holy moses - three weeks to go!

as i have a mini freakout over the impending event - let's recap on training this week:

mon: 30 min swim
tues: 2 and ½ hr cycle (up to epping forest; lovely)
weds: 45 min swim
thurs: 40 min gym
fri: rest day
sat: 45 min run (along a coastal path; double lovely)
sun: rest day

there's a question I’m being asked more, which is “With all this exercise, are you feeling the benefits?” On a day to day level, getting up at 6.30am and moving about for an hour or so before work, I do find myself more content with my day. However – this is not always the case – and sometimes exercising can do quite the opposite – and put me in a bad mood.

this week featured some pretty terrific ups and downs, would be interested to hear on other folks experience of this. here is my down, followed by my up.

DOWN:

two and half hour cycle – feeling good on the way out, got to the forest, was nice and hilly and muddy. On the way back started getting hungry and tired and sore. Got home, checked my time verses distance on google maps and realised it was yet ANOTHER stupidly slow time. Felt rather miserable, still hungry but nothing to eat in the house and didn’t cheer up until well into the night after a very satisfying meal of sashimi. So, figure – exercise doesn’t always make you feel better, and eating well post exercise is a must must must.

UP:

wednesday swim I put myself to some speed training. the aim was to find a quick 100 metre pace which didn’t make me want to hurt small kittens. Up and back I went, and couldn’t get faster than 1 min 54 seconds. then my lane started getting a bit crowded, so off I popped into the slow lane for a bit of underwater swimming (got to love it!)

when I returned for another time test, I managed to do my 100 metres in 1 min 48 seconds! I was well chuffed, and put my fandangle new time down to my underwater swimming (and all that lung stretching which results)

I’m interested by the idea of exercising changing your mood; a friend suggests his mood is emphasised after exercising – so if he’s in a bad mood, he ends up in a really bad mood, and vice versa.

Hmmmm – I think my bad mood might just eventuate from realising how crapola I am!