Didn't do any exercise yesterday either...

...instead I was at the Pitodderie CAMRA Beer Festival.  Partaking of many different beers.  Though I appear to want to write Bears.  I had many half pints of Bears.  If I was drinking bears instead of beers would that be a better excuse?

Also, I've kind of lost count but is 10 days up yet?  Needless to say I didn't do any today either on account of my, 'ahem', cocktail flu.

Jx

Skipping has killed me.

Honestly, see those red lightening strikes, it's never hurt anywhere ever that much before.

 It's only come on in the past hour (so that's the reason I've not done any exercise all day), and it's quite literally only a two inch section at the very top.  It's excruciating.

 Does any one know, like biologically or anatomically damaged?  And if it's biological or anatomical?

Jx

Skip! Skip! Skip to ra loo my darling!

Did some skipping today.  Wasn't too bad but accidentally wiped the results/cals/jumps from my Asda Fancy Skip Rope.  So you'll have to have my sweaty shirt as proof instead.

The mushed sweaty bit at the torso is where I wiped my face.  I haven't sweated all over because I was wearing a wicking vest under this and I don't think ya'll are ready to see that yet.

Jx

Put that in you're pipe and smoke it!

I went running AND swimming yesterday.  And guess what happens when you exercise (nearly) every day?  You get knackered.   Well, it was supposed to be challenging, and tiring, otherwise why would you bother.

On the plus side when I was running in Seaton Park yesterday, the music I run to and my pace aligned like astrologic stars and this was my view as The Boxer by Simon and Garfunkel was playing (the delicious last bit where the big orchestra kicks in and the string instruments bring up the rear).

The swimming was quite enjoyable.  I managed about 10 or so lengths which isn't too bad I thought, though it will take me a bit of time to get up to it I think.  

I think I'll do an aerobic kick boxing session today.

Jx

I've done nothing again.

I'm a poo poo head failure.  We were supposed to go swimming but I forgot we had dinner with the Gid's Parents.  Mr and Mrs Gids.  So I've stuffed my little facey with a veggie pie thing, tou'ees and cabbage.

I will go running (and possibly swimming) tomorrow.  Promise.

Jx

Four slices of buttered and honeyed toast...

...do not for exercise make.  

I've not done any exercise today.  You know the whole #fitnesschallenge thing.  Instead, I've had a day of eating.  Fried egg and potato scones, ice cream, toast, bananas.

The butter and honey melted down the sides of the toast like tasty liquid gold.

Jx

(Wrote this last night but forgot to publish)Curiouser, and Curiouser

So having basically ensured that I won't be walking properly for a fair few days (it's muscle fatigue, the kind that gets sore the further away from the incident, and slacks off after you move) I decided to do some yoga this morning.  A mixture of hatha and Ivangar, as thems my hommies.  I was trying to put some effort into it, and got quite a sweat on but after I finished I looked at my heart rate monitor and it said 68 bpm.  My resting heart rates 60.  My pottering about heart rate is usually about 80, as is my getting ready for a ride.  Is this normal?  Please let me know.

I'll obviously keep an eye on it over the next couple of days.

Jx

(Today)

Sweaty Betty Strikes again.

When I'm wanting an easy time of tit I tend to go for a turbo training session.  Which is what I did today.  My da's up so I managed this as soon as I got up (more or less).  I've managed to burn 500 cals but i didn't look at my heart rate - though before it was more of a normal rate.

Jx

As predicted I'm in a lot of pain.

My calves aren't playing and my heels aren't talking to the floor.  And bizarrely, I have a weird tender spot right between my rib cage, but generally my bottom half is generally argumentative, especially when it's being told to move.

Needless to say I did some cycling today.  42 minutes-ish.  I think some yoga might be in for tomorrow, then on Saturday my top half can have something narky to say.

Jx

I'm injured!

I might have to have it amputated.    My first run in quite a while and I'm feeling it.  I managed 2.3 miles which isn't bad but... I think I might find tomorrow difficult.  I'm not looking forward to going down the stairs. Stats on the Twitter.

Jx

Just in case you're wondering what I'm on about click here.

Who's With Me?!

