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Karate cancelled so a very low motivation 7km trail "run", more of a shuffle really.
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This first week has been tough on my poor old legs. You wouldn't think it would be so hard since I always go to the gym three times a week and ride on a couple of days unless it's miserable out but OMG not being able to take a day off is achey 🙂 I'm sure it will get easier.....won't it?
"Days off" are for stretching and yoga. These aren't just fillers, they are essential for improved performance.
I was out with the Cairngorm Runners again tonight. 11.5km round Anagach Woodlands at Grantown.
It was starting to get a bit dark by the time we reached the Spey.
And it was headtorch time when we got back to the cars - and cake!!
Short version: Today was some rowing in the gym.
Long boring version: My daughter plays hockey on a Monday at a council sports centre with a pretty lousy gym, but they do have C2 rower. I used to do some team competitions nearly 20 years ago for a "laugh". So I'm treating it as a winter project to see if I can get sub 20mins for a 5km (pb was around 18:50). First attempt about 6 weeks ago was a steady 21:40. After some intervals sessions and a couple of weeks off today was 20:50. It's going to be a long hard road to sub 20.
Managed to delay going to the office so Day 9 was a couple of hours sunrise gravel ride. Cracking morning it was too.
Yesterday the plan was for a nice easy recovery ride but the wind was so strong it made it impossible! Took the dogs for a two hour walk after work and then did some stretching in the evening.
Just back from my morning run, hopefully get out on the bike later.
Day #9 - full dance card at work today so had to fit something in very early, so very early turbo session using TrainerDay. Surprisingly comfortable given it was early doors.
181w for 55 minutes - 30km indicated. Done for today.
At risk of being a stuck record... another day at FOD.
This time I rode to the top and down the blue as my added half hour then a few uplift runs. The last bus also coincided with the run my body told me I should finish on. Beat my PR down sheepskull, cleared some of the tables at the top and hit the GBU drop in for the first time. What a place for progression!
Squeezed in a 35 minute yoga session at lunch. Wasn't much but it really was squeezed in and could very easily have not done it without this challenge. Meant I could have a beer after cubs and prepare for a few day's cycling around the hills of North Norfolk this week/end, starting with a train tmrow after a fully tour-laden commute to the office.
Eugh… day “whatever” and I’m ill!
Was enjoying squeezing in the ride to/from work (24k each way..about 50min) too.
Think i’ll see if i can do yoga or stretching or something, but when EVERYTHING aches, maybe I’ll count walking around the house as exercise today!
DrP
Bit knackered after a work trip away (where I did a few more runs - seem to be trucking along just fine with them which is a surprise, I thought I'd be in agony) so had to really pry myself out of bed today to go ride the mountain bike for 19 miles. I was really glad I did, it was a glorious morning.
Classic Pentland view, that!
10/100 - I rode to work with my bike and panniers loaded for a trip down South. It was indeed a glorious morning, which was a surprise given the forecast was for rain and I expected a repeat of last year's tour where I was soaked and cold just getting to the train station.
Choo choo!
We’re forecast to get 28 mm of rain today! This will be the first day since the beginning of the challenge that I won’t have ridden my bike.
I thought after being lairs up for four month I’d be in worse shape than I am.
turbo, weights and stretching today.
@munrobiker that is a beautiful photo
I'm taking it easy this week in preparation for a longer run at the weekend, so.I was out for a walk with Mrs S after lunch today.
There's been a wee bit of snow on the 'Gorms over the past 48 hours or so.
Still some folk out enjoying themselves on the water too.
So for my penultmate day on holiday my activity is (once again) in Forest of Dean.
Today I had a blue day with a lap of the blue followed by a ride up to descend countdown & launchpad.
All before the rain started, which is nice. Just got to decide what my final fod outing this visit will be.
Day 8: >10,000 steps, mostly in Istanbul Airport. That’ll have to do as I was travelling for about 22 hours.
Day 9: Floor exercises and stretches following work (internet was out, so ad-lib). On my feet most of the day at work.
Day 10: 30 mins Kassandra action (internet is back). I found out there’s a gym here, so hopefully use that a bit going forward.
So far, it's been running mainly for me, but I am technically 'in training' for the Hadrian's Wall half marathon. I say running, it's more like quick shuffling really (laughing emoji) Today might be another run, or it might just be a walk! Depends how knackered I am after work (crying emoji).
Day 31 for me (because I started early!).
A few hours on local trails. Still ended up being about 40km with 1100+ metres of climbing. Really enjoyed it.
Feeling pleased, as I've managed to do two extended motorbike trips, whilst having the lurgy, without missing a day of the last 31
It’s strange how you can feel completely drained one day and then suddenly on it the day after.
Today I did my usual morning run followed by 30 minutes of sit ups and press ups all before 7.00!
Worked all day then went out for a bike ride, an hour and half along the river, tranquility, wildlife and most importantly, no traffic.
Came across Minty and a few of his mates
@munrobiker @scotroutes great pics, where is that @munrobiker ?
Day #10. Full day at work, woke up feeling very unwell, but was ok enough by lunch to go swimming. That’s the magic of this challenge, as normally I’d bale on exercise when feeling like this.
swim 2.52 km in 52 minutes, sounds slow, but wasn’t, kept up-ish with a good club swimmer for the first km. did 1.01 and 1.11 for two hundreds, and now with hindsight I may have overdone it.
