Christmas Holiday Over

Back to work tomorrow, gutted. Only two days though then 3 off for the New Year celebrations.

Did a 29 miler this morning, new route out to Lodden & back, here it is http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/83479026

Bloody windy & i didnt create a great route back in, spent a lot of time on the main Lodden to Norwich road, i cold have stayed on the back rodads a bit longer really. Will crack it next time.

So, managed to do 127 miles since Christmas Eve which i'm happy with. going for a run this evening as well then thats my lot till Saturday.

Whitlingham Country Park

10 mile mountain bike ride today with my daughter round Whittlingham Park & Trowse woods. Fed the ducks & got attacked by 3 swans.

Heres the route http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/83340496

Clocked up 110 miles since Christmas eve, feels great to have had chance to get back out on the bike this past few days. Think i'm obsessed with cycling.

Hopefully get another ride in tomorrow, need to take the car in to get the exhaust fixed first though.

Couple of pics from today

Boxing day Update

Hope everyone had a good Christmas day, probably ate too much like me. Got £50 from my mum, not sure what to buy, need some club gear so will probably put it towards a Tri_Anglia top



Arleya loved her new guitar

Dropped the wife at work yesterday morning after present opening and nipped ot for an hours ride. Managed 15 miles on Christmas day morning.

Boxing day thought i'd go out for a longer one. Did 51 miles out to Ingworth & back, here's the route. Seen lots of Tri-anglia guys n gals out over the last two days. Here's the route. http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/83189034

Stopped in Buxton for a few minutes to grab a drink & gel

Stopped off at St Faiths Crem to say Merry Christmas to my dad. Dead over 7 years but still think of him everyday.

Games & Harry Potter on tv now. Managed to presuade Arleya to come out for a ride tomorrow so will do a mountain bike sesh down Whittlingham lane & Trowse woods.

Merry Christmas

After a month of over induldging I have motivation back after seeing Mark Cavendish win SPOTY & getting out on the road bike yesterday for a 21 miler.

Really missed road riding this month. MAPMYRIDE packed up on my I-Phone so i was unable to map the route, sorted that now by updating I-Phone. However, managed to wipe all my songs.:-(

Second disaster, puncture 10 miles sout of Norwich, tyre had actually split on ths side as well. Thankfully I always carry my puncture kit so was able to do a roadside repair. Decided to ride straight home considering the split in the tyre that couldn't be fixed.

First puncture in 1400 miles isnt too bad going though.

Popped down to Halfords and got a new tyre (Continental Ultra Gatorskin) got kavlar in it apparently to reduce puncture risk, we shall see. That & inner tube cost me £32, not bad but i forgot my 10% Aviva discount, doh.

Found another event i want to do, The Haute Route. Cant afford it yet but one day, hopefully shares will take off next year so i have some money. Hard times at the minute.

http://www.hauteroute.org/en/

Anyway, time to open presents, have a great Christmas. Andy, Oot & Arleya

Mark Cavendish

Sports personality of the year

 

VOTE CAV! The number is 09015 22 26 01 #Cav4SPOTY

 

 

Update on my training (or lack of) coming soon, i'll be upping the training big time after christmas:-)

 

 

Have a lovely Christmas everyone

 

 

Cross Country Run

Decent day today. Managed a 4.5 mile run this morning round Eaton, heres the route

http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/81334802

Wearing yet another T-Shirt today that had been too tight for me over the past few years. :-)

Arleya put the Christmas tree up & we went out & bought more presents

Not much else to report. Legs ache but no knee pain after the run which is very positive.

2nd week of december

Tuesday swimming lesson went well, think I've made a breakthrough on the timing if breaths doing the front crawl. Swam full lengths a couple of times.

Couldn't do my Wednesday as went to the Coot conference in Sheffield, great night out.

Knackered Thursday so no exercise & had to go to Arleyas parents evening. She's doing really well, top classes for everything seems to help.

Friday, another quiet one, didn't get the grade D job I'd applied for. Not overly surprised though.

Saturday, took MTB out for a 3 hour ride, 22 miles mostly off road. Coldest I've been out at 4 degrees. Icy & very muddy today. Here's the route.

http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/81219100

Pic from the conference of me, Leanne & Carol my manager

First week in December

Probably my slackest week since June.

