Purchasing a Road Bike: Decisions, Decisions

July 16, 2011 By 2 Comments

So, I wanna buy a road bike. (Not this one, though it sure is nice looking!)

Cha-ching.

I was hoping to get off with $300 or so on a used road bike; how gullible am I?!

The one I really like, the Felt, is about $500 used. I found an F80, but it is located quite far from me (remember, I’m in the boonies now), and I’m not sure I can swing a meeting with the girl.

I haven’t been fitted yet, so that’s my next step.

I’m going blind by the research I’ve done on the different brands (Cannondale, Trek, Felt), places to purchase (local bike store, or LBS; craigslist for used; bikesdirect.com), types of frames, accessories needed, and so on and so forth. It’s almost as much research as I did when trying to have my first baby. And about as damn expensive!

I am a good researcher (thanks to the masters program at University of South Florida), but I think the way to best learn is to talk with those who do the thing or have the thing you want.

So I’m tossing my questions out to you, biking/cycling friends!

What type of bike do you ride? What’s your weekly mileage? Are you happy with the bike? Can I find a decent used bike for $500? And on and on and on . . . All comments welcome!

Happy Cycling!

P.S. Today’s workout consisted of an 8.5 mile run. 8.1 on the mill, luckily on one that had a built in tv so I could watch my trash shows, which always makes the time go by faster for me on a ‘mill. Then .4 or so around the indoor track at the gym. I worked on incline to 5.5 and speed to 7.0, but not all at the same time for fear of falling off backwards!

My daughter wanted to do a splash and dash race at club med the day before my tri, but her heel hurts from taking a fall on it, so we stopped running together after 2 laps and I completed six more for 1/2 a mile.

Then I stopped and purchased a handheld tire pump and levers for my bike. I’m ready for the flats that may come – well, at least I have the tools necessary to fix the flat. I’m not so sure I can actually change the tire, though!

Oh, and I still need a road bike. (See how I say need, not want. Funny how that happens!)

8 days until my first tri.

Filed Under: Biking/Cycling, July 2011, Triathlon Training Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Changing a Bike Tire Flat: One Task This Runner Girl Must Master Before My First Tri

July 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have always loved biking.

By that, I mean I have enjoyed hopping on my cruiser and heading to the beach, or, when I graduated college and lived on a small island in southern Florida, cruising to the bar, watching my friend’s band (back in the 90s, when songs like Low by Cracker were popular), and then riding home with a buzz, dodging real estate signs and potholes.

As I got older and lost my desire for late night partying (well, most nights, anyway!), I turned to cycling for exercise. This was before I ran. I didn’t upgrade bikes, but rode my cruiser mile after mile each day.

Then my husband – my then boyfriend – turned me on to running, and cycling fell to the wayside for a while.

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Filed Under: Biking/Cycling, Triathlon Training Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Signing Up for My First Triathlon, Butterflies and All!

June 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

 
 

 

Today I spent an hour in the bookstore.

I wasn’t looking at cookbooks, which I love, or magazines about writing.

I wasn’t drinking coffee and working on my American novel, though I only have two chapters, or 40 pages, left before completion.

I was, in fact, looking up information about triathlons.

Three years ago, while living in Los Angeles, I got it in my head to do a tri. I joined the local gym since we were pool-less and I began to train. Swimming, running, and biking took up my workout schedule several times each week. I was ready to go, and only one month away.

Then we found out my husband was being transferred.

So I switched gears, literally.

That fall I ran my second marathon, and I gave up my idea of competing in a tri.

Until several months ago.

I began training again, and I’m doing fairly well. I can run 10 miles right now, swim about 1250 comfortably, and bike around 9. I have a tri in my sights, on July 24th, but I am, in fact, scared as crap.

Why?

I suppose it’s the unknown. I have a variety of obsessive questions: where do I put my stuff, what stuff do I put there, will I knock into someone else while I’m biking and ruin their experience, what if I wear the wrong thing, will I look ridiculous, what if I get lost in the swim, or I can’t breathe, or I have a heart attack?

