Monday night was so much fun! When Dave and I got home from work we immediately hopped on our bikes and set off on my first official ride. I was a little bit nervous at first. I still can't get over the idea of riding on a tire that is only an inch thick and I hate that you can feel every bump and crack in the pavement. What I love about the new bike is how light I feel. I feel like I can go so much faster with much less effort..... I love my new bike.
We biked about 10km and then headed home to get ready to swim. As I had mentioned earlier, both of my parents are also doing the triathlon. They have made it quite clear that they are very nervous about the swim portion and my mom asked if Dave and I would teach them a few tricks in the pool. I used to be a swim instructor so I knew it would be a lot of fun.
When we got to the pool my mom was a little bit nervous. She was so cute in her swim cap and goggles and both her and my dad were willing to work really hard. We did 200m kick to warm up and then went on to some stroke improvement. After a few tips for my parents I wanted them to do the full 350m just to see what the distance feels like. They ended up doing really well!
Yesterday was my medium run day. I have to admit that I was not in to it at first. I am so tired this week and I just wanted to eat dinner and hang out. So I put on my shoes and set off on my way. I ended up running at more of a jogging pace but I did about 3.5km in 22 minutes.... which I guess is ok. I just want to be able to do my 4.5km run on race day in under 30minutes.....
So today Dave and I are going for a swim and we will be going to his road running race as well. Maybe if I feel good I will sneak in a short run. We'll see!
Talk to you soon
Steph
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009
What a Strange Few Days!
So the past few days have been a little bit strange for me..... After having a great training day on Wednesday I had a horrible day on Thursday. I was supposed to go for a run and ended up stubbing my toe so bad that I broke it. My toe is completely purple and so sore! I was so mad that I had done it that at first I wouldn't ice it or stay off of it. Eventually I gave in and decided to take the rest of Thursday and Friday off. So I missed a bike and a run and I was starting to feel lazy.
Yesterday was my day off so Dave and I spent the day building my bike! Dave ran out to the bike shop and got the rest of the parts that we would need to put it all together. After some issues with the brake cables and two blown tubes (Darn cheap MEC Tubes!) we were off and running! I put the bar tape on myself and then headed out on my first ride! I was completely nervous but had a great time. It is such a difference being on a road bike! I feel so much lighter and faster! Riding the bike was almost effortless.
This morning Dave and I woke up early and headed down to his second race of the year. The Coronation Triathlon is a long sprint race and Dave did great! It was so sunny out and the weather could not have been any better. My bother Matt and his girlfriend Chantal came along to watch as well as our good friend Ryan.
After the race we came home and I went out for my longer Sunday run. It was supposed to be a 32 minute run but I had mapped out a 5km route in our neighborhood that I wanted to complete. I am not a very fast runner so I aimed to finish it in as close to 32 minutes as possible. I ended up doing it in 33 minutes which is an awesome time for me! The only problem was that I did a lot of walking. The heat started to get to me and I was so thirsty but didn't have a fuel belt on me. I think that a fuel belt will have to be my next investment.
Tomorrow is swim and short bike day and I am really looking forward to it. I will also put up some pictures from the race and a picture of my bike as soon as I get a chance.
Talk to you soon!
Steph
Yesterday was my day off so Dave and I spent the day building my bike! Dave ran out to the bike shop and got the rest of the parts that we would need to put it all together. After some issues with the brake cables and two blown tubes (Darn cheap MEC Tubes!) we were off and running! I put the bar tape on myself and then headed out on my first ride! I was completely nervous but had a great time. It is such a difference being on a road bike! I feel so much lighter and faster! Riding the bike was almost effortless.
This morning Dave and I woke up early and headed down to his second race of the year. The Coronation Triathlon is a long sprint race and Dave did great! It was so sunny out and the weather could not have been any better. My bother Matt and his girlfriend Chantal came along to watch as well as our good friend Ryan.
