That was me on the weekend. On Saturday I was completely out of it, I vegetated on the sofa most of the day. I remembered mid morning about the Farmers Market and managed to get to that, then took up residence on the sofa again. It was the only thing I achieved all day. I couldn't even read a book my concentration was so shot. On the plus side I had a much better nights sleep and woke up feeling a bit more like myself.
It was a sunny day and I thought I would go out for a run in the afternoon, 10 miles or so! As the morning wore on the length of the anticipated run shortened until I realised I was actually still tired and to take it very easy again.
I cleaned some bikes, worryingly I can't get the seatpost to budge in my On One, sprayed some WD40 on it but need to have another go at trying to loosen it and hope to hell it hasn't been stuck in permanently.
I at least had a concentration span and spent the whole afternoon reading a good book, which was really enjoyable. It was "Dear Fatty" by Dawn French, I can really recommend it. A bit of a waste of a sunny day really.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
Friday's silly attempt at an interval session
Woke up and crawled out of bed on Friday, decided to run after work to give myself a chance to perk up. I had planned an interval session with two miles of warmup / cooldown on either side. I'm not sure what planet I was on but it really wasn't a good idea, I could barely function mentally at work and having to have coffee in the afternoon to stay awake is not a good sign.
So I get home, get my kit on and out the door. When I start running I feel like I've got someone else's legs! This actually wasn't too surprising after two days of riding, particularly after Thursday mornings efforts. Two miles at an easy pace wasn't too bad but then I got ready for the first interval. The session was 2 sets of 4 x 400 so short ones. I set off on the first one and couldn't get it up to any sort of speed at all. The second one I was even slower and wanted to stop after about 100 metres, I did the whole thing but finally as I wobbled to a stop decided to cut my losses and go home.
Well I actually had to stop for a few minutes before I could summon up the energy to start shuffling homewards. I reckoned I had about 2.5 miles to go and it felt like an eternity. I was breathing hard but my heart rate wasn't up where it should be (not a good sign), I felt like I was putting in a lot of effort but I was moving at 10:30 mm pace and I couldn't move any faster. Ouch.
It was a slow and painful 2.5 miles, when I got home I decided that Saturday's 18 miler attempt was best postponed until at least Sunday (err, just to Sunday!). So so tired.
So I get home, get my kit on and out the door. When I start running I feel like I've got someone else's legs! This actually wasn't too surprising after two days of riding, particularly after Thursday mornings efforts. Two miles at an easy pace wasn't too bad but then I got ready for the first interval. The session was 2 sets of 4 x 400 so short ones. I set off on the first one and couldn't get it up to any sort of speed at all. The second one I was even slower and wanted to stop after about 100 metres, I did the whole thing but finally as I wobbled to a stop decided to cut my losses and go home.
Well I actually had to stop for a few minutes before I could summon up the energy to start shuffling homewards. I reckoned I had about 2.5 miles to go and it felt like an eternity. I was breathing hard but my heart rate wasn't up where it should be (not a good sign), I felt like I was putting in a lot of effort but I was moving at 10:30 mm pace and I couldn't move any faster. Ouch.
It was a slow and painful 2.5 miles, when I got home I decided that Saturday's 18 miler attempt was best postponed until at least Sunday (err, just to Sunday!). So so tired.
Incurring the wrath of the p*nct*re fairy.
Don't know what I did to deserve it but I had two visitations from the p fairy on my commute to and from work, the only thing to spoil otherwise lovely rides (apart from the fact I was knackered).
After another rubbish night sleep and not getting to bed til midnight I was awake at 6:30 am to get ready to ride. I had one sensible thought of resting today but it was a beautiful day, I would have to bring my laptop home on Friday and I wanted to ride at least once this week so I got up.
It felt weird to be on the road bike and I managed to set off a bit later than normal after a major faff. I had to get some cash so rode to machine in centre of town, out of order. Got tangled up in traffic for a while but managed to get cash in Penwortham before managing to get out of the line of traffic and on to my normal route. I was feeling tired but was taking it nice and easy, rolling along, yawning a bit, blue sky, sunshine, pink lenses in my shades and generally feeling pleased with the morning.
