Karen writes: Spin bike gone, back on the road bike

-
I have taken my poor spin bike back to the shop, it was sent straight off to spin-bike hospital for repair.  It turns out it wasn’t something I had done to it (whew!), the bearing for some reason might not have had enough grease (or lost it in transit) so had probably given up the ghost after my bit of use.   I am assured it should be as good as new when it comes back, and in the mean-time I have the old hire-bike back, thanks for that to the team at Manukau Elite Fitness, I would have been in big trouble keeping up with my programme with no way of indoor cycle training.   

I guess going back and forward to the shop does also make sure I get plenty of ‘strengthening’ exercise lugging the various bikes up and down the stairs at home.

Anyway, with that busy life thing cropping up again, I am taking some annual leave to get bike things done, but especially so I can get in the long road-bike ride of the week.   I just can’t fit that ride in on the usual day, Saturday, so this is where being a bit flexible with the training programme comes in, and an understanding workplace.   I have mapped myself a 90km route, chances are I shall deviate from it of course, but on a weekday I like to have a vague idea of where I need to go to get that sort of distance in and still not be too far from home in case I get a call from the school the children are at, its not a good look to say “sorry, cant pick my child up (for whatever childhood emergency), I’m 2 hours away”.   

Question of the week... I wonder if my flash new tread-less tyres will make me go faster?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Still...swim, cycle, run...walk

-
Image
We've got some new staff at the organisation, which is now called " Diabetes Foundation Aotearoa ".  Sitting at the lunch table answering questions on the topic of endurance training and eventing, it reminds me of how long we've been doing the longer exercise efforts now, and that we take for granted how much we've learned over the years.   bike training isn't training without icecream Someone asked about nutrition in a long event and  I spouted off a bunch of words about the exact makeup of the breakfast that I've spent so many years messing around with, said something about a gel here and a banana there and a bumper bar somewhere else and a salt tablet when whatever and the importance of recovery nutrition...and then realised it sounded very much like I actually had it sorted.  I have to admit I don't really.  I'm not sure if anyone can ever say they have everything 100% nutrition or hydration wise for all conditions and circumstances,
Read more

Karen writes: Swimming pool blues

-
Image
I loathe the swimming pool.  With my severely cut down swim training I've been putting my effort into a few slow wetsuit swims in the sea, gently putting my dodgy shoulder under pressure to see how it copes with greater time in the water, not worrying about harder work just aiming to achieve the distance with a minimum of stress.  This week I just couldn't see how I could swim in the sea, the tide is way out in the mornings and evenings all week and it wont be possible to swim on the weekend. So I had to go to the Otara pool before work today.  Older daughter is off to school camp, tenting, so it was a bit muddly getting last minute items packed for her, is there enough sunscreen because its shaping up to be hot outside and what's the plan for the expected torrential rain?  Yep, good old Auckland smorgasbord weather, just pack everything.  Anyway, finally she was ready to go and I was too.  I had my togs under my clothes, wearing jandals, bag with undies/ towel/ toiletrie
Read more

Karen writes: Obstacles

-
Image
I went for a ride, of course that was not what the training plan said I should be doing, but it fitted.  Older daughter looked at my trademark pink legwarmers before I left, "are they new?" she says. "Nope".  "They're clean" she observed. I looked, they did look clean.  Why?  They were inside out. These poor things had been getting very grubby, more chain oil than clear space, but aha, here was a way to now double their reasonable lifespan. Anyway, with the old-new inside out pink legwarmers on, I took the easy route, headed off towards Clevedon and wandered round a bit there feeling uninspired. The most significant thing about this ride was something you only see when your training is mostly on country roads.  I came scooting around a corner on Monument Road and there was a significant obstacle.  Cows all over the road.  Ok I thought, they are just crossing I will wait for a car to push through and follow it. Well it turned out that from my low vant
Read more