Fitness

The Great River Race

I've had a really odd couple of weeks, the new job has kicked in and its been so varied I just don't seem to be able to get back into a proper running routine. In fact I can't get into any kind of routine.

My first run after the hotel break felt great - the time off seemed to work wonders for me but then the next day it went back to feeling like I was running through mud. I knocked off early on thursday so went out for an evening run, but it felt terrible as well. The forerunner didn't help with my motivation at all, I was running hard with my heart rate at an incomfortable 174 bpm but I still felt like I was dragging myself. Looking at the garmin just made matters worse, the pace read out was around 8:30 min/km which is an all time low. I nearly quit and went home. When I loaded it up into Sporttracks the route came out as a cray zigzag affair which needed stacks of corrections. I don't know what was up with the GPS signal that day, it was a little overcast but not so bad. Anyway turned out my pace was the more usual 7:20 min/km.

Today I headed out for an 8km run up around Kew Bridge and Barnes Bridge. I set off mid morning which coincided with the great spectacle of The Great River Race. This was quite an amazing show, a whole stack of ramshakle rowing machines navigating the 22 miles from Ham to Greenwich. They were going considerably faster than me but their efforts really made my run more bearable. I really regret not having my phone with me to take some shots but the last time I ran with it, I came straight home and shoved it and my shorts straight in the washing machine. That cost me £300!

Fitness

Healthy Addictions?

I managed to squeeze in a tiny 3.5km run into my super busy schedule yesterday, but as my plans changed at the last minute I had to run straight after my lunch or face a runless day. I normally run first thing in the morning before I have eaten anything so I found running with lunch bouncing around quite uncomfortable. I can't bear the thought of a weekend day without a run though. It is beginning to look as though I might have developed a healthy addiction for a change. I'm quite pleased about it.

I start a new job tomorrow which kicks off with a 5 day residential induction so I'm a bit concerned that I am not going to be able to do any running for a week. In fact I know that will be the case as I have had to remove my trainers from the suitcase in order to close it, and there isn't much chance of me running in my suit. My intention is to get up super early tomorrow and try and get enough of a fix to last me til the weekend.

This morning I headed out to Richmond Park to try and catch the Nike 5k training run. I went on the bike this time so I wasn't tired out before I reached the start, which was my pitiful excuse last Sunday. Shakti came along for the ride and here's a snap of her trying to overtake me on the way up.

Click image to enlarge

It was a slightly overcast morning, which was a blessing as this was one of my toughest routes. To start with, I faced a killer climb on the bike just to reach the start and then I had to run back down it in a crazy uncontrolled fashion just to spend the remaining 36 mins on a circuitous uphill route back to where I'd started. I suppose thats running for you though.

Click image to enlarge

I expected the hilly run to play havoc with my quads but they actually seemed to have faired quite well. If anything, I would say that my hamstrings are twinging slightly and I don't normally feel anything here at all.

I seem to be alternately heavy and light weeks and this was a good one, here's the totals:

Fitness

Worst Best Run

We went back for a re-run of the Nike 5k training session in Regents Park last night. Both of us felt like seasoned pros this time - all the nerves had vanished - and we even felt cocky enough to skip the embarassing group warmup.

I ended up setting off a little behind the main group as I had to give the forerunner chance to pick up a few satellites. So far I have found the Nike chip to be unreliable at recording run times and I can't stand running without the hope of statistics at the end.

I set off at quite a high pace and was tempted to try and catch a group of girls that were only a little way ahead. There's that competitive edge coming into play again! I caught them at the 1 k mark but I was wheezing while they were chatting comfortably. Having passed them I had to keep the pace up despite feeling sick and breathless and generally pretty damn awful. This time it really did feel like school sports day. My chest was stoving in, it was so hot. My heart rate for the run averaged at 171 and maxed at 179 bpm so you can tell I was pretty uncomfortable.

Click image to enlarge

The route isn't very well signposted and as with last weeks attempt at the same route we all got lost at the 4k point. This time it appears I cut off the final corner which is a shame as it means my total distance was only 4.7k and given that I was running so fast I would have liked a proper 5k benchmark. I came in at 0:31:35 which I think would equate to a 0:33:50 time over the full 5k distance. This is my best pace so far, shame it felt so awful.

Have to confess to recovering with rather too much beer and another bag of chips - sinner!

