Tuesday, 22 March 2016

Twice In Two Days!

Hello blog readers.

Look at my bad ass self go!  Out for another ride after I went out yesterday!  Plus I shall be running this evening with my club!

I had the day free after I dropped my little dude off at school.  So I just pottered about the house with the dog (seems I have become a dogminder too!) and then I decided that it was time for me to get out and do something. So I got myself changed into my cycling gear, I was going to try and get a PB on the Blackbrook laps.

I started up to Farringdon and then turned around and came back!  Although the sun was shining brightly, it looked really warm out, but I felt cold.  I had decided, because it looked like so lovely out there, that I would just have my spring/autumn cycling fleece on, but boy was I wrong.  My top layer is windproof as well as shower proof, and it was what I was missing when I first left the house!

So, suitably dressed I started out again, feeling much warmer, in fact I was thinking that maybe I should have just swapped layers, rather than add a layer, but I just wanted to get going so there wasn't  any going back to drop off one of my inside layers!  I didn't have any expectations of getting a PB, at least that was my thoughts as I was riding along to the beginning of the first lap.  "If I just keep it to under the hour that I am happy with that"  But actually I wasn't!  I always have no expectations when I set off on my solo efforts, so this time I decided to change my attitude, blimmin well try and get a PB!  Simples!

So I just pedalled, I felt like I was pedalling harder and a few times I felt like saying "Stuff if, it's too hard"  But it's only an hour long, then I can rest up for the rest of the day.....until running club time of course!  I decided to play a game, see if I can beat the lights, that will keep me motivated.  If the lights were green then I had to try and get there before they turned red, and if they were red then I had to get there just as they turned green, so there would be no stopping.  I failed.....each time.  It made me laugh though, me racing against lights!

My legs were feeling pretty tired, and I was wondering if maybe, just maybe, I would be faster today.  The last lap to do and I pedalled as hard as I could, up Blackbrook and over the little humpback bridge, I turned left and headed for the lights for the last time.  Just along this bit I had to pull up on my brakes......a pedestrian decided to walk straight out in front of me!  It's not as if I was invisible, I am a big fluorescent bird on a bike!  At least I missed her anyway

I rode through the park, still pushing it hard, and down the road.  I was already preparing myself for the inevitable, "It felt slower today" I said to myself, and I switched my Garmin off as I got home!  "Oh well"  I knew it was.  But when I got in, took my shoes off and then checked again, it was 56 minutes!  Yes, go me!  I am sure that is a PB!

Geeky stats!

<iframe src='https://connect.garmin.com/activity/embed/1094855341' width='465' height='500' frameborder='0'></iframe>


Monday, 21 March 2016

Evening All!

Hello blog readers.

It's been a while since me and the Old Boy went cycling in the evening.  Things have kept our evening cycling well and truly banished, work, tiredness, but mainly weather!  This evening it was quite a pleasant evening.  When I got outside my house with my bike I had thought that maybe I have too many layers on!  But we will see!  I would rather take a layer off rather than get too cold!

We were only going to do a tiny little ride, 10 miles or less, just to get back into the habit of getting out during the evening!  I programmed my oven to stop cooking at 9:00 so we had to be back for that, it was already 7:30 by the time we got out of the house.  Our route was just the little one up through Jubilee Park the on the way to Bromley, taking in a locally know landmark.....David Bowies house where he used to live!

It was a good ride, not particularly fast, but getting used to riding in the dark again.  I'm not particularly fond of riding in the dark, the lights of the cars are blinding, and staring at the Old Boys flashing back light is enough to cause hypnosis!

I had forgotten to switch on my Garmin, and remembered only after getting to Crestview Drive! But so only about half a mile is missing.  Mind you, the Old Boys Garmin read 9.10 miles,  How that has happened I don't know so I think I like his geeky stats!

Here's mine, with the missing half mile clearly shown, with a good stretch of the imagination it makes my route look like a tuning fork!


Monday, 14 March 2016

Hello Blackbrook.....Again!

Hello blog lovers.

I saw on the Facebook page that the Panagua ladies will be going on a challenging hilly, speedy (12 mph, that's speedy to me!), non-stopping ride today.  I just knew I would struggle to keep up with them.  I want to keep my riding fun with the odd challenging hill to make me feel alive thrown in.  I have been practising, doing my laps, trying to at least keep to a steady 11 mph speed.  But that is without the hills!

