Living Deliberately Strategy: Triathlon 15 Mar 2008 12:53 pm
Slapped Between The Eyes By a Butterfly.
True Story. March is part of “Butterfly Season”, both literal and symbolic, and there I was just riding along on my bike when, “BAM”! A big, yellow and black one smacked me just exactly inbetween my eyebrows.
Guess I’ll add, “sunglasses” to the list of things needed for cycling.
I finally quit procrastinating and went and measured my lap for running and riding. I’d guessed the full lap was between 3/4 and a full mile. BUT GUESS WHAT??!?! It’s actually a mile and half! Oh joy!
Last week was my first week riding. At the end of it, I’d clocked 25 miles for the week. I have no idea if that is “good” or not; it’s just where I’m starting. 25 miles, half against a March wind, on flat roads, at 3rd gear. My seat is much, much too big, I still need a helmet before I venture away from my fairly-secure lap road, and mirrors, lights, and a reflective vest would be a good idea too. Twice while out and about this week I caught a glimpse at real road bikes, with the right kind of handlebars and peddals and seats. I count it progress that I can now recognize the difference between the two. Baby steps indeed.
Then came 5 days off any kind of excercise for illness. We all caught a horrid spring cold but in it’s wake is the vivid reminder: I can’t breathe here in Spring. It’s like a freakin’ Azaela factory around here…there’s almost as much fuschia and white in bloom than there is green grass or leaves on the trees. I’m wheezing and just starting to realize what effect not getting enough Oxygen can do to endurance.
New addition: Music whilst running, thanks to the recommendation of my wonderful commenters. It does indeed help! I still love, love, love riding and hate, hate, hate running…after this Tri goal is met, I may just quit running all together (who am I kidding? I love running. Sigh). But music eases the mental boredom tremendously. Favorite to run to: White Stripes.
I’ve learned in the last few days to run first, then ride. Also, that the real trick in a Trithalon is not in being able to run a certain distance, or ride, or swim…it’s in the physical endurance of being able to transition and do all 3. Sequence seems to matter greatly, at least right now. So… I run/walk 3 miles and then ride for 8.
What I’ll be working on: the same combination, with a greater percentage of the run/walk actually run, and the gear on the bike higher. Shoes and bike stuff are financial goals but I can scrape by for quite a bit longer on what I have now.
