Fitness - Fat Girl Fit

You can read this and laugh

After my first Functional Threshold Power (FTP) test on Trainer Road I got an average over an hour of 167. It then created workouts based on my FTP and you go from there.

I thought I would get on with the training and so picked a workout. I should have read the title as it was another FTP test but I had started so figured what the hell – I was going for another hour so might as well do that as an FTP – an hour’s an hour anyway right?

So I started – music on, head down, towel on the handlebars, water bottle next to me and I was off.

Again it was up and down with the resistance, with sprints and intervals and I was keeping in line with the levels set – probably went off a little too strong if I’m honest but will know for next time.

I felt good though by the end yep I wanted to puke. It does that. I have been told if I feel like I want to puke then I’ve done it right so as much as I don’t want to feel like I need a bucket nearby I think thats a good thing – maybe?

Garmin stopped, ride saved, brow mopped and glugging the water I was finished and my new FTP score appeared on screen. I had increase by a whole…………….2! Ok so not the best increase but a marginal improvement and more training done so won’t complain.

Unclip the right foot. Unclip the left foot. Oh no the left foot isn’t unclipped. Too late, lost my balance and fell! That is right my friends I may be one of the very few people who can fall whilst on a stationary bike. The bike toppled over, my left foot was still clipped in and as I fell my left wrist slammed into the wall.

The pain was instant!

For what was such a stupid thing I was very emotional. After I managed to unclip my left foot and get up (which was not easy as my wrist was so painful) I burst into tears and I can’t even tell you what I was crying about more – the fact that my wrist was on fire or that my bike was on its side and I was worried I may have damaged it or the turbo.

Yep I have become that person that is worried about their bike rather than their health!

Go ahead and judge me – after you’ve stopped laughing that is. It’s ok I don’t blame you.

I ended up at the hospital as I thought it was broken though it is just badly sprained. The lady who gave me my X-ray results told me it wasn’t broken (which him indoors said – I hate it when he’s right) and went to get me a support. This support would have fit a 7 year old and I tried to joke that I was too fat and she then joked that me and her were elephants. It was all said in good humour but come on – not only am I at hospital but I am now an elephant as well – thanks love!

My god can I feel the pain though! When I explained to people I had fallen off my bike and needed to go to hospital – they were all very supportive. I left out the part that I was not cycling on the road but attached to a turbo. My boss laughed at me and said ‘so basically you fell off a bike with stabilisers’. He’s right.

Who does that? Me it would seem.

Thankfully I think both the bike and turbo are ok and I am hopeful that I will feel fully recovered by the weekend for my 117 mile bike ride on Sunday, though when I mention this to fellow cyclists I am getting some funny looks but I will not give up just yet!

I shall sign off now and am waving with my new attractive and rather fashionable (not) wrist support, which is a similar colour to Nora Batty’s tights – it’s not such a good look.

Category: Cycling, Fitness

Some new training using TrainerRoad and our Wahoo Kickr

Whilst I had an amazing day riding stage 8 of the Tour of Britain I saw the photos and realised, what I already knew, that I do not look great in lycra and i need to lose more weight – again something I already knew but this has spurred me on to change things up a bit.

I want to ensure my training does not reduce during the winter and so going to use our Wahoo Kickr (otherwise it is quite an expensive piece of kit just sitting in our spare room). The Wahoo Kickr is an indoor turbo trainer for the bike. The difference between this and others is that the back wheel from the bike is removed and you attach it directly to the Kickr for a more realistic road feel – and it is just that! The first time I used it I was surprised that it felt tougher than our previous turbo but is more realistic and I will remind myself of that as I sweat profusely during my training on it that it will make me improve.

My hubby recommended signing up to TrainerRoad and so I did. Following joining a running club this is the second change I am making with more to come!

TrainerRoad measures speed and power and then creates customised training plans to use based on your individual fitness, all of which have been developed by a USAC Level 1 coach. Him indoors trains off cadence and is a complete gadget geek and likes to know all the stats including power and as I am clueless with most of this I am happy to follow his lead and from what I read about TrainerRoad it sounded perfect.