@walowiz...
I'm guessing that most of the Edinburgh contingent will have a photo taken around that spot.
Not happened today, been busy doing various jobs around the house but not enough to claim it as exercise
I've had one missed day (Monday) because I had mega leg cramp from a run on Saturday followed by an evening walking about London with some mates and then an ambitious Zwift session on the Sunday.
Pummelled my legs with the massage gun, stretched as much as I could and flopped into bed early instead, sometimes you just need rest and recover rather than push for an injury.
I'm playing by my own rules through and I reckon I was already well in credit as plenty of my sessions have been 45mins to 1hr so far.
Otherwise it's just been Zwifting Galore and I am starting to notice some minor improvements in both strength and recovery.
Day 11 and my weekly ride with a mate...plus another that rarely makes it (and had a slow puncture)
Only actually did an hour of movement but got a PR on a segment I've ridden hundreds of times...think I found an inside/outside line that made a few seconds different.
I have my 'busted elbow' excuse and am flexing it mightily when being offered outside activities 🙂 Two more weeks before I can ride MTB if improvement continues (and I do exercises/icing)
Hotel Yoga at 7am was dull. But got it done. Then came home, found my new 'middle aged jogging daps' had arrived so jumped on the treadmill for 30 mins at 9pm! Never would have done that before the challenge. Also wanted to meet my step goal as now has a run of 12 days - a record and I've had a Garmin for about 10 years so I'm taking that as a win!
Day 11: got the lurgy (bloody air travel!) so was looking for something easy. Sacked off a Pilates video with Iso Welly after 15 mins as it was too much effort (my head was throbbing) and found something more fitting with a YT search for “easy yoga video”.
The plan was to ride this evening but having got soaked while working this afternoon, the last thing I wanted was another.
Decided to do an hour of weights instead.
Busy gyms are rubbish
Ah, the joy of an early afternoon session. All the OAPs are done and gone home for a nap, everyone else is at work.
loads of people walking on the good ones!!
Had they cranked the gradient up to max then hang off the rails and lean back to negate the steep gradient, that’s very popular around here!
I strolled into town earlier (I've mentioned before that this challenge caused a wee bit of a lifestyle change for me, encouraging me to walk rather than drive short distances) then did a couple of hours on the turbo this afternoon.
Day #11 - busy work day with a silly early start, so squeezed in a hour turbo ride mid morning using TrainerDay at 185w indicated 33km. Bit boring tbh, can’t fathom how you can do 2 hours on a turbo setup.
might have a go at Zwift or TrainerRoad or the swoosh one.
Not particularly enthusiastic gym session today. Should have gone earlier.
Minimal effort today but at my mum's so went for a walk with her and the dog at lunch. Doesn't hurt to have an easy day, easily could have not gone out in the miserable weather.
Proving difficult as I’m in the middle of house decoration so that’s taking a lot of time up. Again resorted to the kids ring fit switch thing and did 35mins in that, getting elevated heart rate at least.
Im sort of realigning the expectation and if I can close all the rings daily on the Apple Watch, that will be a good marker. Exercise ring was coincidently completed after 31 mins on the switch.
Busy gyms are rubbish, had to use one of the shit treadmills
After much dithering, we bought a Reebok "smart" treadmill in last years sales. Having done around 8 years of winter Zwift (including a nearly 1000km Jan a few years ago), I'm so bored of the turbo, I struggle to manage more than 45 mins (and I can't be bothered with racing anymore). Having the treadmill ready to go (on Zwift to an old TV) and a training programme that mandates three runs a week is doing the job for me.
I really do not want to sit on the turbo three times a week even in my non outside riding state.
Having said all that, the treadmill took the space/cash we had put aside for a pool table! Still not sure we made the right decision.
Good to see everyone cracking on in this thread. 10% done already!
It would be nice to have a decent treadmill at home, but I don't have anywhere to put one. TBF the shit tredmills at the gym are still bloody good, just not as good as the big fancy new ones they have there that have the telly on and videos of Barcelona as you're running....
Going camping this evening so forced a run in this morning, struggling a bit after last nights gym session and didn;t quite hit the 5k mark. 4.92km I'd just had enough. Was going to take a bike with but it's all getting a bit faffy so will do a couple of runs Saturday and Sunday morning. Although if I'm hanging they might be run/walks...
My wife uses BitGym which runs native on the android TV and 'talks' to the treadmill for speed etc. She does fast walks/jogs around some great locations - I like the coastal ones. Quite immersive really considering it's just a front facing camera shot.
I didn't want a treadmill with a big TV tho as I run a massive fan in front of it. My better half firmly rejected a suggestion to mount the fan on the wall 🙂 The reebok was the only one with a very minimal display. Very happy with it although it's had the engineer out twice having developed a clanking sound under use which I reported as 'my treadmill is haunted' 🙂
@ads678 -that's our friends mad (aren't they all) Spaniel. Roxie goes from white and fluffy to brown and matted in an hour of diving into muddy streams. I'm taking her for her first 'professional' groom next week. I expect we'll be barred 🙂
60km on the gravel bike to the sea and one of our many local Outlander castles for me. Nice day for it, and managed a decent average speed after cruising about for 30km yesterday.
Lovely 4k walk on Irvine beach this morning
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