As you can see, I can stress with the best of them!

In fact, I am more stressed about this than I am about running another 26.2 miles, even though the last time I ran a marathon I messed up my hamstring for six months.

I’ve obsessively googled numerous things, such as drafting on the bike, drowning during the swim, and cramping during the run.

What do I eat, what do I pack, what do I put next to my bike? What if I forget something? What if I commit an error and I don’t even know it, but the error pisses off a lot of other triathletes?

This doesn’t happen in running. You lace up, you go when the gun cracks, and you run.

But I’ve decided to swallow my fear.

Training has been done. I can do the mileage. I have:

  • picked the race
  • found someone to watch my children, and
  • bribed my best friend to accompany me (okay, she doesn’t know this yet but she will as soon as I finish writing this post)

I’m going to do this.

Really, I am.

I’m committing so much I’m purchasing tri shorts tonight and using them for my practice tri next Saturday, when I do a swim, bike, and run in preparation for the race, which is only four weeks away or so.

So here I go, I’m buying those shorts, and now I will stop obsessing.

Well, okay, I’ll stop obsessing after I google what to do in the middle of my tri if my bike scores a flat.

Wish me luck . . .

Filed Under: Biking/Cycling, June 2011, Sprint Triathlons, Swimming, Triathlon Training Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Cross Training: Why it Can Help Your Running

April 17, 2009 By 3 Comments

If you are like many runners you are obsessively possessed with the sport.

Yep, I said it. Maybe you don’t vomit green or you can’t turn your head 360 degrees, but if you are a runner, chances are you constantly think about running.

What’s my speed?

How far did I go?

When will I run again?

Sound familiar? Look, I know you: I am you!

So it’s no wonder that we sometimes burn out, whether our bodies tank because we are doing too much or mentally we are unable to sustain a ten mile-or ten minute-run!

When this happens, it means we need to do some change ups. I’ve talked about this in previous posts, some of the aftermath of overtraining. This might include:

  • being overly tired, despite a great amount of sleep
  • feeling as though exercise, and running, is a chore rather than something you want to do
  • getting injured
  • ignoring and injury to continue running

For me, this list would also include being dizzy, losing too much weight, and getting frustrated with everyday things that should not be frustrating.

To tackle that head on, I’ve begun my cross training routine again. I had given that up when we moved since I wasn’t training for a particular tri, but now I have my sites on a tri this fall and figure I might as well begin X-training – especially since I was suffering from some runner’s burnout.

This morning I did 5 on the bike, 3 on foot. It went well, and I felt pretty energized when I finished. I can’t wait to get into the pool, wish the water would hurry up and heat! Next year, I’m definitely joining the Y to get in my swim workouts when the pool lis cold. I miss swimming; I think I love it as much as I do running. The cardio is awesome and the workouts are powerful. The bike – not so much for me. I enjoy it, I guess, but I don’t feel like I’m working extra hard when I’m pedaling. Still, I do like the fact that I can go much further than running during the same amount of time.

Every athlete can benefit from cross training. It keeps the various muscle groups working, it reduces your chances for injury (over repetitively doing the same thing – like running 6 days a week), it frees you up mentally (I feel) because it allows you to concentrate your efforts on a variety of training routines rather than just one, and since each exercise works different muscle groups it really helps improve your overall athletic ability.

Are you burned out? Try something new tomorrow. Bike rather than run, or split it up: Bike for a few miles, run the rest. Try swimming, which rocks when it comes to cardio and calories burning (in comparison to other exercises). Do a mini-tri, which was one of my favorite workouts in LA: bike, run and swim each in a set period of time – say one hour – breaking it up into 20 minute increments for each sport. Fun! Challenging! And sure to get you out of the workout doldrums!

Til tomorrow (my running day off, now that I have switched my long runs to Sunday), happy running!

Filed Under: April 2009, Biking/Cycling, Swimming, Training for a Marathon, Triathlon Training Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Mini-Tri, Stretching and Why Can’t I Master that Flip?!

