Day 36. The weather forecast screwed my day over a bit. Ashley was supposed to fly through this morning and I'd planned to take a walk up a wee hill afterwards to check for storm damage. Well, it didn't really arrive until the evening so all my delaying meant I had to grab some indoor exercise instead. Managed 90 minutes of Zone 2 on the turbo and some easy yoga with Kassandra this evening.
Yeah, Ashley confused my plans a bit. I'd assumed it'd be a write off for the day but it was actually quite a nice day so did 12 miles on the bike around town. The ride home in the evening though was wild - too windy to safely ride the canal towpath.
Had a big night out on Friday so just went up Arthur's Seat on Saturday and took my crawler with me which was flipping brilliant.
Then a run up one of the 7 Hills of Edinburgh this morning in the sun.
I spent last week taking it easy on the bike and feel much better for it - despite, as it turns out, doing 100 off road miles. I'll start pushing on this week. Seems sometimes to get fitter you have to do less to gain more.
a planned easy Wattbike session last night that turned out more Z3 than Z2, anyways, legs feeling fine today on the early dog walk, so will be another trundle in my garage this evening, hopefully an outdoor pool swim tomorrow...
Not been able to get on much this week on account of hosting a visit by my dad.
Did alreet though. Hour at the trails before he arrived. 4 hours around Matlock Bath and heights of Abraham one day. Another four hours around Newark Air Museum. Got an hour yoga in yesterday and a small weights session in Saturday (when my body was screaming 'take a rest day' - silly me). Used 30 minute evening yoga to fill the gaps.
If I take nothing else from this challenge I will still be happy with extra mobility I am starting to get from these yoga sessions.
We've passed the 1/3 mark.
I've missed one day so far - trying to fit a half day at work, and a long haul flight into one day, and then having a heavy thunderstorm ruin my only possible window for a half hour walk.
With the miserable weather recently, I'd like to thank the challenge for forcing me out for a walk or urban bike ride (or onto zwift) probably 4 times out of the last 7 days when I would have otherwise retired to the couch.
4 runs and 2 MTB rides for me this week assuming all goes to plan*- after yesterdays yoga and to @ @seriousrikk 's point, I need to find time to schedule 30 mins in at least 3 times a week. I can pretend the pre/post run stretches count but I defo like to do more work on my upper and lower back. When I use to go to Yoga classes pre-covid, made a massive difference to a desk jockey like me.
*it won't 🙂
So enjoy some photos I took in September instead of the more boring recent activities
While we were looking for a sports watch for my better half, I was quite taken by the Garmin's with the animated workouts. Then I realised my Epix2 has those 😉 Every day and all that... anyway tried the Yoga, works really well, I've modified it a bit as some of the poses are a bit short, but seems to be plenty of variety you can add. Also has Pilates which I'll give a go tomorrow.
Talking of Garmin's, mine is complaining I've not done enough high aerobic workouts. That's because the running programme is definitely targeting low aerobic. Seems to be working as did an 8k run earlier, 5km at about 90% of the pace I want to get to for the 10km and my HR was pretty stable for the first 4, went up a few beats in the last one. So that's working, but pretty useless for MTBing I would have thought.
Missed this thread for the last week because stuff. Start of last week was a dud. Did a lunch walk each day but family/business/work stuff has just annihilated my motivation. Got a surprise reset at the weekend though as a massive bough fell off an even massiver tree on thursday night, smashing a fence and depositing itself right outside the holiday let. So friday Saturday sunday has been a lumberjacking and brash disposal grafting session. Got about 3 tonnes of firewood cut and dragged out of the river, 20m of fence disentangled, dismantled and disposed of and 8 mondeo loads of brashings taken to the tip. Which COMFORTABLY met my half an hour a day and then some. Knackered today but have sawn and split some ash to make room for the new influx of sycamore and been to karate, so back on track. Run tomorrow!
On the saw
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Sunday was a bit a cheat day really, went to Alton Towers so was walking round all day. I was hung over as well, so was sweating buckets as were getting a wriggle on to get to rides.
Got home about 9:30 and thought I still needed to do something else, so took the dog for a walk.
Tonight did 45 minutes on the turbo pretty much all 'up hill'!
Final "official" Monday night social run of the running club season so we did an old favourite - Beinn Ghuilbin (locally known as Kettle Hill). It was a prettty damp and windy evening but we still managed to pull together 15 of us.
Now we move into the off-season and it becomes a bit more random regarding numbers and locations. It's worth keeping it up if possible though. Starting from "scratch" in March is rubbish 🙂
Day 37 here.
