Sofa 2 50k (on a bike 🚲) Smashed it with 3 weeks to spare 💥💥💥

[Sandie1961]

Some of you know that Shake-and-run and I had a challenge for her to do C25k and for me to do Sofa 2 50k. I did her graduation parkrun with her on 9th November just after I started S250k having delayed until after the Great South. Today should have been Week 5 Ride 3 of the 8 week programme and was a long ride of 2 hours 30. It was a bright, blustery morning and I added an extra loop to my last long ride. After 2:30 I was at 45k, so I decided to carry on and complete it. So, 52k in 2 hours 53 minutes and challenge complete. Well, it would have been daft not to! The Red Arrows flew over as I was cycling back towards home, as they have done for several milestones. Good job I finished early, because next week was supposed to be hills - no chance of that round here 😂 Long runs will restart next week 🏃‍♀️

[AlMorr Half Marathon]

Great Post from you Sandie1961, has it become a regular thing for The Red Arrow's to fly over you when you run a milestone run, I bet they flew over you when you graduated from C25K, Graduate10 and ten miles, all those runs are a great achievement, well worth a flypast from Britons famous Red Arrows.

[Sandie1961 Half Marathon in reply to AlMorr]

Thank you Al! While I would love to claim they turn out especially for me, I actually live 4 miles from their base, so see them very regularly 😃 Even after all these years, I still stop to watch them though ✈️

[AlMorr Half Marathon in reply to Sandie1961]

Lucky you 😊✈

[Beachcomber66 Administrator Half Marathon]

No end to your talent! I recall the red arrows creating a vapour trail heart over you! Maybe they are cooling off a bit. Only a loop today 😤

[Sandie1961 Half Marathon in reply to Beachcomber66]

Ah, they are currently training their 3 new pilots so only 5 of them today as well. Mind you, they did perform multiple loops as I was cycling home, not just one 😁

[Beachcomber66 Administrator Half Marathon in reply to Sandie1961]

😊

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon]

Speedy on your pins and speedy on your wheels Sandie1961 🏃‍♀️ 🚲 You’re superwoman alright!

How lovely having the Red Arrows fly over too. They know when you’re out and about. Don’t forget to let them know about your HM in March! 😀👍

[Sandie1961 Half Marathon in reply to cheekychipmunks]

I’ll have to book them in advance won’t I, to make sure they don’t disappear for their annual Spring training in Cyprus 😂

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon]

Brilliant! Well done. Not the best time of year for long cycle rides either, but there was no stopping you once you got started. Will you carry on cycling between runs?

[Sandie1961 Half Marathon in reply to linda9389]

I’m sure I will Linda, although today felt like hard going. Shake-and-run suggested looking for local Breeze rides, which are apparently quite sociable affairs. I don’t see me doing sportives etc. - think they’d be too long!

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Sandie1961]

I'm supposed to be trying either a breeze ride, or is the other one Let's ride? ... so I can try out riding in a group in daylight before my 100k ride in May which will all be in the dark but with lots of other people - up to now my rides have all been solo or with my hubby. I found cycling in the hot weather really enjoyable because you don't get as hot as you do running. At the moment it takes forever to get all my layers on so I need to go for a long ride to make it all worthwhile 😍. Once I get going I could cycle forever - I find it very relaxing and love exploring further away (although my hip flexors start to groan at any distance over about 60k).

[Sandie1961 Half Marathon in reply to linda9389]

Breeze is just for ladies so hopefully a bit more leisurely! I nearly always run on my own (except parkrun and bling events of course), but bike rides are so much longer, I think it would be nice to have some company. My thighs are still complaining, although I also did a fairly brutal lower body workout on Monday 😖

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Sandie1961]

I'm very happy on my own. Not sure where my head wanders off to! Twice yesterday I missed turnings that Komoot told me to take because Ì'd zoned so far out 😂

[Coddfish 10 Miles]

Well done Sandie. Glad you did it, even if I cannot imagine how you might start such a thing! (Didn’t learn to ride a bike as a child, and adult attempts leave me frightened of traffic, uneven surfaces, turning right, etc etc. I can just about manage an exercise bike. Thinking about it, I probably get on better with exercise bikes than treadmills....)

[Sandie1961 Half Marathon in reply to Coddfish]

Thanks Coddfish! I did quite a lot of cycling when I was a kid. My parents used to be members of the Yorkshire Clarion Cycling Club and used to drag me and my sister out kicking and screaming 😂 The bike hadn’t been out for about 10 years, but I guess you don’t forget.

[Dexy5 10 Miles]

Well done Sandie, what a brilliant year you have had. Faster and further on legs, faster and further on wheels. You wait till you get on skis next year, we won’t see you for powder. (Oh and yes we have booked up ours now)

🏃‍♀️⚡️🚴🏻‍♂️⚡️⛷⚡️

[Sandie1961 Half Marathon in reply to Dexy5]

Not too difficult on wheels, when the bike had languished in the garage for 10 years 😂 Great snow cover in Tignes already 😃😃 Yay 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[Shake-and-run Half Marathon]

So impressive Sandie1961. Just need a ‘bling’ ride to celebrate x

[Sandie1961 Half Marathon in reply to Shake-and-run]

We sure do 😃😃

[Dexy5 10 Miles in reply to Shake-and-run]

No pressure 😉

[Katnap Marathon]

Well done Sandie! 😁😁😁🚴🚴🚴

🎅🐱 Xmas Katnap 🐱🎅

[Run46 Half Marathon]

Good job Sandie, you really are an inspiration 👏🎉

[aliboo70 Half Marathon]

Wow that's great. I've never heard if that programme will have to look it up 😊xxx

[Sandie1961 Half Marathon in reply to aliboo70]

aliboo70 It’s on the britishcycling.org.uk website

[aliboo70 Half Marathon in reply to Sandie1961]

Thankyoux

[onemdc]

Very impressed well done 😊

[Mckennamark 10 Miles]

Great cycling time and distance. Have you a link to that programme you followed. 😁

[Sandie1961 Half Marathon in reply to Mckennamark]

It’s on the britishcycling.org.uk website and is the Sofa to 50k programme. Hope that helps!