HR training.

ALDI was selling these HR monitors for a measly $20, and seeing as I have never known what my heart is doing during activity I thought it would be wise to find out. And what a bargain I got.

So on looking at it and assessing the pro's and cons:

• PRO'S
  

• the design and colour are nice. Big hit in my eyes.
• the watch band is not made of very hard plastic and sits nicely on my fine wrist.
• chest strap is about 2cm in width and made of soft rubber.
• has adjustable elastic to be able to get the right fit around your diaphragm.
• comes with a bike clip so you can check what your doing cycling. BIG BONUS.

• CON'S

• The part on the chest strap that holds the battery is hard and slightly uncomfortable.
• I know this works on the principle of moisture to conduct a signal but it's going to make me sweat even more than I already do.
• How does one go about disinfecting it.

I am sure I will find many more things to like and dislike when I get to wearing it properly for the first time.

A friend of mine Eoin from Eoin's journey - jump on over and become a follower of his great blog, will be loaning me his book on HR training. We will be meeting this Thursday with other fellow DailyMiler's Jaydub - another great Aussie blogger who is documenting his training to his first marathon and beyond, Andrew - who also documents about his running and some of my other DailyMile friends as well. I can't wait to meet them all, should prove to be an interesting night.

I wish I had the heart rate monitor yesterday when I did the spin class in the morning. It would have been screaming warning alarms throughout our hill climb I'm sure. Everytime I go now I try to increase the intensity and not miss a single gear change when the instructor ask's of it. I stick hard and fast to all my sprints and hill climbs. If my legs start to burn I simply close my eye's, regroup my thoughts and keep repeating in my head "this will make me stronger, this will make me stronger". And before I know it interval one is over and I have another one to look forward to. I love it.

So swim session is on for this afternoon. Looking forward to more hard sessions in the water - or maybe not. I am thinking it is going to hurt this afternoon. Oh well, suck it up princess .

Chock-a-block day

What a day, what a day, what a day!!! It started off with a fairly decent swim at my local pool. 2.2km later and I got out feeling refreshed and feeling great. Shoulders are still a bit stiff but I am hoping to get another massage. Today's session went as follows:

• 700m Fr/s Warm up nice high elbows
  
• 3 x 200m Fr/s for 50m, Bk/s for 50m increasing speed over 200m
• 12 x 50m kick with fins & board. 50m Fr/s kick, 50m Fly kick
• 3 x 100m one armed Rock n' Roll for 25m, 75m Fr/s

On returning home I checked my emails and I got an email from Rick Kattouf in regards to starting my diet plan. I was ready to get this started so I shipped him an email yesterday and I signed up today seeing as I now had recovered from my Cannondale splurge. I have picked this coming Monday 6th September as my start date so I have time to purchase my groceries over the weekend. Can't wait, looking forward to this 6 week journey.

I also managed another 2km run/walk today but this time with the added benefit of my youngest son Kyle keeping me on my toes. We ran for 2min and walked for a 1min and completed it in about 14mins, 2mins slower than my last attempt but that's what I get for having a good time with my baby.

And I must admit I have been a bit of a slacker in regards to my core stuff. I know, I know - I should know better. So that's why I gave it my all.

• 3 x 20 ab crunches feet raised
• 3 x 30 super-sets dumbbell twist (5kg), bicycle crunch
• 3 x 30 ab alternate heel touch

So with all I this accomplished I now bid you all a goodnight. For all of you starting your day, I wish you all the best in your travels.

What hill?

I cannot get over how much stronger I feel in my legs. The combination of a great ride in Aliyah, my spin classes, the long ride and my hill training is all paying off. I noticed it especially today when I tackled my hill here at home. Three times I tackled that hill today with a total of 24km of riding and I felt strong in every part of it. Quite the difference from when I first started riding. When anything would scare me, when even the smallest bump in the road would make me get the wobbles.

My first 8km was done nice and easy, on easy gears and on the small chain ring. I just wanted to get my legs all warmed up and feeling good. I sat on my saddle the whole way up and just rode the long continuous climb - spinning the legs and quite a high tempo. The second time around I decided to still keep it on the small chain ring but on a harder gear which made me get out up and out of the saddle. I didn't realise I would like climbing the hill this way - I felt more in control and alot stronger I might say. It was as if every revolution I made had purpose, a new strength which I never had before. I liked it.

