VA Sunninghill 5km Fun Run - Sunday, 27 March 2011

When we woke up on Sunday morning it was pouring outside.  It was truly one of those mornings when you could just snuggle back under the duvet with a good book and hot chocolate but thankfully the motivation and determination were there.  I got up and started getting ready - not that there was much to get ready as this was just a fun run. 

By the time we got to the start it was just a light drizzle, nothing to bad.  At least our morning out would be cool.   Hubby once again made a last minute decision to join me.  His natural 'fitness' annoys me.  LOL  I have to work so blooming hard at it.  We quickly registered and I was impressed with the amount of people who had turned out considering the weather.

We first headed over to the gym and placed the boys in Club V (the kids section of the gym).  The boys had determined that it would be more fun there than being out in the rain...no sense of adventure...LOL

Just before 9am we headed to the start which was taking place just outside the shopping complex.  I made sure we were somewhere in the middle of the bunch - considering we would be walking at the start I didn't want us ending up right at the back, right at the start.  Needless to say the gun goes off and hubby is off like a rocket...'hey', I shout 'what happened to our POA (plan of action".  The man reigns it in... 

Even with our walking start we didn't end up right at the back and we even managed to catch up with those who had sprinted past us earlier.  I had to giggle at one guy - he is like me and working on his fitness but his shirt stated that he was 'Joburg's Toughest Fireman', I even told hubby at one stage that we weren't doing too bad as we could keep up with 'Joburg's Toughest Fireman'.  He just laughed at me.  Silly man.  There were times of course where I wanted to clobber him.  Remember, poor me slogging at the Couch to 5km programme for 6 weeks and hubby = diddly squat training and making it look way too easy. 

There was also the girl I dubbed 'Miss Short Pant' who didn't quite like us going past her, so on this downhill she comes sprinting past us only to come to a walking halt at the bottom of the hill where we eventually caught up and passed her again.  We finished 10 minutes ahead of her.  I kept telling hubby that I better keep my ass moving as no way was 'Miss Short Pant' passing us again.  LOL

We finished the 5km in 45 minutes.  I'll take it, as the last 5km I did took me over an hour if I recall. 

I'm really falling in love with running.  Sadly, my road bike is being a bit neglected - poor thing.  But she knows I still love her - it's just logistics at the moment.  I have entered both hubby and me into a road race in April.  The Wilro Cycle Challenge - one of my favourites from last year.  It is 41 km's and I've secure my BIL to babysit the boys.  It is hubby's first official race - no borrowed numbers. 

You're doing a what....?

I'm doing a Duathlon...can you hear a whoop-whoop

I needed a challenge.  At the beginning of the year I had already made a decision to do / try a Triathlon and while investigating the world of multisports I discovered Duathlons and thought 'why the hell not'.  I have already entered my first one, call me eager but it gives me plenty of time to train.  The first one I have entered takes place mid-June which is also in winter but thankfully our winters are mild.  I am looking forward to it.

It is a 5km run, 30 / 40 km cycle and then another 2.5 km run.  I am currently using the Couch to 5k running programme to get me running.  I have until October to get my swimming sorted out for Triathlons - currently I am working hard at not drowning myself.  LOL

I have not being doing much cycling.  I did a 20km event a few weekends ago - rather embarrasing.  I should have done the longer route but the GOOD NEWS is that I really enjoyed myself on the shorter route even if I did feel guilty about not doing the longer route.  Doing the shorter route enabled me to catch a movie with my boys while we waited for a friend of ours to finish doing the much, much longer route.

Hubby will be doing a 41km with me in April.  I better remind him so that he can get some training in. Time to hit the race track again to get some 'safe' training in.  The evenings are getting cooler - only problem being is that it is getting darker sooner which does not leave us much time to train but for now I will take what I can get.  :-)

On a completely different note.  Little did I realise how in love I would fall with running.  I look forward to my running days and dread being inside the gym.  Hmmmmm!!  What's with that?? 

Another thing I have started doing is Katabox - what a workout that is.  I really have loads of fun and I'm proud to say that I think I am getting the hang of the bouncing thing.  LOL  The one reason I avoided the Katabox class since joining the gym 2 years ago was because I could not bounce - well, all of a sardine - now I can. 

As for the weight loss - I'm back at hovering.  I really need a kick up the patootie.  It will move soon enough.  Would help if I stopped eating copious amounts of crap though.  Oh boy!!

What are you up to?

