More shower dodging! but some nice sunny days as well

Saturday 22^nd August

Sunday saw us having a day with Grand Daughter [GD] and a lovely day walking in Barnwood Arboretum, feeding ducks and squirrels, sadly no ice cream seller though. Lunch in the garden followed with hide and seek completed the trip, twins still looking good before their arrival next week.

Monday dawned bright and sunny so I decided to run the coast again, having not run down their since my Exe to Axe adventure in March. Parking at Beer Head on a warm and sunny morning. I ran up onto Beer Head little or no wind before dropping down to Branscombe, few visitors around even though it was 9:30. A climb up out of Branscombe was stiff and as usual I walked, as I jogged along I surprised another runner who was listening to her music. I dropped down through  the woods to the Fountains Inn, the sun continued to shine and I needed my sunhat to protect my eyes and head, as I ran back down through Branscombe there were more visitors around now and I decided the undercliff would give some shade  even though the stair way to heaven was at the end, I met a number of people walking the Undercliff, thinking back to my winter runs I never saw anyone along here. I climbed out of the Undercliff and back onto Beer Head, feeling ok and seemingly making a reasonable pace. By the time I was back to the van I had covered 6.6 miles, a nice coffee and cereal bar in the sunshine as the car park started to fill up, back home to mow the lawn followed a lovely morning out in the warm sunshine.

Tuesday was another nice morning, so we decided to have a trip out to Burnham on Sea, a nice walk along the front and along the estuary towards Highbridge and the River Parrett, lovely views over the Quantocks, both coffee and sandwiches were eaten out of the wind, the view changing as the tide went out to leave mud flats. A spin session was particularly hot and humid.

Wednesday saw a real change in the weather with it being very wet, so a lazy day and re introduction to Sudoku. However, later in the day I did run around town 5.5 miles covered at a good pace.

Thursday should have seen me out on a Blackmore vale CTC ride, but heavy rain I decided that it would not be pleasant cycling in that weather, even though 14 hardy soles did turn out. It was a very showery day, and I did manage to get out for a cycle ride in the afternoon even though I did get wet in the end as a heavy shower hit 4 miles from home!! 32 miles covered which I was pleased with. A spin session followed, I worked hard to maintain a good effort despite the humidity.

Friday was another wet day and little activity.

Saturday I was up early to get a run in so 6:am saw me jogging up the lane, a very pleasant run in early morning sun another 5.5 miles covered. A trip to Sidmouth whilst the weather was nice, hot and sunny, it was surprising to see so many people on the beach and even in the sea, lunch in the White Horse then as we drove home, storm clouds were gathering and by the time we got home it was thundering and the rain came down, I think we had the best of the day and as it happened the best day for the week!!!

Sunday was very wet and I didn’t get out until late afternoon, and again with 10 miles to go another shower hit, I did shelter and managed to stay dryish!

Sunday also saw me entering the Grizzly run on March 13^th next year , I have decided to enter the longer event rather than the usual Cub run, so a muddy hard 20 mile run to prepare for, if I get a place that is in the lottery that takes place for the 2000 places.

The ‘My fitness Pal’ seems to be working and I have managed to lose a couple of pounds, the week ahead weather looks very poor, so will try to get out when I can, only a couple of weeks now to the new arrivals, things still seem to be going well!!

A week dodging showers

17^th August 2015

A very changeable weather week but!

I did manage to cycle 94 milesin two rides both around North Curry and Athelney, my area of choice at the moment, quiet roads, flat with hills at the start and end of the ride,  and run 16.04 miles, in three sessions all on road and round town, enjoyable, but nothing exceptional to write, my 5.5 mile run I have managed to do a 9.21 pace which is the fastest for some time. I seem to be keeping injury at bay although the Hamstring Tendonitis, does give me a real ‘pain the bum’ when driving, but!! No ‘niggly knee’ or calf muscle pulls and no shin splints!!!

My use of the ‘my fitness pal’ app seems to be paying off, recording my food intake each day along with the exercise, does show up where it’s easy to consume ‘useless calories’ I have shifted a few pounds [5 to be exact] and I would like to move a couple more, I do find it easier running cycling and spinning not carrying quite so much weight [even though I am not heavy in the first place]. Cake and biscuits are my downfall and cutting those out seems to help along with keeping in the 1940 calorie intake a day.

Spinning continues to be an exercise ‘sauna’ each session seems to be warmer than the last. The only way I seem to be able to ensure I am really trying is using a heart rate monitor, keeping it around 80% of maximum for the 45 minute sessions twice a week and averaging just below that, compared with the running which seems to give me 75% average on a 5/6 mile run. My maximum each time seems to be 90%.

I do feel reasonably fit and I am sure combining my cycling and running must be paying off!

The weather has been changeable to say the least with some heavy downpours, I do feel for those on holiday in the region, investing their holiday into the area rather than somewhere hot and dry!!

I do hear that the expected twins are doing well and gaining weight, and still expect to spend time in Gloucester at the beginning of September for their arrival into the world.

Still got my eye on the ‘Herepath Half’ at the end of October and hope to build up the miles now I know that 5 or 6 miles is easier.
 I would still like to get in another Audax or two before the end of the season and hopefully get out with Blackmore Vale CTC for several of their ‘further and faster rides’.
Cycling 94 miles
Running 16 miles

Running and riding

Saturday 8^th August

The weather continues to be very changeable, sunny then a rain shower, but the predominant feature has been the wind!

