Another week, another quick update

So, that big ride that was supposed to happen on Labour Monday? Never happened. I spent the whole day feeling absolutely shattered. In retrospect, and judging by the phlegmy cough I've had the last few days, I really was brewing some low level virus, but because it was sitting in my chest and not my head I hadn't realised how much it was affecting me.

Having said that, I may not have been able to summon the energy to get on my bike, but I did run (very slowly and without much enthusiasm) for nearly 30 minutes before meeting Duck's small group training squad for a workout. By the end of the workout I was even feeling a bit more myself.

Unfortunately on Tuesday I felt pretty shattered again. To add to that I was suffering some serious glute pain, I think from the Monday workout, but also the accumulation of lots of hilly running, cycling and RPM. I did an RPM class at lunchtime but my legs felt very heavy. After work the weather was perfect for riding - sunny and still. However I just couldn't get myself out there.

I made up for it somewhat by getting up on Wednesday morning and taking the scenic route to work around the Bays.By that point there was a bit of a Northerly blowing, which meant I was riding into a headwind for a lot of the way. I also cycled most of the way on my own, though lots of cyclists (including a few packs) cycled by in the other direction. I was still getting used to the new bike and still feeling too tired to do much other than cruise along, however once I got near Shelley Bay I found myself in a bit of a race with three different guys on hybrids. They'd overtake me, slow down, I'd overtake them, they'd either overtake me or draft off me. It was all rather amusing but if I'd not been feeling so dead I would gladly have left them in my dust.

All up (including the stopping at lights once in town) I was out there for around 75 minutes and still made it into work by 8.15 - plenty of time to shower and get back to my desk. I left my new bike at the empty desk next to me because I couldn't bring myself to hang it in the cycle locker. That meant I had a constant trickle of admirers stopping by, which was a nice distraction.

After work I rode down to Frank Kitts and had another Duck session, including more glute exercises. Given that standing and moving into a walk had been an extremely painful exercise all day I wasn't that enthusiastic. I made it through though and felt ok once I was warmed up. I even managed to bike back home up Brooklyn Hill and Mornington Rd. It was the first opportunity to really test the bike on a decent hill, and she performed very nicely. I'll keep her!

I definitely felt like I'd done enough for the day and slept extremely soundly last night. This morning I met with Duck again for yet more glute punishment, together with some core and upper body work. I am too busy at work at the moment to run at lunchtime and I had a hair appointment after work so didn't get a chance to slip in another run. Surprisingly my glutes have actually felt a lot better today and I'm now hoping that if I rest tomorrow I'll be in a fairly good state for my big weekend of cycling. However I do still have an annoying and persistent wet cough. I have no idea what's up with that.