My Biggest Problem Will Be

“My biggest problem will be… don’t get ill.” Quite a prophetic quote from the last Blog.

Not only have I been fighting a cold all week but have had tummy issues. Lost count of the number of times I’ve thrown up and, this theoretically is a good thing, but had real problems eating. I know what my body will do. I know when I’ve got a CBA head on. I knew whatever I’d have attempted this week would have been crap which would have sent me on the slippery slope to total demotivation so I’ve done absolutely nothing. I was all set to go to the Tri swim session Friday night but got a message to say it had been cancelled “code brown.”

Today was the Flintshire 10K and Fun Run. We’d decided a while ago that Morgan would do the Fun Run and I’d jog along to accompany him. In the week he’d asked if he could do it on his own “because I run faster than you Mummy” and then changed his mind.
I guess that staying up until stupid o’clock to watch Kona wasn’t the best preparation. I did fall asleep in the chair but was grateful for a knock on the door (they’d got the wrong house) which woke me up just in time to hear “Matthew Malloy – Great Britain.”
Glorious morning. Morgan caught up with about 40 other pupils from his school and they all did a warm up. The local paper photographer collared me and my friend Ann, we’ll see! We made our way to the start. My heart began to race and I felt sick. Had to have a little talk to my self. It’s a fun run. You don’t get a time. The majority of competitors are kids. I just started humming “Happy Birthday to you.” Works every time.

And we were off. Morgan raced ahead and waited for me pretty much all the way home. About a hundred yards from the finish is a little shop. I nearly strangled him when he said “can we go in and get a drink?”

I’d “run” without a HRM and stopwatch but did activate Map My Run at the start. I forgot to turn it off at the finish. I’m absolutely delighted with 14:53 min/mile. (yes I know it’s rap but for me it’s less crap than usual!)
We collected our medals and I took Morgan home and walked back to support the 10K. The route actually goes past the end of our road so I was able to spectate and cheer from 3 different vantage points. Only 3 Wrecsam Tri guys this year, the lovely Lisa Morely, a work colleague and her husband, another work colleague’s daughter and 3 people from the gym. At the end Ceri from the gym came up to me and said “Next year Lynne, you are doing it.” I can’t wait a year. Helena Tipping 10K (Wrexham) entered 2 December. 7 weeks piece of cake.

I’m writing this week off and doing what I should have done this week next week. The worst thing about this week is I haven’t lost a single ounce.

Procrastination Is The Thief of Time

‎"You will never get to the end of the journey if you stop to shy a stone at every dog that barks." ~
Winston Churchill

I have completed my first week of Outlaw training and am still alive.
For the first time in over 2 years I took my road bike on the road and was amazed how good it felt. I cannot believe I have wasted so much time terrified of falling off. The answer was so simple. Use SPD’s but don’t clip in. In fairness the roundabout and traffic light fairies were looking down on me and I only had to stop once. My legs felt great. My breathing was OK but oh my giddy Aunt (yes I have been watching The Great British Bake Off!) my lady bits were in agony.

As if my magic the 3 times, including the Celtman, Ironman Ian Houston pulls up alongside me and we have a little chat. “Your biggest problem Lynne is going to be finding the time to fit in all the training.” Now much as I appreciate his opinion I beg to differ. As he peeled off to support the Horseshoe pass Hill Climb it gave me time to contemplate. My problems I believe will be 1.Don’t get ill 2. Don’t get injured 3.Don’t get divorced.

I am reading but not following Don Fink’s Be Iron Fit. There are 168 available hours in the week. I work full time. Whilst I have been known to work 50+ hours per week in this job at the moment I’m doing less than 40. I live less than 5 minutes drive from work. I am fortunate to be married to Mark,a full time house husband who not only looks after our almost 7 year old, Morgan but also does all the washing, ironing, cooking and cleaning. I love spending time with my elder 2 “children” (from a previous marriage) but at 16 and 18 they don’t need a great deal of parental responsibility.

So I reckon that gives me a great deal of time for training. I prefer to train early morning and have no problem running in the dark. Bike wise there’s no way. I’ve invested the money I would be spending on wine and junk food in a turbo and I can use the bikes in the gym (spin bikes next goal). Swimming I have 3 X 1 hour opportunities open to me. A very quiet do my own thing laned swim on a Monday, a Wrecsam Tri Club session on a Thursday and a Tri specific, all abilities coached session on a Friday. I do not have the confidence to go to Wrecsam Tri Club session YET. I’ve been to 2 of the Tri specific coached sessions. I absolutely loved the first one. Apparently my breathing was absolutely spot on and as long as that was OK they could “cure” everything else. Last Friday’s was completely rubbish but then I’d been snuffly all week and my runs had been way under par too.

Mark, even though he would never admit it, will give me full support for training. What he objects to is me sitting in front of a lap top from when I come in from work or training to when I go to bed posting or reading Facebook/Twitter and Tri Talk or anything else Ironman related and once he’s pointed this out to me I have to agree.

I can be totally selfish in my Outlaw training but I’ve got to give a bit back.
Mark and Morgan made no objections to coming with me to buy a Turbo yesterday. Mark didn’t object (much) to setting my turbo up yesterday afternoon (he’s of the school, is all else fails – read the instructions!). I’d made plans to go and watch the Chester Marathon today but had to concede that I needed to make a serious deposit in the Family Bank so I “helped” Mark put anti-freeze in my car (I left the radiator cap off a few weeks ago and lost all the water and anti-freeze). Morgan can ride a bike but is rather nervous. We spent over an hour this afternoon up and down the closed section of road near my office which although not steep has an incline which has given him tremendous confidence. I walked quickly the whole time which I guess puts extra time in the training bank (I’ve already agreed on a run/walk strategy for the Outlaw marathon).

I was warned I’d feel tired. I didn’t expect to feel it so soon. I am very guilty of watching crap telly until stupid o’clock. That’s got to go I know. I’m pretty sure I’m fighting off some kind of a bug so am dosing myself liberally with Centrum Performance (for athletes – yup that’s me an athlete!)

As for my undercarridge problems, I think I’ve got to stop being so girly and HTFU. Riding my road bike for an extra half an hour, very slowly, every day, on Morgan’s learning track I’m hoping will get me used to the saddle so that I can double this morning’s efforts next week.

All in all a really good week where I’ve learned some more important lessons and entered The Helsby Half on 20 January.