Liz Randall's Cycling Blog - a life behind bars

"With ordinary talents and extraordinary perseverance, all things are attainable"



Wednesday 9 April 2008

A fun and reeely restful week

There's nothing like 3 hours of exercise to ensure a really good night's sleep!

Murderous Monday
My time trial bike is currently almost ready to roll. Ben is on holiday but gallantly said he'd be happy to put it together as far as he could at home..just couldn't chop down the steerer tube and also the hidden gear cables rather needed having me there to ensure correct length. However first I had to get the bits to him and since he was out all Saturday and racing downhill on Sunday (he came third in Expert class..is there no end to his cycling talents?) it was Monday before we could link up. Since he lives quite close to the velodrome, what better excuse to do an hours ride there first to test out the race wheel/gear combo. So..up at 4am again and onto the track by 6am for one hour's riding and fiddling with gear/wheel changes. With daylight saving now over, only the first part was by the light of my head lamp..I'm not keen on spending $$$$ to light the place up when I'm the only person there. 7.15 deliver the parts. 0830-1700 at work. 1730 attend first personal training session with Celine which included a 20 minute run followed by an hour's Pilates class. After which I staggered home, fuelled up with whatever I could find in the fridge and fell into bed becoming quickly unconscious until early the next morning in time for Terrible Tuesday but that's another story to do with driving the van on empty cos I didn't have the key to open the fuel cap.

Foolish? probably given that I'm in a post virus phase.
Tuesday was decreed a rest day both at work where I spent most of the time at the computer (thankfully my 4th year student is working at new grad level and only needs occasional guidance) and later at home where food and TV were the order of the day.

So why this sudden need for personal training? There's alot of chatter on many of the cycling forums I look at about whether gym work is necessary for a cyclist and generally the answer is no. But the people giving out this advice are either young and male or are talking about coaching young male riders.
I'm neither young nor male and for people such as me, gym work is absolutely vital since cycling does NOT hold back the tide of the natural deterioration of strength that occurs with ageing in all muscle groups. My quads and glutes are very good to excellent, my core is good, but my upper body and thoracic muscles in particular are pathetic and my posture is that of a cyclist and is getting worse. So while vegeing (sp?) (ie being a vegetable) out in front of the only reality TV series I watch - The Biggest Loser - it occurred to me that in addition to the strength work I do with Geoff and his infamous kettle bells on Woeful Wednesdays, I needed to address my general aerobic fitness and thereby also drop the 2 kgs I'd happily put on since last year. After all, I thought, could I leap over the obstacles that the 100kg contestants in TBL were made to do...probably not. My fitness was becoming far too specialised...too narrowed down to the requirements of cycling.

Woeful Wednesday has been and gone, with a rush hour delayed trip over to Ben's at 0630 to pick up my nearly completed bike, a dash back to work via the doctor, a very busy day followed by taking an early mark so as to be able to dash into town to deliver the said TT bike to the shop for final completion. After that an equally rush hour dictated drive across town to get to Geoff's for my strength and conditioning. 1 hr's training with a weight that I could barely lift and finally home..raid the fridge and fall into bed. The after effects of Monday's run are evident...my hamstrings are screaming
but that's only to be expected since I haven't run since October last year .

Which brings me to today, Throw-up Thursday. Work today consists mostly of meetings (yeeeetch) and this evening its ergo time..its going to be a real fun day...not. Gotta think the positive though..no 60 min pseudo dashes across town in rush hour traffic.

Tomorrow will be Frantic Friday as yet again I dash into town after work to pick up the hopefully completed TT bike then get home for another fun ergo session.

Set -up Saturday
will be 4 hours on the track after which it'll be TT bike set up time.

Will I stay up and watch the SBS live showing of the Paris Roubaix on Sunday night...nup. Hey, this 63 year old's bod can only take so much and I have a DVD recorder.

5 comments:

Lawrence said...

running? Running?? RUNNING????!!!!!??? Egads woman, have you gorn totally bonkers??????? Running will kill your cycling and won't lose you that 2kgs. I've lost 2kgs since Jan, just by changing the timing of when I eat starchy carbs. Except for muffins..and cheesecake... but they are a totally different food category.

PS Pushups are good for upper body and cheaper than AWMAHGAWDLOOKATTHOSEABS Celine ;-P

I'm only saying this cos I am still savouring my victory over Sheffield Rd while I can... but I do worry about you running. Running was invented by the devil for non-cyclists to look athletic.

Unknown said...

Have to agree with lawrence. I come from a running background before I found the freedom of riding. It WILL kill your knee's. Its a high impact sport on the joint's. I don't care how cushiony and airy the nikes are, every time you hit the deck your knee's and ankles are compressing. I ran competitively and am now walking around with clicking knee's.

Rich Gift Of Lins said...

Absolutely agree with you about weights, you are spot on. I do about 1hr a week, nothing really heavy though, with some step ups and heel raises. Cycling is too specific and ignores other areas we should look after as well. But running! I just try to do some strong walking otherwise I really suffer when I go to Scotland and Shirley leaves me for dead!

Liz said...

Hmm...opened a can o' worms here. I used to do loads of running when I orienteered..a sport I eventually gave up on due to chronic ankle weakness brought on by many many ankle sprains. My knee joints never gave me any problems... just my calves and hammies.

However there is a reason why people like me should venture briefly but regularly on to the dark side and that is....prevention of osteoporosis.

In order to stop THAT rot you have to do weight bearing exercise and cycling just doesn't cut the mustard;walking ain't really good enough either..so it has to be running. I don't anticipate doing much, but if I want to keep my bones healthy, I have to do some.

Thus spake the Aged Care Rehab Physio.

And yes Lawrence, there are cheaper ways..but I find exercises incredibly teejus and so I need a Madam Lash to get me doing them.....

And Colin..just gotta meet your better half....not only runs the bath for you but can out-walk you in the bush too...what an Amazon!!!!!!!!
(sorry Shirley!..just couldn't pass that one by...)

Lawrence said...

You know I am taking the proverbial?? ;-)

Although, I actually enjoy doing weights, it's just finding time to do them ... I pop off 20push ups here and there throughout the week..using the ball or steps (helps the core too).. too easy! Thus spake the strength and conditioning uncoach :-p