Chapter 23 - #2017BringItOn and other musings

Tis the winter of our discontent....

December 2016

Richmond Park December 2016

Christmas Day #showingoff

It's foggy outside, and at this time of year I feel like all I really want to do is eat mince pies and hibernate.  I have pushed myself out on my bike in the winter sunshine in an effort to do 100k a week.  (I didn't quite reach the target of the Rapha 500km!)  I was wrapped up, although I have now realised I need more hardcore socks and cycling gloves if I am to be able to feel my fingers at the end of my ride.  But actually there is something rather gratifying about getting hot and sweaty in the winter time. The downfall of the cold, well there are many things.... numb fingers and toes, dripping nose, loss of speed - but oh sooooo slow.  Consumption of calories - ahh yes the calories. Having burnt 747 calories on one winter ride around Richmond Park I then returned home only to consume 2 million calories in an attempt to warm myself up.  But Winter and Autumn running has been gratifying especially along by the river. I even managed a winter ride over to my in-laws on Christmas day which felt good - OK I felt smug. But it did make a day of gluttony seem worthwhile.  The downside of this is that I had to leave my bike at my in-laws house.  My father in-law is not always good with things technical or mechanical and if he didn't squash my bike with his car in the garage then it'd be a miracle. The last time I felt uneasy like this was when my boss Chris offered to transport my bike to Wales.  Something told me to not entrust the care of Bailey (the name of my bike - it's a girl thing) to this man. I thanked him kindly for the offer and transported my bike in the boot of my Beetle.  My instincts were right.  Chris phoned from the motorway service station on the way to Wales to say he'd wiped his bike off the top of his car in the KFC where there was a barrier with height restrictions.  See! womens instinct. My father in-law very kindly brought my bike back to me in his car - I didn't look (because I couldn't) but I don't think he even took the wheel off, and so it seems to be working perfectly.  So thank you Peter if you are reading this.

Running Shoes footwear for running !!

What's next #2017BringItOn...

Knitting not just a hobby a way of life

Project Jumper

I was flagging at the end of 2016 it has to be said Christmas parties take a lot out of you. I wondered what my challenge for next year would be, you need something to keep you motivated. I was seriously thinking of just hibernating and returning to knitting, but having started a jumper over Christmas I remembered how frustrating it can be and only leads to hours spent on the sofa consuming quality street. It's not even a jumper I can cycle in. Maybe it's just my life needs more of a mix of these type of things and the sporty stuff.  The Ying and Yang of life. Maybe some yoga to get me more flexible.






Just as I was pondering all of this I got an exciting offer.........

An old friend, Julian Hucker (they're all old these days!) had set up a Triathlon Training Camp - www.elitetrainingexperience.com  having successfully run camps last year they are now looking for crowd funding. Did I want to join them on a training camp in Cyprus?. Ooooo I've never been to Cyprus before was my first thought.  Hah - these camps are never holidays. But you know I'd lost my way in terms of proper training so actually this is what I needed to kickstart my 2017, and the website says "Whatever your level, whatever your goal" - I was going to need to think of another goal other than "knit a jumper before next Christmas".  Yes - I'm in.  So that means I need to keep up my fitness. Holy Shit Batman.

My friends Steve and JT keep teasing me about doing a 70.3 but maybe I need to at least do an Olympic distance.  Well this ETE camp was certainly going to test my 10k maximum running distance. Eeekkk. #2017BringItOn

Steve and JT and I - too much laughter whilst cycling! #oysters

So February follows Christmas quite quickly I notice so I need to probably do some training. Especially as after Christmas I have no need for a belt as my waist has thickened so much! Luckily santa bought me a turbo trainer.

Revelations on a Turbo Trainer....

So a Turbo Trainer allows you to ride your bike without ever leaving your home.  They are supposed to help with winter training. So on those cold, dark and wet days you can still get in the saddle clocking up the KM without ever leaving the house.  

The other advantages are:- 

1. You can listen to music with headphones on 
2. You don't have to wear a helmet, very liberating. 
3. I can cycle with no-hands. I've always wanted to do this, ever since those heady days in the 70s riding up and down Riverside Walk on my Raleigh. All the boys could do it. And I must confess that when no-one was looking I did ride my turbo with my arms up in the air like they do when they complete a stage of the tour-de-france. Maybe this is a bit like singing into the mirror with a hairbrush ? A bit of fantasy.  Whilst I can confess this here in writing I think if any of my family had walked into the room at the point I was shouting "Yes Yes Yes" waving my arms in the air whilst pedalling furiously, I would have been mortified. 