I signed up and after entering all of my information took my first fitness level test to get started. This 20 minute test establishes your Functional Threshold Power (FTP), which is used to plan the workouts and monitor progress.

TrainerRoad claim:

When you train with TrainerRoad, you’re using the most effective training tool to become a stronger, faster and better cyclist or your money back. Indoor cycling training can be hard, it takes diligence and it takes dedication — but with TrainerRoad, it works.

That had me sold!

So him indoors got me all set up and headed out to leave me to it – probably because he knows how grumpy I can be on the turbo this was a wise decision on his part.

The training test is self explanatory and you basically follow the plan they lay out and it explains as you go what is coming up so you know you have 1 minute sprint intervals for example.

Being slightly dim I thought the 20 minute test would last for well 20 minutes but it would seem not. The 20 minute test is in fact 1 hour long, with the FTP set at 200, you have 30 minutes of warming up before the 20 minute test itself even begins. I was doing ok up until 30 minutes and managing to keep pretty much at the same level as set but by the time I got to 30 minutes knowing I had 20 minutes of all out effort and feeling somewhat uncomfortable in the saddle I started to get fidgety as can be seen from the profile (the three dips are where I had to stand briefly to change position).

After the 30 minute warm up and 20 minute test there is a 10 minute easy spin cool down, which was lets just say……nice. I looked like I’d been swimming (and that’s not the best look).

It gave me an average of 167 and it sets my plans according to that. I have no idea what an average is but this is my starting point and I will be able to see over the coming months any improvements.

Things I learnt from this:

1 hour on the turbo is not fun
1 bottle of water is not enough
I sweat a LOT
I need to invest in a fan pronto
Wearing the best padded bib shorts when doing this is a definite!

Also thanks to my hubby of course for his help with all of this and his usual encouragement and also a friend from Instagram, the amazing Miguel, and Graham from Havering Tri – I have been picking their brains about all this and they’ve all been so helpful – much appreciated!

Category: Fitness

Blog post for Urban Energie

Here is a post I wrote for Jack over at Urban Energie for his new online fitness magazine.

My name is Lisa Thake and I am FatGirlFit.

I have been on my journey since the start of last year to get fit and lose weight and its been tough but I am still here and still going strong and if I can do it then I figure anyone can and I mean that I truly do.

Never been into fitness in any way. I was the girl at school that would go to every PE lesson with a letter I had written on behalf of my mum to get me out of doing any of the exercises! Hated all of it – always had, but food, well where do I start. I love food and everything about it, which is probably why for as long as I can remember I have always been on some sort of diet, yo yo-ing up and down or trying the latest fad. I would watch the tv advert with the latest exercise equipment that would promise me a body similar to a supermodel and within days it would be delivered…………..and was rubbish.

After illness my husband got into cycling and running and swimming and lost a huge amount of weight and I found him inspirational and loved going to the various events he was taking part in to cheer him, and other club members and friends, along. I would wonder about getting involved but felt stupid. I couldn’t imagine getting on a bike where the size of my backside would probably hide the saddle, running down the road or in the park and having other people see me jiggling and dripping with sweat. Then one day I decided I was too miserable with my weight and had to begin somewhere so asked my husband to take me out for a run. Now given that I did not do any exercise I imagined going for a run to be just that so as we set off I sprinted to the end of the road and almost collapsed feeling like I was having a heart attack, my husband asked me what on earth I was doing and I merely replied ‘going for a run’ and he suggested we jog and that going for a run didn’t mean sprinting – thank god I’d only got to the end of the road and was done!

Anyway long and short of it is that I kept it up and would tell friends and family different stories as they commented that I looked like I was losing a bit of weight and a few people suggested I start a blog and at first I was petrified and thought it was very public to make it so visible that I was on this journey and that people may judge me and think ah poor chubby love bless her, but from a selfish perspective I knew if I started a blog I would have to keep up with the fitness and weight loss and so it began.

