Wow where did August go? Did it even happen? It’s scary how quickly the year is flying by.
This weekend was jam-packed. Like non-stop. I love weekends like that but it doesn’t really give you time to relax and take stock. It started Friday night with me rushing home to meet up with some of my running club for a 20 mile bike ride. As usual I was the slowest of the group – and they weren’t even pushing it! I felt bad that I might be slowing them down but they were all lovely and waited for me if I got too far behind. This cycling business is tough work!
Then I got home, quickly showered, dressed and headed out with Ben to enjoy a nice night at the pub with Kyle (our sports massage therapist and running guru friend – he writes his own blog HERE) and his lovely wife, Sophie. As Ben and me weren’t going to parkrun the next day we decided to enjoy a bit of a drinking evening. We also had a cheeky Indian as well. Good fun!
The next morning we had a luxurious lie-in, had a lazy breakfast and then made our way to the swimming pool. Ben was going to do some lane swimming (he’s still injured) while I did my pool running. Ben’s a great swimmer and he does quite enjoy – unlike me who is a) rubbish and b) hates it.
My new flotation belt. It’s just not running 🙁
Unfortunately the swimming pool was having a “float time” and was heaving with kids. We’re not particularly child-friendly people so this was a *bit* of a nightmare. Ben couldn’t even swim as there were no lanes (we had rung up to check we could swim…clearly“swimming” can be interpreted in different ways). It was screaming mayhem!
Check out those hotties!
I had piled my hair on my head to keep it dry as your head doesn’t go under the water when you’re pool running – bonus! I had brought goggles though just in case (that’s what’s round my next in case you wondered).
Ben attempted to swim but it was tricky due to the sheer number of kids so he mainly kept me company while I splashed about. I have no idea if I was doing the pool running right so he checked out my form underwater for me bless him.
I’ve watched a few YouTube videos and read a bit about it. So I was trying to master and maintain the correct technique. It was very dull though so to jazz things up I decided to do intervals. I sped my legs up as fast as I could for 30 seconds and then went bit easier for one minute. Suddenly things were a lot harder! I was puffing and panting away. It was tough but in a weird way. It was hard effort to keep my legs moving fast and my arms going, but there was no impact. All in all a good 30 minute work out I think. Some children started jumping in the area where I was floating and splashed me. I gave them the death stare and they never came back 😉
I’ll keep you updated how the pool running continues as I plan on doing it as much as I can in order to replicate normal running. When I get back into running after my mini break I’ll keep at it to supplement my gentle come back. Well that’s the plan anyway!
I did think this was slightly ironic in the changing rooms on the lockers…
Come on! Seriously? Mock me at every turn why don’t you, universe!
Anyway it didn’t feel like the hardest workout of my life but it felt like something at least.
Later we had a lovely meal at Ben’s mum’s that evening. Like I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I love spending time with my family and it was nice catching up. And the food was so good! We had a lovely choice of puddings as well – fruit, ice cream, meringues and homemade rhubarb crumble. Ben went for everything.
Underneath the mass of ice cream and meringues there is a HUGE slice of rhubarb pudding I assure you.
The next morning we met up with our friend, Nathan, and went for a 41 mile ride on the bike. This is my longest ride to date! I did find it really tough from the start – my legs felt like lead and I had no energy (could this be from the pool running..??). The route wasn’t easy and it was really warm.We’d decided to not eat breakfast before going so half way we could stop for something to eat in a little cafe and then continue to the end of the ride.
Annoyingly I’d somehow started my Garmin 10 minutes before we actually started cycling and only realised when it told me my first mile was 14 minutes long. So I had to restart it.
It was a nice cycle as we’re all reasonably the same speeds so there was no pressure and no worries. There were a fair number of hills but we kept each other going. At 21ish miles we went to Lilly’s in Wickham (where I’ve previously been for afternoon tea a few times) and we had breakfast (at about 11am…).
The boys had waffles with bacon and maple syrup but I went for a full English as I was starving (no photo, too hungry sorry). Slightly regretted that decision though when I got back on the bike. I was so full! Thought I might be sick as we hit some up-hills. Foolish, Anna!
We didn’t break any speed records but it was hard work for us newbies. Definitely a tough long workout!
To keep our Sunday working hard we got showered and dressed and met back up with Nathan to go for a long walk in the New Forest with Alfie.
We were all feeling pretty knackered but it was a nice walk. The route said 10k but in the end it was almost 7.5miles!!
By the time we got home it was almost 6pm and I’d only had two apples since my brunch. Needless to say I was starving. Ben and me had lunch/dinner (?!) and collapsed on the sofa. Exhausted! Even Alfie was worn out bless him.
Usually he hates car journeys but he was so tired when he got into the car he just laid down and chilled.
It’s funny because usually if I don’t run at the weekends it can seem a bit empty and not that ‘epic’, if you know what I mean? I adore running and I love my long runs, but it was really nice to do something completely different. The long cycle was epic and we felt so good afterwards. I fell into bed before 9pm and was asleep straight away. I had the beautiful exhausted feeling that my body had been worked hard in a good way. Obviously I don’t need running or cycling to make my weekends good, but I’m an active person and can’t just sit on the sofa all day long. That’s not how I relax.