Heading past the Texaco garage at Lea Gate I heard a ping and the back end of the bike squidged, Grr. Ah well, such a beautiful morning, tyre changing practice is always good. Off the side of the track and I managed to get tyre off, checked around the inside, new tube in and tyre back on relatively quickly for me. I then noticed the cycle path was absolutely strewn with glass, not massive bits but lots of little bits so I checked the outside of the tyre and pulled a few bits out.
It hadn't seated properly round the valve so I undid it all again then used a CO2 canister on it as time was getting on. Woah, never expected the tyre to inflate that quickly but hey all back on and ready to roll. Checks time: 8.25 am - I'm usually there by now. So I abandon my easy paced riding and take off trying not to be too late. I really enjoyed whizzing along on the road bike and got to work in a pretty fast 58:10 of riding time (not including puncture faff). I reported the glass on fillthathole but whether it gets cleared who knows. I now had no spare tube but luckily one of the guys I work with has a road bike and goes home for lunch so brought me a spare back.
It all caught up with me at lunchtime and I struggled to keep my eyes open in the afternoon. The ride home was a much more relaxed (i.e. shattered) affair. I dawdled home and three miles from home I got another puncture - I knew that glass was going to cause problems. I tried pumping the tyre up a bit to see if I could limp home but no joy. It is too far to walk pushing a bike but there was a bench over on the other side of the road so I had a seat, just as well I got that spare.
I picked yet more glass out of the tyre and changed the tube, even quicker this time. I was going to pump it up but the hunger had started and I really needed to get home so CO2 again and I wobble home starving. I was so tired in the evening, in fact I think I was overtired because I had another rubbish nights sleep then too.
I was going to do intervals on Friday......(this is what happens when Jez isn't around to save me from myself!).
After another rubbish night sleep and not getting to bed til midnight I was awake at 6:30 am to get ready to ride. I had one sensible thought of resting today but it was a beautiful day, I would have to bring my laptop home on Friday and I wanted to ride at least once this week so I got up.
It felt weird to be on the road bike and I managed to set off a bit later than normal after a major faff. I had to get some cash so rode to machine in centre of town, out of order. Got tangled up in traffic for a while but managed to get cash in Penwortham before managing to get out of the line of traffic and on to my normal route. I was feeling tired but was taking it nice and easy, rolling along, yawning a bit, blue sky, sunshine, pink lenses in my shades and generally feeling pleased with the morning.
Heading past the Texaco garage at Lea Gate I heard a ping and the back end of the bike squidged, Grr. Ah well, such a beautiful morning, tyre changing practice is always good. Off the side of the track and I managed to get tyre off, checked around the inside, new tube in and tyre back on relatively quickly for me. I then noticed the cycle path was absolutely strewn with glass, not massive bits but lots of little bits so I checked the outside of the tyre and pulled a few bits out.
It hadn't seated properly round the valve so I undid it all again then used a CO2 canister on it as time was getting on. Woah, never expected the tyre to inflate that quickly but hey all back on and ready to roll. Checks time: 8.25 am - I'm usually there by now. So I abandon my easy paced riding and take off trying not to be too late. I really enjoyed whizzing along on the road bike and got to work in a pretty fast 58:10 of riding time (not including puncture faff). I reported the glass on fillthathole but whether it gets cleared who knows. I now had no spare tube but luckily one of the guys I work with has a road bike and goes home for lunch so brought me a spare back.
It all caught up with me at lunchtime and I struggled to keep my eyes open in the afternoon. The ride home was a much more relaxed (i.e. shattered) affair. I dawdled home and three miles from home I got another puncture - I knew that glass was going to cause problems. I tried pumping the tyre up a bit to see if I could limp home but no joy. It is too far to walk pushing a bike but there was a bench over on the other side of the road so I had a seat, just as well I got that spare.
