Up and Down....

I've been lacking inspiration for the last couple of weeks for what to write, this week is no exception. So I'm going to write about 'up and down'.....

On Monday evening I was really 'Up'. I completed my usual ride to work and on the way home extended the route to give me 1 hour return journey, a nice 1 1/2 hours on day 1. I had set myself a 10 hour cycling target for the week, I was on my way.

Tuesday morning up a little earlier and ready to repeat the 1 hour journey to work. Opened the garage to find a puncture to my fixed wheel bike, shite... quickly swapped some lights over to road bike. Went from being 'up', to 'down' to 'up' in the space of a few minutes. If you are like me a little exercise/ training in the morning wakes me up, wakes up my mind and gets me ready for the day (I wish more of my lazy colleges could find the motivation to get going physically, I'm convinced our working environment would be more productive and fun) My lunch time run club has grown again to 6 members. I thought we'd do some slightly longer intervals. 2 laps of a the Rugby pitch was 0.4miles according to Captain Garmin. We decided on a 2 minute recovery, and completed 4 repetitions, running speed was around 6 minute mile pace...nice session. I rode home and logged another 1 1/2 hours on the bike.

On Wednesday my 1st XV were absolutely dreadful. We were really 'up' after Saturday's fixture where we narrowly missed our first win of the season, final score Read 22 - Worksop 3rd's 31 (We had a fantastic 2nd half winning it 17 - 6) Wednesday's match was a bit of a mis-match but not giving 100% and trying your best is inexcusable. Wednesday late afternoon I was pretty 'down' . My mood improved as I logged an hour on the bike, and ran a really steady technical 4 miler in the evening. My training week was looking good, I was really 'up'....

Thursday rode in to work, lucked out with an extra free period as my Badminton Class were away for the day Orienteering...Without further delay I got changed and out on my weekly long ride. I had planned a nice steady 3 1/2 hours. Within the first 10 minutes I realised that was looking unlikely. I wanted to ride steady, which for me is a heart rate of 140 to 145bpm, I couldn't get out of the high 120's even if I made an effort, I added to that a pair of heavy legs. There was only one sensible decision, ride home the shortest route and chill out. However the mind was right 'up' for a big session, "my big bike week will be ruined" "I'll never hit 10 hours" "this is my only opportunity in the week to ride long" etc, etc. But ride home I did, a long hot bath and a few hours on the sofa I was 'down'. Trouble at night controlling my body temperature (excessive sweating, Mmmmmh, really nice for Sarah!!!) and the low heart rate suggested my body was still ridding itself from the infection, virus, small pox, yellow fever type disease I had picked up a week ago.. now I was 'down' A quick call to Tom, reinforced what I was trying to tell myself. "It's only November", "I'm 'up' on this time last year", "If you need to rest take it", "better to be resting now than in April" etc, etc. Most of us know it's the right thing to do, and we all know it won't last for ever, but we all need reassurance from a trusted friend, cheers Tom. Now I was a little more 'up'

On Friday I took the car to work, a day with no training or exercise, should be 'down', but I'd sorted my head out, a surprisingly 'up' day. Watched "The Streets 2" DVD with Sarah, wish I could Dance, (Sarah insisted we practise our 1st Dance before our Wedding Day, so I wouldn't embarrass her with my high tempo bouncing)

Saturday and the 1st XV should have been really 'up'. We were playing a small independent school, very similar to us, no excuses of more players to select from etc, etc. For whatever reason we couldn't get 'up' and were even worse than Wednesday, a heavy 56 - 0 loss. We were very, very poor. If we were a Football Team, as the manager I'd be unemployed. I'm a little lost for things to say to the boys, at the end of the day, only they can run, tackle, pass, kick and make the right decisions at the right times. I feel I have adequately equipped them with the tools, but it's just not coming from them. Not much time to be 'down', as we have friends coming for food and a few fireworks.

Had a really 'up' afternoon and evening with our friends 'Ironman' Martin (Switzerland 2008), Jo, and their boys Jem and Charlie. Ellie loved playing with the boys and it was great to catch up with Martin and Jo. Unfortunately little Evie didn't like the fireworks, her own screaming added to that from the "singing piranha" and "screaming peacock"......

Sunday was a family day, I ended the week on the 'up'. I had taken 3 rest days, was feeling less tired and seemed to have my sweating more under control. We had a sofa afternoon having brought a Family DVD "Flushed Away", Ellie devoured the pop corn, jelly sweets and marshmallows and then after an hour said,

"can I go and do something fun now"

She does say some funny things.....

I finished the week with 4 1/2 hours on the bike, and 2 good runs, from a training perspective I was 'down', I didn't get close to my weeks training objective, so was 'down'. My rugby team were really 'down'. But these are only the little things in my life. The things that really matter, Family and Friends, all lifted me 'up'.

I think its tough to be 'up' all the time. Don't misinterpret this weeks post, when I use the word 'down' it's because its the opposite to 'up' , it isn't really an accurate descriptor of my mood state. In the grand scale of things I was never really 'down', just not as 'up' as I'd planned to be, or hoped to be. I'll leave you with a quote from Gordo's website http://www.gordoworld.com/

"Do not take life so seriously - no one will make it out alive"

Here's to a week of 'ups' for you all....... (If you haven't experienced the 'up' and 'down' of an assisted trampoline you really must, they are fantastic!!!!)