No! Serious!!

The dietician was a *flop* of note!!

While trying to get this post written, life happens!! On Tuesday my car packed in on me. *sad face* We had to have her towed to our mechanic and sadly the news was not good at all. The engine needs to be replaced. *NOT good NEWS* **Sigh** but somehow we must move on. Thankfully my parents have a spare car at the moment and they have loaned it to us - so it gives us a bit of a breather so that we can sort out mine. I am going to look at selling some of my lampwork equipment and hang on to the bare necessities so that I can continue with lampwork when I'm ready.

Anyway enough about that....back to the dietician!! As I said, a total flop and yes, she offered nothing really new to help me out. Where I wanted a diet/meal plan to support my cycling and other workouts - she became obsessed with the 'losing weight' bit. I came home with a very basic meal plan (it was not personalised except for a few thrown in bits about eating a slice of wholewheat bread with honey before/after a race. All the information she gave me about hydration & snacks while racing & endurance training - I already knew. If anything, the supplements I take are better than the ones she suggested. I was shocked!!

One of my biggest concerns is that this *meal plan* given to me has no calorie value - it does not state how many calories I should be taking in on a daily basis and what to do on days when I burn 1700 odd in a race I have just completed. When I queried this I got this answer :

"What I can say is that I (and many other dieticians) do not work on daily required calorie intake right from the beginning as the restrictions are too big."

Why would the restrictions be to big? Surely a personalised meal plan would be designed to suite a clients needs and be as restrictive or not as restrictive depending on quantities etc. I'm at a loss. Am I over thinking this?

I tried to explain that where possible we avoid products with artificial sweeteners, processed foods etc. etc. It all seemed to go straight over her head, because their printed on my 'so called personalised meal plan' was processed meats.

I need to believe in myself. I need to realise that sometimes I do have the answers within me - and to run with it. All the blogs I follow and read have a wealth of information and by playing around with that info I will find the perfect fit for me.

It also doesn't mean that because the dietician you are going to see is based in a Sports Medicine Clinic doesn't nessecarily mean that she knows alot. This dietician didn't see someone who enjoyed cycling, is pretty active, enjoys gym - she just saw someone who was fat -she couldn't see the progress I had made. So we learn.

Today I can hopefully get Sunday's race no. At least then I will be all prepared and we won't have to get up and some ridiculous hour to get to the race.

Keep strong...

Mich

At the last minute : Bestmed Campus 2 Campus (50km)

After Saturday's disappointment of having to abandon my race because I was not prepared enough when I got a puncture - I came home and started making some calls to see if I would be able to get a late entry into Sunday's race. I managed to get hold of one of the organisers who said they would be taking late entries - and we prepared ourselves for another early morning. We made sure we got there by 6am only to be told by someone else that 'sorry for me' they were not taking late entries - I was broken and slightly mad but what can you do. Hubby was elsewhere where people were saying they were taken late entries and confusion reigned. I headed back to hubby and then tried getting hold of the person who had told me there would be late entries, thankfully she had diverted her landline to her cell phone and assured me there would be late entries. By 7am me and many others were entered. Shooooooooo!! Me at the start line. I was in the last batch to go. We're on the move!! We had to walk over the timing mats - about the safest way to do it, it seemed.

Off we go!!

Would you believe it, 10 kms into the race and what should happen, I got a puncture. This time I was prepared but it ate into my overall time. It must have taken me about 20 minutes to change the tube and get everything sorted. The best part is I did it myself!!

While I was off doing my thing, the 'support crew' went investigating and exploring. The race took place at one of the Universities in the province and it had huge grounds. It had loads of ponds with ducks and geese. There were Springboks and monkeys as well. They had fun exploring! The finish line!! I was happy to see that finish line. It was getting really hot out there. I was under the impression that I was the last of the 50km entrants and the ones behind me were all the long distance entrants but according to the official time there were still 3 other 50 km entrants behind me. I never saw them. After fixing my puncture I was on my own for the majority of my race.

Woohooo, over I go!!

Drinking a coke after the race and catching up with a friend who had also taken part but come in about 30 minutes before me. Sandy's batch started earlier than mine. We were waiting for her hubby to come in but by the time we left he still hadn't crossed the finished line. We found out later that he had suffered 2 punctures - OUCH!! He had taken part in the long distance race.