Wednesday  - Swam 62 lengths = .93 miles
Thursday - 13 mile Turbo
Friday - .97 mile walk to work. Discovered it was quarter of a mile shorter going up Hall Road than Lakenham way which was a surprise.

Managers night out, meal at Mambo Jambos, went to a fantastic pub call Cuba Revolution. fantastic drinks and live music. Will be going there gain. got too drunk as usual and so messed myself up for the weekend. Coming to the conclusion that working out is more important to me than going out now so i think i will be moderating my alcohol consumption going forward. Not that i go out often, maybe half  a dozen times a year.

So, Saturday, did nothing.

Sunday, managed a 3 mile walk at the UEA with the dog, found some more decent MTB track that i will be hitting next week.

Week ahead, Coot conference in Sheffield on Wednesday so that's two more days written off. Should be good for getting some decent rides in next weekend though.

Norwich half Marathon

Blimey, cant believe I'm half way through the next week without updating the blog.

So, Crap week at work last week so succumbed to a Chinese takeaway on Friday & did no exercise. Turns out my favourite Chinese has changed cooks & it tasted like crap.

Anyway, blasted into Norwich Saturday morning and got Christmas shopping done & picked up Arleyas MTB from Halfords by 9.30am. Then headed off to Whitlingham Barn http://www.cafecafe.biz/jobs.htm
to meet up with the Tri-Anglia girls for a group mountain bike ride. http://www.tri-anglia.co.uk/

Done just over 20 miles and went round loads of places i didn't know existed. Fantastic ride & thought the ladies were all really nice & friendly. Tina who organised it had a big off around the Trowse woods. Was quite lucky not to break something, tough girl though and soldiered on. Look forward to doing it again. Heres the route. http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/79288234

Headed up the Norfolk showground to support some friends doing the Norwich half marathon. horrible weather, wet & windy. All three of my friends completed the race. Chris 1hr 47, Danny 1hr 57, Becs 2 hrs 27. well done to them.




Danny 7 miles




Becs 7 miles




Danny 12 miles



Becs 12 mile

Sunday evening it was on the Turbo for a 13 miler.

Monday involved a trip to Sheffield with work so no exercise done that day.

Tuesday - Swimming lesson, still not really sure if I'm improving too much. Will have to do some more front crawl at the UEA on Wednesday with a float i think. Getting a bit frustrated with it.

Also signed up for my first Triathlon. East coast Triathlon on 22nd April 2012 http://www.activeoutdoorsport.co.uk/?p=2261

That will do, here's a link to my facebook page where there are some more photo's if you want a look.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=826854694&sk=photos

Where has the week gone?

Not much to report this week. Work has been a bit stressfull with a 2 day course on Monday & Tuesday followed by a company visit on Wednesday. Back in the office today to deal with a backlog of emails & random 2.5  hour meeting, plus an hour for the first stage of my interview for a grade d role.

Anyway, what have i done on the exercise front? nothing monday as had to squeeze a tesco run in after work.
Tuesday - swimming lesson. Getting a bit disheartened with it at the moment as i don't seem to be getting to grips with the front crawl. Cant understand why i cant just get it.

Wednesday - smashed out .96 miles swimming at the UEA in an hour.

Thursday - 1 hour on the turbo covering 13.21 miles

Probably try and do another hour on the turbo tomorrow & have a ride out planned with Tri-Anglia on Saturday on the mountain bikes. Will be my first ride in a group.

The other member came out with a phrase i quite like. She said she did Tri-athlons 'to complete not compete'. Glad there are going to be other like minded individuals in the club.

Themelthorpe Curve, Norfolk

Good Mountain bike run today. Left about 10am this morning in thick fog. Mist didn't really lift all day and i arrived back home still in the fog.




Just leaving Norwich

 
 


Just outside Norwich

 



Mist clearing a bit

  So, went past my previous Marriotts Way run where i turned round at Reepham & Whitwell station. Track gets a lot rougher on the way to the Themelthrope curve but it's still easy going. Quick note, you can grab a mug of tea & a slice of homemade cake for £2 from the station here ;-)




Reepham

 Once past Reepham you pick up Marriotts Way to Aylsham which is another 6 miles, or so the sign says. Track gets a lot better again here



Aylsham

 Arrived at Aylsham and the end of Marriotts way. Theres a Tesco next to the cycle path if you want to grab some grub. Pop over the road and your at the Bure Valley Railway. You can either stick your bike on the little steam train or hit the 9 mile track to Hoveton & Wroxham. Obviously i cycled.