October 2, 2008 By Leave a Comment

This morning’s workout went well. I did a two mile run, but spent the second mile doing sprint training. I have to start sprinting and then continuing to run at a slower pace in order to keep my body used to going faster.

I did a bike ride next, going for six miles. I tackled the hill I ran yesterday and it was a heckuva lot easier to run up than bike up!

Came home, had coffee and breakfast, then headed to the gym with the girls. I did a thirty minute swim and then sprinted for about five minutes or so, resting in between 25 and 50 meters. I worked on form, and I think I am doing better with the continuous motion even when breathing that I realized I was having trouble with the other day (Thanks again Shirley!)

Today’s Stretch: Legs

As a runner I often get tight muscles, particularly in my hamstrings, as well as some knee pain when I do too many squats (which I probably shouldn’t be doing at all but simply can’t give up!) So, I do this stretch after my runs and also when I do my yoga routine at night to help stretch out my legs.

Place hands flat against a wall. Extend arms so that they are straight (don’t lock elbows). Place legs behind your body, so that you are pushing against the wall. Your legs will be about four feet from wall or so. Stretch! Do both legs together and then work one leg at a time. Remember, though, don’t stretch until your muscles are WARM. So, if you are going to stretch BEFORE a run, then do a three to five minute warm up job before you begin stretching. I generally stretch after a run and then in the evening with my yoga routine.

Swim Flip:
What the heck? I practiced today. I’m too afraid to get so close to the wall. I got it partially down. No longer do I get water up my nose and sputter and come up flailing like a dying fish, but I just can’t get close enough to the wall to push off, and then when I did at last, I couldn’t remember if I was supposed to immediately turn over or swim upside down for a bit!

I guess I’ve got a ways to go on this!

Filed Under: Biking/Cycling, exercises, October 2008, Swimming, Thursday's Stretch, Training for a Marathon, Triathlon Training Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Today I Completed My First Triathlon . . . Kind of!

July 31, 2008 By 2 Comments

Today I began the full three events-swim, bike and run-at the gym.

I started off with a 1,000 meter swim. Not bad, as I did it first and was glad that I did because the pool was open with only one other swimmer. The swim was a good one and I realized something funny during it: While I love swimming, I loathe biking, but only at the gym. I have a feeling if I were working out outside, swimming would be tough in the ocean or lakes because I’d be concerned about whatever was below the surface and biking would be great because I’d actually be going somewhere!

Swim: 1000 meters/40 laps; approx. 29 minutes. I stopped a few times to listen for the paging system, in case my youngest needed to leave childcare! I want to do this entire swim next week without stopping, and I’d like a better way to time myself. I know that I did the first 250 meters in about 5 1/2 minutes without stopping; after that, it’s a guess.

The transition was easy: I shed my suit, put on my running clothes and headed upstairs. I did a five mile bike ride. The other day when riding I stood up after and had a really sharp pain in my calf muscle. I made sure that night and the next day after my run that I stretched the hell out of it. It felt better today; no sharp pain. I took it easy on the levels though just in case. I have to do a 11 mile run on Saturday and don’t want any odd pains to stand in my way!

Bike Ride: 5 miles (like 5.2 or something) in 15 minutes.

I then stepped onto the treadmill, glad to see my legs held me up. This is only the second time I have biked and then run after. I’m sure when I get going a little farther on the bike, the run after will be more tough.

I did 2 miles and averaged just 9:30 min miles. I really wanted it to be closer to 9, and I did get down to 8:40 min miles a few times, but not enough.

The entire workout took about 65 minutes. I got done feeling great but really, really hungry! I had started off this morning with a cup of coffee, a hard boiled egg and a banana before the workout. I have a feeling if I go much longer than the sixty-five minutes I’m going to need to eat something during, or take one of my gel packs that I use on long runs.

I realized something about the bike: I need to practice. I don’t enjoy biking. I love to swim and run, so I want to do these two, and I don’t want to increase the bike because I don’t enjoy it. I think if I were outside, again, I would, but inside I just don’t.