After the race we came home and I went out for my longer Sunday run. It was supposed to be a 32 minute run but I had mapped out a 5km route in our neighborhood that I wanted to complete. I am not a very fast runner so I aimed to finish it in as close to 32 minutes as possible. I ended up doing it in 33 minutes which is an awesome time for me! The only problem was that I did a lot of walking. The heat started to get to me and I was so thirsty but didn't have a fuel belt on me. I think that a fuel belt will have to be my next investment.
Tomorrow is swim and short bike day and I am really looking forward to it. I will also put up some pictures from the race and a picture of my bike as soon as I get a chance.
Talk to you soon!
Steph
Thursday, May 21, 2009
A Wicked Training Day
So yesterday was my big training day to catch up on everything that I have missed this week.
I hit the pool and started with 200m kick and then went right into my timed swim. I knew I wanted to get my time down so I made a conscious effort to really more fast and efficiently and get a good, quick push off the wall at every turnaround. I knocked a full minute off of my time! I did the 350m swim in 9:20! Only 1:20 to go and I have reached my swim time goal! Yay! After practicing a few flip turns and getting in about 300m of cooldown I was off to the gym.
It was way too cold to train outside yesterday so I had to do my bike and run inside. I sat on the spin bike for half an hour and then went straight to the treadmill for a quick 15 minute run. I was really excited that I didn't get that feeling of dead legs off the bike. It may have been because I was only on a spin bike but I am hoping that I feel the same way on race day.
After everything I felt tired but strong. I know that if I keep on working really hard I can get all of my times down and be more comfortable throughout the entire race.
When I got home I made dinner for Dave and I (he was at baseball practice) and cleaned the house a bit. When Dave came home he had the best surprise for me! A new set of wheels for my crappy road bike frame along with a new cassette and new brakes! He put it all together for me and everything works! The only thing we have left to do is clean up the bike a bit, run the brake cables and get some new bar tape and I am ready to ride! I have to admit that I am getting nervous about getting on the road bike for the first time. It feels like such an awkward position and I am so scared of crashing. I think I will definitely have to get used to it.
Talk to you soon!
Steph
PS. I will post a picture of the bike as soon as I get the chance.
I hit the pool and started with 200m kick and then went right into my timed swim. I knew I wanted to get my time down so I made a conscious effort to really more fast and efficiently and get a good, quick push off the wall at every turnaround. I knocked a full minute off of my time! I did the 350m swim in 9:20! Only 1:20 to go and I have reached my swim time goal! Yay! After practicing a few flip turns and getting in about 300m of cooldown I was off to the gym.
It was way too cold to train outside yesterday so I had to do my bike and run inside. I sat on the spin bike for half an hour and then went straight to the treadmill for a quick 15 minute run. I was really excited that I didn't get that feeling of dead legs off the bike. It may have been because I was only on a spin bike but I am hoping that I feel the same way on race day.
After everything I felt tired but strong. I know that if I keep on working really hard I can get all of my times down and be more comfortable throughout the entire race.
When I got home I made dinner for Dave and I (he was at baseball practice) and cleaned the house a bit. When Dave came home he had the best surprise for me! A new set of wheels for my crappy road bike frame along with a new cassette and new brakes! He put it all together for me and everything works! The only thing we have left to do is clean up the bike a bit, run the brake cables and get some new bar tape and I am ready to ride! I have to admit that I am getting nervous about getting on the road bike for the first time. It feels like such an awkward position and I am so scared of crashing. I think I will definitely have to get used to it.
Talk to you soon!
Steph
PS. I will post a picture of the bike as soon as I get the chance.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Bad Stephanie!
So, Yesterday was not exactly the bast day I have had so far..... I was supposed to make up Monday's bike and do my run but it just didn't happen....
Dave and I modelled in a shoot for the Ben Chrisman workshop that our wedding photographers Michael and Haley are hosting. There were over 17 photographers there and I have to say.... It was a workout! We were all over the University Campus and we posed our butts off! I am actually sore today which is weird because i am in pretty good shape. I think it was just one of those activities where you use muscles that you didn't even know you had.
