Christmas Ride

I know, I know, I've beem way too quiet on here recently, but I'm working on a diploma, so thats unlikely to change anytime soon.
Still, I managed to get out for an hour or so on Christmas day on my mountain bike - it was a lovely day, but my hangover was a pain climbing, so I didn't go as far as I'd planned. Fun though, and I was left with tons of time to actually wash the bike properly. Which was nice.

Off Season Alternative Training

Like many things in life, I kinda this one found me.  A Living Social deal popped in the inbox months ago for an introductary lesson in the flying trapeze at Aerial Edge. Following a brief moment of thinking "coooooooooooool" I bought a voucher with the aim of having it there for something fun to do in the off season.
About a month ago, while in the midst of my crappy bunged up and lethargic phase I booked the session to give me something active & fun to look forward to, but that didn't carry any pressure to compqre myself against where I'd been earlier in the year; Wednesday was the day I had my lesson.
The brief summary: it was brilliant!

Billed as an introduction session, I was plopped into the deep end with 4 other fliers who had experience with this and other aerial acrobatic skills, which suited me fine as there was way less faffing and more time on the trapeze.
I had figured that this was going to be a good workout for the upper body & the core in particular and I wasn't wrong! From the moment I climbed up onto the platform, it was all about core, poise and control. Onto the trapeze itself and the core had to be completely switched on to provide the power to beat the legs forward and back, powering the swing. The timing started to come reasonably quickly and I had a grin on my face everytime I landed in the crash mats, even the time I slipped off at the start of my swing. There is lots to learn there, but in the process of learning, I'll also learn a lot about my body and get some upper body strength again!
With my arms having the same feeling as post rock climbing, it was time to stop with the trapeze and get sent up to the catchers cradle. I don't think many people without aerial experience get put up there on their first lesson, so I'm quite chuffed.
The trapeze platform must've been about 12' off the deck and the cradle maybe 15', which for me, after climbing up the rigging to then step across the 3' gap is quite high up. The platform itself is only a frame with a wee boarded out bit either side. You sit down on a bar and lower yourself backwars to hang, with your calves on top of the first bar and your feet underneath another and then swing from the knees. To say this was a slightly odd sensation at first would be an understatement, as the first time I went back I freaked out and had a sensatiom that I was falling and sat back up immediately.
After a few long deep yoga breaths to calm me down and some chat from the instructor I got myself back down and swinging. A few more of those and it was time to get back down. It was quite a buzz, to be fair.
The only downside of the whole things is that 48 hours later the DOMS really kicked in, with my abs in particular feeling it. It tells me though that if I keep going back as intended, I'll get the core workout I'm looking for and also brings something completely different to my training to mix things up!

This morning's blog was written while listening to the gentle tones of Slaughter of the Soul by At The Gates. A mighty fine album.

Stuck in a Rut

So I probably chose the wrong time to announce my new challenge, as I've done hee haw since, between hangovers and colds. Still, I can just call it the off season, eh?
In truth, I've been in a total rut aince Roth. I've allowed myself to be lazy in many aspects since then, particularly my diet, which has been spectacularly bad since then, and I've probably been slightly dehydrated something stupid like 80% of the time, both of which add into the cloak of lethargy that I have woven around myself.
There are many excuses, but no solid reasons, just slipping back into bad habits, habits that need to be eradicated once and for all, because at the peak of training for Roth I felt strength in my body that I'd always assumed I'd never be able to attain, and energy levels that I'd not had since being a kid and I want them back.

Year 2

Yesterday, I was complimented on my running style. Apparently it looks effortless or easy when I run. I can't honestly remember the wording on account of the fact that I was trying to get my heart rate back down & some oxygen into my blood before the next rep started.
This outwardly relaxed look I seem to have is a direct result of the running form I have cultivated; to stand tall, engage the core, front foot strike, shoulders away from ears and enjoy the sensation of running.

