Finally the clothes are coming off!!

Whoop whoop whoop, this week I got out on my bike in shorts, fingerless gloves and no shoe covers. It was fantastic, the sun was out, I felt warm and even some RAF jets did a fly by. I think I grinned the whole way round it was so nice not to be wrapped up to the nines. Then that same day I went to tri club in the evening dubious about how I would cope due to the earlier ride being quite a hard 2 hour ride. But I must say I was pleasantly surprised, I felt good in fact if anything I could of pushed myself harder, I know for next time.

I managed a mid week distance run. Ohhh how my hips ache by the evening, I really do hate this discipline. However this week I had my first sports massage, OWWWWWWWW my IT band, gluts and hamstrings are all so tight and my left hand side is worse than my right. I have to say Linda Rogers of Zest sports massage was amazing. She managed to inflict some serious pain on me, but it was all good. I am really looking forward to seeing the effects from it in my training in the next few days, I think I will definitely have to make it a regular thing within my training schedule.

The netball match this week was a tough one. We won by 17 - 16 it was so unfriendly. Then I found out afterwards they were part of a university team, can't tell you how good it feels to say a mum's team managed to win against a university team, hee hee!!

The end of the week and my weekend has been a bit of a wash out regarding training due to the return of this sick bug. Both the twins and myself went down with it. I was really hoping this week for a strong week training but it really hasn't happened.

Next week I am not expecting much from my training due to a hen night mid week and a wedding with a difference happening at the weekend. I am so excited, and to give you a taster of how crazy these guys are, here is a picture that was emailed to everyone on their wedding invites.

THE HAPPY COUPLE

My week ahead is going to be anything but quite, but I hoping to get some training in. I have yet to inform the bride to be that her hen night/day will begin with a minor 60 mile bike ride. What can I say, she left me in charge of the organisation and a girl has got to train, haha!!!

Dressed to impress

Monday and the weather was amazing, so I decided to attempt a distance run as it has been a while since I did one due to my ankle issues. I think I managed approx 9 miles, however I really didn't plan my route that well as the majority of it was uphill. Maybe next time I will run the opposite way round as by the end I could really feel it in my hips but on the upside my ankle was great.

Mid week I managed to get out for a bike ride, the fog was unbelievable it was like riding in a dome. We couldn't see more than 100ft in front of us for the whole duration, it really was quite bizarre as we were outdoors, yet the scenery really didn't change we probably would of been better off in the gym.

Also this week I played in a netball match, with both ankles heavily strapped, I was taking no risks. I know I said I was giving netball a miss till after the Ironman, but the girls were short of a player, so I couldn't really let the team down. We won but it wasn't the best game to be honest, but it looks like I am playing again next week, so hopefully it will be a better game.

Yoga this week was really strenuous, I really did have the leg shakes for most of the time. But I think a lot of it was due to the fact that I had got up to go running at 6am. So from now on maybe I will just do an early morning swim set on yoga nights. Mind you a bit of leg shaking is probably nothing compared to what my legs will be like after a marathon. 

Now on to the exciting news. One of my best friends is getting married in a couple of weeks, I am so excited and I am also one of her bridesmaids. It really is going to be a wedding with a difference, I think there will be some very interesting blog photo's to come. So this week I have been assisting her shopping which ended up us needing to go back into town on Saturday, Yuck! As the weather was fantastic again I cycled over to hers planning to bike afterwards. However I really didn't think this through very well as the end result was, me walking through town in full cycling gear including bike shoes and then having to spend a large proportion of the time in the vivenne westwood shop. Talk about being dressed to impress, it really was quite exhausting.

The shopping outing seemed to take longer than I planned, so I never really got my bike ride in. But I don't mind, she is worth it. So I thought I would just turbo Sunday night instead, however that is looking dubious now due to the fact I really haven't slept at all due to the youngest projectile vomiting all night, oh the joys of motherhood. I think I will just go for a strong training week this week, especially as the following week it is the hen do and the wedding.

Mental Torture

9 weeks and counting till my first race, I just can't believe how fast the weeks are going at the moment.
 
This week I had my first real experience of mental torture and it wasn't something that I had done to myself. My buckle for my seat belt had its final hour and died. It took four days for it to be replaced. In these bleak days I had to endure the constant beeping everywhere I went, alarming me that I was not buckled up. I was of course but just to the passenger seat belt buckle. The question I am asking myself is 'do you think I will enter a much darker place whilst racing around Regensburgh when competing in the ironman?'.... Nah surely not!!!!

After such a strong week last week on the bike I feel this week has not been as productive. I am starting to feel I need more direction in my training, I think it is time I email the coach and say 'I need a game plan,'

This week most of my training has happened indoors due to then wind, its never pleasant on a bike being blown all over the place. So I have managed 3 time trials in the gym, the final being an hour along. I really do feel I am getting quite strong on these, but I am starting to wonder if it will be easy to transfer this power onto to my road bike outside. I think it is time for some outdoor time trials to commence.

I managed a couple of runs this week and all seemed good on the ankle front, phew! I can't tell you how relieved I am about that. However at tri club this week I got quite alarmed on hearing what distances everyone seems to be running, there seemed to be a regular 13/15 miles in most peoples training, Yikes!! I really do need a training plan.

Finally this Friday I took to the road for a little trip to Manchester to catch up with some school friends. I had a great night with my pals.

THE IRONMAN SCREAM

THE MINX

PURE INNOCENCE

Youch!!!!!!!!

It's half term week so I have decided to take the kids and the dog off to Kent to visit my big sister. Unfortunately I am minus my credit card as this had also gone AWOL with my phone, but unlike my phone it never reappeared.

We had a great week in the south, despite the weather being rubbish. Lots of outdoor pursuits, but unfortunately there was a small car incident. No it wasn't an accident, but some very costly brake pads, discs and a new caliber (which is really expensive) was required. But of course minus my credit card it started to prove quite difficult to pay, especially as they wouldn't take payment over the phone. So the end result was I had to be bailed out by my brother in law, who had to drive to my rescue. Life really is never simple!!

Whilst away I only managed 1 run. Although it was a decent 9 miles approx (quite hilly), I arrived back and my Achilles in the other ankle to the previous damaged one started to play up. This is a first for me and a scary one as I know it affects a lot of runners and it is not good ailment. So I am officially not running for a week or so, hopefully it will calm down.

I eventually departed Kent Friday morning and a whole 7 1/2hrs late I arrived back in the North East, all I am saying is that is a very long drive with three kids and a dog on your own.

However I still managed to make yoga. Which as always was awesome. So here as promised in my last entry is the video clip of us all being demonstrated by Jambo how to do the splits, because they really are so easy!!!!

Check out what else Jambo can do!

www.jambotruong.com

So as you can imagine it really didn't happen for most of us, but I must say we were all amazed actually how far we got down, there really is hope for me to do the splits yet. Could this be my next party trick?

From last weekend up to this weekend I have had a really good week on the bike. I have managed two indoor time trials(20mins & 40mins), a couple of 40 mile rides and then a 60miler. However unfortunately I haven't managed to drop the cake stop yet, do you think they will have a little cake stand on the ironman? Maybe I could request one!!

Also I have squeezed in  a couple of swim sessions, one being an early morning one. I just can't believe how busy the pool was at 6.30am. I think it is a sign race season really isn't that far away.