Riding positions... FRUSTRATING

So last night I went out for a ride with my cycling bud having altered my position on my bike as recommended by various people. 

OUCH! 

Basically, I'm new to all this so I don't really know how I should be positoned so take advice from wherever I can get it really, in the hope that it may improve my riding and get the most out of my thunder thighs. 

So I flipped my stem (turned it upside down) which lowers my handlebars. However by doing this they are then further away from me making me reach more. 

I have also been told that my seat could go up a touch. I do this. Half a centre meter. 

With my reach increased, I figure that I should just move my seat forward as I often find myself sitting on the nose of the saddle which is really uncomfortable (especially being a female)! It's a men's saddle so is already pretty uncomfortable. 

Honestly, that was the most uncomfortable 19 miles of my life. My back started to hurt at the bottom. I felt I wasn't pushing hard at all. I felt twitching as I couldn't hold the bars where I used to. 

Frustrated. 

I've got an Olympic tri on Sunday in Portsmouth and now I'm horrified that I'm going to be in great pain over a mere 26 miles. 

Damn! 

But I huess on a plus it was nice to get out and chase the sun over some hills with good conversation... Oh and I got to wear my new Wiggle Honda kit :) 

Silver lining. 

Highs, lows.. finding the middle ground

What a week. After Sunday's triumph I was feeling the greatest natural high I've ever experienced. I was so happy to have done the Ely Monster Olympic. Goal 1 - check.

Taking Monday off (work) we - Kerry and I went for a swim which basically just turned out to be a giggling fit whilst aqua jogging it's the weirdest thing but apparently great for flushing out the legs, bobbing around in the deep end with a float under your arms trying to "jog". We did a few lengths after 30 min of "jogging" and lazed around the rest of the day with coffee, cake and engraving our finisher medals.

Tuesday was a true day off :)

Wednesday I was supposed to get up and swim, but I will still happy with Sunday that I thought well, just relax as it was the TT that night. I have been battling with this cold / chest infection trying to stave it off. Dosing up on Echinacea drops in hot water with lemon, manuka honey and ginger. And also trying this breathe deep Yogi Tea. Tastes NICE!

TT time. I drove to the Red Lodge TT not feeling 100% still. Getting out of the car I wasn't really feeling it. I had forgotten my Garmin (safety vice) and my chest was feeling tight. Paid my money then began to contemplate if I really wanted to do it. The voice in the back of my head was saying, don't bother just watch but my new found competitiveness was saying, well if you want to do well in the Club League you should probably give it a go and at least get a time to get points. I told myself, ok just go round, you don't have any idea on speed or time so just enjoy riding the bike as you've not done much this week. Just turn your legs over.

I did a quick (pointless) warm up and turned up to the start line. The usual countdown began. I was pushed off and I was suddenly partially energized.

It was actually quite lovely not having a speed to look at. Just feeling my legs go round, and trying to breath normally (with lots of grossness coming out my nose)...yum!

I ended up passing two riders mid way round the course, Richard was riding his first ever TT so it was great to see him. This one was my first one last year too. Then the other rider I couldn't name. I think I passed a few more just before the finish line but it's all a bit of a blur.

Cooled down I went over to the time keepers to check my time... 22.57... WHAT. NO WAY. THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE.... THAT'S WRONG. No  they kept telling me it's right, you did a cracking ride. Cue peak of natural high... (oh how it wasn't to last). Going back to the group, I was quietly telling a few people, just trying to contain myself. I should have guessed it wasn't right as there is NO WAY I can beat Mick. NO WAY. The Club Chairman even said to me quietly, I think you broke the course record. Then emailed me later that night saying he couldn't find a faster time. He seemed convinced that the timings were right.

The next 15 hours or so (I'm useless at maths) were incredible. I felt amazing. Then about 11 o'clock at work the next day, after lots of comments on my time, the post went up on facebook. The dreaded post. One of the time-keepers admitted that there had been a muck up on the timings. No. 21 wasn't there so everyone from 22 on-wards should have had a 1 min delay but didn't. So we all needed a 1 min adding on to our times. WHAT!!!! I was crushed. Honestly, I could have cried. I questioned why the other time-keeper who was posting on the facebook thread didn't mention it sooner as he would / should have known about the time change issue. The reply which really upset me Yeah I did - I just wanted to see who thought their shit really don't stink!! SERIOUSLY? Now I don't know if I'm just a bit sensitive, but that seems a tad out of order.

