So, I've become a bit of a Spin Freak over the past couple of weeks. Since the beginning of January I've been to 11 spin classes. I said in a previous post that I much prefer cycling outside, but I'm actually getting just as big a buzz from being indoors; spinning and sweating in the semi-dark beside 39 other folk burling their legs and swiping their brows in time to the loud and catchy beat beside me!
It's a different kind of not-so-serious time in the saddle, but it's great fun - and great cross-training - all the same.
Other training over the past couple of weeks has consisted of a couple of 'Park Walks', some Morning Gymnastics (as predicted previously, definitely not every morning!!) one very short session on the turbo trainer and a couple of body balance classes.
I'm pleased to be nearly at the end of January and still as keen to train - the new year burst of motivation is hanging on in there! And, with this mild weather we've been having of late, I might even venture outside on my bike very soon!
Though, it might be hard to find the time to fit that in while I'm having such a spin-tastic time...!
Monday 25 January 2016
Thursday 7 January 2016
Morning Gymnastics in a cooler climate
I've mentioned in previous posts a place called Club La Santa. It's a holiday come sports resort in Lanzarote and our family fell in love with both the resort and the island when we first went there in 2006. I can't relate to the 'Lanza-grotty' reputation that this beautiful little island seems to hold for some. La Santa sits on the north coast and its surrounding volcanic landscape, crashing waves, sandy beaches, rocky outcrops, hills, sunsets, sunrises, little villages, local people, sea-food and, of course, the plethora of sports in the resort itself are just some of the many reasons why we love it.
One of the staples of La Santa Sport is 'Morning Gymnastics'. The name's a wee bit misleading as it's really just a dynamic stretch routine, and you definitely don't have to be an inspiring Olga Korbut to take part! Every day, guests at La Santa gather by the pool at 8am and follow the same 15 minute routine set to the exact same music that they've been using for the past 30 odd years!
One of the staples of La Santa Sport is 'Morning Gymnastics'. The name's a wee bit misleading as it's really just a dynamic stretch routine, and you definitely don't have to be an inspiring Olga Korbut to take part! Every day, guests at La Santa gather by the pool at 8am and follow the same 15 minute routine set to the exact same music that they've been using for the past 30 odd years!
Now, some may think it a bit sad, but sometimes I do Morning Gym at home. I only had to download the music (from an old video of the routine I found on Youtube) as I know the moves off by heart. Over the years, I've gone through phases of doing it in our living room religiously every morning to not doing it at all.
But, now that I'm training for Tanzania, I intend doing Morning Gym every morning. OK, that won't happen. Now that I'm training for Tanzania I intend doing Morning Gym as often as possible. It's a great way to stretch everything out and a great way to start the day. Especially when another member of the Milne clan joins in, as sometimes happens!
Some days, like today, it might be the only training that I do. But something's better than nothing - even if that means playing to the same tune every single morning...
Monday 4 January 2016
Kicking off by balancing and spinning
Along with all the hunners of other folk who start off the new year with great intentions, I took out a 'special deal' on a short-term membership with our local sports centre. I'm still on holiday from work so, to make sure I get my money's worth before the novelty wears off, I went along to two classes this morning.
The last time I was at a 'Body Balance' class was only a few weeks ago - under the heat of the sun, with the waves crashing in the background - in our beloved Club La Santa sports resort in Lanzarote. Today's class was just a tad different - under the glare of the strip lights with the air conditioning buzzing in the background - but I thoroughly enjoyed it all the same. I'm not supposed to do any high impact exercise, so I have to settle for the more placid stretchy sort of class. However, I did still work up a good sweat this morning - even though no burpees, turnsteps or jumping-jacks were involved!
Immediately after having my body balanced, Alex joined me for a 'Velocity Light' spin class. Now, I've only every been to one spin class before and I didn't really like it. I couldn't hear the instructor, I couldn't get to grips with the gear lever and I couldn't keep up with the rest of the class! But, I shouldn't have let one unfortunate experience colour my opinion and I'm glad that I gave spin another go today! I loved the class - a good teacher, loud music but a louder microphone, and a much better grasp of how to get the most out of the spin bike. For me, it doesn't come close to cycling outside, but I'm very much a fair weather cyclist and classes like this should add a wee bit of variety to the monotony of sitting on my turbo trainer at home watching the telly!
