Ok. I admit it. I may have insinuated in my last post that triathlon training was a little crazy and that triathletes are a different breed. Well, all I can say is crow taste good...
Mr. Weatherman made it pretty clear that it was gonna rain tonight, so I knew the chances of a run/ride brick were slim. I decided, therefore, to go for a little swim in an attempt to redeem myself from last year's debacle. Just how bad could it have been? The truth came out tonight when my friend/swim instructor Rhonda J. said, "I can't believe you're the same person that was in this pool last year...you do all kinds of things and I just couldn't figure out why you were having such a hard time".
On the way over to the pool, I told myself this swimming thing was completely psychological and that I had the capability of learning proper swim technique (3 freakin' graduate degrees and 14 years of school...surely I can master bilateral breathing and arm strokes). I had to remind myself that my very first lesson with Rhonda last year was 5 days after being discharged from the hospital. I'd lost 20 lbs and my liver wasn't functioning....perhaps that affected my performance. Regardless, I was now a little freaked about jumping in, but all was good during this lesson!
After 30 minutes of breathing and head rolling instruction, we added arms and legs. She made me do a few more practice laps and then she became the Swim Nazi... don't stop, keep breathing, full strokes, don't touch the bottom, yada, yada, yada. AMAZINGLY ENOUGH...I DID IT!!! It was just psychological...go figure! And, it felt good!
I determined tonight that swimming is much like riding a bike. Just as you find a comfortable cadence and spin, spin, spin, you find a comfortable breathing and stroke rhythm and propel, propel, propel. Now, I have no misconception that this sport will be easy once I'm in open water with a gazillion other peeps. But, at least I didn't hit the proverbial brick wall...or would that be "pool wall"?
I'm still afraid though. I think I might just get hooked on this triathlon thing. Great, just what I need~another hobby!
Gotta go for now as I have more crow to eat-
Swim on,
SK
Monday, March 31, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Brick (wall)????
Triathletes are either the most mindful people on earth or the craziest...not sure which!!!
Brick, simple enough word right? Even when modified - bricklayer, brick and mortar, brickwork, brick fireplace- it sounds simplistic enough. However, BRICK is a word I've come to dislike, especially after tonight. I'm going to start referring to 'brick training' as 'brick walling' because that's what it feels like after riding your bike full blast and then running a gazillion miles!
So, I tried (no pun intended) brick training for a few months in 2006 because I wanted to do a sprint tri in Texarkana, AR. And, last year when I was so sick I tried to pick up swimming because it's a low impact sport. But, such as my life has been for the last 14 years, school and work got in the way of fun and I had to postpone my desire to participate in triathlons. However, the opportunity for brick training resurfaced when someone (that would be my loving Cuzin Chris) sent an email last week to our group declaring Monday and Wednesday nights as the official 'some of us are training for the KC 1/2 Ironman and need to get on the training schtick'.
Let's see...
I'm not doing KC or training for anything else (which is status quo for me considering I did the LR 1/2 marathon a month ago with zero training) and I have a dissertation due in less than 2 weeks (good diversion tactic, right?),
but
I need to shed a few pounds from said dissertation writing and I need to capitalize on as much 'cuz time' as possible since we are moving,
so
...why not?
I'm pretty sure those are someone's famous last words. I show up Monday night and it's rather chilly, but Cuz and I knock out a ride/run (we have similar paces which is nice). Tonight I show up and it's much warmer but Cuz elects to "rest his legs". Fair enough...he is racing this weekend and I kinda sorta talked him into doing the TXARK tri with me years ago and then I bailed so I probably had it coming.
BIG NOTE TO SELF, don't even attempt bricks with people like ODWonn (tri guru of the world) and/or JCon (Mr. I win bike races and run sub-zero minute miles without trying) and/or any other peeps around here that post phenom tri times! I did that tonight in Cuz's absence and it was not pretty...brick wall baby, brick wall! Oh, did I mention it was not pretty?
I guess there is one good benefit of these bricks (I can only think of one this very moment as my legs are demanding to know what in the world I was thinking). I want to do an adventure race before we move and this is excellent prep for the biking and running required as part of that event. Not sure they will help with the paddling or orienteering, but I've got plenty of time to perfect those skillz!
Hmmmm....crazy or mindful. My mind fully thinks that this type of training is crazy! I may just stick to old skool ridin'!
Happy (painless) training to you all~
SK
Brick, simple enough word right? Even when modified - bricklayer, brick and mortar, brickwork, brick fireplace- it sounds simplistic enough. However, BRICK is a word I've come to dislike, especially after tonight. I'm going to start referring to 'brick training' as 'brick walling' because that's what it feels like after riding your bike full blast and then running a gazillion miles!