So, with shower and all I was at the gym for about an hour and a half. The girls, of course, did fine in daycare, though I was feeling a bit guilty by the amount of time it took. And I know that when I get to doing some longer bikes and runs it will take even longer. However, I think I will cap myself at a certain point before this triathlon. I have to check and see again how long the distances are, but I think the run is only four miles, which isn’t too bad.

Completing all three of those today really made me feel great! I am feeling a bit more confident, like the triathlon won’t be unattainable, especially if I start small.

A question for all of my tri friends; How far are you going in training before a race? Do you try out the entire length first? Or, like a marathon, only go to a certain point in training and push it a bit farther on race day?

Filed Under: Biking/Cycling, January 2008, July 2008, Long Distance Running, March, October 2007, Racing, Reflections on Running, Running Gear, Swimming, Training for a Marathon, Triathlon Training Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Some Thoughts About the Gym

July 24, 2008 By 2 Comments

I hate it!

Oh, I try, I really, really do!

I try to like it. But I just don’t.

If I have to train, I want to be outside. I mean, why ride a stationary bike at all? I don’t understand the benefits, other than a few calories burned. It isn’t as good as the workout outside, it’s boring as hell, and there is nothing to look at, except for the other people in the gym. But I think there is a rule about not staring them down while working out (at least, they seem to look at me funny when I attempt to check them out while I workout!)

RUnning on the treadmill is just as bad. BORING. Oh my gosh, first of all I can’t read a damn thing on the closed caption television, secondly the music is good but if I sing along people look at me funny. Thirdly, it is hot as hell. What do they do, crank the heat up in those places? And it is BORING.

Did I say BORING?!

The only thing I DO like about the gym is the pool, because I’d be terrified to go out in the ocean and swim alone. So the pool is good, minus the snot that I talked about the other day.

Oh, and today there was a spider at the bottom of the pool. Seriously, he was standing on the bottom of the pool. Shouldn’t he have been floating if he were dead? I began to make up this story about him as I swam (yes, I do entertain myself during these long workouts: Hey I run marathons, what else will I do for all of those hours?!). I decided he was a mutant chlorine spider that could survive the harshest of chemicals AND breathe under water. He did move while I was there, inching over into the other lane, moving toward the little Asian lady that I nearly pushed over on my way to the pool (there are only three lanes and I knew one was already in use; I wanted to beat her just in case she got down those stairs before me!)

Anyway, the spider did not attack as I thought he might. He stayed where he was. His dead, squashed brother was up ahead of him. I’m guessing he wasn’t quite adapted to the chemicals. A mutant, if you will.

I saw some interesting things at the gym this morning, though. Things I would not have seen outside, I’m guessing. For one, the woman beside me got onto the treadmill backwards and commenced to jog. Yes, she jogged backwards. It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen, seriously. I have trouble jogging forwards on the treadmill! I always feel as though I’m going to fall over. She did it backwards. Unbelievable.

I saw the physical fitness trainer hitting on a few ladies as they walked on the treadmill. He stood there the entire time that they walked.

Filed Under: Biking/Cycling, July 2008, Long Distance Running, Racing, Reflections on Running, Swimming, Training for a Marathon, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Swimming: The Good, The Bad and the Snotty

July 22, 2008 By 2 Comments

So I spent the first ten minutes of my official start of tri training biking, which I will write about later.

Then I did my swim.

I’ve been swimming for a year or so now. That’s why I originally joined the gym. I really love swimming. I love the solitude of it all. It is so quiet in the water, and it really gives me time to think, reflect, consider, imagine, dream.

I love the way that my body feels weightless, and every ache and pain that I have from running, biking or just living goes away. I have done something to a muscle in my back, and it hurts now as I type. In the water I didn’t feel it at all, even though I was using my arms to swim.

I love swimming. I have no idea how fast I go, though I know from the way the other guy was passing me I don’t go very fast at all. This is the down side. I guess I could figure out how long the pool is-aren’t they all about the same, if they are Olympic sized?-and then how far I go in the half hour , how many laps, but for now I just swim.

