Back on Track!

So, Doug has gone away! YAY!

You know he visited Josie too! What a bad boy he was...

Turns out that while I value the input of my friends in the Lycra Brigade immensely, and I have learnt a lot from them... targeting their cadence or watts is just not possible for me. If I do then I get all tuckered out and can't keep going.

Remember the story of the tortoise and the hare... my Lycra Brigade friends are hares. It is time that I accept I am a tortoise and be happy with that!

So having reached this perhaps obvious conclusion, training has been going great this week! So hooray for me I am back on track, and much less daunted by Josie's text on the weekend reminding me there are 33 days to go!!

I still have time!

W xx

Say Hello to Doug

Hello Peeps

Say hello to Doug... he is my new "friend", and don't tell him but I really don't like him.. at all...

I just don't know what has happened, but I bumped into Doug last week and he just won't go away.

Training had been going great. I was making awesome progress and working on all of the helpful hints I was receiving from my wonderful friends.

And then along he came.

I thought I had gotten rid of him. Turns out that when riding your TdF trainer, if it squeeks.. a lot.. then that creates friction. I know right, who would have imagined! So the addition of some oil to the crank and pedals not only had the benefit of getting rid of the annoying squeek, but also reduced friction and made it a lot easier to pedal.

Then this morning, Doug was back. How annoying! Don't you all hate that friend who will never leave? I was blaming the heat and high humidity for feeling like needing a little lie down. But now I blame Doug.

I can't imagine the metal filings Paul found under the turny bit near the pedals has anything to do with it. Can't imagine that pedaling so hard that the bike is wearing out could create any problems at all, so it must be Doug.

On the plus side, I have completed an amazing 1,034 training kms since starting this journey. This month's tally looks a bit sad, but I still have time!!

Now if you just divide that through by the number of training months, the picture is not pretty, so let's see if a list will make it look better:

September:    80km
October:       112km
November:   310km
December:   400km

Yep, much better! What great progress!!

OK, so I had better go. Paul has decided that it is absolutely imperative that he sits right next to me with the Big Jam Box playing ACDC "Problem Child" while he practices his guitar riffs! Really LOUD! OK, so apparently it was not that loud, but now the desk is shaking I think we can safely assume that he has rectified this and tested out the full power of the amp!

Until next time!

W xx

PS - glad you all enjoyed my last post. I am sure you will be pleased to know that I went out to dinner with my "lost" friend last week, so all is good again! BIG relief!!

PPS - I was invited to go on a spin class last week by a serious member of the Lycra Brigade.Unfortunately I was not able to go... due to very important and time critical work for a client... not because I was scared of looking like a big goose or not being able to keep up or having to have a little lie down half way through! I will go next time we are both in town together. And Doug can just stay home!!

PPPS - this week I will whip Doug's patootie!!

Grandma loses a friend and gets wind!

Oh dear, can you believe it. Today I lost a friend. I know right, who could not love BAD Wendy??

Turns out she took objection to my newly acquired "love" of Spinning. And I quote:

"Spin classes are THE worst gym classes ever devised and you have been enjoying it.  WT???  I am disturbed.  Deeply disturbed and wondering if I can actually eat with you again.....sigh......"

The thing is, I really can't disagree with her logic. I remember ripping into a fabulous friend of mine who liked spinning. Personally, I didn't think anyone did spinning after the age of 10! Now while I am very optimistic we can repair this and I will be allowed to eat (and hopefully ski) with my friend again ... it does highlight the inherit risk of undertaking new and exciting activities... and really, you sometimes have to question is it worth the cost? 

And goodness me... have I quietly joined the "Lycra Brigade" while focusing on my goal? My only defense is that I am helping girls to empower their lives... what could be a better cause than this?