I wanted a name that was a little funny as the blog is largely me making fun of myself, its not a serious account of events as that’s just not me. I am also an official partner of the campaign This Girl Can.

So just got out there an started running and cycling. Since last year I have joined both a cycling club and a running club and it’s scary as hell I won’t lie! You join and you pretty much know you will be the least experienced and the slowest and you might not even enjoy it at the beginning. I didn’t as I was always so conscious I was detracting from someone else’s training if they were waiting for me. But you know what? Most people who are into the same thing are only more than happy to help and love to see others embrace it too! I have even found that I can now help people too.

Every now and then I treat myself (you have to) but my eating is so much better and by using My Fitness Pal I quickly found that things I thought were ok were really not and so substitutions were quickly made and my knowledge of such things built up. I will pass on the chocolate biscuits thanks (it still kills me a little but I want this too much).

I am not scared now to go to the gym because all the super fit people will judge me, instead I scrape my hair into a ponytail (then you know a girl at the gym means business) and get down to it and I don’t care what I look like I’m there to work out. I actually find I look at the guys who check out their hair and the girls with a full face of make up and who look exactly the same when they leave as when they entered whereas I look like a sweaty tomato and I think oh come on!

So you can now find me on WordPress, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram too! I love the people I have met through this too and so when one of them, Jack from Urban Energie, who I know from Instagram mentioned about doing a guest blog I jumped at the chance. I love following Jack on Instagram and would recommend downloading his Free Lean Body Blueprint and also highly recommend his Get Lean Recipe E-book its a must especially if you follow him on Instagram and see all the tasty meals he has!

I am an ordinary girl on a journey and as I said earlier if I can do it then anyone can. I am not done either I am only mid way through and still have two stone to lose but I am 55.5lbs down and determined – This Girl Can!

Category: Fitness, Running

I took the plunge and joined a running club!

I have been toying with idea for a while of joining a running club but was a tad bit scared to do so. I imagined everyone would be very serious, very speedy and then there would be me.

I have been running regularly since January and although my times are much improved and I can now do up to 10k I still haven’t found that love for running that other runners have. I want to, I really do, but I just don’t like it that much. This is pretty much how I feel about running:

But it is part of my fitness and weight loss journey so I do it. Also I run because punching people is frowned upon. Mostly because I really like food.

I still puff and pant like an asthmatic dog with one lung.

I still go bright red almost instantly.

I still sweat like a beast.

I still wear my sunglasses no matter what the weather as they have become some sort of security blanket as I run so people cannot see my entire face!

There is a running club that leaves from my gym, Havering ’90 Joggers, and I have seen them regularly running out and then returning and so yesterday I joined their facebook page and asked the question of what I should do to join? I got quite a few replies and everyone seemed very friendly so I headed there last night and wandered in on my own and found a lovely lady called Liz who was talking to another newbie. We were given some forms to fill out regarding our health and for insurance and then she asked both of us if we could run, which we both said we could, what our times were for 5k and 10k, which we told her. The new guy said he could do a half marathon in an hour and a half so I announced that I would not be running with him! We all laughed but I was serious I couldn’t keep with him!

I was buddied up with some runners who were at about the same pace and others grouped in the same way and off we set.

It is so near to my home that it was nice to be running on roads that I knew. The loop we took was just under 5k, we stayed together and it took 30 mins. This is a little slower than I usually run but we managed to chat the whole way round and I actually enjoyed it.

So I am now a member of a running club. Who would have thought it?!

Category: Fitness, Running

Half Marathon training – eeeeekkkkkk!!

It is of course Monday which is weigh in day and so after a busy week and weekend I was looking for a loss but I got nothing so stayed the same again but onwards and upwards and all that!

So I am managing to get a sub 30 minute 5k on pretty much all of my runs now (I am not talking minutes off but below the 30 minute mark) and the 10k is always around the 1 hour mark but I have managed once to get a sub 1 hour 10k run in. I run with my dog and the loop from mine to the park sees me having to stop at a set of traffic lights, then again briefly to take the dog off and put her back on her lead and of course if she goes to the toilet I have to stop to clear it up so it is very rarely a run where there are no stops unless it is an event but I do keep them to literally just this – it is not stopping to walk because I can’t do it but if I did have to stop to walk a bit then who cares at least I am doing it right?

