Just call me Harry...

Yes, minus the electric blue spandex running pants that "Harry" sports in a speed-walking scene in the movie "When Harry Met Sally", that's me....bent elbows and everything...although I do hope my hips don't rock as much as his did because that CAN'T be good for anyone's back... (I know that's random, but I remember thinking how...well...dorky he looked speedwalking...oh how the proud must fall :) )

Race

I signed up for a race.

The Reindeer Run/Walk 5k. The first race I ever did three years ago. This year, I'm going to walk it with my running buddy, Lisa, who is awesome.

I'm just a bit excited to sign up for a race again. Just a bit.

::imagine 50 million ginormous grins right here::

See told ya, just a bit.

Workouts this week!

Oh yeah, that's right, I am posting about my WORKOUTS THIS WEEK!!!!! ::happy dancing::

Monday- had PT and my chiropractor said not to come back this week. Yup, you read correctly, I'm trying only ONE PT session per week. Thank you Lord!

Did a two mile walk Monday evening and it hurt. A lot. I stepped off of a curb too hard and jarred my back so strongly that I exclaimed outloud and grabbed my back. But after some ice, it felt back to its usually "hi, I'm Melissa's back and I like to make my presence known but I'm getting less stubborn about it" feel.

Wednesday- 4 miles on the recumbent stationary bike and a 1 mile walk. Felt pretty good.

Thursday- 2o minutes on the elliptical (first time I have done that! The back didn't hurt AT ALL) and a 1 mile walk...felt the walk, had to slow the pace.

I plan to aquajog today.

And all of this with only ONE PT session this week. Considering I've been doing 2 sessions a week for the past 3 months, this is a HUGE deal. So thankful to be moving in the right direction, ha, just thankful to actually be moving! :)

Running shoes on...went for a...

WALK! Ha, bet you thought I was going to say something different didn't you? Oh well, some day I will once again type those three wonderful letters :)...but I digress...

I put my running shoes on for the first time in almost three months and walked around my neighborhood. My walking has gotten better- in the office, I am locomoting at an almost normal-Melissa pace and I barely notice that my back hurts. So now, I am trying to get better at walking longer distances. Not sure how far I went today, less than a mile, and I felt it...but it was tolerable. Baby steps!

I've decided to try REALLY hard to avoid the injections because the fact is that none of my doctors really understand what's causing the pain (I mean, the inflammation is causing the pain of course, but they can't seem to decide if the cause of the inflammation is disease related or biomechanical related)...so I am going to give it the rest of October to see where I end up. I AM improving, albeit slowly and still with some pretty yucky days, but improvement is improvement. I am still aquajogging, swimming "non-agressive" laps without kicking, and doing PT twice a week.

I was telling a friend over dinner last night that I am actually thankful that I had those 3 horrible weeks in July/August where I couldn't get out of bed. Because now, when I get frustrated that I hurt after walking across my worksite, or sitting on a couch for 2 hours, I just think "yeah, well it's not as bad as those three weeks". If I had just woken up one morning with the current uncomfortablness that I am experiencing, I think that would have been a lot harder to deal with. So I am thankful for the comparison!

Here's to walking around the neighborhood! Next up...stationary recumbent bike!?

Lonestar Triathlon..err..Duathlon...

My second race of the season: Lonestar Olympic Triathlon in Galveston.

It was a pretty nasty morning- rain, wind, stormy...and the wind was moving the buoys on the water (we were swimming in the bay by Moody Gardens), so the race officials decided to cancel the swim portion- moving buoys means you can't swim the distance you are supposed to and also means that the water was waaay too choppy for people to be out there. So we ended up doing a duathlon. Now, official duathlons usually break up the run (so you would do a 2 mile run 18 mile bike 3mile run) or something like that. For ours, we just did the bike and run distances of an Olympic tri (24.8 mile bike, 6.2 mile run).

Drat that wind!

