Isobel – I spy with my little eye, something beginning with ‘S’.

My training life lately has been along peaks and troughs that are not just geographic in nature. The ups and downs of the Port Hills have mirrored my erratic confidence levels. I have been plagued with doubts; that I’m running out of time, I’ll not be ready in time, I’ll not be able to make it etc. And this is for an event that has been postponed a year! The situation has not been helped by really struggling up Kennedys Bush Rd the other day; and  I mean struggled. I had to zig zag like mad and hope there wouldn’t be a car coming! I took this picture at the top but didn’t feel I’d earned it. It was a gorgeous morning though. It was only much later I remembered that I was doing repeats on this hill five years ago, BEQ…the mind has a funny way of storing old stuff. As fellow blogger, Jennifer, has written, the self talk can really impose itself.

On the upside though there is heaps to report. I won a Fitbit for a start, from the conference I attended a fortnight back. I’m having all sort of fun with it. I wrote that story on my fundraising page,  and that fund continues to see the total $$$ rise. I have some more photos of steps for my collection, I especially love the gnarly ones. The hill walking component of my training is a real highlight and I simply love my little adventures. My knees haven’t been quite so keen on the downhills but a quick trip to the physio has put them literally back on track. Like many people I had begun to experience that little kneecap straying out of its snug groove and causing grief. I am also still really enjoying my daily yoga practice and almost imperceptibly I am getting stronger. But amongst all this good stuff I can still feel very uncertain of myself.

This is where great coaching comes in. Fleur, Beck and Richard can all offer a much more balanced and clear headed view of where things are at, and more importantly can remind my of how far I have come on my come back. Its really easy for me to forget that and simply fall back on what I remember I used to be able to do.

Coming up this month are three charity walks though that should take some of the heat off my cycling obsession!

The Pink Star 21km, the Queenstown Marathon 10km and the Summer Starter 10km. I hope to see fellow CPers out these events too.

 

What did I spy? Steps of course!