Training Log Archive: rambo

23 min w/u and c/d, the rest was just riding - tried not to stay in the same gear for too long and to get out of the saddle every now and then. I've discovered that aero-bars could equally be marketed as magazine/book rests.

15 min w/u, then 2 by 20 min efforts. 10 min c/d. Did the efforts one notch higher than last week (on 5.5). Think I could have done 3?

Cable chickens, with some rowing.

15 min warm-up and 5 min cool-down, the rest was kind of tempo or a bit easier, with a minute out of the saddle every now and then. Felt a bit tired in the legs, but very bored, so I stopped a bit earlier than planned.

Usual 1,2,3,4,5,4,3,2,1 minute efforts with 1 min recovery in between. Did the 1-3 minute intervals on a higher setting than last time (6.5), the 4-5 on 5.5 and the last 1 min effort on 7. Felt OK, and it was good to feel like I was actually getting my heart rate up a bit.

Warm-up/cool down. Read a women's fashion magazine that I found on my boyfriend's desk (!)

C • Wardrobe 3

10 minutes on the rowing erg was OK, then I had the idea to put the cuff thingy that is meant to be used for leg cable exercises around my forearm instead of my ankle. It's not so easy, though, as it slips around and the force is always against wherever the cable is anchored. Better than nothing, I moved my arms around in various ways like a chicken, and earnt some funny looks for it. Perhaps I should use white strapping tape next time to make it more obvious why I'm bovvering.

Still have a badish headache that developed yesterday so will take the day off. Went to the doc today - he reckons I tore the ligament and will need 6-8 weeks off doing anything to piss it off, such as going to the gym or riding a bike (for a couple of weeks at least).

C • running 1

Thought I would try running to the gym to avoid the bike (and have a nice run!). I'm glad it wasn't any further, as my muscles were starting to complain.

I missed the bus coming back so thought I would try running, but my L knee started hurting - not in the same way as usual though, so that's good. I'd like to get back into doing as much running as I can, so I'll give it a week and try again.

Couldn't do much at all. Rowing was OK (thumb on top), so did some of that and some upright row sets. Mostly ab work again.

Turbo session, as still can't ride a bike. 15 min warm-up, then 2 by 20 minute efforts with 10 minutes recovery in between. 10 min cool down.

Felt like I could have done more, but riding on the turbo trainer isn't my favourite thing. Still, I can handle an hour pretty well without going crazy. I hope the neighbours can too!

Will see the doc on Monday about my thumb. I'm really interested to see what he will say.

C • bugger 2

:-( Couldn't even pick up anything heavier than a 5kg dumbell, let alone swing it around. All dumbell exercises out, cable exercises out, but tried some modified things that don't involve gripping anything or too much weight on the fingers. Mostly abs.

V. sad. Had to cancel the trip to Scotland this weekend for the british student MTB champs. I was really looking forward to it, but figured I would almost undoubtedly do silly things (like try to hold the handlebars properly) in the heat of competition. I don't want to tear the ligament properly and need 4 weeks in a cast.

I'm much too sensible now for my own good. If I was still 17 I would have ridden for sure!

Turbo session as it was snowing this morning (but didn't sit). 1,2,3,4,5,4,3,2,1 minute efforts with 1 minute recovery in between. Felt OK, about how I was last time I did this session 3 or 4 weeks ago.

Thumb is really pissing me off now. I had kinda been ignoring it (it's just a sore thumb, afterall!), but if anything it's getting worse, and I can't hold onto the handlebars properly (let alone hold a mug or anything else). Am beginning to doubt whether it is smart for me to go to Scotland this weekend for the BUSA MTB race, as I will probably need to do lots of hanging on! The race isn't so important to me that I want to risk making it worse, so I'll think about it.

Combe, Stonesfield loop again. I felt pretty good, but I'm not sure why it took so long. Had a bit of a headwind on the way out but nothing too serious. It was actually pretty nice weather.

OK, so I felt crap again. Now I'm starting to get just a little worried. I just feel weak and unresponsive, like my muscles are asleep. It doesn't feel the same as when I reckon I've been doing too much, i.e. overtraining, so I don't quite know what the deal is.
I'm thinking as well that maybe I should have something to eat first. I get up and go to the gym first thing and between getting out of bed and sitting down to a steaming bowl of porridge is about 2hr15. It's been OK for the last 5 years though.

Felt a bit tired after yesterday, but got the heart rate up a bit. Just before the turnaround it started sleeting again, so I was in a hurry to get home and didn't slack off.

Was gonna do a long ride today, but the wind was at 29 mph with 40 mph gusts i.e. bloody dangerous. So the long ride throught the countryside was cancelled, and replaced with a turbo session. Somehow it's just not the same, so I could handle only 1 hr 40. As well as the wind, it also sleeted, so I am kinda glad I didn't go out.

