Initial review of the new Tri Bike!

I am writing this review of my new bike because I am super excited and also because I searched high and low and could not find a single review online for the 2009 Kestrel Talon Tri.  Yes, I got last years model (better price) plus I liked the color more, black and white v. black and red :-)  I had a huge personal debate as to whether or not I should get a road bike or a tri bike, in talking with the bike shop we decided that a tri bike was the way that I should go because that is what I do, I do triathlons, I don't do bike races, I don't go out for rides that aren't training rides, so we settled on the tri bike.  He did all kinds of measurements and then I finally got to ride the bike so we could start tweaking my position on the bike. I did not get set up in a super aggressive position, definitley more aggressive than before but not so aggressive so that I feel like I am going to go over the top of my handle bars. 

I was able to take it for a ride yesterday!!  I struggled through some initial frustrations, I felt like I weighed 500 pounds and all of the pressure was on my lady bits, I felt like I wanted to cry, so I got off the bike, had some coffee, had some lunch, relaxed a bit and then got back on much better!  Road trips always exhaust me, I don't know what I was thinking trying to get on the bike right after getting out of the car, I was just so excited though!  I was able to ride 2.5 hours on the trainer (too much rain and cold outside) and I averaged 17.97 miles per hour.  I still need to get used to the new saddle but that will come with time (oh how I hope that it comes sooner than later!).  The bike itself weighs about 3 pounds less than my other one, and definitely feels smaller when I move it around.  I cannot wait to get to ride it outside to really get a feel for how different it is.  I will write a real review once I get that chance.

The photos I posted are the before and after, you can see on the second photo the difference in the geometry of the tri bike v. the road bike. 

On a somewhat related note, because of the road trip and everything else this weekend, I missed my Saturday run.  I became very grumpy and aggitated on Saturday afternoon and couldn't figure out why, I was on the edge and it finally occurred to me that my poor body had no idea how to get rid of all of the pent up energy!  Unfortunately I had forgotten my running shoes, I won't do that again!  Even though it is supposed to be a rest day today, I will be hitting the trail!

Happy Monday!

I actually got out of bed for a morning run!!

I cannot believe I actually did it, I got up at 5:30 and went for an hour and fifteen minute morning run, unbelievable!!  The run was extremely slow (slower than usual) but who cares, it was a first step and it felt pretty darn good.  I think I have a pretty good attitude most of the time but I really think the morning run contributed to a really great day!  Now I just need to get up early enough to have some coffee before the run, it's funny, I drink 75% decaf coffee, so I am pretty sure the coffee is just a mental thing but I guess I man mental because I NEED my morning coffee!

I didn't make it to the pool at lunch because I got an email that my bike is in and that I needed to come and get it fit.  Tomorrow my new baby will be coming home with me, oh my goodness what have I done?!?!  I am so excited and a little nervous, but so excited!

On an eating note, I have made spring roles everyday this week and I thought I had a few leftover in the fridge, none were there, Neuman!!  What a bummer, I don't mean to toot my own horn but my spring roles kick some serious A!  I am going to have to make up a few because I am jonesing (sp?) for some.

I will post a report on the new bike after I have riden it and probably crashed once or twice :-)

Nothing much to report

It has been a quiet week, training has gone well, I had a excellent swim on Tuesday, great brick yesterday, figured out Pandora on my iphone during my spin today, had friends over for dinner; all in all, a good week!

Tomorrow, I think I will get my bike, it might be on Saturday but it looks like I will be riding a new bike for my ride this weekend, crazy.  I am kind of getting nervous about it.  I just want to be comfortable.  Is a tri set up the right way to go?  I have been agonizing on this point, yes, no, yes, no, I guess I will find out soon enough...  I think about spending 112 miles on the bike and the tri set up seems scary but I don't really know, I am TOTALLY over analyzing it!  I am babbling, I just have to stop, it is just that I am going to spend a lot of money and want it to be right!

On a side note, Ironmom posted a link to a great article for the age group triathlete, it is a must read and gives great perspective for somebody like me.  I am by no means a gunner but it helps to hear from "professionals" that when I cut things short or postpone a workout to hang with my family, that I am doing the right thing.  I am looking forward to reading parts 2 & 3!

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend and I will post more on the bike once I ride it.

Ironman training-week 7

And this post has little to do with training, oh well!  I spent my weekend enjoying my family, playing with the kids, working out, reading and thinking about a new bike.  My focus was mainly on how we eat and how I am working very hard to "clean" things up.  I am having pretty good success so far, we are pretty close to meat free, I am feeling great and I think JP and the kids are coming around too!  JP actually commented to me tonight that he can't believe how good everything tastes, score one for me!  I have to say this and you can believe it or not but since I have switched to organics and fresh ingredients my food bill is actually going down, processed food is expensive and when you count the cost of what it does to your body, it is really expensive!  I will get off my soap box now, I am just really happy with how I am feeling, physically and mentally-it is an excellent feeling, no pharmaceuticals anymore for me. Tonight I made some spicy tofu, and spring rolls, I didn't quite have my chili garlic sauce to soy sauce ratio correct, it was REALLY spicy, it even made me sneeeze after my first bite; luckily it was just that bite that was super spicy!  I took a picture of the dinner because I thought it was pretty, the photo didn't come out nearly as good as I would have liked!

