One spill, two to go...

By Virginia Winder
Had my first spill off the bike today.
Coach Clint and Chris (need to come up with an exciting name for him) predicted I'd have three falls, so I can notch one off.
Just grazed an elbow and my left knee, so no major damage, mainly because I fell from a stationary position. The bike was completely unscratched.
It was my first outing wearing my clip-in shoes and was going up and down Gaine St practising stopping and starting. Stopped behind a car and was starting off again when I fell.
My pedals were in the wrong position, so I went to put my foot down but it had already clicked in. Bang, down I went. I lay there feeling pretty pathetic, twisting in vain to get my shoe off the pedal.
Husband Warren sped to my aid, undid my shoe and picked up bike and then me.
I limped to the pavement and asked: "Can we go home now?"
"No, you are getting back on your bike, now," he said. "You are going to do this."
Pouting slightly, I got back on my bike and kept practising.
I can now say I have mastered the click-in, click-out business and can easily stop at intersections.
And I only yelled at one car driver; a woman who opened her car door just as I was passing. Luckily, I second-guessed her move and went wide, but she got the message.
Oh dear, I could be a terror on the roads, but I will do my best to be polite, honest.
I have a new red helmet too, a Christmas gift (thanks Barbara and Graeme), so I now look like a red flame or a fiery chilli. I think the latter would be most appropriate in this household, since Warren has a large collection of chilli sauces from around the world.
Went for a great power walk on Tuesday evening and my foot felt good. Came home, did some routine stretches and iced my foot using a frozen water bottle.
Yesterday, I went swimming, but only did 20 lengths. The reason was another swimming outfit - a long halter top and short shorts. They didn't work. Won't go into specifics, but the top was not aerodynamic or supportive and was abrasive in sensitive places. Painful.
Earlier yesterday, I interviewed a master runner about gardening. He's a guy called Gerald Dravitzki, who's run 50 marathons.
Yes, we talked about blueberries, cranberries, feijoas and more, but our conversation also turned to running. "The big thing is that it takes time," he said. "If you've got that will and determination, anybody can do it."
To make the transition from walking to running, he recommends starting off by running from one power pole to another then walking between the next two, then running to the next one, then walking again...
After our long garden tour, we finished on the run.
Gerald had me jogging down up and down his driveway, checking out my style and arm movement.
On the phone today he told me: "You've got a good forward momentum. In six months' time you'll be running as fast as a robber's dog."
High praise indeed... but then I went for that bike ride.
What's that old saying about pride and falls?

Today, I:
Went for shoe click-in, click-out bike training session
Worked for 5 hours
Slept for 7 hours
Ate three healthy meals
Pigged out on blueberries (courtesy of Gerald)
Drank 3 cups of coffee
Drank little water

Yesterday, I:
Swam 20 lengths (1km)
Worked for 4 hours
Swam in the sea
Slept for 8 hours
Ate two healthy meals (ran out of time for breakfast and felt lethargic)
Drank lots of water
Drank 1 cup of coffee

For the love of endorphins

When I was out walking tonight I realised four things.
1. Even though I might train and train at swimming, it is unlikely to be my best discipline. However, I need to work harder at it, because I don't want to be useless out there in the sea. I think, from now on, I'm going to have to swim every second day.
2. To perform well in a triathlon, I need to play to my strengths - both of them. Yes, I'm talking about my legs. Despite initially having some trepidation about biking, I have realised that it could well be my strongest discipline in these triathlons.
3. I need to get running. To do this, I need to lose another 10kg and I'm keen to do this as quickly as possible, but still without dieting. I'd like to be jogging by the end of November. I have started by running downhill, in a relaxed and slow manner, plus I'm doing my Bionic Woman slow-motion running the pool.
4. Help, I need new music! I love my playlist, but it's getting a bit too familiar. I need some surprises in there, so if anybody has any suggestions for uplifting music with a fast beat, I want to hear from you. I like rock, alternative everything, some hip-hop and even pop. I love great lyrics too, but most important of all is a fast beat.
Had my day off yesterday and gosh I needed it. I was so tired, probably because of those double-dose sessions. Am still going to do more of them, because exercise is so good for me.
When I'm going to the gym, walking or cycling, those wonderful endorphins make me feel happy.
Swimming is a different story. That's when a get a big boost of endolphins.
Don't start grabbing for your dictionary - my friend Callie coined that word and I think it's cute and clever.
But what are endorphins (or endolphins)?
A quick internet search reveals they are neurotransmitters that interact with the opiate receptors in the brain to reduce our perception of pain and make us feel good. Endorphins act in a similar way to drugs like morphine and codeine and are believed to be responsible for the runner's high. Exercise, sex, chocolate, acupuncture, massage therapy, meditation and hot chillies all trigger the release of endorphins.
That explains why chilli and chocolate is my favourite food combination.
Gotta love that natural high.

Today, I:
Worked for 3 hours
Slept for 8 hours (badly)
Had 3 nutritious meals
Went for a 6.1km power walk
Drank lots of water
Drank 2 cups of coffee