So, there we go, the training's kick-started. I guess I should really think about doing the same with a nutrition plan...but there are still a fair few Christmas sweeties in the cupboard to be demolished...yup, one step at a time me-thinks. Don't want to be taking things too seriously after all...
The last time I was at a 'Body Balance' class was only a few weeks ago - under the heat of the sun, with the waves crashing in the background - in our beloved Club La Santa sports resort in Lanzarote. Today's class was just a tad different - under the glare of the strip lights with the air conditioning buzzing in the background - but I thoroughly enjoyed it all the same. I'm not supposed to do any high impact exercise, so I have to settle for the more placid stretchy sort of class. However, I did still work up a good sweat this morning - even though no burpees, turnsteps or jumping-jacks were involved!
Immediately after having my body balanced, Alex joined me for a 'Velocity Light' spin class. Now, I've only every been to one spin class before and I didn't really like it. I couldn't hear the instructor, I couldn't get to grips with the gear lever and I couldn't keep up with the rest of the class! But, I shouldn't have let one unfortunate experience colour my opinion and I'm glad that I gave spin another go today! I loved the class - a good teacher, loud music but a louder microphone, and a much better grasp of how to get the most out of the spin bike. For me, it doesn't come close to cycling outside, but I'm very much a fair weather cyclist and classes like this should add a wee bit of variety to the monotony of sitting on my turbo trainer at home watching the telly!
So, there we go, the training's kick-started. I guess I should really think about doing the same with a nutrition plan...but there are still a fair few Christmas sweeties in the cupboard to be demolished...yup, one step at a time me-thinks. Don't want to be taking things too seriously after all...
Sunday 3 January 2016
Looking back and ahead
I used to post fairly regularly, but it's only once in a while now that the notion takes me. So, this might turn out to be my first and last blog post for a while!
Since I last wrote, I've started working part-time with Breast Cancer Care which (ironically) meant I had to pull out of the Women V Cancer Cycle Africa challenge in October. Consequently, I kind of lost my cycling mojo a wee bit and haven't clocked up very many miles. However, the few miles that I have clocked up were bagged in some really lovely places and I thoroughly enjoyed every one of them.
Action for Charity, who organise the Women V Cancer challenges, let me defer my place and I'm now very much looking forward to cycling in Tanzania in June - with the glorious added benefit of learning from the experiences of all of my friends who were there when I should've been there last October! The consensus seems to be that the ride was very much tougher than expected. So, I'm aiming to be as fit as possible before I travel to Africa. I'd like to be well prepared for the heat, the distance, the off-road tracks, the lack of sleep, the big hills and anything else that Tanzania decides to throw at me!
I think I'll try to keep a record of my training exploits here during the course of the next 6 months. Like all best laid plans I might not stick to it and, even if I do, it might not make the most interesting read! I'm not going to get too hung up on the prettiness of the prose! It's more about simply sharing my experiences and thoughts as I go along. My bletherings might be of interest to nobody, but it might give me more of an incentive to keep my training up! That's what I'm hoping.
Having a quick look back at last year, I didn't cycle all that often, but when I did I was usually somewhere lovely and usually having a blast. Alex and I decided to make the very most of our 50th birthday year - no big parties but, plenty of lovely get-togethers and adventures with family and friends, a couple of special holidays, some great weekends away and some fantastic rides in fantastic places.
Last year threw us some not-so-great stuff too, but there usually does tend to be some brutal to go with the brilliant. That's just life, and I guess it's what makes celebrating life all the more essential! And, that's something that I do take pretty seriously!
We started our #HavingFunAtFifty last February (I know, I know...succumbing to the hashtag...) when Alex turned 50 and we intend dragging it out for as long as we possibly can!
