I'll keep it short!

Sigh!

I'm tired! Had a rather hectic week culminating in an Army dinner night last night and staying up to 3am sipping port and chewing the cud!.... Phewy... Well it has been my birthday week and I do like to spread my celebrations out ;o)...

Actually though, work has involved a lot of traveling too which has been chipping away at the old energy reserves (I drove about a thousand miles this week!).... Still, although I didn't manage to swim at all (OH DEAR!) and I missed my long bike (GULP!) I did manage to get ALL my run sessions in, even early in the morning and late at night when I didn't want to.... and best of all I managed a 2hour, 12mile easy run yesterday morning (before the dinner night!). Twas a lovely spring morning for that - superb in fact, no glorious, exquisite, simply brilliant... I think you get the idea - I loved my run! Which in itself is a bit weird admitting to ;o)

February has been an odd month, particularly weather wise... having experienced the most snow (in my home town) ever in my entire life and being marooned at home, to having pretty bad flooding... all of which has meant getting out and running or biking has been challenging.. .to this current weekend when the temperature has risen to the late 40s, the skies of become clear, the sun getting up earlier and the birds beginning to sing the morning rise... it's almost become spring out of the blizzards! Even my bulbs are all pushing up and flowers are arriving!

On a final note (I did say I'd keep this short).... Whilst driving up to the dinner night last night I was on this dual carriageway and my eyes were drawn to a sign which said

"THIS SIGN IS NOT IN USE"

I kid you not. Well. Say no more!.... If it ain't in use why tell me it's not!?!

Strange - and that was before the port quaffing!

Hope you've all had a great week gone and just enjoyed a relaxing weekend!

4 Days till my tri camp in Lanzarote - can't wait to get some proper weather, enjoy some long bike rides outside (rather then the turbo) and getting into the nice 50m outdoor pool every day...oh and the added bonus of having some time off work. BRILL!

What Karen Needs and FFFK

As I have little originality or creativity this weekend I'm doing the easy blog option.. Yes, following in the footsteps on several fellow bloggers, Wes for example.... I thought I'd just blog what Karen Needs... Idea (unless you don't know already) is to google "{your name} needs and share the first ten google returns... so here you go;

1. Karen needs a list
Yes my first on the list is someone else's list which has already been done - and somewhat different!

2. Karen needs help - Gay Marriage in California
Well yes I do need help but no one told me about that particular arrangement! GASP!

3. Karen needs a lobotomy fund
No comments please!

4. Karen Needs is on facebook
What - there is actually someone with that name!? I am actually already on facebook, thanks.

5. ... to take a rest
... well that's what the photo on flickr said.... true though

6. ...to be on youtube
... several youtube videos, one of which is about gin drinking, now there is an idea...

7. ... horney
.. no comment :O)

8. ... tech advise
..so true

9.... a man for no strings fun
... WOW! I seem to be quite demanding today given points 2, 7 and now 9!! MWAAAaaahhhhh!

10. .. a new helmet
... This is quite true - I got a new bike helmet last year and I'm still not sure if I like it!

If you want a go consider yourself tagged already!

On another note, following some other blogs I read I found out about Nancy and also this;

Virtual bloggers around the world are running for Nancy this weekend - well we don't need much of an excuse... so today was my long slow run so I pitched in 16.2 k (Not quite 5k, extras for doing it a day late) in 1:42:09 with my fastest 5k in there at 30:38.

Was going to swim but my second Sweeny Todd pie of the weekend has led to sofa collapse, well me in it rather then the weight of it hitting the ground!

High Heels

I don't wear high heels very often, well I'm 5'8" so tall enough already, and besides they are uncomfortable after a while.

And so I was proved on Saturday night when I decided to wear some new puppies (shoes), a bargain from the summer.... so in my posh frock I stood tall and proud in my 4" heels... WOW!
DID I FEEL TALL!

... and then we waited in the reception to be seated.

... and waited

... and waited

Does this count as a strength & conditioning session?

The call to dinner couldn't have come sooner enough, an hour was too long - my calfs and quads were screaming!!

So I sat and thought I was saved.

UNTIL SUNDAY... UG!

Now Sunday came and I HAD to do an 8 miler... but what bad planning doing that the day after the night when I decided to wear 4 inch heels for the first time in 3 years! OUCH!

But despite the tiredness and tightness yesterday I did do my 8 mile "easy" (ha ha ha more like nightmareishly hard) session on the dreadmill, for which I am proud. Thank the Lord today is a rest day is all I can say!

Today my legs are.... SORE!.... and sore in weird places too.

I've put those high heels away - like all endurance sports you're supposed to train up aren't you - next time I decide I'm going to wear the heels I think I need to write myself a 3 month training plan!

Karen 2 Snow 1

Well you know how much we Brits like to talk about the weather right?

So all I can say is in the last week I CAN NOT believe the amount of snow we've had. I'm not kidding when I say that I think the amount of snow we've had this week is probably more then I've seen here locally in the last 39 years of my life added up.

I'm not kidding

Yes I've seen MUCH more snow at ski (snowboard for me) resorts.

But never here.

Despite the snow and ice I did manage to drag my butt to the gym on Tuesday evening (the roads were passable by the evening) and do a 45min dreadmill session, Karen 1 Snow 0.