The bike:

I hit 21mph on the bike!!! I had a pretty decent tailwind, so I pushed it pretty hard, knowing that where there is a tailwind, about 99% of the time there is also a headwind :). Sure enough, at the turnaround, whamo! But, it still wasn't that bad. All in all, I averaged about 17.3 mph on the bike, with a total time of 1:26:46. My best bike time ever of that distance

The run:

Lots of concrete on this one. We ran around Moody Gardens. It was hot and there was no shade and I had a lot of stomach cramps (imagine a standard side cramp...but all over your stomach). Weird, because I was hydrating fine. Anyhow, I finished the run in 1:09:41...not my best time ever, but not my worst either.

Fun points:
I've done enough races at this point that this was the first time where I've run into people I've met at others races. And because of the delays due to the swim and unique bike start (time trial start, 3 seconds between each athlete, means you wait for a bit), I had time to chat with my fellow triathleters. It was a lot of fun!

I also got to cross the finish line with my training buddy Lisa...that's never happened before at a tri (she's way faster than me at the swim and we sometimes are in different age categories, so she is always ahead of me), so that was fun :).

Post race picture!

Weird points:

The black Sharpie that they use to body mark us with our race numbers ended up acting as sunscreen and for the time being, part of my race number is etched on my sunburned arm...nice. (see the 4?)

Next race will probably be in June...

Gateway to Kemah triathlon!

Last weekend I completed my first tri of the season. It was an Olympic distance (0.93 mile swim, 24.8 mile bike, 6.2 mile run) called "Gateway to Kemah". This was actually a qualifying race for the infamous Escape from Alcatraz, so the field was pretty competitive (and intimidating!!!). The course was set up similar to the Alcatraz course (probably not as many hills as San Francisco though :) ).

Me and Lisa, pre-race...with our awesome wetsuits! Yay for Xterra sales!

Swim-
A half an hour before the race start, we boarded boats and they took us out a mile from shore. The water was pretty choppy...I have been struggling with some inner ear issues and swimming in a wetsuit was making me seasick (changes your buoyancy and can confuse your vestibular system :)...how's that for a medical term). BUT...the dramamine I took that morning worked AWESOMELY well. As did all the prayers, thank you so much for those! So we jump of the end of the boat, swim to the start buoys, tread water for a few minutes and then the gun goes go, and we started swimming. It was really hard to sight in the water because the swim finish buoys were blue and blended in with the water, the waves were pretty high, so every time you tried to sight, a swell was between you and shore...anyhow, I've been struggling with my swim anyways and the challenging conditions put me in at around 42 minutes...yowsers.

Bike-
The bike took us up and over Kemah bridge (about a 5% grade) twice, then straight out and back, and then we did it all over again. We had a head wind both ways...go figure...so again, my bike time wasn't as great as I wanted it to be, about a mile per hour slower than my last race, BUT my aero bars ROCKED. If I hadn't had them, I would have been going about 3 miles per hour slower. Thanks parents!

Run-
Since I tend to overheat pretty quickly, I took a bottle of gatorade with me to help replace the electrolytes at shorter intervals than the aid stations allow. This worked great and I felt pretty good on the run. I ended up PRing my 10K distance...including a potty break in the middle (just couldn't make it any further :) ). So I was really pleased with that...of course, it's pretty funny that my 10k pace is about 43 seconds slower than my half-marathon pace :)...

So, overall I finished in 3hrs and 33 minutes...about 3.5 minutes slower than my last race, but considering that I did not put in the training that I had wanted to, I didn't get seasick, and I PRed my 10k distance, I am pretty happy with my performance. Philippians 4:13.

Post race...yay for finisher medals!

I have another Olympic tri in one week in Galveston...no hills on this one... :D

Bikeish Upgrades

For Christmas, my awesome padres bought me carbon fiber aero bars for my bike. Aero bars are used by triathletes to get into a more aero dynamic position on your bike and it also helps take weight off of your leg muscles, which you desperately need for the run of course...like this:

This is Pip Taylor. She is awesome.

Here's my bike with its new fancy schmancy aero bars:

Close-up:

Profile Design Carbon Stryke Aero Bars
I tried them out this morning, a bit scary, but nothing I can't get used to after more practice. Thanks padres!