The other revelation about turbo training - is the amount of sweat produced. Wow - it's a good job our kitchen floor isn't wooden.  But after the amount of red wine I consumed over the festive period it feels good to sweat - better out than in! The other disadvantages are my family keep asking me about their homework whilst I'm furiously pedalling - a tad distracting. 

My son pointed out that "In the summer mummy when it's sunny outside you can open the windows and cycle!" I replied "Max if it's sunny outside I won't be cycling in the kitchen I'll be out there cycling!!"  But he isn't a child of the '70s who understands the concept of just getting  on your bike and cycling around for hours on end with your mates. 

When I did take Max out for a bike ride to Richmond before Christmas it was a very torturous experience.  I never thought anyone could sap the joy of cycling out of me as he did on that day!  The 5k to Richmond felt like 50k.  A sobbing 11 year old boy shouting behind me "I HATE cycling".  I could have run faster to Richmond.  He mentioned that his saddle was uncomfortable, maybe I was being unsympathetic to the different anatomy he has to me. But we made it and I bribed him with lunch, and then we cycled home.  Let's face it he isn't going to be the next Bradley Wiggins. Although he does suffer from colds ?!! But joking aside it really saddens me that my children don't get out and about on their bikes. We were always on our bikes as kids.

Oh child of the '70s - no hands!

What happens next? Life is a marathon not a sprint

So to keep me focused this year I have a couple of other events to aim for.  All things I haven't tried before...not a marathon though, no! no! no! 

1. Trip to Caerphily mountain. 
Whilst I've opted out of Velothon Wales this year, I won't let Caerphilly mountain get the better of me. So Gareth (good welsh name) and Amanda and I will be doing a little jaunt to Wales to tackle the mountain that is Caerphilly mountain. My nemesis.  I have never yet done it without getting off and walking my bike up.  I can now get up Whitedown Lane in Surrey without getting off and walking so it's just Caerphilly and then maybe that  open water swimming thing to embrace rather than dread.  Maybe I should also look at my pension something I also try and not think about. Ostrich behaviour.

2. Mallorca 312 in April
Not the full 312km around the island thing, but the 167km route.  Several friends and I have booked through www.Sunvelo.com. Couple of days cycling in the sunshine beforehand then the sportive on the Saturday. Should be fun.


3. Velothon Berlin

I've never been to Berlin before.  My friends Sandy and Lisa encouraged me to do this, I'm so easily swayed by these 2! "Lets just go for 1 beer" they said in Paris after we'd cycled from Utrecht.  2am and the last people to leave the nightclub, we showed those Dutch girls!  When I went to book Berlin I thought they'd made a mistake as the distance is 182km. No it appears they hadn't  The most I've cycled is 150k in one day at the New Forest Sportive and that was a hard day. So they assured me it's flat. Uhmmmm we'll see won't we?  I also have a niggling doubt that the German man on the end of my email didn't understand that I wanted to be added to their "team" so I am in the same starting pen. I'm not convinced I am. That would be a very lonely ride. I'm hoping it doesn't have to be done in Lederhausen either.

4. London Duathlon - September
I enjoyed this last year and my lovely friend Catherine is going to join me this year.  And I promise not to throw bananas at the other competitors this time.

Other musings....

• Strava - why is it that when I logon onto Strava on my computer the login bar is directly under the womans bust ? I find it slightly unnerving.

• Deliveroo - I'm on a mission to ensure that those Deliveroo delivery boys and girls wear helmets and use their lights on their bikes. I've been assured by Deliveroo via Twitter that they are all issued with helmets and lights, but I've seen at least 4 lads riding around in the dark without lights and helmets.  One lad was cycling around with headphones on too. Very dangerous.  Am I getting like Victor Meldrew? 

• New bike N+1 - I have a real hankering for a new bike.  That's not going to be cheap is it.  My bike currently sounds  like it has a canary trapped inside. There must be something in the January sales with my name written on it.  But I'm a bit of a girl at these things I know none of the technical stuff. Hell it took me a long time to work out the big cog little cog thing !! I can see myself looking at bikes because they are a nice colour.  So we'll see. I believe they can be quite pricey - eh Mat Smith?

My handsome brother ! 

• My brother - my brother thinks he's funny.  He was the one who changed my tyres to pink ones. Although I have to say they grew on me and became a talking point.  This Christmas he bought me some "heart" rear lights for my bike.  See photo.  Whilst I could stomach the pink tyres I have to say these are a step too far to be attached to my bike.  So thank you very much but I hope you don't mind I have re-gifted them to Gareth! He'll have the balls to use them!

Bike Balls - thank you brother ! #gross

So onto the next chapter - Wish me luck & I'll keep you posted about Triathlon Camp !  

Happy New Year everyone let's hope 2017 is a good one. X