Body Combat - yay!

Hey hey you you I don't like your girlfriend [double right upper cut]
No way no way I think you need a new one [run & jump, yelling loudly]

Not sure if I actually like Avril Lavigne's selling out single (Gwen Stefani did cheerleader chant so much better), but it worked reasonably well as a bounce around Body Combat track. I haven't been for ages - mostly coz in order to make the 6:15pm start time I have to shoot out of work very promptly when cycling. But it was great - I should make the effort more often. Mad instructor who's good at boosting technique - nearly like her as much as Juliana....

It also meant that I avoided trick or treaters - as did Husband (but only coz he was home late) so it's now a case of pretending that ther aren't bags of sweets in the hall!

Congrats to G!

G executed some very neat 3 turns last night - and passed her level 6 skating with graceful aplomb. I passed on everything but.... the 3 turn. Tempted to look into a couple of private lessons to see if I can get the hang of it over the next 6 weeks.....

2 commutes and I'm discovering the joys of cycling home in the dark. I'm lit up like a Christmas tree - 2 front lights, 2 back lights, light on my bag & reflective armbands, bits on my jacket & bag.... It's slower in the dark as I have to brake more on the faster cycle path downhills to avoid any hazards under the leaves covering the ground. Fewer teenage boys to negotiate though!

Gym tonight - just had time for 10 mins on the X trainer & my standard 30mins interval work on the treadmill - I found the running much easier than on Sunday.

Eat my mud

22 miles on Saturday from near Alton - Rough Ride as opposed to HCC route - so definitely more challenging although only 500m of ascent! Many patches of sticky gloopy mud - M was pining for his mud tyres - C & I both had several walking breaks and the washing machine has been working hard afterwards to get our kit clean.. The photo here was taken by Lasham airfield where the helicopter lives with a number of other aged looking ex-aircraft. 2 punctures - M & me in roughly the same section of road.

Funniest moment was watching Husband sinking mid puddle into concealed swamp underneath & calling out "help I'm sinking" - and as he tried to get off his bike, his trousers ripped impressively on the saddle... C was relieved to see that he was wearing bike shorts underneath - so not entirely crotchless!

Boogy again on Saturday night with G & her buddy J at the Dungeon - brilliant evening even though I wasn't drinking (liver still recovering from Thursday). G looked fab in her anatomic/tattoo top & J had a fabulous black sparkly dress. Bounced around from 10ish to 1:20ish with a couple of breathers - so I don't feel (too) guilty about peanut butter on toast when I got home.

nb - Husband also had 2 punctures which he only discovered when we got back & suspects the spot where M & I were punctured - but managed to destroy an inner tube as he thought it was only 1. C also had one from this ride - that she discovered just before going out fo next ride.... so punctures all round!

Hungover

Yesterday was almost exercise free - team awayday at a hotel in S'oton. However, activities in the afternoon included performing a haka, line dancing, performing a swan lake routine and running 35m in full view of an aspiring Olympic hurdler - so not entirely exercise free. And I boogied in the evening.
Today, I hoped that pedalling to work would help to clear my hangover - but not entirely. Still feeling too delicate this evening to go to the gym - and I had chips for lunch (comfort eating- good gossip & catch up with a former colleague) - so not a virtuous 48 hours.....

Couple of days break from the bike

40mins of walking today - down the hill to my colleague G's who kindly gave me a lift to a meeting this morning in Southampton and home again after work. Not cycling tomorrow either as I have a team awayday - again, in Southampton.
Gym this evening - 15 mins X trainer, 33 mins interval work on the tread mill (5.34K in 30 mins) and a brief stint on the lat pulldown resistance machine.
I measured my body fat - only coz there was a machine handy & I was curious - 35% seems high but it demonstrates I've got plenty of work to do!

Fat Bird Essential Kit Part 3 - Commuting Bike Bag

Today is day 2 of using my new commuting bike bag - a messenger type satchel.




It's better than the one I was using as the strap goes tighter - so I can "wear" the strap across my chest, keeping the bag's bulk tight to my back. This means I'm not thrown off balance by my bag swinging around whenever I stop. It's also more comfortable as the weight's distributed over more of my torso.