Race for Victory 2010

At the start - 2010

What can I say except smiles all around.  I was looking forward to the race this year.  It is definitely one of my favourites.  It definitely was not as chilly as last year (see below) but the surprise in store for us was going to be the wind and boy did she blow.  I kept telling myself that it was good Argus training.  There were times it felt as if I was going to be blown off my bike but I held on tight - really tight.  LOL

Remember : At the start 2009

 

Crossing over the start line 2010

  Up until around the 40km mark I was having my best race ever.  My pace was good and best of all I was feeling great.  Ready to conquer the cycling world - the races ahead of me were not going to be that bad.  Then the wind let herself be really known and the worst was it was a headwind.  My word!!  The legs just don't get a break - you have to pedal your heart out if on a downward slope.  Ugghhh!!  Thankfully I'd done the route last year and smelt the finish line and just pushed myself.  I was not letting myself down.  For the first time in a long time I nearly burst into tears crossing over the finish line.  I was just grateful to be finished.  But now the thoughts in my head were not good and all of a sudden I wasn't feeling so confident about the 2 big races ahead of me.  The Jacaranda Satellite Classic is next weekend - 97km's.  I'm still wondering what I was thinking when I hit the enter key.



Thanking the heavens above!  The finish line 2010

 

Legs are tired!!

 We waited for my friend Sandi to come in and then went off to find Harry.  Harry wanted to watch the prize giving and all I wanted to do was head to the car. 

I look forward to doing this one again next year.  Guaranteed I'll be lighter even at goal if I play my cards right.  :-)  Heck, I might be brave and do the slighly longer one.

I finished in 2hrs44 - an improvement on last year.  Last year was 3hrs26

20 Kilograms lost (44 lbs)

It's official, I've lost 20 kilograms (44 lbs) since I started this journey Jan/Feb 2009.  When I started this journey with Weight Watchers I weighed in at 104.4 kg's, today I weighed in with Weigh Less at 84.4 kilograms.  Woohooo!!

I was only expecting to reach this mini goal next week.  Last weekend was not perfect with the Jubilate School Carnival and then on Sunday when my sticky paws landed on some fudge and then some lamb ribs.  Not perfect choices.  By Tuesday the scale at gym declared that I had picked up the weight I had lost last week (400 grams), I was going to have to work hard which I did.  I upped the cardio, slotted in some kettlebells and skipping and stuck to the plan.  This morning when I stepped on the scale - I think I closed my eyes tightly shut, not wanting to see the damage or if I had managed to make up for my bad weekend.  I couldn't believe it when I was 1.4 kg's down.  Wow!!  Hard work certainly pays off. 

This makes me almost 10kg's lighter than last year this time.  Tomorrow is the Race for Victory Race.


At the end of Race for Victory 2009


I finished this race in 3h30 or something around there.  One of my slower rides.  This year I am hoping to finish in under 2h30.  That will be something.

I rejoined Weigh Less about 9 weeks ago and since joining I have lost 7.3 kg's.  Each and every week I have lost - I am so excited.  This time around something is working.  I don't feel deprived and believe it is all about choices. 

I still have 20 kg's or so to go.  This time around there will be NO slacking off.  The best part is, is that I feel great.

Cannot wait to tell you about tomorrow's race.

Hope you're having a super weekend.

Bestmed Campus to Campus 2010 - Race Report

You can read about last year's race here

My not so favourite part, the early mornings!!  We had to get up just before 5am so that we could be out the door by 05:30.  Ouch!!  Weekends around this time are not my own.  Saturdays I tend to be up early as I go to WeighLess at 07:30 to get my weigh-in over and done with, leaving Sundays as the sleep in day but alas that is not to be at the moment.  At least this weekend there are no races for me.

We picked up Harry on the way and off we went.  This was a far one, one of the furtherest we have to travel to.  We got there just in time.  Harry immediately got his bike and stuff sorted and headed for the start line as he was doing the long distance.  I went off in search of a toilet.  While doing that I quickly munched on a Bran Muffin - yummy!  From then onwards it was a mad dash to get everything setup from HR monitor to MP3 player (don't worry I only used one ear piece and can quite comfortably hear everything around me - safety is a priority for me).  At least I did not forget the sunglasses behind this time.

I met up with my friend Sandi at the start line.  Hubby managed to get a few pics and it was time to start.  This year the groups were very small.

From the start the wind made itself known and did not let up.  I don't think we had a break from it, from head-on to any other direction it could come at us - it did.  Sandi was behind me at the beginning and then I lost her - I was on my own with a few riders in front and behind.  At least I was not going to be all alone the whole time.

And while I was out doing my thing.  My support team found trees.  Gotta love those guys. 

