Day 21: 102% Complete
After a gruelling 195 minute session on my bike I have succesfully travelled 102 miles in the last three weeks.
I have simultaneously seen the best and worst sight in Yorkshire today. The best being a feat of civil engineering which produced a bridge over a magnificent waterfall and is perhaps the most peaceful place I have ever come across. The worst was definitely the hill leading up to Harewood after I took a wrong turn. I miscalculated - who would have thought a woman with a map would ever get lost?
I may give my limbs a rest for a few days and let the snow come then pick up when it's actually summer!
Sunday, 28 March 2010
100 Miles in 30 Days
Day 21: 84% Complete
Leisurely cycle with my housemate yesterday added another 7 miles to my total.
9 days remaining. I feel confident I will easily complete the challenge, that is until I read the weather report for the week. Heavy snow is predicted for Wednesday.
One can only assume the BBC have messed it up and the clocks going forward today does actually mean the start of summer rather than a pointless waste of an hour.
I can't help but feel a surge of guilt every time I go out drinking, it's almost like it is defeating the whole point of this exercise and hard work. Louisa kindly pointed out that this is exactly the reason she does the exercise so that she *can* drink/eat what she likes... clever girl!
Leisurely cycle with my housemate yesterday added another 7 miles to my total.
9 days remaining. I feel confident I will easily complete the challenge, that is until I read the weather report for the week. Heavy snow is predicted for Wednesday.
One can only assume the BBC have messed it up and the clocks going forward today does actually mean the start of summer rather than a pointless waste of an hour.
I can't help but feel a surge of guilt every time I go out drinking, it's almost like it is defeating the whole point of this exercise and hard work. Louisa kindly pointed out that this is exactly the reason she does the exercise so that she *can* drink/eat what she likes... clever girl!
Thursday, 25 March 2010
Spring Time Wind & Rain
Wind tears apart the leaves
on trees almost blossoming,
Scattering like dust
The birds don't sing now.
At dawn the chorus is alive
in all its glory.
The sun rises east,
rays magnificent throughout
it's journey back west.
The World will look up
and say "be back again soon"
Until then, the moon.
on trees almost blossoming,
Scattering like dust
The birds don't sing now.
At dawn the chorus is alive
in all its glory.
The sun rises east,
rays magnificent throughout
it's journey back west.
The World will look up
and say "be back again soon"
Until then, the moon.
Monday, 22 March 2010
100 Miles in 30 Days
Day 15: 72% Complete
I trundled through most of today today figuring I would do no exercise - given the strenuity of the excursion yesterday. However, there is nothing like a bit of minor vexation to get the blood boiling. Broken promises do not bode well and knowing me, quite well I might add, I would not have slept with said chagrin rolling around my cerebrum.
Thus I ran onto the dark streets of Leeds, uncertain what I may find. It is now apparent there is a sort of late night running elite, so to speak, who are terribly friendly and go out of their way to ensure you are aware that they have 'got your back'. It is quite marvellous how lovely everyone becomes when there is simply no one else around.
I cantered, briskly, down Street Lane and back. Twas the only well lit street in the vicinity with cars still regularly hurtling down it. Altogether safe for a young lady I expect.
Although only two miles I feel thoroughly worn out and will sleep well tonight knowing that I, Josephine Marsh, am the better person after all.
I trundled through most of today today figuring I would do no exercise - given the strenuity of the excursion yesterday. However, there is nothing like a bit of minor vexation to get the blood boiling. Broken promises do not bode well and knowing me, quite well I might add, I would not have slept with said chagrin rolling around my cerebrum.
Thus I ran onto the dark streets of Leeds, uncertain what I may find. It is now apparent there is a sort of late night running elite, so to speak, who are terribly friendly and go out of their way to ensure you are aware that they have 'got your back'. It is quite marvellous how lovely everyone becomes when there is simply no one else around.
I cantered, briskly, down Street Lane and back. Twas the only well lit street in the vicinity with cars still regularly hurtling down it. Altogether safe for a young lady I expect.
Although only two miles I feel thoroughly worn out and will sleep well tonight knowing that I, Josephine Marsh, am the better person after all.