Oh and what would my bike be mounted on? Oh that would be my snazzy new Saris Bones 3 bike rack. Bought at the same store as my bike and my shoes, so here's how the conversation went:

Me: I need a bike rack for my car
Bike guy: This one will work well for you
Me: It's nice but waaaay out of my price range
Bike guy: I'll give you 15% off
Me: Still outta my price range
Bike guy: Let me see what I can do (goes off to the computer and comes back). I can give you 25% off.
Me: Still too much
Bike guy (a bit exasperated)- well, what is your price range?
I told him
Bike guy: I'll let you have it for 40% off.
Me: Done.

Sweet!

Saris Bones 3 rack

Freaking out

So my next triathlon (or first of the season, whatever way you want to look at it) is exactly 51 days away. 51 DAYS!!!! Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh.

Okay, yeah I've been training. Two to three runs a week, two to three swims...and um, a big fat ZERO bike per week.

See, biking in traffic SCARES me. You Tucsonians out there have it made- nice wide bike lanes along all of the roads in town. We don't have that in Texas. You don't even always have a standard shoulder to ride on. And Texas has a lot of trucks. A LOT. And big scary men drive them. Big scary men who floor it to pass you and then cut right in front of you (hello, I know I am not going 35mph, but I am going about 16mph and I will run into the back of your truck if you do that) and wave their hands out the window with their fingers in a particular configuration and yell stuff like "long live Texas" (okay not really on the latter, but I pretend that's what they are saying because it is cleaner). Anyhow, riding on the roads is scary. Unless it is at the crack of dawn...which then becomes my fault because it has been very rainy and cold lately and that's just not motivating to me. So, I've been lacking in the bike area.

Here's where the freaking out starts. I just saw the course for this particular triathlon. I knew it was going to take me over the Kemah Bridge (the only hill in Houston, honestly...unless you count other bridges). It's a big bridge- about 140 feet high and almost a mile across- it's about a 5.4% grade. I've ridden it, I've run it. This course takes me up and over it, sharp right turn, under it, then back up and over it again!!! Then you go south. Then you go north, and do the bridge again, up and over, under and back over.

My legs are going to fall off

or

My bike will make the turn but my body will keep going in its original direction...oh wait, that can't happen because I AM ATTACHED TO THE STUPID BIKE.

Can you tell I am freaking out?

So, game plan- ride Kemah bridge incessantly until April 10th. That oughta do it. Right? Right? ::whimper::

Houston Half-Marathon

After being thwarted from last year's half-marathon by a stress fracture, I was able to finally run in the Chevron Houston Half-Marathon! My running buddy, Lisa, completed her first marathon!

Post race- 39.3 miles combined :)
Stats:
Chip time: 2:13:21
Place within age division: 279/985
Place within gender: 1441/5732
I placed in just about the top quarter! So excited about that!

This is my new toy...I call it my Superwoman watch. It's a Garmin 310 XT- first GPS watch that can go underwater...great for my triathlons.

Ankle status

It's getting better! I'm seeing this chiropractor that my friend Jessica recommended. She uses Active Release Technique (ART) therapy and the Graston technique.

Turns out, I have really weak hip muscles and my ankle just got tired of compensating and starting protesting. I've had 4 treatments (the above therapies plus lots of good hip strengthening exercises- bonus, these exercise also TONE. Woot!) and the ankle is feeling much better. In fact, I ran 4 miles yesterday and it didn't hurt at all! The trick, now, is getting the rest of me to learn this "new" (ie correct) ankle position. So my knees are twinging and so is my lower back...all very minor, just my body getting used to being able to move my ankle. Seriously, learning how your muscles work together is fascinating. God designed our bodies so intricately- it's mind blowing really.

It's also been very humbling to have it so blatantly pointed out by my limited range of motion how much more "in shaping" I have yet to do. The perfectionist in me wants it to happen NOW...but I know that in time, I will improve and hopefully, this added flexibility will mean fewer injuries. Yay!

So Houston Half Marathon, here I come!

Seriously?