After more than a week off I freaked myself out by finding myself sitting up in bed.  Not waking, then sitting up, but throwing myself bolt up right and then wondering what I was doing there.  With my eyes already open.  The Eids promptly crapped himself then fell back to sleep having no memory of it this morning what-so-ever.  We had a whole conversation about it last night.  He asked what I was doing, I said I didn't know, he said when was the last time you did some exercise?  I said the Etape Caledonia 2014, and that I think I was dreaming.  He was still asleep through this entire exchange apparently.  For me, sitting bolt up right (whilst not a big deal in itself) is quite close bouncing off walls - trying to get through doorways that aren't actually there - and herding a flock of Buffys into bed (the dog not the slayer).  Both are recurrent themes in my sleep walking.

I'm imposing on myself a challenge.  I'm going to exercise every day between now and the end of the month.  The rules are:

1.  It has to be crusty, manky, sweat inducing exercise.  Nothing done in normal every day clothing, including pootling about on the Brompton, counts.

2.  It has to be 30 minutes plus. OVER 30, that's 3  Ohh. Minutes over.  

3.  It can be any sort of exercise, cycling, Yoga (if you don't find yoga hard you're not doing it right), but see No. 1 for restrictions.  I'm including this because I want to change it up a wee bit, and do some cross training.  Particuarly since now a baby could arm wrestle me and win.

4.  There is no time in lieu.  So if  we do 45 minutes one day, we do not get to do 17 minutes the next day. So if we do an hour one day, we still need to do thirty plus minutes the next day.

4.  I shall utilise Garry Garmin to prove it.

5. This can happen any time of the day, though my shall aim will be to get this done in the morning.

I'm not sure about embedding the results every day, I may just do the stats - time, heart rate, activity etc.  I'm on twitter (@aWeegieUpNorth) and have mapmyride on my twitter account and facebook so a link to in depth stats will be available.  If anyone really gets a benefit from seeing the exercise info that in depth, please let me know and I'll embed it (it's not that much of a fuss to put it on the post, but really, how many times do people need to see me cycle to Udny).

I have already done 40 minutes of Youtuber kick boxing, which I'll update soon on mapmyride (yes, that was sneaky of me).

If anyone else fancies taking part, or is doing a similar challenge, let me know in the comments and we can keep each other motivated!

Jx

As Beautiful and Terrible as the Dawn...

... More Treacherous than the Sea!
Stronger than the foundations of the Earth!!!
ALL SHALL LOVE ME AND DESPAIR!!!!

I'm just generally ace me.  Because *FANFARE*





Check that time People!

Just in case you missed it:

By:	Muffintop
Started in:	Pitlochry, Scotland, GB
Distance:	80.9 mi
Elevation:	+ 3875 / - 3870 ft
Moving Time:	05:23:29

That would have me beating both, BOTH, my target time (less than 6 hours, and forty four minutes quicker than last year) and my Wave time by 7 minutes.  That is also my official time - I started Garry Garmin just before we entered the starting gate - and we didn't stop once.  

We (me and the Gids) probably could have got under 5hrs 20 but we lost each other at the top of Schiehallion.  On most hills he waits at the top, I see him and he moves off again and I catch up but he went straight through to the feed station a couple of miles away and waited there.  I thought I'd perhaps missed him at the top when he moved off but I couldn't find him as I'm usually only a couple of minutes behind, and when I couldn't see him on the road ahead I thought I'd gone passed him so slowed down.  I really didn't want to stop because when you stop it's so much difficult to get started again, it really is horrendous, so I slowed down for a bit.  In the end I ended up asking a Red Van Man at the top of Schiehallion, as darling boyfriend does like to cut a dash in a German Commander style helmet and board shorts, which was one of the highlights of the trip.  Red Van Man was getting ready to say 'No' when I started with 'Have you seen...' but then there's that recognition that folk have when they know an answer and say to themselves 'No wait, I have actually.'  The Red Van Man was so pleased with himself he even pointed in the direction the Gids was heading (which incidentally was the way all the cyclists were heading, it being a race and all).    