So this morning, instead of rushing about, making sure I had everything ready, (I do panic and fuss when I'm meeting the girls).  There's usually a little more to remember than just my door key, and I still usually forget something.  But just going around Blackbrook Lane laps, well, all I really need is my bike!  One hours riding, non-stop as fast as I can, and all local so I don't need to carry a drink!  No cake stop, no chatting having a laugh!  But, I am getting fit, I am on my bike and........it's getting warmer!

It was quite chilly this morning, I was thinking I had the better deal than the ladies! When I left my house to start my training the sun was shining brightly!  Yup, I love riding in the sun!  It was still a bit chilly but I knew that I would warm up as I did my exercise today.  What do you think about on a ride? On a solo ride? Just you, or in my case, me!

1.    I wonder if there are going to be any plonkers about today!
2.    I had better get a good time today.
3.    I wonder what the girls did today!
4.    Here we go, lap 1 of 4.

I was at the beginning of Blackbrook lane!  Always on this first lap now my thoughts are

1.    Right, first one done! (I know, only just started and I'm wanting it done!)
2.    See you pot hole, just three more times I'm passing you!
3.    Blimey, I got to do this three more times?
4.    I hate this bridge!
5.    Can I get to the lights before they change..........no!

I always seem to get caught at the lights along the top!  Thats ok at least it's a breather!  My thoughts normally continue along that vein until the last lap, then I start getting happier thoughts, like,

1.   Yes, nearly finished
2.    I can't wait for my cuppa.
3.    What shall I have for my lunch.........oh yes, I remember!
4.    I don't think I got a PB today!
5.    At least this is the last lap!
6.     Where were all the plonker drivers today!
7.    I miss riding with the girls!

Just the last little bit through the park to do, I was really trying to keep the speed up.  My feet were feeling a bit cold, but the rest of me was just nice and toasty.  Why does my feet always suffer!?  I rode back along Whitebeam and turned into my road.  To me it felt slow, what with the wind that seemed to be head on on the way up Blackbrook and on the way down Southborough Road, How is that possible!  Maybe a little cyclone had developed just in that area!

So my geeky stats.  I actually put them up on my Facebook first thing, mainly because I still got under the hour, which I am pleased about.  But something that made me feel really confident was a comment from Debbie saying that I actually cycled faster than they did this morning!  Ok, so they probably had a few hills thrown in there to slow them down!  But, I will take that!  I will soon be able to 'stray fresh looking' on one of our less challenging (for the girls) rides soon!

Monday, 7 March 2016

Hello Blackbrook My Old Friend!

Hello blog lovers.

So this morning I was feeling a tad delicate after celebrating Mothering Sunday with a couple or so of pink stuff in bottles!  Was very nice!  And I could remember reading that the Panagua Ladies were going to be hitting some hills!  Hills and speediness plus delicate disposition just didn't sit very well at all with me.  I let the ladies down very gently!

I had another couple of hours to get over my delicate situation and into my cycling gear.  I wasn't sure how I was going to do today, I mean the last time I was on my bike was on the 17th Feb!  That's like nigh on 3 weeks ago!  What have I been doing?!  The sun was shining, that's always a good start, there were blue skies and the school traffic had obviously all gone. Perfect for a training run.  If those Panagua ladies are doing what they said they were doing I am going to need to build up my strength and speed!

With the sun shining brightly through my darkening glasses thoughts of yesterdays indulgence of grape juice came painfully back, knocking loudly in my head!  The ride will do me good!  My Garmin was ticking away the time. Time that I want to be under the hour for when I get back!  I was surprised at how windy it felt.  I could hear the wind yet the trees didn't seem to be moving!  Maybe it was me that was moving fast!  when I turned on to Oxhawth Crescent I looked right, to make sure that there were not cars coming, 1) because it's a safe thing to do and 2) because I wanted to be the only person riding pass the traffic signal thing that tells you how fast you are going.  Usually I ride pass it at 15 mph, today however I rode passed it at 18 mph!

Maybe it's not going to be too bad.  I started the first lap of Blackbrook, My head was already feeling tons better, lets get this session done!  I could see that the sunshine is not going be with us for the whole of the afternoon, I just hoped that it will stay until then of my training ride.  The second lap is always good, half way there, and it don't feel like it's only halfway, thats how short these laps are, but doing them I cover 11 miles!  On my second lap and for the rest of the laps there were some w...... rather impatient people in their motor vehicles wanting to get passed me at skinny parts of the road, at the people crossings, at roads with cars parked at the side!  Why must they do that!?

