Failure at Skating & Pogo-ing to Travis

I did say that if I passed my level 5 skating, I wanted it to be a proper pass, not a rubber stamp - well I kind of got my wish & I failed! My crossovers are still awful! G did much better - I'm hoping to hear how she got on today as she was being re-tested on her backwards stops.

Anyhow, I've got a couple of weeks off - 1 due to bank holiday & the second will be whilst I am in Italy on hols.

A very little bit of psuedo exercise tonight - saw Travis at the BIC with Husband & work buddies. They were excellent - I'd forgotten just how many really strong tunes they've produced and they succeeded in giving the impression of enjoying the gig. We were instructed to pogo to the final chorus of why does it always rain on me - and I always do what I am told!

Some walking at the weekend...

... but probably not enough to compensate for the alcohol I consumed and Mum-ish's wonderful cooking!

We had a great day on Saturday at the Dart Music Festival - great realxed atmosphere, good music, clean loos and no queue for a drink! Loved the Morris Boys Bluegrass Band lots - and enjoyed a blues band called Spoonful later on - uncomplicated 12 bar blues done very well. Consuming alcohol through the day did make me oblivious to my shoulders frying nicely in the sunshine! Had a walk with Mum-ish in the evning as we were both feeling too full of indian takeaway to be able to sleep!

Gentle wandering on Sunday - breakfast at the beachhut & a visit to our fave nursery before relaxing in the garden.

Mid week bike ride

Gym on Tuesday – not very exciting (bike, rower weights machine, incline shoulder press thing) but I did get over my illogical aversion to doing abs exercises in the gym – 20 upper, 20 lower.

Thursday was much more interesting – 20km bike ride with Husband from the house. It was a lovely evening – went up & over Watley Lane towards Twyford, Monarchs Lane & then the killer hill to Owslebury, Water Lane & then home via the farm. Rain & horses made it slippery in places (especially on the bridle path between Hensting Lane and Twyford where we walked in places). By the end, I was absolutely coated in mud & cow poo – and as I was wearing shorts, provided much comedy for Husband…

I can skate - yay!

Or rather, I am able to skate without shafting my ankle further - "can" implies a level of ability I don't think I have yet! Instructor was gently informing us that we may not pass level 5 this time around, but you never know! Mind you, I'd rather fail than feel that I've been automatically passed as happened with level 4.
Stopping backwards appears to be my only party piece this time - I don't recall the Dancing on Ice judges commending contestants on their stunning stopping backwards - but hey - it's still a skill!
Very grateful to G for getting our skates sharpened - very well timed as it's test time next Mon!

Link between grumpiness and exercise?

I’ve turned into an exercise junky. I’ve been ludicrously irritable since turning my ankle & I think it must be primarily because I’m not doing much exercise atm as well as worrying about slow recovery.

Take yesterday – we were due to go to the gym but as ankle was aching from simply shopping for nephew’s birthday pressie & starting project “Clear Out the Loft”, I didn’t go. And as the day progressed, I transformed into the b***h troll from hell…..

So I need to do more – or risk being single and buddy-free shortly!

Skating tonight may be interesting – I’m taking a paperback so that even if I can’t skate (and I won’t know until I try) I won’t impede on G’s skating fun. I’ve planned in a bike ride with husband after work on Wed and will try & get on the exercise bike at the gym a couple of times this week. And my mood will (hopefully!) lift ready for a weekend at the seaside.

I can still cycle

30km-ish ride yesterday from Eastleigh with Husband, M and C&M.

I feel guilty suggesting so many "meet at our house" rides on days when we want to ride locally, but it is annoying having to do so much busy road stuff at the start & end of a ride. Husband & I are spoilt by having bridlepaths so close to the house, whereas for buddies based in Eastleigh, they have to face 2-3 miles of dull busy road just to get started - whether that's to our house or to somewhere else.

Lowlight of the ride was a moron in a white hatchback squirting me & Husband with water pistols - so tempted to type up the number plate here.... I'd feel stupid reporting it to the police - but it's potentially really dangerous to shock a cyclist like that - as well as rude.

Highlight was my ankle behaving for the full route! Aching a bit on a more challenging downhill (Water Lane) where I was up on the pedals, but the only bit where it hurt properly was walking up a little section of St Catherine's hill.

M came off - but was OK. Good to chat with C - missing A though. I was guilty of whingeing to M about not having my Forerunner to be able to answer his "how far" questions - which was very unfair of me as I hadn't actually asked A to bring it along (or give to M to bring)......

Ankle woes

It’s still not right – and I think I managed to make it worse last night at the gym.

I’m paranoid about gaining fat as I struggle to keep my food intake at a weight loss level without exercising. Also paranoid about losing fitness levels & not managing my sub 30 min race for life objective. Had a big grump about it (Husband was very tolerant and helpful!) & have decided on the following:

1. Rest it properly – cycling only for next 2 weeks. Focus on doing some much needed abs work in the gym and upper body weights machines.
2. Keep my calorie intake at the maintain level as opposed to weight loss level.
3. Weigh myself once a week to check that I’m not gaining – very scared about this as I hate, hate, hate weighing myself!

So, I’m currently 77 kilos (2kg less than 2 months ago which is good). Just need to ensure I don’t fluctuate & will stop grumping.

Anyway, 50 mins on the x trainer and the shoulder press last night.

A bit less slug....

Gym tonight - but only non-ankle impact stuff - bike and x trainer. Feeling a little better for it!

Cheered up today too coz found the dress I've been after in the size I've been after - cute little smock thing from M&S. Husband is over excited about it being a 12 (complicated second wife theory/objective) but have tried to temper his enthusiasm by pointing out that the only point that it is fitted is around my sadly depleted chest!

[nb Husband's 2nd wife theory - he married me when I was a size 22 for some stuff - so he reckons he is now entitled to the same mass of wife but that it will now have to be in the form of 2 wives - i.e. me and size 22 less my current size. If I'm a 14, that means number 2 has to be an 8. But if I'm a 12, she can be a 10.... he's thought about this way way too much!]

Slug

Feeling sluggish and sluglike. Ankle has prevented me from doing anything resembling activity since Wednesday – all I managed at the weekend was some gardening at the allotment. Convinced I’m morphing into Jabba the Hut.
Still, Husband & I have been spring cleaning – so at least the house looks good atm!
I've bought new trainers for cross training - which should reduce the chance of this happening again.

First Proper Injury!

I've turned my ankle - not on the 5.5K off road run on Tuesday in the Forest, but on the smooth sprung studio floor of the gym! It was during the last CV track so I was able to get through the abs & stretch bit OK before limping back to the car. Instructor reckons I might need another pair of trainers - my Brooks are excellent for running but don't give the right kind of support for jumping/twisting/kicking/boucing around.

So I am blogging with my foot up on a cushion on the coffee table! Will not be running for a few days, but from previous experience, I think I shoud be OK for some cycling & nil impact stuff soon....

Anyway, back to the run - gorgeous route from a carpark 5 mins from the office - all off road with lots of trees to shade us. Went with LT, LC & V from work - LT is an ace trainer! We averaged 9kph even with a few walking breaks and....... overtook boys!!!!

Only LT was organised enough to remember to have some water in her car to guzzle afterwards - dehydration hit me later on - Husband made me drink evian in Sainsburys when I started acting woozy.