So, I'm going to tell it as it is - I haven't done a tap of training over the last three nights! And I don't care either!
My mother has just arrived home after being in the hospital since early Wednesday morning. Unfortunately, she broke her leg in 2 places and needed surgery on it yesterday! So, my evenings have been spent out visiting her with my father. I didn't eat the best over the last few nights and I haven't been on the bike, because I've just been exhausted when I get home from there. Life took over, and I didn't fight with it for the three days! But, since Mam is home now I can get back into my routine - starting tonight hopefully! I think a nice 10-miler will ease me back into my routine and get me pumped for April, I'm hoping to set myself another personal challenge but give myself the month to reach (and possibly smash) it!!
Back to training, back to (some bit of) normality, and hopefully will be a bit of a re-charge for me!
Saturday, 29 March 2014
Sunday, 23 March 2014
You Are What You Eat
Garbage In, Garbage Out
You wouldn't put petrol in a diesel car
You know what?! It's all so so true!
You want to know why?!
Simple: Lunch today consisted of 2.5 slices of jam swiss roll w/whipped cream, and a slice off a loaf of toffee cake (plus a couple of biscuits - it was one of those days) and I struggled, yes struggled to do 5 miles tonight - anything over 10 miles to me now, is classed as a short cycle!
I mean, its 8.03pm right now as I type, and I can't keep my eyes open! There's alot to be said about writing down and keeping note of everything you eat and drink while you're training for something! Or just even keeping watch of everything you eat anyway, because it's true - you truly are what you eat!
If you eat properly, you feel great and have plenty of energy! But those sweet things to satisfy a craving might taste good momentarily, but by God do you suffer later in the night!
I'm trying to hold out until maybe after 8.30pm for my treat/'snack' which is usually a regular or black coffee, but I honestly don't think I'm going to last! I mean, if I had matchsticks to hold up my eyelids, they would be buckling right now!
Think I might go and paint my nails - it'll keep my mind occupied for a period of time!
I'm feeling ruby red ;)
You wouldn't put petrol in a diesel car
You know what?! It's all so so true!
You want to know why?!
Simple: Lunch today consisted of 2.5 slices of jam swiss roll w/whipped cream, and a slice off a loaf of toffee cake (plus a couple of biscuits - it was one of those days) and I struggled, yes struggled to do 5 miles tonight - anything over 10 miles to me now, is classed as a short cycle!
I mean, its 8.03pm right now as I type, and I can't keep my eyes open! There's alot to be said about writing down and keeping note of everything you eat and drink while you're training for something! Or just even keeping watch of everything you eat anyway, because it's true - you truly are what you eat!
If you eat properly, you feel great and have plenty of energy! But those sweet things to satisfy a craving might taste good momentarily, but by God do you suffer later in the night!
I'm trying to hold out until maybe after 8.30pm for my treat/'snack' which is usually a regular or black coffee, but I honestly don't think I'm going to last! I mean, if I had matchsticks to hold up my eyelids, they would be buckling right now!
Think I might go and paint my nails - it'll keep my mind occupied for a period of time!
I'm feeling ruby red ;)
Saturday, 15 March 2014
Celebrate
Guess who achieved her mini-challenge?!
ME!!!
I cycled 20 miles. Actually, no I didn't! I cycled 22.34 miles!
YYYEEEEEEEAAAAAHHHH!!! So, after cycling 22.34 miles and burning 930 calories yesterday, what do I do?!
I go out to celebrate with booze! Typical Irish thing to do! But look it, life is short! I'd have bought a chinese but I enjoyed the socialising more! Plus, the allures of the breakfast roll this morning was too much to handle!!
So, what do I do now?! Well, I'm planning to relax this weekend, maybe indulge a little tonight (Buffalo-flavour Hunky Dorys ftw!) and have a ridonculously clean diet tomorrow, enjoy the last of my holidays before I go back to work Monday and aim for another mini-challenge. I'm thinking maybe 25-30 miles in 95 Mins?! It's doable!!
A short but sweet post, because like I said before, there's only so much you can say about cycling!
ME!!!
I cycled 20 miles. Actually, no I didn't! I cycled 22.34 miles!
