Getting things right today.
Walking in on someone bitching about me (again).
Riding it out with strength training there and back.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Last few days
A new house
A new route to work
Running the new route to work
Watching bats from the conservatory
Chasing the cat back indoors
Being unsure which wind turbine project I am booking my time to.
A new route to work
Running the new route to work
Watching bats from the conservatory
Chasing the cat back indoors
Being unsure which wind turbine project I am booking my time to.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
First proper 3 Peaks Training Ride
What a flying start! This morning I set off for Sheffield with the intention of doing little more than hopping on the train to Doncaster to collect TSK after his 600km attempt yesterday.
As it was, I got to Sheffifeld to a call from TSK to say that he thought he was fit enough to drive home himself so I set off along Psalter Lane to get an early start on the Peak District.
Getting to Dore, just beyond the outskirts of Sheffield, I recognised the fact that I didn't have enough food / energy / breakfast in me / lock with me to make it on a long ride out of town and back so I resorted to doing a circular route around the extents of Sheffield and the Peak meaning I could retreat to the safety of hte city and home at a moment's notice. Good plan!
Not-town riding proved to be fun. I turned into a lane called "Long Line" - home to the village of "Long Line" where I have decided I wish to live with TSK once we can afford it. Long Line is a dead straight road 1.5km long. You can see the top from the bottom and it steadily rises at 8% with a little 12% kicker at the top for good measure. In retrospect, I shouldn't have given it everything at this point.
Not-town riding consists of navigating circumfrentially around the city. Every time you cross a radial main road, you have to figure out whether to go right first or left to pick up the next circumferential road that will keep you out of the city and on your path. In Sheffield this results in a lot of climbing since all the radial roads follow valleys or ridges into the city at the bottom of the valleys and those have to be summited and descended each time.
Further climbs (and descents) took me over Rivelin, Stannington, Loxley and Oughtibridge vales with climbs up to 13% over 2km and a matching ride down the other side with hairpins and drop offs that reminded me of something out of the Tour De France.
I finally arrived in Outibridge looking for food and a way of getting home without climbing the big 1 in 10 to my flat. A forray away from town took me towards Stannington and a lack of circumferential roads so I resorted to heading back to the city on the ring road, stopping for a mars bar and climbing the 10% climb home. Not even stopping to chat to some kids at the top of the hill who wanted to know what I was training for. I was going so slow we maintained a conversation while they walked.
Back at home, TSK is sleeping and I am off out to buy dinner for two very hungry people.
As it was, I got to Sheffifeld to a call from TSK to say that he thought he was fit enough to drive home himself so I set off along Psalter Lane to get an early start on the Peak District.
Getting to Dore, just beyond the outskirts of Sheffield, I recognised the fact that I didn't have enough food / energy / breakfast in me / lock with me to make it on a long ride out of town and back so I resorted to doing a circular route around the extents of Sheffield and the Peak meaning I could retreat to the safety of hte city and home at a moment's notice. Good plan!
Not-town riding proved to be fun. I turned into a lane called "Long Line" - home to the village of "Long Line" where I have decided I wish to live with TSK once we can afford it. Long Line is a dead straight road 1.5km long. You can see the top from the bottom and it steadily rises at 8% with a little 12% kicker at the top for good measure. In retrospect, I shouldn't have given it everything at this point.
Not-town riding consists of navigating circumfrentially around the city. Every time you cross a radial main road, you have to figure out whether to go right first or left to pick up the next circumferential road that will keep you out of the city and on your path. In Sheffield this results in a lot of climbing since all the radial roads follow valleys or ridges into the city at the bottom of the valleys and those have to be summited and descended each time.
Further climbs (and descents) took me over Rivelin, Stannington, Loxley and Oughtibridge vales with climbs up to 13% over 2km and a matching ride down the other side with hairpins and drop offs that reminded me of something out of the Tour De France.
I finally arrived in Outibridge looking for food and a way of getting home without climbing the big 1 in 10 to my flat. A forray away from town took me towards Stannington and a lack of circumferential roads so I resorted to heading back to the city on the ring road, stopping for a mars bar and climbing the 10% climb home. Not even stopping to chat to some kids at the top of the hill who wanted to know what I was training for. I was going so slow we maintained a conversation while they walked.
Back at home, TSK is sleeping and I am off out to buy dinner for two very hungry people.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
What was today
There's nothing more satisfying than teaching something to someone who doesn't think they can learn it.
Beck's front crawl has really come along.
TSK is off doing a 600km ride and I miss him. 600ks don't pass quickly enough for me to comprehend him finishing it.
Becks and i went out and churned through 40km going to Bolsover castle and finished it off with a ride up some bridlepaths.
The cat was out most of the night and by the time I got up this morning there work workmen and diggers in the garden next door so the cat stayed out until we got home from the pool at 11. He has even forgotten that he gets meat at 7pm.
Beck's front crawl has really come along.
TSK is off doing a 600km ride and I miss him. 600ks don't pass quickly enough for me to comprehend him finishing it.
Becks and i went out and churned through 40km going to Bolsover castle and finished it off with a ride up some bridlepaths.
The cat was out most of the night and by the time I got up this morning there work workmen and diggers in the garden next door so the cat stayed out until we got home from the pool at 11. He has even forgotten that he gets meat at 7pm.
What was yesterday?
Getting asked to take on team leadership at work at the end of a really boring and dull day.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
What was today?
Quiet, recovering from yesterday.
Looking forwards to delivering a matress to the next place I'm going to live.
Wishing I was going fell running instead.
Looking forwards to delivering a matress to the next place I'm going to live.
Wishing I was going fell running instead.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
New Feature: What was today?
A really good cyclo-cross race around the Newsome school fields and woods in Huddersfield. Summer showers on the distant hills on a sunny evening. Drifting smoke from a nearby fire and a race that all came together for once. No punctures just a plan, executed and delivered.
And first-place woman on account of there being no others.
And first-place woman on account of there being no others.
Sunday, August 01, 2010
July Stats
Swim: 3.1km, 2.8kph avg
Bike: 202.78km, 23.7kph, 2246 m elevation
Running: 50.46km, 8.1kph avg, 930m elevation
Time in the gym: 1:20
A little bit less than I expected but then July included a pre-race rest week - or two and a post race illness so, in the balance of things, quite a lot in only 3 weeks of actual training.
Bike: 202.78km, 23.7kph, 2246 m elevation
Running: 50.46km, 8.1kph avg, 930m elevation
Time in the gym: 1:20
A little bit less than I expected but then July included a pre-race rest week - or two and a post race illness so, in the balance of things, quite a lot in only 3 weeks of actual training.
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