Hurdles overcome

Today see's the marking of several hurdles overcome- albeit fairly puny, but hurdles nonetheless. As I've mentioned, rain and me are not bedfellows and I really hate it in any shape or form, even the timid light rain in sunny climes. I also hate headaches (due to a childhood regularly peppered with migraines)

I did agree with Steve that if the weather was good this morning we would pop out on our bikes and do a loop of our adopted circuit. Dawn broke and it felt ok (ish) even though the weather forecast yesterday wasn't positive. Anyway we elected to go out whilst the weather was dry but the rain started to come down even before we'd clocked 0.37 of a mile.

Steve suggested that it was all part of my training and that it wouldn't hurt to do the ride in the rain in order to help me get used to it, because if it rains on the day I have no choice but to complete, which of course I agree with. I explained to Steve that he didn't get my concept of doing activities in the rain. I mentioned that I was only going to do this once in the rain and once only, so that was why it made sense to do that on the day because if it happened before it might make me lose motivation- needless to say that fell on deaf ears, and for those who know us well Steve uttered his usual comment to me which roughly translated means "shut up" (for those of you who know us well, this is a competition, email me your guess of what Steve said and I'll give the winner a prize!! competition ends Friday 18th May at noon).

Now the background information to this whole saga includes a couple of other details:

• I had only taken my blood presure reducing tablet 5 minutes before we set off
• Last night I enjoyed a few glassses of wine and a lovely meal out with friends
• Steve had decided to up the ante in terms of timing and speed ( but using traditional male levels of emotional intelligence had neglected to tell me)

As the rain came down, my hair got increasingly wet and stuck to my face, my blood presure raised and pumped around my head mostly, I began to feel wretched and sick (and not a little sorry for myself) I tried to coach myself into feeling ok and putting my slight discomfort into perspective, but tragically failed cycling home like a grumpy old goat. Arriving home I balanced my bike against the house and then tottered into the lounge and laid on the sofa listening to my pulse racing around my ears and feeling my skull crushing my brain. (what drama queen tendencies??)

However, and here is the science bit, after laying still for short while my blood pressure settled and I gradually felt fine, probably within 10 minutes. Now this is the first time that I have managed to recover that quickly from that sudden onslaught of a pounding headache, so I am seeing it as a triumph.

As for the wet hair and the subsequent hairstyle that shocked me when I looked in the mirror well that was a different matter entirely. I asked Steve why he hadn't told me that my hair was looking like Betty Boo and his answer was " well I didn't know how to form the right words in the right order to tell you"- how surprisingly emotionally intelligent! Another triumph indeed.

Thanks this weekend to some good friends Lyn and Karen. A card arrived in the post from them yesterday which made me laugh out loud. It featured a woman with contorted boobs who had obviously been out running without a sports bra- thanks for the warning and the laugh girls, much appreciated :-)

Have a good week everyone, wherever you are in your current challenges.

Rosemary