How I got to this stage is a mixture of the work of the coaches at the club (particularly Vikky & Tommy), my yoga practice and going to a minimal running shoe. So if you want to get better, and stop looking in pain all the time (like I'm sure I did a year ago), here are my key tips:

Talk to coaches. They will give you pointers & technique tips regardless, but if you have a discussion on it, you'll glean more, and the feedback you give them can be used to personalise the advice they'll give you more.
Listen to the coaches. Talking isn't enough. Listen, absorb, follow. There's a reason they're coaching.
Go to yoga. Seriously. It improves flexibility, can aid in recovery and improves your core strength, and core strength is vital for good form whether you are running, cycling or swimming.
Get the right footwear (or none if thats right for you). I moved onto minimal shoes as part of a shift to frontfoot striking to help issues with ITB pain, which has worked. But the shoes & running style make it easier for me to maintain my form.

But what does this all have to do with Year 2? Well, I've been flopping around with my training post Roth, with nothing to really focus towards and I find it much easier to head for something with a target in place. I've talked about my desire to go sub 40 minutes for a 10km run, but thats a bit vague, so I'm going to give myself a real target and aim to be able to run a sub 40min 10k by the Men's Health Forum 10k in June 2013.

I'll keep you posted on my progress

Vangelis - Chariots of Fire

Summers Arrives at Loch Lomond

Thankfully the weather has changed for the better (well, at least for today), so I was really looking forward to my first post-Roth swim after a muggy day in the office, and Loch Lomond didn't dissapoint. The water was mildly cooling after the warm air so neoprene socks and cap were unnecessary.
Given that I'm still in recovery phase (bit aiming for active recovery) I was well up for doing just one loop. Even better though was that Jo had her waterproof camera, so the was much larking around and jumping off of the jetty at the far point for appropriate dive bomb photographs.

Swimming on he leg back to the shore, I found myself a little sluggish and asked myself why I was working so hard. With no good reason for it, I stopped and floated in the water for a while, enjoying the scenery.

Bliss.

Weekend Back

2 weeks after Roth, I decided I wasn't for sitting around doing nothing (plus I was getting a bit bored). The recovery feels OK so far, but a late night Friday meant I was late getting out on the bike & feeling fairly sluggish.

I parked up at Clachan of Campsie and headed for the Crow. I started strong up the hill, but even before I reached the car park I knew I still had a ways to go on the recovery as I was blowing hard, so when Alan & Ian sailwd past downhill & Ian stopped to say hello, well lets just say it would've been rude to not say hello & head back down with them!

After a blether and a very short jaunt along with them I headed to Milton of Campsie then back to the car, popping into Wheelcraft to let Al know the wheels go me roumd Roth in one piece, though since he was blethering to other people, got talking to a guy with a wooden leg who now uses a recumbant bike, which he then let me have a shot of. It was cool :-)

Sunday saw me with a hangover for the first time in yonks, but I wasn't about to let it beat me so headed off up. The campsies to try out my new Roclite 315's. First impressions - me like!

New inov-8s

While they were never going to be as grippy on the mud and wet grass as the Mudclaws, they offered plenty of purchase on some of the steeper slopes on my route.

The first big slope was pretty nasty with the hangover mind, though the wind buffeting me prevented me from overheating and I headed on up. Once I reached the gentler slopes I started to get a rythmn going, until as I was steppimg down from one of the wee peaks with cairns on I rattled my right ankle. Since it was just tender, I headed back and walked it off for a while, then got back to a light run on the flatter section. A frustrating way to finish up, but at least it stopped me for running on for longer than I had planned to.
Onwards, there's plenty more to come :-D
This is a test on my phone, so no links. Feel free to post one of your own to a cool tune or video in the comments

Nice view...

It got a bit cloudy....

Mis-cue

How can you tell the difference between a good snooker player and a bad snooker player?
A good snooker player chalks his cue before he mis-cues.

What has that got to do with Challenge Colm? I've just got my bike back after a service, and, well, I clearly should've done it before Roth, as everything is running much smoother just now. Would it've made much of a difference? In all likelihood not much, but still.

Ho hum.

Sasha DiGiulian on Era Vella, 9a 

Chris Sharma, World's First 5.15