Happy Friday! It’s been a super quick week and I’m so looking forward to my weekend. I’m heading to O-town for some schmoop aaaaaand I get to see my Boo, Redhead. Yay!
I plan on getting in my ten mile run tomorrow morning, as per usual, and then getting in a swim on Sunday. I may work in a bike somewhere, but well, I still hate the bike. Is it possible that I have the weakest quads in America? I never feel them when I run and then when I bike it’s like this muscle magically appears that has been lying dormant for 30 25 years.
I’ve got major tri on the brain and am still figuring out how to get better on the bike. Navy Steve let me know that it just takes time. Well, I guess it was the same with running. It just takes some time. But when? When!? When!? When!? Patience, apparently, is not my virtue.
In any event, I have a friend who is loaning me her road bike, thank the lord, because my fat tire having Schwinn just ain’t gonna cut it. I’ve been riding it slowly around my neighborhood and such and the smallest hills are just kicking my butt. Navy Steve also told me I probably need to switch to a lower gear on the hills. Gears? Does my bike even have gears? Oops.
I’ve been riding with some padded shorts that are probably great preperation for when I start wearing depends. So there’s one bike bonus! Gotta look on the brightside I guess. Anyway, I have been killing my shoulders due to my kung fu grip whilst on the bike for fear of falling and scraping my face. What? It’s my money maker, I can’t ruin it. I’ll need to ease up on the handle bars or my hands are going to turn mannish due to their increased strength.
Swimming continues to go swimmingly. I’m not worried about it too much. Except for the whole oily water-sharks-may-eat-you thing, it should be fine. Right? RIGHT!?!?
I’ve got a little over a month until the Top Gun Tri and I’m getting nervous. Well… nervouser. You get my point. Any and all tri tips will be accepted and appreciated.
Before you go, I must direct you to this awesome cartoon short from one of my favorite websites: Homestarrunner.com. Click here for the cartoon. Enjoy and TGIF!
Deuces!
So, are you using the road bike right now? I found that riding a road bike was SO MUCH easier than a mtn bike/normal bike. Seriously, so much easier.
I've never done a try (I can't swim very well AT ALL), but I have read a few posts where they complained about their transitions being awful. Maybe set up your own mini-Tri and practice transitioning??
Have a great weekend!
Braised tri tips are pretty good, but cooking them over wood or smoking them in a pit yields better flavor!
My tri tip for you is don't do it!!!! Your Kung-fu grip on the bike sounds like me and just wait until you're going 100 mph with other cyclist around………….. My face is my living also, we IT people need our good looks. HA
I'm so confused…what the hell did I just watch?!
Anywhoo…no tri tips here – you are a brave girl for hitting the pavement on that road bike! I'm like you, I know if I go down it's face first and it won't be pretty!
Have fun with Red!!
I've had to stretch my hands post ride because of the intense gripping of my breaks. padded shorts are the weirdest.
Egads! I'm using my motorcycle brain (don't only use the front brakes) to keep me from splatting all over the pavement!!! And don't you love the padded tush?!
If you can find a more experienced rider to train with that would be really helpful…if you hear others in the group shifting gears, it probably is a good sign that you should too. And just like you run hill repeats, you can bike hill repeats and build up those quads! Have a great weekend!
Biking is hard. Swimming is swell if you don't get eaten by a shark or drown first. That's why I stick to running. That is all =)
I refuse to wear bike shorts for that reason! It always feels like I crapped myself. Or like when you're at the beach and you get a bunch of sand stuffed into your bikini bottom.
So I wear non-padded shorts and my butt just gets used to it after the first week riding… True, sometimes I still leave the bike with my bits a bit, err, asleep, but I noticed it's the same with the padded shorts… I invested in a good seat, so that helps though.
I just did my first tri today and it was fun – none of my nightmares came true. 🙂 Of course, we don't have sharks in MN . . .
I recommend doing a lot of bike/run bricks. The running right off the bike is hard.
My advice is to stop being nervous. You will do awesome. In fact, you'll PR, for sure! Just go out and have fun and enjoy it! I predict you will have a blast and smile the whole time. Go, B.o.B., go!!!!
So excited that you're tri-ing! Riding with other people will get you more comfortable, yes to lots of brick work, and enjoy!!!
You're going to do great! my only advice is to get more comfortable on the bike. You have the fitness, but that death grip (and probable shoulder tightness) is a ton of wasted energy. Good luck!