YYYEEEEEEEAAAAAHHHH!!! So, after cycling 22.34 miles and burning 930 calories yesterday, what do I do?!
I go out to celebrate with booze! Typical Irish thing to do! But look it, life is short! I'd have bought a chinese but I enjoyed the socialising more! Plus, the allures of the breakfast roll this morning was too much to handle!!
So, what do I do now?! Well, I'm planning to relax this weekend, maybe indulge a little tonight (Buffalo-flavour Hunky Dorys ftw!) and have a ridonculously clean diet tomorrow, enjoy the last of my holidays before I go back to work Monday and aim for another mini-challenge. I'm thinking maybe 25-30 miles in 95 Mins?! It's doable!!
A short but sweet post, because like I said before, there's only so much you can say about cycling!
Thursday, 13 March 2014
Moral Support
Oh jeez, where to start..?
I suppose it goes back years really.. See, I fell in love with makeup and the art of makeup at a young age, and I vividly remember watching my cousin getting her makeup applied for her wedding day by an artist, and it hit me like a lightning bolt thrown by Zeus himself : that's what I want to do!! I wanted to be a makeup artist! So, in school I chose subjects that would help me out (but also loved) like Art and Biology for my senior exams. I remember saying to my Career Guidance counsellor in school 'What college offers makeup artistry?" and she told me that the local PLC College did the beauticians course for two years, 'it's the same thing'. No it's not. She couldn't handle that I, a young teenager, was correcting her, a Careers Guidance counsellor that what I wanted to do and what she was telling me were two totally different things. I remember her telling me about 4 weeks before the open day I would later attend, after I asked her again (for the umpteenth time) 'What college offers makeup artistry?!' that 'Why didn't you come to me sooner, IADT has a makeup course and you need a portfolio for it'. Once again she couldn't handle that I had badgered her about it for 2 years and suffered selective amnesia as far as I'm concerned. So, I scrambled together a portfolio and went to that college open day. I didn't get my spot on that course but I wasn't prepared enough myself, that I do know. Most people spend an entire academic year working on a portfolio to show at an art college of any description, I had barely 4 weeks (plus my results weren't the best, hey Im not academically inclined - shoot me). But it didn't stop me from trying to get into my dream. At 21, I finally did my makeup course, and I loved every single second of it, and I'd do it all over again if I could! I remember applying for a job at a local makeup concession in our main department store, and thats when the pressure started on me. 'Why are you packing in your job??" I'm not... "Why are you leaving a job with good money to go into a job with bad money?!' Because I hate my current job and any money I earn doesn't make it any better.. 'Do you think you'll get work out of this?!' Am, that's the point of doing the course I did and applying for this job. 'I think you're crazy to leave a full time job..' Yes, well that's my choice to make.
I didn't get the position, because I don't have retail experience unfortunately! And in order to get retail experience, you have to have retail experience. Catch 22, a double edged sword.
A couple of years ago, another makeup store was opening up, I got a tip off from a girl I studied with who also worked with the same brand in the capital, she encouraged me to apply. So off I did, and the same pressure started again. This time from more people..
"Why are you packing in your job?!' Im not, I'm not an idiot. Then on the morning of my interview for this store, 'You're mother got in contact with me to have a chat with you about you packing in you're job' I'm fcuking not packing in my job, I've got an interview for something I fcuking trained for, what part of that do you not understand?! "But, I'm only trying to show you that by packing in your job and this not following through that you're left without a leg to stand on" But, I just told you, I haven't packed in any job, I'm actually trying to get out of there.
I got told I was going for a second interview with the brand -even without retail experience. I was on cloud 9. I physically couldn't stop smiling for the entire weekend. But, 4 weeks down the line, the store opened and no sign of my 'second interview', I was starting to wonder, so I got in contact with the brand (not in the best way, I'll admit.) I was told that I wasn't going to get my aforementioned second interview, that all the positions were filled on a trial basis and they were offered the positions. Whoop-de-fcuking-do. Cheers for telling me that in the initial interviews!
I was heartbroken.
So, what has all that got to do with cycling?! Nothing really. But the support that I didn't get back then, I thought I would get with my training for this cycle.