As a result of not doing anything yesterday I am going to have a huge day today! I am going to head to the pool and get a 32 minute swim in and then I am off to the gym (it's too cold to workout outside today) where I am going to do a 38 minute bike and then hop on the treadmill for a short 19 minute run.
Can't wait to see what happens! I may be passed out on the floor of the gym.
Talk to you soon
Steph
Dave and I modelled in a shoot for the Ben Chrisman workshop that our wedding photographers Michael and Haley are hosting. There were over 17 photographers there and I have to say.... It was a workout! We were all over the University Campus and we posed our butts off! I am actually sore today which is weird because i am in pretty good shape. I think it was just one of those activities where you use muscles that you didn't even know you had.
As a result of not doing anything yesterday I am going to have a huge day today! I am going to head to the pool and get a 32 minute swim in and then I am off to the gym (it's too cold to workout outside today) where I am going to do a 38 minute bike and then hop on the treadmill for a short 19 minute run.
Can't wait to see what happens! I may be passed out on the floor of the gym.
Talk to you soon
Steph
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Long Weekend Training...
So this weekend was a tough weekend to train. It was May long which means lots of time out at the lake and lots of visiting with friends.
On Friday Dave and I went for a bike ride together. He took me to the actual bike course we will be racing and showed me the loop we will be doing. It's not bad.... no hills and the roads are pretty good. But I was so tired! I have no idea how this is all going to come together..... could be interesting. Anyway.... we figured that if I was biking at the pace we went on Friday I would finish the bike in under 40 minutes which seems really long..... I am going to have to work on getting that time down.
Saturday was break day! It was so nice and my body totally needed a break from all of this physical activity. I did find myself wanting feeling guilty for not doing anything though. I felt kind of like I was cheating. Dave and I even had pizza and cookies for dinner.... It was awesome! Feta and spinach pizza is the best!
On Sunday we were heading out to the lake so I woke up early to get my run in. I was tired..... really tired.... And for some reason it is still winter in Edmonton so it was absolutely freezing! I had very little motivation to run at all so I ended up doing 4km in 30 minutes which is really slow.... My goal time for the race is well under thirty minutes for the run.... thirty minutes would be my max.
Yesterday Dave and I both had the day off (Yay long weekend!) and it was my swim day so we headed down to the pool. It was supposed to be swim and bike day but it was snowing outside so instead we just put in a really long swim and I will bike and run today... unfortunately it will be inside. I started my swim workout off with a few lengths of kicking to warm up and then I went right into my 350m timed swim. I ended up finishing in 10:30 which is OK.... I really want to go faster. I figured that I was wasting too much time on my turnarounds so I kidnapped Dave from his swim workout and made him teach me flip turns! It is not easy.... But I picked up the motion really quickly. I figure that if I practice every time I swim, I should be able to do them on race day! I am hoping to knock a lit of time off by doing them.... and I might actually impress some people!
Well today is going to be busy. Work, modelling in a photo shoot for a workshop that our wedding photographers are hosting and training. I should be able to swim really well tonight. Hopefully it all goes well!
Talk to you soon!
Steph
On Friday Dave and I went for a bike ride together. He took me to the actual bike course we will be racing and showed me the loop we will be doing. It's not bad.... no hills and the roads are pretty good. But I was so tired! I have no idea how this is all going to come together..... could be interesting. Anyway.... we figured that if I was biking at the pace we went on Friday I would finish the bike in under 40 minutes which seems really long..... I am going to have to work on getting that time down.
Saturday was break day! It was so nice and my body totally needed a break from all of this physical activity. I did find myself wanting feeling guilty for not doing anything though. I felt kind of like I was cheating. Dave and I even had pizza and cookies for dinner.... It was awesome! Feta and spinach pizza is the best!
On Sunday we were heading out to the lake so I woke up early to get my run in. I was tired..... really tired.... And for some reason it is still winter in Edmonton so it was absolutely freezing! I had very little motivation to run at all so I ended up doing 4km in 30 minutes which is really slow.... My goal time for the race is well under thirty minutes for the run.... thirty minutes would be my max.
