Sum it up on Sunday - January round up

This has been a week of emotional highs and lows for me. On Monday I had the first of 2 interviews this week and I didn't get offered that job. On Tuesday I baby relayed with Vikki and Elle, and shared lunch. Wednesday I spent some time with Lucy and she was witness to a hideous telephone interview that went appallingly and I fretted over it, but on Thursday my parents, my sister and my nephew visited and Niamh and I were taken out for lunch, and I was simultaneously offered a second interview on the back of the telephone interview (and was somewhat dumb-founded).

After 5 days of deliberate rest from exercise, I came to the difficult decision on Friday, that my Back is not physically strong enough to start training for an 86 mile sportive in April. The Back sage continues to grumble on and I have ummed and ahhed and decided that the best thing I can do for myself physically right now, is pull out. It has messed with my a head a bit, I'll be honest. I feel like I have quit, you know? I feel like I haven't even given the training a chance and that come April I will regret the decision. But on the other hand, I am relieved because I can't actually do it right now. How can I simultaneously be disappointed and relieved over training that I can't actually, physically do..?! The mind is a weird thing.

So having decided to withdraw from Aprils race on Friday, I was a rather frustrated on Saturday morning. What else could I do, but push myself to my limit and complete a killer turbo session with the help of The Sufferfest and a specific turbo training video called 'Hell Hath No Fury'. It was hard! I have lost a lot of bike fitness (and was sad to realise that I haven't run in over a month now. ARRGGGHHHHHHH!) as my cadence monitor shows, but I hope to keep improving on the turbo so that when I am well and healed, I can go out on my bike and enjoy it for what it is.

Paul is of the opinion that a concentrated hour and 15mins on the turbo is the equivalent to double that on the road, because when you are on the road you aren't constantly putting effort in - there are downhill stretches etc. And I have to admit that I worked much harder on the turbo yesterday then I would have done had I gone out and done my 15 mile loop, which would have probably taken me a similar amount time.

On Saturday night Lucy and I went to see Holly, and I briefly saw Rachel too. We did a Mandala (see previous Mandala's here). I will do a specific Mandala post over the next couple of days.

(Can you gues which portion of the Mandala is mine!?!)

Sunday, of course, was an early morning gym session with Lucy - 10k on the bike, 30mins on the elliptical trainer and 10mins uphill walking. Tonight I have my second swimming lesson (last weeks was cancelled because of the snow).

Exercise Summary:
W/E 27/01/13
Cycle: 20 miles
Run: 0
Elliptical trainer: 1 x 30min session
Swim: 2nd swimming lesson

Exercise Summary for January:
Cycle: 90 miles/144km
Run: 0
Elliptical trainer: 7 sessions
Swim: 1.97 miles/2.5km