Just as I thought it was getting easier, my fitness improving, OMG......... and we thought last week was hard.
Roll on Costa Rica I need a rest.
Amanda
No equipment, no strips of paper, no photographs.
Just as I thought it was getting easier, my fitness improving, OMG......... and we thought last week was hard. Roll on Costa Rica I need a rest. Amanda
4 Comments
Today a quick and familiar ride to Blandford and back in the early morning sun. Stopping on the bridge over the river Stour - what a difference a few weeks makes.
Amanda I have followed Penny and her yellow bike for many, many, many miles (she has followed me on occasions) but today was the final training ride we would take together before we leave for Costa Rica. It was sunny and cool and easy to choose a route – our favourite, Lychett, Wareham, Arne, Corfe Castle, Studland and the ferry, Poole bay and back to Broadstone. Light rain was forecast but it didn’t materialise - hoorah. We climbed the hills at a rapid pace and came down the other side even faster. We made really good time. At Corfe we were tempted, but resisted. From Corfe to Studland it’s a long and not insignificant series of hills. At the top we break to admire the view (in other words catch our breath) and take on fuel; cereal bar, banana and a drink. Scanning the horizon the army are firing on the ranges near Bovington camp, booms from their guns in the distance, and the smoke coiling up through the air. From here it’s down hill towards the chain-link ferry. The Costa Rican ride is coast to coast, we will finish with a dip in the Caribbean. So with time to spare we practised our beach/sea celebratory dash, posing on the beach, or soaking up the sun – briefly. Being British the queue of cars waiting for the ferry ignored the two middle aged women capering about on the sand by steadfastly looked straight ahead waiting for the ferry to finish loading on the other side. We queued but on the wrong side From the ferry we had a clear view of Brownsea Island and Brownsea castle. Once off the ferry we rounded Poole bay where there were other people practising a celebratory dip too! The brisk wind up Evening Hill should have prepared us for the ride around Baiter. So strong was the head wind that it made riding on the flat more challenging than some of the hills we had climber earlier, with the added obstacle of waves breaking over the path and making us wet! Finally we arrived back at base - 38 miles and feeling we could both easily continue for another good few miles more.
We agreed: must now be ready for the Costa Rica, coast to coast challenge. Amanda There seems to be a theme that emerges every week at HIIT now. This week’s theme was ‘age’. Poor Pete was feeling a little sore about a couple of things; mainly races, being a veteran, final results, and final places. His belligerence was matched only by his choice of foot wear. There was a dramatic change to the format this week. The equipment - six strips of paper taped to the floor! 'You are your own gym', 'Your body weight is your resistance'. Confusion, what? The strips read in order;
20 seconds of each. Once again followed by 'on the spot jogging' 'this is your recovery' then either star jumps or spotty dogs, after each exercise. How can six strips of paper be so incredibly exhausting? This really was the hardest HIIT to date, the whole group agreed, even 15 year old (get your hair cut) Dan. ....but the good news is Pete, tall Pete, is back on the rower. Pete rows thousands and thousands and thousands of km on the Concept 2 rower per year (I kid you not). He is the groups elder statesman. It just goes to show it’s a case of mind over matter. Age is no barrier when you have the right mind set. Amanda Today was my husband's 70th birthday. How did that happen? Maybe that's why he was happy to wave me off as I went for a bike ride today. It was rather shorter than the usual Friday ride in honour of his birthday. Amanda also had to work so I lost my buddy for the day. I was really rather glad that I planned a shorter ride. It was a very damp and foggy day. Those nice weather men said it would brighten up and that the sun would burn through. They lied! I got soaked from the very wet fog and therefore got very cold. The views were less than impressive so I just looked forward to getting home to a nice hot coffee. Roll on the heat of Costa Rica (though I may change my mind when I get there).