Anyway, with the fourth and final lap done I head on home, I wasn't feeling confident that I had a PB, as I felt a bit tired on the last two laps, but the telling will be on the Garmin!  I was very pleased when I got back and saw that I had indeed kept it under the hour!  so, geeky stats for you!


Wednesday, 17 February 2016

Free Day!l

Hello blog lovers.

Unexpected free day + 2 pound weight gain = ride around Blackbrook laps!  I knew that the scales would let me know of the blip this week, the fact that I had over eaten and not exercises as much.  The cold and a cold does that me, all I wanted to do was snuggle under a duvet on Monday and not go out anywhere!

But come yesterday I was feeling fine again, did my club run, which was an easy route anyway, and today because I have no kids today I can nip out on my bike for four laps!  I wasn't expecting to even get close to my original time, maybe at least stay under the hour, I just not had enough saddle time!  I set off on my route, with a hope that it won't be too embarrassing!

I had pumped the tyres up before I left and my bike just felt easier to ride, I was wondering if my very slow time before was because my tyres were not properly inflated!  I got to Blackbrook Lane and looked directly at.....temporary lights, plus they were on red!  As there were no cars behind me and I was still warming up I did something very sneaky, I nipped up onto the pavement!  I know, my bad!  But there were no people walking, and no cars behind, I thought 'Just this once!'  If on the next lap it was red then I would stop!

I made sure I kept spinning all the way to the top, if this little route is going to do me any good then I just got to keep working hard at it!  No good just 'going for a spin'.  This route on my bike is like Normans track is for my running!  It's only for an hour then it's all over and done with!  Plus it's local, no getting back from anywhere as it's all park of my training route!

I got held up at the second lights again, that really made me think that I will just have to keep on moving as fast as I can.  It's wasn't until just this very second, as I am writing this, that I realised my Garmin has auto pause on it!   But I shall have to get rid of that thought for my next lap session just so that I continue to go faster, thinking that I don't have auto pause.

The other three laps I got caught at the traffic lights twice more at each set of lights, and plus some little dude giving me 'baby evils' while he was trying to do wheelies on the other side of the road!  I should have really have told him to ride on the pavement but he was too darn lippy as he shouted some sort of remark at me as I passed him by!

The fourth and final lap and I headed off home via my local park. It was nice to see that the kids were out playing in the playpark even though it was getting chilly.  It made me reminise about how we used to always play out no matter what the weather!  The adventure play ground down Fitzallen street, Kennington!  The used to be a hut there too, with youth workers.  Not many places like that these days, kids are left alone to do their own thing if they do venture out of the homes!  It's funny what you think about when you out riding solo.  I did a blog once of things I thought about when out running.  Maybe I will do one for riding and then compare the two!  See if the thoughts are different!

Anyway, geeky stats, and I just noticed that my elapsed time is still under the hour!  Double pleased with that!

<iframe src='https://connect.garmin.com/activity/embed/1053906256' width='465' height='500' frameborder='0'></iframe>

Wednesday, 10 February 2016

A Cheeky Little Ride!

Hello blog lovers.

Its the first time out on the bike for ages, and a one that I wasn't expecting I could do today.  So as soon as I had finished my Toddler group, I came straight back home and got changed into my cycling gear before I had time to start procrastinating!  Even the weather was encouraging, the sun was out and it wasn't raining!

As soon as I started my ride my legs started complaining!  But, 'no pain, no gain' so they say.  That does annoy me that saying, because in my mind, pain means 'stop, you're doing too much, don't do that again' kind of thing.  It was the hill training yesterday, I think, that we did in group 0, but, really, if I am totally honest, it's not so much of a pain, as just a 'you did a bit of running' type of complaint from my legs!

With that in mind I really tried to push hard, as hard as my 'you did a bit of running' complaining legs would take me.  Through each lap I thought I was doing blimming brilliantly.  Yes of course I was caught up in the traffic, but no more that usual. I was looking forward to seeing it today I had got another PB.  We shall see!

On the final lap I was still feeling pretty confident that I was going to get under the hour, and started my cycle home.  I got through the park to get home, rather than carry on up Southborough, so I have to cross over just a little road.  It's on a bit of a bend, so you need to keep your eyes peeled, even though it's a 20 mph road, the drivers still do go a little crazy!  So, having said that, I just stated tocross the road when a car appeared on my left, so I managed to stop and was just about to back up, but instead the driver stopped and let me go instead.  I smiled and nodded, in the way that most, nay, all cyclists do when people at nice, or if they see other cyclists and I continued to cross the road.  The next thing I head was a 'beep beep' from the 'kind' driver. It appears that my thanks/nod of the head and big beaming smile had gone unnoticed by the driver and he was some what peeved.  Maybe he wanted me to come around to his window and shake his hand and say "Thank you, thank you oh thank you" geesh, some people!