Yesterday was a clear day on the roads (just the fields/ woods etc that had the snow covering), and I did manage the turbo.

Today should have been 7 miles... BUT I GOT BEATEN... didn't even make it to the gym (which was ultimately probably slightly lazy of me).

So 2 - 1 to me so far, although if you include the fact I've not swam yet this week then maybe it's 2-2!!

Was supposed to be working in London tomorrow but we've already had forecasts for more bad weather overnight and thus the travel disruption tomorrow so that's been called off. If nothing else I'll get on the turbo for some punishment!!!

And just to show that I'm not the only one surprised by the amount of the white stuff, we (like the whole country) has nearly run out of salt to salt the roads with!! What a laugh!!

On a positive note I did add 15mins of upper body work (yes strength training people.. GASP!) after the last dreadmill session. Well done me (for that anyhow!)

Tally-ho!

January Tally

So I remembered what worked well for me last year - not just reviewing the month gone but setting mini-goals for the month ahead. As it's snowing outside (GASP the country has come to a HALT so I'm working from home today!), then I may as well have a stato moment now and do the sums;

Period: Base 1 from 5 Jan to 1 Feb

Swim
Sessions = 5
Distance = 7.05km
Time = 3hrs 2mins
Comments; OK not a bad start but not great - average of 1 and a tinny bit sessions a week is not going to get me getting any faster... indeed it will barely keep me afloat!
Base 2 objective: Up the average number of swims to nearer 2 per week (I would say 2 per week but think that is optomistic! LOL! Minimum now of 1500m per session.

Bike
Sessions = 13
Distance = 194.30km
Time = 8hrs 56mins
Comments; I'm pretty happy that I'm getting back on my bike, riding regularly mid week and weekend.
Base 2 objective: Keep up the momentum and extend the Saturday ride up towards 2.5 hours (assuming weather allows it!)

Run
Sessions = 13
Distance = 82.82km
Time = 9hrs 12mins
Comments; Again I'm pleased with how the run is progressing, this is the main focus area
Base 2 objective: Extend long run by end of period to 2hours, do everything you can to keep injury free!!!

Strength
Easy - NONE!
Comments; This is really a disaster area and one that I need to address if I'm going to keep injury free!! I enjoyed my autumnal body pump classes but not sure how to fit these in when I'm doing the biking/ running. Maybe I should prioritise and swap a mid-week ride for a strength session? Will give that some thought.
Base 2 objective: Have four strength sessions during this month, doesn't have to be body pump, have home DVDs and/or gym as alternatives. As minimum do 15mins ab work and 15mins upper body (which you can do from home even without a DVD!!)

Warm-Down recovery
Time = 2hrs 30mins
Comments; So after every run I'm trying to ensure I do a 5minute walk off and 5-10mins of decent stretching. The process seems to be aiding recovery between runs and I'm hoping will help in my fight to stay injury free!
Base 2 objective: Just keep this up, ensure in your sessions planned you incorporate sufficient walkdown time!

Other Random Thoughts
Given at the start of the year I was recovering from an episode of the heeby-jeebies and week 1 consisted of very short (ie 20min) bike and runs (10mins) my progress has been actually a little startling, and I guess means my endurance base gained last year is actually still floating around a little. I was very (very) surprised at my 8mile run last Sunday, didn't have a problem with it (although couldn't exactly have gone much further and was not setting any speed records), I'm surprised I felt so good!
I am a little wary of injury, my back is a little tight and so is my left achilles.... but to be expected no doubt, a sports massage would probably go a long way.
Hopefully the weather won't get too cold during Feb, but even if it does then a tri-camp in Lanzarote awaits for the 26th which will be a welcome winter sunshine break :o)

Super Bowl

For the first time in years (I'm sure like over a decade) the Super Bowl is being shown on terresterial TV over here in the UK. Shame is the Packers were no where near close to getting to the final ;o)

So I'm thinking should I stay up.. .it's already 23:30 and I'm struggling to stay awake so it doesn't exactly bode well does it! Am also wondering which team to support..... I think Arizona as I believe there are more of you virtual blogger buddies nearer Arizona then Pittsburg?!!?.... and besides they are the team in Red aren't they which is the same colour as the mighty Liverpool FC may fav footy team.

Oh blimey the Steelers nearly got a T.D.

now 3rd and short or something and... oh there we go - they scored so you can see I've had the proverbial commentators nightmare moment!!

BUT WAIT there's a challenge...I doubt it but still...

Will obviously have to keep the blog short or you'll just get a load of random outdated comments from someone who only kinda gets the rules ;o)

So - to keep it short and sweet.... I've had a good recovery week...I've indulged completely which I'm not sure is the done thing but still ;o)

Running is feeling good - have a few niggles and reckon I need a bit of a sports massage but not sure when I'm going to fit that in.

Base 2 begins tomorrow with the obligatory "rest day"...which is as well as it has snowed here this evening..... which we in the south of England can't cope with so chaos will reign tomorrow for sure (in terms of traffic)!

WOW... lucky call from the Cardinals. Turns out they were right to call the review! NO T.D!

1/12th of the year down already... HAPPY FEBRUARY.. and for those Aquarians out there (who haven't already had their birthday!), enjoy the next few weeks :O)