So I set out at 5:30 this morning to ride to work. Why? Because my car is being held hostage by the repair dude for over $1000. Thankfully she SHOULD be done today and all completely better. I hope so. We're driving to Coeur d'Alene on Saturday.
It's dry out, and dreary. Note to self: Must get clear or yellow glasses for early morning rides.
I cross the bridges, not walking this time because the wind wasn't threatening to kill me. All was well. I got into Everett, the skies opened and POURED on me! ARGH!!! It is SUPPOSED to be a nice day today. Didn't the skies read the weather report? Apparently not!
By the time I got to work I was soaked except my top (my top layer was wet, but it holds the water surprisingly well. I could feel water sloshing in my shoes every time I had to stop. But it's one more scary rain ride that did not kill me! Yay! I'm actually getting to the point of "Meh...it's raining. It is what it is."
I guess what Bear says about getting better and more confident on the bike is right. "Ride lots." The more I ride, the more I find myself relaxing into the ride. (I still like running better.)
Not sure if I'm riding home or not. The car should be loosed from her tethers today and Roy will get her. He wants to see Indiana Jones. He had tickets to see it at midnight (for both of us, is he insane??) but because the car had to stay overnight, we missed it. So I might just run out to the mall and pick Dulcy up on the way home.
She's a good bike. Is it wrong, though, that last night I was dreaming of not getting a new car next year, but instead getting a new bike? Shhhh, don't tell her that. I don't even know if I want to continue to do long distance triathlons, but I do know I want to ride more.
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I have a marathon on Sunday. My knees hurt...I hate that. Something always hurts right before my marathons. Why is that?
Oh well. It is what it is. I know I will start, and if I start I know I will finish. Can you ask for anything more?
Comments (2)
You are my inspiration! Like you haven't heard that before right? Because of you I am doing a sprint tri, and what's more I think I will actually be able to do it! I just want to know though how do you manage to run and bike all these places and be in any way presentable when you get there!?
Julie
PS I love reading your training journal! Thanks!
Yeah, wish the rain would just go away! Dreaming about a new bike? Bicycle Centres has a great website with all kinds of bicycles (like 100's and 100's) on it. Unfortunately, they have just a few in their store by comparison. However, as I seriously had "new bike" fever, I found one I liked, a "Specialized Dolce" (women's specific road bike). It is a lovely bike, and didn't cost a fortune, either. (Only $769.00!) BUT I decided to go really "high-tech" (after riding a Trek hybrid only three years...my first bike since I was a child), and got the new "clipless" pedals that attach to special bike shoes with cleats.
The first day (May 6) I practiced clipping (or should it be called "cleating"?) in and out, so I felt confident. Then that evening, went for a ride with my husband. Ha, ha, I could have really left him in the dust on his Trek (that matched my former bike), but I didn't want to break the 15 mile speed limit on the Centennial Trail by too much! The pedal-shoe combination turned out to be my undoing, though. With about one and a half miles to go heading back north to 84th, we had to stop at 60th for a car. (To the left, the street is kind of a blind curve.) My husband then crossed the street, and I began to follow with my shoes "unclipped" (so I thought...I wanted to reattach them after I got going again on the trail). But another car came, so I decided to wait and as I made to put my feet down, my right shoe attached itself to the pedal and brought me down very hard onto the pavement. No more biking, no more running, nothing but crutches....I severely sprained my right pelvic area. Low back was also affected, but my chiropractor by now has pretty much fixed that. My right groin is still a problem, though, so don't know how long this will take to heal. (Unfortunately, it's the same area I had trouble with the first two months of this year.)
Just curious...what's your current bike like? What type of pedal system?
Be careful out there! Bike riding seems to be the most dangerous of the three tri sports, definitely! And good luck with your marathon Sunday!
-Shirley
P.S. I enjoy your training journal, too. Now since I can't do anything, guess I'll exercise "vicariously" through it!