I thought I'd jot down my favourite 2015 rides (some short, some tough, some at home, some abroad - but all a whole lot of fun):
March
Grand Canyon South Rim - 9.4 and 12.3 miles
Ventura Pacific Coast - 15.2 miles
Monteray - 11.4 miles
Golden Gate Bridge and Sausalito - 18 miles
April
Kippen - 7.6 miles
Bridge of Allan - 25 miles
Kippen - 7.6 miles
May
Glasgow/Bowling canal path - 27.3 miles
Tay Forest/Aberfeldy - 32 miles
Kinbuck - 7.6 miles
Women V Cancer Ride the Night, London - 62.2 miles
June
Birnam/Dunkeld trails - 13.1 miles
Kippen - 8.6 miles
Strathyre/Killin - 32.8 miles
North Third - 14 miles
Round Arran - 59.5 miles
July
Barra - 8.8 and 24 miles
Marlow - 28.2 miles
August
Loch Katrine - 26 miles
Bridge of Allan - 23.5 miles
Coll - 16 miles
Tiree - 14 & 23 miles
December
Lanzarote - 21.4, 27.1, 13.7 & 21.6 miles
Christmas Day at home - 8 miles
Some of my ultra running friends probably ran more miles in a month than I cycled in a year! I definitely need to up the mileage! But, in doing so, I'll be making sure that the pleasure's not taken out of my cycling as I don't ever want it to become a chore.
So, the training kick-starts tomorrow. Come on 2016, let's be having you!
Since I last wrote, I've started working part-time with Breast Cancer Care which (ironically) meant I had to pull out of the Women V Cancer Cycle Africa challenge in October. Consequently, I kind of lost my cycling mojo a wee bit and haven't clocked up very many miles. However, the few miles that I have clocked up were bagged in some really lovely places and I thoroughly enjoyed every one of them.
Action for Charity, who organise the Women V Cancer challenges, let me defer my place and I'm now very much looking forward to cycling in Tanzania in June - with the glorious added benefit of learning from the experiences of all of my friends who were there when I should've been there last October! The consensus seems to be that the ride was very much tougher than expected. So, I'm aiming to be as fit as possible before I travel to Africa. I'd like to be well prepared for the heat, the distance, the off-road tracks, the lack of sleep, the big hills and anything else that Tanzania decides to throw at me!
I think I'll try to keep a record of my training exploits here during the course of the next 6 months. Like all best laid plans I might not stick to it and, even if I do, it might not make the most interesting read! I'm not going to get too hung up on the prettiness of the prose! It's more about simply sharing my experiences and thoughts as I go along. My bletherings might be of interest to nobody, but it might give me more of an incentive to keep my training up! That's what I'm hoping.
Having a quick look back at last year, I didn't cycle all that often, but when I did I was usually somewhere lovely and usually having a blast. Alex and I decided to make the very most of our 50th birthday year - no big parties but, plenty of lovely get-togethers and adventures with family and friends, a couple of special holidays, some great weekends away and some fantastic rides in fantastic places.
Last year threw us some not-so-great stuff too, but there usually does tend to be some brutal to go with the brilliant. That's just life, and I guess it's what makes celebrating life all the more essential! And, that's something that I do take pretty seriously!
We started our #HavingFunAtFifty last February (I know, I know...succumbing to the hashtag...) when Alex turned 50 and we intend dragging it out for as long as we possibly can!
I thought I'd jot down my favourite 2015 rides (some short, some tough, some at home, some abroad - but all a whole lot of fun):
March
Grand Canyon South Rim - 9.4 and 12.3 miles
Ventura Pacific Coast - 15.2 miles
Monteray - 11.4 miles
Golden Gate Bridge and Sausalito - 18 miles
April
Kippen - 7.6 miles
Bridge of Allan - 25 miles
Kippen - 7.6 miles
May
Glasgow/Bowling canal path - 27.3 miles
Tay Forest/Aberfeldy - 32 miles
Kinbuck - 7.6 miles
Women V Cancer Ride the Night, London - 62.2 miles
June
Birnam/Dunkeld trails - 13.1 miles
Kippen - 8.6 miles
Strathyre/Killin - 32.8 miles
North Third - 14 miles
Round Arran - 59.5 miles
July
Barra - 8.8 and 24 miles
Marlow - 28.2 miles
August
Loch Katrine - 26 miles
Bridge of Allan - 23.5 miles
Coll - 16 miles
Tiree - 14 & 23 miles
December
Lanzarote - 21.4, 27.1, 13.7 & 21.6 miles
Christmas Day at home - 8 miles
Some of my ultra running friends probably ran more miles in a month than I cycled in a year! I definitely need to up the mileage! But, in doing so, I'll be making sure that the pleasure's not taken out of my cycling as I don't ever want it to become a chore.
So, the training kick-starts tomorrow. Come on 2016, let's be having you!
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