Wating For A Bus

It's only January 5th and I'm feeling fitter already.

I got a heart rate monitor for Christmas so Monday's task was to set the time, date, etc and also tell it how old I am and what my height and weight are. Surprisingly it didn't laugh out loud at the info and so I proceeded to have a 30 minute ride on the exercise bike to test out the monitor and measure my heart rate throughout.

I tried to be in the aerobic range while I cycled but it was hard as I was also being coached by the real triathlete of the family about keeping my knees over my feet rather than stuck out at the jaunty angle I was using. Also I had to try not to glaze over as we got in to the realms of cadence - I really am interested but it seems there is so much information coming at me at once that my brain is suffering a little bit of overload. (It is only small anyway and so is easily challenged by technical details!).

It's Tuesday, and, spurred on by my success on the exercise bike and the fact that I could still walk when I came down stairs in the morning I promised to do more exercise today. We started to plan the days events, I had to go to work for 1pm so we decided we'd swim together at the late night session at the local leisure centre - adults only 9-10pm. However he had a little something to show me first - a first step towards improving my running technique.

Instantly another example of brain overload came to light when the son described the "100 up" exercise which he is going to do every morning. The easy version is to walk on the spot, lifting the knees high at each step, you are bare-foot and try to put the ball of the foot down slightly ahead then the heel follows. The arms are held at 90 degrees and you do 100 steps moving your arms as you would in a running action. When you get fitter you are meant to do it running on the spot. This exercise helps to cure you of heel-strike as you practice ball of foot-first until it becomes second nature.  Hubby and son realised I had problems visualising the exercise when I asked which arm you move when you step on the right foot. Hubby did a demonstration, I asked again and he seemed to think it hilarious that I couldn't get it - but we had the last laugh at his expense, as when we analysed his action he'd been doing it wrong! So he and I had a lots of fun while we did "Spotty Dog" walks up and down the hall - the son is too old to have seen the wooden tops so just watched us in a bemused, tolerant fashion, much as we used to watch him when he was a toddler - my how times change! So now I finally understand the "100 up" and have promised to do it every day.

After work I got in at 6.45pm and we had a reasonably early tea, then down to the swimming pool and in the water by 8.50. And now I have to tell you I made some amazing progress. First of all my overall distance was 40 lengths which is 1KM - how about that! Also I tried to improve the technique, I was still doing breast stroke but it was slightly better - I tried to visualise moving well through the water and remember that the more relaxed you swim the easier it is. Also with a little coaching from the son, I had a go at real front crawl - not the head up all the time effort from my youth, but putting my new goggles and even newer swim hat in the water. I only managed about two thirds of a length but I did have a kind of light bulb moment and suddenly when I went back to breast stroke I could co-ordinate the bobbing and breathing much better - it made  the last 6 lengths much easier. Just for comparison we did some interval training and I discovered that in the time it took me to do 5.5 lengths, the younger generation had completed 12 and had started his recovery period. But I persevered, and every time he set off for the next set, so did I and I kept up the 6 per set so felt really pleased. When we got out I actually felt my legs belong to me and I could walk in a straight line and no threat of throwing up (contrast the session before Christmas). Typically Em wasn't on duty in the pool so I couldn't have a chat and show off my improved level of "fitness". We came home and I ran in the house yelling guess how far - and guess what it felt great to say I can swim a kilometre ( I think I was 27 the last time I did that).

It's now Wednesday and I have done my "100 up" and been for a brisk walk for 25 minutes through the wind and rain, so that's 3 days in a row now.

This is where the bus comes in - after waiting all these weeks for a bit of training, one session comes along and then so do another 2 - I am feeling very pleased with myself. I will hopefully keep going now.

Zumba, Swimming and Lemsip

Looking back to December and my training, this is a summary I wrote qbout what happened but unfortunately I didn't manage to post before the Chrismas break overtook me. so here it is, if a little belated.

I've managed one zumba session since the silly work season quietened down and I really enjoyed it.