Sunday, 21 March 2010
100 Miles in 30 Days
Day 14: 70% Complete
Today was a gruelling 2.5 hour cycle to Otley and back. It took me three hours in total but I did stop to have a sandwich by the river and also stopped in Chevin Cycles on the way back to get some cycling shorts and a new base layer in a more summery colour. Black is far too warm when the sun is out.
Trying my cycling shorts on for the first time led me to the question: However did I manage without them? They are so comfortable and if it was socially acceptable to wear them all the time you can be sure that I would.
Only 30 miles left in the challenge and I've got 16 days to do it in. At less than 2 miles a day there is the danger of becoming complacent so I may aim for 120 miles just to balance it back out to 3 miles a day!
Today was a gruelling 2.5 hour cycle to Otley and back. It took me three hours in total but I did stop to have a sandwich by the river and also stopped in Chevin Cycles on the way back to get some cycling shorts and a new base layer in a more summery colour. Black is far too warm when the sun is out.
Trying my cycling shorts on for the first time led me to the question: However did I manage without them? They are so comfortable and if it was socially acceptable to wear them all the time you can be sure that I would.
Only 30 miles left in the challenge and I've got 16 days to do it in. At less than 2 miles a day there is the danger of becoming complacent so I may aim for 120 miles just to balance it back out to 3 miles a day!
Thursday, 18 March 2010
100 Miles in 30 Days
Day 11: 49% Complete
Today I cycled to work and back and braved Scott Hall Road which I have never done before. Albeit I had to push my bike up half of the hill as it was truly awful, but I gave it my best shot and one can only assume if I am mad enough to brave it again I will be able to cycle up two thirds of it. Cycling on the road there is simply too dangerous so I had to mount the pavement and deal with all the potholes instead.
I cannot begin to convey the sense of joy I felt as I came down the hill on the other side, it was glorious. A moment of sheer beauty... until I had to go uphill again! By that point I was almost home anyway so the thought of being home and drying off kept me going.
Soaking wet, too hot, sore bottom. Great, or at least I thought so until mapmyride told me I'd only burnt off 238 calories doing it! Probably shouldn't have had that chocolate covered flapjack at lunchtime, but it did have fruit in it...
Today I cycled to work and back and braved Scott Hall Road which I have never done before. Albeit I had to push my bike up half of the hill as it was truly awful, but I gave it my best shot and one can only assume if I am mad enough to brave it again I will be able to cycle up two thirds of it. Cycling on the road there is simply too dangerous so I had to mount the pavement and deal with all the potholes instead.
I cannot begin to convey the sense of joy I felt as I came down the hill on the other side, it was glorious. A moment of sheer beauty... until I had to go uphill again! By that point I was almost home anyway so the thought of being home and drying off kept me going.
Soaking wet, too hot, sore bottom. Great, or at least I thought so until mapmyride told me I'd only burnt off 238 calories doing it! Probably shouldn't have had that chocolate covered flapjack at lunchtime, but it did have fruit in it...
Wednesday, 17 March 2010
100 Miles in 30 Days
Day 10: 39% Complete
Today I decided to take myself on a run around Roundhay Park in the lovely city of Leeds. It is a picturesque, man made, lake which was built after a war to give the soldiers something to do... or something along those lines.
Running outside isn't something I do often due to the delights which are shin splints. I endeavour to get myself out, on occasion, as the air conditioning at the gym is more akin to heating.
There were some rather strange folk cavorting around the lake, when I have my headphones in I tend to imagine what sort of conversations they might be having. There were two teenagers with babies who were definitely advocating the use of Durex and then there was a woman who still had her work neckpass on who looked like she would definitely rather still be at work than feeding the greedy Canadian geese with her two unruly, but angelic, children.
There was a boy who drowned in the lake a couple of years ago and it appears to have been his birthday recently as there were some flowers and cards left by the memorial stones, it always makes me sad to think someone drowned in a lake that has no visible current or depth.
Anyway, day 10 of exercise and I'm seeing no signs of change just yet but I shall be cycling to and from work tomorrow which will be a 10 mile journey, plus some walking at lunchtime and sushi to eat for lunch. Excellent.
