I don’t like hard

Hard training days fill me with anxiety.  I don’t know how to get to that place of being hard but not the hardest.  I tend to go overboard and then at the end of the training session berate myself for going too hard.  I realise I probably couldn’t go much harder, unless it was a sprint of no more than a minute.

Anyway, it’s done now.

I had a hard session in the pool.  My sets included 100m fast (mixed with 100m easy – 3 times each).  The most I’ve done "fast" was 50m.  I knew it was going to be hard.  That doubling my previous fast sets wasn’t impossible.

After the first 100m fast I questioned whether it was possible to do that again, and again.  I changed tactic from going all out fast to going really hard with my pull.  That seemed to make a difference.

My stroke was all over the place.  I don’t know whether you count each stroke, I count as I breathe, and I breathe every 2nd stroke.  I was going between 10 – 14.

Having finished the swim it was off to do a 45min hard run.  This is where I really have trouble working out what hard is.  It really is a fine line for me between hard and all out.

Wasn’t it warm really early.  When I got back from the run I checked the temperature.  It was 22deg and it was 9:05am!

I ran around the forest.  It was so hot in the exposed parts.  But I found a really nice rhythm when running through the forest.  Of course I could hear myself breathing hard.

I also put my new watch back to beep.  I kept slipping backward and forward on 180bpm which is where  my third zone starts.  I’ve decided that I do quite like the beeping, now that I understand what it means.  My average for the run was 178bpm.  So at the top end of the range for "hard"/A2.

Back to the drawing board

My goggles put pressure on my head.  I can cope with them for up to 30minutes, but anything longer and the pressure that is applied to my face becomes so much more noticeable that I start to struggle to ignore it.

Today I was in the pool for about 33 minutes and my face/head was sore from the goggles.

Normally my swim is 30 minutes.  And it would have been today but I mucked up my sets and didn’t realise I’d swum 100m too much.

So what about these.  Yes another pair from TradeMe.

They’re *supposedly* made for the Chinese swimming team.  Well whether it’s for the team that competed at the games is another story perhaps.  But the Chinese (generally speaking) have smaller faces – yes?  So then maybe these might be suitable based on face shape.

Don’t know about them being mirrored though.  Anyone had mirrored goggles for the swimming pool?

Should I care?

Michael came to see my bike.

He was very complimentary and quite impressed with the condition it was in.

Here I was thinking that I’d neglected my bike.  The countless times it really needed a clean, especially the chain and I was too tired, too lazy, too busy.

Makes me wonder about the general condition of other people’s bikes.

He asked about the length of the top tube which I told him.  I’d measured it the day before I went to see the Pinarello frame.

He’s going home to check the length of his wife’s Mountain Bike.  He also has a son who’s 12yo and 5′3″.

One thing he would change is the length of the stem.  Fair enough.  The stem is VERY short.

As he was ready to leave, after coming in to have a look at my Pinarello, he mentioned his neighbour has a carbon frame.  My hopes were starting to be dashed.  Then he said that he’d take all the componentry off the Scott and put it on the carbon frame, then sell the Scott frame.

I mentioned I didn’t mind so long as it sold.

But I think I do mind.  I’m wondering whether I have a right to care.  My ultimate goal here is to sell the bike.  I just wish I didn’t know he’s thinking of stripping it and leaving her looking bare and unloved.

One last question from Michael, when does the auction end.

If it were me, I’d leave my bidding to the very end.  If you bid now, then there’s a chance someone else wants the bike and then the bidding war begins.  Great for the seller (me) but not for the buyer.

Now I’ve got to wondering whether other “watchers” might also be wanting the bike for the componentry and have similar ideas about selling the frame.

I’ve had a look at other bikes in Christchurch and there’s an EMC2 that’s Shimano 105 but has a Buy Now of $1,200, and starts at $800 (not reserve), it’s also a Triple.  So there’s at least one other bike out there suitable for stripping for parts.  I guess it might come down to which frame someone believes is more saleable.

Well whatever will be will be.

A show of hands please

I’ve got 14 people watching the auction for my bike.  I know Rachel and Nadine are two of those 14.

Michael (potential buyer) is coming to look at the bike tonight after work.

What I’d like to know is whether the remaining 12 belong to other curious bods out there reading my blog.  It’s ok if you’re one of them.  I’d be curious too.  But right now I want to know if there’s anyone other than Michael who has an interest as a buyer.

Should I be so lucky that Michael wants it for his wife and asks if I’ll put a Buy Now price on the auction, I wouldn’t mind knowing if there’s a good chance there’s other interest, or whether I should bite the bullet and take his offer and put a Buy Now on.

Who knows whether others (not related to my blog readers) are also just curious.  I suppose they may have a bike they’re looking to sell and just testing the market by watching my auction.

So to make this anonymous because I don’t want to make you uncomfortable   Here’s another poll.  Simply click YES if you’re watching out of curiosity.

Thanks!

Where the grass is greener

You’ve probably figured I do a few odd things for my favourite fluffy friends.

Growing grass for them is one.

I’ve been out gardening (well weeding) today and poor Murcielago has been going from one cool spot to the next.

Part of my general garden tidy up was to plant more grass seed for the boys.  I did this a couple of weeks ago.  I have 5 pots and only one of them actually has any reasonable grass.  So I wanted to re-plant them, just toss more seed on the top and then another layer of potting mix.

The reason the grass hadn’t taken off is that the birds got to it.  One day we came home and the area in front of the door was littered with potting mix and all the seed was exposed.  I thought the neighbours cats had gotten into it but Mark said it was the birds.

Low and behold if they didn’t get up to their tricks again today.  I wondered why Murcielago was so interested in stalking the birds but hadn’t realised they were munching on his grass seed.

Anyway, here you can see the boys will eat the grass.

 

Maranello had been sick earlier in the day and took himself off to bed.  Yes, that’s exactly what happened.  He huffed and puffed and gagged and spewed outside, then went straight into the house and onto our bed.

And having the harness on doesn’t faze them at all.

Lastly, after Murcielago finished feeding his face, he was off to look for his next cool hiding place for the afternoon.

 

I’ve just gone outside and scared the birds off the pot AGAIN.  Little blighters.