more spinning..

Still floppy after spin class earlier...they're so hard!

Hoping to get back to some normal training this week. But given how congested I've been, i've not done too bad - made the most of not wanting to exert my lungs/breathing by doing a fair bit of core strength and abs work, trying a few new workouts on cycloclub, and getting a better idea of next few months - where the gaps are for training away etc...

Sunday 28th February 10

Cyclospin class no.6 - whole body work out. 67mins

Starts with core warmup - a lighter one than for no.3, then fair bit of trying to stay at same rpm in different gears sitting and standing - at 80rpm, 100rpm, 60rpm, 90rpm. I find standing SO hard for more than 20 secs - even then it's exhausting. I'm doing well, though, at fast pedalling maintaining posture. Had to have a rest off the bike after 50 mins..before finishing. Finishes with some power yoga off the bike.

plan, week of 1st March

Mon 1st - swim - tri pool sesh - 1hr

Tue 2nd - med v. gentle run - Warkworth or Alnmouth - 1 hr ish
- cyclocore circuit 3, cyclospeed abs and active stretch

Thurs 4th - cyclospeed circuits 1,2,3. Cyclozen stretch

Sun 7 - Thrunton Woods? long run. Or Wooler way if anything organised. Or maybe Kielder or Hamsterley, so boys can mtn bike

Glentress Duathlon cancelled

thank goodness! As neither me nor my car were ready for it - nowhere near! Still not clear of cold. Was struggling to listen to my body and not go...

Saturday 27th Feb 10

Off bike spin class 3 warm up
Cyclospeed circuit 4 - the balance and stability one - including the trying to balance on top of the ball - fun!!
Cyclocore - bonus abs
cycloloose in 5

1 hr altogether

gently gently.

Still got cold but less so? Tickly again....decided against a Spin Sesh today - didn't want to exert myself for so long. Did half hour. Lacking energy.

Tuesday 23rd Feb 10

Warmed up with Cyclospin 3 for 10 mins - good for warming up core, I discovered last week..rather than blasting straight into:

Cyclocore circuits 1 and 2, 20mins

Snot alot of training happening..

Fed up of this cold - I've looked after myself and had loads of rest - why hasn't it gone yet? Back from my chest to my nose again. 3 weeks on Wed it'll be since it struck. Guess it's been a chance to try bits of other training I don't normally do - in the house and no strenuous - mostly - apart from the turbo spin the other day..

Saturday 20th Feb
Didn't get to Glentress for mountain biking/running - snowing, car not mended yet so steering's very stiff, tickly chest...

Cyclozen - stretch - with bits of strength thrown in! About 30 mins. Couldn't find dvd flicker - so had to do online - but hadn't let it play ahead so I could avoid buffering pauses - and they were really frustrating and long...so added bits from Strength that came to mind!

Sunday 21st Feb
Cyclozen - Power Yoga - 30mins

back in the saddle..bullwhips and popcorn

Even if only statically, in the living room! That was a hard spin session though - cycloclub's no.3? (I think)(went back to it as it kept getting stuck last time I tried)....'bullwhips and popcorns'. Mind you, they're all pretty hard..and more than a solid hour. This one had 15 mins tough core work first..some stuff I hadn't done before that was a struggle. So the weird terms refer to 2 techniques..can't really describe the bullwhip one...sort of an extension to shoe scrapers but really 'whipping' into it over the top and aiming down to 5 o'clock, before pulling through, using the toes very actively - pointing them down - on the way down, but up on the way back up..there's a techy term for that but I can't remember it..and popcorns are simpler - simply focus all your energy into a straight up fast movement from 6 o'clock to 12 o'clock. I was quite good at that one! There were also quite a few standing chunks - which I find really hard. I'm very floppy now and am struggling to get up and down stairs - all my muscle power has been drained.

Sadly, Glentress this weekend is off. 1/ it's snowing quite hard - and that's here - it's usually worse there, especially as you get higher. 2/the steering fluid leak on my car is not yet mended - had hoped it would be today. Which means it takes alot of arm strength to drive - especially any manouevering - didn't fancy that at Glentress itself up those steep bendy fire roads, with 3 mountain bikes on the back. And 3/ I've still got a tickly chest. It's not awful, but I don't want to undo the recovery, as I'm so nearly there.

Friday 19th Feb (1 hr 10mins)

cycloclub spin session no.3, 'bullwhips and popcorn' - 66mins

cyclo cool in 5 (warm down)

emphasis on core strength and technique

not fully wound up - but just enough to start ticking gently!

Tuesday 16th Feb 10

cyclowarm in 5, cyclospeed circuit 4 - stability, advanced abs, cyclocool in 5, cycloloose in 5 (about 1 hr, bit more)

Had intended to do spinning, but still wheezing, so kept it slower and gentler...a chance to experiment, and just keep ticking over too

Actually like the 'speed advanced abs' better than the 'core bonus abs'...and uses the power wheel, one of which I bought the other day. I couldn't roll out very far - but hopefully I'll improve. I didn't do the more strenuous bits that get you breathless (and hence unbalanced - to challenge the core more.
Started to do the 'active stretching (also 'speed') - but got bored as alot of overlap with circuit 4, so decided to see what some of the 'in 5' cooldown/stretch options were like. Have done 'cool' before - designed for as come of bike, so not so good without a bike handy. 'Loose' was better for indoors, using stability ball. Also looked at 'release' - but i need a tube thing - tried using a roll of bin bags! But not long or thick enough.

training weekends..

Just exhausted myself doing strength workout of cyclozen 'fix the back stay in the drops' - doesn't usually tire me...was s'posed to be a gentle re-introduction of exercise. So instead of moving on to stretch section (might attempt later), I've been through my calendar earmarking possible weekends for training away from home. Some coincide with singing events that I could gatecrash parts of too!

Mar 13/14

(Mar 27/28 - Lakes, Skelwith Bridge - bet Ambleside and Coniston)

April 6-8 - Hope Valley, Derbyshire peaks, at sister's

May 1,2,3 Keswick or Helvellyn

May 30, 31, Jun 1 - Hardraw, Yorkshire dales

Jun 26/27
July 3/4

July 25 - Aug 1st - Hardraw, then Derbyshire

And I've arranged to borrow a mountain bike for the long duathlon at Glentress the weekend after next..hoping to go up this weekend or fri and do some training....blinkin' chest'd better be clear by then. Was relieved as didn't want to have to fork out for bike hire at the moment.

Mon 15th Feb 10
cyclozen, 'fix the back stay in the drops' - strength (15mins)