intervals

I was reading about the joys of interval training.

... which involves alternating high- and lower-intensity work bouts

Turns out I've been doing interval training for months and I never knew, I just call it urban cycling. You get to alternate bouts of steady pedalling in slow moving traffic with bouts of furious pedalling to keep your place when the speed moves up or just to avoid some near-death situation. You get even more intensity for your work out, actually, with free added heart racing adrenaline pumping surges of fear and rage induced by antics of cagers or the 'design' of the latest cycling farcility.

Rest is also important: a minimum of 90 seconds is required for energy replenishment in between your high-intensity intervals.

yep you get that too eg waiting at traffic lights, doing emergency stop when some twunt in a white van pulls in right in front of you to park in the cycle lane [1], etc

I got my quota of interval training [2] this morning, instead of my morning walk, cos I had to go shopping for the various bits of tat that are essential to a child's birthday party. When did party bags become mandatory? Some time between me growing up and O getting to party age, anyways. We just got a bit of cake, and a balloon if we were really lucky, now you have to provide bags stuffed full of tat and sugar. Bah. I am aiming to keep the tat quotient down by providing useful-but-shiny things eg fancy little notebooks and holographic pencils.

OK now I shall get back to checking BBC news every 2 minutes to check that the stuff about Bush probably winning was just a bad dream work.



[1] this is actually legal, provided that you have your hazard warning lights flashing. It says so in the White Van Drivers Highway Code, right next to that bit on how indicating to pull out gives you the right of way over all other traffic

[2] while clad in my Stealth Costume. It is a little known but scientifically proven fact that wearing a bright red waterproof, flourescent yellow leg bands and a silly hat renders you invisible to motorists. The SAS dress in a similar way to go into seekrit combat missions.