I really enjoyed the race even with the wind and when I smelt the finish line I pedalled hard.  Hubby even said I came in fast.  Told him it helps coming in on a downhill instead of an uphill. Hehehehehehe.

We waited for Sandi and then headed off for some pancakes and refreshments while we waited for Harry to come in.

The good news is I improved on last years time :

2010 :  2:23:42

2009 :  2:50:05

My next race is on the 10th October.  It is one of my favourites, Race for Victory.  Cannot wait...

Remember 'Invincible' - Meals on Wheels 2010

It has been a year since my first 'official' race and what a difference.  Doing the happy dance here!!

This was last year :

Meals on Wheels 2009



The Support Crew, Member 'J'



Support Crew, Member 'B'

Just what were they up to while I was out pedalling....looks like they were up the tree.  hehehehehe  Sounds like they had loads of fun!!  Climbing trees, jumping on the jumping castle, eating pancakes and drinking milo.  Definitely fun!!

The race itself started earlier this year and we got away around 8am somewhere.  Right from the start we head uphill.  Great way to wake those legs up. hehehehehe.  I got to the halfway turn poing in just under and hour.  The route was undulating.  Definitely not flat and fast. 

Today was spent trying to get past the 'I'm out for a Sunday ride with my BFF' while they're casually riding abreast (taking up most of the road to do this) and catching up on whatever.  This is done with no consideration for cyclists or even motor vehicles coming up behind them.  Idiots!!  The fact of the matter is at the 94.7 there are going to be zillions of these types.  I hope I survive!!

The GOOD news is that I did improved on my time from last year.  Woohooooo!!

My official time was 02:09:05 - I was the 204th cyclist in for the 40km out of 224 (not including those who did not finish).

Last year (2009).  My official time was 02:31:02 - I came 3rd last.  Ouch!!

I was not chased by the ambulance and sweeper vehicle and there was no bursting into tears.  When hubby asked if my song had played this time - strangley enough, even though it is on my MP3 - Invincible did not come into play today. 

Seriousley, this needs to go!!

With this weight loss, a few things are happening to the shape of my body.  This is one in particular that I HATE with a passion and seems to be more noticable when I'm on my bike (sad face).  It appears that this middle section is definitely going to be the last to go.  Ouch!! 

Very happy with myself!!



Gotta love helmet hair :-)

Next week is my second race leading up to the 94.7.  I'm looking forward to it.  It is 54km's.

Hope everyone had a super weekend.

Before I go.  In the past 6 weeks I have lost 5.1 kg's - EXTREMELY happy right now.

Mich

Dome 2 Dome or was that Silverstar Casino 2 Silverstar Casino

Guess who joined me!!

Last Sunday was my first cycle race for the Spring/Summer season.  I opted to do the 40 km.

This was the profile - you guessed it - OUCH!!

The night before the race we went out for our youngest's 6th birthday - a nice Italian restuarant which meant I could carbo-load and not do my diet too much damage.  The kids then went off with my BIL to spend the night with their cousins.  Hubby made an impromptu decision and decided to join me on the race.  Some adjustments on my mountain bike and a spare entry that a friend had, and he was all set to go.  And GO he did!!  He eventually calmed down and slowed down to a pace I could handle.  Relief!! 

I enjoyed this one, well, except for the end bit.  When I do it again I hope it will be a me at goal weight.  My weight is really slowing me down on the hills **sad face**

We finished the race in just over 3 hrs - around 03:08:something.  That hill at the end there killed us.  We walked, chatted and begged for mercy but we got up it.

We made it!!

Fortunately, one of cycling shirts fitted hubby.  Don't worry - one day they won't. hehehehehe  I'll be in skinnier ones.

I tried a new low GI drink on this ride, 32 GI and was very impressed with it.  It cut down on how many gels I needed to take in.  On a ride like this it would have been up to 3 gels - making the calorie intake a lot more than it was.  I also packed a healthy picnic for afterwards - NO greasy boerewors rolls or hamburgers.  **huge grin**

The next race is on the 19th.  I did this one last year so I am looking forward to comparing.  It is the Meals on Wheels race.  Fun times.

Back soon.....

Back on my bike and loving it

With the weather warming up it was that time, time to get back on my bike.  I never realised how much I missed riding my bike until I got back on.    With the hopes of being closer to goal weight next year, I might just save up the pennies for some winter gear and try and cycle through the winter.  Very brave talk for me because when it is cold, snuggling under the duvet seems like a much more inviting option.

