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