Fitness

Feel Good 10k

Don't you feel great when you start the day off with a run?
My thighs hurt, I'm struggling to stand unassisted, I think I will probably be stranded in my flat for a day cos I can't manage the stairs and yet I feel wonderful. What an invigorating sport this running is.

Today I was supposed to be running ultra slow to keep my heart rate at 145 bpm but Shakti was cycling behind me shouting "yalla yalla" so inevitably my pace picked up. Actually my average HR turned out to be 154 bpm which seems pretty low for me but I'm sure this is a result of the lovely cool weather rather than my pace.

I took my favourite 10k route around the West London portion of the Thames, looping around Chiswick, Barnes and Hammersmith Bridges. These are two of the handsome bridges on the route:

Enlarge Barnes Bridge	Enlarge Hammersmith Bridge

Total distance: 10 km
Time: 1:14:37
Avg pace: 7:27
Max HR/Avg HR: 164/154 bpm

Fitness

Richmond Park Running

I didn't run yesterday, not sure why, I was feeling a bit under the weather I suppose and lethargic. I felt really restless by the end of the day though and nearly took myself out for a jog at midnight. Trouble is my routes aren't really suitable for solitary night time runs. I made sure I was up nice and early this morning to ensure I got some running in.

I went out to Richmond Park with the intention of joining the Nike training run but I miss judged the distance to the start. After walking 6k and finding I was still miles off the start point, I decided to just turn around and run home again.

Its a slightly hillier route than I'm used too but I spent as much time descending as climbing so I still recorded my standard 35 mins for a 5k. I hope I'll be able to get this down to 30 mins eventually. Richmond Park is quite a good area for running, you can see from the satellite image that their are plenty of route options across the park, I reckon I could get loads of different length routes here. I feel pretty lucky to live around here - I have some really scenic running and cycling routes on my doorstep, which isn't bad for London.

Click image to enlarge

It was a bit of a lazy week, I have felt a bit rough, but fortunately I haven't actually come down with anything so I should be back on track next week. Tomorrow I plan to cram in a 10k run, Shakti has agreed to cycle alongside me with the Stumpjumper, she seems really comfortable on that bike.

Fitness

School Sports Day Terror

Ok that title is a bit melodramatic but I was certainly a bit disturbed on the day of my first Nike training run. It ocurred to me that I had somehow managed to voluntarily sign myself up for an event that could only prove to be as horrendous as school sports days. Horrible childhood memories came flooding back to me - I was the fat kid, somehow bullied into representing the form in the 1500m event. I always found myself lapped while my chest was caving in like a furnace.

The anxiety levels built up during the day, not helped by the tea-break crew who thoroughly enjoyed winding me and Occassional Gym Buddy (OGB) up. With two hours to go I was sat at my desk with a chronic stitch and I hadn't even started to exert myself.

In rather an apprehensive mood OGB and myself wandered along to Regents Park to meet up with the Nike training team. We went disguised as regular park strollers so that we could walk straight on by if it all looked too terrifying for words. Turned out to be not so bad, just a tent and a handful of guys wearing what appeared to be their mother's cami-knickers.

After signing up we were dragged into a warmup run. This is not part of my regular training schedule, I do not believe in warm ups. If the forerunner isn't switched on and recording the distance and pace, then I'm not interested. Hopping and striding sideways just exhausts me before I've even started and it feels way too much like PE.

We got to start soon enough. OGB did his best to stick with me but in the end found it too painful and had to spurt on ahead. Thankfully that meant I could drop back down to a more comfortable pace without feeling like I was holding him back. I never understand how people manage to run with others, its so difficult to run at someone elses pace.

Regents Park is actually really pretty, I've never been there before. It's a good place to run. The route turned out to be 4.97k and completely flat. I ran most of it alone. There were two girls ahead that seemed to be using me as their pacer. They would set off at a fair old pace and continue running for about 200 yards and then drop down to a walk. When I approached and they got within earshot of my puffing, plodding running machine, they'd glance at each other and shoot off again. This was repeated about 5 times, each time I was about to pass them they'd just shift up a gear and escape my wheezing form. Half way through the run the skies opened and the rain started bucketing down. My tormentors dived into the loos for cover and I took my opportunity and ran for the lead, (This isn't a race remember - just a training run - I can't help being so damn competitive). Deege on The Getting Buff blog has a funny entry on the nature of the competitive spirit.