Stepping up the training I  went to a 9pm swimming session with my son, he did so many lengths that I lost count, but I counted mine and I did 30!!!!!!!! I was so tired when I got out of the pool I thought my wobbly legs would fail to carry me to the changing rooms. Then I realised that the lifeguard was a friend of mine so I had to have a quick chat while pretending that I wasn't about to collapse. Still, the Derby Tri only needs me to complete 16 lengths so this has given me a real boost.

This, I was sure, was surely the start of a great new training regime but sadly, within three days of my swimming session, I succumbed to the nasty cold germ that was being passed around at work and my routine turned into timing my next dose of cold relief medication so that I could keep going at work and finish the Christmas preparations.

Once again I am going to have to wait a while until I feel better, so I'm guessing that I know what my New Years resolution will be - train more, stay fit!

Boot Camp Warning

Just had an early warning - my son has just arrived home from uni for the Christmas vacation and has told me that this is BOOT CAMP - he is determined to get me through this training and into the Derby Tri in reasonable condition. Watch this space.

C2C and other information

Remember me?

I am still trying to get fit - I have been working lots of extra shifts, but luckily this involved staying in a hotel for 2 nights on 9th Nov and to my immense pride I was swimming in the hotel pool at 7am each morning before breakfast ready to face the day. I've also done a couple of zumba sessions and yoga too so all is not lost!!

Today I had another crunching session at the osteopath so no more excuses. This week its zumba x 2 and swimming x2 (yet another residential course for work).

The real triathlete of the family keeps checking on my progress so I have to keep doing things to impress him! He is not too impressed so far but at least I haven't given up!

He was 21 the other weekend and had decided to try to cycle the C2C in a day - hence the title. This was a really big ask as the autumnal lack of light makes the available cycling hours relatively short. He left Whitehaven at 6.50am and made great progress to Keswick via Whinlatter Pass and then on to Penrith. As driver of the support car (not so impressive as the skodas on the Tour de France trailers but we did try our best) - we rendezvoused at the top of Hartside Pass for sandwiches and a flask of tea - most civilised. Then he was off again - he got to Nenthead, then a wrong turn meant he doubled back on himself and ended up nearly back in Alston- more cycling to regain Nenthead and the reality of 3pm on an Autumn afternoon and fast approaching darkness kicked in and he made the incredibly sensible decision to abort. He is definitely going to do it in the summer with longer days but I am IMMENSELY proud of his 136Km ride on the actual day of his 21st birthday. WOW!!

We drove to a family get together past the hospital where he was born (sorry about this but I need a suitably gooey mummy moment - aaah) then lots of fun and a glass of champagne each before he crashed out for 11 hours - didn't even have the grace to be stiff the next day!

I think I have a lot to live up to! If I just get fit and finish the Derby Tri and raise some sponsor money too I'll be happy - I think I started too late to compete with the younger generation.

Twitter

I have never twittered before but have now signed up and am going to give it a go.

I'm not sure how it works but that is part of the fun, I'm hoping it may raise the profile of my fund-raising for ovarian cancer too, so I get to grips with social networking and hopefully do some good too.

Watch this space!

I have a plan!

Last night I was feeling a bit sorry for myself and way behind on my training ambition then my son gave me a pep talk about how it is still possible to do the Derby tri. This is particularly touching as he is 21 this weekend and it seems our roles are reversed and he is now looking after me! So after the pep talk he outlined a training plan to get me back on track. He is, in his words, determined to get me through this event.

So for now I'm back to zumba and yoga, then I'm adding in the exercise bike and some weight training then by Christmas I should be up to trying to run again - I have promised to do as I'm told and train regularly according to the plan - so here we go.

Cute Inspiration

Last week we had a week away in the Lakes where my back was so stiff I couldn't contemplate hiking "up" but we did lots of walking "along" so still managed to keep reasonably active. I've been back to yoga this week and the back seems to be holding up, so I'm going to ease in gently and eventually hope to do some running again soon.

The cute inspiration mentioned in the title is courtesy of my son who sent me this link to the cute little robot guys who completed the Hawaii Ironman Course - check them out

http://lavamagazine.com/features/ironbots-tackle-the-hawaii-ironman-course/#axzz1cIN1LtUj