Just a quick update to say I got my space in the Brass Monkey so back to training hard after he London Marathon disappointment. Another bonus of training for these events is I went Mountain Biking this week and could pedal up hills I would have pushed up before and I am almost under 14 stone (14 2.25 this morning) for the first time in years.
Category Archives: Mountain Biking
Marathon Training – Week 6,7,8
| 04/07/2011 | Mountain Bike | 16.54 mi | 1:19:53 | 4:53 | 752 | – | |
| 09/07/2011 | Walk | 3.27 mi | – | – | – | – | |
| 10/07/2011 | Walk | 3.27 mi | – | – | – | – | |
| 14/07/2011 | Run / Jog | 1.09 mi | – | – | – | – | |
| 18/07/2011 | Run / Jog | 2.67 mi | 27:59 | 10:29 | 349 | – | |
| 19/07/2011 | Road Bike | 1.31 mi | 5:13 | 3:58 | 52 | – | |
| 19/07/2011 | Road Bike | 16.52 mi | 59:12 | 3:34 | 874 | – | |
| 20/07/2011 | Run / Jog | 3.57 mi | 38:17 | 10:43 | 462 | – | |
| 21/07/2011 | Walk | 1.09 mi | – | – | – | – | |
| 22/07/2011 | Mountain Bike | 5.42 mi | – | – | – | – | |
| 24/07/2011 | Kayak (Racing Boat) | 4.96 mi | – | – | – | – |
Week 10 – Bling
Day 6 – Aluminium
This is a Hope Tech X2. It is CNC machined from a solid billet of 2014 T6 aircraft spec aluminium alloy. Nice!
Rehab & Goals
So I've been out of it for quite a while and am veeeerrrryyy unfit, but I am now fully functional(ish) and need to get my fitness sorted so that I can enjoy doing the things I enjoy doing. I often struggle with the motivation to get out and do 'training' which in the long run has a negative effect on my ability to really enjoy the 'fun stuff'. I think we'd all rather be hooning down some sweet single track or dropping some sweet grade 4 than riding down a road or paddling on the Ouse, but the less fun things make the fun things more fun.
Anyway someone said the other day that it is much easier to get out and do the boring stuff if you have something to aim, so I suppose I need to set myself some goals. Problem is I don't know what to set. I'm going to do the Great North Run in 2011, but that is a long way off and won't push me to get out and do stuff. I'd quite like to do the Devizes to Westminster next year, but again it's a long way off. I need some short term goals to get me going and a long term plan of some kind.
Here is what I have at the moment:
- 23rd August 2010: All Clear Given
- 2nd September 2010: Today
- -
- -
- -
- Easter 2011: Devizes to Westminster
- -
- -
- -
- September 2011: Great North Run
So something has to go in the gaps … any handy hints and tips from those of you who are good at training / motivation let me know!
8 months, 21 day, 3 hours & 31 minutes
8 months, 21 day, 3 hours & 31 minutes … that is how long it is since I went to sleep and had a pilonidal cyst removed from my lower lower back (or butt to most people!). It's been a long while coming but today the consultant gave me the all clear to resume normal life! It's still going to be uncomfortable for at least a while if not always and I need to be very careful to make sure the area is clean and hair free but at least I can do stuff again!
Having not done anything for so long I am pretty unfit and have put on quite a bit of weight which needs shifting so it'll be steady away for a while until I get back up to full speed. I'll be out on my bike, back in my boat, back on my board and even dare I say out running a bit as soon as I can. I suppose I have the winter season to get myself bike fit for riding next summer and this winter is going to be all about my UKCC Level 3 in a boat. No races to train for running, not until the Great North Run 2011 anyway. Not sure how my skating is going to go .. Skaterbeach has been handed over to new management and to be honest that is the one I am most wary of as falling of my board tends to lead to landing on my ass! I've also started the task of putting my Blade 4.9 back on handles (rather than the VPS) so I can get out and fly it easier.
Riding in Nidderdale
This weekend was a weekend I have been looking forward to for a while, in fact pretty much ever since I didn't manage to do my first weekend back in a boat because my butt had other ideas! This was supposed to be my first big weekend back on my bike … once again my butt had different plans! As I am still recovering from surgery in November the big ride around Nidderdale was out of the question as was the night ride around Nidderdale that was to follow but I did manage to get out on my bike for 3 short rides and the weather was nice so all in all a nice weekend away.
Hamsterland (A.K.A Descend Hamsterley)
This Sunday Ian, Cat and I headed over to Descend Hamsterley to go downhilling. I haven’t really been on my bike for a while and a brief outing at Llandegla a few weeks ago had confirmed my rustiness. I certainly haven’t ridden anything steep since Les Gets / Morzine in summer 2008 so was a little apprehensive to say the least.
The uplift at Hamsterley is fantastic. For a mere £20 you and your bike get a lift from the bottom to the top 10 times so none of that nasty uphill peddling lark; It was even better for me as this was my birthday present from Ian, cheers dude. The weather was glorious although there had been rain overnight and there was a little moisture in the air when we arrived.
Les Gets – Summer 2008
I’ve dug this up from an old blog of mine. Things have changed a little since then … we didn’t get to Les Gets, or anywhere else for that matter, mountain biking this year. Instead we had a baby who is very cute but not so downhill mountain biking friendly … wouldn’t change things for the world though ….
Continue reading
Biking in Wales with YCC
Last weekend we went to Wales with YCC for a Mountain Biking trip organised by Badger. To be honest it was more about testing our ability to survive a weekend in a bunkhouse with Caitlin and try and ‘do stuff’ as well. As well as Caitlin Fionn joined us (obviously with Orna & Ian) and we bagged the little room at the Conwy Valley Barn a nice little bunkhouse just outside Tal-y-bont. On the whole all went well, we all managed to get some sleep … we don’t seem to have been banned from further trips until Caitlin and Fionn reach beer drinking age and we both got to ride.