So, true to form, I was completely disorganised this year. I didn't send out nearly as many cards as I'd wished and I say it every year....yet with each year I seem to be less and less able to get my act together!! So I feigned social responsibility and environmental consciousness and wished most people an electronic Happy Christmas, or posted on Facebook. Lazy cow. As it was, I was really looking forward to Christmas this year, which we spent with my family in Dorset and I wasn't disappointed. We had a really lovely time, and the Boy braved the full family onslaught, coming out unscathed!!
I gave myself a Christmas present in the form of the first half decent ergo score in years. JPM came over to the house last Thursday to witness the test, which we did in our conservatory as it is the easiest place to control the temperature. It's doubling up as an ergo and turbo room, as I have been being precious and not venturing onto the river in the very cold conditions. I think I have worked out that anything under about 4 degrees C and I lose all ability to function normally! I have also worked out that staying out of the grotty weather is the reason why I have thus far remained relatively healthy this winter....although that has probably put a jinx on me now! So I can erg, spin my legs on the bike and wander down to LA Fitness to do weights and any other cross training without fear of going base over apex on the ice or generally getting cold and wet!!
Anyway the score on the door equalled my PB of 7:15, which isn't going to set the world alight, and I know I could have done so much more as my heart rate was not high and I wasn't awash with lactate. I kept it very calm and cirsumspect, as I had started my most recent test on the day of Scullers' Head (which I pulled out of due to the cold) and got to about 400m in before the mushroom cloud happened.....my splits ticked along at 1:48, 1:49....then BOOM, 1:58, 1:59...2:00...I was still cleary holding on to some residual cold symptoms from Turin and I just cut my losses. I wanted to a consistent and steady test, to complete it and overcome the "I am crap" demon, which Jules and I have worked really hard on in our NLP sessions. It is certainly working as the gremlin that sits on my shoulder and tells me how pathetic and unworthy I am gets really squashed!! Overall I am happy with the effort, knowing that I have a few seconds up my sleeve with a simple change in environment (i.e. not on my own in my conservatory, with no race "hype" and fire to give a bit of edge to it all). Combine that with a few more weeks of solid training and we're going to be on a little roll I hope. For the first time in my training life I am looking FORWARDS, not backwards, or even sideways at the people I want to better. I have no control over them. I can only control me and my actions, reactions and choices.
There you have it: a short one today, and my New Year's resolution will be to be more consistent with everything I do. I will hopefully be getting on a few camps in the New Year: cycling with the Boy, to Seville with Mortlake who have kindly offered me a place on their camp and to France with Henley Rowing Club. That will take me nicely to the early summer racing with the three World Cups, the World Championships in Bled and a week later the biggie, the All Africa Games where I aim to qualify for the Olympics. By all accounts the new Zambian Constitution will be going through relatively soon and my fingers, toes and legs are all crossed that the passport situation resolves itself in plenty of time for the Worlds in August. Jules and I did the budget for next year and we both gulped hard...hopefully the sponsorship pitches we have put out there will yield the support that we will need for the coming eighteen months or so of racing and training. If anyone out there knows someone benevolent....
So, a Happy New Year to you all, and health, wealth and happiness in 2011!! Let's make it a good one!!
I gave myself a Christmas present in the form of the first half decent ergo score in years. JPM came over to the house last Thursday to witness the test, which we did in our conservatory as it is the easiest place to control the temperature. It's doubling up as an ergo and turbo room, as I have been being precious and not venturing onto the river in the very cold conditions. I think I have worked out that anything under about 4 degrees C and I lose all ability to function normally! I have also worked out that staying out of the grotty weather is the reason why I have thus far remained relatively healthy this winter....although that has probably put a jinx on me now! So I can erg, spin my legs on the bike and wander down to LA Fitness to do weights and any other cross training without fear of going base over apex on the ice or generally getting cold and wet!!
Anyway the score on the door equalled my PB of 7:15, which isn't going to set the world alight, and I know I could have done so much more as my heart rate was not high and I wasn't awash with lactate. I kept it very calm and cirsumspect, as I had started my most recent test on the day of Scullers' Head (which I pulled out of due to the cold) and got to about 400m in before the mushroom cloud happened.....my splits ticked along at 1:48, 1:49....then BOOM, 1:58, 1:59...2:00...I was still cleary holding on to some residual cold symptoms from Turin and I just cut my losses. I wanted to a consistent and steady test, to complete it and overcome the "I am crap" demon, which Jules and I have worked really hard on in our NLP sessions. It is certainly working as the gremlin that sits on my shoulder and tells me how pathetic and unworthy I am gets really squashed!! Overall I am happy with the effort, knowing that I have a few seconds up my sleeve with a simple change in environment (i.e. not on my own in my conservatory, with no race "hype" and fire to give a bit of edge to it all). Combine that with a few more weeks of solid training and we're going to be on a little roll I hope. For the first time in my training life I am looking FORWARDS, not backwards, or even sideways at the people I want to better. I have no control over them. I can only control me and my actions, reactions and choices.
There you have it: a short one today, and my New Year's resolution will be to be more consistent with everything I do. I will hopefully be getting on a few camps in the New Year: cycling with the Boy, to Seville with Mortlake who have kindly offered me a place on their camp and to France with Henley Rowing Club. That will take me nicely to the early summer racing with the three World Cups, the World Championships in Bled and a week later the biggie, the All Africa Games where I aim to qualify for the Olympics. By all accounts the new Zambian Constitution will be going through relatively soon and my fingers, toes and legs are all crossed that the passport situation resolves itself in plenty of time for the Worlds in August. Jules and I did the budget for next year and we both gulped hard...hopefully the sponsorship pitches we have put out there will yield the support that we will need for the coming eighteen months or so of racing and training. If anyone out there knows someone benevolent....
So, a Happy New Year to you all, and health, wealth and happiness in 2011!! Let's make it a good one!!