That little episode has enlightened me to the negative realms of friendly club competition. Trying to rise above it, I simply posted that I was still happy with a 7 second PB especially feeling like crap and having done my triathlon at the weekend. The problem now I guess is that when this chap time-keeps again, am I going to fear that he's out to get me. I have to keep reminding myself, I have only owned a bike for a year, and I have only been actively trying to do well in time trials for the past few months. But I am dreaming, I want to race, I want to do well, and I will try my hardest! If I don't try now and take the opportunity, when will I?

So the week has gone from massive high, to even greater high, to crashing lows. But I have learnt from it. Now it's all about going forward, going to this weekend where we have the National Club Relay Champs at Nottingham which was my first ever experience of triathlon last year so I have to get a PB on this one. Downside, said chap is in my team. Then next week is the last Fordham 5 mile TT. I checked out the club records for that one, 12.38. I am not going to do that this year, not on my current bike. But that's next years target.

On a another plus from the TT - Nigel got some awesome photos of me so I'm happy with that :)

Learning when to say no

This past week has been hell. I've been so frustrated. 

After the positive 100miles (despite suffering from a sore knee from running) my week rapidly went downhill. 

Normally if I suffer from pains I just zone out and try to ignore them, try to push through. I've heard various people lately that I need to look after my body and sort the pains out otherwise they get worse. 

I hadn't don't it. And now I'm paying for it. I've been getting trapped nerves in my back and neck along with a painful knee and thigh. I think I had been putting it down to just not being fit enough to cope with the training I have been doing. But in reality I'm realising that I need to get those sports massages, the ones that you always put off.

I booked an appointment for Monday night. Asking her to look at my leg. She works on my IT band, the thing that holds most of your muscles in your legs together apparently. Mine was originally painful. As she pushed her hand up from the outside of my knee up to my hip... OUCH! She said it can be caused by tight hamstrings (back of thigh) or tight quads (front thigh).. Testing my hamstrings, they were ok. But bloomin eck my quads were... Ouch! 

Big lumps of knots :( 

She then moves on to my calf of my left leg. Equally as painful. This is NOT fun. But I know that it's doing me good. 

She works on my shoulders a bit. They're so tight, especially up by my neck. Probably from the swimming and TT position. But also maybe I lift my shoulders up when I run as I often feel I am struggling for air.. Joys of asthma. 

I go back Thursday to see her again as I'm still all painful. She works on both legs this time and then does some more on my back. 

I try to swim the next morning. I feel awful. I I was weak, my arms weren't working, my neck was stiff and sharp. The nerve was still caught, or something was just bloomin tender. After 25 min I stop, it's not worth it. 

That was the hardest part. Learning when to say no. 

No, stop training. 

Rest. 

Come back stronger.

I came home from work late that afternoon. Doctors. I'd spent the whole day barely being able to move. 

My head was thumping, my neck sharply painful, my mouth feeling funny and my eyes hurting. 

I cried at work. The fear of my first Olympic triathlon, which I've been tirelessly training for, hoping that my emergency hospital visit earlier this year hadn't set me back too much, the dear of ot being a total disaster. 

With a week to go I just began to panic and emotions just took over. I was seeing all my hard work coming to a pathetic end & not being able to do the race. 

Doc says it may be a tension headache. So gives me some strong pain killers to relax my neck and back and relieve my headache. 

I book an appt with the osteopath for the next morning in the hope she will be able to straighten me out bone / spine wise. My hips are wonky and I was standing all in a wonk she said. After several movements I begin to feel less tense. Cracks coming from my back mentally made me feel that pressure was dispersing. 

I have not been one to see a sports therapist in the past, or an osteopath but with the fear of not being able to race next week looming over my head, I want to be in a position where I can at least finish it. In one piece. 

I haven't done any training for about 4 days now, literally nothing. And actually it's been refreshing. I've slept loads. I've eaten well. 

And most importantly, I've learnt when to say no. I'm not going to improve my fitness by training when I'm in pain. I'm not going to be a better swimmer by training with a pain in my neck, runner with pain in my knee.

I'm learning to play the long game. I've got lots of events still this year which I want to complete so missing one day (or four) to allow me to complete my goals for this year is much more important. 

It's been mentally tough as I'm still worried I haven't done enough, but I'm not going to reduce my 10k race time in a week.. I don't want to go into the race tired. 

I'm saying no.