What am I doing......?

Think I might be about to sign myself and some of the other Coven members for this

Catrin and Naomi have foolishly agreed to go in with me and be a team - watch out Team Coven will be on the loose!
Nome is an acknowledged fish so she's going to swim, I've been on my turbo trainer so I'm going to cycle and Catrin has been in Ski Mountaineering training, so she's going to run which should be a whole lot easier without the skis strapped to her feet!
Hmmm, better get some training in!

Using the arms...

Yesterday for the first time since my operation I went CLIMBING!!! It's now 3 months on and that was the timeline given by surgeon and physio before I was allowed to put a harness on. So 12 weeks and 1 day after going under the knife I headed down to Awesome Walls in Stockport and felt VERY nervous. I started off doing a little traversing no more than 2 feet off the ground, then I tried out a few of the "warm-up" boulder problems. Although the climbing felt ok, movement is definitely restricted and anything twisty was tricky. Mostly though I just felt worried about the concept of falling off. So I strapped on a harness and climbed a few routes, up one of the slabs. I was concerned that lowering off would be painful or even uncomfortable but all seemed to be fine.

Only did 3 routes then did a load of stretching and exercises followed by 3 more routes,  one of which was a 6a slab - maybe the old magic is still there.

Hanging out watching the other boulderers was interesting, normally I don't pay that much attention but as I've been wondering about getting involved in coaching type work I took the opportunity to see if I thought I could actually help people - I think the answer is a resounding YES!!

As you might realise this is not a picture from yesterday!! Although probably have about the same level of non-tan!

De-pinking......

Now when someone buys an amazing black and white full carbon road bike - why oh why would you put pink handlebar tape, pink tyres, pink cables and a hideous pink saddle on it?????

I very recently bought a new bike on ebay, and now that I've been united with it the first job was to get rid of the pink!!! Yesterday I went and bought the bits, would you believe you can wander into a cycle shop and be told that you need to have your bum measured for a seat!! This process luckily doesn't involve a tape measure and one of the shop boys. You get sat on a special gel pack and then in tells you which size seat to buy, very nicely they don't size them as small medium and large, but pink, green or blue!! I was happily size green.

Armed with new saddle and bar tape, I handed the rest of the job over to my bike mechanic who can be seen in the pictures returning some of the original style back to the lovely little Giant. Not quite got enough cash to be replacing the tyres just now and at least they are bright pink not nasty pastel. 











You didn't think I'd publish a picture of me in lycra did you??



Immediately fixed into the turbo trainer and have had my first ride - amazing! Can't wait to get out on the roads, which as I can reach the handlebars more easily and don't have to be as bent will be sooner than it would have been on the old bike. (Sorry Cube!)

Today I touched my toes!

I realise to most that doesn't sound like any great feat of flexibility but I am feeling quite proud of myself! Those little feet have been feeling like a long way away and it's not because I have a set of long supermodel type legs (more's the pity!).
2 weeks and counting until I can put a harness on, not sure I've had a total climbing break for such a long time for, well....ever!!

Still pretty snowy here on the tops at least, street level is more akin to a skating rink than the nice crunchy snow it was last week. Managed a little shuffle about on skis last week - only on the flat so no danger of falling over, although with such lovely snow around some downhill turns were really tempting...... 

Icebreaker??

These are the conditions around New Mills, cold, snowy and snowing some more right now. These pictures are from a couple of days ago, there is now a whole load of snow and think the barges might need an ice breaker to get out!

Really beautiful though, especially as I don't have to go anywhere. Feeling a little bit jealous of all the tales of winter routes getting done, especially as some of the amazing ice routes are going to start being formed if this cold continues as it's forecast to do.

Ah well, hopefully it'll be another long cold winter and I'll get a chance at some point....

Real exercise......isn't it great???

It feel like forever since I did anything that raised my heartrate and meant that I was actually properly sweating! Today for the first time in over 2 months I got fully hot and bothered.
Yesterday my new turbo trainer arrived, so I immediately fitted it together and fixed in my bike - ahhh my bike I've missed the lovely Cube. As I'd already been for an early morning swim yesterday and done a whole load of those physio exercises and some extra pilates type things I decided that a 5 mins burn just to check it worked was enough.
But today I had a full 45 minute ride - you don't half get hot when you haven't got the breeze caused by your bike actually moving!!

Amazing!!! I think I may have been suffering from a lack of exrecise endorphins - swimming just doesn't quite cut it!

No Winter for Ruth

Most people are starting to get over excited by the thought of winter coming. Not me, despite actually enjoying last season I have a pretty good excuse this year not to be getting involved in the scottish winter season. 6 weeks ago I had surgery on my spine to try and stop it hurting which it has done for the last 2 1/2 years, all day evey day.

Fingers crossed it'll do the trick but the recovery process is not going to be super quick and carrying heavy rucksacks around the mountains is not recommended by any of the medical profession!!

First picture is straight out of hospital - and those are my pyjamas not my pants! The second is a day after the stitches and dressing came off, about 10 days after surgery.

Six weeks on it's all getting slowly,slowly, very slowly better. No longer do I get overtaken by old people and zimmer frames, I can walk at normal speed, do a little bit of swimming and can reach my knees! Shoelaces aren't great and sitting up for longer than 30minutes at a time is a no-no but according to the physio all is going very well.

I'll post some updates as the winter goes along, maybe if I'm really good I'll get to do something roadside in Wales at the end of the season if I can persuade someone to carry everything!