The only down side I find is the snot. The water seems to work as a snot softener, creating lots of it, which ends up, well, in the pool. No, let me say, first it ends up on my face, and then in the pool.

Now, shudder as you may, this is definitely a gross thing. But my snot, and my kids’ snot, well, I can deal with that.

It’s when I see floaters that don’t belong to me that I shudder.

At this time, the snot issue is the only thing I really don’t like about swimming. I try to remember that’s what chemicals are for.

The morning routine went well. I did the ten minute bike, but the damn thing was stuck on RPM, not MPH, which I wanted. I am going to wear my forerunner next time to figure out how fast I am going. Thursday I will do a ten minute bike, ten minute all out run and probably twenty in the pool. My plan is to increase that.

I don’t want to increase too far, too fast though. Since the marathon is first, I really need to focus on staying injury free through October. But, I figure if I build up just a tiny bit over time it will all work out. I only need to do a 5K in this tri. The running will be my strong point as long as my legs don’t go too wobbly from the bike.

Day one of tri training has officially begun and I feel good. I can do this! It’s all in my head anyway, right?!

Filed Under: Biking/Cycling, July 2008, Long Distance Running, Racing, Swimming, Training for a Marathon, Triathlon Training Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Taking a Day Off from the Cardio

July 18, 2008 By Leave a Comment

I was going to do some cardio this morning, but my husband and I decided to have a few glasses of wine and sleep in instead!

It’s always nice when that happens, though I do feel a wee bit of guilt for not getting up! However, I know that running and biking today would be too much. I can feel my knee a little. I think it is the flip flop obsession I have developed. Today I”m off to the store to find some regular sandals with some cushion. I think the flip flops are wrecking my knee (I’m going to post about that separately later).

Today I’ll do abs and arms as the girls nap and have quiet time. That will mean 5 days of cardio this week. I think that’s good. I don’ t want to get to the point I was last time and burn out. I have a tendency to really focus on cardio sometimes, I love that ‘feel’ when it is over, but then I get really tired after a few weeks. I think that has been happening lately.

I’m going to try to get to the gym to do my swim on Sunday. Husband has to go into work, but if I can get there right when it opens I can get back in time. That means my nine miler tomorrow, and then I will do a ten minute bike and a thirty minute swim on Sunday.

Hope everyone has a great running weekend! I’m ready for my nine tomorrow! I can’t wait to get back up to 13 miles. That was my favorite a while back, when I was steadily running 13.

Filed Under: Biking/Cycling, July 2008, Long Distance Running, Reflections on Running, Swimming, Training for a Marathon, Triathlon Training Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

If at First You Don’t Succeed, Tri, Tri Again!

July 17, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Today I was supposed to get up at 5, head to the gym, do ten to twenty on the bike, twenty on the treadmill and then twenty in the pool.

However, life got in the way.

Last night my youngest woke up several times and had difficulty even getting to sleep in the first place.

My oldest woke up at 3 and, for some reason, could not go back to sleep. I ended up sleeping with her for a while.

When I woke at 5:10 I thought ok, I’ll give myself five more minutes of rest time. I woke up at 5:40.

Instead I went for a run. I did 2 1/2 and then did some sprinting. Unbelievably, this was the best run of the week! No sleep, tired, a little bit of knee pain . . . and it was the best one I had. I could have done four miles but that knee is scaring me. I don’t want to blow it and not make it to Long Beach this October.

So, tomorrow is another day. My plan now: Head to the gym for a short bike and swim. No running since Saturday is my nine miles. I’m worried what the bike may do to the knee. I hope it stays strong through this. I may have to look up some knee strengthening exercises.

If I don’t do the gym tomorrow, I’ll work on arms and abs and take it easy with the cardio. Maybe that’s what I need: A day off of cardio, since I have been so tired.

Well, the kids are up from nap and it is time to go do something.

Hopefully tomorrow morning will be better for the work out!

Filed Under: Biking/Cycling, July 2008, Long Distance Running, Racing, Swimming, Training for a Marathon, Triathlon Training Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,
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