Feet for sale

Marathon Miss

Inspired by Eddie Izzard's Marathon Man on Wednesday, I managed swimming yesterday morning and a 5.8km run today.

It was difficult getting out for the run - don't get me wrong. Despite my best intentions and a gut feeling of wanting to run, I was tired in my upper-body from the swimming, mentally fatigued and knew it would result in me needing to drive to work instead of riding.

However, I finally (after a snooze on the sofa) left the house at 7:30. I let rip on the downhills, not bothering to control my speed but instead, impacting to aoid the other resultant pain of muscle strain. I powered up the up-hills - just cos I felt like it really.

It was, in the end, deserving of the status of a good run.

I can't wait to go out for a ride with TSK tomorrow.

Just about back

I'm never good after ski-ing.  No matter how good I thought I was when I left it always takes me a few weeks to get over it.

I forget this every time and have been sulking at myself for weeks for being unmotivated, unmoved and rubbish.  Let's see, since my trip to Sheffield I have managed a pathetic Sunday bimble to recalibrate the tri-bars position and one pathetic swim where I failed to get out of bed in time and got thrown out after 25 minutes and 42 lengths.  So much for the swim-test I had planned.  To be fair, there was also a sick walk to the Farm and chronic dancing at Keeran's wedding.

Yesterday I was just "done" with being useless and promised myself a trip to the gym - despite the swollen glands and the cough.  The hacking chestie that attacks me every morning.

So today I have achieved and ridden to work too... and gotten to the doctors on time to get anti-bios for the swollen glands.

Again again!

February Stats

Swim: 4.92km, 2.2kph avg
Bike: 205.24km, 21.6 kph avg, 2170 m elevation, HRZ 0.9. 3h25min stationary bike HRZ 1.6
Run: 9.77km, 5.8 kph avg, HRZ 1.6

Trep Homecoming

There are a few true homes to my life - Altrincham & Sheffield. Naramata and The Orchard have been but transient homes and Cambridge and Peterborough were never really anything but a house.

On Friday I went for an interview in a little town just outside Sheffield. It went well and I left feeling happy and somewhat confident. For the drive back to Altrincham, I chose to leave the M1 early before the Woodhead turn and head for Sheffield - and potentially the notorious Snake Pass A57. Not thinking I needed a map, I navigated my way through the Sheffield suburbs and arterial roads part by intuition and part by gut and familiarity.

Turn after turn I found myself guessing but by that point, with Sheffield on the left, Manchester is pretty much always to the right and the only true decision I had to make was wether to turn into Grenoside or away from it. Turning away from it, I passed over the brow of the hill and promptly burst into tears of joy and laughter. With the spills of the peak district ahead of me, covered in snow, dark trees in contrast, the dusky post-sunset-glow and the light of the city where I was at univeristy glistening in my tears, I cied becuase I was home. Home being a random hillside in the middle of nowhere. I plunged down the hillside, pulled myself together and continued in my quest to get back to Altrincham home.

I completed the rest of the journey, the tufty grass verge of Woodhead with snow just beyond, the wiggly descent past reservoirs reflecting the dark blue night sky, past God's crag car park where I've taken special friends to go climbing and into Tameside with the vintage car garage. The slow climb that used to be a 60 limit to Hyde where my dad once chased a boy who thretened to beat us with a stick as we cycled past. On through Stockport and the M60 to mum and dadd's where I looked at my watch and pronounced I still have it - Sheffield to Manchester in 1 hour 22 minutes by Gut-nav. Eat my dirt garmin.

Restraint

Avoided doing anything this morning so that spinning would be completely beneficial.

Result.

Even found myself competing with Claire though I expect she was pushing more power than me.

Continued the effort for the full hour but there were some tracks where I put so much effort in, I really needed to give myself a break.  How is it one track can end up with 3 >zone 5 peaks.

Hat fail

Forgot my swim hat and goggles.  Brain confused by potential options - work out in the gym without any shoes, spend money at reception on kit I don't use, do a half hour without - swimming breast stroke.

Finally, I settled for the last option after walking for the door about three times.

It was dull.  Just going through the motions really. 

It was really busy - choppy, splashy and scratchy.  

I had energy left for a fast ride to work - a sprint for 27 minutes to the gate and climbing Brimble Hill in second gear.  I am on Red.

Rolled home full of the joys of resting.  More tomorrow