Don't you just love running in the rain, it makes everything so much more bearable. Pretty grotty at the end though, I was so wet that I chilled down really quickly.

Click image to enlarge

Good fun event in the end. I'll go again. Maybe next time I will try and avoid the lure of the pub at the end and the chips on the way home.

Fitness

Thames 10k Run

I really enjoyed the run this morning, I kept it steady and it was raining lightly so all in all I felt pretty comfortable. I turned the usual Chiswick and Hammersmith Bridge loop into a figure of 8 run to bring up to exactly 10k.

Click image to enlarge

I had been a bit worried about my knee which still seemed wobbly while I was putting on my shoes but it stood up well to the run. All the same I have taken Steve's advice and ordered some Glucosamine to repair my cartilage. I've got Shakti some too but I can't remember if she's got any cartilage left to repair after her op.

This weeks totals show a big improvement, I actually made it to the gym a few times to do some interval training on the treadmill. I'm taking the training seriously because the Nike training runs start next week, it will be the first time I've run with a group.

Fitness

Knee Trouble

Jack Osbourne - Adrenalin Junkie 2 has just started up again. I really enjoyed the first series, and found myself thoroughly motivated by his physical transformation . This evening chronicled his attempt to complete the ridiculously tough Marathon Des Sables, a 151 mile endurance race across the Sahara. I really can't imagine why anyone would contemplate this event, it is clearly going to be unpleasant. Jack appeared to go into this race fairly blind. His preparations for the event included ocassional treadmill running for a maximum of 2 hours (10 miles). What sort of nutter would head out into the desert with such inadequate preparation? Predictably he didn't finish, plenty of others did though which is probably more surprising.

In contrast to this gruelling event, my morning run just pales into insignificance, mind you I still managed to make enough fuss about it, huffing and puffing for the first 3k. From the splits it shows that I set off pretty speedy for me and only really started to enjoy myself when I slowed up and the rain started.

Click image to enlarge

I'm being troubled with knee issues today. I don't think they are actually related to the running, they give way on me a bit when I'm cycling, if I push too high a gear, but today I seemed to exacerbate the problem when I pulled my shoes off without undoing the laces. Pushing the shoe on without undoing the laces, hurts too, so suppose I will have to commit to not being so lazy. I'm a bit worried about my run tomorrow though, I was hoping to try for a 10 k run but I don't want to injure myself.

Fitness

Technical Running

I went on the treadmill this lunchtime and tried the Balke test for determining my V0₂ max score. This involves running as far as you can in 15 mins, I actually ran for 20 mins so I obviously wasn't pushing hard enough, but I still managed to get up a fair speed. I actually managed to run at 11 km/hr (not for long) without being propelled off the back of the treadmill. I wouldn't even dream of running that speed a couple of months ago. Things really seem to be coming together with this running malarky.

Anyway, back to VO₂. As with everything else I do, I have to get thoroughly obsessed with the science behind my hobby. Hence the purchase of all the sporting gadgets, training software, books and whizzy excel spreadsheets. I recently bought Daniels Running Formula which aims to tell you exactly what pace you should train at, based on your VO₂ max. So there would be a set pace for the long slow runs and another for marathon, 10k and interval runs. Trouble is I am too slow to even get onto his tables, so that was another waste of money!

The runningforfitness website is a techies dream. It is awash with converters and running calculators to tell you everything from predicted race paces to speed improvements associated with weight loss. I love it. The link I have given above enables you to determine your VO₂ max figure based on the 15 min run and then tells you what pace you should train at.

Apparently I should do my long slow runs at a pace of 08.03 and it reckons I should complete the 10k in 69 mins. Not sure if that figure is based on me running the race tomorrow or after a training schedule. I would hope to be running slightly faster than that by October but we shall see.

I am so impressed by the runningforfitness site that I have taken up PHP programming to recreate some of the conversion tables on my website. Not that I need another project at the moment - I'm supposed to be submitting my thesis in 2 weeks, instead I am spending every evening cursing about some line of code that refuses to do what I want.

Fitness

Stormin Run

I really enjoyed the run this morning even though I wimped out and cut it down to a short 3.5k route. I started moaning away to myself more or less straight away, as my legs felt as stiff as stumps and seemed to have lost all bounce after yesterdays 8k.

