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Day 54 then.
Another one off my bucket list today.
I've ridden into Corrour Station many times but had a hankering to run it for a change. That gave me the opportunity to explore the old track from Fersit that was the route north until the FC built the track in from Moy in (around) 1970.
I'll not be doing that ever again. The track was rubble, bog and, at one point, fallen trees. I was knee deep in Sphagnum at one point too.
Still the views are a wee bit more expansive than the usual track offers, due to the greater elevation
I was WAY behind schedule and thought I was going to miss lunch so had to get a bit of a sprint on when I got to the proper track. My km splits went from around 14mins to under 6mins 🙂
I made it for lunch by sprinting the last hill
It also turned out to be a very expensive day out. That red thing on the road behind me is my lovely Montane running waterproof jacket.
I did go back to look for it but someone had lifted it.
That's dickish behaviour. Hang it on a tree or a fence, yes. Run off with it, absolutely not.
Today I shall re relocating the raspberries. This may sound like a gentle weekend activity. Not in our garden. If I was in charge, first port of call would be the explosives shop. A few hours of digging, remonstrating with two dogs for deepening the dig or digging up other random areas of the garden, being thorn'd mostly to death and - I expect - receiving specific advice regarding the exact location of a uprooted plant. Mostly after I've planted it.
After which a lie down gently anointing open wounds with soothing balms shall mostly occupy the remains of the day. At which time I'll be ignoring the naggy Zwift reminder for 50 minutes of hill sprints.
Can hardly wait.
Day 55: Heatwave still going. 30 degrees when the kids coaching sessions started at 9am and humid as ****.
I managed a solid and pretty fast couple of hours...I think Strava AI has a crush on me.
Not many people out but there was other company
Ended up doing a 10k run this morning.
Went round my mates house and ran from there to park run, 3k. Did park run, 7.96k then ran home, 10.1k.
Breaks in between but I haven't run 10k for a few years, probably during COVID was the last time.
Day #55 - turbo session on the Wattbike for 71 minutes at 175w indicated 35.5 km. pure zone 2 boredom fest, but it is doing the trick and now I’m actually able to keep up an ok (for me) pace for over 60 minutes - hallelujah. It’s dull but super effective.
The Curse of C25K has struck. Niggley knee after Tuesdays gym session, was OK after Wednesday's yoga, just walked on Thursday, did a 25 minute run yesterday.
It was fine while running, but got more stiff and painful afterwards. Ditto today's ride. Looks a little swollen as well.
I fear a week of just walking is looming.
Day #56 - pool swim, bit of an endurance / stamina test swim today, 4.1 km in 82 minutes, three new records according to Garmin, which I’ll take.
My target was to swim 4 km comfortably by the end of the 100 days, so super happy that I’ve got there with nearly half of the challenge to go! I’ll walk wombat later and get my wife’s car ready for sale, but that’s me done for today.
Day 54: Just a night time walk of 45 mins.
Day 55: a bit of U15s footy involvement then, after lunch, a 5 k run on a full stomach. Felt awful but I ended up equalling my PB.
Day 56: A couple of hours walking on the flanks of the Loaf. 10 k overall, stopping for a flask of coffee to take in the autumn colours.
Went for walk up and over the moors round Ogden reservoir nr Halifax. Felt a lot longer than 10.5k.
Weather apps said 12 degrees and the sun would come out. In actual fact, it was raining, bloody cold, windy and foggy. Finished the walk about 2 o'clock and I'm still cold! My own fault for not dressing appropriately, but all three weather we looked at said it would be nicer....
I'll carry a rucksack with a different jacket in next time.
Another big day on the MTB. 56km/1200m of climbing. Conditions brilliant for November with occasional reminders it's not July! Quite tired now but definitely feeling fitness improving on these long rides. Three days riding in Wales from next Friday so good job MTB is feeling good.
Yoga and another MTB ride next week. Prob knock running on the head this week as I want to be fresh for the long weekend riding.
Bit of catch up.
54 - an MTB ride round Ladybower, first time in about 10 years. I've missed Peaks riding, remember the views being better.
Start of a university reunion weekend...
55 - Walk across Higher Tor to the pubs of Hathersage.
56 - a fuzzy head clearing swim at the outdoor pool before 5 hour drive back north of the border.
Skateboarding with the kids yesterday, they've got a skateboard club at school and after just 1 week they're better than me!
My eldest has to do a weekly mtb ride for DofE so we did a 12 k ride from the door, sun almost broke through at somepoints!
After a tiring weekend, I was hoping for a big sleep last night to recover. By body had other ideas and kept me awake twitching until 2am, so I'm even more shattered today. A lunchtime stroll had to suffice but with a view of "exercise I wouldn't have otherwise done", I was absolutely for lying in a dark room and closing my eyes so it counts. Whether the evangelical Alaskans I met on the stroll were real or a hallucination I don't think I'll ever be sure.