On the 5k can do this without stopping with no problem and on the 10k I have not yet done this without stopping though it is for literally 40 seconds on average of stopping on the events I have done so almost there but every time I set off for this distance it is in my head not to stop not to stop.

The next distance is a half marathon. Not that I want to complete a half marathon and nor have I signed up for one but in terms of events it pretty much goes 5k, 10k, half marathon and marathon. To put it into perspective a half marathon is 22k so the leap from 10k to 22k to me is daunting and would actually encourage me to run……..in the opposite direction.

On facebook I follow a page run by the lovely Julie Creffield called The Fat Girl’s Guide to Running. You may have heard of her or seen her on the TV or her website www.toofattorun.co.uk. I had the pleasure of meeting her briefly when I was in Hackney’s Victoria Park earlier in the year supporting my husband in the Hackney half marathon that Julie was also taking part in and she was lovely. I did that awkward ‘excuse me I read your blog and love it’ introduction but thankfully she was gracious about it and stopped to say hi and talk to me before heading off to the start.

I instantly liked Julie when I first started reading about her and found her website as she is a normal woman. Too often do you see adverts for diets, gyms, exercising etc and the people in them look like their body fat percentage is probably 1! You know the ones I am referring to where they are trying to sign you up by showing you an amazing lady who is a size 8 to incentivise you and you think good for her she looks amazing but really?! Julie describes herself as not your typical runner because she is fat (her words not mine). She is an inspiration and like me blogs when she runs. I blog when I have done a run or bike ride and as I have said before if I am honest my blog was a selfish way to keep me on track. Julie is similar as I read on her website – no running then no blogging.

Recently it came up on my newsfeed that Julie was hosting a half day workshop in London for half marathon training. To take part you must have completed a 10k, which I have done. I quickly sent a message off to Julie telling her how nervous I was and that I could do a 10k and wanted to up the distance and the workshop sounded like a good way to do so. She replied very quickly and was lovely assuring me that I would be fine and that there are a range of pace groups so nobody is left behind. Before I could change my mind I signed up. Then panicked…….a lot.

We would be running 10 miles over the course of the morning and as my furthest is 10k which is just over 6 miles I was getting more jittery as the day got nearer. Before I left the house I went to the loo about 4 times and then again when I got to Hyde Park and then again before we set off into the park to begin. I don’t know what I was worried about!

The workshop was amazing and talking to like minded ladies was such an inspiration especially to know that all the worries and insecurities I had most of the other ladies shared. I am always worried about being heckled, laughed at, being last, having to walk and the list goes on but as we were all talking about what we worried about it turned out the list was the same for most! Julie put it simply – who cares? Why would you care what someone else thinks? Ignore them! And in a bid to put us at ease more we partnered up and simply laughed at each other and did we die? Of course not! Though I am now sporting some rather ridiculous looking tan lines.

To begin we stretched and I must admit I never stretch before a run, which I know is bad but bike or run there is no stretching for me and in future I will make sure that there is! Then we spoke about paces. I always assume I have one pace and that is it but Julie was teaching us the difference, and importance, of race pace, your normal pace and recovery pace. I’ve been told by so many people that essentially you need to go slower to go faster so to mix up my runs with slower paced runs and also interval or speed work. Again my reply is usually I only have one speed.

Julie also ran through the drop back technique with us and as a cyclist I am aware of cycling in a group and taking it in turns on the front and essentially it is the same with running so no one person is left at the back – it is never fun to be the one stuck at the back!

We then set off for our first lap of the park (which is 8k) and we had to do so as a group ensuring we dropped back when necessary and checking our pace as we went. It was a slower pace than I am used to but with my nerves I was pleased not to be running at full gas for the whole session and it gave everyone a chance to chat with each other as we ran. At the Prudential ride we rode as a group and again it made the whole experience so much more enjoyable.

