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Out for another brisk 5km post-lunch walk with Mrs S today.
Smile!
And I've a post-dinner date with Kassandra later.
Day #12 - nearly had my first fail today. Work has been a bloody pita today, but instead of staying at my desk, frustrated and annoyed trying to fix problems caused through the stoopidity of others, I went to the pool for 45 minutes instead. Then went back to it after.
swim 2.3 km in 45 minutes. Done.
Skipped velodrome with a tummy bug. Decent walk with Henry dog through the deer park to listen to the bellowing
If my tummy was bellowing, I'd have stayed nearer home.
Did a different half hour with Kassandra today. Lots of creaks from my back after yesterday's gym session.
Appropriate weather for Day 13. Did a 43km loop on the hardtail - first time taking it on singletrack. Ran into a mate and an accomplice in the Boneyards (very techy and best avoided in wet conditions) so tagged on with him. The heavens opened and it got a bit hectic. I now have a bruised sternum and shin, burped a front tyre and the other guys beat a hasty retreat. Fought horrific headwinds and sinking gravel for the rest of the ride. Type 2 fun.
Now I understand why folks keep recommending Kassandra
Also check out Adrienne, Cat Meefan and (Run Better with) Ash. The latter is mainly aimed at runners but lots of it is very relevant to cycling too. I'm sure there are other great channels available too but I find that accents, styles and overall approach are all important, especially if you want to find your zen moments.
Trot about after work, probably should have taken the head torch as the steep muddy descent through the woods at the end was not done in optimal visibility
Day 13: still lurgied-up so took a 45 min stroll at a contemplative pace after work at sundown to top up today’s step-count.
Still in
Nice, though shame about the trail of coal behind it.
I need some Ti
Just back from a 65kms fast road ride. Had me shower and now drinking the best cup of tea in the world.
Hour and a half digging over the veg patch and raking a bin full of crap out the smaller lawn.
Definitely felt like exercise.
Yesterday managed, just about, wandering between the 2 running shoe shops as my trusty trail shoes are not so trusty anymore (crying). None fit my stoopid wide feet. Today was 10 mile training run preparing for Hadrian's Wall half marathon. Sunday will be walk and I'm going to try a bit of Kassandra.
Day 13 was an few hours or doing sketchy stuff in the woods.
Terrible photo of terrible drop technique as proof.
Day 11 got skipped as I was driving back home and absolutely exhausted after the number of thunderstorms which hampered my journey somewhat. I plan on banking that and doubling up another day... see how that works out.
Day #13 - work this morning, then family life stuff meant a rushed turbo session TrainerDay for an hour at an average 169w, had to keep stopping to relieve godawful cramp at the top of right calf, mainly as my right leg is still quite week and not adjusting well to the daily load. Total pain, but still in the game.
Just back from an hour on the road. First night ride of the season and I loved it!
I feel much safer riding road at night and had it not been for this challenge,I’d be sat watching Strictly for the sake of it!
Day 13 was time for the "big run" I'd been preparing for these past few weeks.
Started at Linn of Dee, just before 9am, heading past the Luibeg Burn and Beinn a Bhuird
Time for photos and laughs en route
Into the mouth of the Lairig Ghru
Up to the Pools of Dee
Within sight of home in Aviemore
34km and 640m of ascent. A bit slow in the middle, negotiating the boulder field, but weather was pretty much ideal, never dropping below 4C and I still had a wee bit of a sprint left for the run to the Old Bridge Inn.
Day 14 and 1.5 hours with the kids sessioning flow trails. Reeksy2 getting to grips with his new bike but everyone is a bit frazzled.
back to it after 5 days of illness. lovely autumn afternoon yesterday for 6 mile run.
@scotroutes - good effort, looks a fantastic route as well. Oh and the running with Ash YT recommendation was useful. I've started doing his 10 and 20 minute post run stretches.
Not close to some on here, but I've run (all on treadmill this week) six out of seven days for around 30-40 mins each session. Not sure I've ever managed that before. Back on the Turbo this PM for an hour or so. Plan is to see out October doing similar stuff to this week (hopefully with some added actual riding MTBs again) then join the Gym on the monthly package in November and see if I can get 2 or 3 classes in a week.