At Saturday's weigh-in I was down another 0.8kg's (1.76 lbs).  Considering it was a TOM week - I was very happy with the result.  So far I am still on track to lose the 10 kg's (22 lbs) by the Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge.  Woohoo!!  Climbing hills with 10 kg's less has got to be easier.  Right!!  What is different this time around.  I watch everything that goes into my mouth.  No grabbing greasy burgers etc. after races.  I have only done one race and that was a fun run/walk and not eating crap afterwards seems to have been my reward.  I did however sneek in a coke.  BUT boy am I craving a piece of chocolate and not just any chocolate - it's the new Lindt Mousse dessert ones.  Have to figure out how to get this one out of my system.

That hill is still the same

At the top of the hill

I'm not sure if the Kyalami Race Track is considered the ideal training grounds but for me it is perfect.  The major draw card being that it is SAFE and secondly it is a few minutes drive from home. 

At least this time I made it all the way to the top of the hill.  When I first started cycling I walked this hill often before being able to ride it all the way to the top. 

Read here about my first ride at Kyalami 2009

Coming soon....My first 5km fun walk report.

Kettlebells

I just ordered this book. I cannot wait for it to arrive and luckily for me it is available locally so I should have it in a week or so.  Woot, woot....

I am convinced that this is one of the BEST workouts anyone could have.  Last week Thursday I had a session with April and we did some Kettlebells, well, today is the first time I can sit and stand up without yelping in pain.  Every muscle in my legs screamed - they had worked hard.  It was a good pain and here I am wanting MORE!!  Crazy - huh

We have had the worst - miserable weather ever.  It's been cold and the sun has disappeared for days on end.  It's been grey, wet and miserable.  When the sun does appear it seems to be for brief periods. 

The diet is going well.  I have had a few hiccups this past week and have maintained and not lost.  I am happy to report a 2.2 kg loss however in the first two weeks of being on the plan.  

With cold seemed to come the need to eat carbs.  The carb cravings won but I will have my revenge.  I was telling hubby yesterday that after a dose of 'refined' carbs I feel gross.  My body feels sluggish and yuck but when those carbs first touch those taste buds it tastes like heaven.  I need to keep reminding myself of the after effects which last much longer than the heavenly taste.  

I am enjoying making the winter stash of homemade veggie soup - I'm just hoping that I don't get tired of it too soon.  Winter has only just begun.

The cycling is slowly coming to a grinding halt for the moment.  The mornings are way too cold and it's dark as well.  Although we would not be cycling in the dark - the cold will most certainley still be there.  It's getting up when it is dark - that is the problem and especially on a weekend when sleeping-in sounds like a much better option under a warm snuggly duvet.   

There is a race I would like to do in July.  The huge stage race that I was aiming for in June has been put on hold for now.  Upon reflection I would rather the do the 1 day stage race when I am much fitter and in a better condition to know that I will finish it.  At first I was upset about this but I have to be real with myself.  These races do not come cheap.  We would have to pay for accomodation etc. etc. and to not really enjoy it because I am not in good enough shape would not be fun or justify the expense.  The one is July I believe is doable.  It is 108km's long.  I have already complete a 100km race so I know I can do this as long as I keep my training up.  It also gives me just over 2 months in which I can focus on losing some weight.

Have a super week everyone.  I am going to work on my training plan for the week coming.
  

Race report : Carnival City Macsteel Cycle Challenge 2010

Start Information:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Start Time (Official): 8:25:17


Start Time (Reel): 8:26:07


Distance: 65 Km


Category: Vets 30-39


Batch: CM

Finish Information:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Finish Time (Gross): 3:06:59


Finish Time (Net): 3:06:09


Avg. Speed (min/km): 2:52


Avg. Speed (km/h): 20.95

Race Positions:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Category (Gross): 52 out of 57


Gender (Gross): 192 out of 212


Over All (Gross): 617 out of 676


Category (Net): 52 out of 57


Gender (Net): 192 out of 212


Over All (Net): 617 out of 676

(does not include cyclists who rode without timing chips)

I had originally entered for the longer route - 103 km's but was not quite feeling up for another century so I dropped back to ride with my friend Sandi in the 65 km race.   We got there very early and had plenty of time to make our way to the start line - and this time I had breakfast.  Yippeee and I managed to get it all down.  Some yummy oats.

I took a big chance and tried some new energy gels - it is not reconmended to try any new products on race day.  With the shorter distance I decided it was worth the risk as I was treating this as a training ride anyway.  They worked fabulously and I'll definitely be using them in all my races.  I tried the GT Gels and Replenish Overdrive for hydration :  Form and fitness  

I loved the taste and not once did I feel queesy - my stomach definitely coped.  I will definitely be looking at the full range of products for supporting my races and training - especially with regards to my attempting the Kremetart 175 km Stage race. 

