Pool pony races

Pool Pony Racer, a photo by Andrew Gills on Flickr.

My sister and I had scheduled our regular weekly trail running session last night. But she sent me a message during the day to tell me she had bought pool ponies. For those unfamiliar with pool ponies, these are blow-up rubber horses that you ride in the swimming pool.

As soon as she told me about the pool ponies, I suggested a change to our training regime: pool pony races. It proved to be a fun full body workout.

We raced up and down a 25m pool on the pool ponies, which worked out our legs, arms and core. It takes a lot of balance to stay on a pool pony when the person you are racing tries to pull you off. And I’m sure laughing while exercising is tough on your abs too.

We also did a few laps kicking on kick boards and a few laps riding on the pool noodles. It was one a fantastic and fun session.

I’ll be resting for the next two days to prepare for Saturday’s 200km road cycle. It’s expected to be 32’C (89.6’F) so I will need to be well rested and hydrated for it. Today and tomorrow will be long busy days (tonight I have volunteer commitments after work, then tomorrow I leave home at 3:30am and won’t return until 10pm because I have to travel interstate for work). So when my alarm went off at 4am to go cycling this morning, I turned it off and slept in.

Total: 45 minutes pool pony racing and other pool activities.

Pilates and another walk

I left work at 5pm today because my partner was home after a week of night shift. We’d promised each other an evening walk and I was excited about it all day.

We walked a 3.5km loop through the vacant paddock, down the gravel road between the tall gum trees and back through our pretty neighbourhood. We caught up after being ships passing in the night for a week.

After dinner I did my pilates exercises. This is one of the positive outcomes of my injuries. The physio has given me a series of pilates exercises to help me strengthen my core. Every day I have been doing three sets of ten repeats each of:
– leg slides
– leg lifts
– clams
– wall gluteals
– about prep.

I find the exercises challenging because my abs are weak, something that was probably compounded by the total abdominal hysterectomy I had in 2002. But I am noticing increased abdominal control, which I know will be beneficial when I start running again.

So today’s total is actually 8.5km (this morning’s 5km plus tonight’s 3.5km).

A ride with friends

Quiet roads and cheerful company

I haven’t been road cycling with my running friends in a little while. Our schedules just haven’t linked up in months. So it was a great pleasure to meet up this morning to enjoy the early morning sunshine and quiet roads together.

The girls met at a coffee shop in Redland Bay at 5:30am. I was running late so they met me a kilometre or two down the road. The sun was already rising steadily into the sky and the humidity was starting to thicken the air. For the first section of our ride, we rode with the early morning commuter traffic. Fortunately, the roads here in our area are wide so the cars and trucks could wizz by without scaring us.

At about the 6km mark we turned left down quiet semi-rural roads. We spread out across the entire road, making the most of the opportunity to talk and laugh. I used my mirror to keep an eye out for potential traffic behind us, but we had the road to ourselves for about 5km.

Back on the main road, we rode towards the commuter traffic for the rest of our loop. We passed a few horses and cattle, as well as wide empty paddocks of grass and trees. The last section of our ride took us over the seven sisters; seven short sharp rolling hills. After whooping down each hill we rolled as far up the next as possible before cranking to the top and whooping down the next hill. It was a lot of fun.

I left the girls at the coffee shop because I needed to head a work commitment to rush off to.

Total: 31.34km cycle

2,000km cycled this year!

Image courtesy of Bigjom / Freedigitalphotos.net

There was a time when I didn’t think I’d even pass the 1,000km mark in my cycling mileage this year but this morning I passed the 2,000km mark.

My cycling has definitely evolved this year. Back in January I was cycling to train for triathlons. I was focused on the Kingscliff Olympic distance triathlon with its 40km cycle leg. Through February and March I started focusing more on speed and increasing my distance so that I could complete the 40km cycle leg at the Byron Bay Olympic distance triathlon in May. While I did get faster and fitter on the bike, it was hard work.

