Good days in a good week.

Monday Wednesday and Friday this week i went spinning, if that is the correct term.  Monday and Wednesday were at the gym.  After Wednesdays spin class i ran for 20 minutes - 3.37km and then did 10 minutes of arm weights.  That was a good day. Friday i got up to go swimming before work.  I managed 34 minutes in the pool. I wish i had longer as 35 minutes is just not long enough in the pool. I felt like i was cooling down right after i had warmed up. This was my session,

250m swim warm up

5x50    15sec rest

5x100  15sec rest

450 swim /cool down

 But i suppose something is better than nothing. 

On Friday night i felt i needed to still do something, given the short swim, so i got my bike out in to the living room and set up the virtual ride on my pc and did a hard 54 minutes of cycling.  It was really nice, as when i got hot, i took my top off, can't do that in class.  Well, i probably could, but won't!  I then fished out my hand weights and did some arm stuff too.  I seriously need heavier hand weights though. 4lbs just don't cut it.

And tomorrow is the postponed 10k from December.  So for only 4 days of working out, i have done a pretty good job this week. Totalling about 4.5 hours is actually good for me.  But, knowing that only amounts to under 5 hours, and i was thinking i could do 10hours a week to Olympic distance train slightly worries me.  I'm not sure that i could ever do 10 hours a week. Unless i do a 3hour bike ride and a long run on the weekend.  In the summer that might happen, but i'm guessing not regularly.  

But i think the most important thing is that i am enjoying what i do and not stressing over what i don't.  I'm never going to be first in a race, i'm never going pro, i'm only ever racing myself and i am the only one i have to answer to.

Wipe the dust off…

unpack and set up the unused bike trainer.

Today was the first time i used my bike trainer properly since i bought it. It wouldn’t have happened if i had never done a spin class, or if i didn’t have a dvd to follow.  Before attending a spin class i hated stationary cycling. I would never use the stationary bikes in the gym and when i first got the trainer, it was because i had been cycling a lot and thought as i had a good base then i would be able to use it and not hate it. I was totally wrong. I still hated the trainer. It sat unused in the spare room for a year. It got packed up and shipped here.

Thankfully, i tried the spin class and fell in love.  It’s such a great workout and I find it a lot of fun too.  Brutal fun, if there is such a thing.  So i decided that i should get the trainer out and see if i like it. This time, i set up the laptop with the dvd i got with my Triathlon220 magazine. It’s a ride through Orange County of 18 miles, a 54 minute workout. Its focus was hill endurance and efficiency.

I got all set up yesterday and this morning was the day. Lets see if i can stick this out, and enjoying it would be a bonus. It would also have to be a necessity if I am to do it more than once.  I have to enjoy my exercise.  54 minutes later, a pool of sweat on the floor, burning thighs and over all euphoria at accomplishing a brutal spinning session the verdict – Score!  I LOVED it!  And yeah, i felt those hills.

Best of all, no drive home, i could take me shirt off to mop the floor with and immediately hop in the shower.

Please ignore the patio furniture wrapped in brown paper and cling film in the garden.  One day, when it’s closer the the days of using it, it will get unwrapped.  Just imagine, your whole house wrapped like that. That is what we had to contend with.  The reason i have a total of 4 trips to the recycling plant with a car that looks like this:

Bike ride AND a run - goodness!!

So today is my first 'its not Monday'.  In that, this is the first Monday where i am unemployed.  So far so good though.  I decided what with all the food I ate yesterday throughout the football, and i mean throughout; i don't think i stopped eating until 15 minutes after the game finished, that a good long cardio session was in order.  I had 20 minute speed circuits on the menu but i wanted to get my bike out and hit the roads.  I love cycling outside, as opposed to my insane hatred to both bike trainers and stationary bikes.  So i did an easy 6.5 miles.  I say easy as it was an easy pace, but felt hard in some spots. It was a mild interval session and it felt great to feel my glutes working.  

My plan was to get home and run this afternoon, doing it in 2 sessions as i really didn't think i could run after riding.  But i got my bike in the foyer and thought 'WTF, why not go out now?'  My muscles are warm (though i was getting cold) so i locked up and set out. I shortened the run i normally do but i only had 2miles planned for today as they were going to be speed circuits.  But i just ran it.  Though i didn't properly time myself, i left on the 45minute and stopped on the hour so with my non-digital watch it was pretty accurate at 15 minutes.  When i put the rout in to DM it said i did a 8.46 minute mile.  But i know that's wrong. There is no way! In hind sight, i wish i had ran more, i really wasn't spent.  That is my problem, i create limitations, i set a route and when i get home, i come in.  I think this will be solved when i get Sally (read on) because i can just run, it will clock it all, as long as i have a general idea so i'm not over doing it, it will provide freedom.  My limitations in to dust.

And yes you guessed it, i am a lucky girl i'm getting a Garmin Forerunner 305 for my birthday in March.  AND I CAN"T WAIT!!!!!  I have been spending a lot of time in putting my miles, time or pace in to websites and they aren't particularly accurate either.  And i have been doing it on several sites, as i find new ones, i test them out.  I like Dailymile.com(DM), mostly for its cute looks but also for the widget, and the easier more accurate mile/route tracker. But i noticed that you can sync the Nike+ system but nothing for the Garmin. I have an Actice.com account but see no advantages over DM, and the mapping system isnt as good. I was first a member on taketothestreets.com but it doesn't appear to cater or entice you to use it as a social networking site too.  Which, now i just typed it, realize that i like that part of DM.

No one i know of is a runner per say, but then i found out Kerri does on her post-partum fitness drive. We're not close but we have befriended each other on Dailymile, so its like we are training together somehow.  And she plans to do the Blarney run with me if she is free.  I bet she will kick my ass though, she has been running and stuff way longer than me.  Good motivation, to see if i can keep up!

I was chuffed when she accepted the envite for DM.  Its nice to have supporters out there, people to pat me on the back so to speak.   So i'm waiting, until i get my Garmin, (already she has a name and its Sally.  I have no idea why, i just think a Sally could help me run). When i get her, i will see what is the easiest and nicest website to use.  Though i doubt i would drop DM as i have a flesh friend on there :)  With this blog i also hope to get a bit of inspiration, whether just by having a place to track where i have come from.  Some where to see the path i took to get to where ever it is i end up.  Or by followers comments.  So if i do have any followers, please do drop me a line of support, advice or even just to say hi!

Later that month/four post later.....i just discovered this bike run combo is called a Brick Workout. I like it!