Back to the race - we started at about 08:25 (late start), the heat of the day already beating down on us.  We started on the right side and managed to wangle our way over to the left hand side - a much safer place to be.  30 minutes in and we made a quick stop to take our respective gels and take in some fluids (I really need to learn how to do this on the go).  I was really feeling strong and shortly after our stop I last Sandi - the wind proved challenging and slowed me down but thankfully my legs felt strong.  I wish I could say the same for my 'cookie' - a certain part of the anatomy that is in constant contact with the saddle.  OUCH!!  Fortunately for me, today I found a group of cyclists placing an order with a supplier in the UK and I quickly jumped on the bandwagon and ordered another saddle - hopefully this will help with the issues I have been having lately.

When we had about 20km's to go I wondered if I was going to quit due to the pain I was experiencing but I gritted my teeth - and focused on catching up to various riders in front of me.

I also somehow managed to drop my chain during the race which required me to keep my wits about me while I got it back on - thankfully it behaved mostly after that.

Hubby and sms'ed me that he had decided to catch a movie while I was out on the road - so instead of the quickie phone call to say that I didn't have far to go - I thought it was wise to let him enjoy his movie - he is my biggest supporter and deserved some timeout.  ((grin))  I crossed the finish line with hopes that I had finally done a sub 3 hour but alas when the results came out I was just over by 6 minutes.  Needless to say I was unhappy and kept trying to think where I could have pushed more - if I can avoid stopping to take the gels and fluids in that will be a huge save time wise.  The wind was also a factor, as well as the constant burning/sharp stabbing pains in my groin area with the saddle issues.  It might be time as well to check the set-up of my bike and to make double sure that everything is where it should be.  Maybe TMI but going to the loo had me bursting in tears - NOT GOOD at ALL!!

This is the saddle I am going to get :

It is the Madison L21Z Comfort Zone D2 Saddle

It has the following features :

A sporty saddle for women with a pressure relieving cutaway

• Built in flexi-rail support reduces vibration transmitted through the rails for the ultimate smooth ride
* Dual-density base with thermo-formed Kraton inserts provides soft andflexible support to the sit bones
• Specially designed Comfort Zone base helps to reduce pressure build up and discomfort around the sit tissues and organs for maximum comfort
• Strong, dependable 4130 Cr-Mo rails offer fantastic strength with little weight penalty
• Multi-density foam padding for cushioned comfort and effective shock absorption
• Vacuum bonded cover uses a special process which bonds the cover material to the base of the saddle without the use of staples or glue, giving a seamless finish and maximum durability

I didn't think I had managed to get too far ahead of Sandi and was surprised to find out that I had come in about 28 minutes ahead of her.  I thought that was a huge achievement as I consider Sandi to be a much stronger rider than me as she has been doing this a whole lot longer.

All in all I loved this race and I will definitely be putting it on my calendar for next year.

My next race is only 3 weeks time and then nothing until June and then it starts up again around September.  I will be putting my focus into losing weight and trying to lose it quicker than I have been.

As for Saturday's weigh-in, it was a nothing more and nothing less situation.  The scale didn't move in either direction which I guess is better than a gain. 

My next Challenge!!

My exciting news...............

more info can be found here :  Kremetart Cycle Challenge

Nothing like a challenge - RIGHT!!

This one appeals to me.  It is a challenge.  A HUGE one for me.  The thing is I'll have to drop some weight.  If I am over my plateau and I am confident I have waved goodbye to it then I should be fine.  Here's crossing fingers :-))

One of the reasons :

I'll get to see lots of these on the route. 

In planning, I need to do the following :

*  Lose 12 - 15 kg's (26.45 - 33 Lbs) in the next 3 months (3 - 5 kg loss a month)

*  Increase my speed to an average of at least 26 kmph

*  Improve on my endurance levels

*  Time in the saddle

Dischem Ride 4 Sight - Vita-thion 63km Challenge

Goodie Bag and Race Number

Another great goodie bag!!  I grabbed the 'Bar One' and hid it very quickly before the kids could find it.  Now to figure out how to take it on the race with me without it melting into an icky squishy melted chocolate mushy mess!!  Also got a socks - socks always come in handy as well as a bunch of samples of various stuff from tissues to soap.

I am in the first open/seeded bunch to go off.  Woohooooo!!  I'm looking forward to this race but have concerns.  It is taking place on the East Rand and boy those motorists did not prove themselves to be the most patient bunch the last race that took place in the general area.