If I'm at home, I reckon I can make this a habit. Enjoying it so far. It's working away when it's likely all to go to poo.
Day 14.
Today, gym then swim. Got a little Zwift session lined up tonight.
Is it Day 14? Only missed one day so far.
Led a very steady club ride this morning, 32 miles and 2000 feet of climbing which was challenging for some in the group. Distinctly autumnal down here this morning, a couple of folk hadn't quite got the layering right. Delicious cake at the cafe and the woodburner proved equally distracting.
Tomorrow's off road ride likely to be cancelled as we are in the yellow weather warning.
Have a gratuitous cafe pic
Day 14: Still got lurgy. I’m hoping it peaked (or troughed?) today as I was feeling pretty sh!te earlier on. I ran out of paracetamol, so saw a local medic here who gave me some large tablets that taste like Vim amongst a bundle of other assorted meds, but no paracetamol!
So, taking it pretty easy again: a 40 min walk after work. Meh!
Cub camp this weekend,
Spent the day at Whipsnade zoo then a 6km hike to our campsite, walked 21km in total yesterday!
5 hours of interrupted sleep then activities and breaking camp this morning
Some gentle yoga before bed I think...
Volunteering with my club's race today - 4km/800m climb to the top, where I was on chip-reading duties. Lulu enjoyed her walk, and I had fun too.
I've been hillwalking with poles on and off for 35 years, but having just bought myself a pair of (Alpkit) ruining poles, I thought I'd try them for a little Nordic Walking practice this afternoon. I can see how it could be a great workout, I definitely went out over-dressed. Could be something else to add to my activity selection over the next few months.
Much of the recent snow has already vanished, so I hope to get another high-level run in soon too.
@mogrim - nice wolf 🙂
Back on the turbo for me today. Felt pretty good and the hour passed mostly painlessly. I do think my days of 2-3 hours (four horseman on Zwift for example) are probably over, but I'm pretending it's quality over quantity.
4 (Zwift) runs lined up next week plus, if Physio gives me even grudging approval, go ride MTB with the - not fixed but how bad can it be - elbow. Not ridden for two weeks and not ridden in UK for nearly 4. That's the biggest gap in about 20 years. I don't even care if it's raining and filthy and dark, I'm riding my bloody MTB this week!
Day #14 - 2 mile pool swim in 70 minutes, not the fastest but as a starter I’ll take it ((3.3 km in new money). No actual cramps for once, but calves pinging like crazy for the last km. stomach muscles were in agony for 3 hours after this swim, so I’ve definitely overdone or strained something whilst swimming. Hey ho.
@scotroutes superb effort on the big run and cracking scenery to run through.
@mogrim that’s a great pic.
@Alex possibly a stupid question, but what kit do you need to do a Zwift run ?
@wolowiz- as per earlier in the thread, we bought a Smart (ish) treadmill last year so Zwift connects to that on BT and then I use a Zwift foot pod for cadence. When we were on hols, I managed to connect Zwift on my phone to the treadmill in the hotel Gym, it's just a bluetooth connection but Zwift does seem to have a limited set of devices it can work with.
It's not like bike Zwift as you have to manually change the speed/incline. There's no reason Zwift couldn't control the treadmill but there are definitely safety issues so I guess they don't want to get sued! The experience in Zwift is defo "second class" compared to the bike one, but it works well enough for me because I'm following the "Cyclist to 10k" programme - did that last year and it definitely got me reasonably run fit and I lost a chunk of weight I'm not sure I'd have on the turbo.
I missed yesterday due family stuff, so caught up today, hopefully..
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@mogrim that’s a great pic.
Cheers! She's certainly a very photogenic dog 🙂
And as a suggestion, to liven up an already lively thread: how about we have a weekly "best photo" competition? I know @scotroutes will probably win most of them, but as an idea to get the rest of us to post photos? No prizes involved, just as a bit of fun?
