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!

LOVE LOVE LOVE my bike!

Went for a BEAUTIFUL ride along the ocean today! A friend from work suggested the route to me last week, and we decided that if it was nice out this weekend, we would try it out. Well, it was a perfect 65 degrees and sunny day, and sooo much fun! I freakin' love my bike, so so happy that I bought it!!

The plan was to go at 11 this morning, but as I was pumping my tires, I snapped off my valve... (note to self: pull straight up, not at an angle...) So I went to the bike shop in town, and they had to put on a new tube. It worked out, because I hadn't gotten bottle cages, and I think I would have died on the ride if I hadn't bought them. I also bought a lock.. much needed. Anyways, an hour later I had my bike back, had eaten a delicious greek salad with tuna, and was ready to ride.

The route was aaaall along the water, and out to Hull- which is a thin peninsula and very scenic. Halfway through, my friend looked at her heartrate monitor and we had already burned 420 calories. I felt like I hadn't even been working out! I was having such a good time, and was enjoying the warm weather, I didn't even notice that I was working. The way back had a couple steep, tough hills but I was finally starting to get my gear switching down, and I survived!!

Here's the route map from www.dailymile.com.

BAM!!

I DID IT!!! CHA-CHING!!

Well, my pockets, wallet, and bank account are pretty lonely right now, but i'm PUMPED!!! I just got my first road bike, and I can't stop thinking about it. I think we might be in love. If valentines day hadn't already come and gone, there might have been a weird candle-lit situation going on with me and my new cannondale Synapse Women's Alloy 5 105!



Here are the deets that made me splurge:

SAVE fork, Shimano 105 front and rear derailleurs, 105 shifters

Originally, I went looking for the 2010 model of this bike, because...well...it was on sale! I had found it for $1159 online. I called around, and no one had any 2010 models left in the store. Finally, I called Back Bay Cycling, who said they had quite a few models of Synapses, and told me to come give them a test ride!

I was pumped, and hopeful that they didn't misunderstand me on the phone- thinking I'd said 2011. Well, they did.. no 2010 models to be found. I started drooling over the 2011, but it was $1389, easily $200 more than I was willing to pay. Then, we started talking about the PMC and he told me that he could offer it to me for $1200 since it was for a charitable ride!! I was PUMPED and almost sold.

What finally grabbed me was the test ride. OOOOOOOOh smoooooth as buuuuttah. I was hooked. I'll be honest, I was scared shitless to test ride my first bike, let alone on the middle of Comm Ave with all the furious Boston drivers!



I started off down an alley behind the shop, and weeeeee. Tried to remember all the "rules of the road" I've been reading about, but I'm sure I looked like an idiot. Not to mention the flapping neon price tag on the front of the bike that might as well have had "ROOKIE" written on it :-)

Nonetheless, I got back to the shop about 15 minutes later in one piece, with a dentless bike- and was sold. He didn't even need to hook me by describing how GREAT the new 105 components are, but he did. Listen ta this!

"New Shimano 105 is new for 2011 and incorporates many of the benefits that were originally developed for Dura-Ace 7900 series and integrated into Ultegra 6700 series. The new group is available in Sterling Silver for a classic road cosmetic or Lodestar Black for a more contemporary look. Overall, performance and durability is enhanced while the entire group manages to drop almost 30 grams from the prior generation."

Ummmm, in case you were wondering, the Dura-Ace and Ultegra are DIIIIME, TOP O' the LIIINE- and now 105 is being categorized into this sexy group, as opposed to being a "beginners" components. I KNOW that this is more than I probably need, but it's an investment, and something I will not outgrow in 1-2 years.

LASTLY, I get free tune ups FO' LYFE! AAAAND, they are going to give me a professional fitting (typ. $100-$300) fo' free! I am so confident that my money went to a great investment, and with the fitting, etc. I know that I will be riding the BEST way possible!

I highly recommend Back Bay Cycling to anyone. Friendly, knowledgeable staff, very helpful, great bikes and equipment, and a place I want to go back to in the future!!

Spin Class

So... Quick venting session. LOVE my spin classes; I've even started skipping out on other things so that I can go to class... I crave it! However, I need to get out of my hometown gym! I know too many of the moms there, and am not a fan of polite chit chat about their errand running, minivans etc! There's one mom in particular who is very... vocal. Today during class, she sounded like she was "in the bedroom" if you know what I mean. Yes, spin class is cardio, you are going to push yourself, and maybe even let a little moaning loose if you're really going for it. But she's screaming over the music, regardless of if its hills, intervals, or flat road! All I can hear is "YESSSSS, OOOOOH YEAAAAAH, YEAAAAAH YEAAAAAAAAAAAAH" Really? There are other people in here going through the same workout, and I'm pretty sure they don't want to feel like they are sharing an intimate moment. Close quarters calls for a little mutual respect, yes?