Speaking of the Lycra Brigade and Grandma's... yes I now own Lycra. Horrid but I am hoping my patootie will thank me for it. So I met Josie today for a really big ride. She looks fabulous as always. I personally was suffering from a bit of muffin top from my lycra... obviously a very elegant and petite muffin top.. but a muffin top nonetheless. I will come back to our ride soon... but meanwhile... who knew that Lycra pants are just like grandma pants. You have to pull them up. Really high. Good grief, really? 

So then you have two options... be like a normal person and have an elegant muffin top, or be like a Grandma with "high pants" and no muffin top.

Don't you just hate it when life throws up alternatives, and really none of them are appealing?? I know right? Where is the justice in that?

So back to my ride today with Josie... Let me tell you just on the quiet that one of us did not bring our A Game to this ride. One of us struggled a little bit with feeling sick. Unfortunately the one of us may actually have been me! This may have been a major factor in why we did not achieve 35km in our allotted time. But really, 27km is pretty good, no? 

The other big impact on our ride might have been the fact that we live in the 3rd windiest cities in the world after Chicago USA and Wellington NZ. We turned a corner onto West Swan Road with the intention of cycling a really long way... and it was like we hit a brick wall. It was hard to pedal against the wind. Even Josie stopped and suggested that we might want to change our plans somewhat. So when Josie says it is windy, then we all know that it is truly windy and in no way related to Wendy being a big whiny baby.

So my challenges for tomorrow are (in no particular order):

1. try not to lose more friends
2. try to repair my severely damaged friendship
3. try to convince myself that there is nothing wrong with Grandma high pants
4. try to bring my A-Game to my ride with Josie
5. hope for no more wind 

Wish me luck!!

W xx

Spinning!

Hello peeps!

So this week I was chatting with a friend and colleague about my cycling. I was asking him what watts he targets when training. 300! Good grief! I am happy with 150! So then I ask him what RPM he targets... 100. Again good grief! I am like do you do this in a race? He says no he targets 110 in a race. And he races a really long way! Wow, I think I would die!

Anyway, he suggests that I try a spin class to see how I am going.

What?? I always thought spinning was easy. Stand on one foot and spin! How had can that be??

OK, so ever the obedient one, I did a spin class this morning. Isn't U-Tube amazing. I did a one hour endurance class. I had to do it really early since it is going to extremely hot today.

Wow, that was hard! The trainer was very bossy. Changing positions and RPM and gears. At one point she said you could sit down if you wanted. I am like, OK and I sat down. Then text comes up on the screen "IF YOUR LAZY!" You gotta be kidding me, right!? If you are going to slag me off then firstly don't tell me I can sit down, and secondly get your spelling right!

Had to pause a couple of times. Oops, cat's out of the bag on that one. Yes, I pause my workout sometimes when I get I get all tuckered out. What, surely that is allowed? I mean if you should not be pausing then why do they put that pause button right there in front of you? I like to pause and have a little wipe down and a drink and maybe stand under the fan for a few seconds. Then I can come back to it with renewed energy! One day I discovered (to my detriment) that you can only pause for a maximum of 1 minute, otherwise it turns off. So they are just mini-pauses really!

But I made it through, so I think that means that I am doing great! Did 21km. YAY!

I think I might do it a few more times since it was actually quite fun... who is this person?. I would like to get a bit better and quite frankly I am getting a bit bored with the TdF stages. I also like that I had training buddies in the studio with me sweating and puffing through the workout. And because it is on the internet and has "endurance" in the name then it must be good for me. Right?

Until next time!

W xx

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!! I hope you all have a wonderful and prosperous 2014. Quite frankly I hope I do too!!

I have been continuing to churn through training buddies. New Year's Eve I cycled with Paulie!!

Now there is a story, which I think it is important to share ... in the interests of open disclosure. I had set myself a target of 400km for December. New Year's Eve I was still short despite having ridden the TdF trainer.... which left me in somewhat of a dilemma... I could:

1. Lie - but I don't do that!
2. Accept that I was short - not a big fan being a results oriented person, but certainly better than option # 1
3. Get off my patootie and ride some more before heading out to our NYE party - better than options #1 and 2... but I need time to get beautiful (not much obviously, but time needs to be spent!) and I am starting to develop a bad attitude towards by TdF trainer.