Yesterday Dave and I both had the day off (Yay long weekend!) and it was my swim day so we headed down to the pool. It was supposed to be swim and bike day but it was snowing outside so instead we just put in a really long swim and I will bike and run today... unfortunately it will be inside. I started my swim workout off with a few lengths of kicking to warm up and then I went right into my 350m timed swim. I ended up finishing in 10:30 which is OK.... I really want to go faster. I figured that I was wasting too much time on my turnarounds so I kidnapped Dave from his swim workout and made him teach me flip turns! It is not easy.... But I picked up the motion really quickly. I figure that if I practice every time I swim, I should be able to do them on race day! I am hoping to knock a lit of time off by doing them.... and I might actually impress some people!
Well today is going to be busy. Work, modelling in a photo shoot for a workshop that our wedding photographers are hosting and training. I should be able to swim really well tonight. Hopefully it all goes well!
Talk to you soon!
Steph
Friday, May 15, 2009
The Schedule!
For anyone who is curious about what my actually training schedule consists of..... Here it is. I know it's a little bit ambitious but I believe it is what I need to do in order to be successful. Click on the schedule for the full size image.
Running Slow But Not Tired.....
So yesterday I went for my short run. It was only 21 minutes and it was freezing out! I thought I would be ok once I got moving but it took me forever to warm up . The first half of the run was brutal. I had to stop to walk twice in the beginning and my lungs were killing. The second half was like a whole new run! I felt great and could have keep on going for a really lone time! I think I got into a good rhythm and started to have a little bit more confidence in my running abilities.
To be honest... this is the part of the race that I am the most worried about. I feel like swimming will get better and biking should be no problem. My fear is that I will get off the bike and have nothing left in my legs for the run. I really hope that is not the case.
All in all I ended up running 3km in 21 minutes which would put my 4.5km finish time at around 32 minutes on a good day. I know I can pick op the pace with more practice and my goal is to do the entire run on race day with no walking in under 30 minutes. The sad thing is..... 4.5 km would take Dave 18 minutes at the most! Gross..... oh well... maybe one day I will beat him!.
This afternoon is my long bike so it should be interesting.
Talk to you soon!
Steph
To be honest... this is the part of the race that I am the most worried about. I feel like swimming will get better and biking should be no problem. My fear is that I will get off the bike and have nothing left in my legs for the run. I really hope that is not the case.
All in all I ended up running 3km in 21 minutes which would put my 4.5km finish time at around 32 minutes on a good day. I know I can pick op the pace with more practice and my goal is to do the entire run on race day with no walking in under 30 minutes. The sad thing is..... 4.5 km would take Dave 18 minutes at the most! Gross..... oh well... maybe one day I will beat him!.
This afternoon is my long bike so it should be interesting.
Talk to you soon!
Steph
Thursday, May 14, 2009
WOOHOO!!!! I Can Swim!
Ok.... so I think it was just going to take a little bit of time for my body to adjust to the whole swimming thing again. After convincing three more people to do the race yesterday I was off to the pool. i picked up Dave and we headed to Coronation. Dave wanted to do the run for the Coronation Triathlon (Which he is doing next week) and I wanted to get in a half hour swim.
Coronation is a beautiful 50m pool.... the problem is that 50 meters seems way too long! I have been doing backcrawl most of the time so I decided to practice a bit of front crawl and see if I could do it without drowning. I managed to do my 350m swim with about of third of it on my front and the rest on my back. i felt totally out of breath and exhausted after each round of front crawl but I have a feeling it will get better. The bonus is that I did my 350m in 10 minutes!!!! I knocked off a minute and a Half! I think I need to really work on this front crawl thing... As exhausting as it is, it is much more efficient.
After swimming hard for a while I did a few lengths of kicking and a couple of elementary backstroke for my cool down. All in all I walked out feeling tired but happy. I am now feeling a little bit more confident in my abilities as a triathlete-to-be!