We got to a point in the park where we split into two groups and had to run around an oversized pond/small lake in our groups and the first group back won. One group headed off anti clockwise and the other clockwise and as we passed we hi-fived each other. It was to be run at race pace. Race pace is where you give that final sprint at the end of a run and this was about 800 metres and race pace for that made us all puff! Was great fun! Never thought I would hear myself saying that!

Once we had done a full lap we got split into groups based on ability and we then ran our second lap staying with our group. This was at my usual speed of about 9-9.5 minute miles. We were all aching a bit more on the second lap! But we completed it and when everyone returned we had a group pic:

Then we headed off for some lunch. We ended up falling into natural conversation about events we have done and those we have coming up. How much we had all enjoyed the day and Julie found that she had been tweeted by someone in the park who was behind us as we ran saying how lovely it was to see us all – amazing!

I found I was the only one who had not yet taken the plunge and booked up for a half marathon – they are all much braver than me! I am tempted now though – if I crawl over the finish line that still counts right? And i still get a medal right?

If anyone is, like me, on some sort of fitness journey or starting running and is thinking of getting some advice on running or techniques or increasing your distance I cannot recommend Julie enough!!

You can find her website here: http://toofattorun.co.uk/

You can find her facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/TheFatGirlsGuidetoRunning

Category: Fitness

Homemade energy bars anyone?

Before I start let me say how amazing some people are! In my last post I said I really wished someone got a pic of us finishing in The Mall at the ride on Sunday and a lovely man did and tweeted our cycling club with it! Best photo ever!

For the Prudential Ride London 100 mile bike ride I wanted to make my own energy bars. I had tried a recipe before and although they were tasty they were not portable and fell apart so could have made a good granola but not quite what I wanted. I also purchased the Davina sugar free book and she has some chocolate energy balls that my friend Sophie made and they are good though are about 200 calories per small ball!

A friend of ours was down for both the London to Southend ride and also the Prudential ride and he had some energy bars he let me try and they were really tasty and he makes them regular so I figured I would give them a go so he sent me the recipe.

I am not good at recipes and like to add extras but you get the gist.

I gave these to a few people and they were a hit and I will be making them again for sure!

Ingredients:

120ml Sunflower oil (I used olive oil)
200g Soft dark brown sugar
2 tbsp Golden syrup
1tbsp Peanut butter (I used cashew nut butter)
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
25g Sesame seeds
25g Sunflower seeds
50g Flaked almonds
50g Sultanas
50g Chopped dates
225g Porridge oats

Method:

Pre heat oven to 180 degrees.
Melt the oil, sugar, syrup, peanut butter and vanilla in a medium saucepan over a low heat.
Add the seeds, almonds, sultanas and dates to the mixture and stir well.
Gradually stir in the porridge oats to the saucepan with the other ingredients.
Make sure the mixture is combined completely to ensure it binds together well.
Transfer the mixture into a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper approximately 10 x 6 inches and press down firmly with a fork.
Place in the oven for 10 minutes.
Leave to cool completely then cut up (I cut as is shown in the pic then cut each square into four.
Take on your ride, stuff in mouth and enjoy (I got some small sandwich bags to fit in my bike bag!

I added in 50g chopped glace cherries and the packet of seeds I bought contained sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds so I had some extras in here and I think you can mix it up as much as you want – with these sort of recipes you can add whatever nuts, seeds and dried fruit you want though be mindful that the more dry ingredients you add the more flaky it will be and as you want it to hold once cooled try and keep the weights of dry ingredients roughly the same.

Category: Fitness

If someone had told me….

If someone had told me this time a couple of years ago that I would be running and doing so in public where actual humans with eyes can see me and running in a vest with no sleeves to cover my bingo wings as they sway to and fro in the wind (which they do) I would have probably laughed at them after I swallowed my mouthful of burger or something equally tasty but unhealthy and not good for me.

