Bicycling to Afghanistan

Not really, just out to Idless Woods. That is the view across the valley, just outside of town. It is a bit overcast and drizzly at times, but fairly pleasant. I cut the ride a bit short, unfortunately, as I obviously need to do a bit of fettling with the gears and things, as it has been a couple of months since I have been using the bike much*.

A few mysteries. Why is it that the more expensive a bike is the more fettling you do to keep it all running smoothly? Not that I mind, I quite like building and fettling bikes. How come, since I last got out on my bike, my saddle has changed from being a lovely comfy perch to being a granite shouldered baroque instrument of torture? Most importantly, where did all that blood on my pedal come from? I found out the answer to that one after, in the shower, I had scraped the back of my calf on something.

Gratifyingly enough I have obviously made some fitness gains, as I was able to keep my speed up nicely, and some of the hills weren't too much trouble. Using some different leg muscles from the ones you use for running was good too. They are a little out of condition though, I obviously need to do some more cycling.

Shocking news I heard on the Beeb's sunday morning cooking program, Jaffa Cakes don't count as one of your 5-a-day! Does this mean Apple Turnovers don't count either?

Another piccie, I keep my camera on the strap of my backpack, so I tend to take a few photos when I go out cycling. This is the hill up to my place, and it is steeper than it looks.


*Work, life and indolence kept getting in the way.

Juneathon stats - day 7
Cycling: 5 miles (30 stoppy starty minutes)

Day 2 of Juneathon - Still at it

Up early for a run. The weather was lovely, nice and cool and still and sunny. Now I'd normally have wimped out of it, because my legs are still a bit sore, but, it being juneathon, I persevered, manfully.

Did my normal route in reverse, just for a bit of variety mainly, but also as a bit of an experiment on running down hills, see blog passim*. I'm definitely going to have to modify my route a bit, and lengthening it probably wouldn't hurt, given I managed the loop in 18 minutes, while walking gingerly downhill, wincing, for much of the last part of it. Oh how I envy you south eastern types with your nice flat countryside.

Something I am liking about running early in the morning is how quiet it is, virtually no-one seems to be around. Apart from the occasional car, the only person I saw today was a random sat on the bench on the corner just up from home. Why he wasn't still in bed is a mystery, as he was still there when I got back.

In other news, I could really do with a ciggy.

*No I don't know exactly what it means, but they use it in Private Eye constantly.

Tunes -
Feist
Editors

Juneathon stats -
run: 1.3 miles

Rather lovely early morning run, with the sun just coming over the top of the hills. Nice and still and cool, with no-one really around. There was even a bit more progress, which is slightly surprising seeing as I haven't really been out running for nearly a week. This wasn't purely laziness, although that was definitely a factor. Every time I went and started to go out for a bimble my shins would start bitching at me nearly as soon as I started. I figured it might be a cunning plan to let them rest for a bit before I went out again, and lo, it worked.
My shins are only hurting like they were towards the end of the run, still annoying, but nothing like as bad.

Having somehow managed to marginally improved my fitness enough that I not only no longer feel like I am dieing 5 minutes into a bimble, but also don't have random aches and whinging from my legs etc, I think I might have some idea why I am getting these pains in my shins.

Hills, they are the problem, specifically running down them. I'm sure there is some fancy biomechanical name for it, but essentially I am a lummox, and when I run downhill my foot is acting as a brake when it lands and is putting even more stress through my ankles and shins than normal. This is a little bit of a problem, because hills are pretty much unavoidable down here, and the particular downhill section where the pains are starting is approximately a third of the route I am using at the moment. I suppose I'll have to figure a modification to the route so that I can do the uphill bit (which is fine) and the level(ish) bit for longer and then just walk back down the hill as a warmdown or something (oo, hark at me, sounding like I know what I am doing).

Alternatively I could just try and learn how to run downhill without bollocksing my legs up, but that's crazy talk.

As for Juneathon, I think I'll give it a go, what with it being the law and everything, apparently. I have been meaning to get out on the, very shiny if I say so myself, mountain bike, even if it obviously isn't anything like as cool as jogblog's Raleigh Shopper.