As the weather cooled into April and May I switched my attention to my mountain bike as I trained for the Adventure Race Australia. I had a few fun times and gained a lot of new off-road skills. At first, mountain biking was a bit scary because gravel is more slippery than the road but I got the hang of it by the time Adventure Race Australia came around. Then I kept mountain biking in the lead up to the Tre-X Off-Road Duathlon in July.

In July I made the switch from triathlon / duathlon to trail running. I did a few long rides as endurance training for trail running but almost immediately switched all my training to running. I had a few running successes with the 50km Flinders Tour trail run in July and the Perth City to Surf Marathon in August before injuring myself in early September.

Since September I’ve been clocking up the miles on my bikes. I’ve also done my first ever bicycle mechanical maintenance by replacing the chain and cassette on my road bike. I recently joined Audax Australia, a long distance cycling club with which I hope to complete some endurance cycling events. I have also started cycle commuting again after a few years absence.

I now am falling back in love with cycling in the same way I fell back in love with running in July. It’s becoming a way of life again like it used to be. A happy way of life.

Ironically, it was completing the 50km trail run and marathon in July and August that gave me the confidence to teach myself basic bicycle maintenance. And it’s the ability to maintain and repair my bicycle that is giving me the confidence to tackle long rides and to fully embrace cycling as a form of transport.

It’s going to take me a while to get back to running long mileage again. Hopefully that gives me time to find a way to balance my desire to participate in both sports in a way that allows me to stay injury free.

Total cycle today: 12.9km to work + cycle home.

Mountain biking with friends

Heading down Grass Trees track

R messaged me yesterday afternoon to invite me out mountain biking in Bayview  Conservation Park with M, a mutual friend’s husband. I jumped at the chance for some social exercise.

At 7am we saddled up and hit the trails. We rode a mix of fire trail and single track enjoying a yarn and laugh along the way. R and I managed to stay upright but poor M ate dirt three times. He didn’t hurt himself though so it was funny.

Goanna in tree

We saw a goanna while out riding. R spotted it. All I heard was scurrying in the bush and I hoped it wasn’t a big snake.

Total: about 15km mountain biking.

A solid gym session

Image coutesy of idea go / Freedigitalphotos.net

I never thought I’d like going to the gym to do weights but I have to say I am enjoying it. I feel strong when I pump iron. I don’t lift big weights because I don’t want to get huge but the weights I lift are a suitable size for me right now.

I am not a big fan of stationary aerobic equipment but I am learning that they can be beneficial. For example, I’m sure my road cycling will improve through my use of the stationary bike. The stationary bike encourages me to spin. There are no obstacles, hills or corners to negotiate so I can teach my legs to keep up a higher than usual cadence without complaining. I’ve always been the type of cyclist who pushes big gears and breaks bottom brackets. Perhaps a few months watching the cadence metre on the stationary bike will encourage me to become a cyclist who is able to spin efficiently all day long instead of being the guy who keeps having to stand on the pedals up every little hill and then rest my legs on the way down.

The rowing machine also has good purpose for me. I can use it as an alternative to cycling and swimming to recruit more muscles to the aerobic exercise. It’s not all that exciting sliding back and forward on the spot but I do get a kick out of watching the measurements on the display. There’s an instant gratification to being able to see that I’m rowing at 43 strokes per minute or passing each 500m mark. Also, rowing is a sport I just don’t have the equipment to do out in the real world. Not only do I not have a boat, but even if I did it would quite difficult to get it to the water on my motorbike. I can feel my back and thigh muscles toning as I use them to row.

And, of course, there’s always the guilty pleasure of checking myself out in the mirrors as I lift weights in the free weights room. 😉

Today I started with 10 minutes on the triathlon-style stationary bike, riding at 110-115 RPM and covering 5.4km. I followed this with 10 minutes on the rowing machine, stroking at 43 strokes/minute and covering 2,180m.

I completed 3 sets of 8 repetitions in the weights room:

Exercise	Weight
Incline dumbbell bench press	12.5km / dumbbell
Leg curl	45kg
Seated row	35kg
Bent arm pull-over	7.5kg + barbell
Chin up	6 + 4 + 3
Dumbbell bicep curls	10kg / dumbbell
Back ext	Body weight
Decline crunch	Body weight

I completed my workout with a 5 minute cool-down on the reclining stationary bike, riding at just 90RPM and covering just 2.1km. I usually try to do 10 minutes after my weights workout but I didn’t have time today because I was getting a lift to work.