Penny Each session starts with a debate, pretending to stretch or just plain standing around, it’s the same topic every time, “How much do we really like doing HIIT?”. Not a lot by all accounts but we return week after week, and even agree to continue as it moves to the new venue in the sports hall downstairs! “We can have more equipment,” Pete enthuses, “the tyre (hmmm my favourite) the sledge hammer!”. A quick run-through of the activities this session. There was a slight change to the equipment – more emphasis on power bags. Yes we used them all even the 'big daddy'. All of a sudden we were off; a change to the timing for each activity meant a 15 second blast at maximum output. The usual jog on the spot, “This is your recovery,” followed by 30 seconds, or more, depending on the speed of the second hand on Pete’s Mickey Mouse watch, of star jumps, spotty dogs, pistol squats, burpees (thanks to Dave), and mountain climbs.
Dashing back and forth across the dance floor Pete looked like he was about to audition for a part in Riverdance - a replacement for Michael Flatly. “Boom, boom, boom”, he shouted, the word stamped loud and proud on the front of Izzy’s T shirt. Then the discovery: Izzy and Kate live just over the boarder, in a neighbouring county. The jokes about cider, apples and webbed toes flowed freely - it’s difficult to counter-claim when giving your all. "When I say three seconds left you carry on for three seconds, not stop". Izzy paid the price for her exhaustion, a five second forfeit. By the end of this you two (Kate and Izzy) will be a size eight, (as if they’re not already). Amanda, you’re older, you'll be a size 12!!!!!! No change there then. As for the group’s youngest victim, Dan, “Get your hair cut for next week, or Dave and I will do it for you”. Dan wants to be a Marine he took absolutely no notice and got on with showing us just what you can do when you have youth on your side. Amanda A bright, warm day with cloud free skies. Perfect for a bike ride. Onto the saddle and off along the trailway. Sun shining, birds singing, and flies! Flies in your sun glasses but worse still flies in your mouth. Yuk! Never mind, wash them down with a quick drink. Over the road at Hammon and on to pretty Shillingstone station. At Stourpaine the church bells were ringing out across the valley. Blandford, Charlton Marshall, and Spetisbury. Over the hump back bridge and the Stour water meadows where a pair of swans were warming their feathers. As I turned left onto the road to Langton Long there was a big gaggle of cyclists spread wide across the road, deep in conversation. What is the collective for more than one cyclist? A quick search on Google lists; gasp, wheeze, road-rash, cadence, link, chain, shift, gear, cable, frame and rainbow! There were a few dodgy ones too. However, the most obvious platoon, and in French, pelotan. Anyway as I passed them, we exchanged cheery waves and salutations. They caught me up ten minutes later! Turning under the under pass to the water meadows at Blandford I met an elderly couple on a tandem trike, (they looked as though they had it from new). They pedalled up a steep incline to the road at the top – no wheezing for them. It was at this point I was caught by the gasp, wheeze, roadrash….. you got the idea.... of cyclists that I had passed earlier. They were in awe of the elderly couple and struck up a reverential conversation once again utilising as much of the road as they possibly could. Watching this whole episode the one thing that struck me the most was the width of the tyres on this machine. I am sure they were narrower than a Ritz cracker and as for shock absorbing, just about as efficient. Amazing! Thus, from my experience today the best name for a collective of cyclist is a Flash-mob. Back over the traffic lights and onto the trailway, with its tree stump carved head and ‘iron work’ cycling family, and home. A quick 27 mile jaunt around the block. Amanda Further along the road to Shapwick, I came across the first hazard of the day - guinea fowl. They are very much like pheasants in the IQ department - somewhere between 1 and 3, I would estimate. On and up through the Tarrants I was treated to a fabulous view of the spring countryside. Back through Wimborne with a diversion to Corfe Mullen to pick up a couple of books about Costa Rica from some good friends and back home in time to shower and attack the garden. The garden now looks lovely. I, however, look like rent-a-wreck! Penny Some images caught on the phone during my ride today. These didn't move so were easier than the butterflies. The Brimstone butterflies were everywhere today. Great sign of spring and also a few tortoiseshell. Don't ask me about the bizarre Corfe Mullen giraffe and shepherds, tell me please; why was the little lamb wearing what looked like a pac-a-mac on the first hot dry day of the year?
