Bike Ride & Pre-Race Q & A

I went on an hour long bike ride around campus last night. I'm feeling a lot more comfortable on the new bike, going faster, going around corners, etc. I still feel like it is more work to go fast on this bike, but maybe that is just because I have been sick for 2 weeks.

This morning I went to a Q & A session for the Playmakers Triathlon Team at Hawk Island for the Hawk-I-Tri tomorrow. There was some good information, and I feel pretty read for tomorrow. I do wish it would be warmer for the open water swim at 8am though! The packet pick-up is back at Hawk Island from 4pm-7pm tonight, and the beginner's meeting is at 7am tomorrow.

A wet and wild ride!

So I decide to finally take my new bike out for a spin, even though I've been feeling sick for a week. I put on my helmet and headed out the door. It was a pretty good ride, and I practiced with the gears, turning, stopping, etc. When I got out past Chandler Crossings, it started to sprinkle, which felt good because it was so warm and muggy. Then it started to rain harder. And then it started to pour. And thunder. And lighting. So I rode home in the pouring rain, getting my new bike soaked and covered in muddy water (which I would much prefer over trying to keep an expensive bike all neat and clean!).

I'm looking forward to my first outdoor triathlon on Sunday, but why does everything have to start so EARLY!? The beginners' meeting is at 7am, ugh.

My New Bike!

I finally bought a bike so I can actually race in the Hawk-I-Tri this weekend. I could not convince myself to spend $450 on a bike from velocipede peddler, so I got an $89 bike from Meijer! It is blue and looks cool! :) I also bought a helmet and water bottle holder contraption. I biked it home, and it seemed to work out pretty well. I'll have to take it out on some practice rides so I can get used to the gears. Now I don't have to worry about breaking an expensive bike!

The UNbridge bridge race

Today I ran what was supposed to be my 4th Mackinac Memorial Bridge Race. Since the construction was not done, it turned out to be a 3.8 run through Mackinaw City, which was still ok. It was not a staggered start, the breakfast was just bagels and muffins, there were certificates instead of trophies, and lanyards instead of finishers medals. I ran a 33:35 (8:51/mile) to get 11th of 29 in my age group, and 274 of 530 finishers overall. I also had a sore throat and a hacking cough. Dave took lots of photos of me, so I will post those on facebook soon!

Motorcycle class

This weekend, Dave and I took a motorcycle certification class. We rode the bikes for 5 hours on Saturday, and 4 hours on Sunday, which was so exhausting! My arms and lower back are really sore from controlling the bike for so long. Now I just need to win the lottery so I can buy my own bike!

Hiking at Yankee Springs

I went camping this weekend at Yankee Springs with Dave, Mike, Jen, Kiersten, Drew, Evan, Austin, Rebecca, Pete, and Mike S. Yesterday Jen, Kiersten, Drew, Mike, and Evan and I hiked to a landform called the Devil's Soupbowl, which turned out to be just a big hill, but we did get a 2 1/2 hour hike in beautiful, cool weather through nice trails. By the end of the hike, my feet were sore and my legs were tired, so it was definitely great exercise! I'm looking forward to more camping and more hiking all summer!

What kind of bike should I get?

Rode my bike around campus for an hour today. I think I want to get a mountain bike instead of a road bike. I'd rather come home from a ride and hose off the mud instead of worrying about every little scratch on it!

Some exercise is better than nothing...

On Thursday I went for a 50 minute bike ride. I did some of the Northern Tier Trail, went down Abbott Road, and onto campus. (I saw some beautiful flowers by IM Circle!) I'm still on my old, rusty trusty bike, because I can't seem to convince myself that I want to own a $400+ bike from Velocipede Peddler. (I prefer the $80 Meijer's version.)

On Friday I played my last Winner By Forfeit soccer game of the season. We lost 9-5, but it felt REALLY good to sprint around again! I got knocked down a few times, but nothing serious. (I do have a cool red line down my shin where a guy's cleat scraped me when we both got to the ball at the same time!)

My plan for today is to ride my bike around in the sunshine and enjoy the weather!