It was time for some bike maintenance in the warriorwomen household today, very little zen involved just plenty of swearing. I clearly need a bigger flat - how am I supposed to watch the telly between all those spokes?
I headed out for Hampton outdoor pool this morning and I took the stumpjumper hoping that a little agitation on the dry trails in Richmond Park would dislodge the mudpack that has been covering her for the last month. It didn’t. Seemed to send plenty of sand between my disk pads though and I now have two bikes with dragging brakes. Hence the maintenance. Although I think it must be great training to ride with the rear brake permanently on, I really don’t won’t to compete in next months tri with any additional resistance. I won’t go into details about my workshop skills other than to say I broke my best tweezers, a pair of nail clippers, bent two forks and a knife, lost the skin off a knuckle and acquired two tiny little bruises on either hand.
After last weeks sorry attempt at swimming I’ve been reading up on the total immersion technique. I was too busy practising drills in the pool to count lengths but I’m kind of hoping I covered off stacks of them. I don’t like counting lengths, I always forget where I got to and then start arguing with myself about whether I should be on an odd or even number as I arrive at the side I started from and then I wonder how I ever managed to pass my maths exams.
The total immersion tecnique requires you to “push the buoy” which means pushing your lungs into the pool so your arse bobs out of the water like a cork, swim tall by keeping your arm outstretched until replaced by the t’other arm, and probably a few other things as well but I’ve only read the first few chapters. They don’t cover breathing in those few chapters so although I’ve sussed out how to swim with my head in the water I still have to flap around like a drowning thing every third of a pool. Shakti has the right idea swimming with a snorkel.
We popped into a neighbouring pub on the way out for a mammoth sunday roast and a totally unnecessary but quite delightful apple crumble and custard. Made the ride home quite a struggle though.
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Total Immersion is AWESOME. If you can find an actual clinic, that’s the way to go. Good luck out there!
YUM! I made the mistake of riding my bike on a beach this winter - never again, crunch crunch ewwww! poor thing.
