Water Again.

Just a short post today.

Went to aquafit this morning as it isn't on at lunchtime tomorrow. There were six of us today. I got the biggest 'weights' and put a lot of effort into the movements and can definitely feel my tummy muscles have had a workout.

I also noticed I could feel the muscles in my legs from yesterday's run.

I'm a runner!

I'm not working this week so planned on getting up early this morning and going for a run. Then I woke up and put the radio on and .... fell asleep again. When I did get up I was still determined to go for a run.

Evie and I went down to the Greenway and I did 23 minutes of run/walk, That is run 1minute/walk 1 minute but in some cases I did run 2 minutes/walk 1 minute. Then I d had a ten minute cool down walk back to the car. I quite enjoyed that although I do get very breathless no matter how slow I am running.

Then after I'd had my breakfast porridge I took Bear for a walk across the moor and back up through the farm to East Bierley.

My poor partner has a slipped disc. It happened on Friday but the hospital didn't put a name to it. The doc came today and said that is definitely what it is. All three of us were supposed to be going to Amsterdam on Wednesday but it is now going to be just Isobel and myself.

Bolton Abbey Again

Mike's turn to lead us out on a ride yesterday. Only five of us out and two of them I hadn't met before. One guy is doing the ride and the other came with him for support.

We set off later than anticipated but I can already tell the difference in my fitness and the borrowed bike. Last time we did this route was two weeks ago and by the time we got to Menston (about two miles, if that) I could already feel my leg muscles aching and going through Burley-in-Wharfedale I was wondering what I was doing there. This time I didn't have that feeling of dread.

We crossed the river at Ilkley and carried on until we started up a shortish sharp hill. I was slow but not so far behind everyone else although that could have something to do with them being slower than the group who were out two weeks ago as well. We saw a mole crossing the little country road!

We arrived at The Cavendish Pavilion and I was feeling pretty good. I had a good cup of coffee and a nice piece of flapjack kindly paid for by one of the other riders, Peter.

On the return journey I could hear a slight grating noise coming from my bike wheel. Peter said my wheel was slightly out of line and cycled forwrd to report to Mike. We all stopped and Mike examined it and found that one of the spokes had pinged. He wound it round the interior of the other spokes and thinking I might have bother with it asked me to ride his bike. Now Mike is only a small chap, built like a jockey I would say, but is a very strong rider. I climbed on his bike and could barely touch the floor. A few hundred yards up the road we had a sharp right onto the bridge to cross the river but I nearly didn't stop so quickly swapped back to my bike.

The last bit of the ride is a long drag up a steady hill probably about two miles. However for a significant amount of it I was right behind Mike although stopping at the roundabout slowed me down considerably.

We got back and I didn't feel like I was about to collapse in a heap.

I took the bike straight up to the bike shop to get the spoke sorted out. Left it there until Tuesday. Incidentally the chap who owns the bike shop is going on the ride to Hamm this year as well.

More water sports.

Nothing too exciting to report. Yesterday I went to aquafit at Richard Dunn Sports Centre. The instructor is the same girl who does my circuit training so I know her very well. She does a similar routine for aquafit as we do for the warm up and cool down at circuits but we use those spongy 'weights' as well.

After we'd done the aquafit session I went off to the other side of the pool where there is a straight bit for length swimming. I should explain that this pool is a very strange shape with curv bits but there is one part that is straight. Sometimes it is roped off to signify that it is for people to swim lengths. About 10 lengths in to my session two Asian guys got in and were messing about swimming under each others legs or floating on their back. Eventually I said, very sweetly, that this part was for length swimming and they looked blankly at me. So I explained some more and they then started attempting to swim lengths. I did 30 lengths and then got out.

Today I went swimming at Spenborough. Got there a bit late so did 60 lengths in 52 minutes.

This evening I went circuit training and had a small personal triumph. Being a big girl I have never been able to do the full bridge (or plank) for the whole time until our instructor blows the whistle and tonight I did it, twice. Small victories!