Now.... on the figuring out the bike situation.... I am pretty sure I am not going to get the felt. I am ok with that though. Dave and I stumbled across a website called pinkbike over the weekend. It is basically a huge biking forum and they have a giant buy and sell section. I found three completely reasonable bikes that I want to check out and Dave has been calling them for further information. All of the bikes are located in Calgary so it looks like we might be making a trip to C-Town! Perfect! It's always fun to find an excuse to go visit Kevin and Teryn in Calgary (2 members of our wedding party).
Today is run day but it's kind of snowing.... hopefully this weather lets up and I can run outside. If not..... I will hit the treadmill at the gym.
Talk to you soon!
Steph
Coronation is a beautiful 50m pool.... the problem is that 50 meters seems way too long! I have been doing backcrawl most of the time so I decided to practice a bit of front crawl and see if I could do it without drowning. I managed to do my 350m swim with about of third of it on my front and the rest on my back. i felt totally out of breath and exhausted after each round of front crawl but I have a feeling it will get better. The bonus is that I did my 350m in 10 minutes!!!! I knocked off a minute and a Half! I think I need to really work on this front crawl thing... As exhausting as it is, it is much more efficient.
After swimming hard for a while I did a few lengths of kicking and a couple of elementary backstroke for my cool down. All in all I walked out feeling tired but happy. I am now feeling a little bit more confident in my abilities as a triathlete-to-be!
Now.... on the figuring out the bike situation.... I am pretty sure I am not going to get the felt. I am ok with that though. Dave and I stumbled across a website called pinkbike over the weekend. It is basically a huge biking forum and they have a giant buy and sell section. I found three completely reasonable bikes that I want to check out and Dave has been calling them for further information. All of the bikes are located in Calgary so it looks like we might be making a trip to C-Town! Perfect! It's always fun to find an excuse to go visit Kevin and Teryn in Calgary (2 members of our wedding party).
Today is run day but it's kind of snowing.... hopefully this weather lets up and I can run outside. If not..... I will hit the treadmill at the gym.
Talk to you soon!
Steph
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Yay! More Future Triathletes!
So today I am super excited and I have a fresh batch of motivation. One of my bridesmaids and best friends Teryn has just returned from an amazing backpacking trip through mexico and central america. I was telling her all about my goal to finish a triathlon and she got so excited and decided that she also wants to register! The best part is that she has also recruited her brother to tag along and I think that her boyfriend Brendan may also join us! Yes! The triathlon group grows! The more people I have to do this race with me the more motivated I will be to work hard to beat them..... nothing wrong with a little bit of healthy competition. I have posted a picture of Teryn and I below. We always have such a great time together!
Talk to you soon
Steph
Talk to you soon
Steph
Training Days One and Two...
So Monday was my official training kickoff.
I started out by doing a twenty minute swim at Kinsmen. During that time I timed my 350m for the race and was really disappointed with the time. It took me 11:30! I used to be a lifeguard and a fantastic swimmer but since injuring my shoulders I haven't really been in the pool. It still hurts when I swim but I figure I can either get over the pain or I can train through it. I also couldn't believe how tired I was.... I need to be able to swim the distance comfortably without being too tired if I am going to have enough energy to finish the entire race. I am thinking of taking some stroke improvement classes so we will have to see if that helps.
After the swim I was supposed to do a 35 minute bike which I was going to do on the stationary bike in the gym..... but...... I had forgotten my running shoes. So I went home and instead of going back to the gym to bike, I did day two's 17 minute run. Now... 17 minutes isn't really a long time but I was so tired! I think part of it was because I was starving and the other part was because it was my first brick workout. Either way... it wasn't good.
So yesterday (Day Two) instead of doing the run that I had already done I opted to bike. I went to the gym and sat on the bike for 40 minutes and although I was tired after and my left knee was a bit sore, I felt great. After the bike I did some core workout and went home.