A-ha. Nice Joke hun, tell me another one.
I've got no support from the 2 people I desperately want it from. My parents.
First few weeks I got over, because I was only starting out and did have much progress. But, I cleared 16 miles 2 nights ago (making great progress on my mini-challenge, thanks for asking readers!!), I'm putting in the time and effort to make my miles. But because today I asked if it would be possible for little/no butter to be used in the mash (well my lot of the mash for dinner), I was told that I'd 'want to cop on for myself' and when I answered with my prepared answer (I was expecting a remark of some sort) 'It's a cycle the length of the country I'm training for, not a cycle over to Dunnes!' I was laughed at. And, I heard my father remark to my mother from inside the other room, 'I know what to say now myself'
It truely upset me, so much that it suppressed my appetite and I ate a lot less that I normally would have. Moral support is what I need in this training, not smart remarks or laughing. It's the training that i'm doing each night for a cycle that I'm not 100% sure what to expect from it, that I need to be told by my parents 'You're doing good, keep it up' not 'cop onto yourself' or 'you need to eat' when they are trying to force a greasy pizza down my throat after I've already had something to eat.
It doesn't cost anything, a 'Good Job' or 'Job well done' would do. They have no problem in telling people that I'm doing this cycle to try and raise funds for the target I'm well on my way of making... But why is it so hard for them to support it?! Because, my honest opinion, it feels to me like they want me to say 'You were right, I'm in over my head, I'm dropping out', I know that they think I won't be able to do it.
But see here's the thing about me, I've proved them wrong once before.... And I'm on my way to proving them wrong a second time.
Just watch this space....
I suppose it goes back years really.. See, I fell in love with makeup and the art of makeup at a young age, and I vividly remember watching my cousin getting her makeup applied for her wedding day by an artist, and it hit me like a lightning bolt thrown by Zeus himself : that's what I want to do!! I wanted to be a makeup artist! So, in school I chose subjects that would help me out (but also loved) like Art and Biology for my senior exams. I remember saying to my Career Guidance counsellor in school 'What college offers makeup artistry?" and she told me that the local PLC College did the beauticians course for two years, 'it's the same thing'. No it's not. She couldn't handle that I, a young teenager, was correcting her, a Careers Guidance counsellor that what I wanted to do and what she was telling me were two totally different things. I remember her telling me about 4 weeks before the open day I would later attend, after I asked her again (for the umpteenth time) 'What college offers makeup artistry?!' that 'Why didn't you come to me sooner, IADT has a makeup course and you need a portfolio for it'. Once again she couldn't handle that I had badgered her about it for 2 years and suffered selective amnesia as far as I'm concerned. So, I scrambled together a portfolio and went to that college open day. I didn't get my spot on that course but I wasn't prepared enough myself, that I do know. Most people spend an entire academic year working on a portfolio to show at an art college of any description, I had barely 4 weeks (plus my results weren't the best, hey Im not academically inclined - shoot me). But it didn't stop me from trying to get into my dream. At 21, I finally did my makeup course, and I loved every single second of it, and I'd do it all over again if I could! I remember applying for a job at a local makeup concession in our main department store, and thats when the pressure started on me. 'Why are you packing in your job??" I'm not... "Why are you leaving a job with good money to go into a job with bad money?!' Because I hate my current job and any money I earn doesn't make it any better.. 'Do you think you'll get work out of this?!' Am, that's the point of doing the course I did and applying for this job. 'I think you're crazy to leave a full time job..' Yes, well that's my choice to make.
I didn't get the position, because I don't have retail experience unfortunately! And in order to get retail experience, you have to have retail experience. Catch 22, a double edged sword.
A couple of years ago, another makeup store was opening up, I got a tip off from a girl I studied with who also worked with the same brand in the capital, she encouraged me to apply. So off I did, and the same pressure started again. This time from more people..
"Why are you packing in your job?!' Im not, I'm not an idiot. Then on the morning of my interview for this store, 'You're mother got in contact with me to have a chat with you about you packing in you're job' I'm fcuking not packing in my job, I've got an interview for something I fcuking trained for, what part of that do you not understand?! "But, I'm only trying to show you that by packing in your job and this not following through that you're left without a leg to stand on" But, I just told you, I haven't packed in any job, I'm actually trying to get out of there.