Benefit over a rucksack is stuff-ability - it's easier to throw all the rubbish I take to work in & get at it easily when I get there.


Other nice-to-have features include:

• Waterproof.
• Single handed seatbelt type catch to loosen/tighten the front strap - operational with gloves on.
• Reflective strip.
• Looks cool, coordinates with my orange windproof top layer.

Downsides - yup, there are some:

• All the pockets are within the main bag. This means that all the contents are exposed whenever I get out my lock - including my clean clothes. The pockets also make it difficult to isolate my clothes from the lock/pump/shoes.
• Less incentive to pack light.
• Easier to lose my keys!

So new bag is now stuffed full of trainers/jeans/t-shirt/deodrant/hairbrush/socks/shower gel/mobile/purse and is adorned with its own flashing light.

Skating & Cycling

G's definitely getting close to nailing the 3 turn! Which is more than I am. Keep on reassuring myself that I'm making progress & that I will do it one day - but it feels like I've met my nemesis/waterloo whatever!

Oxdrove Ride

29k ride today - the Oxdrove Ride with Husband, X, S and M.

S & X did the official shortcut, bringing it to 15 miles. Husband, M & I created a new short cut (switching back at point 27).

Beautiful autumn day with bright sunshine. For no real reason, I felt very sluggish at the start & was contemplating not going - luckily Husband was unsympathetic & I'm glad I did go! I enjoyed going through some impressively deep puddles - I love my waterproof socks very much.

One of the reasons that we cut it short was that we also needed to squeeze in an allotment visit to harvest squashes (butternut & a variety that looks like a mini traditional pumpkin) and plant broad beans - both objectives were achieved. This entailed a little digging.

More Sloes

I was looking forward to a boogy on Friday at O'Neills in Bournemouth with G - but band were truly rubbish - we couldn't take the cover of teenage kicks! Nice evening though - good to natter with G.
Short bike ride with Husband today to pick sloes - for gin this time. Sloe cheese was not a great success. My legs were a bit achy so I just did 5K for my Saturday run - less than 30 mins. I did get a breather though at 4.5K - cows were ambling along the lane post milking & I seemed to be spooking one of 'em too much to be able to overtake without risking being kicked. I guess that's the downside of running a route that includes a dairy farm!
So just about enough done today to justify the beers I've been downing tonight - I'm very pleased the score wasn't 36-0!

Time to switch to winter mode

Got cold fingers & thumbs this morning on my ride - so it's time to dig out the winter gloves. I also need to review my layers - I think I will be wearing base layer t-shirt, thermal mid layer with windproof jacket on top tomorrow.....
10 mins X trainer, 30 mins interval work on the treadmill then devoted more time than usual to the resistance machines - rower, lat pull down, incline shoulder press and leg press.
Then blew any benefit on fish & chips on the way home!

Wednesday

Cycled. Again.
Also walked into town to meet up with J for an excellent gossip & catch up!

Damp tights

Cycled to work in the rain for the first time on Tue - I chose the wrong jacket (water resistant vs waterproof) and was a little damp by the time I got to work. Jacket dried up well during the day but my tights were still clammy damp even though they were hung up.
Gym in the evening - 10mins step machine, 30 mins interval work on treadmill then used 3 resistance machines (incline shoulder press, lat pull down and rower).

Fat Bird Essential Kit Part 2 - Buff

Just how charging over £10 for a tube of microfibre that probably costs less than $1 USD even allowing for shipping to the UK is accepted by consumers is beyond me - but I am dependent on my buff. A and S are both buff users too.

It's difficult to explain the usefulness of this tube to non-buff converts, but its uses include:

• Keeping hair off face whilst exercising. As a floppy fringed bird, I find this is the most satisfactory method of ensuring my mop doesn't drive me nuts when running/cycling/skating - no hair sticking to face and vision unimpared.


• Bike Helmet Liner - improves comfort esp as it's seam free.


• Shower Cap - makes quick showers when I don't want to wash my hair easier. It dries really quickly too.


