Ouchee.

Ok, so I have the comfy pants, great, so why does everything down south still hurt? Is it the seat or the newness of my body to the riding? Whatever it is I wish it would hurry up and stop hurting. My friend Susan and I get off the bikes wishing our lower half belonged to someone else.

I am yet to figure out how people ride for more than 25km without getting off their bikes feeling red raw. I try riding for little more to the right then for a little bit more to the left, some of it positioned more forward, the rest sitting more on my tail. Whichever way it all still hurts. What am I doing wrong? Maybe downstairs just needs to toughen up.

Every bump in the road after the 15km mark makes me see stars. I have even resorted to lifting my bum out of the saddle over the smallest of bumps to give my derriere a reprieve. There has to be something missing. Maybe my next purchase will be one of those seats with the middle bit missing. Maybe thats the missing link (no pun intended).

I have also started training in trying to get off the bike and start running without looking like I have done a doody in my pants. Not sure if I will ever look like a graceful swan in this transition, I find it very difficult. My brain sends the necessary signals down the right pathways to my legs but somehow it gets scrambled and my legs move in the necessary fashion to propel me forward but they feel so disjointed. Truly an odd sensation. I just need to keep on practising the transition and doings small runs/fast walks straight after getting off the bike.

Hit the road Barb......

I did it, I did it, I did it. Remember the little goal some 4 posts back about riding on the open road - well I owned it today. This goal is home and hosed, all mine. Ok, now I'll settle down a bit, it was only 5km but I wasnt even scared. There were hardly any cars out - I think 4 may have passed me but I went up and back and felt good doing so.

Generally if I am on my own training I like the therapeutic value of music to get me pumped but today when I went out on the road I thought it wise to lower the volume and only have one ear piece in so I could atleast hear what was coming from behind. You know - should I need to bail and throw myself off the bike into some mushy patch of dirt on the side of the road. How funny would that look.

I also practised turning my head to the right and looking over my shoulder without veering all over the place. I didn't do too bad but still need more practise. "Rome wasnt built in a day" and you can tell neither will my cycling skills....lol.

My speed is ok but not great. I am cycling at about 25km/hr and feeling every ounce of that speed on my quads. I just need to get stronger in my legs but it is a bit hard when I am limited as to my running still. It will happen, just have to keep cycling.

Getting off my bike is an entirely different issue and needs a whole post of it's own. I shall focus on this on my next post. Stay tuned!!!

The Wall

I used to do indoor rock climbing some 8 years ago, my youngest Kyle was only 3 yrs old. I had forgotten how much fun it was and how much of a great workout it was. I think I was sweating buckets within 15 minutes of doing the first wall. Our bootcamp group accomplished so much on this Saturday climbing walls we thought we couldnt.

For the first time in ages, I said outloud as I was climbing one wall "I can't" and I wanted to be let down. Thank God I had Barry holding the ropes, he refused to let me down and kept telling me to think about what it was I was asking for and if it truly was what I wanted. Of course it wasn't, but the pain in my arms were so bad and I didnt have grip in my hands. In my head there was a battle going on and was I going to let the negative thoughts win - NO WAY.

I made it to the top inch by inch, grunt after grunt. I even think I let out some choice words. And when I finally got there I was so elated. My friends said to me "You made it, you can do this Triathlon". I guess I can but I still have to work hard on keeping my mind focused and never give up. Things may hurt, so bad sometimes you feel like your dying but your not. Its a reminder for me that I am alive and going places. I can do this.

Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming.

Alright, I did it - 4200m. I can't believe it, well - actually I can but it seemed like I almost wouldn't on the night.

4900m was what was written for the session. An unrealsitic goal for now but I know I will get there. The week before I had completed 4000m and my goal is everytime I hit the water 200m more is what I expect and nothing less. After all it is only 4 laps more. I can use this as my cool down. So that is what I did.

I think it was about 2/5 of the way into the session I was faced with 6x300m, probably the toughest sets yet. Not only because I just don't like them, so in my head I kind of already switch off but also because the day before I had attended bootcamp and my arms were extremely fatigued. So I did 3 without flippers and 3 with flippers. Should these be part of my session this week I shall try 4 without flippers and forge forward towards my goal.

With 700m to go and 16 minutes left in the session - would I get there. YEP - 4x100m F/S kick with flippers in 10 minutes and 300m in 6 minutes. Boy, talk about determined and stubborn.

I even have my coach now pushing me to go that extra 200m.