I got told I was going for a second interview with the brand -even without retail experience. I was on cloud 9. I physically couldn't stop smiling for the entire weekend. But, 4 weeks down the line, the store opened and no sign of my 'second interview', I was starting to wonder, so I got in contact with the brand (not in the best way, I'll admit.) I was told that I wasn't going to get my aforementioned second interview, that all the positions were filled on a trial basis and they were offered the positions. Whoop-de-fcuking-do. Cheers for telling me that in the initial interviews!
I was heartbroken.
So, what has all that got to do with cycling?! Nothing really. But the support that I didn't get back then, I thought I would get with my training for this cycle.
A-ha. Nice Joke hun, tell me another one.
I've got no support from the 2 people I desperately want it from. My parents.
First few weeks I got over, because I was only starting out and did have much progress. But, I cleared 16 miles 2 nights ago (making great progress on my mini-challenge, thanks for asking readers!!), I'm putting in the time and effort to make my miles. But because today I asked if it would be possible for little/no butter to be used in the mash (well my lot of the mash for dinner), I was told that I'd 'want to cop on for myself' and when I answered with my prepared answer (I was expecting a remark of some sort) 'It's a cycle the length of the country I'm training for, not a cycle over to Dunnes!' I was laughed at. And, I heard my father remark to my mother from inside the other room, 'I know what to say now myself'
It truely upset me, so much that it suppressed my appetite and I ate a lot less that I normally would have. Moral support is what I need in this training, not smart remarks or laughing. It's the training that i'm doing each night for a cycle that I'm not 100% sure what to expect from it, that I need to be told by my parents 'You're doing good, keep it up' not 'cop onto yourself' or 'you need to eat' when they are trying to force a greasy pizza down my throat after I've already had something to eat.
It doesn't cost anything, a 'Good Job' or 'Job well done' would do. They have no problem in telling people that I'm doing this cycle to try and raise funds for the target I'm well on my way of making... But why is it so hard for them to support it?! Because, my honest opinion, it feels to me like they want me to say 'You were right, I'm in over my head, I'm dropping out', I know that they think I won't be able to do it.
But see here's the thing about me, I've proved them wrong once before.... And I'm on my way to proving them wrong a second time.
Just watch this space....
The Word According to Carbs
Carbs - Good or Bad, you can't really avoid them! The fcukers are EVERYWHERE!!
Especially in my house! And they are white, the worst kind. And I'm a carb fiend - case in point yesterday! I checked my diary and the amount of white bread I had was enough to give you wide eyes!
So, last night I decided to cut it out altogether until saturday afternoon! Easy feat you might think, but its not! Whats with dinner today?! Potatoes. What's looking at me right now?! Home-made white bread. Whats in the bread bin?! A loaf of toaster-white bread (you know, the yummy thick cut kind!)
IT'S EVERYWHERE! NO BEUNO!
I could cut back to one or two servings, but when your parents know you're in training for something, and buy white bread and biscuits and taytos - it kinda defeats the purpose! It's almost like they are willing me to fail in this! I know they think I won't be capable to do this, and with all that white bread carby-goodness around, it makes it a bit trickier but I will do this! So, maybe one slice of loaf or homemade white instead of 2 or 3 butter-laden slices...
God, why did Ireland have to be home of the carb-fest foods!?!
Especially in my house! And they are white, the worst kind. And I'm a carb fiend - case in point yesterday! I checked my diary and the amount of white bread I had was enough to give you wide eyes!
So, last night I decided to cut it out altogether until saturday afternoon! Easy feat you might think, but its not! Whats with dinner today?! Potatoes. What's looking at me right now?! Home-made white bread. Whats in the bread bin?! A loaf of toaster-white bread (you know, the yummy thick cut kind!)
IT'S EVERYWHERE! NO BEUNO!
