Karen writes: Bike panic

-
Bike ride in 7 weeks.  PANIC!  Only 70km says Kate who has been cycling most weekends. Undulating says Kate who trains out on the West coast where a mountain is called a 'hill'.  We'll take it easy says Kate who has been doing twice a week spin classes and trains harder than I race.  This could be embarrassing.

I haven't been on a bike...for...a long time, my poor road-bike is still covered in Ironman dirt and sweat and is tucked behind the kids bikes in the shed.  Dusty, ignored, not quite forgotten, its neglected and reproachful visage looms up in my nightmares occasionally.

I found an advertisement for a spin fitness class at Te Puru park which is in my home territory so I have signed up for a session tonight.  But it's a run day, marathon in 2 weeks, gotta run...what to do?  Why pop my cycle shorts on, tuck my sweat towel and water bottle into my fuel belt, run down to Te Puru, do the spin and run home of course.  Overconfident...lacking in sense...who moi?

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