Anyways, that's my venting for the day. Note to self: avoid Saturday morning class if possible

Bike options so far...

So I wanted to post some of the bikes I have been drooling over, and hope to get some feedback. If you have one of these, or something similar- or want to give me OTHER suggestions, please comment!

Cannondale Synapse Feminine 5 Compact $1159



Shimano 105 Components, aluminum frame, carbon fork with S.A.V.E.


Fuji- Roubaix 2.0, $1299 (deal at the store for $1099



A2-SL Alloy frame, Shimano Tiagra components, carbon fork



Specialized- Lexa SL, $1,149

Shimano Tiagra components, aluminum with carbon fork

Awesome! Just got the blogging app for my iPhone! I'm so excited because every morning and afternoon I have an hour on the train that could be well spent updating my blogs, and now I can! Not to mention it makes uploading my pictures that much easier because I can snap them on the go and upload straight through the app.

So saturday I went bike huntin'. Oh man, at first it was intimidating because I had no clue what I was doing. The first shop I went to, rockland cycle, was a little hole in the wall- but it had great customer reviews, so I checked it out. The guy inside was incredibly helpful, and spent an hour explaining the component differences and carbon versus aluminum frame, etc. The only thing was that he only sold Fugis, so I was curious what else was out there and how they compared. Thus my next stop, REI. as a chain, I knew they would be knowledgeable and have a larger selection. It took a little while to flag down some help, but it was worth being patient. They guy helping me was a bike enthusiast with about 5 of his own, and was so excited to be talking bikes in the middle of winter! He spent over an hour with me, explaining cannondales, shimanos, and specialized- as well as going into more depth about the components quality. By the end of the day (3.5 hours of bike talk) I had a good grasp on what to look for, bike vocabulary, and pricing. I did not feel pressured to buy at either store, they understood that I was looking for information, and took the time to break it all down without making me feel dumb. I like bikers!! :) ....(I say that when I'm not behind the wheel) this Thursday I'm going to another hop who is offering a one day sale to PMC riders... They are not disclosing the percentage of sale, so I don't know what to expect, but if nothing else it will be informative. In the mean time, I got this book to touch up on traffic laws for cyclists, and general safety info on riding. I'm halfway through and so far it has been helpful and interesting!




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The artist in me

So, I got my first letter from a friend for a dedicated ride. I really want to make a point of honoring all of those that I'm riding for, and I really appreciate everyone sharing their stories with me.

Today I got a great idea! I'm going to keep all the notes people write to me through email, facebook, etc. about people close to their hearts who have fought cancer, and print them all out. As soon as I get my snazzy new helmet, I'm going to "Modge-Podge" all of the letters onto my helmet as a collage. That way, if people want their stories to stay private, they will- but they will still be visible and in my thoughts. I can carry everyone I am riding for WITH me the whole race :-) I'm pretty excited.

That being said, please let me know if there is someone you want me to ride for!! You don't have to tell the whole story if you prefer not to, you can even just write the name!

I'll keep you posted with images and progress.

Thank goodness! I had a couple days of weakness... no exercise, bad food choices, all around laziness. It's pretty amazing how much the whole lazy thing gets a hold of me! My mood is down, my to-do lists get NOTHING checked off, I'm grumpy, and I feel worthless. Well, of COURSE I feel worthless because I'm acting worthless! And if you see my first blog, I was GRUMPY and complaining about spin class!! Well, I made the monumental leap off the couch and went to spin class. It. Was. Amazing. Every time I finish the class, I am reminded of how much I love it and how much better I feel. It boosts my morale, I come home and want to eat a healthy meal, and I get motivation to get other things done, like the laundry I've been avoiding...

If you haven't taken a spin class yet, YOU SHOULD! I promise it will make you feel amazing.

Snow

I can't wait for this snow to disappear so I can start training outside!!! I like my spin classes, but there are some negatives: All the new-years-resolution gym goers have totally crowded our gym, and half the time I can't even get into a class! We can call 24 hours in advance to reserve a bike, but even then, they are sometimes full... Not to mention your in a 12'x12' room with 15 other sweaty bodies.

I'm so excited for the sun to rise earlier, the snow to clear, and the warm weather to start! Then I can ride on the open road, take in the sunshine and smells of the outdoors, and REALLY enjoy my training!

In the mean time, I did discover how much I enjoy winter runs the other day; so I guess I'll do my spin classes inside and my runs outside so that I can still get some vitamin C!