So, I tried (no pun intended) brick training for a few months in 2006 because I wanted to do a sprint tri in Texarkana, AR. And, last year when I was so sick I tried to pick up swimming because it's a low impact sport. But, such as my life has been for the last 14 years, school and work got in the way of fun and I had to postpone my desire to participate in triathlons. However, the opportunity for brick training resurfaced when someone (that would be my loving Cuzin Chris) sent an email last week to our group declaring Monday and Wednesday nights as the official 'some of us are training for the KC 1/2 Ironman and need to get on the training schtick'.
Let's see...
I'm not doing KC or training for anything else (which is status quo for me considering I did the LR 1/2 marathon a month ago with zero training) and I have a dissertation due in less than 2 weeks (good diversion tactic, right?),
but
I need to shed a few pounds from said dissertation writing and I need to capitalize on as much 'cuz time' as possible since we are moving,
so
...why not?
I'm pretty sure those are someone's famous last words. I show up Monday night and it's rather chilly, but Cuz and I knock out a ride/run (we have similar paces which is nice). Tonight I show up and it's much warmer but Cuz elects to "rest his legs". Fair enough...he is racing this weekend and I kinda sorta talked him into doing the TXARK tri with me years ago and then I bailed so I probably had it coming.
BIG NOTE TO SELF, don't even attempt bricks with people like ODWonn (tri guru of the world) and/or JCon (Mr. I win bike races and run sub-zero minute miles without trying) and/or any other peeps around here that post phenom tri times! I did that tonight in Cuz's absence and it was not pretty...brick wall baby, brick wall! Oh, did I mention it was not pretty?
I guess there is one good benefit of these bricks (I can only think of one this very moment as my legs are demanding to know what in the world I was thinking). I want to do an adventure race before we move and this is excellent prep for the biking and running required as part of that event. Not sure they will help with the paddling or orienteering, but I've got plenty of time to perfect those skillz!
Hmmmm....crazy or mindful. My mind fully thinks that this type of training is crazy! I may just stick to old skool ridin'!
Happy (painless) training to you all~
SK
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Old Skool Ridin'
Tuesday was awesome...it threaten rained, but I didn't care. As of this Wednesday, I have EXACTLY 4 months to prepare for the 11th hilliest RAGBRAI! So, I was riding the FGSG Tuesday ride if the Lord was willing and the creek didn't rise (which it did a little).
6pm rolled around and 5 FGSG were on wheels ready to go...Mr. Funk, Razz, Cuzin Chris, Cuzette, and myself. It was a bit chilly at the start after the 'heat shower' came through, so of course, I overdressed for the ride. Arm warmers, vest, and rain jacket were shed about mid-ride. Man...to say that Tuesday's ride was old skool would be an understatement. Long-time friends catching up on long lost memories....priceless!
We reminisced about Hotter N Hell trips, we joked about the riders we once were, and we laughed as if there was no tomorrow. Though some of us are nursing separated shoulders or contemplating what is next in life, nothing changes when friendship has been formed. It was as if just yesterday, the gang trekked across Texas (going 95 mph on the interstate and stopping at EVERY possible McDonalds), rode 100 miles together, shared a meal at the local steakhouse, transported a rider to the ER because he "celebrated before he hydrated" and then jetted back to LR to ride together some more!!! Mr. Funk informed me on the ride yesterday that he is indeed descending upon Wichita Falls again with Ms. Fondoo to round out his tenth HH100. You go Yale....and I miss riding with you!
During this ride, I was reminded why I ride. Simply said...'I am' on the bike. What does that mean? Just that. I am free, I am happy, I am glad to be with other cyclists, I am overwhelmed with a sense of being, I am eager to share the joy of cycling with non-cyclists, I am __________ (fill in the blank with all of the emotions you feel when pedaling)!
Writing that paragraph made me think of this weekend. Steph and I went to Columbia, MO to take our League Certified Instructor (LCI) exam. Passing this 3-day course will allow us to teach others about bicycle safety. We both did well on the 85 question written exam, 2 road tests (including night riding), 2 handling skills tests, and the classroom instruction test. Oh, did I mention it was 34 degrees and raining...they had no mercy on us... get out there and RIDE if you want to pass!
Anyway, one of the exercises was to write down (a) the make/model of your very first bike (mine was a pink Huffy), (b) your favorite memory on that bike, (c) what important lesson you learned from that bike, and (d) what one feeling that bike gave you. The participants' responses in this LCI course were not unlike the emotions described above (independence, excitement, etc). Take 5...think back to your first biking experience and let me know if you DON'T have the same feelings when you ride today! And thanks FGSG for making each ride memorable~
Ride on (safely of course),
SK
6pm rolled around and 5 FGSG were on wheels ready to go...Mr. Funk, Razz, Cuzin Chris, Cuzette, and myself. It was a bit chilly at the start after the 'heat shower' came through, so of course, I overdressed for the ride. Arm warmers, vest, and rain jacket were shed about mid-ride. Man...to say that Tuesday's ride was old skool would be an understatement. Long-time friends catching up on long lost memories....priceless!