I could cut back to one or two servings, but when your parents know you're in training for something, and buy white bread and biscuits and taytos - it kinda defeats the purpose! It's almost like they are willing me to fail in this! I know they think I won't be capable to do this, and with all that white bread carby-goodness around, it makes it a bit trickier but I will do this! So, maybe one slice of loaf or homemade white instead of 2 or 3 butter-laden slices...
God, why did Ireland have to be home of the carb-fest foods!?!
Tuesday, 11 March 2014
7 Days
HI EVERYBODY!!
HI DR NICK!!
Sorry, I couldn't resist! :P
Ok, so I'm on holidays from work since Sunday evening, for a week.
7 days of bliss, and kinda great timing considering the weather here in Limerick since yesterday! My week started off on a downer, unfortunately a family friend who fought a 14-month hard battle with cancer died early Friday morning and was buried Monday (yesterday). A lady is all she was, left behind 7 kids (8 if you include 'unofficial' Son No 5!), sisters, nephews, nieces and friends. A beautiful day for a beautiful lady, she will be truly missed.
Her strength, and the strength of her family, will give me strength this week, because I have set myself a challenge for my week off. 7 days of good mileage, good mileage being anything over 10 miles of course! Between having a bad 10-12 days run of a cold and night duty and everything else, my mileage has not been good enough for me considering I reached 15.36 miles before I got sick. So, the challenge: Reach 20 miles in one session (including 'downhill' breaks) by Sunday! So, I started the week off nicely, 11.17 miles! Moderate pace of course, but I did sweat! It was not a walk in the damn People's Park! Lets see what I can do today! I need to be able to cycle between 20-30 miles or for 2-Hours to be able to do one phase of a stage, from what I can gather of course! When I found last years itinary, I saw you cycled for two hours, had a half hour break, then cycled for another 2 hours, then your Lunch break and then your final KMs/Miles to your finishing destination!!
So, like I said, if I can do between 20-30 miles or 2 hours of cycling, I should be ok!! But, time - and the cycle in September - will tell that! Now if you shall excuse me, my porridge is nearly ready #cleanbreakfastforadirtymind and all that! :P
HI DR NICK!!
Sorry, I couldn't resist! :P
Ok, so I'm on holidays from work since Sunday evening, for a week.
7 days of bliss, and kinda great timing considering the weather here in Limerick since yesterday! My week started off on a downer, unfortunately a family friend who fought a 14-month hard battle with cancer died early Friday morning and was buried Monday (yesterday). A lady is all she was, left behind 7 kids (8 if you include 'unofficial' Son No 5!), sisters, nephews, nieces and friends. A beautiful day for a beautiful lady, she will be truly missed.
Her strength, and the strength of her family, will give me strength this week, because I have set myself a challenge for my week off. 7 days of good mileage, good mileage being anything over 10 miles of course! Between having a bad 10-12 days run of a cold and night duty and everything else, my mileage has not been good enough for me considering I reached 15.36 miles before I got sick. So, the challenge: Reach 20 miles in one session (including 'downhill' breaks) by Sunday! So, I started the week off nicely, 11.17 miles! Moderate pace of course, but I did sweat! It was not a walk in the damn People's Park! Lets see what I can do today! I need to be able to cycle between 20-30 miles or for 2-Hours to be able to do one phase of a stage, from what I can gather of course! When I found last years itinary, I saw you cycled for two hours, had a half hour break, then cycled for another 2 hours, then your Lunch break and then your final KMs/Miles to your finishing destination!!
So, like I said, if I can do between 20-30 miles or 2 hours of cycling, I should be ok!! But, time - and the cycle in September - will tell that! Now if you shall excuse me, my porridge is nearly ready #cleanbreakfastforadirtymind and all that! :P
Wednesday, 5 March 2014
Death by Pancakes
Not 8!
Now, before you jump to assumptions, no my soul has not been possessed by Dwayne Johnson, nor am I eating for 3. Those 8 pancakes were split into two sittings, lunch and dessert. Ok I tried to be as healthy as possible with them, you know: Agave nectar, diabetic conserves, fruit, a little lemon juice... Kinda hard when you're over enthusiastic parents just lump 4 pancakes at you and tell you to dig in! It's kinda rude not to, especially in Irish households!