Click image to enlarge

I'd been watching the marathon runners on grandstand before I went out and really admired the way they stretched out their legs and ran in the true sense of the word. So I thought I would ignore my stiff legs and try proper running - actually it felt ok. I started dreaming about the day I could actually maintain this pace. Coming up to final straight I still felt good so I opened up again and completed the final 500 m split at a pace of 6.20 min/km. It felt great, my heart was steaming at 178 bpm but this was the first time my legs felt properly stretched out. I don't know if this is down to visualisation or whether its an indication that I have just lost enough weight from my legs for them to actually pivot at the top of my thighs rather than just above my knees. That knee waddle really does inhibit fast paced running.

This weeks totals look pretty poor:

I think it is time I put in place a training program for the 10k in October. I reckon I could be persuaded to try some speed work at least once week. I really don't want to come last.

Fitness

Even a rubber duck runs faster than me

It was a tough psychological run this morning. I took the new route around both the Chiswick and Hammersmith Bridges and I've displayed the MotionBased viewport below. It turns out to be an almost perfect 10k route, but its hard on the mind. I'm dreading starting my marathon training when I'll have to face considerably longer runs each weekend.

Fitness

It's been a week since my last BFL post

Oh I feel like it's time for a major confession. I have been slacking big time. I've stopped recording my meals and I've ignored the last note to self which required me to stop having alcohol. Everything is slipping badly, I keep drinking beer and port and there have been more than a couple of chocolate muffins making their way into my gut this week!
The only positive is that my running has increased pretty dramatically but even then I am guaging my performance on how many muffins it entitles me to eat.
Not good!
I've just been skim reading the life history of a blogger who appears to have started the Body for Life scheme (or similar) about 6 months ago and seems to have made quite dramatic fitness gains in the process. It's quite motivating.

Fitness

This mornings 8km Run

Click image to enlarge

You can check out more details on the MotionBased website again.

Fitness

Running Efficiency

I was reading the other night that the most efficient running style is associated with exactly 180 strides per minute. Apparently, almost all athletes run at this cadence regardless of distance and therefore speed. The faster runners just take longer strides.

Fitness

10km Target - Hit!

I ran for a whole 10k this morning.
Nearly crippled myself but I had to do it - that damn gym buddy of mine keeps setting new challenges.
It took me 77 mins which is better than I expected.
More details on the MotionBased site.

Fitness

New 6.6km Run

Click image to enlarge

This route takes me out from my flat, immediately along the Thames and up to Kew Bridge, up and over, back down Strand on the Green til I reach Chiswick Bridge and then a slight retracing of my steps til I make it home again. Nice ole route and not a bad length for my 10k training.

The red bits highlighted on the photo, represent the areas where I dropped down to a walk. Besides the fact that it is a really nifty feature of the SportTracks software, it is pretty abyssmal for a run - init?

I blame it on the weather, tis flippin hot! If you check out my heart rate profile, its clear that my heart rate climbs to around 170 bpm and then I quit and start walking til it gets to about 135 bpm and I can start again. I suppose this is enforced interval training and its meant to be good for you.

Fitness

Garmin Forerunner 305 Review

My last speed and distance watch, the Polar RS200SD was beginning to get a bit tatty, so I took the opportunity to try out the latest thing in sports watches - the Garmin Forerunner 305.

Fitness

Running Routes - West London

I've prepared 3 route profiles to encourage me to step up the pace a bit with my running. All are based around the bridges across the Thames in West London, so they are both flat and beautiful runs.

I have a 3.5k route from Chiswick Bridge to Barnes Bridge, which is my usual morning run, a 4.6k trot from Chiswick Bridge to Kew Bridge, and a whopping 6.3k route from Barnes Bridge to Hammersmith Bridge. I haven't managed the last one yet, but given that I have committed myself to the Nike 10k run in October, I had better start getting used to it.

Fitness

New London Off Road Routes

Well I've had a couple of fun weekends with Stumpy, trying to find reasonable off road routes to go mountain biking in London.
I've added a few GPS routes to the main site:

1. Mountain biking in Richmond Park and Wimbledon Common.

2. Long trek: Richmond, Hampton Court, Chessington and Epsom

Here is a MotionBased viewport of the long trek to the North Downs. You can folow the links to see more details of the route.

Fitness

Stumpy FSR - Girls Bike

Can you believe it? It seems that I am so short, that I have to buy a girls bike!

I'm not really complaining, its a beautiful bike. I ended up getting the Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Expert, which is just a tad above my current skill level, but it was the only one in stock. What can a girl do?

