Karen writes: Rainy exercise

-
My longest swim ever, the beach was full of people when I got there, I wove between the bobbing heads, but by the time I finished most people had rolled up their rain wet belongings and abandoned the sand.  The swim was 2.6km, I did think it was longer (it FELT longer), but when I checked the map, ah well.   I especially practiced what I am now calling my 'panic stroke', so that if I get into trouble like I did at the half IM, I can swim inefficiently...more efficiently.   Have also figured out that I am better shutting my eyes while my face is in the water, turn head, open eyes, head down...shut them.  Be a bit rough if I am superfit, the body says 'GO', but the head says 'no can do' in the water so strategy is in order as well as getting fit.

Looking forward to a rainy run tomorrow morning with the Te Puru runners.   I need 20km, so hope for my favorite bush run.  If I don't run it for a few weeks things can change hugely, the gorse blooms, then the flowers are gone, purple foxglove takes over, then disappears, the native Clematis appears in the bush canopy and mountain bike tracks and ramps and things change and grow like something organic too.  New eucalypts were just peeking over the scrub last time I was there 3 weeks ago (how did that go so fast?), I wonder what will be different this time.

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