Today i have mostly eaten crumpets

Rest day

Long day at work

Hoovering done.

Crumpets dripping in butter have been consumed.

My shedding 30lbs by 17th Sept is going swimmingly x

Two HB sessions and a S&C and it's only Tuesday :)

As you can see from the pics i've yet to do a HB session without stopping! I'm sure that day will.come. I know i've been.close but neither tonights or yesterday mornings were close.

It's like i feel tired, tell myself i'm tired so stop. Obviously i can do the session without stopping as it's all set to my ftp - my sweet spot of 'working at this will feel horrific but you absolutly can do it'.

I know it's going to be horrific so don't even try! 

My journey to the Weymouth half IM will have to include a way to ignore my feelings of fatigue and just keep going. Oh boy these next few months are going to hurt!!!

S&C as usual.was brilliant fun. But again i did do stopping. Mabes when it goes outside i'll be able to focus on keeping going.

Oh and i want to lose 30lbs which is about 2lbs a week from now to 17/9 and the half IM :) Needless to say Suzanne isnt convinced as she howled with laughter and practically fell off her bike. Well lets just see who's laughing in September!! 

Mabes i'll do a weight loss watch for OF&H. 

I'm at 'wanting to be W minus 30 by 17/9'. 

So today is officially my start date :)

Great parkrun 27/5/17

Watch time 31.36, hooter time 31.45

Very happy with that :)

Ran with Jo who ended up also pacing me. Was tough. Really wanted to stop and walk. Hot, humid. But kept going. Hardly able.to say thank you marshal! 

I did manage a sprint ish finish. So chuffed. I wonder if i'll get under 30mins this year...

Went for tea in the Hawthorns with Clare, Sue, Sarah and Theresa. Then off to Hove for Elsie's house warming and welcome back to Blighty for Cliffie. 

A great weekend topped off with drinks in The Dancing Man this evening with K&S. Hurtbox session tomorrow morning. Must get my focus now for the Swansea half at the end of June and then it's all go for the Weymouth half IM. 

Spa day!!!

What a fabulous day :)

Spa day at Norton Park for my bday from Abel 

Swimming, sauna, steam room, cold shower, relaxation room, huge buffet luncheon, x2 treatments - head massage and foot massage. Omg - utterly wonderful :)

We looked at the gym but vegged in the garden drinking tea. What a fabulous six hours. Loved it.

Home to do a bit of gardening, a bit of tv, a bit of supper then off to Hurtbox. 

Ftp down to 140, must have done half the session. Enjoyed it. So glad i went.

A gentle Wednesday

Today became a rest day. Did some commuter cycling but only 6miles or so. The bulk of today was work and my armchair. 

Spa day tomorrow :)

S&C is one year.old!

Back to work. 

Was fine.

7-8pm S&C at Tauntons. Can't quite belive it's a year since James first started these on the common!!

Bellmoor for drinks afterwards. 

Great fun.

I don't feel 87 anymore. Not yet my actual age but def getting there.

Monday = DOMS ahoy x

Josh from LRR says the best cure for DOMS - delayed onset muscle soreness is to keep moving. 

Monday daytime was mostly spent in my armchair so ooops!

Monday evening however - 4k run with Group A in 35.10.27 then tri club swimming with Coach Huw. 

Sadly i still have DOMS :(

Aaaah well.

Swashbuckler standard distance triathlon results :)

From my watch x

Swashbuckler standard distance triathlon

K

Who doesn't love a 3:45am alarm call?

Poor old Suzanne, she didn't need to get to Bucklers Hard till 6am but I had to be there by 5:30am so yay, both eating breakfast by 4.25am

I started 6:15am

Not cold, loads of tiny jelly fish, the lovely jackie from work in a safety kyack, salt water, a current and 110 in a mass start. Fun! I really struggled on the first up and out - 18minutes. At that rate I'd be swimming for over an hour. Was quite worried. Neednt of worried. The down and back was a water slide. And repeat. Swim was 1300m 45mins

The 400m run jog walk to transition was bonkers. My legs felt so weird. And omg so many stc club members marshalling. 

The cycle was lovely. Beautiful ride. 40k in 2:01 - happy with that. Had a couple of nervous moments when I wondered if my bell would move a gaggle of New Foreat ponies from the road but they moved without any help from me. And then one new foal had a black beauty moment galloping along the side of the road. Needless to say I was humming the tv theme music for ages.

Got in a slight pickle as I entered T2, going all over the place with my bike. Thank goodness technical official Jan was on hand to point me in the right direction.