On the 3rd climb I made it a bit harder yet again. I made the gears harder yet again and this time by the time I made it to the top I knew that I had had enough. My legs were burning and screaming out to stop peddling. But did I give in? Are you for real? No way! On the home stretch I dropped down into the drop bars and gave it whatever I had left. In my little world I was hooning it. In Barbara's world, I was riding my bike at light speed. For the first time in ages I felt invincible climbing hills on Aliyah.

I know that at this pace I should be able to tackle the hills x4 times next week. And with that I will try to find another hill to tackle. Another challenge to overcome.

Check settings.

Boy, am I dumb. I ask, actually implore for all of you to remind me to make sure my settings are correct the next time I post how many kilometres I do.

After last Sunday's ride even though I was happy that I had ridden for close to two hours I was slightly disappointed that I had only managed to do 35km. I kept thinking to myself how could it be possible that in my 10km ride in the Enticer I did it in 22minutes - and it now took me close to 2hrs to do 35km. I know I feel stronger and faster so this just didn't make sense.

So I sent an email to TrailFlix for them to help me determine my distance and I was so excited with the response. I actually rode 28km one way, a total of 56km both ways and a distance of 35 miles. NOT KILOMETRES. What a dufus.

Need I tell you that I have just set a new PR in riding. I am now 4km shy of being 2/3's of the way to my 70.3 cycle leg. All because I set myself the goal of just trying to keep my toosh attached to the saddle for close to 2 hours. I cannot believe it. This is just such an awesome feeling. I wouldn't trade it in for anything in the world. And better yet, my back was not any worse for it.

Accomplishing this has made me feel strong. It has made me see things totally differently - like anything is possible. Like for all of my little problems along the way I still manage to succeed. What more can a girl want?

Tomorrow I intend on riding the hill x 3 times. I know I can do this.

I'm out of the funk.

Thankyou all so much for your kind words of wisdom and I especially like the 'suck it up' one. I can get down pretty quickly when my back is involved. But after 2 days of sulking and alot of thinking I am back to my old self and have enjoyed this weekend. I have accomplished alot over the last 2 days both in the water and on land. And the fact that my back has not gotten any worse due to the activities has given me some much needed relief. I wonder if it's the effects of the oral anti-inflammatory's I am taking - I have a sneaky suspicion it just may be. Either way I did heaps this weekend.

Top Notch Performance and Health and Panthers Tri Club had their last free swim session yesterday and I wanted to make the most of it and learn some more skills in the water that would help me gain strength and speed. Wow, this session was hard - I know this because I haven't actually felt this spewy for a while. I think the last time I felt it was when I was training for the World Masters Championships last year. We did so many challenging drills but they were so much fun. Here's what we did:

• 400m Fr/s warm up
• 100m Rock n' Roll breathing every 10 kicks
• 100m one armed R n' R breathing every 10 kicks
• 100m R n' R breathing every 3 strokes
• 100m sculling with arms out front for 25, Fr/s for 25
• 100m sculling with arms below shoulders for 25, Fr/s for 25
• 100m stroke tap. Have board between legs do a Fr/s stroke then as hand exits water it taps the board behind you.
• 7 x 100m on 1:40
• 4 x 25m deep water starts into a full sprint.
• Then a relay race.

Now can you see why I felt like bringing up the sausage sandwich I ate after the swim. Probably not a wise idea consuming food so close to finishing a hard session. Lesson learnt.

Then this morning I decided to go for a spin with Aliyah along the M7 bike track. I went out with all intentions to stay connected to the saddle for 2 hours. I lasted 1hr 40min and cycled approximately 35kms. Felt like I had gone further than that, my legs were knackered by the end of it. But, in my journey's I survived my first magpie attack. The little critter dive bombed my head about 4 times, and if it hadn't of been for the sun being behind me and it casting a shadow in front of me I would have only heard the flapping of it's wings and not known its angle of attack.

I also have to take the bike back to get the gears checked or tightened. Sometimes they were going in and other times they weren't in the small chain ring so I had to do the majority of the ride in the big chain ring. Maybe that's why my legs feel so caned. Anyway, I had a great time and glad I got out into the glorious Australian sun.

Reality.