We reminisced about Hotter N Hell trips, we joked about the riders we once were, and we laughed as if there was no tomorrow. Though some of us are nursing separated shoulders or contemplating what is next in life, nothing changes when friendship has been formed. It was as if just yesterday, the gang trekked across Texas (going 95 mph on the interstate and stopping at EVERY possible McDonalds), rode 100 miles together, shared a meal at the local steakhouse, transported a rider to the ER because he "celebrated before he hydrated" and then jetted back to LR to ride together some more!!! Mr. Funk informed me on the ride yesterday that he is indeed descending upon Wichita Falls again with Ms. Fondoo to round out his tenth HH100. You go Yale....and I miss riding with you!
During this ride, I was reminded why I ride. Simply said...'I am' on the bike. What does that mean? Just that. I am free, I am happy, I am glad to be with other cyclists, I am overwhelmed with a sense of being, I am eager to share the joy of cycling with non-cyclists, I am __________ (fill in the blank with all of the emotions you feel when pedaling)!
Writing that paragraph made me think of this weekend. Steph and I went to Columbia, MO to take our League Certified Instructor (LCI) exam. Passing this 3-day course will allow us to teach others about bicycle safety. We both did well on the 85 question written exam, 2 road tests (including night riding), 2 handling skills tests, and the classroom instruction test. Oh, did I mention it was 34 degrees and raining...they had no mercy on us... get out there and RIDE if you want to pass!
Anyway, one of the exercises was to write down (a) the make/model of your very first bike (mine was a pink Huffy), (b) your favorite memory on that bike, (c) what important lesson you learned from that bike, and (d) what one feeling that bike gave you. The participants' responses in this LCI course were not unlike the emotions described above (independence, excitement, etc). Take 5...think back to your first biking experience and let me know if you DON'T have the same feelings when you ride today! And thanks FGSG for making each ride memorable~
Ride on (safely of course),
SK
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Team Rubicon, LIVESTRONG, RAGBRAI, Oh My...
First, Geo is going to LOVE me. He has the opportunity to be "RUBE-D" out again this year! Oh what a great time we had "painting" Nebo with Rube and R&R art last year. We'll it gets better this year!Little Rock is hosting another bike ride to benefit the Lance Armstrong Foundation on May 7th. Once again, Team Rubicon racers will be giving out LIVESTRONG wristbands and playing cat and mouse with the locals!
BUT NEW THIS YEAR, a raffle for lots of cool schwag including:
(1) Team Rubicon Edition Bike Frame (a really nice Orbea) and signed Rubes jersey
(1) Autographed Lance Armstrong item
(1) VIP spot in the Team Rubicon Car at Joe Martin (oh yeah baby)
(1) Team Rubicon Gift Basket complete with Rube gear, Hammer gels, and other good stuff
(1) LIVESTRONG Edition Oakley Radar Glasses
AND...whatever else we can find to give away between now and then!
Wanna fight cancer and win cool stuff? Then buy a raffle ticket or two, or three, or 50...all contributions are tax-deductible. Go ahead, indulge yourself, you know you want this schwag!
I'll have tickets with me at all times! Cost is 2 for $10 or 5 for $20.
Secondly, you may be wondering why I am involved with LAF. Cancer is evil and too many family members and friends have battled it...some winning and some not. I'll be pedaling across Iowa again this summer (471 miles to be exact) with Lance and Team LIVESTRONG. I'm honored to be selected again as a RAGBRAI team member and hope to double my fundraising goal. This Little Rock ride is part of my effort and I hope you join me in the cancer battle!
Check out my summer Iowa vacation route here (22,500 feet of climbing...can't wait)
Broom- (n): an item used to sweep
So, today was the first FGSG Tuesday/Thursday ride. Yes, daylight savings time has arrived and so has cycling season. Well, actually, some peeps around here cycle year round, but the season "officially" arrived with the first road race (Crosswind Classic) and the first T/T ride.
We had about 20 bike enthusiasts show up which is a great start. Some old faces (figuratively and literally but I'm not naming names) and some new faces with other FGSG sprinkled along the route. Beautiful weather and the best camaraderie. I led the "fitness" group (i.e., we're there to look good on our bikes, oh, and burn a few lbs); while Shawdawg, Cuzin Chris, JCon, JBar, Cheetah, Paul S, and a few others proceeded to form the "dance on the pedals" group (i.e., the fitness group only sees them at the start and finish point)!