Every wondered how you can sprain your ankle yourself (as in you are the one that causes the sprain?). Apparently, you've come to the right person. Okay, okay, I don't know if it's sprained. It just hurts (although I think it would hurt more if it was a real sprain, but calling it one makes it seem more dramatic and less I Love Lucy). Like...hurts when a run on it. UGGGGGGHHHHHHH (how's that for an exasperated groan of frustration? I can do better, but you are probably wanting to hear how I was the cause of my current...(not going to say the "i" word)...ouchiness.)

So last week, I woke up in the middle of the night and both my ankles were aching. Now, this isn't a completely random thing (with my disease, you discover all sorts of fun and interesting aches and pains at very inopportune times, like when you are sleeping). But this was a different ache, kinda like when your knee or elbow needs to "pop". So I rotated both of the ankles, and the left one popped, but the right one didn't, it just ached more...so I reached down to "help" in the rotation. And the aching kinda stopped. I fell back asleep only to be woken up again a few hours later with some MAJOR hurtage going on in that ankle...I pretended its was dream and went back to sleep.

A day later (and minimal painage), I went on a short long run (7 miles). It felt fine, except for the last two miles, I started noticing it. I went out and bought a wrap...it's been feeling better (yay). I went on a 3 mile run today...it was supposed to be 4.1 miles...guess that tells you how it feels. UGGGGGGHHHHH. So it has been iced and wrapped and I am wearing tennis shoes around the house to give it more support (rather than going in flipflops or barefoot). Can I just tell you how FRUSTRATING "not-the-i-word"s are? Definitely keeps this gal humble, that's for sure. Pray for this non-i-word to be short lived...

My First Half-Marathon!

Half-Marathoners!

Two years ago, I had yet to run a 5k....I can now say I have done a half-marathon. ::HUGE grin::

This weekend was AWESOME! Lisa and I road-tripped to San-Antonio, ate awesome breakfast burritos on the way from some random taqueria, got our packets, purchased the "required" runners paraphanelia (shirts with quirky running slogans, running glasses, tri and run stickers for the cars, etc). Then we had dinner with some of her family at Zio's (pasta a MUST the night before a race, at least for me...stick with what works :) ).

At the expo

We'd heard some horror stories of race logistics from the previous race year (which had been the inaugural year), so we woke up at 4:15 (ugh) and were at the shuttles by 5:15am or so...it worked out so well, we got to the starting line with plenty of time to eat breakfast, check our bags, stretch, visit the facilities (I swear I have the most nervous bladder EVER, ::sigh::). There were SO many people...close to 30,000 people ran this race. The race started at 7:30am and we didn't cross the start line until about 8:05am! It took us that long to get up there, crazy.

On the shuttle to the race



My race morning granola in my engineered bowl :)

The weather wasn't ideal. It was ridiculously humid. Thankfully, it was overcast with relatively low temps (~65)...but me and humidity have never agreed so I was a bit worried. We hit some decent hills between mile 5 and 6 and I was really getting concerned that I might over heat. Yay for a double downhill and an AWESOME cool breeze...it set me straight and I found my stride. We had a couple of sub-10 minutes miles after that, that's how good we were feeling!

The longest distance either of us had ever run before was 11.2 miles and I will tell you those last two miles were the longest of the course (other than that, the time flew by, seriously!). Running with live bands along the course was great and the course was PACKED with cheering spectators the entire way. That was pretty impressive!

The course ended up on a mean uphill, but we made it and crossed the finish line with arms raised high!

Of course, my legs immediately starting trying to cramp up (they never fully succeeded :P). I've had some problems with my hamstrings of late and they were certainly protesting. But other than a quite spectacular blister on my big toe from a sock seam that self-adjusted during the race, I came out injury free.

At the spa, after our awesome treatment

Lisa and I treated ourselves to a full body treatment (including a 90 minute massage- a scheduling accident on their part so they only charged us for the 60 minutes we had actually requested. What a blessing!). And then we chowed down at P.F. Changs. Comfy jammies and hotel movie being the nightcap :)

We spent today at the outlets in San Marcos- walking around definitely loosened the muscles...I'm feeling pretty good- no groaning when I stand up :D. That tells me I trained pretty sufficiently, so I am very pleased with that.

