My first ever turbo trainer session

After my post earlier this week where I discussed media attacks on women in sport, I was really saddened to read a Storify yesterday [no longer available, 2018] which showed that sexism is alive and well when people think they can be protected by the ‘anonymity’ of being online. (Beth Tweddle’s vile Twitter abuse: Women, it’s time to shout back at trolls)

As a former gymnast, Beth Tweddle has been one of my heroes for many years. She may not be the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, but she comes across as kind and hard-working on television. She’s appeared on ‘Dancing on Ice’ and wowed people with her tenacity and dedication – qualities that helped in her sporting career. How people think it’s acceptable to make aggressive sexual comments and cruel remarks about her appearance is beyond me.

Getting on the turbo trainer

After my attempted run on Tuesday morning, I’ve been playing it safe. I have to cycle to work, but I thought that it would be unwise to take part in my club’s Wednesday night training session as although my knee was feeling a lot better, I don’t want to risk missing my long run at the weekend. This gave me the opportunity to try something new…

Last year, when Stu (my husband) bought a new road bike, he was given the chance to buy a half-price turbo trainer. I begged him to get it for me, but until yesterday, I had never used it! Last night seemed like the perfect opportunity, so whilst Stu went out for a run, I cued up some music and started pedalling.

It didn’t take me long to realise a few things:

• It’s not the same as being in a spinning class with a fantastic instructor there to motivate you
• There’s nothing to look at (would it be bad to set up the trainer in front of the TV?!)
• I miss the music that we had in spinning classes at Bournemouth Uni and need to invest in some good motivational music (any recommendations?)
• It’s sooooo much hotter than working outside

Do I need a plan?

Initially, I didn’t have a plan, I just wanted to get on my bike and have a go. I was wearing a pair of Bellwether Newton shorts that I bought from Sport Pursuit last year. I bought them just as the weather started turning and by the time they arrived, it was too cold to wear them. They sounded like they would be good, but what particularly attracted me was the fact that they are plain black (and weren’t too expensive). They have an attractive waistband that dips slightly at the front and is not too tight, so there was no ‘muffin-top’. The grippers on the legs were good, but I think my thighs are rather too fat for them at the moment, as there was a hideous bulge – oh dear!

Initially, I thought I’d see how I’d go, but then I started setting myself time, distance and pace goals. My upper aim was to do 30 minutes…

…then I thought I’d see whether I could continue until my husband got home. I finished at 40 minutes:

My stats aren’t impressive compared with a lot of other people’s but it’s 4km/h faster than I’ve ever managed out on the road, so I’m happy with that as a starting point 🙂 On a less happy note, I felt rather sore afterwards and can’t decide whether it’s because it’s been such a long time since I rode my bike, or whether it was the new shorts 🙁

Putting on weight

I also went to Weight Watchers yesterday, where I found that I’d put on 1/2lb since last week. Although I’m disappointed by this, I was not surprised as we ate out after Stubbington 10k. Also after hearing the news about my Grandma, I will admit that I turned to food. I’m desperately trying to break my comfort eating habits, but old habits die hard.

I’ve seen lots of delicious kale recipes recently, so I asked my husband if he could find me some dinosaur kale (cavolo nero) to try. He tried to find some, but there was none available, so he improvised – what a sweetheart!

Another highlight yesterday was a glimpse of the Team Soas kit!

There is now a fantastic Team Soas Racing blog – check it out!

I’m hoping to find the time to watch an episode of ‘Go Hard or Go Home‘ this week. It’s where a group of ladies from the Women’s Institute train to do a half iron triathlon.

I’m also trying to find the time (50 minutes) to watch this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0DSAxgGdEw?rel=0

Finally, I read this quote on somuchfattitude:

“Losers quit when they fail, winners fail until they succeed.” Robert Kiyosaki

I’m hoping I’ll be able to live by that mantra, as it’s a bit tough at the moment.

Have you ever used a turbo trainer?