January Stats

For months I have been berating the tendancy for my new job to take over my life.  So let's have a look at the first full month of stats since I started.

Swim - Nada
Bike - 293.55km, 14.5kph, 5781m el
Run - 37.73km, 7.5kph, 1349m el

But is it really worth it - the decline

In the lead up to Christmas day I was still advocating the joys of my commute offset against the wonderful new job that I had but, after a week of not getting up early and not having to sit on that train I am considering my options again. If anything it's the loss of training opportunity that kills me. The inability to ride the extra distance.

It's also the employer's employer's decision to cancel two of the projects I worked so hard on before christmas which has left me with the bitter taste of fear in my mush.

Once I get into it I suppose it will work. Getting off the train early on my way home. There's the Trunce in the summer. A reason to take the car for the day? A reason to work from home for the day? Or a reason to get off at Barnsley and do a fell race on the way home. It's just one of life's little luxuries, decision-making.
 
By 17th January I am through with the commute. I wish I was an average person who's content to do nothing but work themselves to submission but the truth is, I love exercise and the outdoors so much that I can't actually function without it. I get depressed and I get lost. There's no meaning to life.

I went out with TSK on our bikes Sunday after a run in the Peak on Saturday and my legs were achey and swollen and it felt good. It was a good feeling I don't get with work-tired. No matter how good the job is.  I get into bed and sleep but I wake up the next day just as tired, just as grumpy and resent having to go back and do it all again.

I have to do something about this.  It is broken.  I will fix it.

Cool Runnings

First tough run of 2012.  I kind of joked with TSK that it would take me 2 hours to run 10k.

Carfeeee.

In the end I did 10k in 1:23 and 12k in total but I walked a lot of the last 2k.  It was pretty hilly - that is, it was hilly and there was a lot of looking at the view... and drinking coffee.

The mill pond at Rivelin looking extra icy

Icy stile.  Check out the tyre marks along the side rail of the horse box

My lovely city

My lovely city - a photograph taken from here - Rivelin Rocks.

A tempting little spot in the allotment for a rest on the way home.

2012 Planning

I have finally decided to get on with the training plan for 2012.  Not by the contorted system I use every year and then forget, but by splitting the calendar into weeks and dividing up where I am against where I want to be. There's few enough weeks left in my training year for me to do that.
 
Speed and distance. Increasing and increasing respectively.
 

My other plan is to sensibly focus on one event this year and only supplement this with a few Audaxes with TSK. This is difficult to do when you're keen but easy when you're tired and broke.

Otherwise it's training sessions all the way. It's most affordable and sensible in a world where you can't do everything. My first Audax in 6 weeks, tonight I will be stretching my legs with a 15 mile ride home from Barnsley.

To Todmorden and Beyond

A lovely start to the year. You can tell you've had a good cyclo-cross when you have to cut yourself out of your shoes and when you get home, you daren't take your clothes off without standing in the bath to catch all the bits.
 
I don't care how I did except it was harder than it should've been but I enjoyed every minute and am looking forwards to next season. I'd like to think next 'cross season but I probably mean next tri season. Still, let's see what's left.
 
I have more or less decided to make this year the "year of the half" for me. I have already entered "A Day in the Lakes" again to make up for last year's fiasco.
 
During the three peaks, decided I missed racing it too much, so this year I have decided to knock Helvellyn on the head. It's just too close.
 
I'd like to try and do an easier half before ADIL. Though I might just save myself for the day.
 
One thing is for sure, the last week of rest has helped me to believe that anything is possible.

So getting married and achieving some pretty daunting race targets should be a breeze with my job. Happy new year.

New Years Resolutions

1.  As ever, getting fitter.  Which, every year, I achieve to one extent or another, but never enough.  This year it will be a particular challenge because of…
2. Doing well at my job.  Which involves…
3. Being organised.  
4. Essential  to all other resolutions is: Not wasting time
5. Looking after my health.  Above the intentions of 1) this includes looking after my teeth properly and staying mentally healthy – avoiding stress and fatigue as I learned in 2011.
6. Saving money is conflicted by today’s activities of buying a DVD player so I can watch my Triathlon core training DVD in the gym I am about to set up in the loft and the purchase of a new electric toothbrush to replace the one that died in November.  However these comply with resolutions 1 and 5. 

The boots I bought from Tesco will help me to look good whilst I try to achieve all of this.

Even 1, 3 and 5 currently conflict as I attempt to eat properly before unpacking the Christmas gifts and shopping and attempting to go for a run, fix my mountain bike and set up the gym in the loft.

So with that thought I will 4 and go and do something more interesting.