What's next? I've got a couple of things up my sleeve...but that's for a later post. Thank you all so much for your support. I really couldn't do this without those of you who asked about my training and encouraged me (Allyson and Kristi especially, love you girls!)- it's quite the lesson in mental and physical discipline. I thank God for allowing me to do this half-marathon, especially since I was on the injured list this time last year. All glory to Him, for His healing and His sustaining.

USA 10 Miler Race

This race fell in a good place for our half-marathon training. Even better, my parents were in town and I dragged them down there to cheer us on :). We averaged a 10:16 mile.

me and Lisa, post race

Motivation Board

So I decided to create a triathlon motivation board for myself...what do you think?

Top half close-up



Bottom-half close up

Clear Lake International Triathlon

The lack of posts has been due to the fact that life has been extremely busy- work, sleep, and training. Training for...the Clear Lake International Triathlon, Olympic Distance! (0.93 mile swim, 24.8 mile bike, 6.2 mile run).

Yesterday Lisa and I, along with some of our friends/co-workers, participated in this event. Big thanks to my roomies and my friend Jana, who is visiting (and took the pictures), for coming out to cheer us on.

Barry, me, Lisa, Scott, Sunni pre-race

I did better than I planned on the swim and bike (I had set "worst-case time goals" that I would be happy with and beat those).

That's me in the white cap at the end of the swim


Coming in from the bike

The run was brutal, it was really hot (in the 90s and humid) and I just do not run well in those conditions, so it wasn't the 10k time I was hoping for, but 1hr 11 minutes wasn't bad for the amount of walking I did...the first mile I ran was in 9min! Getting off of a bike going 17mph and starting to run completely screws up your sense of speed, so I definitely went much faster at first than I normally would have.

Starting the run

Still, my goal was to complete the tri in 3hrs 30 min and I did it in 3 hrs 28 min, so I am happy with the overall results. It was my first time transitioning with bike shoes too, so I know I can improve in that area. I am also excited to start some speed work training in my swim and I know I can improve in the bike (I think some weights and spin classes are in order :) ).

Chatting afterwards...I ran most of the time with that towel on my head and dumped ice water on it at every water station. Best idea ever :)

So I ended my tri season on a good note. While there are several available tris left in the season, I am refocusing my training efforts to prepare for my first half-marathon, the San Antonio Rock and Roll half-marathon in November. I am also registered for the Houston half-marathon in January. I plan to do several Olympic distance tris next year and am currently waiting to see how the Nov half-marathon goes to see where I should plan my first Half-Iron distance! Yep, you read right, Lisa and I are going to step up to the Half-Iron distance at some point (a Half-Iron is 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run)...its just determining first if I can handle that much running at once and then picking the best time to do one...

Best training/running/tri buddy ever, Lisa!

I was thinking while on the bike yesterday, how amazing it is that I can do these races. Some people with my disease are in constant pain and battling health instability all the time. I have been very blessed that the medicines I am on work well for me and that I have an awesome doctor (who still thinks I am crazy for doing this and is still amazed that I am ABLE to do these races). It is God who is sustaining my health through the rigors and stress of training, work, and life in general. I know it may not always be this way, so that makes me extra thankful for this very healthy period, where I can experience being an athlete. The training wasn't problem free, but I am being very careful to rest and pull back when any issues arise (so all you worryers, STOP WORRYING! :) ). So, I'll praise Him now for the privilege to participate in triathlons and half-marathons, and by His grace, I will praise Him still, if that privilege ever goes away.

Tris rock!!!!!