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Walk with the family on the tops around high newton . Amazing skies today up here but with an air of foreboding!
Will do a bit of kata after dinner too
Day 15 was a reverse lap of my 43km gravel loop. Another stunning morning. Saw a couple of Brumbies (wild horses).
Saturday my wife was up in a glider so I went up the Lomond Hills to get eye to eye with her.
Yesterday 25k round the cycle paths to loosen up the legs. Made a sinister looking friend.
Then out for a short but steep spin on the MTB this morning where I found this very specific graffiti.
Made a sinister looking friend.
An attempted murder!
Day 15 was an extra hound walk along with loads more greyhounds followed by an hour taking photos of greyhounds.
It was a good day. Does it count as exercise? Yea, my thighs are screaming about the number of squats taking photos so I'm taking it!
An hour inside on the Wattbike on Zwift early on before heading to Northumberland for a few days, beaches are packed….
photos won’t load tho !
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Day 15 - regular Monday night run with the club. Legs feeling surprisingly sprightly.
No photos from tonight but here's a link to a short video of Saturdays run.
Might be useful for anyone contemplating biking it, though I don't have much video of the worst bits as I was too busy trying not to trip and fall!!
Filthy wet dog walk this morning. No way I'd have gone for the normal hike if it weren't for the challenge. Still my re-proofed MTB jacket is beading nicely again, so I'll take any little win!
Also appears I've lost most of my 'Holiday' gain. Apparently riding for a week on an uplift truck while tucking into fantastic food and wine doesn't lose you any weight! Target is another 4lb by end of challenge getting me back to the 12st4 I was for about 20 years until very recently.
Zwift later. I see there are 5 "Cardio Challenges" on the front screen. Have not dared open any of those yet!
Target is another 4lb by end of challenge getting me back to the 12st4 I was for about 20 years until very recently.
I'm hearing you. I went for 25 years weighing 95kg and suddenly I'm 98kg.
Bracing pre-breakfast wander
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Doggo looks warm tho!
I’m hearing you. I went for 25 years weighing 95kg and suddenly I’m 98kg.
Nothing changed in my diet or exercise. Somehow I put on 6lb/3 kilo in 6 months. I decided it had nothing to do with getting older. Although I think it probably is. I've gone for the triple more exercise/better diet/less booze and I think the weight loss is probably due more to the last two of those.
What day are we on? Just been on a four day tour of Norfolk and a small part of Suffolk. 4 days of ~60 miles, all the weathers, fish and chips, curry, roast dinners, some good beer amongst the Sharp's and Greene Kings. Will be riding home from the train station later for today's effort.
Sunday was a much needed recovery day with a long dog walk along the beach followed by a pint or two (wife driving).
Yesterday I road for an hour and half after work in the rain and run this morning, again in the rain. The forecast for tomorrow is better?? I’m fed up with getting wet.
45 mins on Zwift at a pace a bit more than I wanted/15 minutes stretching which always feels like less than I need/more than my low boredom threshold can manage.
Another week of indoor running before I trust myself to go outside and NOT go mad and injure myself. Which is what normally happens. Going to try a very easy ride this Friday if forecast hols well out of sight of the physio 🙂
7km run, no stopping/walking so something's working!!
Did a body strength session with Ash earlier as I'm trying to rest my dicky knee a bit. Quite a good workout, and I'll be looking to repeat it 2 or 3 times a week.
Two very bad days for me, spent pretty much the last two days on my knees, measuring, marking and fitting LVT at home. Feeling really bad in the back, knees and hands. Back on it tomorrow so it’s a two days glitch, nothing more.
ive still got a browser tab full of waterproof gear from yesterday, and today weather, well.
fail so far, early home start for work, travel for interview and then a ridiculous drive across town and back this afternoon/evening. .....
anyone recommend a nice 30min 'late' yoga'lates youtube?
Day 2 of the bike trip took in Dalbeattie then Mabie. Forest of Ae tomorrow, then a mooch back across the border to Keswick, for a final hurrah on day 4 at Whinlatter. If we don't drink too much proper beer in the Wainwright that is...