Bure valley railway

 



Bure Valley Railway Aylsham

 Lovely cycle track, really quiet today, only saw a few other people.



Buxton Mill taken from Bure Valley Railway

 


Hoveton & Wroxham station

 Made it to Wroxham station in just under 4 hours, distance from Norwich to here is about 36 miles. No more cycle track so i decided to get the train to Norwich. £3.70 including my bike, takes about 20 minutes. Then it was a swift cycle home from the station.
Bike, nice and muddy, so gave it a good clean. Unfortunately got a big scratch on the crossbar where the bike slipped against a piece of sculptured track on the route which i;m a bit gutted about. Will need to touch it up with some white paint.

So, a nice 38 miles done today, here's the mapmyride route. I had to edit the mileage because despite pausing the application when i was aboard train, it still decided to log the train journey ????

http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/78367310

2012 plans

Lazy day today after yesterdays 20 hour shift. Just had to pop into the city to get Arleyas grade 4 piano book & some shoes for her.

Planning a Mountain bike ride tomorrow, full length of Marriots way then across to Aylsham, then 9 miles following the Bure valley railway to Wroxham. Not sure if i should get the train from Wroxham to Norwich or bike it, dont really fancy the long road ride on m MTB. Looking at about 30+ miles anyway. may take a diversion round Whittlingham lane as well.

Here's my events for 2012 so far, need to start booking them up soon. Might book one or two each month. Bit short of money at the minute & could also do with getting some Tri Anglia kit.

Feb 2012 Fritton Lake off-road Dualathon
March 2012 GBC Spring Challenge
April 2012 East coast Triathlon
June 2012 Fritton Lake Triathlon
June 2012 Norwich 100
July 2012 - Norwich Triathlon
July 2012 - Norwich River Swim
July 2012 Victory Triathlon
Sept 2012 - Norwich Sportspark Triathlon
Sept 2012 - The Great Barrow Challenge

I'm also hoping to raise some money for charity as well so if you would like to help, here's my charity page

http://www.bmycharity.com/clearseaz



Norwich, children in need call centre

 Pic of me on the phones at last nights Children in Need Appeal

Children in Need

Couple of updates.

Thursday - managed 12.8 miles on the turbo trainer.

Friday, walked to work at 8am, 1.09 miles. Thought it was much further than that so feel quite ashamed that i use my motorcycle to go to work each day. Do i sell it? Ducati Monster, 2 years old if anyones interested.

Finished work at 5pm & headed off to another Aviva building to take children in need phone calls. 6pm to 2am, job done, great night, i think we took close to £160k. Unortunately, ate tons of junk food that had been kindly supplied by local businesses

Swimming

Tuesday - Swimming class, felt like a backwards step this week. Trying to work on the legs which had an adverse effect on the breathing & arms. Swam 20 lengths which is about 400 metres. Not sure what to do, keep going with the float until breathing just becomes natural?

Wednesday - UEA swim while Arleya was at Karate. Stuck to breast stroke as feeling a bit pissed off with the previous nights crawl.

On the plus side, new PB, swam 1500metres in 57 minutes. Furthest I've done. Would be quite comfortable on the Norwich mile river swim planned for 2012.

Turbo time

Boring day. Left work at 2pm to take Arleya to the dentist. moulds & photo's taken so they can prepare her brace. She just needs 4 teeth extracted & back we go. Should take 2 years to straighten them.

Could stick up some before and after pics of her gnashes.

Fitted the bike back into the trainer where it will stay till the weekend. Knocked out 12.8 miles whilst watching 2 episodes of The Office, season 2.

Marriotts Way Norfolk

Cracking day again. Decided to do a walk this morning instead of a run so i could fit in a decent mountain bike ride this afternoon. Just trying to be a bit careful with the knees.

So, did a relaxed 2.73 mile walk round UEA while Arleya was in Karate. Route here http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/57692922

Got home & got the mountain bike out. Rode down to the start of Marriott's way foot path near Halfords & set up. Great easy ride, nearly all flat. Got all the way to Reepham & Whitwell station. 30 mile round trip



old carriages at reepham




Old platform at Reepham





info all along Marriott's Way



Thought I'd better stick some pics up to try & reduce the bore factor of my blog.

