Thursday, April 06, 2006
MY LITTLE PONY
I have to take a minute to sing the praises of my bike. This is a very nerdy triathlon dork thing to do, but I have to do it. My bike is a Cannondale road bike. It looks similar to this picture.
It's about 4 years old, and I love it. I got it in Seattle to do my third sprint distance tri. The purchase was my way of saying to myself and to the world that I was going to stick with this sport for a while. It's not a high-end rig by any means, and it's a road bike instead of a triathlon bike. I love my bike. It's carried my fat ass up some pretty nasty Colorado mountain sides and kept me safe and steady as I screamed down the other side.
I got new (spendy) wheels for this race plus new aerobars plus a couple of other lightweight replacement parts. My Little Pony now rides like a show horse. I'm excited to give it it's first race outing with all the nice new gear. With the extra weight from my old wheels, aeros, etc gone my bike now weighs just under 20 lbs. I figured if I can't take 3 extra pounds off myself in 2 days then I'll take it off the bike. haaaa!
I have seen a zillion $5000+ tri bikes like this one around here, but they're almost just for show. I'll take my little steed any day.
DAY 4 -
COME ON IN, THE WATER'S FINE
Thursday, April 6
Weather in Tempe - 75, sunny
Boy! Much to report from today! I'll have to do some bullet points that I can flesh out when I have some more time tomorrow.
1. No barfing today! My sicky woes have vanished - yesss! I felt terrific all day.
2. Water temp in lake is great! Some people would find it cold, but I didn't. It felt like running outside in shorts and a t-shirt on a day in the upper 40s. It's chilly when you start, but by the first half mile you feel really comfy and good.
3. Due to good water temp, wetsuit for swim will not be needed! Not that I would've worn it anyway, but...
4. Met really nice Iron People! Must give a shout to Heather, Rico, Mike and Bob. These are some very friendly people that I met this morning at the swim session. In stark contrast to the M-Dotters, these folks were so genuine and friendly. There are more of "us" than "them", thank goodness.
5. Bike arrived! Yayyy!
6. Gear for swim and bike arrived! Yayy!
7. Coach Colleen and Coach Mike have arrived. Yayyy!
8. Saw bike course. Doesn't look too bad, actually. There are some long straight stretches where there won't be much to look at. Imagine the kind of road you see in movies where the pavement is shimmering out in the desert, vultures land on the road, then fly away just before an armadillo waddles across. There are spots that are just a little bit shy of that. Not by much, though.
Top 10 Things To Contemplate 4 Days Till Race
1. Why do I feel like barfing?
2. Why did I forget my sunglasses?
3. Why do humans crave physical challenge?
4. How does the autonomic nervous response work?
5. What if I'm still barfing tomorrow?
6. How many other first timers are here?
7. Will I feel sleepy if I'm running close to my bedtime?
8. How long will it take me to pack up all my gear on Saturday?
9. How long does nausea usually last?
10. The night sky, the city lights, and the rhythmic roll of jet engines overhead