• Preventing sunburn to scalp when I've forgotten a hat.


• Neckwarmer. And earwarmer - even nose warmer on occasion....


• Holding ipod ear phones in place.

Disadvantages - the price means that I don't feel comfortable adding buffs to my Christmas list - hence I have just 2 - not enough to co-ordinate with all other kit. And the bandana look is v.Axl Rose...

Anyway, exercise today comprised the cycle commute and skating. The latter wasn't as much fun as usual as there was a large group of boys in - all skating aggressively and incompetently - chaos on the rink!

X has a new bike

10K run on Saturday - from house with Husband acting as my personal trainer on his bike. He got many +ve comments from blokes we passed who seemed to think he had the better deal (bike v run).

Bike ride today from the house with Husband, M, S & X. 30.75k also from the house, ascent of 799m. We had to revise our plans at Morestead as red flags were flying, so a slightly shorter route than anticipated. We did a few trails today that we'd only ever tackled the other way. I fell off twice - trying to change rut and later coz I was too close to S who stopped. Scratches but no real damage.


I really enjoyed today's ride - good nattering, interesting light and a stretching route. And it was a good op to see X's shiny new bike in action!

Full week of commuting by bike

Bumped into B on the way home tonight who suggested a good way of avoiding the most dangerous bit of road on my route home - involves a walkway connecting the station with Lidl carpark. I was pleasantly surprised at how politely the boys who appeared to be paying the oldest looking one for booze/fags acquired in Lidl made way for me....
Anyway, not speedy today - 21:50 to work, 23:04 home again. Husband has replaced my front inner tube which should help my speed on Monday (and mean less pumping - twice today as my tyre was completely flat this morning and in the evening).

So many calories

Not exactly speedy cycling - 21:39 to get to work, 20:34 to get home. BTW, my forerunner autopauses when I've stopped - for traffic example - so only times when I'm moving.
Gym too tonight - 20 mins on the X trainer, 30 mins interval work on the treadmill and 3 sets of reps on the incline chest press.
So a huge 1100 calories burned!

More commuting

Realised why it took me so long to get home yesterday - front tyre was very squishy.
So faster today - got to work in 19:58, got home in 20:33.
Also got stranded at an off site meeting - I need to plan transport more carefully now I'm sans car at work...

Fat Bird Kit - Gadgets, Clothes and Stuff

Thought I should do some more targetted blogs in amongst the "cycled to work again" ones to keep it more reader friendly!

So, the new series is Fat Bird Kit. Things that make my activity/exercise objectives easier to achieve or more fun or less annoying.

And the first item is my Garmin Forerunner 305. Until a couple of weeks ago I didn't feel I should blog about it as I was still working for Garmin - but I am now otherwise employed!

It's a GPS enabled watch thing that also acts as a heart rate monitor. I know exactly how far I've run (within 12m accuracy), how fast I'm running, ascent, and timings. It was so useful when running the Beaulieu 10K as it meant I could pace myself properly - always tricky with a race. It's been great when running in different areas - e.g. on hols in Lefkas and in Torquay. I can look at my routes afterwards & see where I was fast/slow compared to the last time I ran that route. I can compare my training routes to race routes.

It also acts as a reasonable cycle computer and has settings for cycling (but no separate off road options).

Just worked out how to use some additonal web stuff to show my routes on Google Earth.

Plenty of downsides - it can take forever to find satellites - one trick is to switch on & leave by a window or on your car dashboard whilst you are driving to your starting point or getting changed. Calorie counting feature is not 100% as it doesn't seem to allow for efficiency differences (e.g. no setting for cycling off road vs on road). It's nearly useless for navigation. And it's pricey!

But I'm sufficiently addicted to have had trauma when I misplaced it for a few months. Garmin have just launched a new Forerunner - cheaper non GPS enabled - but I love being able to look at my routes so won't be switching. My Forerunner enables me to feel that I'm achieving something when I run or cycle - which keeps me motivated.

Commuting

Slower today - 23:20 to get to work, 22:04 to get home. Looking forward to better bag arriving if the post ever resumes post strike!