Total: Weights +

• 10 mins stationary bike @ 110-115RPM covering equivalent of 5.4km
• 10 mins rowing machine @ 43 s/m covering equivalent of 2,180m
• 5 mins reclining stationary bike @ 90RPM covering equivalent of 2.1km.

Bike and gym

Image coutesy of digitalart / Freedigitalphotos.net

I felt a little bit like the character in this image when I rode my bicycle down to the YMCA this morning. Sure, I was riding a road bicycle, have olive skin and dark hair, and it was drizzling but other than that, this could be a self portrait. I didn’t bother getting dressed up in my cycling kit, preferring to just wear board shorts and t-shirt for the 10.2km ride to the gym.

For the most part, the ride felt good. My legs definitely aren’t used to the pedaling motion anymore after not cycling for a few months while I’ve been focusing on my running. So I felt like I was getting a workout. My left foot did complain a few times but it felt good when I focused on maintaining a consistent spinning motion, rather than jerking my feet around with poor technique. I certainly preferred being out on my bicycle to sitting on the stationary bike.

My gym set was solid today. I’m still working out what weights work best for me so stuck with the same size dumbbell for the dumbbell exercises. I don’t want to jump up too quickly so just went 1kg heavier than last week when I did almost the same series of exercise. Over the coming weeks I will naturally find the correct weights for me for each exercise. I figure I keep increasing them together and some muscle groups will tell me ‘stop’
while others will allow me to continue increasing until they reach their optimum point.

Exercise	Weight
Leg extension	25kg
Scissor leg lift	Body weight
Dumbbell overhead press	8kg / dumbbell
Push up	Body weight
Plank	Unable to complete due to foot pain
Dumbbell shrug	8kg / dumbbell
One arm dumbbell row	8kg / dumbbell
Leg curl	35kg
Lat pull down	30kg + 32.5kg
Tricep extension	30kg
Crunches	Body weight

I’m feeling good at the gym. I feel like I’m doing the right thing for my body (regardless of whether I am injured or fit).

After my workout I cycled back home. I rode slowly because I don’t want to overdo anything on my shins or foot, and because I want to remember the joy of cycling.

Total: 20.4km bike and weights

It’s fun to play at the YMCA

Image courtesy of chrisroll / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I intended to do a yoga class at my local YMCA today but I misread the class time. It didn’t matter though because I enjoyed the workout I ended up doing.

I started with 10 minutes on the fancy triathlon-inspired stationary bike. I rode fairly hard today, sitting in the 110-115 RPM range for the whole set. The bike computer said I covered the equivalent of 5.25km.

I followed that with 10 minutes on the rowing machine. I haven’t used a rowing machine in years but always like them. I rowed at an average of 40 strokes/minute and covered the equivalent of 1,997m in the 10 minutes. I could cheat and call it an even 2km but I would only be cheating myself.

After my 20 minutes of cardio I had a nice light sweat going. I then did my weights sets. I got most of the workout from the Outdoor Athlete book I’m reading but couldn’t do two exercises. I added back extensions and bicep curls to the program to replace those two exercises. I completed three sets of eight repeats with 90 seconds rest between each. I kept the weights moderately light because it’s the first time I’ve done this routine.

Exercise	Weight
Incline dumbbell bench press	10kg / dumbbell
Leg curl	40kg
Seated row	30kg
Bent arm pull-over	7.5kg + barbell
Chin up	5 + 3+ 3
Dumbbell bicep curls	10kg / dumbbell
Back ext	Body weight
Decline crunch	Body weight

After my weights set I finished my session with 10 minutes on the reclining stationary bike. I rode at an average of 110RPM and the computer said I completed the equivalent of 5.2km.

My foot felt good during the stationary bike sets so perhaps I will try cycling a real bike sometime this weekend to see how it holds up.

