Friday 2 November 2012

Another abysmal month

So, October has been and gone and so has most of my motivation.

Yet again the weather has put me off riding pretty much altogether and I can't muster up any incentive to get on the trainer.  So, last month I managed the grand total of 5 rides and covered a measly 64.4 miles.

In all honesty  I just am not feeling like riding any more ... the weather is beyond rubbish, the terrain round here is just too uppy downy and if I go too far a field I will have to contend with too many longer hills, so I just have to stick with the routes I know... but I know them too well so they are tiresome!

I did have a week off work last month and I planned to get out on my bike at least 3 times that week... I managed 2 rides.... but then sadly disaster struck.



My knees have always been slightly dodgy - mainly due to spending too much time on them at work - but the running has also been aggravating them. I did have my gait measured to check that I was running correctly and was told it was perfect so I guess it's the impact. They don't hurt at all whilst I am running... its just the day after they tend to twinge.

Anyway last month... I made the conscious decision to only run twice a week.  Mainly because I was hoping that with less running I could get on my bike more, but also because I thought it would ease the pressure on my knees.

For the first week of October my Mum was away so I went running with Mikey instead.  Before we set off I had to keep telling myself to run at my pace.... not try and push myself to a faster pace so Michael wouldn't get bored - after all he was joining me on my run! ;-)

I stuck with that and on both runs I felt comfortable with the speed; I wasn't going all out but I did work myself that little bit harder - but for me not for him, to see what I could do - and we ran for 5.5k in 40 mins. (With Mum we generally do 5k in 40+ mins) I was well chuffed with the results.  Especially as both the runs were extremely wet - and I mean WET!

On Mums return we did 2 runs that week.... but then I started to loose motivation and by the third week in October I couldn't muster up any energy to go out. The weather was absolutely miserable and as the run route with Mum involves more walking before we start running I just couldn't face it. We would have been saturated by the time we started running. I missed the next two runs with her.

Thankfully then frustrations kicked in, I did want to run - I just didn't want to get drowned in the rain on that first walk. After missing the 2nd run... I became restless. I wanted to run... but I didn't want to be out for an hour in the wet. In a very impromptu moment of madness at 18.00 I told Mikey I was heading out. It was miserable and the skies were dark so I grabbed my high-viz jacket and said I would just do 30 mins - and be home before it was completely dark.  He decided to come with me.

LOL.... because of the miserable weather it turned dark quicker than I expected and after the quick warm up walk up the hill we started to run. Despite the dark skies and lack of street lights (as we are in a pretty rural area) it was good fun. Once I was out I decided to stuff the dark and just do my usual run. I was out already... so may as well aim to do a full 5k.

It was soon pitch black and I was glad of my High Vis jacket. Was just a shame Mikey was in dark clothing  as we had to keep dancing and swapping places when cars passed... to make sure that they saw me and my jacket and that he was protected behind (or in front of) me. It made time go quicker anyway.

There were a few occasions when I prob would have benefited from some form of lighting as I skidded on a number of mud patches and wet leaves and at one point I slightly twisted my ankle when I ran through a pothole... but in general it was fun. Next time I would take some lights. We did 5.5miles in just over 40mins. I was well chuffed. I had really enjoyed it.

Sadly that was my last run.... later that week my knees were worse than ever.... the graunchy noise that I usually only feel when walking downstairs, was pretty much a constant on every move I made and any stairs or steps were agony and the noise was blood curdling and sooooo painful.  I most definately couldn't ride or run!

I am so frustrated. I have been really enjoying running and have definitely seen the benefits on my body... but I know that I probably shouldn't do any more without seeing my doctor or consulting with a physio.

As for the cycling.... has anyone got any spare motivation they can lend me?

3 comments:

Steve said...

The ony real words of encouragement I have this month,my friend,is please don't feel like you're alone in having had a not-happy-with-it-month. October saw me getting back on the bike after months (4),but it was a weak showing at under 60 miles for the month. Hurricane Sandy obviously doesn't hit us this far inland,but we did get some screwy weather from her after effects. While we got low 30's and cold rain all that week,where our burned house sits lost power in the county for days and had 20+ inches of hevy wet snow,LOL,glad we're living here now for this reason alone :p

Please take care of those knees...they're the only pair of originals you will ever have,my friend :)

Here's hoping to a more satisdying Novmbe for the both of us :D

The DC

Marsha said...

The beauty of cycling is that you can make adjustments that let you ride while you heal, unlike higher impact activities like running. Start by giving yourself a planned short rest. Then get out on your bike. Use gears that let your keep your cadence higher without pushing hard on your legs. Stay on shorter, flatter routes at first, then listen carefully to your body as you gradually increase your time. Goals are good, but start with the goal of having a regular routine for when you go biking. Don't worry about the number of miles. When I feel like crap and joints complain, I take a ride. I don't worry about anything but getting out. No matter how short the ride, I feel better after the ride than I did before it. Once, during a particularly foul period, I kept track of the number of rides rather than anything else. If anyone asked me how many miles I was riding, I looked at them and said "no idea, but I took xx rides this month." Just keep making the wheels go round. Good luck!

Unknown said...

It's great getting home to a toasty house after a ride in the cold and dark. It's one of the things that keeps me riding through winter - the thought that I rest in front of a warm fire with a warming drink and completely guilt free cos I've done my ride!

I think that you're only experiencing what any normal person feels at this time of year! It's hard to get motivated when the weather's rubbish and it always seems to be dark and cold. Can you join a group of cyclists that meet regularly? Avoiding that guilty feeling you get if you think you're letting others down might be enough to motivate you to get out. I'm sure that once you're out you'll probably enjoy the ride, despite the cold and dark. Good luck and don't give up on it...it's not that long until spring and you'll start feeling fit and strong.