I pick it up tomorrow, after they have removed most of the seat post length. Can't wait to have some fun this weekend. Got to get my skill level up quickly, you can't have a bike like that and then start behaving like a wuss on the trails.

Fitness

New Challenge Events

Here is just a collection of endurance style events, I need to pick one to aim for:
The 2-Day Polaris Challenge - I've fancied this since I was a kid and saw photos of grimey women crawling knee deep in mud with their bikes.
MTB Orienteering or Trailquests

Fitness

Inspiration

Whenever I go on a new fitness buzz, I like to look around for inspiration that will keep me motivated for just a bit longer. This almost inevitably means spending money on either books or assorted gadgets, and this time round has been no exception.

So this time the book is called "Survival of the Fittest" by Mike Stroud who most famously ran with Sir Ranulph Fiennes on his 7 marathon runs, across 7 continents in 7 days. Flipping nuts!

I haven't finished it yet but the most inspiring story so far is of a woman called Helen Klein. This woman is truly inspirational, she is a great grandmother, well into her 80's and her motto is "I want to wear out, not rust out". She started running when she was 55 having had a completely non sporting life. She is now a world record holding ultra distance runner.

I have taken the excerpt from a book called "Fitter after 50", I don't have a copy myself but I reckon its a must for anyone feeling a bit depressed about the advancing years. I provided the link if your interested.

"In 1982, at the age of 59, she entered the Hawaiian Ironman Triathlon (the epic swim, bike, and run-a-marathon competition). In 1989, now a 66-year-old grandmother of 9, she completed the Grand Slam of 100-mile mountain-trail runs (the Vermont 100, the Wasatch 100, Colorado’s Leadville 100, and the Western States 100); plus one more to grow on, the Angeles Crest 100, all in just a 16-week time period. In 1995, in her prime at 72, she ran the Marathon Des Sables, a grueling 145-mile stage race across the Sahara Desert in Morocco; then just 2 weeks later (with hardly time to catch her breath), she competed in AND finished the first annual Eco Challenge, in Utah, a 370-mile multi-sport, multi-day, race (including horseback riding, canoeing, and rock climbing -- 1200-foot vertical cliffs) in which over half the competitors (most just half her age) could not complete this rugged event."

I'd really like to know more about this woman, she seems like a marvel. I've seen pages on the web confirm she is still running multiple marathons back to back at the age of 82!
Wow!

Fitness

First Goal Knocked on the Head

I was told this morning that I was arsey, something that I attributed to my restrictive diet but it's got to lunch time and I am now on a high!

No, I haven't gone on a major blowout and gorged myself on bangers and mash. Nope I have been to the gym.

I went on the treadmill, and after my usual 20 min run I decided to keep going. For the first time ever I managed to run 5 km non stop! Yeah, my first goal completed already. It has to be said, I only managed this, because my occassional gym buddy came to tea this morning, boasting that he had run 2.5 km in 15 mins. I am so god damn competitive I had to find someway to top it. Lets hope he doesn't do 10 km tomorrow or I'll be stuffed.

Anyway, I now have a yardstick to measure my progress by:
5 km treadmill run: 40 mins

Fitness

Body For Life Challenge

Today is the official start of my latest fitness drive. Not content with the results I'm getting from cycling, jogging and kick boxing, I am now about to embark on Bill Phillips "Body For Life" regime.

The BodyforLife program is a 12 week challenge, which you can complete either privately or take it as part of a competition, requiring before and after photos and measurements. Some of the results seen by earlier challengers are truly inspirational.

The program consists an intense exercise program and a strict nutritional component. The exercise involves alternating your days with weight training and 20 mins of intense interval aerobic exercise. You can find out more on the Body for Life website.

The nutritional component requires you to eat 6 meals per day (whoa!), although they are relatively small, comprising only 1 portion of protein and 1 portion of carbohydrate per meal. It's all about the portion control and for a self confessed carb addict, it is bloody hard to find enough protein to eat at every meal.

Also the food aspect is really novel to me, so it helped to practice here too. I've got a few recipes sorted out, things like protein smoothies for breakfast and tried out egg white omelletes. So today I can start out with a well stocked fridge and a clear idea of my weekly dietary routine. At least half of the key to success is ensuring that you plan well in advance.

Wish me luck!

