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Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Great weekend and new bike shoes

This past weekend was full of outdoor activity! Julie, our friend Gaye from BT and I had a nice yet challenging ride on Saturday. It was sunny and warm but the wind was blowing.. and I mean hard! 
Julie and Gaye

On Sunday, the three of us met up with a couple of others from BT (Beginner Triathlete) for a run. Going in to this I knew I was unprepared and would be the slowest but I figured "what the heck". Julie was kind enough to run with me as I moved a long at a snails pace. We did eight miles and while not where I need to be for a half marathon in three weeks, eight miles is by far the longest I have run since October. I still need to figure out the nutrition piece when it comes to my running but over all I didn't feel to bad afterwards and I have to say, I  really wasn't sore at all the next day (a very good sign!).


Now, lets talk bike shoes.. and cleats and peddles. Thanks to a gift certificate to a local bike shop that I needed to use and a Christmas gift card, I was able to purchase a pair of triathlon bike shoes. I have always used mountain bike shoes and cleats, which I love, but for the longer distances I felt that I needed a shoe that was a bit stiffer and a peddle/cleat system that provided a bigger platform. So, I am now the proud owner of these.. and they actually match my bike which I didn't realize when I purchased them. 


Now here is where I need some help. I don't know what type of peddles/cleats to buy.I lean towards Speedplay due to the double sided entry but I know there are pros and cons to each system. I am curious what all of you use and what your experiences are. I have to say that I am a bit nervous about giving up the comfort of my mountain bike cleats but I am hoping that the payoff will be worth it.  
Finally, here is a video of Casey playing with Lulu, the boxer tonight at puppy kindergarten. Yes, I am a proud mom :)
 

Monday, March 7, 2011

I am Back...

I have been gone for quite a while though it seems like much longer!  The new addition to the family
The winter blahs, and dental surgery (yes again) has held my attention and grabbed hold of every minute of my time and energy.   For weeks I had hardly thought about the fact that I have a half marathon in five weeks or that I signed up for this crazy Ironman thing in November.  Yet, a couple of days ago as I turned the corner in my healing from my surgery, the thought of triathlon, running and Ironman  came to mind and with that the butterflies.. the nerves, the what ifs and the "Oh Shit, I need to train!"  Yep, the nerves are tingling, the reality of what is to come is setting in.  I am back.