Tomorrow will be a weigh-in day and odd jobs around the house.  Nothing major!!  Sunday 'up and at em' rather early.  Yikes!!  My start time is 07:51 so sunblock will be a MUST, I think it's going to be a scorcher.

Have a super weekend.  I'm silently praying for those wings and that the scale will be a bit kinder tomorrow.

Reaching the finish line - then what?

Towards the end of last year my focus became about a certain race I had entered and my life revolved around planning for this race - the 94.7 (no finish line for me) but the BIG race was over and I was left wondering 'now what?'  All direction, all focus disappeared - a HUGE black hole appeared before me and I sank into it.  Not a good place to be.  I think my body was pushing for some time-out and that is what it got. 

With the New Year came a fresh burst of ENERGY, a renewal of sorts - a need to continue with my journey.  I entered a few more races and completed my first Century race - 103 km's. 

BUT

I got to thinking this week - I feel like I'm setting a trap for myself.  What will happen when I reach goal weight?  Am I setting myself up for a 'now what' moment? 

I don't want it to define my life - this 'goal weight' achievement, if anything it should be a step/path on a journey to life of healthy living - not the be all and end all.  I don't want to find myself at goal weight and falling back into old habits.  Hopefully all my new healthy habits will stick cause let me tell you old habits have a sneaky way of creeping up on you and taking hold. 

With each 'finish line' comes a sense of achievement and I cannot wait for my next one.  With every kilo lost the cycling gets easier and one day soon I'll be flying up those hills instead of struggling up them.  I even manage to make 'granny' gear look hard.

Today my focus is seeing beyond that 'finish line' - keeping the passion and continuing the journey because the journey should not have an end but always a beginning......

Training @ the Kyalami Race Track

You've seen me say often in my exercise plans that I'm training at the Kyalami Race Track. Yesterday I decided to take the Kodak along so that you can get a glimpse of what I get up too. I'm glad I went yesterday evening - I'm not sure if I mentioned in an earlier post that I'd like to join a cycling club. I got to speaking to Angie who is involved with Club 100 - and she's had me hooked ever since. Last night we found out that we will be in the same starting group for the 94.7 and she invited me to join them - they are raising funds for the Sunflower Fund - I didn't hesitate. It's going to be fun raising awareness for the cause and funds. We'll be wearing tutu's and sunflowers. You can read more about the organisation here : http://www.sunflowerfund.org.za/ This is what they are about : "This is why The Sunflower Fund (Friends of the South African Bone Marrow Registry) was formed in 1999. The Sunflower Fund is a non-governmental, non-profit organisation based in Cape Town, South Africa, with a vision to give all South Africans diagnosed with leukaemia and other life-threatening blood disorders the chance of life, irrespective of their race and financial circumstances. The Sunflower Fund’s core purpose is to educate, recruit and raise funds to build and sustain an effective SABMR as a viable source of well informed ethnically-diverse potential bone marrow donors so as to meet the national and international requirements and improve the chances of life-saving transplants for serious blood disorder sufferers." Enjoy the pics......

in front of the pits

Going up the steep tough hill

At the top - the view can be very rewarding if you take the time to look.

Around the bend and then a steep downhill - woohoooooooooooo.....brakes, baby, brakes.....

The stretch in front of the Pit area again....

Back soon.....

Michelle

aka Puncture Girl

Race for Victory - this weekend's race (Sunday)

This Sunday's race is 54 km's (33.55 miles) long. It is also thankfully alot closer to home this time around. As I have my no., chip and everything else means we do not have to be there at the crack of dawn - yippeeee!! Those early mornings, especially the 4am wake-up calls can be hell.

This race had a little goodie bag. We got a t-shirt and some samples - almost all repeats of the last goodie bag. I'm collecting toothpaste here - great for camping and travelling. :-))

Here's my number. I'm in the middle batch and not right at the back. Will I end up riding all by lonesome again? Who knows?? Thankfully it doesn't bother me that much. I'm sticking to the gels that I have used for all my races: Enervit Sports Gel: Enervit Sports Gel I have also bought the new Energade Sports Jellies - I snacked on these in the last race with no ill effects.

For after the race I got myself some Antistax Leg Cooling Spray : Antistax Hoping it will refresh the legs after the long ride. :-)

I also got a little jar of this badger balm (sore muscle rub). Now to convince hubby to rub it in for me. :-) I like this product as it is Certified Organic - it's costly but I'm hoping well worth it. :-))

When I collected my number they also handed me why timing chip - woohoo - so once again I will have an official time. If some of you are wondering why I bother with a timing chip, I like it because I can keep track of what I am doing and how I am doing.