Cycle training to Knaresborough

Yesterday was the second time I have been out training with the group. Six of us turned up at the car park in Otley led by our captain for the week Richard T. It was cold and foggy as we left for our journey to Knaresborough.

We headed out of Otley towards the main road that leads to Harrogate but no sooner were we on that road than we turned off there and headed up the country lanes. Potholes, shale, mud and poo were quickly encountered and everytime I shouted a warning of some sort I had some amusing or amused response from John who was behind me. He wondered why I was doing 'jazz hands' which was to indicate that there was some sort of obstacle or hazard in the road that could tip him out of his seat.

Richard had put Dean at the front so that he could coach him in changing gears and so that it slowed the faster riders down and kept us to a decent pace for the day. Dean did absolutely fine despite riding an unfamiliar borrowed bike with gears that are on the frame rather than the handlebars.

We eventually rejoined a main road and headed up a long drag of a hill. This is where Richard, John and Graham raced off looking like they were barely going uphill and I passed Dean. We all re-grouped at the top of the hill where Dean eventually joined us looking a bit tired. Some steady level road soon gave way to a roundabout at Pannal and then another uphill section. Blimey I couldn't even see the first four and Dean would eventually lose sight of me. Again we had a breather at the top of the hill and then it was downhill most of the way into Knaresborough.

At the last hurdle we found they had closed the road. A large tree had fallen into the river and floated sideways down until it hit the bridge. Loads of debris had washed up behind it causing a dam effect. They had to get some heavy lifting and cutting equipoment in to clear it. We waited here a while as we had lost Dean and Peter. After a nice chat with one of the guys from the Environment Agency we decided to carry on to the cafe as we had remembered that Peter had said he knew where it was.

Dean and Peter did indeed make their way there and we had a pleasant stop for refreshments and some banter.

We set off back up a hill (where do they all come from?) and stopped and waited every so often for people to catch up.

We headed into Harrogate and then back out again on the roads that I am familiar with when I am driving. Things weren't too bad from here on. When we got to Weeton station Dean decided to get the train back home as he was quite disheartened by this time. We tried to tell him that we hadn't far to go but I think his heart had fallen into his socks by this time. I know the feeling from last time when I didn't believe in myself.

Having waved Dean off we set off again with me in the lead. I pedalled hard all the way back to Otley passing a dead rat along the way which prompted an amusing 'are we going to Hamm or Hamelyn?'from Peter who was right behind me.

We arrived back in Otley having done 32.5 miles and I really didn't feel too bad.

Tonight I have been swimming at Tong Pool again. I did 64 lengths of intervals in 45minutes. My other half, Peter also came with me tonight as he has a lot of aches and pains so hoped the swim and the water might sooth things. He said he was feeling better when we left.

Cross training continues

Yesterday I went swimming at Spenborough Baths again. It was fairly busy and there were already four people in the fast lane so I went in the next lane where there was only one other person. We were soon joined by several others though and the water became quite choppy. Still I managed to do 72 lengths (1.5 miles) in 62.5 minutes.

Last night I went circuit training. There were only five of us there and despite being the heaviest I am probably the fittest of us.

Today I was not in the mood for much exercise, I don't know why. I did go for a quick spin round the block to see how the borrowed bike is. It seems fine but the hills are still er hilly!

Evie, Bear and I then went for a pleasant walk across the moor and round Birkenshaw and through the farm back to East Bierley. Had a lovley chat with another lady dog-walker who thought Bear was gorgeous.

Swimming Intervals

Last night I went to the local pool. It's lane swimming between 6 and 7pm. I took my float and pullbuoy with me. I started off with a warm up of 4 lengths of breast stroke. Then I did 2 lengths of legs only, 2 normal lengths and 2 lengths of arms only and then two normal lengths again. I alternated the legs only as 'froggy' legs and kicking and I alternated the arms only with breast stroke and front crawl.

I am absolutely rubbish at front crawl and have little confidence where that stroke is concerned but I was surprised at myself doing front crawl arms with a pullbuoy. I managed two lengths at a time without feeling like I was drowning.

I did 56 lengths in total so I am happy with that.

By the time I was walking home i felt like I had had a good workout.