Well it has long been said that the journey of 1000 miles begins with the first step...or is that 10,000 miles? Whatever, it is appropriate for the 1000 or so miles I am intending to cycle in 8 months. And I took my first step on that journey yesterday with an hours cycle in the freezing cold! I am trying not to focus on my lack of fitness, my heart rate that didn't dip below 150 for the entire hour, my snail like speed up and down the undulating terrain around here. I covered 10km, most of the way accompanied by Finn. I overtook himself and John on their morning walk along the Downs Link (a wonderful disused railway track that connects the North and South Downs here is beautiful Sussex). Finn recognised that I needed the encouragement I think and insisted on trotting along beside me until I turned round and we made our way back to the car again. Woman's best friend indeed.
So that's the beginning begun! I have no aching muscles or anything else that might indicate that I shouldn't do the whole thing again tommoro. Have been reading a book on endurance cycling and was gratified to note that when the author first started training the maximum ride he could cope with was 15 miles. And he has won the Race Across America several times since then. So, it is just a matter of time spent on the bike. And who knows where that might lead???? Not on the RAA, I am pretty sure! At the moment, for me, certainly as far as my training goes, all roads lead to John O'Groats...
Thursday, 28 January 2010
Sunday, 24 January 2010
Good intentions!
Actually I should maybe have called this entire blog 'good intentions' but it would leave room for doubt that I may not achieve LEJOG, so maybe not! Positive thinking from the start.
So this is my first post ahead of my first real training week. Did a reasonable amount of cycling in Oct/Nov which only served to highlight how averagely fit I indeed am. Now Taskmaster/Routemaster/Personal Trainer/General all round good egg has been on my case to get on with it in earnest.
A bit of background to explain why a woman of a certain age should want to ride from Land's End to John O'Groats:
August 2009 saw me playing support vehicle, first aid nurse and general all round good egg to IronmanJohn as he fulfilled an ambition to become a JOG-Ler (John O'Groats to Lands End). He did it despite everything that the British weather could throw at him. Being August in Scotland that, of course, mostly included howling winds and horizontal rain. Given that I witnessed the horror of this from the relative comfort of our campervan you'd have thought I would have run a mile at the prospect of doing same. However, having witnessed all sorts of people completing the trip from either end I actually became inspired. Plus when I reached 30 and 40 yrs of age I never had any particular reaction to it so I guess I am long overdue a midlife crisis. So there we have it. As I mentioned in my profile, one averagely fit woman with below average sporting motivation now committed to giving it a go.
Watch this space for regular updates on training sessions, fitness progress, aching muscle reports and anything else I need to off load!!!
So this is my first post ahead of my first real training week. Did a reasonable amount of cycling in Oct/Nov which only served to highlight how averagely fit I indeed am. Now Taskmaster/Routemaster/Personal Trainer/General all round good egg has been on my case to get on with it in earnest.
A bit of background to explain why a woman of a certain age should want to ride from Land's End to John O'Groats:
August 2009 saw me playing support vehicle, first aid nurse and general all round good egg to IronmanJohn as he fulfilled an ambition to become a JOG-Ler (John O'Groats to Lands End). He did it despite everything that the British weather could throw at him. Being August in Scotland that, of course, mostly included howling winds and horizontal rain. Given that I witnessed the horror of this from the relative comfort of our campervan you'd have thought I would have run a mile at the prospect of doing same. However, having witnessed all sorts of people completing the trip from either end I actually became inspired. Plus when I reached 30 and 40 yrs of age I never had any particular reaction to it so I guess I am long overdue a midlife crisis. So there we have it. As I mentioned in my profile, one averagely fit woman with below average sporting motivation now committed to giving it a go.
Watch this space for regular updates on training sessions, fitness progress, aching muscle reports and anything else I need to off load!!!
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