Got another pre breakfast ride in. 27.5km. Decided to have a nosey down some side tracks I've never looked at in the forestry.
steady hour on monday. felt a bit old. still on track.
Council run health ride last night - had a lady join us for the first time with her other half who said it was their first child free ride together for 8 years. Their chat and laughter was great to hear.
Day 35: Kassandra
Day 36: stretching and 30 mins running.
Day 37: not sure yet…
Well yesterday evening we did a cub hike and I recce'd the route and took down all the bearings on my bike a few hours before
We even found the only old house on the New Build Milton Keynes estate that gave the estate its name and none of teh cubs or parents had any idea about
Yesterday was another ride from the garage and back as the van had all the advisories from the MOT sorted out and this morning I went for my usual run. The weather today is perfect for a ride but I’m just not feeling it!
For the first time this challenge, I’m beginning to feel a little fatigued. I’m going to try and ease off a little to see if it makes any difference.
8.8km Fartlek on the treadmill. Pilates session off the Garmin, further 8km walking with the dogs today. Also starting to feel a bit tired but Garmin tells me I'm fine as even tho running feels quite hard, it doesn't generate the load MTBing does (as it's shorter - 50 mins ish and HR is lower, Garmin doesn't offer any kind of weighting for being a rubbish runner with tired legs).
Would have been a lovely day for a run outside, but earlier this year I injured myself by going too hard when I transitioned to outside (it's blooming hilly here) so I'm sticking with the 8 week Zwift plan to build myself up properly for some filthy trail running this winter.
22.000 steps today. Intend to do about 50 more max 🙂
Never went for a run but did an hour and a half splitting logs. Claiming it.
Day 37: quick walk up the Loaf after work. Up in the dusk, down in the dark. Only saw two other souls, both riders.
Somehow, still struggling to get the bike out since coming home from a trip 🙁
Stage 2, tour of watopia at 8 this evening, good workout
What day are we on? Not yet half way, so in some sort of no-mans-land 🙂
Bit breezy around these parts but, in search of some fresh air and new views, I headed to the lower parts of Glen Feshie for a wee 10k run.
I love this little side-glen, it provides some nice mountain views but has more open space than some other areas.
This isn't a public bothy, though I've bivvied beside it previously.
The little fire pit and makeshift seats indicate it's being used by the estate, though I've yet to see anyone there.
MTB ride tonight convinced me to sack off a couple of runs this week. Nothing in the legs - persistent asthma isn't helping- with a big ride planned Saturday. Yoga and Pilates tomorrow and maybe a run Friday, but I'm defo at the 'every body part feels like it needs a rest' stage.
Great ride tho- not that muddy which was a lovely surprise. Every climb tho felt 2xhard as it normally does.
Nothing in the legs – ... with a big ride planned Saturday....... I’m defo at the ‘every body part feels like it needs a rest’ stage.
I'm a bit like that too. Thing is, I'm not doing any more exercise than I usually do (actually less). Maybe it's just that cold I had recently still lingering behind the scenes. I'll try not to do too much between now and Saturday though.
It's annoying as I want to keep going and not doing something cardio feels like a cop out. But I'm not 25 anymore and need to listen to my body. Stretching/Yoga/Pilates/Rest is what it needs. I'd not enjoy the big day out Saturday if I feel this knackered so time to kick back for a couple of days.
Also still another 60+ days to go, so definitely need to be thinking of the long game.
Day 39 was a 30 mins strength session before breakfast and 30 mins walking to and from the station and work.
A big rest seems to have sorted me out - my legs are still always sore but that reminds me of how they felt when I was racing loads with similar success fifteen years ago. I had to have the driver's seat of my car as far back as it would go despite being 5'9" because my legs had to be straight or they'd scream!
Some evidence of improvement today - a nice autumnal ride on some new to me singletrack that was really good fun away from home. It looks very Yorkshire. Managed to smash my way up the big steep 4km climb from the bottom of the valley back to the top which I couldn't have done a week ago.
Just 30 mins "Deep Stretch" Yoga with Kassandra. Yeah, need to be doing a lot more of that. Hamstrings appear to be about <--> long 😉 Done bog all else, so hoping this will put me back on track. Might run tomorrow but if I still feel tired, it'll be back to Kassandra's extensive back catalogue, and maybe a side order of upper/lower back pilates.
Today was the closest I've come to sacking it off. Tired for the last few days, then spent much of today helping to plan my dad's funeral (he died just over a week ago). Binged on chocolate and crisps and crashed out on the settee. My wife suggested I should go for a walk whilst she warmed up some apple pie and custard (my favourite).
So just about hauled myself out for a short, yet much needed, walk in the dark.
Back to healthy eating tomorrow!