Yesterday was one of those 'lightbulb over the head' days. Not for any one particular reason but for many small reasons. My brain was just firing random thoughts and funnily enough they were all making huge sense. Some were not good and others were like 'hell yeah' thoughts. So I will try to explain:

1. I think that no matter what I do or how much I strengthen my core or how many injections I have, my back will always be an issue. Clearly, these second lot of injections have not worked. I can still feel my nerve upon laying flat on my back or bending over for any period of time. Did I think that I would be free from it all if I stayed really diligent with everything I was told to do? - YES. Do I think that it's not fair that this may just be the cross that I will have to bear? - YES. But upon reassessing my thought's before they spiralled way out of control, I started wondering what makes me so special to think that I should be free from any troubles, ever. People the whole world over have issues and drama's that they have to live with daily, I am not any more special then they are. I just have to accept and make the best of it. Accepting and embracing my condition is not failure, it is being smart. I am expending too much energy constantly fighting this battle and trying to win, maybe learning to show my aches and pains and show that I have my weaknesses is what it is all about. Showing my vulnerabilities to myself is what it's all about.
   
2. I attempted another walk/run yesterday and although I felt good, I am starting to wonder if my attempts at this running thing are futile. I think this is my fourth attempt at trying to master the art of this sport and everytime I do - something happens. Maybe it's all about just trying to hang on - with white knuckle grip to my 70.3 dream and seeing it through and then that's it. I've not known anyone to have as many drama's as me when it comes to running. I mean it would be good if all Tri's were just 2.5km in run distance but they are not. I could stick to doing those but that's not what I enjoy. I enjoy the thrill of pushing myself, to see how far I can get. But am I trying too hard to realise a dream? And at what cost?
   
3. Swimming, has and always will be my strength. Nothing about it bothers me. Even when I have just finished my hardest session - my thoughts are never negative. I am always thinking - gees I feel strong. I like knowing that others see me as competition in the water - I always have. I like knowing that when people hear my name in and around the pools they think 'man, she's a good swimmer'. It's a buzz for me and makes me realise that I still have it. I am still a force to be reckoned with.
   
4. My cycling continues to get better. My legs feel more powerful on each revolution and I feel the benefits of having a new bike and attending spin class. When I look back to how scared I was on that first ride and how unable I was to maintain a good tempo - I realise I have come along way. However, I am also doing battle once again with wondering how my back will hold up over a long ride.
   
5. Is it possible to be classed as both the 'tortoise and the hare' in any one race? What does that make me? A tortare. I told you I was having random thoughts.

I think somehow I had thought that when I started this journey that I would get to a point when things would just simply get easier. That all my consistency and determination in the running arena would one day pay off. That my back would just realise that I have done my time and just leave me alone. Maybe not. Maybe it's all about survival.

Even Steven's week.

Yesterday was the day for my second set of jabs. Today was my second attempt at tackling the hill and I am pleased to announce I did it twice. It's seeming that nothing is impossible with my new found love Aliyah. There is just such a connection between us that I find hard to explain. Maybe it's the fact that I waited so long to get her that has made every ride to date just supremely magical.

I no longer look at the hill as an unattainable goal, but rather I now see it as something I can conquer many times over. And the more I attempt it, I only imagine that I will get better at it.

Reviewing today's ride, the only thing that really sticks out in my mind is the fact that a truck tooted it's horn as it was approaching me. Was that to signal it's impending approach so I could hold on dearly when the gush of wind went past or was it to scare the living daylights out of me. Not sure, but I kind of got the wobbles when he did it as I was so not expecting it. Maybe that's why he did it, just to get a good old chuckle at the newbie (or as Macca likes to call it "Hubbard").

I also tried getting down into the drop bars - slightly awkward at first but I think I managed to look relatively comfortable in such a position. I couldn't hold it for long though as my back is still slightly tender. The injections haven't quite worked their charm this time around which is a bit annoying really. Anyhooo, complaining isn't going to make it any better.

So tomorrow is swim day and Friday is spin class with physio mixed in between it all. Got a phone call from Lisa today checking up on the outcome of my injections. She is so sweet, who else does that. Who else remember's that - I mean it's not like I am her only patient. I feel really blessed that she cares that much about me.

Anyway, looking forward to tomorrow. Looking forward to a good old fashioned swim.