It has not been a great week training wise. I only managed to make it to the track once this week with everything going on. Tonight we are going to Yoga - I'll take it easy and I'm looking forward to a good stretch.

Well, I just got a call to say my gloves have arrived, as well as an extra bag for my bike. I've taken to calling myself 'Puncture Girl' - I want to be in a position to carry more than one extra tube with me - especially on long-ish distances. I'd better be off.

Have a super weekend - keep active.

Hugs

Mich Puncture Girl

Some things are not 'invincible'

We had an early start and got to the start line with time to spare. Shooooo!! Here I am already to go. The field was much bigger than I thought it would be so I was one happy camper.

There was a lot of early morning mist which added to the ambiance of the day. :-))

Cyclists waiting for their turn to go. We were being let of in groups. Mine was the last to go.

Today was going to be a day of firsts!! At the water point which was at around 20km. I fell while I was standing still. Yep, don't ask me how I did that - I did!! One second I was up and the next I was on the ground. Luckily I was wearing gloves. The worst was trying to get myself unclipped from the left pedal. Eish!! Talk about embarrassing.

I managed to get up while blushing madly and assuring everyone I was fine - really fine. Hardly a scratch. Dusted the dirt off and was good to go. Nearly wiped out the 'Bride to be' - what a way to have your bridal shower and got back on the road. Just around the bend and as I was crossing the bridge - something sounded wrong, something felt wrong. Praying to the 'heaven's above' was clearly not helping. I unclipped, stopped, got off and **sigh** and a few other choice words found the problem. I had a flat!! Now this is my problem, I have tyre levers and puncture patches but *uhhhhm* no pump...WTF...(this is when I curse hubby dearly as he professed I would never need a pump - I had a magic strip in my tyres which was practically a guarantee of 'no punctures' in his book)...Yeah, right!! I don't have a spare tube either ...please note that I have begged and pleaded to get one but hey...I have that magic strip - RIGHT!!!

Luckily I had my cell phone on me - this gave me the perfect opportunity to blast 'dear hubby' and proclaim that on this same day we WOULD be buying spare tubes and a pump and whatever else was needed.

I was fortunate to have one gentleman stop to help me who was dumbfounded that I did not

a) have a spare tube and

b) not have a pump

but I had patches and tyre levers - YES - go figure!!

He helped me get the wheel off and the tube out but his pump did not work on my tube. Graciously thanked him for his help and sent him on his way.

This time I phone hubby and yell at him - my race is over....but hang on.

Two lovely young Afrikaans boys taking part - STOP - and immediately begin to try and help. They must have been about 10 yo - 14 yo. Their pump works, we find the puncture, put on a patch and get it all back in and then the valve goes.....thank them profusely, assure them that hubby should be arriving shortly and face the fact that the race for me is REALLY over!!

Hubby arrives and tries the bigger better pump and the valve has definitely gone. Oh well!! Pack it up and head home!!

The Good!!

I road 20.7km's in 50 minutes. I was definitely heading for a 01h30min finish. I was doing my best pace ever and was feeling great!!

At the end of the day:

1. I can now change my own tyre

2. I have a pump on my bike

3. I have spare tubes

4. I also have C02 canisters and the fitting

5. I SURVIVED my first fall

6. When arriving at my fave cycling shop (Solomon's in Woodmead - The BEST service EVER!! ) I could laugh at myself.

Some lessons are only learned the HARD way!!

Let's see what's in store for tomorrow. I'll keep you in suspense.

Later

Mich

If it were easy I'd pop a pill and be thin

NOT.....

If anything I've learnt that on my journey to losing weight there are NO quick fixes or solutions. I did not become FAT overnight - it took years of practice to get to where I am and the fat is not going to just disappear because I so desperately WANT/NEED it to.

From popping pills, to injections, to drinking various concoctions and various other diets on offer - they have simply not worked. About the only one I like is Weight Watchers and if used properly can be a tool in helping you change your lifestyle and the way you eat.

A new diet pill has been launched in SA - the advert for it drives me NUTZ - they promise you can lose weight without dieting and without exercising/training. I grizzle when I hear it!! If it was as simple as popping a pill then we'd all be thin - Right - Wrong!! There is no plan to follow a healthier lifestyle and no motivation to get off your patootie and get moving.