I picked yet more glass out of the tyre and changed the tube, even quicker this time. I was going to pump it up but the hunger had started and I really needed to get home so CO2 again and I wobble home starving. I was so tired in the evening, in fact I think I was overtired because I had another rubbish nights sleep then too.
I was going to do intervals on Friday......(this is what happens when Jez isn't around to save me from myself!).
Wednesday Evening/Night Ride
Wednesday evening ride at Rivington, summer shoes, 3/4 lengths and gilet and summer gloves! A lovely evening for a ride. There were four of us riding, Ed and I and Stu and his mate from work. A last minute e-mail panic about lights had me turning up with Jez's light hoping it was charged (it wasn't). It took me a while to find it as it was still on the last bike he rode, hung up int the garage and I can't get it down easily as it ends up tangled in the rafters/other bikes. I ended up knelt on the garage bench trying to get the light off and ended up being almost late.
We decided to head over the Nab to check out the new trail in the daylight. When we got there the sunset was lovely:
I was feeling tired after a couple of crap nights sleep but nice to be out. The new red trail was fine in the daylight, easy to see why it was a little confusing at night with the steeper black trail cutting down too. Due to the fact I could see them none of the drops were that bad during the day though I almost had a stupidity attack by riding off the edge of one of the berms. I was looking at the construction of the edge of it (no idea why, caught my eye) rather than where I wanted to go so of course the bike tried to go where I was looking. I managed to get it round but almost flopped the front wheel competely. No style points at all.
We decided against riding up the long road hill and headed along the cheeky track by the res as Ed had never ridden it. I had forgotten about all the awkward gates but hey, it saved a climb. When we got to the woody bit near the other end the light had faded enough that lights were required. Unfortunately when switching Jez's light on the battery was dead as a dodo. We had a couple of headlights between us and sorted one of those out.
The plan was to head to Lead Mines then up and out towards Hordern Stoops. As we left the picnic area we ended up going the wrong way, my fault! I knew there was a bit of a climb on the way to Lead Mines from here but forgot about the bit of flat road before it and I just saw a climb and headed straight up it. I was asked if I was sure but I was confident! I did think it was a little steeper than I was expecting but my legs were tired and it eased off quickly. Then we realised that the big hole in the ground next to us was Anglezarke Quarry, oops. So we climbed up to the top of the moor anyway though the climb is significantly easier from this side.
A re-evaluation of the plan, head down LMC then continue as normal off towards the Pike. On the road over to the car park at the bottom of the ICR we had to dodge loads of little frogs on the road, I think we managed not to squash any. My legs were feeling a little tired, unlike last week where I seemed to be able to take it easy on the cobble infested corners to the Pike I found them hard going this week, even with full-suspension. Up to the pike itself and a strong wind nearly blew me off my bike, where did that come from?
Down to the bottom at silly speed due to no eyeball rattle then straight down the grassy descent to the woods again. A quick blast along the reservoir and another round of frogger and it was back to the car. By the time I'd gotten home, put bike away, eaten and got my stuff ready for riding to work it was gone midnight and I then had yet another rubbish nights sleep.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Hmmm...missing post?
I was convinced I'd posted about last weeks Wednesday night ride but I can't find it, I'm probably imagining it!
A very windswept ride last Wednesday out of Abbey Village and up to the tower etc. At least it wasn't raining and it wasn't really that cold but listening to the wind howling across the field as we were getting ready just made it feel more miserable than it was. I had good layers on though, it wasn't that warm either.
Stu was late so Ed and I set off into the shelter of the trees. We chanced the fence track which was a bit a boggy mess and I had at least three moments where I had to unclip as I was pedalling but going absolutely nowhere. Still, it slowed us down a bit to help Stu catch up. We bimbled on towards the tower, out of the trees the wind was there again. At the bottom of the climb to the tower it was obvious they had been continuing with their repairs, we decided to take the long steady climb up to check it out, right into the wind.