If someone had told me that I would have not one but 3 bikes now and be part of a cycling club (who are awesome by the way #RomfordCC) and regularly cycle and wear cycling lycra which lets face it highlights every lump and bump I would have thought you crazy and worried that my ass may swallow the seat!

If someone had told me that I would sign up (this time off my own back) to ride 100 miles by choice for the second time I would have probably winced and thought about how sore my lady parts would be after sitting on a bike for that distance.

If someone had told me that I would have a blog laying it out there about my journey (sometimes a struggle) on this path to being healthier and fitter and lose weight I would have chocked as I sipped on my large glass of white wine.

If someone had told me that I regularly go the gym, am friends with some of the instructors, and have learned to love spin class despite the fact that it breaks my vagina I would have probably thought you were high on something illegal.

If someone had told me that Friday nights (like tonight) require alcohol intake to be monitored as I am cycling tomorrow early and my social life is planned around that I would have probably tried to have you institutionalised.

But I am doing all that and I am loving it. Well most of it – I am still waiting to love the running but I do it anyway. I am still waiting until I find climbing hills on my bike easier but I do it (whilst sounding like a panting dog). I won’t yet run in shorts as I am not that brave – are you crazy?!

And I have received some lovely messages from people with kind words saying how they like my rambling on about this whole process and I am so grateful for that. Don’t get me wrong its not easy and whilst I snack on fruit and my work colleague eats chocolate I do not have any bad feeling towards her (bitch) ha ha.

I am a work in progress and enjoying the ride and I had a message from someone on my facebook saying that they cannot possibly do it but I want to say if I can then you can!

Category: Fitness

What a lovely week!

Doesn’t the weather being nice make everything seem better? Although running and cycling when so hot – not so much!

This week has been social fitness with a lot of activities with lots of lovely people!

Monday saw a 5k park run with my furry running partner followed by a 26 mile bike ride with my spin buddy Rich:

Tuesday saw a 5k run with him indoors to test my new trainers.

Wednesday I helped recording times at a duathlon event for my husbands tri club and wow those guys are quick quick quick!

Thursday I ran with my lovely friend Anna who is doing couch to 5k and we did her first 5k with no stopping or walking and she did amazing as I knew she would!

Saturday I cycled with my friend Helen who recently had a nasty fall off her bike so this was her first ride since then – another nice 26 mile loop. Then a quick visit to Yellow Jersey Cycles in Billericay to get her bike checked out by the brilliant Nate – we were both wandering around Billericay in full cycle gear……..as you do!

Then I spent the afternoon in the garden sitting in the sun.

Sunday we were due rain and I wanted to get a ride in so headed out early to do the same loop as Saturday so another 26 mile ride to get some more miles in. So many people were out I counted 43 cyclists and 7 bunnies by the sides of the road. I didn’t manage to avoid the rain however and 6 miles from the end I could hear that tap on my helmet and then it came down and just kept coming – good job I don’t mind riding in the rain!

I like being on my bike and seeing other cyclists on my way as there is always a friendly wave, good morning or head nod unless you get a grumpy cyclist though on the whole its a friendly little sport.

I have started house hunting whilst on my bike and as I go through pretty places and see houses for sale mentally I am imagining moving there – yesterday I picked two, one in Orsett village and one in Bulphan.

Some of the guys in Romford CC, including my husband, completed the Etape de Yorkshire on Saturday which was an epic 98 mile ride that included over 5,000 feet in elevation of climbing (rather them than me). Well done all!

Monday came again quickly and so after my run this morning the scales came back out for weigh in day and I am please I lost 2lbs so can update my plaque to 50lbs again!

