A sniff of Spring...

After all of the bad weather we've been having it's been such a joy to get out on my bike a lot this week. For the first time this year I could feel the warmth of the sun and smell the beginnings of Spring which is surely only just around the corner now. On Wednesday I got out and did my first century ride of the year. It was a lot colder & a bit windier than it has been over this weekend but it was dry and a good test of leg and mental strength. My plan this year is going to plan. And that plan was to ride, ride, ride and drop my run mileage, although I hadn't envisaged being injured with my tendonitis for this long. The thing about me (apart from the fact that I'm a girl which can be a hinderence) is that I say one thing but really mean another. If I'm really honest I thought that I'd probably ride more and run the same (I didn't like the idea of dropping my run mileage.) Therefore my tendonitis has actually been a blessing in disguise and has forced me to get out on my bike because I just haven't been able to run very much. Like the Chinese have a "Year of the Rabbit"... or something." 2008 is Helen's Year of the Bicycle! Wednesday I did 100 miles. On Saturday Tom and I went and did some hill reps (I'm a snail on hills and am regularly passed by kids on mountain bikes, old ladies with zimmer frames and ice-cream vans!!!) One thing that Tom is trying to instill in me is that I actually do have more than one speed (that being slug like.) It's a hard concept for me to grasp as I tend to only give what I think my little legs are capable of but it appears that when I put my mind to it not only can I ride slower but I can also ride faster (now there's a revelation!) Overall I'm still a slug but I hope these Winter miles are going to help with all of the races in Summer and as our friend Ben G reminded me today, Ironman Germany's bike course is flat, yes boys and girls that's F-L-A-T, and boy am I pleased!!! Yesterday was really the first sniff of Spring and it was just great to be outside soaking up the beautiful views and for the first time I was looking forward to riding today too. Tom and his mates were going out to do the 100 miles that I did on Wednesday (although they were taking a slightly hillier route) and I went out and did 80 miles. We all rode the first 16 miles together and that was a nice start for my ride and I bumped into them again at about 32 miles. I can even say that I enjoyed all of the rides I've done this week and that's definitely a first.

I've had a great week in the pool this week and I've managed three runs this week with no irritation so I think my tendon is peeking around the injury corner and if I can do the same this week then I think I've cracked it, wuhoo!! I had a session with Liz the physio and she's given me some exercises to help me and the podiatrist's magic strapping technique along with foot exercises using a spiky ball have been a god send.

230 miles in the bag on the bike (in the first throws of Spring) and a 14 mile run with no tendon pain is just what I needed to cheer my stupid hormonal face up this week.

Enjoy the silence...

H. x

(Of Spring) "... Summer in the light and Winter in the shade." Charles Dickens