My cycle ride this evening was thankfully cancelled! I really didn't fancy getting soaked wet through in torrential rain and high winds!
Anyhow, I went to the Tri Club Swimming Session instead, and boy do my arms know about it!
We did lots of drills followed by some speed sets - well PDQ for me!!!
Altogether I swam 2050 metres or 1.27 miles!
I really felt like I pushed myself tonight - which can only be a good thing! Surely one day soon I will start to see some improvement!
On Sunday I was supposed to be meeting my friend for a swim in the lake but unfortunately he wasn't well and therefore we had to cancel. I am not confident (or stupid) enough to swim in the lake alone! I was slightly disappointed about cancelling as it was a lovely sunny day, although very cold.
However, we went for a walk instead and enjoyed a lovely 5.5 mile walk and conquered our 50th Wainwright, Lingmoor Fell. The views were spectacular which made up for my swim disappointment!
Last night was my usual "Women on the Run" club run.
Luckily for my first group, made up of "intermediate" runners it was dry although cold but by the time I was running the second "beginners" group the rain was pelting down on us and it was F R E E Z I N G!
I think this must have inspired them to run faster as we managed to run 4 miles faster than we have previously!
Altogether with both groups I ran 8.60 miles. The beginners group "graduate" into the Intermediate group next week so at least I will only have one run! I don't mind when its dry but 2 hours is a long time to run in the cold and rain!
Tonight I went to the pool to get a distance swim in.
I did my usual 1700m (1.06 mile) set in 37:47 which is just 2 seconds slower than my fastest time for this distance. After a one minute rest I pushed on to swim for the full hour and managed 2650 metres (1.65 miles) in total.
I am really chuffed with this as before I went I was feeling exceptionally tired, slightly stressed and I had to literally force myself to go straight after finishing a staff meeting at 5.30pm. I could so easily have gone home and eaten copious amounts of biscuits - I am so pleased I didn't!
I had made a deal with myself. Go and just swim the mile and then go home. However I somehow managed to survive the full hour! The first 500 metres felt incredibly hard but after this I got into my stroke and enjoyed the rest of the swim.
Strangely enough the other swimmers in my lane were all just slightly faster than me so I didn't even suffer lane rage!
Tomorrow, weather permitting, I am meeting a friend for a bike ride and to hopefully get some gear changing tips!
Feeling slightly nervous about braving the cleats again!
Only 14 Weeks until the Great North Swim and 17 until Windermere Triathlon!
I need to focus!
Last night I went to the Tri Clubs Annual Awards night where deserving members get recognised for their successes etc.
I really enjoyed the evening but came away feeling embarrassed about my lack of training especially on the bike! I woke up this morning determined to conquer my fear of the new cleats and my fear of the new bike.
So with no further pondering and no time to make any excuses I got dressed in my cycling gear.
I decided it was safer to brave the bike from a quiet location rather than pedal from home through several sets of traffic lights etc. So I put the bike in the car and drove to a nice quiet road. My heart was hammering in my chest just at the thought of climbing up into the ridiculously high saddle and clipping my feet in!
Anyhow I wasn't going to let my nerves get the better of me and set off slowly and apprehensively. I was surprised how comfortable the bike and saddle set up was despite looking strange.
After a few hundred metres I slowed and experimented with getting my feet free - I was pleasantly surprised to find I escaped relatively easily. With my confidence growing I continued on my way periodically stopping to practise removing my feet! Once I felt like I had this area sussed I moved onto the gears!
Although I did get the feel for where the gears made life easier and harder etc I didn't really get to grips with them totally!
After repeatedly travelling backwards and forwards along the same road I decided I had done enough and headed back to the car!
In total I cycled 7.04 miles - better than nothing and far enough to boost my confidence slightly!
Tonight I went to the Tri Club run training session which is the first time I have been in quite some time and boy did I know about it!
We started off with a half mile warm up jog before going into a 20 minute drill session, and it was hard work! Hopefully it will make me a better runner at the end of the day!
After the drills we then went for a 4 mile run including some "fartlek" sets incorporating sprints on already tired legs!
Although I found it tough going at the time when I finished I felt I had achieved something and it does me good to push myself once in a while! I have become a fairly lazy runner!
Altogether we ran 5.09 miles. Despite not being big miles I was shattered afterwards!
I definitely need to get some more fast miles under my belt!
Tonight I went to the Tri Club Swimming Training session where the focus was on technique which equates to doing a ridiculous amount of lengths doing different drills!
My poor arms and shoulders didn't quite know what to make of it all but I pushed on and survived.
I am not sure my technique is improving as the drills don't appear to be getting any easier, but I am trying which is the main thing!
All together I swam 2050 metres which is 1.27 miles.
I am hoping to be super fast and super fit by the time the Summer arrives!
Tonight I went for a swim in Windermere.
Despite being cold it was a bright sunny day and the lake was relatively calm!
After discovering the other day that I actually feel better being in the lead, tonight I assumed this position again!
Not thinking about it too much I just swam and really enjoyed it.
It didn't feel as cold tonight or I am totally getting acclimatised now!
I was chuffed to see that I had swum in a fish shape - again!
Tonight I watched Greg James do his 5 Triathlons in 5 days challenge and he made me feel quite hardcore! He was slightly pathetic when he was swimming in Open Water. He made a bit of a meal of it and they didn't actually say how far he had swum on all the days! I believe they were glossing over the fact he didn't do as much as he should!
Tonight was Women On The Run club night run!
After a lovely bright sunny day I posted on our clubs FB wall about being "a perfect evening for a run, sky is blue the sun is shining so no excuses acceptable" and boy do I wish I hadn't!
As we gathered at 6.30pm for the intermediate group run the heavens opened and we got rained on! I got a lot of ribbing blaming me for the turn in the weather!
However, we were not deterred and pushed on regardless! We did 4.08 miles and thankfully by the time we got back for the beginners group it had stopped raining! The beginners did 3.84 miles.
I cannot believe that they only have one more week before they "graduate" into the intermediate group!
That is 2 groups of beginners I have safely nurtured!