Although I am in relatively good shape I am so sore from the last two days. My shoulders are killing me and I am exhausted. The good part is that I know I can improve. Tonight I am going for a 30 minute swim and then I am off to watch Dave race in the Wednesday night 5km cross country series. A couple of our triathlon friends should be there so I think it will be great to ask them a million questions. I am also thinking about recruiting a few more people to do the race with me. The more people I know doing the race, the better I will feel about doing it myself.
Talk to you soon
Steph
PS: All of this training is making me neglect my wedding planning..... I need to find balance!
I started out by doing a twenty minute swim at Kinsmen. During that time I timed my 350m for the race and was really disappointed with the time. It took me 11:30! I used to be a lifeguard and a fantastic swimmer but since injuring my shoulders I haven't really been in the pool. It still hurts when I swim but I figure I can either get over the pain or I can train through it. I also couldn't believe how tired I was.... I need to be able to swim the distance comfortably without being too tired if I am going to have enough energy to finish the entire race. I am thinking of taking some stroke improvement classes so we will have to see if that helps.
After the swim I was supposed to do a 35 minute bike which I was going to do on the stationary bike in the gym..... but...... I had forgotten my running shoes. So I went home and instead of going back to the gym to bike, I did day two's 17 minute run. Now... 17 minutes isn't really a long time but I was so tired! I think part of it was because I was starving and the other part was because it was my first brick workout. Either way... it wasn't good.
So yesterday (Day Two) instead of doing the run that I had already done I opted to bike. I went to the gym and sat on the bike for 40 minutes and although I was tired after and my left knee was a bit sore, I felt great. After the bike I did some core workout and went home.
Although I am in relatively good shape I am so sore from the last two days. My shoulders are killing me and I am exhausted. The good part is that I know I can improve. Tonight I am going for a 30 minute swim and then I am off to watch Dave race in the Wednesday night 5km cross country series. A couple of our triathlon friends should be there so I think it will be great to ask them a million questions. I am also thinking about recruiting a few more people to do the race with me. The more people I know doing the race, the better I will feel about doing it myself.
Talk to you soon
Steph
PS: All of this training is making me neglect my wedding planning..... I need to find balance!
A Few Pictures From the Weekend
Dave coming out of the swim:
Dave realizing that he had just flatted:
Dave Switching out the Flat Tire:
Coming through the Finish Line:
Getting his second place Medal:
Dave and I post-Race:
Dave realizing that he had just flatted:
Dave Switching out the Flat Tire:Coming through the Finish Line:Getting his second place Medal:Dave and I post-Race:
Monday, May 11, 2009
New Training Schedule.....
So today I got a little bit creative and I put together my own training schedule for everyday leading up to the race. I know that I am going to have to push myself hard to meet some goals so it is a pretty aggressive schedule. I wanted to place an emphasis on running since I believe that running will be my weak point. I will only be taking one day off a week and the rest of the time I will stay focused and I am going to make an attempt to never miss a training session.
I will be doing most of this on my own but from time to time I might let Dave tag along.... I tend to get very embarrassed when I do any type of physical activity in front of other people so I will start by getting comfortable in front of Dave and hopefully work my way up to training with other people on a regular basis. Hopefully I will be able to stick to it!
Steph
I will be doing most of this on my own but from time to time I might let Dave tag along.... I tend to get very embarrassed when I do any type of physical activity in front of other people so I will start by getting comfortable in front of Dave and hopefully work my way up to training with other people on a regular basis. Hopefully I will be able to stick to it!
Steph
Friday, May 8, 2009
A Busy Weekend
This weekend was so busy for us that I was not able to get any training time in. We were down in Lethbridge for the "Splash, Pedal and Gasp" triathlon and Dave was competing along with three of our other tri friends from Edmonton. My dad lives in Lethbridge so it was the perfect opportunity to visit the people we loved while doing something that we love.
When we woke up the weather was perfect! Sunny, not too hot and NO WIND (which is very unusual for lethbridge!). Dave packed everything up and rode the 2 km to the race site. My dad and I followed in the truck and I was excited to show my dad how a triathlon works.
