Two weeks till the Big Woody - Excited? Yes, strangly. I'm looking forward to seeing what I can put together on race day, given the training and the racing season i've had so far.
Training has been going well over the past couple of weeks and my running just feels strong at the moment, so I'm happy. Looking forward to riding my new bike, which is just the lovely - ist bike ever. We rode the bike course a couple of weekends back and there are few steep sections, where i know I'll be glad of a nice light road bike, that just zips uphill, especially on the last lap!
Simon and I both rode the WCA 100 mile Time Trial last Sunday - tearing old PB's to pieces. Simon rode 4:04 and I a 4:22, lets hope not peaked too soon? Doubt it my legs felt dreadful for first 10 miles and then didn't really come to life until the last 50 miles!
Our van conversion is coming along too. Beds now in, we had our first weekend away last weekend - Forgot the Hot Chocolate, Doh! Just awaiting windows to arrive, so they can be fitted and then we can do the soft furnishing bits! Curtains ordered - Toy Story ones!! Simon's Choice - Never a dull moment with my 38, going on 11 (3 + 8) year old boyfriend.
Sunday, 16 August 2009
Tuesday, 21 July 2009
Training and the Ford Transit!!.
I started writing this blog almost 2 weeks ago! My life has been hectic as normal! I don't know why I'm not surprised. 5 weeks out from an Ironman and life's going to get a bit crazy. Plus Simon and I have a new project - converting a Ford Transit into a camper van. 
Simon and his Dad, Tim hard at work in the drizzle cutting and fixing new ply walls to the van. You can just make out my skillfully laid vinyl flooring.
Oh yes - back to training and racing - Rode a 50 mile TT to summarise it HURT!!!
I took a week off work a couple of weeks back to get in lots of quality cycling miles and ensure i recover well too. The week started by having to say goodbye to our Suzuki Vitara. For the past couple of weeks it's been guzzling petrol and putting out black smoke, polluting the environment making the ozone hole bigger by the minute. The garages opinion after £100 of tweaking was that it was a little better, but on it's last legs. The Suzuki never quite got the same reputation as being a tardis, like my old Citreon AX, which we crammed 2 bikes and 2 weeks of camping gear, including large tent and camping hob into!! But nether the less sad to see it go. So instead we are now proud owners of a ford transist (white - of course!), which we are going to convert into a camper van, with optimal bike/ race kit storage. I'm going to be in heaven designing storage spaces once the boring insulating and lining stuff is done, - that's if Simon will let me loose. His first purchase for the van was a dustpan and brush - you can see where its going! Not sure Simon's used the dustpan in the flat!. .jpg)
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Leaving the Vitara and becoming a white van Lady!!
I'll pop up some pictures of the work in progress below - So my time has been consumed gutting the van and assisting in the refitting. Have to admit that the tour de france hasn't help my blog writing!
Stripping the van back taking up the old flooring and putting new baton up ready to insulate the walls
, Simon's head injury, once stopped bleeding from standing up into the light fitting.
, Simon's head injury, once stopped bleeding from standing up into the light fitting.Simon and his Dad, Tim hard at work in the drizzle cutting and fixing new ply walls to the van. You can just make out my skillfully laid vinyl flooring.
Oh yes - back to training and racing - Rode a 50 mile TT to summarise it HURT!!!
Riding WCA 100mile TT in couple of week, so aim to write after that. Then its the Big Woody at the end of August.
Happy training
Sarah x
Sunday, 28 June 2009
Crikey!! - Up date on last 6 weeks - King of the Mountians, Weymouth and Cowman race reports.
Hadn't realised it's been so long since I lasted posted a blog. Every long ride I've done over the past couple of weekends I've been thinking about what to write. But then come home and need a nap! So my best blogging intentions have gone to pot!
Since my last post we've been out in French Alps at King of the mountains. Our friends Guy and Helyn have converted an old french school house, into a chalet haven for cyclist and outdoorsy people. So we sent the week cycling and being completely pampered by Helyn's and Guy. Their enthusiasm and love of the area is infectious and over our stay we clocked over 450 miles, which 14,000m of climbing. Need less to say my legs were fried at the end. Unfortunately the Galibier was still (very) closed whilst we were there, otherwise we probably would have road the Marmotte route, but may be that was a good thing. Will post some pics shortly.
Weymouth Middle Distance Triathlon - 7th June 2009
First race back and was more than a little nervous but was keen to see if all my swim training would show. The verdict - not really, coming out the water in 36 minutes. In T1 face planted on a slippery step just as the Marshall shouted carefully it's slippery - comedy moment!! Powered away on the bike coming in with 3/4/5th women. Posting the fastest female bike split:-). Running legs came to from the start and i was able to run consistently, finishing in 3rd place. Bodyworks xtc team mate Yvette Grice took first place.
More Training!!!!
Cowman Middle Distance - 27th June 2009.