The food baby showed itself last evening, for sure! The struggle was real though, could not cycle at all, but I did go for a 45 min dog-enabled speedy walk with Papa Bear, Domino and Peanut, the hulk of a slob-Staffordshire! It wasn't unproductive as such but when you are trying to get back into your PB's and better 15.36 miles in one sitting, every little helps... but those pancakes didn't!
And I'm still feeling the effects today - Ash Wednesday, first day of Lent and when the entire population of Ireland walk around unashamedly sporting a big blob of dirt on their foreheads from morning mass until bedtime as if it was Haute Couture from the Chanel catwalks at PFW, drawing weird looks from every single tourist that pass us! But not this girl! After breakfast of a big bowl of porridge+seeds+fruit (shush, its better than pancakes!) I attempted 10 miles, managed 6.01 and am quite content with that atm. Because its only 12.34pm right now, and there is always tonight when I'm watching the soaps, i can always try and aim for that 10 miles and watch Debbie Dingle tearing apart two brothers who are fighting over her, sobbing at the top of my lungs 'Why isn't that me!!!!!???'
A girl can dream!
Monday, 3 March 2014
Austin Powers
I've been having an Austin Powers-moment (or -couple of weeks) of late
'I think I've lost my Mojo!!"
No bitch, I know I've lost my mojo! Between having the lungs similar to that of a smoker and just a cold-virus zapping every bit of energy out of me, I have absolutely struggled with my training since Feb 23! (Good thing I have a training diary to refer back to!)
So, I said to myself earlier 'Self, enough is enough! Back on the bike, girl!!' And I did! 10.53 miles, Bitches!! Diet has been so-so, I can improve on that!
Also, I felt inspired after my coffee-saunter around the local shopping centre with my BGF Jo-face (Howya, ya stalker!! :P) and having a wee perve over the neon training clothes and (more) runners in a few sports stores.. so, I'm going to treat myself to a few more clothing items so at least I won't be turning my Vote For Pedro tee see-through a la Homer Simpson when he's trying to gain weight!
But, seeing as its now March, and February is such a short month anyway, I just gave myself a kick and got back down to business, especially seeing as before I know it, it'll be May and I'll hopefully have my fundraising night well planned and shall be in the final stages of getting everything organised. But, where my fundraising page is concerned, I am now after entering the €700's!!! Excited isnt even the word!!! So, I'm getting there!!! :D Hashtag Amazeballs!
So, ya.. that's my little bloggie for tonight, I'm not the kind of person who can churn out 5 posts a day, I do work full time and I kinda like my posts to kind of have some bit of substance to them. Besides, there's only so much you can write about how to pedal a bike before I start losing myself to the viewcount!!
'I think I've lost my Mojo!!"
No bitch, I know I've lost my mojo! Between having the lungs similar to that of a smoker and just a cold-virus zapping every bit of energy out of me, I have absolutely struggled with my training since Feb 23! (Good thing I have a training diary to refer back to!)
So, I said to myself earlier 'Self, enough is enough! Back on the bike, girl!!' And I did! 10.53 miles, Bitches!! Diet has been so-so, I can improve on that!
Also, I felt inspired after my coffee-saunter around the local shopping centre with my BGF Jo-face (Howya, ya stalker!! :P) and having a wee perve over the neon training clothes and (more) runners in a few sports stores.. so, I'm going to treat myself to a few more clothing items so at least I won't be turning my Vote For Pedro tee see-through a la Homer Simpson when he's trying to gain weight!
But, seeing as its now March, and February is such a short month anyway, I just gave myself a kick and got back down to business, especially seeing as before I know it, it'll be May and I'll hopefully have my fundraising night well planned and shall be in the final stages of getting everything organised. But, where my fundraising page is concerned, I am now after entering the €700's!!! Excited isnt even the word!!! So, I'm getting there!!! :D Hashtag Amazeballs!
So, ya.. that's my little bloggie for tonight, I'm not the kind of person who can churn out 5 posts a day, I do work full time and I kinda like my posts to kind of have some bit of substance to them. Besides, there's only so much you can write about how to pedal a bike before I start losing myself to the viewcount!!
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