I thought the run was very pretty. Long. 7miles, but oh so pretty. No pics as I'm trying not to stop to take pics and then upload to Facebook but take it from me - gorgeous views. I really should have put sun cream on. I'm rather bright pink. Oops. I think about ten middle distance fast boys passed me on my run including the race leader at the time stc club member Matt. Wahooooooo:)

I was running at my marathon pace and did some walking but brilliant brilliant fun. Time was 1:30 

Much whooping and cheering (from me) as I finally arrived at the finish. 4:27.35

I'm pleased with that :)

Absolutely dead last in the standard distance by about 17mins but loved it.

I then got to cheer in most of the middle distance competitors and all of the stc club members racing. Loved it. 

Drank water, ate my packed lunch while cheering and clapping in between chit chatting with club members. Fun. So much fun.

Pics are of me just finished. All my kit dumped on my lounge floor. My newest medal on display.

I'm now utterly shattered. My core is so painful. I'm hobberling around as if I've aged about fifty years. In fact just getting out of my armchair is a struggle. 

Love triathlons :)

Night before the Swashbuckler standard distance triathlon

It's 10.07pm, alarm set for 3:50am. Best fun ever!!!

At tri club this morning i did 60lengths of swimming and drills in about 50mins so def know i can easily do the 1300m swim tomorrow. 

Registration was fine, Bucklers Hard looks wonderful, river Beaulieu still and quite balmy at 16degrees. Chatted to fellow stc members, Runcamp buddies and other competitors. Drank tea, chilled, listened in on the middle distance race briefing and got excited. Jan from stc is one of the race officials, about ten club members competing and quite a few marshalling. 

Bags packed,snacks sorted, cycled to Suzanne's, chicken pesto pasta consumed, two episodes of West Wing watched and now it's bedtime :)

Taking it gently...

Was off work yesterday as well. Tired, headache. So yesterday was spent sleeping, Watchibg tv and eating.

Today - annual leave. Got Lindsey to lower my ftp to 135 and i still struggled Hurtbox.

So def not 100% yet.

Enjoyed the session alot though

Lovely to catch up with Jenny and Kelly. 

I took it gently but still had a good workout. I reckon it was an excellent spin out for the legs ready for the Swashbuckler standard distance triathlon on Sunday. 

Lunch is now cooking and my legs def feel as if they've had a workout. I may have to have a little snooze before going for a cuppa in the print room this afternoon x

Being ill sucks.

Today has been mostly spent in bed asleep. 

Woke up at 4am this morning all sweaty with a blinding headache. Needless to say i havent been to work and have mostly been sleeping.

HB session tomorrow evening has been cancelled. Am hopeful this is a 24hour thing and i'll be all chipper and perky and be off to work for 9:45am. FINGERS CROSSED!!!! 

This will not derail my Swashbuckler standard distance triathlon on Sunday. Am so so soooooooo glad i'm not doing the middle distance. Instead i've got hours and hours of time to complete a standard distance one. Phew. 

Pressure is off. 

I've just got to be well enough to do it xx 

HB session - had a blinding 8mins in the zone :)

Wahoooooo!!! 

That third set - totally in the zone. My legs were whirrling and i didnt stop. Felt awesome. Obvs i was utterly spent for the final set. 

Quick Monday update - agility with group A at LRR then tri club swimming. Did 200m in 4.33.80 - happy with that.

We did alot of paddle work so consequently my hands felt tiny when swimming!!! 

Another great weekend :)

Worked Saturday then Eurovision party. Sunday - lovely lie in then a just over an hour bike ride, cuppa tea at RHP and a roast dinner up at A's.

Marvellous.

Utterly cream crackered :)

Rest, rest and more rest is what Lizzie Lou Carter needs!!

Wednesday eve met big sis Debs and cousin Ruth in London for Rose wine, food, catch up and laughter. 

Thursday i did some leafletting for the general election. Then an early night after booking tickets for my holiday in Cornwall and long weekend in Swansea. 

Have decided i wont be heading up to London Saturday evening for a Eurovision party - i just need to not be hare-ring about so much. I need some tortoise time :)

Magic mile / HB

9.31.10 - slower than last time, needed to have warmed up.

Tough HB session.

BnR Sunday and Monday in London

Met BnR Spittlefields market 1:15pm and pretty much laughted non stop through to Monday eve.

Brunch Matt and Rishabh then strolled round Brick Lane. Pub. Islington to meet Paul and Simon. Dinner - Luc joined us. Then home for more wine and unicorns :)

Monday - lazy start then SLCP / CMS before Buckingham Palace, V&A, couple of pubs / search for fish and chips. Bus home to Angel. Cuppa.

Fond farewells. 

Cousin Ruthie - drinks at Oxford Circus.

Wonderful weekend :)

Fabulous Saturday

We at least Saturday started with tri club swimming :)

Then tudor house for tea (pic)

Leatherhead to see dad

Walked to Ashtead - bumped into Ernie, 93 who was using his stroller along the main road just passed West Ashtead.

