Cycle – Page 5 – Black and Tabby Runs

Two legs good, two wheels …

…Two wheels just as good, as it turns out. I am a recent road bike convert, after being bought a new bike for my birthday. I love how light my new bike is, how easy it is to pedal and change gear, but I am still a little sad it doesn’t have a basket on the front.

I have discovered I can now ride faster than my son (no more “we’ve dropped Mum. Again”). I also discovered that I haven’t yet mastered the art of getting my feet out of my toe straps before coming to a stop. It was on a lovely bike ride with Mr B&T in Lacock, surrounded by tourists, trying to decide if I wanted an ice cream or not, when I managed to perfectly execute the classic ‘zero velocity fall’. I came to a stop, couldn’t get my left foot out of my toe strap in time and crashed to the ground. Very embarrassing. The worst part was a lady walking by whom I overheard saying to a friend “I don’t know. She just fell over!”

This was my knee the next day:-

And I thought cycling would be better for my legs than running!

And see how concerned my tabby boy was. Obviously worried I might not be able to make it into the kitchen to feed him.

Janathon Day 30. The Day of the Hi-viz Michelin Man

Cycling capri length trousers. Old running tights that have gone baggy* over the top. A long sleeved running top. A merino wool thin jumper. A fleece jacket. A waterproof running jacket. A bright yellow hi-viz running gilet. Oldest running socks. Muddiest old trainers. Husband’s best cycling gloves.

This was me, dressed to go out on my bike today. Think ‘hi viz Michelin Man’ and that’s the look I was going for. Getting all those clothes on took so much effort it should count as a Janathon exercise in itself, however I didn’t think I’d manage to persuade the Janathon community of this so I waddled out to my built. I realised it was a while since I’d done any outdoor exercise when I picked up my Garmin and it looked like this:-

Setting off to B&Q without thinking, I automatically cycled the route I would normally drive, the fastest along the main road. This was somewhat hairy on a bike. At one roundabout where I had to get into the right hand lane whilst being overtaken by lorries I recorded a big heart rate spike, purely through adrenaline. Needless to say I chose a more cycle-friendly route home.

I think I definitely scored hardcore points today!

* Think 1980’s PE teacher’s tights

Juneathon Day 26. “We’ve dropped Mum. Again!”

Cycling around the Castle Combe circuit last night I was a little ( Oh all right, a LOT) disappointed to see my husband and son sailing off into the distance without me. On one occasion I distinctly heard “We’ve dropped Mum. Again.” I mean, I know my husband does lots of cycling, and his bike weighs about a quarter what mine does, but I would have hoped to keep up with my son, who does as little exercise as possible.

When we got home my husband heaved my bike up onto his bike maintenance stand to have a ‘tinker’ with it (that’s a technical term, apparently). Later he was very pleased to announce that, despite the fact my bike has only recently had a service*, he found that both brake blocks were rubbing on the wheels. Effectively I had been pedalling with the brakes on all the way around. That would explain why it felt so hard!

This morning, when trying to decide what I should do for Juneathon today, I was reminded by @weegjs over on Twitter that I’m racing tomorrow, and so should keep it gentle today. I decided I would try out my new souped up bike and see how much of a difference the non-permanent brakes made. The addition of my lovely basket on the front could only put me in a good mood as well.

I set off to the local Farm Shop to pick up a few things, then back to the village and out to the allotment for some watering and pottering, then back home for lunch.

6.17 miles in 34:38. Wish I could run that fast!

* I’ll not name the shop that serviced it, but equally I won’t go back there again.

Juneathon Day 25. An unexpected double day

So the plan was to go up to Castle Combe circuit tonight and take part in their Midsummer Bike Ride. This is an annual event when you can cycle on the motor racing circuit (no cars allowed!) and the idea is to ride as many laps as possible to raise money for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance. Great plan, and a chance to do something different for Juneathon.

Then my daughter wasn’t well and had the day off school so I figured I wouldn’t get to the bike ride. In order to get my Juneathon exercise in I decided to pop out for an easy 3 mile run. I even managed a plank for 90 seconds as well when I got back home.

By the evening my daughter was feeling much better and was happy to be left at home whilst the rest of us went and cycled. So in an amazing double day I also cycled 10.4 miles.

Tired now and only just remembered to blog!

Juneathon Day 17. Just call me Barbara.