I can't talk about the cowman race without a picture of Bart Simpson coming into my head - childish i know. Heavy fog, which delayed the start meant the swim buoys were hard to sight, but every one had that problem. Missed the last buoy and had to make a detour back to swim around it. But that said took 40 seconds off last years time. Played on my bike strength and took 4 minutes off my time from last year, for a 2:42 and the fastest female bike split by 4 minutes. Having come out the swim in 10th, I came into T2 in first place. Unfortunately my legs were not having fun running and found the off road open sections really tough. Overtaken on the 2nd lap and then again on 3rd. Finished in 3rd place again just 21 seconds back from 2nd, having pulled some time back on the forth and final lap, Oh my legs are going to hurt tomorrow :-)
Promise to self to blog more often - Happy Training x
Since my last post we've been out in French Alps at King of the mountains. Our friends Guy and Helyn have converted an old french school house, into a chalet haven for cyclist and outdoorsy people. So we sent the week cycling and being completely pampered by Helyn's and Guy. Their enthusiasm and love of the area is infectious and over our stay we clocked over 450 miles, which 14,000m of climbing. Need less to say my legs were fried at the end. Unfortunately the Galibier was still (very) closed whilst we were there, otherwise we probably would have road the Marmotte route, but may be that was a good thing. Will post some pics shortly.
Weymouth Middle Distance Triathlon - 7th June 2009
First race back and was more than a little nervous but was keen to see if all my swim training would show. The verdict - not really, coming out the water in 36 minutes. In T1 face planted on a slippery step just as the Marshall shouted carefully it's slippery - comedy moment!! Powered away on the bike coming in with 3/4/5th women. Posting the fastest female bike split:-). Running legs came to from the start and i was able to run consistently, finishing in 3rd place. Bodyworks xtc team mate Yvette Grice took first place.
More Training!!!!
Cowman Middle Distance - 27th June 2009.
I can't talk about the cowman race without a picture of Bart Simpson coming into my head - childish i know. Heavy fog, which delayed the start meant the swim buoys were hard to sight, but every one had that problem. Missed the last buoy and had to make a detour back to swim around it. But that said took 40 seconds off last years time. Played on my bike strength and took 4 minutes off my time from last year, for a 2:42 and the fastest female bike split by 4 minutes. Having come out the swim in 10th, I came into T2 in first place. Unfortunately my legs were not having fun running and found the off road open sections really tough. Overtaken on the 2nd lap and then again on 3rd. Finished in 3rd place again just 21 seconds back from 2nd, having pulled some time back on the forth and final lap, Oh my legs are going to hurt tomorrow :-)
Promise to self to blog more often - Happy Training x
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
Weekend of first's!!
No not first kiss - I'm a bit old for that!! But first sea swim - Brahhh! it was cold. I looked for every oppourtunitry not go in, but told myself if i did 10 mins i'd let myself have coffee on the seafront. So Neoprened out in new Zoot Suit, hat and booties, i venture into the 11 degrees. Once my hands went from painful to just numb I actually started to enjoy it and spent almost 40 minutes in the water. Dissapointingly forgot to put my £2 for coffee in my bag :-(
Sunday followed with my first 25 mile Time Trial -Dismal time and just pure pain, but had a good hard run off the bike. The afternoon was spent eating too much cake (couldn't resist a second chocolate slice) at a house warming tea and cake party!!
Next week off to King of the Mountains holiday and training - latest update is that the white stuff is on the retreat :-)
Sunday followed with my first 25 mile Time Trial -Dismal time and just pure pain, but had a good hard run off the bike. The afternoon was spent eating too much cake (couldn't resist a second chocolate slice) at a house warming tea and cake party!!
Next week off to King of the Mountains holiday and training - latest update is that the white stuff is on the retreat :-)
Saturday, 25 April 2009
Despite my best intentions, i've been a complete slacker!
At updating my blog only, the rest of my life has been madness for the past couple of weeks. working lots (more than i want to and more than I'm paid for!, putting together a piece of research I've been working on - work again!!. Within that I've been swimming lots, cycling lots and running quite a bit! The past 6 weeks have just been manic! Some good things have happened in between all that.
1. Took Simon (boyfriend) away for his birthday and for a break from craziness in the New Forest at the end of March. Rented a cabin for the long weekend. Did some good long rides, but the weather wasn't liking us - drowned rats one day and snowed on the next!
2. Discovered home shopping - I place my food shopping online and some lovely delivery man brings it right into the kitchen - bliss. My life's been made so much better by that alone.
3. Finished paying of Hawaii credit card bill - thank goodness! Only one more and student loan to go to be debt free!!!!
4. Only 3 weeks until for to King of the Mountains - for a week of cycling and catching up with Guy and Helyn. I'm hoping the cold white stuff is retreating.
5. Started racing again - did first time trial on Thursday - a 2 up with the boyfriend. Enjoyed the hurt!
6. I'm now running for 90 mins!!!!!! - Weymouth half ironman is looking likely!!
7. Found a local coffee roaster, which roasts your beans and then dispatches on the same day - for super fresh and delicious coffee beans - very important!
8. Went home for Easter weekend and caught up with the family. Had lunch with my younger brother, Jamie - had a good gossip and quizzed him about his new and first proper girlfriend. Also my other brother, Simon, his girlfriend Natasha is riding a cycle challenge for the stroke association in June. She hasn't ridden a bike for years - She rocks!
9. Discovered Gavin and Stacey on BBC i player - how have i missed this!
10. Learnt home to completely stripped and rebuild by road bike, when i had a spring clean. Now feel like i can call myself a proper bike rider. Actually I can probably do more repairs/fixes to my bike than most of the boy's i train with. Having said that i still prefer Simon to check over the gears.
Happy training
Sarah xxx
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