Racing again...all hope is not lost

Unfortunately I had to make the trip up to Leeds on my own, without mule support. However it gave me a chance to crack on with some Open University work and generally do girl things (a.k.a walk around Leeds shopping and trying a bazillion things on).

I stayed at the Radisson Blu, which is in a perfect location for the Leeds-Abbey dash. You are right by the finish area, and the service teams always congregate on the steps of the town hall. I would definitely recommend staying here. Plus you can use the Virgin Active for a small fee. Which I dutifully did on Saturday afternoon, having a little swim and a long sauna/steam room.

Refreshed I popped out to do some xmas shopping and get some pre-race dinner, another advantage of being on my own meant I could go for sushi! (I have a fish hating boyfriend)

Feeling very chilled out after my pleasant day by myself, chatting to strangers and eating nice things, I got my kit ready for the next day. This felt VERY strange and I had to remind myself what to do! I was sure I had some pre-race rituals, but I wasnt sure what!

Having NO pressure to perform well definitely helped me, and I sort of breezed through the next morning, before I knew it i was on the start line!

Of course the first few km's were waaaaaaaaaaaaaay to fast which I payed for at the end of the race. If it wasn't my lack of run fitness, it definitely was the suicidal starting pace!

Anyway, I finished, much quicker than I had expected. All is not lost! The runner is still lurking inside me somewhere!

Bikram yoga-thon

Hurray! I did it. 
6 classes of Bikram yoga - done! 

Now i know there are some of my friends who are thinking yoga? Big deal? As someone know for doing triathlon (seen in the eyes of many to be truly ridiculous), doing yoga, something relaxing and restorative seems to be like congratulating someone for watching an entire season of Breaking Bad in one day?

Yes it is relaxing, but it is also about challenging your body, and pushing it as far and as hard as you can, whilst being truly connected to what you are doing, without distraction or hesitation. As someone who loves training for swim/bike/running, I'm sure you can draw a lot of parallels. Plus it being so hot does add an extra level of challenge. 

The fist 3 classes flew by, then we had a couple of hours break before this next one, this allowed some time for bits to start aching, and the fatigue to set in. However class no 4 whizzed by and no 5 was right behind. This was my yoga wall! I really struggled in this class, it was particularly hot, and I thought I was going to throw up at one point, A few breaths to compose myself, and taking a few postures easy and I was back in the game! The last class whizzed by and we had done it!

I got home, had a quick bite to eat, drank some more water and green tea, and off to bed! 

This morning my shoulders are feeling a little sore, but other than that im feeling very good. Definitely a feeling of cleansing (that was either all the sweating or the 6 showers I had!?) 

there were a number of us who managed the 6 classes. Please have a look at the Children in Need page :) 
HBY Fundraising Page

Challenge - 8 hours of Bikram Yoga

Since not being able to run, and therefore compete in triathlon and obviously running, there is a big competition and challenge shaped hole in my life. I have really missed the mental and of course physical challenge which racing brings, but also the immense feeling of satisfaction which comes with completing a triathlon, or getting a PB, or generally having a really good race. 

I have been plodding along with my rehab program and generally drifting about in the wilderness of training without racing. Those of you who know me will know just how much I love racing all all which that brings.

I found out about this challenge for Children in Need at Hot Bikram Yoga in London. It is 6 Bikram yoga classes back to back in one day.

That's Back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back bikram.

Now, I am sure some of you are thinking "pffft, that doesn't sound too challenging to me? Sitting about saying 'OM'". I am sorry to say, this was my view of yoga until a friend of mine introduced me to Bikram yoga. I have been a huge advocate of it ever since, and the benefits for mind and body are huge. Especially for those of us who abuse our bodies through mile on the road, in the pool or hunched over TT bars on the bike.

For those of you who don't know, here is a bit about Bikram...

Bikram Yoga has been developed from traditional hatha yoga. It became popular in the 1970s but is currently enjoying a resurgence in popularity. Generally Bikram Yoga classes run for 90 minutes and consist of the same series of 26 postures, including two breathing exercises. Now here comes the part which sets it apart, it is practiced in a room heated to 40 °C and with a humidity of 40%. I promise you will be dripping with sweat at the end of it! 