As we got higher the wind got stronger and we skirted round the hill a bit and it really started coming in, it was a bit of a crosswind so we were getting blown across the track a lot and doing a few seated trackstands as well at strong gusts. They have completely motorwayed it again, which ordinarily would have been a shame but tonight was just as well as there was no way I would have managed to ride it in its previous state, I would have been blown off/into ruts/side of the hill.
Along the top was a tail/crosswind and Ed and I were both glad we were on full-suss as we had no control over what line we took, where the wind blew us that's where we went. The suspension allowed us to stay seated and as small as possible and pedal over the rocks, I didn't want to have to stand up and turn myself into a sail.
Stu arrived at the tower about the same time we did, he took the shorter but steeper way up and reported that they had pretty much finished repairing that track too. So its now a choice between a longer, steady but now dull and untechnical climb or a shorter, much steeper and more brutal but thankfully just as untechnical (apart from the sneaky waterbars) climb to the top.
The rutty track from the tower was fun as the wind just seemed to be swirling everywhere. I resolved to take the widest ruts possible, avoid the really narrow ones but then I seemed to end up exactly where I didn't want to go! How I didn't get blown off sideways I don't know, it was close a few times.
Over the top of the moor, which was surprisingly dry due to the wind then down towards the fast cobbly descent (fantastic fun as usual on a full-suss, I can see properly all the way down as my eyeballs aren't being bounced around in my head). A quick whizz down the cheeky track through the woods then back to the car. Short at 9 miles, but enough on such a windy night.
I didn't do any running/riding Thurs/Fri of last week due to the wind (lazy, I know!). On Saturday I got myself out for a long run. I had thought about getting the run done early but when I woke up I just wasn't in the mood. I had to pick up my car so I cycled there and to the library on the way, it was just under 5 miles and it really perked me up.
I got out for my run about 1pm, it was really cold. I had my thermal running top on which has handwarmer sleeves and I really needed them a few times. I had planned to do 16 milesish.
I headed out to Cuerden Park, ran down to the Kem Mill end then back again, then I wanted to check out a couple of paths in Leyland. So I headed off there and it turned out to be a lovely woodland track that popped out near Farington Moss. I decided to do a bit of exploring, I knew there were some footpaths round the fields and I would pop out near New Longton. The paths were very flat but it was nice to be in such open area (hands froze here due to the biting wind) and good stuff to add to my repertoire of places to run.
I popped out on the main road to New Longton then spotted a blue cycle sign for Penwortham, so I thought I would follow it. It took me down some more lovely little lanes that I had no idea existed at all and popped me out at Booths in Penwortham and I finally knew exactly where I was. I had covered 12 miles by this point and I knew that if I ran back the way I cycle to Booths that would give me about 4 miles which was perfect.
So off I trotted. At about 14 miles things started to hurt, by 15 my hamstrings and glutes were hurting a lot but quads and calves were only a little bit achy which I thought was a bit weird but it hurt less to run constantly than stop and stretch and try to start running again. I ran until I got stopped at the traffic lights about 1/4 of a mile from home, I had done 16.2 miles by that point so walked the last bit back home shaking my legs out as I went.
My hamstrings were very, very sore the next day but I realised it was probably caused by all the tidying up I've been doing in the garden, they always ache in the when I do lots of that as I think I overstretch them by spending loads of time crouching down or bending over, its mostly sorted now anyway. I hope its that as otherwise they need to toughen up a bit, the thought of doing another 10 miles with them like that doesn't appeal!
16.2 miles at 9.20 mm, didn't realise it was that fast, will try to take it easier on the next one, its even longer.
A very windswept ride last Wednesday out of Abbey Village and up to the tower etc. At least it wasn't raining and it wasn't really that cold but listening to the wind howling across the field as we were getting ready just made it feel more miserable than it was. I had good layers on though, it wasn't that warm either.
