Helen that's awesome... If you took only easy rides you could ride it before your half... I think it's a half you're doing right?
Had a great 9.15k run this morning only the second one this week and it felt awesome... After my run I hopped on my bike and did 17k... It's going to be a good day
Good luck in the marathon Helen. I just did a half, and it nearly took everything I had...
As usual, I've flung myself into this biking thing. Soo....I've had 5 rides this week, each way to and from work and then a ride today. Literally, today, it felt like I was riding though MUD. No word of a lie, it felt like riding in mud on a particularly windy day on a bike with a brake locked on. I was panting at the top of hills I usually crank up with no worries. Whew! Hopefully next week will be better!
At least I'm out there trying! That's all I have at the moment.
Boarderchick, sounds like you need some R&R! I'm going mountain biking with my tri group this morning. It is kind of a beginner's ride, with some instruction. Should be good!!
I love to bike and it's probably my favorite exercise. Was beginning to train for a sprint triathlon last summer when I took a (forced) break due to a stress fracture in my foot. That took a few months to heal, then I had a hard time getting going again with exercise, but have been back on the bike since February.
In early April, my husband and I finally got road bikes! We'd been riding mountain bikes and were tired of being passed all the time. While I love the increased speed with the road bike, the clip-in shoes and pedals take some getting used to and I've got some nice scars on my legs.
Our typical ride is along a near-by river trail. Yesterday we rode nearly 30 miles, with a break in the middle to re-fuel. Today was an easier ride; only about 10 miles. But we saw a terrible accident on the trail, which reminded me why a helmet is a good idea. A young man was carrying some sort of pack and the straps apparently got caught in his spokes. Of course, the bike stopped and he likely flew over the handlebars. He cracked his head open, blood was everywhere, and he was taken away in an emergency vehicle. I admit, I do not wear my helmet when riding my mountain bike on the trail. I just started wearing it with the road bike because of my inexperience with the pedals. After seeing what happened today, I might wear the helmet regardless.
Yes, wearing a helmet is an excellent idea, you don't want to use your skull as a break... I started wearing mine when the kids were young, to show by example, and now I can't take it off, I've tried and I feel naked ... Congrats on your new road bike... I tried them out in January when we were shopping for bikes and I just didn't feel secure on them, those dang tires are sooooo tiny ... I opted for a hybrid, a Gary Fisher fast city bike they call it... I love it!! I too was tired of being past on the trail with my mountain bike...
Yesterday I biked 31k/19.26miles and today 20k/12.42miles... plus I ran this morning too ... It's been a good day ...
Now I've started noticing cyclists more, I'm surprised how many people round here don't wear them. It was the second thing on my list of things I needed (after bike, before lock - on the basis that at first I might just take it out for rides where I don't leave it anywhere just to get used to it, and before lights - because at this time of year I won't be riding in the dark). I've fallen off a bike before (which is why I gave up cycling last time - a nasty collision with a pedestrian who stepped out in front of me without looking while I was on a cycle path), and I don't want to risk it without a helmet.
Ok, now, i think i'm just looking for trouble. I'm <<thinking>> of doing an x-terra triathlon in september. I'm a bit leery, having never done one before. I've done about 5 sprints, but this is mtb and trail running. Average time for the race is between 3-4 hours, so like an olympic distance triathlon. *eeek*. Must think on that one for awhile.
Rode to and back part way from work today. I do feel so, so much better even with a bit of a ride before work. I'm doing a long ride tomorrow, around 2-3 hours.
Loving all the opportunities for exercise. Hope everyone is doing well.
Thanks for the welcome, Ilene! I was worried about riding a road bike because of the skinny tires, but the one I bought feels unexpectedly stable. It's a Trek Pilot WSD, which I think is more of a road riding bike than a road racing bike. My problem is those darn clip-in pedals, though I'm getting better about remembering when I'm clipped in. And the new helmet has better ventilation, so it doesn't bother me as much as the old one. I always liked feeling the wind in my hair ...
boarderchick, the x-terra triathlon sounds like a lot of fun! And if it's not until September, you have plenty of time to train.
Anyone in the U.S. have big plans for the up-coming three-day weekend? We're hoping to get out and ride for at least two days. Right now we only ride on weekends because it takes a good chunk of time to load the bikes on the back of the car -- it's a little too dangerous (traffic) to ride to the river trail and our neighborhood isn't really conducive to longer, faster mph riding. We live in a very densely populated area and I'm scared to death to share the road with so many cars.
Yes, still thinking about the x-terra triathlon. I am a bit more confident now though, because I had an epic ride on wednesday. It was a mountain ascent to the top of a chairlift. It took 2 hours to climb, solid climibing btw. Then it was a one hour descent. My hands were so sore from gripping the brakes!!! Very fun though. I was quite mellow afterward though.
So there is a long weekend in the states? Have a good one then, everyone!
Happy Memorial Day weekend everyone! I FINALLY got a new bike yesterday, so I'll be joining y'all in this thread. Rode it some this morning but it's rather hot here. 90 degrees, So I'll have to do this in the mornings and late evenings. Does anyone else here have asthma? I noticed my heart was racing very fast just from a short ride an Ihad a lil' attack. I guess I'll have to use the inhaler before biking like I do before any other exercise.
Welcome Diva, and congrats on your new bike!! Be patient at first with the biking. It takes awhile to build up your "bike legs". It's worth it though, what a great way to build up filtness. Let us know how it goes!
sf40 
... Congrats on your new road bike... I tried them out in January when we were shopping for bikes and I just didn't feel secure on them, those dang tires are sooooo tiny ... I opted for a hybrid, a Gary Fisher fast city bike they call it... I love it!! I too was tired of being past on the trail with my mountain bike...
... It's been a good day ...
(Actually, I've got a week and a half because I'm going on holiday). I hope you all have a good one.