I've said it's a science. Each day I become more convinced of it. When I was doing WW's and continuing with normal daily activity I lost weight - the bathroom scale was mostly kind. I then joined gym, then found myself a Personal Trainer, started Spinning and got a bicycle. I'm losing inches/centimetres but the SCALE has hovered between 92 and 93 Kg's. It's not budging. Although I eat healthy 90% of the time I'm worried that I am not eating enough or the right stuff to support my newest outdoor activity - cyling. Last night I burnt 713 calories while cycling 17 km's. My energy levels crash on a regular basis. On the days I crash, I feel horrid - it is hard to describe and even though I have had a good nights sleep just trying to do anything is a mission and this gets me frustrated and anger follows. I am now seeking out a dietician in the hopes I can get some direction in what to eat to support my passions : gym and cycling. I need to find balance in my attempt at finding a healthy lifestyle. Eating salads for lunch and dinner are clearly not supporting me when it comes to my activity levels.

If you have any ideas I'd love to hear them. What has been your experience?? If you cycle, how do you support it with your diet??

I'm off to hunt down a dietician. Have a great day everyone.

Reconnaissance Mission : Scout location for next cycle challenge

Today resulted in an impromptu Reconnaissance Mission to scout out the location and route for my next cycle challenge. This is the 40 km which is happening at the Union Buildings in Pretoria - 4 laps of 10 km each and in each lap is Meintjes Kop (a tough uphill battle). Naturally this curious soul wanted to know just what I had signed myself up for, and all I can say is Y*I*K*E*S!! But I BELIEVE it is do-able. {{confident grin placed here}}

On some days I wonder if taking up Golf would have been cheaper. I kid you not - cycling is turning out to be an expensive PASSION and it would help if I did not make mistakes along the way. I'm seriousley crossing my fingers that I haven't made any other serious boo-boos. In my excitement to get cycling shoes a while back, I didn't pay as much attention to the fit as I should of - I should have also demanded professional advise when purchasing said cycling shoes and gathered all the information that I could. When it comes to cycling alot of 'stuff' is UNISEX - it fits both us girls and the boys. So what I thought was my size shoe and what I thought was all comfy turned out to be slightly too BIG. This teeny nasty little fact did not show itself until I used my cycling shoes out on the road. This did not seem to be a bother in the spinning classes but when I tried them out at the race track on Wednesday - I had hot spots underneath my footsies.....OUCH!! My feet were clearly sliding up and down in my shoes - I guess walking up some hills also helped this 'problem' along. Which is why we ended up in Pretoria today - trying to track down some cycling shoes at a more affordable price i.e. on special but LO and BEHOLD - NONE in my size. Oh yeah and that was the last of the stock - nadda, no more - they are supposedly not making them anymore UGGGHHHHH!!!

And that is why I could go ahead with my lil' mission - we were in the area. At least I have now travelled the route and I know exactly what I'm facing. Somehow I will conquer that hill - I am determined too..... the challenge is on!!!

My first ride at the Kyalami Race Track

The stats :

Cateye Bicycle computer magaffy:

Time : 00.39.45

Distance : 9.67 km's

Average Speed : 14.6 km's/h

Max. Speed : 45.1 km's/h

Polar F11 HR Monitor :

Polar product

Polar F11

Distance

km

Calories

kcal

Duration

hh:mm:ss

Average heart rate

hr% / 184 bpm

Maximum heart rate

hr% / 184 bpm

Fat percentage of calories

%

Talk about butterflies in my stomach, but hang on this isn't even a race. What have I gotten myself into? Can I do this? What the hell was I thinking? Clearly I'm nutz? That's it! I hate hills!! It's okay to turn around - right, but that means it's uphill back to the start. Forget this, I'm going around. Crap - look at that hill!! How many more hills - YIKES!!

The decision has been made, I am definitely dropping my entry from the 70 km to the 12 km next weekend. We are staying with my best bud's Mom who stays at the Staff Village at Sun City. Thankfully that means we don't have a 02:30am start to the day but can get up at a more dignified hour. When I've finished we'll head to the Valley of Waves at the Lost City and the boys can have some fun. Not sure I'll brave swimwear just yet. LOL

Okay, so to answer one of my own questions - there are only 2 hills/climbs. I rode as much as I could up them and then I walked the rest of the way, literally huffing and puffing!! I managed to get around the track twice which is a massive achievement for me as I had told hubby I might not make it even 1/2 way around.

My gym workouts have prepared me to a point but they are not going to be enough. I am going to have to cut a few gym workouts and hit the track more often. The big race is 93 days away - I need to achieve getting around that track at least 10 times in one session and definitely NOT walking up hills but pedalling up hills to be able to get to a point where I will be able to finish 94.7 km's comfortably. I clearly have my work cut out for me.

I'm having too much fun to give up!! I hope it stays that way. I CAN do this!!

Hugs