Share your goals to achieve them

Set yourself a goal, write it down, post it somewhere visible, where you can see it on a daily basis and finally share it with other people. This, apparently, is the secret to keeping a New resolution and achieving your goals so without further a do here I go.... 

My first goal is to run the @bathhalf in March without walking any part of it and to get as close to a 2 hour finish as I can.  My effort this year I felt was poor because I was under prepared and a bit blasé about it, which meant I finished but in a rather slow 2hrs 22 mins and sadly with a hamstring injury that then lasted all season, so a tough lesson I learned there which I am not looking to repeat.

My second goal is to train consistently and stick to a plan without excuses which is not going to be hard to do since my main goal for 2016 is to complete Ironman Weymouth in September, in precisely 36 weeks time! It's a big goal. I know I have set myself some pretty tough ones in the past but I think this one is going to be the hardest yet.  For those of you unfamiliar with the event, Ironman is a long distance triathlon which involves a 3.8k swim, a 112 mile cycle finished off with running a marathon, raced in that order without a break. Now while I completed half that distance in August, doubling the mileage massively intensifies the effort and of course the training. I am admittedly nervous about the sea swim as I have not swum that far in one go or in the sea and I have never run further than a half marathon.  The bike should be my strongest area however I am still not entirely currently comfortable down in a Tri position on the bike for very long so we shall see how that pans out.  The whole event has to be complete within a strict 17 hour cut off and there are cut off times for the swim and cycle too. No pressure then!!

My final goal or resolution is I have decided to help my training by cutting out alcohol from my diet completely so that I avoid "drinking my calories" and I keep entirely focused on achieving my goals.

I am lucky that my personal trainers are also taking part in this event as well as many other people from the gym and the triathlon club I belong to, so hopefully plenty of friendly encouragement will be there on the day as well as some healthy banter and competition. But perhaps most importantly by sharing my ambitions with friends and family they will understand and support my new training regime (and not drinking one too) as well as provide motivation and morale boosts as needed.

So my friends now that I am out of closet with my goals I hope you will also share your resolutions with me. I would love to hear what is inspiring your 2016 and if you have never had a goal before, then why not make 2016 the year you do. 

 

@lindadonaldson1

No pants please we are cyclists

While I have found the cycling fraternity generally an opinionated and helpful community to be part of, on reflection it is funny how some pieces of knowledge are not so readily imparted between us.  Cyclists are more than happy to discuss the ins and outs of how to change a puncture, how to get up a hill easier, what cadence to cycle long distance etc but I have come to realise that while men are very good at imparting that to us females there is a certain piece of advice that often seems to be overlooked and it is, in my view a particularly important one, if you cycle reasonable distances.  

 

The piece of advice I am getting at is how to look after your bottom.  It is very important that you do look after it to avoid getting sore, nasty skin grazing and worse-case scenario blisters which can be so debilitating you won’t be able to sit on your saddle. 

 

So the key then is to first of all go commando – yes ladies you too.  Absolutely no pants or heaven forbid g-strings to be worn under your shorts as they cause friction which inevitably leaves you with an angry rash and eventually grazing.  Invest in a decent pair of cycling shorts with a good pad for your seat – spend as much as you can afford – I swear by DHB shorts and pay around £50 - £60 a pair.  The first few times you wear them, Vaseline the seams inside your shorts (do not wash it away) and put some cream on your bottom.  There is a lot of cream, known as ‘Chamois cream’, on the market and it can be expensive but you don’t need much and it is a good investment.  Local to home there is a new one on the market called quite simply Bum Cream by Swerve.  Developed by keen cyclist Anj Ubogu, who was fed up getting sore on long rides and having tried a few with varying degrees of effectiveness, decided to create one herself.  Find it @swervecycling.  Anj recommends you rub it into your groin area, around your bottom cheeks and your pubic bone for best effect.  The slippage the cream creates between your derriere and your shorts is what stops you getting sore and rubbed.

Finally, tell your cycling friends and if you spot someone with a knicker line then don’t be shy and share the cycling unwritten motto which is… no pants please we are cyclists.

@lindadonaldson1

This blog was first published on Total Guide to Fitness