Thursday 29th April

1600m swim at lunchtime in just under 31 minutes. Maybe the 50m pyramids are helping after all!

Wednesday 28th April

25 mile cycle with a girls cycle group tonight organised by the Bikedock Belles. Good mix of flat and a few hills towards the end. GREAT to be out cycling in a group and good fun too - really nice bunch of girls and very good cyclists too. Contemplating, maybe, doing the Maracycle with them at the end of June :-)

Tuesday 27th April

My legs are still sore after Saturday which messed up training on Sunday and Monday :-( Working at home this week so a chance to train a bit more thankfully. 15 mile cycle at lunchtime with a good average pace despite the traffic.

2000m swim tonight with the club - still doing 50m pyramids which should help my speed but not my endurance...

Saturday 24th April

I did a 13.25 mile run through the Mourne Mountains today as a training run for the Mourne Way Half Marathon in June. It was a mixture of running, trotting, and walking depending on the terrain which varied from easy track, to bog, to straight uphill! Very tiring but very good. I need to buy some trail shoes as my trainers were not up to the job today. No back pain but my legs are a bit sore now.

Thursday 22nd April

Another half hour on the turbo at full pelt. Workload not getting any better and I am totally stressed with both it and not getting time for training this week. Not good when my first triathlon of the season is 3 weeks away....

Tuesday 20th April

Half an hour on the turbo this morning flat out in a heavier resistance. Work levels getting extreme this week so no swimming tonight :-(

Monday 19th April

Pilates class tonight - tough but good...

Sunday 18th April

More sinus problems today so no cycling - getting fed up with these headaches as they make you feel rotten. Just went for a 1600m swim instead in 31 minutes. Very frustrated with my training at the moment - one step forward and two back....

Saturday 17th April

I ventured out today with North Down CC for a 37 mile ride. Starting speed was around 20 to 21 mph - I hung on for the first 10 miles and then started dropping back a bit and another wee group kindly formed to go a bit slower for me although slower was still around 18mph for a good bit of it. I was soooo nervous at going out with them that I couldn't sleep last night. It was the first time I ever cycled in a group (approx 40 cyclists) too so much learning today! We stopped for tea and scones and then headed back to Bangor. My legs and the rest of me are very tired now but it was a very good cycle. I intend to keep this up with them. Contemplating another run out with them tomorrow morning but I'll see how my legs feel first!

Friday 16th April

Half hour tough spin class this morning followed by a two mile brick run at 8.30 minute miles. Good session

Wednesday 14th April

Early morning spin class - good mix of climbing and sprints - 12.7 miles in 40 minutes.

7 mile run with the club tonight - a bit of flat but a lot more hills! I managed to run the last mile and a half on the flat at under 8.30 minute miles which is great - my speed is returning at last:-). My right hamstring and glute is a bit tight tonight - foam roller treatment required.

Tuesday 13th April

2050m of swim sets with the club tonight. Mainly 50's and 25's with not a lot of rest! Bit concerned that we are doing shorter fast stuff - would like a few longer sets in the session.

Monday 12th April

Pretty fatigued today after the weekend but no pain thankfully. Pilates class tonight using bands - was hoping for an easy class but no chance!

Sunday 11th April

First part of todays training was a good fastish 12.5 mile cycle. Lovely weather - shorts on today :-)

Need a good stretch before the race this afternoon. I am just going to take it as a training run.

Part two of today's training now complete - Titanic Quarter 10k. So much for a training run! Started off too fast but managed more or less somehow to keep it up. Delighted to finish in 57.40. Way off my pb but the fastest I have run in a long long while. I almost felt like my old self!! Don't know where the speed came from but it looks like the hill training is helping. Legs are tired now but my back is ok :-)

Saturday 10th April

I have had a bad week between insomnia and not feeling too hot so the training took a hit - scundered with that. Back at it again today with another 7.5 mile run of hills in Belvoir Forest and Lagan Meadows. I found it tough but we actually ran about 3 mins faster than last week and there was less flat stuff. My back was a bit sore after it but hopefully will settle for the 10k tomorrow.

Monday 5th April

The weather is just too bad to cycle outside, unfortunately - wind and rain...

So I did a 45 minute challenging spin class - a lot of climbing and sprints followed straight off with a 2 mile run on the treadmill (first brick of the year) at my fastest speed since I got injured last August :-) Still feeling good despite the recent hike in training levels.

Sunday 4th April

Happy Easter! My hilly weekend continued today with me going in search of hills on the bike. 34 miles of mainly hilly cycling! Great cycle - felt strong once I got over the first monster. Discovered a whole new cycling area too on country roads at the back of Ballygowan and Saintfield. I can feel my strength and fitness coming back at last which is great. Just got a bit tired in the final 4 miles coming back home. Very pleased with how I got on - vast improvement on the last cycle...

Saturday 3rd April

7.5 miles of hills and more hills in Belvoir Forest and Lagan Meadows this morning. Very good but tough. My back twinged a little bit but I feel fine now. Not a lot of speed but could feel strength coming back into my legs.

The Race over the Glens was cancelled today unfortunately due to the snow storm earlier in the week - the whole forest park is closed as the paths are too dangerous. Very disappointing.

Friday 2nd March

Early morning spin class on the new Keiser M3 spin bikes in the gym - very good workout.



No cycling outside today as planned due to totally rubbish weather - rain and strong winds...

So instead I did a 2 mile run on the treadmill in my new Newton Lady Isaac guidance trainers to test them out (very strange but good) and then an 800m swim in 15 minutes.

Wednesday 31 March

5.6 mile run tonight with the running club. Bit of a quicker pace than usual for me which is good and we threw in a big hill at the half way mark which I did manage to run up! My ITB's on both sides are very tight and I could feel my back pulling a bit as a result of it. I need to get them loosened off. I have entered for Race over the Glens on Saturday - a 5.5 mile off road race at Glenariff. Looking forward to it (I think!)