Well, here's a link to the mapmyride route i logged & another link to some more info on Marriott's Way. I'll be doing it regular for sure. I think if you carry on past Reepham station it's gets more rough, unfortunately i ran out of time so had to come back didn't get to check it out. http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/57720970

Marriott's Way history & detail  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriott%27s_Way

Found a great website last night - http://www.sustrans.org.uk/sustrans-near-you shows the National Cycle network which covers Marriotts Way as it is part of National cycle route 1. You can also get the maps on a free iPhone app which is great http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/the-complete-national-cycle/id436521445?mt=8&ls=1

So, 95miles of walking & cycling this weekend, chuffed with that, weather has been great as well. Not looking forward to getting back on the Turbo next week now :-(

Norwich to Holt cycle

Great day today, managed to get in a 4 hour ride round the Norfolk countryside. Bit cloudy but not too cold. Nice & dry.

Another 60 miles log, check out the route here http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/77126554

Bike running well, managed some fair sized hills quite easily, weight loss & increase in fitness is starting to be more noticeable when on a long ride.

Couple of mile run planned tomorrow wile Arleya does her karate, then maybe a couple of hours Mountain bike ride. Want to check out the Marriotts way paths a bit more.

Turbo Trainer

Nothing over exciting to report today.

Did an hour on the Turbo trainer & knocked out 13.28 miles.

Looking forward to getting out on the road on Saturday for at least a 50 mile ride. Possible run Sunday as well wile Arleya is at Karate.

Need to find some gloves with fingers as i envisage it being colder now.

Lost weight

Back to work today after sickness, felt a bit ropey first thing but well recovered by afternoon.

Arleya fainted at shool today, not sure if it was related to the bug i had or the vaccination she had on Monday. School nurse thought it was just down to the heat of the classroom. Guess imo nursey!

Anyway, due to passing ot thought i'd better let her miss her Karate lesson this evening. Took a bit of effort for me to motivate myself to go for the Wednesday night swim but glad i did.

Swam 54 lengths in 53 minutes which is 1100 metres. 99% breast stroke as my front crawl is best kept to the lesson session or pool when nobody else is around. Still, most of the triathlons i intend to do next year have swims well under what i did tonight.

As i was coming out thought i'd weigh myself as i hadnt done for a while.

15st 1lb. My lowest weight in probably 6 years. No smoking for over 140 days either. well chuffed with myself this evening. Just need to make sure i keep exercising each day during the winter. Would be gutting to put weight back on.

Since i started my non smoking and exercise regime in June 2011 I have lost 11lbs :-)

Bad start to the week

Woke up at 5am Monday morning with bad stomach pains, sickness & diaorrea followed & has knocked me for six till this afternoon so not much exercise done.

Managed to keep toast down from lunchtime today & felt well enough to go to my swimming lesson this evening.

Swam 25 metres front crawl twice without the float so happy with that. Although i did swallow about a litre of pool water. Must have looked like a floundering idiot though.

Not much else to report today. Need to get a swimming hat & float tomorrow so i can continue practising the front crawl at my Wednesday UEA sessions. Feel progress is being made though & so should be good for 2012 Triathlon season

Karate course for Arleya

Took daughter down to Hatfield today for the TSKUK course. Bit of a trek but she needs another 3 TSKUK stamps so she is eligible to grade for 2nd Dan when she's 13 next year.

http://www.eska.co.uk/

Not exactly action shots.

Bit off topic but stopped off at a model shop at Snetterton on the way home. Absolutely fantastic place. So, if you have driven passed this shop on Snetterton circuit for years without having a look, i'd strongly reccommend it. Everything from radio controlled cars to model railway layouts, scaletrix, dolls houses, tons of lego, military dioramas etc etc

Names SP models http://www.spmodels.co.uk/information.php?info_id=7

Managed to squeeze in another hours worth of turbo training tonight & did 12.7 miles. Knees definately on the mend so another week  i'll be back on the running. Looking forward to my swimming lesson on Tuesday, hopefully make some more progress with the front crawl

Smoking update = 140 days smoke free tonight :-)

Florida Ironman 2011

Had to share this from todays Ironman in Florida, this guy is 82 years old, inspirational. I'll stop whinging about my knees, lol.




