It has arrived!! The PMC IS NOW!

Wow! I can't believe it's here! I leave today from work at noon to board a bus to Sturbridge, MA and will be waking up at about 330 tomorrow to head off to the starting line. I am SO excited!!! I can't wait to go to the opening ceremony and get pumped up with... Yes... Lance Armstrong!!

My bag is packed- I'm really sort of proud of how light I was able to pack...


I also took the liberty of "pimping my ride" last weekend. Some were rather important additions, such as a saddle bag and a repair kit/spare tube, or the pump that attaches to my bike.





Less crucial, but also very important was the new tape for my handles!


So sweet! It matches my gloves, helmet and bottle cages! :) I know, I'm a dork. I swear the is coincidental, but it also matches my corporate riding jersey!! ...don't worry, ensemble pictures to follow.

Another perk: since I brought my bike in with me today, I got to take the boat in!! Aaaah :)



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IOU!

My other IOU blog is for the past weekend. My goal was to do back to back rides, so I could test my muscles without giving them a break. On Saturday morning, I geared up and set off on a ride to Plymouth, MA. I had gotten the idea from from a fellow rider, and it said it would be about 70 miles. The ride down was great, and when I arrived in Plymouth I was feeling pretty accomplished. I was riding by the Mayflower ship and Plymouth Rock


But I stopped briefly to get my gu (after about an hr and 25 minutes) and my chest started tightening up. It was in my back, but it felt like a nerve was pinched and it was making breathing painful. I got a little freaked out since I was so far from home and didn't want to quit , having come this far. I tried to stretch it out for about 10 minutes, but that didn't do much so I rose back to a gas station and bought some Advil and a protein bar. I hit the road again, and while the pain wasn't gone, it was much better after about 10 minutes. The ride back was great, it's always nice knowing you are getting closer to home, and a goal. It ended up only being about 58 miles since I turned around early, but I know that listening to my body was the right decision.


On Sunday, I slept in a bit and set out around 9 to do a Nantasket beach ride with my mom- half hills, half flat road. A great ride, with lots of beach breezes and pretty views.


My legs were comfortably tired from Saturday's ride, and then at the last mile going home- they got very tired! That was after about an hr and 15 minutes, so I'm figuring out that I need more "juice" about every hour, whether it be protein or a gu.

While I didn't get the exact mileage that I was aiming for this weekend, I feel accomplished with these, and am excited to push myself further this week! Only a few more weeks to go!

I will blog about our corporate auction's great success soon!

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IOU...2!

Oh boy I have some blogging catch up to do! I've been absent for the past two training weekends, so here are the updates. I went to visit some friends in Long Island the weekend before last, and knew I couldn't afford to not train, so I brought my bike with me! It was so great to have a change of scenery, and I love working out on vacations because it feels like an adventure and I get to learn more about the area. So I arrived at Montauk by ferry on Friday night, and we drove about 40 minutes home, which seemed around my goal of 50 miles. The next morning I got up and hit the road to ride from East Hampton to Montauk and back.



The first "chunk" of the ride is through a couple of very pretty towns, towns that get busy with cars a lot earlier than I expected! After passing through East Hampton, there are a couple of hills and then a loping strip of beach road that is very flat (a nice break!) that break is needed, however, because the rest of the trip through Montauk is full of hills, including look out spots with beautiful views of the island.


Upon reaching Montauk, I rode through the downtown area, and decided to explore a bit further. a couple miles down the road, I found this beautiful farm


I took a quick break at the harborside while I ate some of my protein bar and gu-ed up for the trip back, and then set off for the return trip. All in all, a successful, lovely ride with hills and flat road.

On a side note, I passed 3 different riders who had all gotten flats, and I realized how badly I need to invest in a spare tube and CO2... Luckily, other more prepared riders had stopped to help them, but I felt like a jerk simply passing them without offering to help. Not to mention, I didn't pack a pump so I hadn't checked my pressure and probably should have gotten a flat myself!!


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Happy Fourth of July!!

I love this holiday. I"m not the most "patriotic" person, but it is the quintessential summer day. Everyone was lining the streets for the parade that falls immediately after the road race, and families are holding their hoses in an arc to refresh all the runners as they pass. Such a fun race!!

This was my second time running, and I was able to beat last years time by 5 minutes!! I went out to watch the fireworks and celebrate with friends last night, and didn't get home until about 1:45. Despite my four hours of sleep, I finished at 42:33, just 2 minutes after my triathlon-mom, which is pretty exciting! By far, the highlight every year is seeing these crazies in full flag suits.. I can't even imagine how HOT they must be during the race, but it sure is entertaining!

Sunrise cruise

Went on an amazing ride this morning. Unfortunately, it took me a few extra minutes to pull myself from bed, so it was only about 45 minutes long. I also forgot to charge my garmin, so I was not able to keep track of my pace! Boy am I dependent on that toy; no going back now :) I did take a couple moments to stop and capture the beautiful scenery so you could enjoy it too!! Can't ask for much more!





When I got to work, I mapped my ride on daily mile- here it is!





I also signed up for the Hingham 4th of July road race! 4.5 miles, an so much fun! People wear crazy outfits and they paint the road lines red white and blue. Unfortunately my running partner (mom) will be away on a fabulous wedding anniversary vacation so I may be flying solo.... Anyone interested? :)

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Garmin Details!

Untitled by kdewaal at Garmin Connect - Details

Back on track!!

Yikes! I have not been doing my part in blogging about my training! For those of those following, I apologize for my absence in posts for the past 2 months, shame on me!!!

Highlights and lowlights:

I have been riding steadily, average rides have been about 15-20 miles- NOW it's time to kick it up a notch!! In the upcoming month, I will be doing some serious increases in mileage, with long rides on the weekends up to 80 miles long! It will, of course, be a gradual increase so as to avoid injuries!

Speaking of injuries, I had my first fall last week. I had been out on a BEAUTIFUL morning ride, with fog lifting, the sun peaking through the trees... just perfect. I even saw a family of deer galloping through the meadow! Well, on my way back, I was crossing some train tracks that cross the road at an angle, and learned a new lesson. Do NOT cross tracks at anything less than a 90 degree angle!!! My tire got cradled into the track, launching me forward and off my bike. Let me just say, i <3 helmets :-) got some painful road rash that tore my snazzy new riding jersey, and got a pretty big hole in my riding gloves... Although, injuries were minor, and i was able to ride home still in one piece.

Today, i hit the road using my new Garmin Forerunner 405, which was a generous gift from my family for my 23rd bday! Oh, HOW I love this new toy!!! Not only does it show my pace, but it tracks my elevations (climbs/flat road etc.), mileage, location, calories burned, and so much more!! It's a-MAZING!! I've also discovered the joy of music during my rides. Don't freak out! I only put the right earbud in, and the music is not too loud that i am not aware of what is going on around me. It is just SO nice to have a beat to motivate me! That's what I loved the most about spin classes before i started cycling... having a beat makes it fun, and i am able to push myself so much farther and faster than I would if i were just hearing my heavy breathing!

Stay tuned for MUCH more, I promise to be more dilligent with my posts :-) You all deserve it, and I thank you so much for all the donations and support!

Speaking of which, thank you to those who have donated so far! Rachel Doyle, Tom and Kathy Perry, John and Julia DeWaal, Jessica White, Dani Schmidt, Bernadette and Crawford Family, Meghan Shadrick, and Rob and Zipper Robinson! You all are amazing, and I really appreciate your donations!