At any rate, Bethany, Mike, Colin, Geo, Wanye, Paul and his wife, and a few others kept a nice steady pace and more than enjoyed the spring River Trail scenery. I dropped back at Fort Roots to play sweep and make sure we didn't drop anyone. We didn't....but I never caught back up with the group. Apparently, they bypassed the Root on the way back. I, however, was dying to see how the new bike climbed. Of course, I had to go up. SWEET RIDE BABY, SWEET RIDE!!!
I wasn't by myself long...I caught up with Creel and his buds. Sidebar story: 2 years ago at the MS150 I will never forget what Creel said to me as we were climbing that awesome 'little hill' into Perry. He said, "you obviously don't ride with the girls in your neighborhood", I cracked up and almost fell over!
All rides are good (right ODWonn?) and this was no exception. Here's to a great 2008 cycling season!
Mo' spoke talk later~
SK
We had about 20 bike enthusiasts show up which is a great start. Some old faces (figuratively and literally but I'm not naming names) and some new faces with other FGSG sprinkled along the route. Beautiful weather and the best camaraderie. I led the "fitness" group (i.e., we're there to look good on our bikes, oh, and burn a few lbs); while Shawdawg, Cuzin Chris, JCon, JBar, Cheetah, Paul S, and a few others proceeded to form the "dance on the pedals" group (i.e., the fitness group only sees them at the start and finish point)!
At any rate, Bethany, Mike, Colin, Geo, Wanye, Paul and his wife, and a few others kept a nice steady pace and more than enjoyed the spring River Trail scenery. I dropped back at Fort Roots to play sweep and make sure we didn't drop anyone. We didn't....but I never caught back up with the group. Apparently, they bypassed the Root on the way back. I, however, was dying to see how the new bike climbed. Of course, I had to go up. SWEET RIDE BABY, SWEET RIDE!!!
I wasn't by myself long...I caught up with Creel and his buds. Sidebar story: 2 years ago at the MS150 I will never forget what Creel said to me as we were climbing that awesome 'little hill' into Perry. He said, "you obviously don't ride with the girls in your neighborhood", I cracked up and almost fell over!
All rides are good (right ODWonn?) and this was no exception. Here's to a great 2008 cycling season!
Mo' spoke talk later~
SK
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Maiden Spin???
I just returned from taking the new bike for a spin....SWEET RIDE BABY, SWEET RIDE!!!
Now the hard part. Coming up with the perfect name for such a fine piece of machinery. The carbon goddess has flames on the top tube which inspired a long list of fire-related hopefuls. Got any other ones to add? Drop me an email with your best nomenclature.
Flame (duh)
Brulee (my fave)
Inferno (second fave)
Ashes (third fave)
Blaze (thanks cuz)
Spark
Torch
Melt (aka fondue)
Incinerator
Heat
Hottie
Caliente
Habanero (thanks Linda)
Lava
Now the hard part. Coming up with the perfect name for such a fine piece of machinery. The carbon goddess has flames on the top tube which inspired a long list of fire-related hopefuls. Got any other ones to add? Drop me an email with your best nomenclature.
Flame (duh)
Brulee (my fave)
Inferno (second fave)
Ashes (third fave)
Blaze (thanks cuz)
Spark
Torch
Melt (aka fondue)
Incinerator
Heat
Hottie
Caliente
Habanero (thanks Linda)
Lava
Ethanol
Smolder
Fuego
Flame-boyant
Combustion
Nitress (a play on nitrous and mistress-husband Chris can come up with anything)
Flameco
Manipura
And the winner is.....stay tuned!
Flame-boyant
Combustion
Nitress (a play on nitrous and mistress-husband Chris can come up with anything)
Flameco
Manipura
And the winner is.....stay tuned!
Friday, March 7, 2008
Snow today...yes, time to MOVE SOUTH
For the second time this week it has snowed in Little Rock. I call it the proverbial "daffodil snow" because it never fails...the first sign of daffodils and boom...snow the next week! Time to migrate south, oh wait, I'm already planning that. And speaking of, I established another JAX FL contact today, so we'll see where it leads.
My legs have finally recovered from the half-marathon. For the most part I was functioning by Wednesday, but stairs were HELL! Perhaps I'll do 3 miles or so tomorrow on the treadmill. The CARTI training rides start Sunday and I (along with Figgy "Mr Safety" Newton) volunteered to serve as ride lead so at least I have a 'legitimate' writing diversion (yeah right).
More later ....time for din-din.
My legs have finally recovered from the half-marathon. For the most part I was functioning by Wednesday, but stairs were HELL! Perhaps I'll do 3 miles or so tomorrow on the treadmill. The CARTI training rides start Sunday and I (along with Figgy "Mr Safety" Newton) volunteered to serve as ride lead so at least I have a 'legitimate' writing diversion (yeah right).
More later ....time for din-din.
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