Stu was late so Ed and I set off into the shelter of the trees. We chanced the fence track which was a bit a boggy mess and I had at least three moments where I had to unclip as I was pedalling but going absolutely nowhere. Still, it slowed us down a bit to help Stu catch up. We bimbled on towards the tower, out of the trees the wind was there again. At the bottom of the climb to the tower it was obvious they had been continuing with their repairs, we decided to take the long steady climb up to check it out, right into the wind.
As we got higher the wind got stronger and we skirted round the hill a bit and it really started coming in, it was a bit of a crosswind so we were getting blown across the track a lot and doing a few seated trackstands as well at strong gusts. They have completely motorwayed it again, which ordinarily would have been a shame but tonight was just as well as there was no way I would have managed to ride it in its previous state, I would have been blown off/into ruts/side of the hill.
Along the top was a tail/crosswind and Ed and I were both glad we were on full-suss as we had no control over what line we took, where the wind blew us that's where we went. The suspension allowed us to stay seated and as small as possible and pedal over the rocks, I didn't want to have to stand up and turn myself into a sail.
Stu arrived at the tower about the same time we did, he took the shorter but steeper way up and reported that they had pretty much finished repairing that track too. So its now a choice between a longer, steady but now dull and untechnical climb or a shorter, much steeper and more brutal but thankfully just as untechnical (apart from the sneaky waterbars) climb to the top.
The rutty track from the tower was fun as the wind just seemed to be swirling everywhere. I resolved to take the widest ruts possible, avoid the really narrow ones but then I seemed to end up exactly where I didn't want to go! How I didn't get blown off sideways I don't know, it was close a few times.
Over the top of the moor, which was surprisingly dry due to the wind then down towards the fast cobbly descent (fantastic fun as usual on a full-suss, I can see properly all the way down as my eyeballs aren't being bounced around in my head). A quick whizz down the cheeky track through the woods then back to the car. Short at 9 miles, but enough on such a windy night.
I didn't do any running/riding Thurs/Fri of last week due to the wind (lazy, I know!). On Saturday I got myself out for a long run. I had thought about getting the run done early but when I woke up I just wasn't in the mood. I had to pick up my car so I cycled there and to the library on the way, it was just under 5 miles and it really perked me up.
I got out for my run about 1pm, it was really cold. I had my thermal running top on which has handwarmer sleeves and I really needed them a few times. I had planned to do 16 milesish.
I headed out to Cuerden Park, ran down to the Kem Mill end then back again, then I wanted to check out a couple of paths in Leyland. So I headed off there and it turned out to be a lovely woodland track that popped out near Farington Moss. I decided to do a bit of exploring, I knew there were some footpaths round the fields and I would pop out near New Longton. The paths were very flat but it was nice to be in such open area (hands froze here due to the biting wind) and good stuff to add to my repertoire of places to run.
I popped out on the main road to New Longton then spotted a blue cycle sign for Penwortham, so I thought I would follow it. It took me down some more lovely little lanes that I had no idea existed at all and popped me out at Booths in Penwortham and I finally knew exactly where I was. I had covered 12 miles by this point and I knew that if I ran back the way I cycle to Booths that would give me about 4 miles which was perfect.
So off I trotted. At about 14 miles things started to hurt, by 15 my hamstrings and glutes were hurting a lot but quads and calves were only a little bit achy which I thought was a bit weird but it hurt less to run constantly than stop and stretch and try to start running again. I ran until I got stopped at the traffic lights about 1/4 of a mile from home, I had done 16.2 miles by that point so walked the last bit back home shaking my legs out as I went.
My hamstrings were very, very sore the next day but I realised it was probably caused by all the tidying up I've been doing in the garden, they always ache in the when I do lots of that as I think I overstretch them by spending loads of time crouching down or bending over, its mostly sorted now anyway. I hope its that as otherwise they need to toughen up a bit, the thought of doing another 10 miles with them like that doesn't appeal!
16.2 miles at 9.20 mm, didn't realise it was that fast, will try to take it easier on the next one, its even longer.
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