Another kind of highlight - it also doesn't really show me in a good light - was actually going up on the  climb itself.  I passed a lady who was having a hard time of it and I accidentally said 'Nearly there!' and she was like 'Really!?  I haven't done this in a couple of years, I can't remember!'  And I had to go 'No, actually, we're about half way.'  I was so ashamed of myself I couldn't stay behind and try to draft or pace her.  So.  Bad Jakky.

What else.... The weather was pretty spot on.  Cloudy, with a very slight cooling wind for the most part, and dry.   By my reaconing it's probably a pretty fast average time for the sportive generally this year because of the conditions.  Going round we did notice a lot more groups and 'cycle friends' all drafting each other, though that could have been because we were managing to keep up in our 'wave' as it were.  There were also one or two very serious lone wolves.  Particuarly in the last 30 or so miles of the race.   We - and this is in no way a boast because we were over taken by a fair few - over took a couple of single riders who would make a point of over taking us (or me rather, the Gids seemed to think one particular man was concerned with overtaking me) then drop off again, and we'd have to go round them.  Me and the gids don't always draft, and tend to cycle all over the place, as I can go faster than what he manages to draft at (some times), so the gids would move forward, I'd catch up with the gids - mostly cycling in two across style, and then the lone wolf would overtake us and slow down. We'd have to slow down, overtake him then it'd all start again for another four miles.  I don't think he was drafting or anything, because you'd say wouldn't you?  If you wanted to.   As we were going marginally faster we'd drop them eventually but if they were drafting it would have been easier for them to just sit behind us for a while.  In sportives like these there's no point in cycling to someone elses race really.  We overtook some proper knackered looking Freds on the last couple of miles also, so I'm sure there's a fair few have at it at KOM and the sprint, and probably a few of the down hill sections as well.   There were also some interesting cycling styles.  Particuarly that of the knees pedal outside the elbows.  I can't decide if it's because their bike seats not high enough, they're worried they'll squash their balls or if their vanity would be crushed by sitting more up right as that would get their bellies out the way and be better for their knees all round.  There were quite a few mountain bikes this year, who'd overtake me on the hills then we'd pass them going down the way and on the flats, as well as shit a more girls which was ace.  The first year I did it there was only a handful, same the second year again, but this year I'd not be surprised if it was close to 50/50 which is quite heartening to see.

On my performance:  Really quite pleased.  Obviously the time speaks for itself. I've been having a weird left hip thing when using my Muddyfox shoes - I've been interchanging between the muddyfox cycling shoes which are more like racing shoes, and the (I want to say they're Giro but I don't think so) which are 2.5 sizes to long for me.  When I'm in my muddy fox shoes after wearing the Giro ones I get sore hips which seem to alternate depending on which side was sore last time.  The Giro ones I don't like wearing because whilst they are more comfortable to walk in, on long journeys my feet begin to slip inside them.  On the muddy fox ones my feet are secure and I feel like I get a better grip on the pedals as I push and pull.  On Sunday my hip started to niggle about 30 miles in, then in the last 20 miles I couldn't stop peddaling because every time I did my hip would scream and I'd feel sick up my back.  I was both dreading and desprate to finish physically.  I was sure I was not going to be able to get off the bike without crying.  The last 20 miles were the worst mentally.  We averaged 15.5 miles an hour which is a fair lick for me, most of my training rides have been around 13ish.  But despite the mph we were showing (17-18 on some stretches) the miles felt longer but the minutes faster and then that half mile slow drag into town to the end....  Ughhhhh.  In saying that, overall it's not the most unpleasant I've felt (Ullapool is my Nemesis) and it's my best race so far in terms of goal reaching, general enjoyability, discomfort and cycling.

  One thing we did do this year was get a High5 Race Packs and generally followed the instructions which was rather good.  I intend to go into this in more detail as it probably deserves some attention.  Incidentally, their sportive, triathlon, and mountain bike instructions are all the same.