Ironman Florida's oldest athlete Frank (82) getting out of the water

Another 10 mile done on the turbo tonight. Finding the turbo a lot harder work than on the road but at least means i ca get on the bike everyday. Need to get a weigh in next week, see if i have lost anymore

November 5th update

Tri-anglia membership for 2012 is now open so I've jumped in joined that club. Not sure when I'll take part in m first club thing though. Probably be one of the Saturday cycle rides when it's a dry day. Not like today, lots of rain so I'm going nowhere. http://www.tri-anglia.co.uk/

Turbo trainer arrived yesterday so i set that up & did an hour, no way of monitoring how far i went  thought so off to Halfords today to get some kind of odometer for the back wheel.

Bought it from Wiggle, arrived in two days, fantastic service.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/elite-crono-fluid-elastogel-trainer/

Great item, 30% off plus if you enter the code UK10 you get another tenner off. So only cost me £129.

Needed a riser block though. I've made one out of the cardboard box that it came in, looks naff but does the job & saves you £20+

Arleya has a Karate course in Hatfield tomorrow so doubt I'll get any outside exercise in either. Probably for the best as the knees are still painful. Will probably stick to no more than 3k runs going forward, at least until i can complete these with no issues.

Mucky Races - Sunday 30th October

Had a good day doing the Mucky Races 5k run. Although went out the night before & had a serious hangover (my bad) then cracked my head running the stream when going under a bridge.


Dirty Mucker team


 Managed to finish 89th which wasnt great. Becs finished 72nd but our star of the team was Andy who finished in 7th place


Nearly done



Just after the bump on the head

 Certainly inspired me to take part in future events.



My knees have really been suffering since the race & are quite painful so i will be having at least a week off from runnning. No cycling done as been pitch black when i've got home.

So, i've ordered a turbo trainer from Wiggle so i can do some biking everyday regardless. Used some of the cash from the sale of the Carbon Boardman. Got £800 for that in the end. Also sold my old MTB for £32 with 10% going to help the hero's.

If anyone would like to donate to Help for Heros then please follow the instructions on my charity page.
http://www.bmycharity.com/clearseaz

Started my swimming lessons on Tuesday with Norwich Penguins. It was brilliant, within 30 minutes  was front crawling further than ever & starting to get the hang of the breathing. However, when i went swimming on Wednseday evening it didnt go so great, although swam 1050 metres. Perhaps i need to do more work with a float . Still, feel like i've made a breakthrough & not so concerned about the swimming aspect of Triathlons. More concerned about my knees and the running now.

Thats it for now, hopefully get a decent ride in on Saturday. No chance Sunday as i need to take Arleya to a Karate course in Hatfield.

Wherrymans Way Norfolk. October 28th

Lovely day today that could have been mistaken for a summers day. Took the Mountain bikes out for a ride up Wherrymans Way with Arleya.


Arleya. Whitlingham Country Park

 Total distance ridden today was about 22 miles. It was a great route & one that does run all the way to Yarmouth. Which is now on my to do list another 70 mile round trip.
Here's the ride route from today
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/55967298

If you go through Rockland St Mary on a Mountain bike, nip down to the playground as there is a little MTB/BMX circuit in there which is quite cool for a bit of jumping.




Catalogue pose

 Knee is still giving me a bit of agro, dosent bode well for Sunday's race. I'll give the running a rest for a week after.

Also looks like i've sorted some swimming lessons with Norwich Penguins. Lessons on Tuesday evenings to sort our my front crawl

Also had a great book delivered today. England & Wales The Good Mountain Biking Guide. Should help me sort out some good locations for next year.

October 26th

Exercise day off yesterday, weather was rubbish so took the opportunity to start insulating my shed to make it a bit better for my bike & tool storage.

Weather better today so got a 26.68 mile bike ride in this morning
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/55756262

Few more hills than usual which i'm finding a bit easier to climb as my training progresses.

Took a quick trip to tesco's for picnic food ready for a planned mountain bike ride down Wherrymans Way tomorrow, weather permitting.

Also completed my swim tonight. 1300 metres in 50 minutes. A new PB for me. All breast stroke though as given up trying to do the front crawl for now. I have seen that Tri-Anglia are nearly ready for opening 2012 membership so looking forward to joining that & hopefully getting some help with the front crawl.