Tejas Tri 2009

Another tri bites the dust :). Today Lisa and I did the Tejas Tri - 600yd (0.34 mile) swim, 11 mile bike, 3 mile run. I did it in 1 hour and 30 minutes. My swim was a bit longer than I would have liked, but I swam almost the whole distance freestyle (only used the breaststroke once or twice to catch my breath or to sight better)- which was really my main goal, so overall, I am very happy with my results. The run was challenging because it had warmed up pretty good and its was pretty miserable out there. I am glad Lisa finishes before me...she's there to cheer me on at the finish line (and today I needed it!)...hmm, maybe I need to train harder so I can reciprocate...or maybe some of you should come cheer both of us on (hint hint, nudge, nudge).

Post race

My bike performed awesome, I really enjoy riding it- my fear of riding is slowly fading to a more manageable level...although it wasn't helped by the poor gal I rode past who was being administered to by the paramedics...look likes she took a head/face dive off the bike and was strapped to a body board and was "red"- I stopped looking at that point...crashes are going to happen...::shudder::

Lisa and her gear

Besides the new bike, I also broke in what's called a trisuit. It's a once piece shorts/tank top combo. I got the Orca 226 and I LOVE it...my shirt was always riding up and I don't like showing my stomach...I didn't have to worry about that with the trisuit..plus it allows for great range of motion, it wicks water and sweat like there's no tomorrow...great investment.

Me and my gear

I will say that one of the things I did not like at this tri was the lack of the wet, icy towel they usually hand you at the end of the race to wipe your face with and put on the back of your neck. I never realized how amazing that towel is until I had to do without...ah..icy cold towels...

I'm a triathlete!!! (and random sidenotes)

Go Ironbabes!

So, first off, thank you for praying that I wouldn't get a flat bike tire. I didn't. Now, ironically, what I should have asked you to pray about was not getting a car flat tire on the way to the race. Yeah, nothing like two women in tri-gear changing a flat on Hwy 59 at 5:20am. Oh, and to get to the donut, we had to remove the bikes and bike rack...and the lugnuts?...well, Erin pulled up on the tire iron and I pushed down...which resulted in my head-butting the hood of my car when the nut gave way. Nice (no, it didn't leave a mark). One person stopped...AFTER we were done of course :). But, that being said, we managed to take care of everything (bikes off, tire off, donut on, bikes on) in 15minute-ish. Not bad! Teamwork rocks! (and I am now the proud, yet financially reluctant, owner of 4 new tires...the others were looking pretty shoddy too).

Post-race, even the donut decided to deflate...we found a gas station to rectify the situation

So here are my race stats and below are my observations, comments, etc on each event (full photo album is at the end of this post)

Age group rank (25-29): 46/60
Overall rank: 255/363 (not sure on how many women there were)
Swim: 8:54
Transition 1: 2:51
Bike: 42:21
Transition 2: 1:35
Run: 32:29

Total: 1:28:03 (for some perspective, the first place gal in my age group (Dana) got around 1:04:59)

The Swim (300yds):

So swimming with 50+ people? You can't swim...not really...its more like "don't get smacked under the water by another swimmer" (or trying to avoid the gal who decides to backstroke OVER you...I really wanted to dunk her...of course, good sportsmanship won out :) ). Lesson learned? Get at the front of the pack of swimmers when you line up. I breaststroked almost the entire course because I needed to see where I was going...granted, I did my own share of kicking and bonking people in the back, arms, legs, etc...unintentional of course. Its bound to happen when you have that many bodies in the water. But I felt good after the swim...I know I can go faster.

Lisa, me, Erin, and Dana (who took first in the 25-29 age group!)

The Bike (11 miles):

Lesson learned? Don't fall off the bike when mounting it. Granted, I did mount the bike just fine, but when the lady next to me brushed against me as she mounted, being the bike newbie that I am, I panicked and fell over...took her down too...oops...but thankfully she recovered more gracefully (ie her body did not make contact with the ground). I felt good on the bike- it was my best time ever at this distance, and as I get more comfortable on the bike, I will increase my speed. However, I do need to learn how to drink out of my water bottle while on the bike. I was too afraid to take my hands off the handle bars and was sooo thirsty...this led to a slight hitch in my run...