Sunday last met up with Mike, who I haven’t seen for a couple of months, and a bright but windy and cool morning saw us heading over the levels to Muchelney 38 miles and we ended up directing traffic as there had been an accident on the A358 and traffic was down the very narrow lanes, a caravan causing chaos!.

I was determined to continue my running on Monday whilst Mrs Ian B went to Yoga, so 5.2 miles around town, The initial aches and pains of the previous weeks running seemed to have disappeared and I seem to be back as a ‘runner’

Tuesday, another 42 miles and a spinning session and I continue to complete my ‘ my fitness pal’ app and record my food intake along with the exercise. I seem to be staying within my calorie intake and should start to see my weight reduce over a few weeks. Wednesday was a rest day so no exercise. Thursdays spinning class was cancelled so a run was on the cards, 5.3 miles around town again making sure I did stretches when finished, this along with rolling seems to be sorting the ham strings, still a little tight.

After a trip to Exeter on Friday the evening saw my on the bike, a very quick [for me] 26.5 miles, at 16 mph on a very nice calm, warm evening.

With the entry to the Herepath I now need to build up time on my feet, 13.7 miles off road is a long way to run!!!

Running 10.5 miles

Cycling 105.5 miles

Herepath half

Thursday 6th August

Have entered the Herepath Half  tonight - a 13 mile off road run round Neroche woods, already know some of the route. Will be a tough run, so lots of training between now and the end of October!!! Certainly more than the 10miles a week I am doing at present. The weather continues to be 'crap' !!

Where has the month gone and where has the weight come from??

Saturday 1^st August

Two things came to mind this morning, I couldn’t believe it was the 1^st of August and secondly, jumping on the bathroom scales I was horrified to find I was 12 stone, only last Saturday I was 11 stone 9lbs???? especially this week I have cycled 117 miles, run 10 miles and been spinning for 45 minutes once, if the calories used don’t come to more than I have taken in, then I am doing something wrong? I have revisited the 'My fitness Pal App' to check on my eating habits compared to my exercise.

The week started with a very wet day on Sunday, that saw us trundling down to Trago Mills at Newton Abbott for a ‘ferret’ around, some things down there are very cheap, others not so! At least it was a morning out with our daughter, unfortunately it also coincided with Tragos 50^th birthday event, so children were everywhere, very busy indeed.

Monday wasn’t a lot better, so I went for a run around the town, trying to get my legs used to running again 4.2 miles, Ham strings were tight next day, but better than before, but Tuesday looked promising, Mrs Ian B and daughter went off to Exeter whilst I cycled off to Langport for coffee with the Blackmore Vale CTC. Very pleasant sat next to the river in the sunshine. We all duly departed our separate ways, I decided to have a look at Moreland village, the village that was on the news a year or so ago with all the floods, the village being evacuated. The road across the levels has only just reopened, after much expensive work to avoid the scenario in future, however, I am sceptical that you can’t hold back nature! Cycling though the village, there was little or no sign of any of the devastation shown on TV, people were mowing lawns, very few houses had skips or builders in etc, I cycled on to Huntworth and crossed the M5 before riding round through North Petherton and back through North Newton and Maunsel Lock, a very busy place even midweek, situated next to the canal, lots of holiday makers in the café etc. on to climb up to North Curry and back through Ham, Slough Green and the final three climbs over Crock street a good 45 miles, I nearly ran out of drink as the day turned out much warmer than expected. I even went spinning in the evening!!

Wednesday was an outing for the BLRCC in other words a run with Rachael up the lane, this was the first time we had run together since the Grizzly in March, I chose my 6 miler over Neroche woods, we chatted all the way round and tried to convince each other to enter the Herepath Half which is a 13 mile off road event around Neroche at the end of October, we ended up agreeing to enter [I think!!] that gives me 2 months to prepare. It was a good run and it was nice to run with someone else.

Thursday I met up with the Blackmore Vale CTC who were doing a Yeovil to Portland Bill and back which was 90 miles, I decided to cycle over to Yeovil to meet them, a good 18 miles, and then peel off at Dorchester to follow the Roman road back over to Bridport, and back through Shaves Cross and Tatworth to get home.

The pace over to Dorchester was quite fast after my leisurely ride over to Yeovil, several climbs took us over through Halstock, Cattistock and Rampisham before descending to Maiden Newton, some beautiful South Dorset countryside. I left them at Bradford Peverill after 40 miles  and continued an 8 mile climb into a headwind up to Eggerdon Hill which gave fantastic views over Dorset, and along the coast. A very steep descent down to Powerstock had me using my brakes constantly,  as it was very narrow in places, fortunately it was quiet and I didn’t meet anything coming the other way. I continued on through Bridport etc and by the time I got home I had done nearly 5000ft of climbing and 74 miles, I was tired, and glad to get out of the wind which I had as a head wind for the last 34 miles!!

Friday it was nice to chill out and visit our favourite café in Sidmouth for egg, Chips and peas! But, when we got there is was folk week, so it was very busy with stalls and buskers on the sea front, very pleasant in the sunshine.

I have just read 'John Kynastons' report on his blog of his lakeland 100 ultra run, 100 miles in less than 30 hours, i really dont know how you can run 100 miles, it made interesting reading.

I now need to try to get out two or three times a week and run a short distance to build up the running legs again, before I enter the half marathon.