Anyhoo, I discussed my problem with the ever supportive Paulie and he said he would ride with me. YAY! BUT, what if he is better than me?? I know that I can beat 2 Fifth Graders, but can I beat Paulie??

Luckily, it turns out the answer is YES. He is super fast on the down hill bits, but on the uphill bits I got to zoom past him and offer helpful and motivating advice to him! I am sure he really appreciated my input!!

So, for December I did a total of 400km of which 110km was on an actual bike on the road. And I have done a grand total of 900km since I began training.

Ever the obedient person, I have been following advice from all sorts of people including riding on different terrains - Hugh and I even rode on the old gravel railway paths in the hills behind us.  

Today Hugh and I went cycling with Glen and the kids around the river. It was really fun and thankfully nice and flat after our adventures in the hills. After that we rented two surf-cats for a quick sail on the river. My little princess didn't much care for being on one hull - good grief, who is that child? How else do you know if you are going as fast as you can?? Anyhoo, we dropped him off at the shore and Paul and I had a blast. I love sailing!!

What a great day!

Until next time.

W xx

I'm Faster than 2 Fifth Graders!

So I am a little concerned.

Meet my training buddies for today. Matt and Hugh. Both have just finished the 5th grade.

I think it is really important that we don't read anything into my cycling ability based on my training buddies. I also think it is important that we don't focus on the fact that neither of them are very athletic (sorry boys!)... they are more cerebral.

I do think we must focus on the fact that I am faster than my training buddies, and that I require fewer rest breaks, and that I rode further. Good grief, I am justifying beating two 10 year olds... what is happening here?? Maybe I am just relieved... How embarrassing would it be if they whipped my cute patootie??

Anyhoo, we had a great ride today. 20km (the boys did a bit less). I wanted to do more, but it was hot out there in the sun, and since my ride will be in mild weather, I decided it was fine to stop rather than risking heat stroke!

That's my excuse and no-one can prove any different!!

Now for a refreshing beer!

Until next time!

W xx

Two Grandma's Cycle to Church

Goodness me, don't you hate it when you make a big claim and it comes back to bite you on the patootie??

So after riding with Hugh, we jointly decided that perhaps he needed a shiny new bike to keep up with his highly talented cycling Mama... Also bought him go-fast cycling pants and a high visibility shirt. Wow Hugh, you have totally awesome parents!! Shame they didn't think about this before Christmas, rather than the day after!

I should also mention, that I am finally the proud owner of "paddy-pants". It reminds me of being pregnant... no-one wants to wear those horrid extendable elastic waisted trousers or skirts, but at some point you have to give in to the inevitable... and you come to realize there is a reason they have been invented. The same with cycling shorts in my opinion. Let's be honest, no-one looks good in them, but they do serve a purpose.

So off we go for our ride!

Look, there are two perfectly good cars there, but we are using our bikes instead. Just CRAZY I tells you!!

Anyhoo, we puff our way up the really steep hill until we can start our ride. This time I even had the Magellan Cyclo100 sorted so we could measure our ride... perhaps that was my first mistake. While we had a maximum speed on our ride of 50kmph (which was zooming back down the hill to our house - which is our favorite part of our ride!!), there were many 0kmph. These followed a little voice saying "Mom, can we take a break now?". Hugh did much better on his shiny new bike. Was able to ride up more hills actually on his bike rather than next to it pushing. BUT there is no escaping on horrible fact... we traveled 18.5km (plus a bit where I forgot to turn on the Magellan) in over 1 hour with an average speed of 13.5kmph.

Oh Dear! Turns our we are two 60 year old grandma's going to church.

Better go and crochet a doily!

OK, so we are going out again soon, and this time we will do much better. I think we should target 57 year old Grandma's!

Later Gators!!

W xx