Quick trot about after work yesterday
Out on the bike today with some blue sky patches and a bit of sun.
The great thing about this challenge is that it makes me do stuff I would usually avoid. Last year it was running once or twice a week and this year I have joined my CrossFit weirdo sister for a few sessions and today, maybe 43 years after the last time I did it, it turns out I can still climb a rope.
Nice colours on the muddy dog hike today. Those woods you can see never really dry out even in summer. Right now they are about as close as they get. That's still pretty muddy and the 4k and esp extended 5k loop do feel like hard work. Expect the dogs do about 3 times that tho.
Day 59: Strangely for me I rode in the afternoon for a change. Pre storm humidity was horrific but managed to get a PR and 11th overall on a really tough 4.5km strava segment.
Plus had a tiny snake and a small bird attack my front tyre (separately). Both survived as far as I could tell.
That photo of reeksy's snake brought back some memories from when I lived in Australia - I bunnyhopped what I thought was a log once then my mates pointed out it was a particularly deadly snake.
This last week's involved my first trip to the pumptrack for 4 years on the new pumptrack bike. I'm still terrible at it and it's still really hard.
I did up a mate's bike which she'd not ridden since 2014 and we went for a really joyful blast around Whinlatter.
Minced up some mountains with a bunch of pals.
Also a bit of yoga, fast gravel rides, some nice MTB stuff. Keeping at it.
Some great pics above.
Day #59 - turbo session on the Wattbike for 52 minutes at 180w indicated 26.4 km. funny thing is doing nearly an hour exercise every day is taking its toll, I’m knackered more often than I’m not. But the exercising is getting somehow easier. Also did about 50 minutes of walking today too.
Day 59 - wednesday Pentland Fun Running
After a cardio-free day of weights and yoga yesterday, I headed out for a 45km gravel/road ride today, making the best of the weather before it gets a lot colder next week.
Just back from a 1Km swim indoors! Horrible, like swimming in a sauna. Much prefer outdoors.
Day 61: Ran my 6km loop again. In the opposite direction. Getting slightly quicker... still a lot slower than i'd like.
Solo parenting means time is limited. Took the kid to swimming and ran around in the dark instead of doom scrolling in the car.
It's funny how, when you do 30mins for the sake of doing 30 mins, it can sometimes feel like an age.
I'm a couple of days behind...
Yesterday was a yoga session with Kassandra (thought she might be missing me) and am intervals session on the turbo, trying to help my VO2 Max.
Today was a weights session in my gym and then a walk up/down a local hill trying to spot/develop a descent for running. Fairly successfully I think.
We should see the hills changing colour early next week as the temperatures are due to plummet.
Eek!
Did a bodyweight workout after cubs on Monday
5k run on Tuesday evening
Did skatepark at lunch Wednesday and Thursday
And just did 2 hour night ride round the local woods, it's a bit weird, masses of leaves down, but there's been so little rain they've not compacted down and it's very hard to find the trail!
A random discussion last Monday evening was enough to make me organise an ad hoc club run today, from Kingussie to Dalwhinnie. 26km of mostly good track, including some old military road. Surprisingly, 8 other idiots signed up for it too and we had a grand day out, with one very short shower but mostly just a bitterly cold headwind.
Think I recognise that, Colin. Is it called Phones or something? Up the hill, down to a loch and round to DW. Nice little detour away from the main road.
Solo parenting so used it as an excuse to go to GT with the bairn. An over-the-bars a few weeks ago has shaken her confidence, and she now knows she can get hurt sadly. Still, riding bikes innit.
@jimmy - Yep. We ran from Kingussie Station, up towards Ruthven Barracks, then along the old military road to Phones Lodge, up over to Loch Cuaich and then down the aqueduct to Dalwhinnie. It is also a fine gravel ride 🙂
( I just noticed that the photos are in reverse order!)
@scotroutes it was as a gravel ride I did it, after breakfast at the newtonmore grill (obvs)
Day #61 - lunchtime pool swim 3.04 km in 57 minutes, fastest I’ve done so far., even though my pace slackens off in the last km, still very pleased with it. 30 minute relaxed walk with Willa and daughter later and done.
day #62 - turbo session on the wattbike 61 minutes at 176w indicated 31 km. Done for today.
@scotroutes great pics.
@reeksy love Noosa, spent a lot of time there, lovely part of Aus.
Been a shocker for me this week. Floored by a bug (no energy, brain fog, aches, snot!) so missed 3 days.
Day 56: Played football for 35 mins with U15s; coming down with something.
Day 57: Lunchtime walk for an hour, feeling grotty.
Days 58-60: Out of action.
Day 61: Out with the dog for about 5 k. Plus a bit of wood splitting.
