2015 Exercise Log/Challenge

[Helene2013]

you gals rock way too much for me. haha

Yesterday I was able to snail ride (1st ride on trainer) since my knee infiltration on Tuesday. I was to do only 10-20 minutes max on an easy speed/no resistance. Welllllll.... I got in the basement, set everything up, iphone music pounding as if I was in a club and me trying to sing over the speakers. So I do 10 minutes....slowly but surely, increasing speed gradually and trying to increase lightly my resistance. Only 10 more to go. Knee feels good. 20 minutes comes by...I don't want to get off just now...so what the heck! I stay on and start to pedal faster (nothing alarming). Just in the 22-24km/h range but for this, I need to increase a bit my resistance right. !!! Anyway, after 34 minutes I stopped (after a 2-3 minute very slow cool down). I could have gone for much longer but I must listen to Dr and physiotherapist. And you never know how the knee will react afterwards. While going at higher speed, I took the opportunity to work on the push/pull move on pedal which gave a rest to the infiltrated knee. I was wise...playing it safe to stay on longer. hihi

This morning all is good and I can't wait to get back on the saddle. But it is a week after infiltration you can resume and by then, going back on March 30, for the other knee.

By the way, I still can't get used to the black matte colour of my bike. I am not allowed to re-paint it as warranty will be voided. At the cost of this bike, I'm not gonna risk it. Then I tried having stickers made for it but taking too long to get the designer to custom me something that I can bring to a special decal company. Soooooooo... hubby saw the new Amira Expert SL4 Expert 2015 is glossy white... he said to call my LBS to trade in my already too new 2014 (same model) for this one. He said he was willing to do overtime to pay the difference in the trade-off. Probably 1000$. hihi Isn't my hubby a keeper. hahaha But I think it's not a wise move. Spent too much already on bikes. I hate the current look but love riding it. Not all is lost.

[Catrin]

Glad to hear that you are listening to your medical peeps Helene! I am still paying the consequences of not doing that a few years back when I had a neck injury on the trail. You can't repaint your bike because it would void the warrenty?!?!!? That sounds like a strange warranty condition to me, but then again I don't know much about that.

Had my usual Sat AM KB group session. I did some competition sets with the Long Cycle as most of my training partners did work with double kettlebells (2 at the same time). That requires a certain level of shoulder flexibility/functionality that I just don't have. The competition training work I DID do felt great though, and I've been getting a little antsy and wanting to do that so it worked out well. Still some fatigue from Thursday night so I paced myself, it went pretty good!

[Crankin]

You are doing so well with the pacing, Catrin. We all have learned the very hard way!
So, we went x country skiing for the first day of spring. It did snow very lightly last night, really a dusting, but it is now 42 degrees. However, when we got up this morning, the snow was coming down, hard. We got about 2 inches, which has now melted, thankfully. But, right when I was going to get on my trainer and I was canceling my plans to ride outside, I got an email from the touring center that said they groomed most of the trails, so we got ready and left so we could get most of the skiing in before it got too warm and mushy. It was so peaceful and the conditions were really pretty good for spring skiing. Did lots of the trails in the opposite direction, including some ungroomed ones, as well as lots of climbing and descending. It's nice not have the lodge crowded with teenaged ski teams, too.
I have 12 hours left to meet my goal. Not sure if I will make it, but it will be close.

[Helene2013]

You can't repaint your bike because it would void the warrenty?!?!!? That sounds like a strange warranty condition to me, but then again I don't know much about that.

Nope. I called and even spoke directly with Specialized. My frame has a litetime warranty and sanding/blasting it will annul it as it is a modification brought to the frame. So can't do. If my frame was under warranty for a few years, I would just swallow it and get it then. But we all know Murphy's law and the day I get it back from the paint shop, this is when we'd find a crack and would not be able to use that warranty. At $4000 for this bike, I can't take the chance.

[Crankin]

I went to a spin class this morning. Got up and asked DH if he was willing to do a 60 minute trainer workout with me, and he said "no!" He has something going on with one of his toes, and he is afraid the pressure of being in a cycling shoe will make it worse. So, I hauled myself out of bed. It was OK, apart from the constant references to your "run" and "bursts" when she is talking about cadence and intervals. It's cold (25) and windy, but very sunny out, and I wouldn't mind going for a walk or snow shoe later, but I probably won't.

[Catrin]

Hit the gym after church today for some "active" cardio recovery. New treadmills with really steep inclines (though I don't do that), but they ALSO have maps and videos from different parts of the world. So I "pretended" that I was on a trail in Hawaii that ran along the coast for 25 minutes - varied the incline but kept my pace the same (fast walking - running isn't an option). Then I hit the ArcTrainer for 15 minutes in the cardio "wave" program - it is like hill intervals but the inclines aren't as steep - my legs were still a little fatigued so didn't want to push it TOO hard. Now I need to avoid entering my kettlebell herd's den - I can hear them back there. They want to "play"

[Crankin]

Sounds like some fancy machines there!
Boot camp this morning. There was a sub, someone who also teaches spin. Her class is nothing like Krysta's, but I am going to be sore. Hopefully, this will reverse the upward trend of my weight. I know only cycling will take care of this. First group ride will be Wednesday. Weather looks good.

[Catrin]

Sounds like some fancy machines there!
Boot camp this morning. There was a sub, someone who also teaches spin. Her class is nothing like Krysta's, but I am going to be sore. Hopefully, this will reverse the upward trend of my weight. I know only cycling will take care of this. First group ride will be Wednesday. Weather looks good.

Mixing up different instructors is good for the body I think.

My gym is unique, probably in the country, or so I've been told by fitness professionals. My knee is SO sensitive that I can't use most cardio machines. Thankfully we have 2 I can use without worrying, and a third that I can use if I stick to less than 10 minutes. I make myself switch machines every 15-20 in order to prevent my turning it into a race, my coach came up with that approach to prevent over use injuries. Soon I will be able to take it outside though :-)