And in terms of the impending marathon? Ben and me have agreed to take each day as it comes without thinking to far ahead. I can’t think about what ifs at the moment. I haven’t decided if I will do it or not yet. It’s very much up in the air, but I’m only thinking about the day I’m on at the moment, not the weeks that are coming. Otherwise I might be sick with panic…
How do you like to spend your weekends if you got to do everything you wanted?
Have you done a long bike ride before?
Do you enjoy going to the swimming pool?
Aqua running was suggested to me by the Women’s Running coaches last year when I got injured. I hate it when the pool is busy though. Our pool always has at least one lane out but when it’s the school holidays it becomes so difficult as every adult seems to make their way to the lane and you can’t get anywhere without getting kicked or hit due to the sheer number of people in one area! Fingers crossed it will help you to get there on marathon day…
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Yeah and it’s just so blimming dull. What’s also annoying is the times are stupid to get to the pool. They’re either really late in the evening or not early enough in the morning. So probably only able to make it at the weekend!
AnnaTheApple recently posted…nuun revisited
Wowzers Anna what an active weekend! I’m not surprised you were all dog tired (especially Alfie!) at the end of it.
I haven’t heard of aqua running but it does sound like a great idea, we used to take the horses swimming to help with their fitness and heal any injuries so I can see it would be good for humans too.
I hate busy swimming pools, so frustrating! I used to go to my old gym at 6am to use the pool, it was lovely and quiet then 🙂
Claire @ Flake and Cake recently posted…How do you like your eggs..
That’s interesting about the horses. Actually there is a place near us where you can take your dog to ‘run’ on an underwater treadmill. Crazy!
I wish our local pool opened that early. I’d be there in an instant, but the earliest is like 7.30am. Not good for me at all.
AnnaTheApple recently posted…nuun revisited
That’s certainly a jam-packed weekend! And I have to pause for a moment to say that I wish I looked that amazing in a bikini – serious jealousy time over here.
Creeper moment aside, I also wish I could pick up cycling as well as you have. Your ‘slow’ is still at least 1mph average faster than I could ever manage. 40 miles was the most I ever did too, but in the end I gave up because I was so sick of nearly being run over by inconsiderate motorists. I still miss cycling though 🙁
Ugh. I don’t mind swimming, but I HATE other swimmers. Kids in the pool are the absolute worst, and I can’t stand my local pool because of them. My gym’s pool isn’t too bad, but it’s tiny (only 20m) and the amount of lengths you have to do to get a decent workout is ridiculous. It’s also so small that you’re apt to get crushed by men doing butterfly or swept away in the waves of the aquarobics class taking up half of the pool. I thought you might find this post interesting: http://alydixon.com/2014/09/01/two-steps-forward-one-step-back/
She’s an elite athlete who’s also injured at the moment and pool-running…even the people at the very top of the running tree struggle sometimes!
xxx
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I felt like an idiot in my bikini though as most ‘proper’ swimmers are in proper Speedo swimsuits or whatever. I looked like I was going on holiday!!
Some of the guys at the club are like 18mph cyclists. I’m like WOAH!! They’re 16mph rides are their easy, but my hard. It’s all relative I guess – like running.
Thanks for the Aly Dixon link – it was really interesting to read and made me feel a lot better 🙂
AnnaTheApple recently posted…nuun revisited
Oh wow, that made me exhausted just reading about it! I only did about 20 minutes of actual physical exertion on Saturday, but I was completely wiped out for the rest of the weekend. I have no idea how you did all that!
Tara @ Sweat like a Pig recently posted…(Some) events training three weeks out!
Coming from the heavy lifting pro over there!!
AnnaTheApple recently posted…nuun revisited
I love a busy weekend- although yours is very jam packed indeed! My ideal weekend would be relaxing on Friday with the film podcast, and parkrun Saturday, then brunch somewhere, then a walk or a pop to town, or some baking, and then a repeat on the Sunday only with a longer run!
I think the furthest I have cycled is 18 miles, or possibly 21, we used to do a charity cycle ride when I was younger. I can’t imagine cycling that far now!
I just hate the swimming pool- the thought of the water (what is in the water), the smell lingers in my hair and on my skin for days, it stings my eyes, plus I am a poor swimmer so I get tired too quickly.
Maria @ runningcupcake recently posted…Enjoying the final days of summer
I quite enjoy cycling so far – it feels really epic and like an adventure going so far but it does make route planning quite hard.
Urgh yeah I’m with you on hating swimming pools. They’re just gross in general. I can’t bare to look at where I’m walking, I just freak out so much. I never shower there either. Just want to get home to my own lovely clean bathroom asap!
AnnaTheApple recently posted…nuun revisited
I absolutely love swimming, it brings back the best childhood memories. But seriously, you guys are the cutest and are so blessed to have each other. Oh, and you have a rocking’ bikini bod girl!
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Thanks Lucie, that’s really sweet. We are a bit of a mad couple. We share the same physio and he always says we could have our own reality TV show we’re that crazy haha. Not sure if that’s a compliment or not!
AnnaTheApple recently posted…nuun revisited
Sounds like a great weekend- well done on the long cycle! Bless Alfie, he looks shattered! The pool running sounds interesting, maybe something I should look into.
Lauren (@poweredbypb) recently posted…Berlin Marathon Training Week 12
Yeah pool running is good but you’re very dependent on the pool opening times and the sessions they have – like classes and when lane swimming is actually going on. Not like running where you can just go outside whenever you like!