Bike bean cafe - closed but had a nose. Loved it.

Tea then wine at Amandas - lift to Overdale from Debs. Lovely eve with the girls, Clairee popped over for a diet coke 

Bed midnight. 

Aquathlon timings

300m swim = 9.10.91

T1 = 1.54.62

2.5k run = 15.27.54

Total = 26.33.07

Ooops pressed Send way too quick!!

Where was i? 

We've arrived at Eastleigh Lakeside... Omg, so.many familiar faces from Tri Club and Lordshill Road Runners plus Pammie and Muts and baby Morgelyn. 

The 300m swim was actually okay. The lake was cold but not stupid freezing. It took maybe 150m to get into my rhythm but when i did i felt strong which is good news for the Swashbuckler standard in a couple of weeks.

Transition - bit slow and my feet felt like little blocks.of ice.

2.5k run - i kept going even though i was convinced my sock was all ruffled up inside my trainers. Lovely hot shower then off to the Dancing Man for food, drinks and laughter. 

Waved the girls off today, will see then Sunday. Had a snooze :)

Hurtbox session. Tough but kept going. I'm certainly getting so much stronger on the bike. 

Mini aquathlon, Hurtbox, BnR :)

What a fabulous couple of days!

3pm Thursday 4th May Barb and Roggie arrived into Southampton!!!!! So bloody brilliant.

Walked the walls, had cocktails then charlotte picked us up 5:45pm to take us to Lakeside for Go Tri's mini aquathlon - 300m lake swim then a 2.5k run. 

The swim took awhile 

3/5/17 - A night out in London with my boys

Ensuring one get plenty of rest is just as important as ensuring one's training is going well!

Today i spent a wonderful evening up.at the Charring Cross Theatre watching Braille a new musical with my beautiful boys Pete and Nick. Loved the show - wasnt at all flashy just a lovely little musical about the inventor of Braille.

Plus i got to go.over my favourite bridge twice!!! 

And the lovely Joanne and Richard at Race New Forest have sorted out my swapping from middle to standard distance for the Swashbuckler. I'm so happy. Seven hours to do 1300m swim, 40k cycle and 11k run. Phew. The pressure is well and truely off.

It's been a good day. 

S&C and HB - fatigued but I did do a sprint tri yesterday :)

Up until now i was wondering why my two workouts today felt quite tough. I did a blinking sprint triathlon yesterday so duh, i'm going to be quite tired!!

Lisa, mate from LRR who's a good runner did her first ever triathlon yesterday and said she was more shattered than any running event. I never think about how exhausting the triathlons are because i just do them. Well this eve i did find it tough. I didnt do the full 30secs of quite a few of the exercises and you can see how tough i found the bike session.

But yay for going. 

And thank god i've been able to swop from the middle to standard distance for the Swashbuckler in three weeks time. I am not at all middle distance race ready. I asked Race New Forest if there was a cut off for the standard. Nope. Got seven hours to complete it as the marshals will have to be out for the middle distance race. Phew. Pressure is totally off. I feel so releived.

And check out all my medals :)

Hurtbox catch ups for April 17

Just updating hurtbox training for 11/4, 18/4 and 25/4.

Not a great month for HB due to Brighton marathon and Southampton half. Just very tired. I ended up cancelling a couple of sessions. 

But I'm really seeing the difference in my cycling so hurtbox is still worth every penny :)

Winchester Sprint Triathlon

This is the fourth time I've competed in this event. I really love the Winchester sprint triathlon :)

7am train to Winchester then the long uphill cycle up the Romsey road to King's school. That knackered me out!! 

So many tri club and running club chums both competing and spectating today - it was going to be a lot of fun.

Slightly delayed but off by 9:15am - 16 laps. Really feIt as if going backwards. The swashbuckler standard distance is now looking a tad terrifying in three weeks time - 1300m in the beaulie river. Eeeep. Aaah well.

The cycle was okay. Saw the bluebells and Jason from tri club 

Felt strong but struggled to race as opposed to just have a lovely cycle round the Winchester countryside.

The run was okay. Left knee bit sore but managed the run with the only walking being drinking water. 

Lovely to hug John on the finish line. Great fun.

Then cheered and whooped chums still out on the course. 

Got the 2:05pm train to Southampton. 

I then mostly ate, checked Facebook and lounged about a lot.

What a fabulous bank holiday weekend!

9.31.08 swim 400m

T1 5.32.90

1:18.27 cycle 24k

T22.08.06

37.39.22 run 5km

Total = 2:13.18

(My watch timings)

Saturday - Jenny and Sue from tri club and I did a 57km bike ride in the new forest - out for just under three hours, moving time about two and a half hours. Then tea at mettricks Beaulie (sp?) 

Friday out for Sarah's early 40th bday meal.

Brilliant brilliant fun.