Anyway, I made my way home, really tried very hard to go as fast as I could along Whitebeam and then into my road!  You can imagine my disappointment when I saw that I was over the hour!  Tut, oh well, better next time!

Geeky stats

<iframe src='https://connect.garmin.com/activity/embed/1045939498' width='465' height='500' frameborder='0'></iframe>

Monday, 1 February 2016

The Back's Back!

Helo blog lovers.

The weather today was to be extremely windy and so the Panagua Ladies decided not to meet up this morning, and dear Mhairi is not well.  So I had in mind to do a spin class, at least that is what I said on our Facebook page.  I kind of said it questionably, you know, sort of in two minds about it. I am not one for working out in doors.  If I am to get all hot and sweaty I would rather be outside in the fresh air, where it don't bother anyone but me! Peeeewww!

So my mission today was to get around my laps as quickly as possible!  But with this weather, remember it's really windy, 37mph it said on my app, I wasn't expecting any PB's.  In fact I was expecting it to be the longest ride so far on this route!  Especially as I have had a week off due to my bad back, ( which is back in action byt the way, hence today's title!) My back is fine now, not altogether twinge free, but enough to chance the laps and even a run tomorrow in group 0.

Of course I procrastinated, as usual, I looked out side my Patio window and saw the trees being blown all over the place. I watched as the leaves played chase on the patio, they danced and flew up in the air in spirals.  I listened to the winds' voice telling me to stay in and be safe!  I was all set to just curl up n my nice cosy chair and scroll through Facebook for an hour or so before I going out shopping.  Until, that is, another voice crept into my thoughts and was urging me to just bite the bullet and get out there and do it.  After all it was only an hour!  So I went, of course I went!  I have a lot of fat cells to get rid of, and they ain't going no-where on their own!

I could feel how strong the wind was as it blew threw my wheels of my bike.  It always surprises me just how much I can feel the wind pushing against my bike!  Yes, today indeed was going to be a tough ride, ok, so not as tough as the ones I have with the Panagua Ladies, but I am going to have to push as much as I can.

The first of the loops started and I was riding along Blackbrook lane, I was already feeling warm!  Although the wind was strong it wasn't particularly cold but I decided that long sleeves under my cycling jacket was a mistake!  I even had my thick winter gloves!  Maybe a few extra pounds will be sweated off as well as burnt off!  As I was riding  along I noticed some runners on the right, and with them was Adele, she's a PWR but she also has her own personal training business going on.  Maybe they were some of her customers!  She does a boxercise class, a great way to bash some stress away I should think! We waved at each other, or a least I nodded and smiled!

I couldn't believe just how pleased I was to get that first run of Blackbrook lane done! Now that I know what it was going to be like, with the wind trying to whip my bike from me, I knew what was expected.  What I didn't expect was to find it just as hard riding DOWN Southborough Road, with the wind trying to blow me back up!  Yes, indeedy!  It's going to be a hard ride!

So the next lap, I knew what was going to happen, I knew the wind was going to try and push me off my bike, I knew I had to pedal as hard as I could up here, if I want to get at least close to the hour!  My goal of getting a PB was not on my mind anymore, just to get as close to the hour as I could.  The second lap was just as hard, with the wind going along Bickley Road feeling even stronger!

You can imagine the next couple of laps were just the same.  The thing is, I do love starting that third lap, know that I am half way through!  It's funny really, because give me laps in a running race and I a don't particularly 'feel' it!  I would rather do just one big loop, or even squiggly routes.  Just not laps!  I think I am just weird!

With the fourth lap completed I headed home, still trying to get as fast as I can, knowing in my heart that I will probably be getting in at 1 hour and 4 mins or more!  I just felt so much slower!  With the stopping at the traffic lights, the wind holding me back, pushing me sidewards and having a weeks enforced rest, I just knew it was a slow ride.

Well.......not as slow as I thought......1 hour and 4 seconds!! Yup, I will have that!

Geeky stats

<iframe src='https://connect.garmin.com/activity/embed/1035469780' width='465' height='500' frameborder='0'></iframe>