Total:

• 10 mins stationary bike
• 10 mins rowing machine
• 30 mins weights
• 10 mins reclining stationary bike.

Back in the pool

Swimming

Okay, so I took the photo last year before my underwater camera broke, but it’s one of my favourite photos and seemed appropriate.

I hadn’t swum since April or May so had forgotten how beautiful it is to watch the sunrise through the water droplets falling from my arms. There wasn’t barely a thin glowing orange line on the horizon when I slid into the pool at 5:45am. By the time I finished my warm up, it had spread to a broad orange and yellow band that I could look at every time I breathed on the eastern side of the pool. By my main set the big ball of orange came into view over my right shoulder and I enjoyed the sensation of it’s warmth spreading over the water. By the time I got out of the pool just before 7am the sun was high in the sky above the palm trees. Perhaps I should count myself fortunate for being injured or I wouldn’t have been able to enjoy this start to my day.

As for the swimming itself, it went really well. I think it’s one of the longest sessions I’ve done, which shows how much my fitness and mental toughness have improved since I started long distance running. Last May, when I was training for triathlon, I found it physically and mentally tough to swim 1,500m – 2,000m sessions. However, this morning I found the distance and duration of the session comfortable. I actually looked forward to it, rather than counting down the laps.

I completed my first 1,800m by about 6:30am but then my running friends all started turning up to the pool so the remaining 400m took almost 30 minutes because I just had to stop and say hello to everyone as they arrived. That’s the only thing I don’t like about swimming: you can’t hold a conversation with your head underwater (though I did try).

Set	Activities
Warm up	400m easy alternating freestyle and breaststroke.
Drills	400m alternating: catch-up one-arm freestyle stroke 5-stroke breathing
Main	2 x 400m freestyle medium pace
Exercises	400m kicking: 100m breaststroke 300m freestyle
Cool down	200m slow freestyle

Total: 2.2km swim

Getting back up again

Last night I joined a gym for the first time in years. This foot injury seems like a good opportunity for me to work on my strength and flexibility; things I’ve not paid much attention to since I started this whole ‘get fit again’ thing last year.

It felt familiar to walk into the gym this morning to do my first session. I have a book The Outdoor Athlete in which are listed a range of strength programs specifically suited to outdoor athletes, like mountain bikers, hikers, trail runners and mountaineers. The programs are separated into phases from ‘return after absence from gym work’ through to ‘strength and endurance’.

I am starting out with the easiest two routines for the next 2-3 weeks. It will allow me to assess where my muscular strength is at and build on it safely. My goal is not to bulk up but to strengthen my body to help reduce the risk of further injury after the ones I have are healed.

I started my session with 10 minutes on the stationery bike. The gym has some nice triathlon bike inspired machines complete with tri bars and fully adjustable saddles. While it was boring, I was able to settle into a nice 105RPM cadence for the full 10 minutes and didn’t once have to worry about a traffic light or idiot in a car trying to kill me. So there were some benefits.

After my aerobic warm up I hit the weights. I started out light today because my body’s not used to doing repeated strength movements and I don’t know what my limits are. I did 2 sets of 12 reps for each exercise with a 60 second rest between each set.

Exercise	Weight
Barbell back squat	20kg
Dumbell overhead press	7kg
Push-up	Body
Dumbell shrug	7kg
One-arm dumbbell row	7kg
Ball leg curl	Body
Lat pull down	30kg
Leg extension	30kg / 20kg

The barbell back squat put a bit too much pressure on my injured foot so I need to find an alternative exercise; I’ll do some online research today.

After pumping iron I returned to the aerobic machines. I started out trying the eliptical machine but it hurt my foot too much so I swapped to the reclining stationery bicycle. I cycled for 10 minutes at 115RPM. I wanted to keep my legs spinning, rather than pushing heavy loads because I’m currently not allowed to cycle uphill due to the strain I put on my calf at the weekend when I aggravated my shin splints. I think the high RPM cycling is probably really good for me though because I got a good sweat up and it will help me increase my cadence both when cycling on the road and when I get back to running.

Total: Weights + 20 minutes stationery bike.