I love it when a plan comes together. Finally managed to cycle to the allotment! Once there I weeded for 90 minutes (which did include a stop for tea from my thermos) and then cycled back home.
Must have ridden around 0.75 each way, so Juneathon DONE for today. Cycling to the allotment -just call me Barbara Good!*

* you may have to be over ‘a certain age’ to get this reference!

Juneathon Day 15. The excuses start

So is a Saturday and I never run on a Saturday. And I’m tired and I had lots to do today. Is that enough excuses?

Mr B&T suggested I cycled my newly serviced bike up to the allotments, did some allotmenteering, and then cycled home. Fantastic idea! I said. Okay, but after lunch, he said.

After lunch I persuaded a little helper to come with me, and … torrential rain started. It rained and rained, then we had to go out to town to get some stuff done.

In a fit of desperation I gave my son my watch and got him to time me doing a plank. 1 minute 20 seconds make it a new PB -so not a total waste of a Juneathon!

Still cycling, still stretching, still icing

So another week has gone by, I’m another year older, and I’m still not running. Another visit to the Physio put paid to that!

Actually, there was good and bad news from the Physio. The Bad News is that I can’t run the Bath Half. Fair enough, its in just over a week’s time and I’m still in pain. As they put it, my focus is London, not Bath. I can easily run Bath next year (just need to pay another £39 – eek!)

The Good News is that she could tell I’d been doing my stretches, the pain has moved lower down my leg (apparently this is a good thing – but I’ll have to take her word for it), and is less than last week. This was apparent because I didn’t manage a vertical take off from the couch this week when she pressed on the sore bit. She was impressed with the bruises on my legs from where she’d poked me last week – “like a peach!” she remarked. After running on a treadmill with 2 Physios standing behind me, looking at me legs and making comments (a girl can get paranoid, you know!) the conclusion is that my running isn’t as bad as they thought it would be, over pronation isn’t too bad, and my back was stiff.

Back was solved by more pushing & grunting (the grunting was me!). I have to keep up my stretches, and have been given some more to do. I should keep up the cycling and aqua running (as apparently there are still one or two people in North Wiltshire haven’t had a laugh at me yet). Next week I’m going to be taped up – I tell you, these Physios are sadists!*

Anyway – out on the bike yesterday for just an hour, as that’s my bottom-pain-threshold. Past a lovely Victorian school building (I think!) Took a blurry photo, then promptly dropped my phone. Sigh!

Today I should be doing my cycle-aqua run-cycle combo again that I first tried last Friday. However, in a classic spot yesterday of ‘retail-therapy-is-still-therapy’ I am waiting in for a delivery which includes PADDING!!!

Maybe I should do some more stretches whilst I’m waiting …..

* So what does that make me, who pays to go and see them???

Last Chance – Thy Name is Bicycle!

I have been good. I have been following the Physio’s advice. I have been doing my stretches, I have been applying ice and popping Ibuprofen. So I thought I’d better also get on me bike and keep my fitness up whilst I can’t run.

After dithering around (as usual), I made it out on my bike on Thursday. 12 miles in 1 hour and 6 minutes is not very impressive, but my backside was shouting at me by the end that it was quite long enough! Mental note – add cycling shorts and/or new bike saddle to my birthday list! I set off thinking I would hate every minute. However, after a while I cheered up, and was just appreciating being out in the fresh air again. Cycling certainly seems much faster than running, and I was amazed how quickly my watch was ‘beeping’ the miles. As I was riding on roads I often run down, it felt like I was on the wrong side of the road – a most disconcerting experience.

Following on from that success, I set off today on an even more unusual experience both for me, and for my local swimming pool. May I introduce my Flotation Belt? It was to enable me to go and do ‘Aqua Running’, a strange form of torture involving bobbing about in the pool, performing a ‘running’ motion, thus propelling yourself through the water.

If cycling felt fast moving after running, then aqua running was slow motion! I felt a total dork approaching the pool side with my attractive belt in my hand, but fortunately the pool was fairly empty (apart from the tots in the shallow end). Once I was happy that I was wearing the largest float in the pool, I slipped into the water and set off. Yes I felt stupid, and yes it was boring going sooooooo slowly, and yes people did have a bit of a stare at me. However, it was a good workout, and after 50 minutes I felt tired which is good.

My birthday weekend is fast approaching, so enough fun for today. Time to hide the grey hair and smarten up for a weekend of celebrating moving up into the next age category for races!