Fitness

Crazy Fitness Scheme - An Update

Well I've well and truly overloaded myself with vigorous activities but I have to say it seems to be working out in my favour. I lost 10 lbs in the last month, with my spreadsheet diet and ridiculous exercise routine:

So on top of the daily cycling, I've been out running - pretty much daily for the last 4 weeks, covering a measely 3km each morning with my shuffling run/walk approach. Then as this isn't enough I've done two more lessons with Skate Fresh so I can wobble round Hyde Park every weekend on the skates. Then recently I took up kickboxing, in fact I am just sitting here waiting to go in for my third lesson. Yesterday I started a crash course in Kung Fu and then tomorrow I am starting Astanga Yoga.

The martial arts classes are super, blimey do I sweat!!! They must be doing me so much good. Pity I look like a gormless buffoon, tripping over my own "eagle claws". I'd definately recommend KBKickboxing to any woman who fancies getting fit in a friendly, energetic environment.

Fitness

Skate Fresh

I had my first training session on the new skates today. I booked in with Skate Fresh and had a private session with Louise, along the Serpentine Road in Hyde Park.
I'm really glad I opted for a lesson, I learnt loads - I can just about start skating and I can almost stop and almost turn which is brill. It would have taken me months and loads of bruises to fathom it all out for myself. Just need to get out and practice now. This of course is the tough bit, its hard to motivate yourself to go out and make a complete tit of yourself in public.

Fitness

Skates with Previous Form

I ordered inline skates from ebay and they arrived today. I've been pushing them around the lab and occassionaly ventured as far to put one foot in. I was well excited, until.....

This email arrived from the seller:

"with regards to breaking wrists thats why i sold them bought them wore them and have spent the last four weeks in cast broke right wrist in four places found feedback rather funny get some wrist supports from an expert in breaking bones good luck"

I feel doomed!

Fitness

New Challenges - Broken Bones or Sheer Exhaustion

Well I've notched up 3 more projects over the weekend - that must be a bit of a record, even for me. Still focussing on weight loss I'm trying to cram in the opportunity to exercise for 4 hours a day.

So project number 1: Kick Boxing
Yup, I've just signed myself up for an 8 week course of kick boxing with kbkickboxing. They do a lot of stuff particularly for women, although the course I'm joining is mixed.
So that is going to leave me nicely bruised/

Project number 2: Inline Skating
This has got to be the craziest plan so far. Me on flippin roller blades?! We went to Hyde Park last night and all the cool street skaters were out, strutting their stuff. So in my imagination I've been transformed to this hip, graceful, free, skating anarchist just by the purchase of a pair of skates from ebay.
Watch this space - I'll have broken wrists by this time next week.

Project Number 3: IronMan Triathlon
So I've managed to run for 6 minutes - with walking gaps, and now i reckon I can commit myself to an IronMan event.
I even shake my head at myself - what a loon!
Anyway, it gives me something to aim at. I'll start off by aiming for a 10 k running event and then maybe go for a sprint triathlon. Scary stuff.
The table shows whats involved for each of the individual triathlon events.

Fitness

Killer Quads: Follow Up

I spent most of the week wobbling around like a novice giraffe but I felt I'd recovered enough by saturday to give running another go.
I took it extra easy, barely breaking a sweat and the good news is that it didn't shred my quads. I went out again this morning and upped the pace a little to 6 sets of 1 min run/1 min walk. Not much I know but at this rate I should be at least able to start the beginners schedule next week.

So it seems my problem was DOMS - delayed onset muscle soreness and I've managed it by, stretching after the run and then taking a cold shower directed on my thighs.

Fitness

Cycling, Running and Killer Quads

After a few weeks off the bike because conference trips and the like, I've found I've put on a bit of weight. Not much, but given that I'm supposed to be losing it - it aint very good.

Anyway its spurred me on to take up running again. It seems I try and start running about once a month. I take it easy each time going for a run/walk approach but I always end up with terrible pain in my quads. The first time I had to take two days off work because I couldn't get out of my 3rd floor flat.

Yesterday, after buying proper shoes, I went out again and took it really easy - I did 1 min run, 1 min walk *4, then walked home. Today my quads are really sore and I'm struggling to walk with them. It's flippin crazy! How am I ever going to build myself up to IronMan standards?

I tend to feel that a cycling regime of 120 miles a week aught to leave me pretty fit. It doesn't feel good to be left crippled by a 4 minute run. I've been on a few running/cycling forums and it has been suggested that it might be a consequence of the cycling. Perhaps my hamstrings are over-developed with the cycling and its left a bit of an imbalance.

