Farrk!!! 2 months till the North Face! Farrrkkkkkkkk!!!

Sweet Mother of Jesus, it is March already.   

That's about two months of training till the North Face.  Farrrrk!  

So - when did this realisation suddenly hit? 

Well, last Tuesday we took Curtis out to Bathurst to see the Uni campus and find out all the guff you need to find out when your only child is leaving the nest and attending Uni 200km away.  (That distance might not actually be accurate, but it is a two hour drive, so feels like 200km).

We were sitting chatting with the Head of Computer Studies and he mentioned that Curtis would need to be there at 9am next Monday.  "Next Monday?" I thought into myself, but didn't like to say anything.  Where the fark had February gone?  I was busy telling people he was going to Uni in three weeks.  It was more like four days!!   

Anyway, the world just keeps turning and the days keep ticking over and I do enjoy every day and relish all the good things like my family and my dog and the sunshine and vodka, but god almighty, could it just slow it down a tad????

So here I am with just over two months of training left before North Face and I am feeling terribly under prepared. 

Last week was my first week back running, and I managed a staggering 22km over four runs.  By Friday I had an enormous blister from my new orthotics, in fact on Friday night it woke me up several times to remind me of its existence.

Anyway, as luck would have it, the bike shop rang me on Friday afternoon and said they were doing a bunch ride from the shop at 7am - so I said I would be there.   I asked them to change my pedals and they said they would.  Back to baby pedals, but hey, it is far better to be out riding and doing something than stressing over it and ignoring the bike (which is what I had been doing for a while).

The plan was a 30km ride before their shop opened.  In the first 500m I got a puncture!!  So we had to stop and the kind guy from the shop changed my tube or whatever you do when you have a puncture.  Yes, I know, I have to learn this.  Later. 

So we got to ride together, which was great because he was a really experienced rider and I got hints and tips along the way and in return I dazzled him with my sparkling conversation and witty repartee.  Hmmm.....!!

Anyway, my first reaction to a Very Large Roundabout was "fang it" but I learnt that if you have been motoring along at a particular speed, you will freak out drivers if you suddenly speed up.  He also advised making eye contact with drivers so they don't run you over.  Well, those weren't his EXACT words... 

Anyway, the ride was utterly gorgeous and very very enjoyable.  Brilliant weather, great views (we went up along Castlereagh Road to Agnes Banks, very very pretty, with the Blue Mountains in the background, and our gorgeous lakes along to the left).  

Came home LOVING my bike all over again. 

Sunday morning, John was going to soccer training, so I decided to go with him, take my bike down to the river and do three or four laps, about 20km.  Again, another beautiful ride, although trying to judge speeding up enough to get up the ramp ended in disaster when I rode directly into a fence.  This was good, because it doesn't do to be too cocky on a bike.  

Anyway, after we'd finished, we decided to have coffee in Glenbrook, and after that, all buoyed up from a brilliant ride, I said I would ride home. 

Hehehehe.....welcome to REAL riding - mountains style.  Getting up the "hill" which is really a gentle incline from the coffee shop to the swimming pool had me panting like an overweight labrador, but I was too stubborn to get off, and too worried I might get run over.  Across the bridge and meandered through various streets until the realisation hit me.  Allen Street.  Big Hill.  One I struggle to run up.  Remembered how the bike shop guy helped me get my bike in a really low gear, pedalled like crazy, out of the seat, got to the crest AND TURNED TO JELLY!!!  Was totally scundered because I had to get off and PUSH the bike up the remainder of the hill.  Everything was wobbling.  I was furtively looking around HOPING that I wouldn't come across anyone I knew.  All this bike riding on flat terrain has been lovely, but those hills are TOTALLY BRILLIANT to get the heart pumping.  It is something I am not really capable of when I run, I just cannot go fast enough.  When you are on a bike it is not as easy to stop, get off and walk,  and there is that pride thing too, it's not like you can just pretend you are out for a walk - like, who WALKS a road bike for exercise???  So, it really wouldn't be bad training for me to just do that hill a couple of times a week.  

Today my blister is healing nicely, so I did a pump class and went for a 5km run.  I added in a little hill.  It wasn't pretty.  And mentally I am calculating my "time left" for North Face.  But, as always, have faith, keep up the training, increase gradually, get used to the orthotics and throw in some hill repeats on the bike!!!   No matter what, I am going to have fun over the next two months, life has been speeding by....I need to remind myself every day AM I HAVING FUN????