Today I decided to take myself on a run around Roundhay Park in the lovely city of Leeds. It is a picturesque, man made, lake which was built after a war to give the soldiers something to do... or something along those lines.
Running outside isn't something I do often due to the delights which are shin splints. I endeavour to get myself out, on occasion, as the air conditioning at the gym is more akin to heating.
There were some rather strange folk cavorting around the lake, when I have my headphones in I tend to imagine what sort of conversations they might be having. There were two teenagers with babies who were definitely advocating the use of Durex and then there was a woman who still had her work neckpass on who looked like she would definitely rather still be at work than feeding the greedy Canadian geese with her two unruly, but angelic, children.
There was a boy who drowned in the lake a couple of years ago and it appears to have been his birthday recently as there were some flowers and cards left by the memorial stones, it always makes me sad to think someone drowned in a lake that has no visible current or depth.
Anyway, day 10 of exercise and I'm seeing no signs of change just yet but I shall be cycling to and from work tomorrow which will be a 10 mile journey, plus some walking at lunchtime and sushi to eat for lunch. Excellent.
Monday, 15 March 2010
100 Miles in 30 Days
Day 8: 32% Complete
Okay, so the challenge is to move myself 100 miles in 30 days in whichever form of exercise I can manage. Be this cycling, running or walking - I might as well scratch off all other forms as that is all I ever do.
In the past 8 days I have cycled to work, gone running on my lunch hour, gone running on the treadmill after work and cycled in the forest.
Cycling in Sherwood Pines was by far the most challenging thing I have ever put my body and mind through simultaneously. I figured 13 kilometres would be a doddle but what I hadn't bargained for was that the track snaked through the forest dangerously and was only a foot wide. Not quite the fire tracks that I have been used to when navigating the woods in the past. Especially not on my own.
The rain had created some rather large water logged areas that meant my tyres, which are mostly road tyres, kept slipping and sliding at every given moment. The key was to continue 'momemtum' which is easier said than done. When you are potentially going to faceplant a 100 year old pine tree going faster is not really what your brain is programmed to want to do. Regardless, I manned up and did indeed go faster and got through it all.
After about 3 kilometres I was slightly perplexed by which way the arrow was pointing. Did I continue on the fire track or did I head down the path which was bombarded with roots and fallen branches? It was a Beauty and the Beast moment where Phillipe the horse is bucking away to stop Belle veering down the eerie path. I looked behind me and there was a man ploughing through the mud heading my way, I asked him which way it was and lo and behold it was the eerie path. I braced myself for a bumpy ride and continued on my way. At the next crossroads he was catching his breath and pointed me in the right direction.
At the next confusing section he cycled up behind me as I was catching my breath, he thought that I was lost again so kindly offered to guide me around the rest of the track. Terribly sweet, I thought, but in the back of my mind I was worried he may well be one of these elusive axe murderers. Fortunately he was not. Woodland folk are all rather friendly and seem to look out for each other. I am now part of this elite group and feel rather excited about it all.
At one point on our journey we got to a section where there was a choice of continuing on or doing an extra kilometre and after he asked me what I wanted to do I thought 'why the hell not', so off we went again on another bendy, twisty, section of track that brought us out exactly where we'd started. It was an easy kilometre though so no harm done.
Next came the 'jumps' section which I had been a little bit apprehensive about. Anthony had been pepping me up for it for the last hour or so and it was not easing my mind at all. The thought of hurtling myself, and my bike, off a rock into the unknown was somewhat beyond my capabilities, for the best past of the last three months I've mostly been cycling the streets of North Leeds...
Anyway, we got to that bit and it was possibly the most fun I have ever had! I had to put a lot of trust into my bike and constantly reminding myself that thousands of people have cycled this track before and if it was that dangerous it would have been changed. God bless the car park fee.
Two and a half hours later we made it back to the car park. Unscathed, completely worn out and, surprisingly, only slightly tarnished with mud. I have never been so happy to see Go Ape in all my life.
Bring it all on again next Sunday.