I really am very pleased with this.  I'm finding it hard to believe as I was expecting to 'just' get under the 6 hours, or just miss it.  I'm also finding myself a little saddened not having that to aim for.  It sounds bizzare to say but I'm, I don't know.  I'm normally a bit bereft after this particular race, feeling melancholy and post christmas bluesy as it's noloner there to shoot for.  But this is especially so since I said I'd keep going until I hit under 6 hours for my time.  I'm about to pre register for next year, and we've already pre booked the hotel we stay at but I'm not warming to 'Under 5 hours'.  I know it is more impressive than under  6, but I just don't feel the magic.  It's not tantalising.  It doesn't sparkle.  Now is that because I'm that much of a masochist, and the under 6 has been difficult and now under five seems like a breeze since it is only 23 minutes difference (my ego may have exploded a bit here, I'll admit that).  On the flip side this downward feeling could be especially accute since it has been such a triumph this year, and it'll be difficult to top next year.

I don't know.  I just don't know.  I do wish I'd got one of those sticky engraving tabs you could put on your medal now though.

Jxx

Last Post Before Etape Caledonia 2014!

What's done is done.  What's been trained has been trained and now it's the eve of the race.

How am I feeling?  I'd be lying if I said I wasn't apprehensive about tomorrow. I haven't done as much training as I did last year, but I've certainly done more training than I did the previous year but not as much as the first year (to wit I am never doing that amount of training again).  We are faster this year.  I want to beat my time last year (if I don't I'll be back next year under 6 hrs).  A billion things could go wrong tomorrow - a tire puncture or two, a bad crash or the tire puncture pixies could be out - but I feel like I'm faster this year than I have been in previous years, and I am faster, I have the stats to prove it. Not consistent stats but stats none the less, so... 

That assides what prep have I done?  Well there has been some Carbo Loading Caledonia Style:

I have to confess that that's not my portion you're looking at (you can tell because I don't 'do' pickled eggs), but mine, with a cup of Chinese curry sauce (a delicacy only available in Britain I'm told, as besides from Thai style curries the Chinese don't do curry as we have it), is pretty much the same, in fact you can see my pale Scottish hand on its way to stubbing my face in the back ground.

In further related prep news, given the amount of gear I have (and lack of idea), I negated to bring a cycling jersey with pockets in the back.  It's reporting to be very warm tomorrow, and going up Slug Road last week - there were no freak arsed clowns - I was streaming sweat as I had my Lidl sports top (very good if you can get them,) and my purple Altura jacket which was sweltering.  So I was going to wear my rab hooded top (thinnish but strangely windproof), with my Lidl sports top and an Endura jack-in-a-pack as it's supposed to be showery and then heavy rain about 1ish.  The only thing that has pockets is my camel pack and my little cross bar pouch which will not hold the items I plan to take. I wasn't going to wear my black endura jacket I've worn in previous years because it's a bit done and looking worse for it, but it did have those handy deep hoach (the chubby bit just below your kidney, almost on but not quite the back of your hips) pockets good for stashing stuff.   

I also don't know how I'm going to take my rain jacket off without stopping.  See now if I had just done and made do I wouldn't be thinking about this now.  

Actually, do you know what... I have my bike lights attached by safety pins and some small plastic bags.  I can attach the small plastic bags onto the inside of the waistband of my trousers.  There. That's potentially solved that problem.  

Wish me luck.

See you after.

Jxx

Only a week to go!!!

Aaaarrgghh!

But it's fine!  We went and did part of the Trossachs route we normally do a couple of weeks before the Etape, and I crashed and burned when we got 10 miles from the end, of a 50 mile ride, and the Etape Caledonia's 80 miles, but it's fine!  I've done two 30 mile training runs making a point of not using the granny gear, it hasn't made me any faster, but it's FINE!  I did another YouTube hill training thing.  It was soo hard I nearly fainted, I had to lie on the floor with my head between my legs, I didn't even know I was lying on the dog bed but it'll be FINE!!!!  HONESTLY FINE!!!!!!  It'll be a BREEZE!!!! EASY WEASEY!!!! A WEE BIT SNEEZEY!!!!  


So yeh,  we're going out to do about 50 miles or so tomorrow, and today it feels like someone's been winding the big muscles in my legs up like a jack-in-the-box.   If I'm half way up Slug Road and creapy freak arsed clowns bound from the middle of my thighs I'll let you know.

Jx