New Job, New Commute

Started as I mean to go on today - commuted by bike. Husband has converted his old mountain bike into a mean urban warrior (OK, he put on road tyres & fitted a repair kit and lights...) for me.
5.72km journey took 21:42 this morning & 22:08 to get home excluding stopping for traffic.

Only problem is my bag - strap won't adjust to go tight across my chest. So surfing for a new one atm.

Skating tonight with G - 3 turns are still elusive....

Beaulieu 10K

My time was 58:36 - which I am very very chuffed with!

Forerunner reckoned the course was 60m short - so I figure I might have been able to do a GPS 10K in under an hour as I had 1 min 24 secs to play with. Photo wwas taken just as I was getting my breath back afterwards.

G and Husband were brilliant - wonderful to have the support as I went around as they were waving & cheering at 1K, 8K and at the finish line. G was wearing a distinctive cream cap - nice to be able to spot my supporters! Also had good support from my former colleague from Garmin, L, who's been running with me after work.

The route was beautiful - fields and tracks around the Beaulieu estate going through the forest. Perfect weather - dry, no wind, not hot. And there was easy parking! And the route wasn't hard on my feet! So I think this may be a race I do again.

Lots of walking yesterday - hard on the feet but I'm not sure if we covered much distance - went to British Museum with Husband and A to see the Terracotta Warriors and Craftng Beauty - a beautiful exhibition on modern Japanese crafts. We kept the Far East theme going with a good lunch in Chinatown.

And more gentle exercise on Friday night - out to celebrate G's birthday & bounced around to a dodgy looking David Bowie tribute band. G looked amazing in her unique skeleton/sci fi top.

Long ride from home

The blogging rate will decline once I'm back at work - honest!


Did a 46K ride from home with Husband in the sunshine which took nearly 4 hours of riding time. 1044m total ascent - not too shabby. I tried to priorities roads we either haven't ridden before - or ones which we've only ever done one way. Some hits, some misses. Husband really has sped up on the hills - I will have to work now to stay ahead.


All good apart from the low sun making flint spotting challenging in places & the wonderful farmer who decided to plough up the bridleway by Park Hill Woods making it un-ridable. Husband is going to have to learn to love the alternative route home (uphill on a busy road from Fishers Pond) for a bit until horses pulverise the furrows into something we can pedal across.


It's been a brilliant break - even with having our plans adapted by Husband's wounded arm. Back to normal tomorrow though...

Mini Break in Peaks

Skating on Monday with G - glad I was able to go as Husband & I had mooted going away on Monday - but postponed due to his arm injury.

Alton Towers on Tue - loadsof walking between rides but I guess not many calories are burned whilst on them! My favourites were Air (where you feel as if you are flying - very clever), Rita (incredible accelleration) and Spinball Wizard (small rollercoaster cars that sin as you hurtle around). Husband loved Duel - a ghost trian with laser guns so he could shoot stuff.

Loved the pub where we stayed - fab bathroom, good food, Black Sheep beer, comfy bed.

We went to Dovedale on Wednesday - on a misty Wednesady in October, it was close to being quiet which was novel! Walked for 2 hours but very slowly as Husband's knee was still rubbish after Tuesday. Leaves were just starting to turn & I'd forgotten how attractive the area is - river, trees, spires of limestone. Watched a dipper for a while singing his heart out in the middle of the Dove.

And a bit more walking & bouncing around last night - saw Amy MacDonald in Portsmouth who was fab - she looked very nervous & young but her music was superb!

Surreal Cemetery Moment

Jogging from the house today - 10K as prep for Sunday's Beaulieu 10K. Did it in 62:20 which I'm quite pleased with. Made more of an effort to stretch afterwards as my legs were a bit achey & I'm full of stretch enthusiasm after last week's classes.
As I went past the little local cemetery at the end, walking to cool down, there were 3 chickens scratching about amongst the head stones - which looked odd. And at the other end, a deer was tucking into the numerous flowers! He gave me a look then carried on munching. If any Bishopstoke resident is reading this & is concerned about mysterious damage to the flowers left for your loved ones, it may not have been errant kids, just a hungry deer having its tea...