Dignity the challenge mascot. Dignity, has been part of the Dignity in Dementia fundraising appeal from the beginning. Donated to the appeal three years ago, he spent time on Lulworth ward during it’s transformation into the bright, light, and colourful ward it is now. See ‘Why raise money’. Dignity made his inaugural appearance on the ride today and will be joining our adventures in Costa Rica. Look out for him. Penny and I chose the Mitlon Abbas/Bulbarrow route today, mainly for the hills and because at the top of hills there’s a view. The weather was clear, bright and sunny perfect for seeing and capturing the beauty of the Dorset countryside. We met in Morrison’s car park, where Penny handed me a large bag of kale, picked fresh from her allotment. I carried it in my backpack all the way round, and strangely at no time on the ride did I feel the urge to nibble on a leaf, although we met a few animals which might have appreciated it. On leaving the car park immediately you start a four mile climb up and over the Bryanston Hills, to Winterborne Stickland. Turn right, then left and it’s up again and a long drag to the view point at Woolland Hill where Dignity needed to stop. The incentive for climbing hills (oh yes there is a one), is once you reach the summit you know there's going to be a descent. We raced down the other side, with Penny snaking her way backwards and forwards across the (clear) road. At the bottom the exhilaration was short lived. A puncture and guess who? No problemo. Learning fast from previous experience, I carry all the kit. It’s as easy as one, two, three. Even better we were on Y junction with a view point, daffodils and seat! Perfect. High fives and a banana, puncture sorted, and all watched in disbelief by some dustmen taking a nicotine break. Off we set for a loop around Dewlish, Cheselborne, Melcombe Bingham, up the hill to Higher Ansty and onward to Milton Abbas, the famous 'chocolate box' village nestled in the pretty Bulbarrow hillside. Yes it is true, you really can go off road in Dorset while on the road, there are pot holes learning how to be sinkholes. It was also on this section of our ride that Penny picked up ‘four faults’ for a refusal at the water splash – she went round it. As Dignity needed another stop, so we took the opportunity to have lunch in a handy little picnic area warmed by the sun. Some folk will got to any lengths to take a picture of sheep, especially if the lamb is already shrink wrapped and ready for the supermarket! Winterborne Kingston to Red Post, East and West Morden, where a farmer was ploughing his field followed by a flock of very noisy seagulls, Bloxworth, Sturminster Marshall and it’s pretty White Mill to Spetisbury, where we said goodbyes and made our journey’s home alone. Along the trailway at Blandford my route was blocked by tree cutting!!! Arrrrgh more puncture producing products spread along the path. No matter I got through unscathed. …and the statistics: Miles - Amanda = 65
Penny = 67 she always has to go one better, or two in this case! Time - 7.5 hours plus puncture repair and taking time to celebrate how clever were. Max speed - 30.8 MPH (OK so it was down hill) Calories - 3,454 wow! There are some really steady hills along this route but nothing in comparison to Jenkin Road, Sheffield. A “brutal” hill says the Amateur Sport Organisation. It’s the last of ten climbs on Stage Two of Tour De France when it comes to the north of England in July. A maximum gradient of 33% and less than 5 km from the finish. So steep is the climb there are hand rails for pedestrians. Watch it if you dare, but the video comes with a health warning, it is filmed by a rider while climbing the hill, travel sickness pills maybe required……..and the descent is even more scary. Amanda |
Authors: Amanda & PennyPenny, Mark and I cycled across Costa Rica from 3-12 April 2014 to raise funds for Dignity in Dementia, a charity at Poole Hospital. We hope you will enjoy reading about our adventure and support our fundraising. Total raised:
£20,060!! Last updated 26 November 14 A huge thank you to all our amazing supporters. Still open for donations! Sponsor usRegistered Charity No. 1058808
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Background picture: The Guanacaste Tree - national tree of Costa Rica - http://tamarindodailyphoto.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/grand-tree.html
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