I am doing this for the personal challenge, but also trying to raise a few pennies for a good cause. I have never done anything more than one class in a day, and they are tough at the best of times.

13 November, Balham HBY Studio

Some links;
Check out HBY...you wont regret it :) 
My fundraising page

Buying a bike

I was lucky to be able to loan
this steel bike from
RAF Triathlon to learn what
features I did and didn't like.

A number of people have asked me for my top tips on buying a bike, so here they are…

It took me almost 12 months to finally decide on the first bike I bought. I had the added dilemma of TT or not since I was an aspiring triathlete at the time. However whether it be road bike, or TT bike, the essential points are the same. After buying my TT bike (a Quintana Roo) and riding that only for about 12 months, I am now the proud owner of a Moda road bike too.

• Set a budget. Bikes are expensive, and there are thousands of them! Working out what you can afford initially narrows down the search.

• What are your needs? Commuting, racing, training, training and racing? Knowing what you wan your bike for will enable you to make sure it is fit for purpose.

• Do your initial research. Have a look on online forums and have a look around some shops too. Be prepared to put a bit of work in, otherwise you will end up with something you don’t love to pieces, and may not be a pleasure to ride.

I LOVE this bike, these wheels were a later addition

• One for the ladies. Yes female specific bikes exist, but if your body geometry doesn’t fit well with a female bike, then don’t feel you have to go down that road just because you are a woman! Why? – Women typically have a shorter torso and arms for the height so the top tube length is shorter. Also the arrangement of the break levers can be slightly different to accommodate out lady like small hands. The length of the head tube is normally longer to accommodate for the longer leg women have compared to men, in order to keep the rest of the geometry tip top! Handle bars can be a bit narrower too to accommodate a narrower shoulder, and often the crank length is smaller to. However, after all that, both my bikes road and TT are male or unisex.

• Learn about the components and what they actually do. If you are in the same position I was, and have no idea about derailleurs, or down/top tubes, invest a bit of time learning all the bike jargon. If nothing else you will have some credentials when a salesman starts spewing technical mumbo-jumbo at you. I watched a lot of the videos by GCN (Global Cycling Network) on YouTube.

• Find a retailer who will let you borrow a bike for a few days. They do exist, or failing that find somewhere you can rent a bike similar to what you want for a few days. This is the best way to work out what you like and what you don’t. One of the big things is the shifting type, eg. Shimano (two different buttons) or SRAM (double tap system).

• FIT!!! This is THE most important thing! No matter how good your bike is, if it doesn’t fit properly, you won’t be any good on it. Plus you could injure yourself, back and knee pain are the most common in bikes which don’t fit well. See post on bike fitting and DrJ here :)

• Material. This will be partly guided by budget.

Me and the Moda on one of our first rides

• Aluminium is commonly found in bikes around and under the £1000 mark. It is cheap, stiff and light. Higher grade alu frames use a technique where the thickness of the tube varies along the length (called butting). This means less weight and more comfort, but of course comes at financial cost.
• Steel is heavier than aluminium but is very comfortable. There are some modern steel bikes on the market which are pretty light and very durable.
• Titanium. It is light and strong but difficult to work with making it expensive, however as techniques are developing it is becoming more reasonable.
• Carbon fibre. Some is available very cheaply, however beware, cheap can mean poorly manufactured and more likely to fail. It is easily manipulated and can me made into very light stiff and responsive frames. Some alu bikes are just as light as carbon, but have a higher spec on the rest of the components, so be careful. Carbon is not the panacea of bike awesomeness.

Happy with my ride at the top of
 the Kitzbuhele-horn

Lastly, you have to love it. If on paper it is the perfect bike for you, but it just doesn’t get you pulse racing like a different bike you have seen does, then don’t buy it because you feel you should. Your bike should be something you want, and something you want to ride.

I love my bike, (now bikes) I keep them inside ontop of a desk or on my turbo trainer, and every day I look at them and smile, even when I'm not riding them.

GOOD LUCK!
















Some good guides to buying are here:

Evans Cycles Bike RADAR