Knee feels a lot better today which is good with the Mucky Race scheduled for Sunday. Also got a 3 course meal & football in the Aviva box at Carrow Road saturday for the Norwich v Blackburn game so will need to make sure i dont over indulge.

Watched the Wales Ironman race on Eurosport tonight. Guess what! I want to do an Ironman race now. Will probably plan that for 2013 after i've got a few triathlons & the great Barrow challenge under my belt though ;-).

ps, whats the labels box for at the bottom of this box where i'm typing?

October 24th

Week off so thought i'd add today's activity.

Knee still playing up after yesterdays run. Ibruprofen helps a bit until i twist it. went out for a 17 mile ride. Will probably do another similar ride tomorrow, swim Wednesday then rest my knee till Mucky races on Sunday.

Decided to set up a charity page, see if i can make some money for Help for Heros while i'm at it with the fitness regime. Here's the page
http://www.bmycharity.com/clearseaz

October 2011


Right, just about got you up to date with progress.

Bike rides for October so far have totalled 295 miles. 76.87 miles is my new PB. I've done 12 rides, some being on the MTB.

I have also added running & Swimming to my activities.



Running, 3 times, total 6.5 miles. Furthest I've done is 3 miles (today) knee feels ropey. I did do the London Marathon in 2006 & haven't ran since due to mashing the ligaments in my feet & not walking properly since.

Doing the Mucky races next weekend so hoping knee holds up.



Swimming, I bought a UEA sports park Bronze card which lets me swim for £2.50



Arleya 1st Dan



http://sportspark.co.uk/ 

I do this on a Wednesday whilst Arleya does her Karate class. She's now a Black belt & has trained since she was 6 years old with ESKA.

http://www.eska.co.uk/

Trained with them myself for years and got to 1st Kyu grade but had cluster headache problems & knee issues so had to quit. May take it up again one day.

Anyway, back to the swimming. I am rubbish, which is quite ironic considering i worked in Thailand as a PADI diving instructor for 4 years ??????

So, I've swam 3 times, i cant do the crawl so sticking with breaststroke for now. Furthest I've swam is 1000 metres in about 45 minutes.

Did mean some more purchases, goggles, swimming shorts. I have also had to buy some warmer cycle and running clothing. Got some bib cycling tights that are really good, They hold the pad in place a lot better than my shorts & I've thus found less bum pain when riding. Sportsdirect has been a great place to buy gear, very cheap & delivery within days.

So, Triathlons are where it is at now, I will be joining TriAnglia

http://www.tri-anglia.co.uk/ as soon as their membership opens for 2012. I'm hoping i will be able to get coached in front crawl and sort that out ready for my first triathlon in April 2012.

I also took part in my first cycle event this month, Arleya completed it as well which I'm very proud of her for as it wasn't easy for a 12 year old with a lumpy MTB.

Event was the Norfolk CTC 25 mile rough stuff.   http://www.norfolkcycling.co.uk/Ruffstuff.html

Enjoyable & muddy, friendly bunch of people. Thanks to the guys who lifted Arleya & cycle out of the waist deep puddle.

Another thing I'm going to have to do is the Pennine Bridleway, this looks fantastic, so now on the list of stuff to do.

http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/penninebridleway/index.asp?PageId=1&ImageId=29#galleryModule

Right, up to date now. I'll fill you in with what i do on a weekly basis now. Cant wait for the Mucky Race next weekend 

Planning all these events & looking to do activities has been one of the key components of staying off the fags.

Nearly forgot. Whilst logging my rides via Mapmyride i have been then uploading them to facebook for a competition called BritPak. http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/boardmanbikesbritpack?sk=app_184837178240949

Well, from doing this i was lucky enough to win the Boardman Team Carbon Road Bike.


My new MTB



I also decided to upgrade my MTB to this little beauty that arrived the other day, Specialized Rockhopper. I took it out round Mousehold yesterday, it is fantastic to ride.



September 2011

Arleya at Sandringham finish

So, what happened in September?

Bike rides for the month totalled 349 miles (11 rides). Furthest ride was 76.12 miles. I also dug out my old mountain bike from the shed & ventured down to Thetford Forest.

My walking increased to 20 miles in September.

The Tour of Britain also came round this way & we had a family day out at Sandringham to see the finish.

