Combat Cycling Willie Kay Style

This morning's ride included some big roots coming up through the paved path quite a few driveways with some land mines as well (rocks that would easily cause a flat). Needless to say, a decent portion of my ride was spent in a defensive position, but no worries, I knew it was going to be fairly exploratory. 

Pineview Reservoir near my new digs, cycled near/beside here today

On Saturday I'll go participate in the Spudman Olympic distance Triathlon in Burley, Idaho.  It's near my home town and this is the first chance I've had to go give it a run. I'm curious whether or not I'll see some old-time but not forgotten familiar faces.  Also excited to swim in a downriver venue but not excited to swim in my water skiing wetsuit.  The triathlon wetsuit got packed before I realized it and it was not to be easily found...that's the moving life.

Spudman course below, I don't know if I've ever seen a bike course so square.  I hope it really is fairly flat as I'm realizing how I'm not ready for hills in a big way.

So anyway, while today's ~20-mile ride was a good effort, I haven't forgotten that I'm racing soon and plan to start a focused taper after Wednesday.  I'll get a jog in tonight and a swim in the morning and then take it fairly easy with some easy running and cycling trips between Wed and Friday night when I rack the bike.

Visited Salt Lake Running Company (awesome running store, this was my first visit) yesterday and was able to pick up some tri-shorts (yep, mine all got packed with the movers) and some gels. Realized today I need to pick up another water bottle so I can have one with water on the bike and one with a sport drink. Recommendations?  I haven't been training with one so I'll probably fall back on the ol' Gatorade or Powerade to keep it simple. 

Train On! In Search of Shin Splints

Our family has arrived at our new outdoor sports mecca home, Ogden, Utah. But let's keep that outdoor meccaness a secret, don't want to overflow the area. 

On the road I swam in the Snake River in Jackson Hole, Wyoming (if you count white water rafting as swimming-best I could do this time on the road with the family), I've cycled in Burlington, South Dakota just east of the Badlands National park, and run in Casper, Wyoming.

Anyhow, I've done what I could while on the road, about 2400 miles from east to west. Yesterday I did my first cycling ride here in the new territory.  I started off optimistic, seceded to safety and lived to fight another day.

My other Suunto Ambit band broke, so I threw it in the bag on my bike, this morning I ran with it in my hand, in the gym I set it down and worked out w/ the heart rate monitor on...whatever. I need to upgrade but hard to justify the moola for the Garmin Fenix I want, will bite the bullet soon after I exhaust my extra Ambit bands on hand. 

Graph of my uphill run, ~600 ft ascent, love having hills near home!

Seven Days until Spudman!!  The Spudman will be my first tri this year and I didn't do any last year so I'm excited for an event! It sounds like my dad will accompany and watch all of us crazies so it will be fun to see his reaction and perspective.  I think my kids will sleep in that day.

Trek West Post I

Triathlon training is already somewhat intensive, requiring two-a-days and access to bikes and pools (running shoes are easy).  This is all just fine when you're hunkered in at home with gym access but I'm beginning a multi-day trip west during which I MUST STILL TRAIN for a triathlon coming up in just 17 days.

The good: I get to exercise in new exciting places. Like Central Park in New York.  That was a great run!

The bad: it's harder than I thought it would be. Third day out and I haven't broken out the portable bike trainer. Plan to do it tonight but I'm working on some work that has to be done. Competing priorities are rough!  Finding pool access takes work...I was going to do it in Cincinnati as I'm sure availability is plentiful but chose to run instead. Solid choice as my running is sucking right now and the swim I have to do is downriver.

Pics and more thoughts to follow.