The November Detox 2011

I've been a little bit low recently; for some reason I haven't been sleeping too well and as a result I've been a woman on the edge. Training of any kind has been a bit hit and miss and I've been lacking the usual motivation and energy.

A Lil Ride

I am currently undergoing the biggest bike-buying drama that I think the world has ever seen. I decided I would hold off buying a new road bike until after the winter and all I want is a pretty (and by pretty I mean not red or black), small-framed cyclocross with decent components to double as my commuting bike, winter trainer, general packhorse and possibly even an actual cyclocross bike if I ever decide to sign up for a race.

A True Love/Hate Relationship

I went through a small era earlier this year where I could not get enough of swimming. My 50 metre sprints were fast and I was game for any opportunity to get in the water regardless of time, place or temperature. I even got a bit told off by coach Shaun for wanting to get up and do a quick 2k in the lake before a massive cycling day on the Alpine Training Camp. 

Never Drinking Again

On a Sunday morning, many thousands of people around the world are saying the same words, "I am never drinking again". At that moment in time, I am sure every single one genuinely means it. A few days later, the pain is forgotten and the remnants of kebab have disappeared. Saturday night is merely remembered as "legendary" and those fuzzy flashbacks only include the fun stuff, not the bit where you fell over on the dance floor or decided to share your woes with a bouncer for an hour or gave your number to someone wholly inappropriate.

Multisport Mutation

Triathletes and other multisport or endurance athletes tend to be - on the whole - a fairly hardy bunch. Training needs to get done whatever the weather and it's often more a case of how to fit life in around the training regime rather than the more common problem of "how to fit exercise into the daily routine". The training schedule becomes the daily routine and it's only when you finally take a rest day that you realise you have all this extra time to do the normal things people do such as sit down and eat lunch, or watch a couple of hours of TV in the evening.