The race started out great for Dave! He came out of the water in the top six or so and had a super fast transition! And then it happened..... before he could even mount his bike his back tire blew..... needless to say my heart sank and all I wanted to do was help him even though I knew I wasn't allowed to. Luckily Dave managed to get his spare tube on and have everything up and running within 4 minutes or so. Before he hoped on to start the bike I remembered to tell him not to let this wreck his race and that he was way faster than most of the people in front of him and he could make up the time easily. At this point about 50 people had passed him.
It was a one loop bike so the wait time was killing me but I couldn't have been any more excited when he came into second transition in sixth place! After a crazy-fast transition to the run he was off again. Dave ended up finishing in fifth place overall and second in his age category! Although he made the comeback of the century, Dave still wasn't pleased with the end result. He could have come in second place overall and won his age category based on his times without the bike tire change..... I knew he would be upset.
All said and done it was a great day. I had so much fun chasing around my four friends doing the race and I took tons of pictures. I will try to post them when I get a chance.
As for me... I have to get ready for my first brick workout tonight.... Swim and Bike.... YAY!
Talk to you Soon
Steph
When we woke up the weather was perfect! Sunny, not too hot and NO WIND (which is very unusual for lethbridge!). Dave packed everything up and rode the 2 km to the race site. My dad and I followed in the truck and I was excited to show my dad how a triathlon works.
The race started out great for Dave! He came out of the water in the top six or so and had a super fast transition! And then it happened..... before he could even mount his bike his back tire blew..... needless to say my heart sank and all I wanted to do was help him even though I knew I wasn't allowed to. Luckily Dave managed to get his spare tube on and have everything up and running within 4 minutes or so. Before he hoped on to start the bike I remembered to tell him not to let this wreck his race and that he was way faster than most of the people in front of him and he could make up the time easily. At this point about 50 people had passed him.
It was a one loop bike so the wait time was killing me but I couldn't have been any more excited when he came into second transition in sixth place! After a crazy-fast transition to the run he was off again. Dave ended up finishing in fifth place overall and second in his age category! Although he made the comeback of the century, Dave still wasn't pleased with the end result. He could have come in second place overall and won his age category based on his times without the bike tire change..... I knew he would be upset.
All said and done it was a great day. I had so much fun chasing around my four friends doing the race and I took tons of pictures. I will try to post them when I get a chance.
As for me... I have to get ready for my first brick workout tonight.... Swim and Bike.... YAY!
Talk to you Soon
Steph
Thursday, May 7, 2009
The Bike Issue.....
Ok so yesterday Dave and I went down to the Edmonton Bike Commuters Shop. It's called bikeworks and the idea behind it is actually pretty cool! They take donated bikes and either take them apart for parts or sell them as is. They then allow people to use the shop to fix their bikes for free and find the parts they need.
We ended up finding an old Trek 1000 frame (Road bike frame for those who are not aware) that is in pretty good condition and fits me well. The only problem.... it desperately needs some love and attention along with wheels and brakes. The bonus..... it cost me $50!
We took it in to Dave's bike shop this afternoon (Element Sport) to talk to the Owner Cam about fixing it up. After taking a look at it, it was decided that we could get it road worthy for about $350. Ouch.... Here's the thing. Element sells REALLY high end bikes... Dave purchased his Felt DA (worth $7000) there last year and they have a collection of some of the most beautiful bikes I have ever seen.
I was totally embarrassed to walk into the shop with my beat up bike frame and Bike envy immediately set in. Things got worse when Dave pointed out an incredible looking Chipotle/Garmin Felt bike that would retail for just over $1000 which is extremely reasonable.
I started to think about whether I wanted to spend $500 on an old beater or $1000 on a new bike..... Then the convincing began.
Dave and I are getting married in August and I know that he has not purchased me a wedding gift yet..... I want that bike.... I don't know if I will be able to convince him to get it for me but I am determined to be riding that beauty in my first race.... I will beg, steal and borrow for that thing! I have posted a picture of the bike below and I have also included a photo of my dream bike... the Orbea Diva... Stare and Drool all you want.....