All in all a pretty disappointing week really. I felt pretty average and never really got started. Then the weather today was a final dampner. Hope things pick up again next week.

C • Disapointing week, 1

Felt good as far as energy levels go, but was feeling pretty weak. Was down on reps on just about everything.

Combe/Stonesfield loop. Felt pretty good and it was such a nice day :-D First time for months I have ridden without booties or arm-warmers, and I even put on some sunscreen.

Was OK. I felt pretty weak, especially on the second sets. Got a bit better towards the end, though.

Pretty shit day. It was foggy in the morning so I couldn't ride. I planned to go out in the afternoon instead but I ate too much for lunch. Then I had a bag of toffees for dinner. If I keep up this nutritious diet for another couple of months I might need to book two plane seats to come home ;-)

More or less a "nothing" ride, just to get my legs used to going around in circles again after a while off. I died a bit after about an hour and lost a lot of power, but made it home OK without feeling completely empty or anything too bad.

Good session. A bit light on abs coz some guys were hogging the incline bench thing and I wasn't in the mood to be creative.

Hired a town rental bike and took it out along the river and through some villages to the real-deal Kaiserstuhl. Actually, I reckon the S.A. one is prettier! There was one pretty mean hill (by Oxford standards) to get to the top, which was even more fun without many gears. I made it, though, so that was just about all my exercise for the week.
Walked around for a little while to check out the views (Alps to the left, Schwarzwald to the right) then rode back to catch a flight back to England :-( I might have done more but I had forgotton to bring my tools with me, and wasn't even supplied with a pump and spare tube. I asked what I should do if I have a mechanical and they gave me a number to ring. However, I don't think they would have been too impressed if I told them I was in the Kaiserstuhl, and I would have missed my plane and probably lost my deposit as well! I don't see the point of renting bikes that you are only supposed to use in the city - then you can just walk!

Had the whole, beautiful day to do whatever I wanted, so I just had to go for a walk through the Schwarzwald. Left the camping place in crisp weather, and walked up towards a mountain called Schauinsel. The last 3km or so was walking up a pretty decent slope in 10-15cm of snow, and it was reasonably tough! Good fun though, and absolutely amazing. Once at the top it was -1 and for some reason all the museums and the downhill scooter course were shut until May, so I kept walking. Went back down a different way, through some farms and then back through the forest to Freiburg again. I reckon it was about 7 hours of walking, but was so beautiful, and warm and sunny down lower in the afternoon. I even ended up with a little red on my cheekbones afterwards for the first time in months!

Just about every muscle in my body was hurting, and I was tired thanks partly to the conference dinner the previous night, so a swim was so perfect. However, like usual I managed to last about 10 minutes before becoming totally bored. I forced myself to do another 10 minutes then floated about in the water driving my arms with open palms through the water in various ways until my arms hurt.

Quick (as in time, slow as in pace) run up into the Schwarzwald before brekkie and another long day in seminars.

Busy day, so I took it easy. This is supposed to be a recovery week, afterall. Did a bit of walking just to keep my sanity.

Quick but good session before having to jump on the plane to Freiburg in Germany for a conference.

Wanted to go for a ride today but was so busy trying to get some results for my conference presentation on Thursday that I didn't even have time for a turbo session. And I still didn't get any results!

Cuppers 10 mile time trial. Was absolutely shitty weather, raining and windy. The course was out and back and the wind was 23 mph with 33 mph gusts - yep, directly parallel to the course!

Got to the turnaround (slightly less than halfway) in about 18 minutes or so after battling like crazy just to go at 24 kph. Was just about hitting 50 kph on the way back, though (what the pros do without a tailwind!).

Died a bit at the end and was probably pushing too big a gear, but didn't want to "pike out" and change down. In the end I was happy with my time, given the wind, but dissappointed to be so far down on Rachel, who did 26.48 (must have been her aero helmet, right ;-)

Riding too the event (into a headwind - all the guys were sitting behind me and when I asked them to go in front they sprinted off and after 10 secs I'd lost them, so not particularly energy conserving), warming up/down and riding home again (which was easy!).

Didn't want to stress the legs too much before Cuppers tomorrow, so skipped a whole heap of exercises. Wasn't feeling particularly great anyway, as it was far too nice a day outside to be stuck in the gym!

Had a rest day planned but it was beautiful weather, so I went out to Stadhampton to ride the course that I meant to do on Wednesday. The nice weather was kind of annulled by the fact that it's about the most heavily trafficed 2 hour route possible from Oxford without riding on motorways. Mmmm, carbon monoxide ....

Didn't feel all that great. Either my pain threshold was lower than usual or my muscles were tired or both, because I did less reps of just about everything than I normally would.