I'll rest until I can walk freely and then try again, maybe I'll be able to give it another go at the weekend. I'm hoping that eventually my quads will get into shape and start supporting me. If I ever regain my ability to bend my knees without falling I perhaps should try some squats for strength training.

Fitness

London Sight Seer Audax

Well, after my second long distance ride in a week I can say that I am well and truly knackered. I got home this evening after a 75 mile day trip and was so tired that I sat on the loo and remained there for the next 30 mins just taking refuge.

It was my first audax ride - the so called West London Sight Seer. The route took us too and from Hampton Hill via Kingston, Richmond Park, Putney, Westminster, London Bridge, Greenwich, Millenium Dome, Mudchute, The City, Hyde Park, Nottinghill, Hammersmith and Isleworth. A real sight seeing route.

It was a complex ride with 4 pages of detailed route notes but very enjoyable. I stuck with a group of 4 guys and they were an absolute pleasure to ride with. I would certainly recommend it. Quite a slow tiring ride but very interesting, I saw a new and different side to London - it was the first time I'd used the Greenwich foot tunnel for example.

The route came in at 65 miles but we made a few minor errors in route which probably amounted to the extra 5 miles. The riding time was 6 hours and 8 mins although we added extra time with essential tea breaks. That amounts to an average speed of 11 mph - not so great eh?

I damaged Peryl's wheels by getting the rear tire stuck in a narrow cattle grid type thingy, thats the trouble with narrow race tyres. Just scored the rims, no real problem.

I will definately do more audax rides, I found it to be very friendly and quite manageable, there was just one hill on the way into Greenwich park that caused my heart rate to go through the roof. Other than that I managed to keep with the pace.

Fitness

London to Oxford

I did my first challenge ride today, I joined a group of about 2000 to do the London to Oxford bike ride. It is a charity ride organised by Bike Events, www.bike-events.com, most people are sponsored but you can pay your entry fee and join in for fun and sport.

It was a lovely day and the route took us through some beautiful places but crikey moses there were some hills.

I am quite good at the short hills where I can just power up and over but give me a hill like the one outside Marlow that just seems to go on forever and I die – I got about half way up, ran out of gears, struggled to my feet to give it my all, which wasn’t much by this point and then just keeled over. Should have got the triple Chameleon!

Check out the route profile:

10 minutes before arriving in Oxford I was alone and exhausted a could easily have burst into tears and then on the corner appeared a marshall who told me I was nearly there and that I was only the 10th woman to near the finish that day. This spurred me on, and I managed to pass another woman before the finish line, making me 9th to finish. Of course this isn’t a race and we all start at different times so it doesn’t count anyway but all the same I felt good.

Overall riding time for the 60 mile trip was 4hrs 45 mins and I spent another 40 mins resting at assorted stops. Maybe I will be able to break 4 hours next year?

It was a really well organised ride, every corner was signposted and most had marshals to help at the junctions and provide motivation, there were a number of pit stops as well, a particularly welcome one was at a primary school providing hot dogs burgers and home made cakes – delicious. There was mechanical back up too.

Fitness

Audax riding and new challenges

New plan is start long distance challenge rides. Audax is a name given to such rides that are controlled by a national body AUK, and can lead to awards if you like that sort of thing. Of course I do.

An audax is not a race but you do have to complete the course within a certain time frame - neither too fast or too slow. I think a typical average pace (to include rest breaks) is 15 - 20 kph. The distances involved vary, I will be sticking to 100 km rides before trying 200 km. The sky is the limit though, there are grand 1400 km rides like London to Edinburgh (and back to London again) and another biggy is London-Paris-London. Ridiculous eh?

The rides seem a bit like orienteering, you are given a route card at the start line and have to find your way to assorted checkpoints where you have to get your card stamped and information points where you need to answer a question - to prove you were there.

The AUK organise awards to encourage participation in ever longer rides, you can have a badge for completing 10 100 km rides in a year or become a super randonneur for completing a 100, 200, 400 and 600 km in a year.

Details can be found on the AUK website http://www.audax.uk.net although be warned it is a bit tricky to navigate. The main point of interest is the calendar so you can find any suitable rides in your area.

I've signed myself up for the West London Sightseer, a 100 km trip around the London tourist sites.