trip to Lahinch, a weekend in Kerry, sunshine in Kilkee, hailstones in Kilkee. Laughs, lots and lots of laughs I've felt happy, free, strong and powerful.
Of course with all these things there are more negatives than positives. Guilt at being away from home so often, making excuses not to go out with my friends, spending money on new clothes, shoes etc. I've experienced so much pain over the last 20 months, aches, tears, self doubt, weakness.
Recently it has turned into a ridiculous obsession. Planning this imaginary future together where we could leave it all behind and head abroad on adventure after adventure. I've spend hours in the internet looking up all the things we could do. But then I get bumped back to reality by some family responsibility or other that prevents me from getting out. I'm a mother, a wife, a teacher. These crazy fantasies are for those braver than I.
Tonight 5 miles into the club TT I decided it had to end. I felt sick to my stomach, couldnt breath, I wanted to cry it hurt so much. I'm hanging up my racing helmet. My love for cycling is completely gone. The romance is over. We will stay friends I presume. Go out occasionally but for now I'm going to lick my wounds. 3 minutes slower than last year is sooo embarrassing:D 0 -
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Ah now. At 9:37 this morning you were all jazzed to straddle that steed and ride your little heart out.....then 8 hours later you're calling it quits. ?? Doll, maybe the chain just needed a proper greasing tonight.....or perhaps the gears just needed a gentle yet firm hand...or maybe the ride was just too rough....or maybe it was just an "off" night....but whatever it was that happened, remember love is fickle - it's a roller coaster of emotion and not for the faint of heart. Before you whisper a final arrivederci, take a good long look at that gorgeous piece of machinery you'll be walking away from...and remember all the other woman who are waiting in the wings to try their hand at handling this untamed beast.
:):D 0
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