Okay, so the challenge is to move myself 100 miles in 30 days in whichever form of exercise I can manage. Be this cycling, running or walking - I might as well scratch off all other forms as that is all I ever do.
In the past 8 days I have cycled to work, gone running on my lunch hour, gone running on the treadmill after work and cycled in the forest.
Cycling in Sherwood Pines was by far the most challenging thing I have ever put my body and mind through simultaneously. I figured 13 kilometres would be a doddle but what I hadn't bargained for was that the track snaked through the forest dangerously and was only a foot wide. Not quite the fire tracks that I have been used to when navigating the woods in the past. Especially not on my own.
The rain had created some rather large water logged areas that meant my tyres, which are mostly road tyres, kept slipping and sliding at every given moment. The key was to continue 'momemtum' which is easier said than done. When you are potentially going to faceplant a 100 year old pine tree going faster is not really what your brain is programmed to want to do. Regardless, I manned up and did indeed go faster and got through it all.
After about 3 kilometres I was slightly perplexed by which way the arrow was pointing. Did I continue on the fire track or did I head down the path which was bombarded with roots and fallen branches? It was a Beauty and the Beast moment where Phillipe the horse is bucking away to stop Belle veering down the eerie path. I looked behind me and there was a man ploughing through the mud heading my way, I asked him which way it was and lo and behold it was the eerie path. I braced myself for a bumpy ride and continued on my way. At the next crossroads he was catching his breath and pointed me in the right direction.
At the next confusing section he cycled up behind me as I was catching my breath, he thought that I was lost again so kindly offered to guide me around the rest of the track. Terribly sweet, I thought, but in the back of my mind I was worried he may well be one of these elusive axe murderers. Fortunately he was not. Woodland folk are all rather friendly and seem to look out for each other. I am now part of this elite group and feel rather excited about it all.
At one point on our journey we got to a section where there was a choice of continuing on or doing an extra kilometre and after he asked me what I wanted to do I thought 'why the hell not', so off we went again on another bendy, twisty, section of track that brought us out exactly where we'd started. It was an easy kilometre though so no harm done.
Next came the 'jumps' section which I had been a little bit apprehensive about. Anthony had been pepping me up for it for the last hour or so and it was not easing my mind at all. The thought of hurtling myself, and my bike, off a rock into the unknown was somewhat beyond my capabilities, for the best past of the last three months I've mostly been cycling the streets of North Leeds...
Anyway, we got to that bit and it was possibly the most fun I have ever had! I had to put a lot of trust into my bike and constantly reminding myself that thousands of people have cycled this track before and if it was that dangerous it would have been changed. God bless the car park fee.
Two and a half hours later we made it back to the car park. Unscathed, completely worn out and, surprisingly, only slightly tarnished with mud. I have never been so happy to see Go Ape in all my life.
Bring it all on again next Sunday.
Sunday, 14 March 2010
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
As my posts always seem to be rants...
There was an old maiden named Marian,
She wasn't much of a disciplinarian.
She let us run wild,
And lived like a child.
Until her bones were wrought with osteoporosis.
She sometimes lied about her ailments,
But was truthful about her derailments.
Her eyes were always caring,
Her fresh baking made for sharing.
But her lungs did struggle from tuberculosis.
When she played the piano they all loved her,
Because her fingers would whizz in a blur.
She could paint and she could sing,
She could fix any kind of thing.
But not her acute asbestosis.
Now dear old Marian is in rehab today,
Her legs have given up leading the way.
She is getting fitter all the time,
And is still quite sublime.
She has even fixed her diagnosis.
She wasn't much of a disciplinarian.
She let us run wild,
And lived like a child.
Until her bones were wrought with osteoporosis.
She sometimes lied about her ailments,
But was truthful about her derailments.
Her eyes were always caring,
Her fresh baking made for sharing.
But her lungs did struggle from tuberculosis.
When she played the piano they all loved her,
Because her fingers would whizz in a blur.
She could paint and she could sing,
She could fix any kind of thing.
But not her acute asbestosis.
Now dear old Marian is in rehab today,
Her legs have given up leading the way.
She is getting fitter all the time,
And is still quite sublime.
She has even fixed her diagnosis.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)