Category: Cycling, Fitness

Hill repeats, Old Church B*tch and swimming

This week I started out with a run and finally managed to get a sub 1 hour 10k though as much as I hate running (sorry I don’t think I will ever be one of those people who love it as it does not come naturally to me but ask me again when I am a couple of stone lighter and I may have a different opinion) I feel like I have to do this again at an event. The reason being is my furry running partner. I have mentioned this before but much as I love my little April dog running with her is not always easy and can be stop start from the beginning to the end. Why do dogs have to pee every twenty metres? And I have to slow to check its not anything else that I need to stop an clear up. Why does she run off and then come back and stop directly in front of me? Why Does she suddenly dart across me? Why does she want to be friends with every dog in the park but when she runs over to them then just lays on the floor? Maybe like me she doesn’t actually like running and probably thinks right I will show her for dragging me out – she’s probably laughing the whole way round the park loop!

I’ve been reading Womens Running magazine trying to get some inspiration so I can be one of those people who I see in the park who stride along smiling as they run making it look so effortless whilst I puff and pant like a shuffle along. I have therefore decided that I shall start interval training. Apparently it will help make me faster, build strength, prevent injury and help with my breathing. I will believe this when I see the results as I tend to slow at even the slightest of inclines. So far my running has consisted of putting my trainers on and just running and hoping for the best but I have seen so many people doing this and you don’t get better at running hills by walking them so I am going to do the opposite and run up and down them instead. I make this sound like I am so sensible but really I will just be in the park and whilst the other runners are doing their hill repeats and speed work I will just be going up and down hoping to catch my breath and not die.

So Monday morning bright and early I shall be out there running up and down a hill in the park like a crazy lady!

Talking of hills yesterday I ventured out on my own to the dreaded Old Church Hill that was the scene of the marital fall out the first time. I have been up this hill 3 times in one day and the first time I didn’t make it – I actually gave up which is unlike me as I am a stubborn old boot and hence why I then went back. I had yesterday off and was going to be busy but wanted to get some cycling in so I headed in that direction again. This hill starts as a long drag and then kicks up a bit and then again every time if goes round a slight bend and you end with just a concrete uphill facing you where you cannot see the end (of hell). I figured I should do this again and on my own. Now I talk to myself (sometimes in my head and sometimes out loud) when running and cycling and for me its a mental battle and when I know I can do something it helps. Yesterday I won’t lie I got half way up and thought oh god I’ve not yet got to the house on the right with the driveway by the road, which is the point where I know I am on the final stretch. Will I make it? Or will Old Church Hill be the place of my death? If you see me there just push me and my bike in a nearby bush – we’ll be fine.

After what felt like an eternity I got to the driveway and having used all my gears was just spinning and trying not to look up to where you cannot see the end. In my head I was saying ‘come on Lisa you can do this, you’ve got this’ but really I was thinking yep I’m going to have to stop any minute. But I didn’t. I could hear my breathing though and it did sound like I was going to die or at least carried around with me an oxygen tank for some medical condition. This was even better when I got to the top, sounding like a cow in labor, to find some fellow cyclists tinkering with their bikes to witness me in my finest glory. They said well done and whilst I caught my breath they were chatting. They were also far more sensible than me and were going down the thing rather than up it although I hear the hill on the other side is worse and so I am not sure who lucked out there, them or me? Maybe next time I will go up this thing the other way? Just to totally finish myself off!

I did manage to find a pic of this hill online – my intention was to do the hill, then the loop back around and go up again but there was a car parked in the driveway I mentioned and this hill is not big enough for anyone to be parked on it and so I figured if there is nowhere to stop do the next best thing and just hit Google instead! The pic doesn’t make it look that bad actually but my legs would say otherwise.

After I conquered what I now refer to as Old Church Bitch I went swimming though not for myself instead I took my friends two gorgeous boys for their swimming lessons. So much fun! Though I did have to dunk both of them – they probably now hate me! My friend managed to take some pics and thought it was hilarious. As you will be able to see from my face – I did not but can assure you I am not trying to drown baby George as the pic would otherwise suggest!

Tomorrow I have another cycling event and i am definitely seeing improvement – perhaps down to the 3 spin classes I do every week? This weeks were taken by the lovely instructor Paul and they are a workout for sure – Wednesday’s class finished with an 18 minute sprint in dedication to Sir Bradley Wiggins after his one hour record. Ouch is all I can say. Oh and sweaty, very sweaty!