Mark Cavendish finishing

 We had a great spot on the finish line but had to sit in the rain for a few hours to secure the spot. Was worth the wait though.

Mountain biking was great fun & mean't my daughter could join in with the biking.

Thetford Forest is a great spot, we tend to park at Brandon Country park as it only costs £2.50 per day for Parking, as opposed to the tenner yout likely to pay at High Lodge.

Timber have done a great job on the trails

http://timbermtb.org/website/

During the month of September my fitness idea's stretched to wanting to do Triathlons. Only problem is, i'm a crap swimmer, runner & stilll overweight cyclist. Although, last weigh in had me around 15 stone 6lbs.

Mucky Races 30th October 2011

My next event coming up is the 5k Mucky Race bext weekend

http://www.muckyraces.co.uk/

Steeplechase the obstacle race 30

th October 2011 – Race Information

This document contains important information regarding the event please read

carefully. If you have any questions contact us at info@muckyraces.co.uk.

Getting There & Event Parking

Blackwater Farm, Blackwater Lane, Great Witchingham, Norwich, Norfolk NR9 5PH

http://www.blackwaterfarm.co.uk

Parking will be clearly signposted once you are near the venue. Please follow the

marshals as they direct you.

We regret that once you have entered either the 5km or 10km Steeplechase we

cannot refund, credit or transfer your entry fee in part or in full.

Race Numbers

Race numbers will be collected on the day.

Timing & Results

You will pick up your timing chip on the morning of the race at the registration tent.

Securely fasten the chip to your trainers using the ties we will supply. We will remove

the chips after the race.

Results will be posted on www.muckyraces.co.uk the day after the race.

Event Schedule and Start Time

• 9.30am Gates Open

• 10Km Race Starts 11.00am

• 5Km Race Starts 11.15am

Organised by WR Events Ltd

ww.muckyraces.co.uk

There will be restricted access to and from the parking area so please allow

additional travel time and also you will want time to make your way from the event

parking area to the Start/Finish line. We don’t want you to be late for your race!

We strongly advise that you arrive at the event in your running kit as there are no

changing and basic storage facilities and that you bring warm dry clothing to change

into after the race. There are NO SHOWERS available at the event.

Teams

Men’s, women’s and mixed

Teams of three only eligible for team prize

Each team must have a unique name

Results will be calculated using combined finishing positions of each team member

Race Photography

Race pictures will be available to view and purchase after the event via the website.

Medical Support

Professional medical staff will be present at the Start/Finish area. You should be

reasonably fit to participate with no known medical conditions. You should not

participate if suffering from a cold, flu or injury as this can be very dangerous.

Toilets

There will be toilet facilities available for contestants and spectators.

Water

There will be one water station at approximately the half way point of both the 5KM &

10KM run. We do advise that you bring your own water.

Goody Bag

An event goody bag will be handed out after the race which will include your T-Shirt

as well as extra items of swag.

Prizes

Awards will be made to the following for the 5k & 10k races

Top 3 Men by finishing position

Top 3 Women by finishing position

Winning team for men, women and mixed

Refreshments

Hot and cold refreshments will be available on the day.

Organised by WR Events Ltd

ww.muckyraces.co.uk

Check List

To ensure that you have a great day, have a quick run through of the check list

below:

• Avoid alcohol the night before

• Eat a light meal and drink plenty of water before the event

• Don’t be late!

And remember to bring:

• 4 safety pins to attach your number to your vest

• A warm change of clothes for the journey home

• Money for refreshments.

• A towel

• Water

What to Wear

You will get wet and dirty. We advise that you wear a synthetic t-shirt or long sleeve

shirt, shorts or running tights and a good pair of off-road running shoes or at least a

good pair of running trainers.

CONTACT

We are here to help if you would like any additional information or assistance then

please contact info@muckyraces.co.uk and we will be happy to help.

Many questions you might have will be answered in the FAQ section below

Frequently Asked Questions

How many runners enter the races?

We are expecting up to 500 runners.

When should I enter?

As early as possible! The race will be a sell out.

How do I enter?

Enter online by clicking on the ENTER NOW. Make sure you chose the correct

distance.

What is the age limit?

Runners must be 17 or over to enter to run the 10km run and 16 to do the 5km run.

I am ill or Injured should I run?

