Cycling goals – surprise gifts and the symptoms of an athlete return!

time trial bike

Tired legs! That’s what I’m suffering from today, it has been a long time since I had that multiple day – ‘ah but keep on training anyway’ – style DOMS!

BUT… this week I managed to hit the cycling goals for a change!

This week’s training

Last Sunday marked my longest ride yet, and boy did my legs know it on Monday and Tuesday! I aced the original hills and sprints plan and opted for an easy ride instead! Keep clocking up the miles on the bike.. that’s the aim.

I only managed to swim once, sprints (which are still consistently good times). I even clocked up a 50 Sec 50m sprint… won’t be long before I’m back in the 40’s again!

On Saturday afternoon, it was sunny outside, I had a couple of hours spare before sunset so went outside for a ride, the first time in a lotta lotta weeks! I had no idea what the stats would be like because most of my training has been indoors.

I headed off on what used to be my long loop (now it’s a short one!). At the 40 min mark, the point where I turn off the main road onto the back roads, average speed was 24.7kmph. It had felt mighty hard and slightly slow to this point. I carried on (where usually I would stop for a breather) and was using the aero bars as much as I could (still something the shoulders need to get used to.) By the time I had got back to the main road and ultimately, the house, I managed to up the average speed to 25.9kmph. 40km complete and actually I could have gone round again, had there been enough daylight. Again, very encouraging for me, considering the goal is 120km at a 26.8kmph average! I could actually use this loop x 3 and that would pretty much be my race distance, without going miles and miles from the house.

Long ride Sunday… oopsie sore legs! I still must be unevenly loading because the left leg is much more sore than the right! The weather forecast was nasty for Sunday so I decided on the trainer! I’m getting a bit tired of the same long Sufferfest workout (there’s only 2 that are long enough.. ish) so I opted for TV and Spotify!

I now have sore quads and sore calves, my sore shoulders have now recovered! It’s been a while since I achieved 2 consecutive days of DOMS! Plus, slowly but surely, I’m starting to see the athlete figure that I once had, gradually retuning to me from under the excess fat!

Knee update

I have nothing much to say on the knee front, regards sport. Because guess what, it’s not really stopping me! 😁👍🏻😁👍🏻😁


The rest of life..

In other news… (because I do have time for other stuff… sometimes 🤣)

This weekend marks the Annual Rotary book sale. This is one of my favourite annual events because books in New Zealand are sooooo expensive it’s the only way for a book addict like me to afford to keep buying new (well, new to me!) ones.

We also got to watch the Highlanders at Rugby park on Friday courtesy of Mark’s work hiring a corporate box! Free beer, occasionally delivered nibbles and the perfect view of the game, without having to sit outside in the cold! 😆 (Oh – and I smoothly negotiated 3 flights of stairs up and down again like a normal person!😁😎)


A lovely Surprise

Something that happened this weeks that was totally unexpected – but a lovely surprise nonetheless, was the gift from my student personal trainer. She had clearly planned this for a few weeks and not said anything. I don’t know if you remember me mentioning a gyroboard a few months ago – something my physiotherapist had me standing on to correct my centre of balance back to where it should be.. well I didn’t buy one because they are really expensive, but I did mention it to clients saying how awesome it would be if I could afford, it. Well, my student only went and found a second hand one online and bought it for me!

I have no idea when I will find the time to have a play with it, but I look forward to the day all the same! (And will take some video don’t worry!)

Author: Melanie

I am a massage therapist and part time athlete, blogging life thru a disability lens. On wheels, with flipper and occasionally on feet.

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