Talk to You Soon!
Steph
We ended up finding an old Trek 1000 frame (Road bike frame for those who are not aware) that is in pretty good condition and fits me well. The only problem.... it desperately needs some love and attention along with wheels and brakes. The bonus..... it cost me $50!
We took it in to Dave's bike shop this afternoon (Element Sport) to talk to the Owner Cam about fixing it up. After taking a look at it, it was decided that we could get it road worthy for about $350. Ouch.... Here's the thing. Element sells REALLY high end bikes... Dave purchased his Felt DA (worth $7000) there last year and they have a collection of some of the most beautiful bikes I have ever seen.
I was totally embarrassed to walk into the shop with my beat up bike frame and Bike envy immediately set in. Things got worse when Dave pointed out an incredible looking Chipotle/Garmin Felt bike that would retail for just over $1000 which is extremely reasonable.
I started to think about whether I wanted to spend $500 on an old beater or $1000 on a new bike..... Then the convincing began.
Dave and I are getting married in August and I know that he has not purchased me a wedding gift yet..... I want that bike.... I don't know if I will be able to convince him to get it for me but I am determined to be riding that beauty in my first race.... I will beg, steal and borrow for that thing! I have posted a picture of the bike below and I have also included a photo of my dream bike... the Orbea Diva... Stare and Drool all you want.....
Talk to You Soon!
Steph
My Mission
Ok.... So my fiance David is an amazing triathlete and an absolute inspiration to me. He is so motivated and is constantly striving to move faster and be more efficient. I cannot even begin to count the number of his races that I have attended. Each time I go to another race and watch David cross the finish line I tell myself that I should do my own triathlon. The problem is that I keep on telling myself that I should do it without actually following through. All of that is about to change.
My brother's girlfriend Chantal recently called me to tell me about a beginners only triathlon happening in the city. It is a super short flat course that has been built entirely for first time triathletes. When she told me that she was planning on doing it I thought "I should sign up!". Then reality set in.... I don't have a bike, my shoulder is no good and running is NOT easy for me.... I have a lot of work to do. The good thing is that I will have the best coach I could imagine (David) and both of my parents and Chantal are also doing the race.
I feel like I am taking on a huge task and I will be the first one to tell you scared I am. I am in relatively good shape. I go to the gym, I run on a treadmill, I have done two 5km races and I used to swim a lot. The only problem is.... I have no idea if I can put it all together....
The race I will be signing up for is the Give it a Tri race. The distances are as follows:
Swim 350m
Bike 15km
Run 4.5km
The race will take place in Edmonton on June 28, 2009. That's only 52 days from today! Yikes!
I will be keeping an online journal of my journey to the finish line over the next 52 days. I hope you will stay tuned! The outcome could be interesting......
Talk to you soon!
Steph
My brother's girlfriend Chantal recently called me to tell me about a beginners only triathlon happening in the city. It is a super short flat course that has been built entirely for first time triathletes. When she told me that she was planning on doing it I thought "I should sign up!". Then reality set in.... I don't have a bike, my shoulder is no good and running is NOT easy for me.... I have a lot of work to do. The good thing is that I will have the best coach I could imagine (David) and both of my parents and Chantal are also doing the race.
I feel like I am taking on a huge task and I will be the first one to tell you scared I am. I am in relatively good shape. I go to the gym, I run on a treadmill, I have done two 5km races and I used to swim a lot. The only problem is.... I have no idea if I can put it all together....
The race I will be signing up for is the Give it a Tri race. The distances are as follows:
Swim 350m
Bike 15km
Run 4.5km
The race will take place in Edmonton on June 28, 2009. That's only 52 days from today! Yikes!
I will be keeping an online journal of my journey to the finish line over the next 52 days. I hope you will stay tuned! The outcome could be interesting......
Talk to you soon!
Steph
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