I'm glad I did it even with all the earlier 'hiccups'. This is the furtherest distance I have now done. A new personal record for me.

This week is another 'take it easy' week as I have another race on Sunday. A 54 km (33.55 miles) cycle race.

The plan is just to focus on training and speed after this week. Just over a month to go until the BIG race - 94.7 km's.

Have a super week. I'm seeing a dietician today which I am very excited about. I cannot wait to tell you all about it.

I also owe Hanlie a post which I will hopefully get to later today or tomorrow.

Edited to add that my official finishing time was 02:50:05

Hugs

Mich

This weeks exercise plan: 28th Sept - 4th Oct

Let's see how it goes.... * Monday : Rest Day + see Dietician * Tuesday : Easy session @ Kyalami Race Track - Cycling * Wednesday : Training session @ Kyalami Race Track - Cycling * Thursday : Easy session @ Kyalami Race Track - Cycling * Friday : Yoga / rest * Saturday : REST Day! * Sunday : Race for Victory - 54 km (33.55 miles) I have not been focusing on strength training at all. From next week I'll pick up on the strength training.

A glimpse of today's activity

I'm exhausted! My body is aching! Back soon..... Mich

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

Nerves, nerves, nerves....

Apparently I don't have much to distract me today from the race tomorrow. I'm just a ball of nerves. There wasn't even a goodie bag to offer some form of distraction of ooh's and aah's. Now I've cycled 40km's and I've cycled 22km's so you would think I would have NO problems with a 33km but I do.... What I totally forgot is that there is a bigger race happening on Sunday -hmmmm, and that is the race everyone seems to be in. When I collected my number this morning, the lady handing out the numbers had all the numbers organised according to our surnames - not very big piles I tell you. Does this mean another teeny field of cyclists tomorrow. Does this mean I'm being chased by the ambulance and sweeper vehicles.....it is becoming clear why my nerves are shot. I didn't enjoy having those vehicles right behind in the last race. I guess my best bet would be to try and forget that they are actually there. Also on the 'To Do List' was to get my pedals sorted out. At the last training session the left one broke. All the shops we tried today did not have parts to fix it which meant getting a whole new set of pedals. These don't come cheap as they are Shimano SPD pedals. I also wanted to get a cycling shirt that fitted - no more 'hoping like hell' that the fat will disappear promptly!! Yes, I still wake-up some mornings hoping that a miracle has taken place and that 'poof' I'm thin!! My favourite cycling shop had cycling shirts on special - woohoooo- and I managed to pick one up at a bargain. I love the colours (see pic above). Now I have the all important pockets at the back where I can safely tuck my Sport Gels. And trust that one of the more expensive gels on the market is the one that is palatable and works, hence, my decision to stick with it for now even if the budget groans a bit. Some good news: I got my baby back. My Nikon is all ready and in working order. She definitely deserved some TLC. :-)) Here's hoping for a good race tomorrow. Have a super weekend everyone. Mich

Don't wanna...

It has been one of thooooooooo-se afternoons.

Hubby was stuck in traffic trying to get home to take the kids to the dentist. Change of plans and I've got to rush them to the dentist. Traffic is a mess everywhere around us thanks to some *idiots* who had planned to rob a bank at a shopping centre up the road from us - the police give chase - not entirely sure what happens but something happens to 2 of them, one kills himself on the side of the highway and the other one bolts. In total 4 bad guys.

The dentist is relatively hassle free - Brad takes it in his stride - one brave guy. Josh required one teeny filling and a clean. Brad's teeth are in need of loads of TLC.

Then it was back to braving it in the traffic back home. I just got to the point of 'I don't wanna go and train' - I just want to chill. I just want to sit back and relax. Not think of the track, training, racing whatever and just CHILL!! So I'm chilling and feeling guilty. Duh!! what is the point if there are going to be feelings of guilt.

I have a Spinning class at 07:30 tomorrow - I'll just have to work extra hard. :-))

Race on Saturday - at least I'm not in it to win it but to have fun. Must keep reminding myself about that FUN bit.

Have a super Thursday, uhhmm Wednesday.

Michelle