You should not run if ill or injured for your own safety. You cannot give your number

to someone else in your place. This is for insurance reasons.

Organised by WR Events Ltd

http://www.muckyraces.co.uk/

Bikes for sale



Me in Thetford Forest




Before I start updating my Blog for September I would like to show a couple of cycles  have for sale.

The details behind the sale of these bikes will be clearer once  post September 2011 blog & October blog up to todays news.





http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270838550036&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270837131164&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT

August 2011

My daughter

August has saw an increase in ride mileage & additional walking sessions as this will be part of my great barrow Challenge.
I did three walks totalling 10 miles
Bike rides - 11 totalling 331 mile. The furthest ride was 63 miles. In fact, i rode my first half centuries during August 2011, the first being 55 miles.

Finally saw a drop in weight to 15 stone 10 lbs. I have been disapointed in the slow weight loss despite my increased physical activity.

I bought some SPD pedals & Shimano shoes. This has made a difference but i do tend to get a numb right foot & some pain in the ball of it. I have adjusted the positioning of the cleats numerous times & have reduced this a lot.

I'm also finding my backside is hurting after the longer rides. I think i need to invest in a better pair of shorts or a new saddle.

August also gave me a new cycle event to watch in the form of La Vuelta in Spain http://www.lavuelta.com/

Added a retirement activity to the wife & my list which is to buy a camper van & travel round France & Spain following the cycle tours.

Think that's about it for August.

July 2011

My new bike

I managed to do 8 bike rides in July totaling 187 miles. My furthest ride was 41.13 miles.
I'd purchased the Lycra padded cycle shorts & a couple of tops which was quite a traumatic experience venturing outside looking like a sausage (according to my wife). I didnt have much spare cash but found some reasonable priced stuff on E-Bay.

After a few trips out looking like a sausage I decided i did'nt care what people might think i looked like & just enjoyed my cycling.

A big part of July for me was watching Le Tour de France religiously. Thanks to Sky Plus i was able to watch every full race. The commitment & dedication these guys showed despite the obvious pain they were going through was truely inspirational. I'd never heard of Mark Cavendish until July but he'd suddenly become one of my hero's, not to mention Cadel Evans & Hoogerland who got back on his bike after his terrible crash.
http://www.flyingchaz.com/2011/07/hoogerland-crashed-into-barbed-wire-by-car-in-tour-de-france-scandal/

So now I wanted to do more than just the Norwich 100. The next challenge i discovered is The Great Barrow challenge. http://www.greatbarrowchallenge.co.uk/

I will be taking part in this in 2012 as well.

Cycling - June 2011

So, in order to complete the Norwich 100 mile cycle ride in 2012 i needed to get a decent road bike. http://www.bike-events.com/Ride.aspx?id=317

I didn't know anything about cycles so bugged mates & trawled through internet forums to find out what was a good bike for under £1000.

Decided to go for a Boardman Road Team. http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_789209_langId_-1_categoryId_165710

Did my first ride in June which was just under 8 miles, over the next few weeks i did 6 rides & built up to a 20 mile ride.
I was  logging my rides through http://www.mapmyride.com/ which i have also found to be a great incentive.

I was starting to get hooked.

I began to read more and more about cycling & various challenges which i will touch on later.

So, for June 2011 i logged 92.76 miles

Let us begin - quit the fags

Hi

My name is Andy & i'm 43 years old. I've decided to document my journey from knackered 43 year old smoker to hopefully an ultra fit, old person.

My new regime started in June 2011 after getting fed up of putting on weight, i was 16 stone. Wheezing whilst trying to sleep & coughing my insides up each morning, i'd smoked 30 a day for the best part of 25 years. I had no energy & suffered from insomnia.

So, quit smoking  get fit was the plan. I've done this before but always crumbled so needed an incentive. My incentive was train for the Norwich 2012 100 mile cycle challenge for the British Heart foundation

I stopped smoking on Sunday 19th June 2011. I used the nicotine patches & inhaler through my GP which really took the edge off. Currently 125 days smoke free.

I'll post some more of what i have done exercise wise since quitting, plus how my goals have changed within a short space of time. I will try update the blog weekly with progress & new challenges I find.

If your like i was a few months ago & have all the excuses not to quit smoking, try to lose weight & get fit. If i can start the journey, anyone can.