Gee, thanks Stacy for catching the fall on camera ;-)

The Run (3 miles):

I am pleased with this time...under an 11 minute mile and that includes about 0.5 miles of walking due to a severely sharp, high-up on the ribs, cramp. The cramp can be blamed on my inhaling (read: gulping) an entire glass of Gatorade at mile 1- due to said lack of fluid intake during the bike. I never drink this much at once when I run and it bit me, hard. But I still managed to sprint at the end, so lesson learned.

Crossing the Finish Line!

Thanks to Stacy, Stephanie, and Melissa for coming out to cheer us on (and taking the pictures!)

Bottom line? I'm going to sign up for the Hi-Fi Tri in Galveston in October: 500yd swim, 19 mile bike, 3.1 mile run. I think I like tris (grin). Check out Lisa's blog for her story.

Full album:

Ironbabe Triathlon

Random...and odious bike

I made sweet potato fries (baked of course, not fried :) ) this morning...I burned them a bit, so I won't post pictures until the next batch...but I have a good excuse for why I burned them...I was distracted by my odious bike sitting in the living room expelling all the air from its rear tire...spontaneously...yeah that's a good sign.

So I put the bike on the rack and drove back to the bike shop, thank goodness its close. Yesterday when I went to pick it up, it took longer because the rear tire had spontaneously deflated and they had to replace the tube. So I walk in today and the guy goes "Again!?"...

So they fixed it for free, filed around the valve stem where the leak appears to be occurring and added an extra liner. I bought an extra tube just in case- not that it will help me much considering how long it has been since I have repaired a flat bike tire...I'm going to take a class next month, but let's just pray for no flats tomorrow eh? Odious bike...of course, I don't say that out loud in front of the bike...just in case...

holy scary bike batman

So you sense a pattern with these recent blogs? Yeah..I got a tri coming up (HUGE grin). Today I picked up the road bike (that I am borrowing from a friend) from the shop. I've never ridden a road bike before. The race is in two days. So I drive home, put on my biking gear (oh yeah, I now have gear...well...just a helmet really)...and drive to a neighborhood just down the street. I unload the bike , try to mount, and fall over. Graceful I'm telling you. So I WALK the bike over to a less uh...populated area (oh hateful pride) and try again...crash. Then I realized what was wrong- on the mountain bike, the seat is low enough so I can put my bum in it and then start pedaling, the road bike, not so much. So I spent the next hour mounting and dismounting, falling over numerous times, popping the chain off, I have tire marks all over my legs right now...etc... I finally got to the point where I could mount, transition to the road bars (the curved part of the handlebars) brake, stop, dismount, and not fall over. Then I worked on moving at a faster speed than snails pace and rode around in a huge parking lot, taking turns tighter and tighter to get a feel for how it handles and to realize that I won't actually fall over...uh, hopefully that is. So I'm more comfortable now...but guess what I will be doing tomorrow? Oh yeah, practicing...now, I'm not talking about going and riding 20 miles, but just taking the bike out and building my confidence in my riding skills...oh I wish I would have taken the bike in sooner. Oh well...now I'm going with Lisa and Erin to pick up our packets for race day...wahoo...

Trial Tri

So I took today off from work because I can :) and decided it was the perfect time to do a trial tri. I've been swimming, biking, and running, but never back-to-back. So I decided to try the distances today. I did much better than I thought I would...what's with my run time!? I shaved almost a minute off of my summer-mile time..weird.

Bike: 2.2 miles to pool
Swim: 300m in 7:46
Bike: 11.7miles ~50minutes (I forgot to stop my watch at lights) (14mph)
Carry bike upstairs to apt- grab armband and visor
Run: 3 miles 31:00 (10:20 mile...this is insane!)

So I feel much more confident now about next week's race. However, running after biking? Weirdest sensation ever...it was like my legs didn't want to listen to my brain...I'd still like to be faster at the bike and I really think that running time is a fluke (I thought the armband was going wacky so I drove out the mileage and it certainly was 3 miles...).

Tomorrow Lisa and I are going to an open water area that we can swim in...let's hope the grindlylows don't get me :)

Now I am going to talk to the apt people because it appears that my AC has broke...