Day 63: 6km run around the block.
@reeksy love Noosa, spent a lot of time there, lovely part of Aus.
It's a great spot but overrun with tourists these days. We only really go there for mtb as the Tewantin trails are good fun.
A very wet and slippery White Peak ride with friends today...
Not much time today but went for a walk while the girl played hockey. Went down Polton Glen and matched back up to put some strain through the system. Back to running tmrow evening, all being well.
Day 64: 30 mins of strength. Squats, chin ups, good mornings and bodyweight rows. No time for anything aerobic today which I think I will miss.
Back from 3 days MTBing in North Wales. Friday 16km/550m. Saturday 36km/1200m. Sunday 20km/500m. With lots of lovely food and drink in between. Pretty lucky with the weather. I rode Thursday as well at home so was pretty much done in at the end of the old Red Bull at Coed-y-Brenin yesterday.
If I can raise the energy, proper in person yoga class tonight. Failing that it'll be a YT version. Nothing in the legs for any cardio,
I had to rest yesterday, my legs (and sit-bones) were telling me that I had been spending a little too much time on the trainer. Ended up doing a bunch of kettlebell work to try and persuade my arms, shoulders and chest not to give up on me.
Tonight: More cycling.
Bit of weird one this weekend. Did the 10k on Saturday morning and then drove down to Leicester for my BIL's birthday.
Ended up spending Saturday night in A&E as my mum was having severe chest pains and we though she was having a heart attack. Eventually got to bed about 7:30 Sunday morning.
Fortunately it was a heart attack, but we're none the wiser as to what was causing it.
Anyway, got home yesterday about 9:30pm and took the dog out for a brisk 30 minute walk. Bit lame but I kept the pace up so I was sweating a bit.
Oops! Yeah wasn't a heart attack!!
I’m still suffering despite a course of antibiotics! Still full of snot and breathing is not easy. The last few days the dogs have enjoyed at least one two hour plus walk which although isn’t what I would consider to be “exercise”, it’s still doing me good to get out amongst the wildlife in the fresh air.
The good news is that I have managed to get out on the bike today, just out for some shopping but it felt good to be turning pedals again.
Another hockey run tonight, but noticed one of the dads disappearing away for a run a few weeks back, got chatting and now have a well matched run buddy for Mondays. 7.7km down Roslin Glen in the dark, booriful.
Day #64 - pool swim, was meant to be a bike day, but will in the office most days, so had to switch it all about today. Which was annoying, as I did a very long swim yesterday, so today’s swim didn’t feel good and wasn’t good from the garmin stats. Interestingly garmin is now telling me that over the last 2 weeks, I’ve been taking it easy on the pool and not pushing myself. That my sessions have been lighter than average and my HR is in the low brackets. Which is interesting.
so anyway pool swim 3 km in 60 minutes. Done.
Bloody cold Monday night club run. 10km over Moor of Feshie at minus 5C. Mind you, it was the fast crew so I absolutely had a bit of a sweat on regardless of the temperature.
Clear sky, lovely moon, stars everywhere and the tracks and plants glistening with frost. It really doesn't get much better.
And I got home to an early birthday present of a bottle of Dalwhinnie Distillers Edition.
Day 65: Slept in a bit so kept my ride to 27km this morning. An easy forestry gravel lap. The recent rain has brought the Roos out for the fresh verge grass. Normally they stop and stare at you until you get just too close then they turn and hop away. This morning one acted differently - it just sat munching and looking at me with one ear cocked like a dog. I went past it and slowly looked back and it was still doing the same. Eventually it hopped off, one ear still at a strange angle as if it couldn't do anything about it.
As I suspected, lunchtime Yoga with Charlie Follows followed (!) by an early night. Not sure if there are any exercise benefits of 'Zombie Mode" - but if so I put in a good shift yesterday! Back on the electronic horse today- finished the cycling to 10k plan and now going for some shorter, harder runs. Be easier to fit in around other stuff, and I don't think I can do another month+ of 50-60 minute drags on the treadmill. 6 weeks takes me close to the end of the challenge I think.
Decided to put off re-joining Gym until next year. I expect I'll regret that based on everyone elses new year resolutions....
Mobility & Isometrics today. Looking forward to a ride on frozen trails tmrow.
I've been taking it easy yesterday and today (still done my 30mins+ though) as I'm visiting the Manchester Institute of Health and Performance tomorrow for some physiological testing. That will involve various thresholds and VO2 max. I'm doing this as I'd like to get fitter, but also to better control my cancer. I'm beginning to understand that I need to regulate my lactate production as this can increase blood acidity which the cancer loves. So knowing when I produce it will hopefully be helpful! Just wish I was a bit sharper so that I could better retain and assimilate all the information and research I'm reading.