It's all about the Lycra...

Yep, today the Lycra arrived... in the form of my tri-shorts that I ordered online. When I take them out of the posting bag they look very small. I specially ordered longer legs 'for more coverage' but these are REALLY short. If these are 'longer length' I'm wondering 'longer than what?' Hot pants? They're brown (well, ok, it's called 'chocolate' in designery terms) and they've got turquoise stripey bits. Quite tasteful. They've also got grippy bits around the bottom of the legs (which aren't at the bottom of my legs, they're a good six inches above my knees) so that when I put my wet suit on over the top the trousery bits won't wriggle up. The grippy bits sure do grip. My knees don't exactly go blue, but I do keep checking that they haven't.

I try the tri shorts on and the Lycra is very stretchy - I had fondly hoped that it would be a bit like a good swimsuit and hide some of the bulges. Nah - it just stretches over them. Not so much 'Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider' as 'Michelin Man's slightly less fat sister'! Hey ho. Maybe after an entire triathlon (albeit a short one) I will be a bit trimmer... I put my Very Expensive black sports running top on too and I look, er, mismatched. And bulgy. I add a big baggy T shirt. Better! Then I go and cycle 10k on the exercise bike. Now knowing what a real bike feels like, the exercise bike is frustrating. But I've got the Test Match to listen to - now that IS frustrating!

I saw Steve the Physio again today briefly and he admired my dimply knees - says they are really moving in the right direction, not to worry about them aching all the time (apparently it simply means I am working the muscles in the right way), to keep doing the exercises and the dimples are good dimples... We have agreed that I won't attempt running until The Day - then I'll simply have to do my best. My core fitness seems to be good, so I won't flake out. I might run out of puff and have to walk for a few seconds from time to time, but I will mostly be running. HOORAY! It's very exciting, and I can't wait.

After I've done my cycle Guy is home and we take Blunkett for a good long walk up the nearest steepest hill. Must have been 6 or 7k. The walk, not the hill - if we'd have gone 6 or 7k up a hill, we'd have had to do another 6 or 7k down again... Anyway, it was a long walk. And for good measure I ran up two sets of those wooden steps that the Council make in steep bits on the path. Wales is excellent and hilly and when I can eventually go running there are lots of hills to practice on - that's good for you, apparently!

A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who has sponsored me. Have you seen the total?! Fantastic! You are all very generous, and Guy and I are now looking at how we really can video me getting out of my wetsuit as some friends are promising serious money for a good laugh...

Tomorrow we have booked the bikes again. The aim is to cycle to the sea at Cardiff Bay. We figure it's about 12 miles, although I'm worried that it is downhill all the way. Good for getting used to bicycles, not so good for fitness! Guy's plan is that we get a train back up to Caerphilly with the bikes... I'm thinking we might cycle. I wonder who'll win?!