I am owning the fact that I am going to buy a new bike, it was a conspiracy all along between my dad, brother-in-law, and husband they ganged up on me and knew that I would cave in, turds!  It is going to be nice to ride a bike that fits me and my dad is going to buy my old bike to park in Kona, the bike that he currently rides while basking in the run is REALLY old so my old bike will be a step up.

It is going to be a good week, not really anything too exciting happening, I will be swimming tomorrow and embarrassing myself with my awful flip turns but I figure I have to practice to get better like anything else, I just appreciate that the lifeguards wait to laugh until I have my face back in the water :-).

The bliss I feel in 2010...

My excellent outlook was ever so slightly fractured yesterday.  Monday, I swear, I could not stop smiling, it was just one of those days, coming off of 12 days of vacation, everything felt right, even as I was driving home I was smiling, often times I have to listen to Laurie Birkner and think about my kids to get my spirits up.  Don't get me wrong, I don't think I am a Debbie Downer, it is just that sometimes work gets me down.  So anyway, yesterday, everything was making me a bit crazy, my boss was making me crazy, circumstances that I have no control over were making me crazy, people in administration were making me crazy, so crazy I ate four Lindor dark chocolate truffles, I am not usually a stress eater but I guess yesterday was a bit different.  I do not like feeling like that so I made the decision that today was going to be different, I had to oommmmm a few times and go to the gym to workout for an hour, but I felt better, I made a conscious choice not to let circumstances that are completely out of my control to make me crazy.  I only ate 2 truffles and gave the rest away to my co-workers, I will probably regret that tomorrow, but for now I feel good about it. 

So in 2010 when people do things that don't make sense, I pledge to take a deep breath and ooommmmmmm before I do anything, then I will remember that whoever made the crazy decision must have had a good reason and I just have to have faith that they know more than I do...this is where I put on my rose colored glasses.  I still have a job, my family is happy and healthy, I have a roof over my head, I am probably going to get a new bike, and I went to the store tonight and bought beautiful organic produce that I could afford; people might make me crazy but I could certainly have it a whole lot worse.  Tomorrow is another day that I am looking forward to; tomorrow, I pledge to make a difference, even if it is very small, to somebody somewhere, that might mean eating a cheese yummy, but I am okay with that.  I also pledge to learn the serenity prayer, I might need it!

The bike saga

so a few weeks ago I decided that I didn't need a new bike, my dad (and husband, and brother-in-law) do not agree with me, they all think I need a new bike.  You see it all started with the bike saga way back in 2007, I bought an entry level bike that was too big, so I have been rding on and modifying a 56 cm road bike for 2+ years, it is too big, I know that, but I just really don't want to spend the money.

So my dad takes me to the bike shop just to have them "fit" me, tell me what size bike I should have so they can keep an eye out for a good used bike, as it turns out I should have a 54 cm possibly a 52 cm frame, it is no wonder I am never comfortable on my bike!  Now I am completely tempted by the Kestrel Talon Tri bike (see the photo.)  I am trying to keep my head about me and not lose myself in a pretty new bike, but the idea of getting a new bike and being comfortable is really appealing.  This is compounded by the fact that my training partner got a new bike before last season and reminds me often that she had no idea it was possible to feel as good on a bike as she does now, it is not necessary to suffer. 

Well, for now I will continue to dream and contemplate and tune out my husband when he tells me I should just go ahead and buy the darn thing!  I'll keep you posted...

I took the Polar Bear Plunge, what?!?!?!?!?!?!

I have too much going on in my head, way too much!  I am really excited for 2010, the year has already started out great, aside from a head and chest cold that I am pretty sure I exacerbated with a  few of my New Year's activities!  We decided to go see my mom and dad for the new year since we had other family here for the Christmas holiday, so we packed up the car and headed to the P's house on New Year's eve.  We had a nice low key evening, my sister and her husband came over with their kids so it was cousinville, we didn't see anyone under the age of 8 all night, they were sure they were going to stay up until midnight, luckily for us they only made it to 10 so we could go to bed too!

I woke up late on New Year's day and learned about a fun run that has been held for the past 30 years, the "Hangover Handicap" 5 mile run was starting at 9:30 and they had day of race sign up, so I ate some breakfast, and headed downtown to get into the race.  It was slushy and cold but after about the first mile I was plenty warm and very excited to be out running, what a way to start the year!  My handicap was not a hangover but rather the fact that I din't have a cup of coffee before leaving the house!  When I got home, somebody got a crazy hair and we all decided to head down to the beach for the "Polar Bear Plunge," standing on the beach in 34 degree weather in a bathing suit would not normally be my idea of fun but at the sound of the horn I headed into the water with everybody else, plugged my nose and went under BUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRR!  Once we were standing on the beach again it didn't even feel cold!  My daughter wanted to do it too but I told her she didn't have enough body fat, I was shocked at the number of kids who jumped in, I don't think I am going to get away with saying no next year...

I told my mom as I was going to bed that I am really looking forward to 2010, 2009 was a very hard year, but I wouldn't take a single thing back, we learned more and did more than we have in previous years and with about half as much money.  My mom commented that I seem to be happier than I have been in a long time too, it is interesting what you can accomplish once you figure out your priorites and let go of much of the superfluous stuff that we all hang on to.  I love my life and my family and the freedom that I have found, 2010 is going to rock!