Tour de Cure

For the past few years I have been participating and have had a hand in helping to organize the Tour de Cure in the Oregon and Southwest Washington area. The Tour de Cure is a group of rides around the country that benefits the American Diabetes Association. The goal of the Tour de Cure is also to bring awareness of the symptoms and ways to help control and prevent diabetes.

I ride in the Tour de Cure as a team of friends and family members called Tony's riders. We each ride different distances based on our abilities anywhere from 10 miles to 100 miles. This is a great cause we are still developing the website for this year but as soon as we have it updated I will post a link to it so you can check it out. Stay posted for Tour de Cure updates!

Run and Bike with new toy!

I woke up in the pitch black today to get in my workout for the day, it called for a 35 minute run and a one hour bike ride. I put on all my gear to go on my run I could tell it was going to be a cold one. I put on my Garmin Forerunner heart rate monitor and started my run. I had a good heart rate and it was incredible how easy it is to see the screen on the Garmin Forerunner 310xt even though it was so dark. I know it has a back light but I just want to glance at the watch and see my stats and that was no problem at all.

Then it was time to change all my gear and head out on a very very cold chilly ride in the darkness. I wanted to use my heart rate monitor for this which I had not done before so I was a little unsure as how to do it but I was able to figure it out pretty easily and again it was easy to glance at the screen.

Another thing that I have discovered is that the heart rate monitor strap is not obtrusive at all. I thought it was going to bother me as I had never used one before but I can't even feel it! Love my new toy! I can't wait for triathlon season to start!

Garmin Forerunner 310XT got it!

My Christmas wish for this year was for my whole family to pitch in and get me the Garmin Forerunner 310xt and it happened! It was a great surprise I did not think they were going to do it but they did and they even got me the heart rate monitor!

For those of you who do not know what a Garmin Forerunner 310xt is it is a GPS watch that is made with triathlon in mind as it is the only one that is actually waterproof. Now there is some discussion about if this is the best Garmin because it does not actually measure ones distance when swimming and the face of the watch is on the larger side so that bothers some people but not me.

So far I am really impressed with the Garmin Forerunner 310xt my favorite feature other than it being waterproof is that it beeps and vibrates after each mile completed! I love that it "talks" to me while I am running!

So far great! I will keep you posted the more I discover about this great triathlon GPS watch!

Ironman coverage on TV

I don't know about you guys but I feel like there is not enough triathlon on TV. There is plenty of football, basketball, and baseball coverage even extreme sports such as snowboarding but it is very very hard to find triathlon events on TV so I was very excited when I heard that NBC was going to show the triathlon championship in Kona on Saturday!

I recorded the event because of course it is not shown at a very convenient time. I watched it and although it was fine I did not feel like they showed enough. It did run for 1 hour 30 minutes but I just don't feel like they showed enough of Chrissie Wellington beating the record or Craig Alexander winning for the second year in a row. Now how much can you show of someone swimming biking and running one might ask, a lot more I would say.

I also like when they show the age groupers and I don't think like they did enough of that this year either, the stories were too brief in my opinion.

I want more triathlon on TV without having to pay extra for a fancy cable channel! It will be interesting to see what sort of coverage triathlon gets once Lance Armstrong gets involved.

RoadID great idea!

When I started to do triathlon training my family was constantly worried about me being out on the open roads at all times with no sort of identification on me. When I rode my bike I would sometimes bring my drivers license but I would often forget. Also I did not want to carry my driver's licence around and move it from location to location for fear of loosing it. When I went on runs I brought no for of ID at all.

After constant battles with my family members we came across this website we realized that my ID problems could be easily solved with RoadID. They have many products to choose from at reasonable prices. I ended up getting the bracelet and use it all the time and I am very satisfied with it. I highly recommend RoadID to everyone. Safety First!

Saturday December 19 Workout

This is a pretty typical workout for Saturdays:

Bike MixType:
BikePlanned duration: 1:00
15 min PE2-end with 3 X 30 sec race pace
Main set: keep rpm 90+ throughout
1X 10 minutes at PE 4
2 minutes easy spin
1X 7.5 minutes at PE 6
2 minutes easy spin
1X 5 minutes at PE 7
Plz let me know corresponding HR's
Cool down PE 1-2 for the remainder of the 60 minute workout

Workout #2: T-runType:
RunPlanned duration: 0:20
Have your gear all laid out ahead of time..Spend no more than 3 minutes in Transition. Easy endurance run-
9:50 pace-i
intersperse 3 X 15 sec strides within...
Keep cadence at 90, and focus on perfect form, relaxed upper body

Now it does not seem that hard or time consuming but for some reason when I get to the run I am not able to keep the pace, I always go way too fast! I then realize I am going way too fast and try and slow down but by then the whole pace is off. I am not sure why I always do this. Does this happen to anyone else?

Lance Armstrong Hawaii 2011

I got a couple of comments on Lance Armstrong doing Ironman Hawaii and this is what I am going after other people's opinions! I read in cycling magazine today that lance will be participating in the Kona triathlon in 2011. I am sure at lot is on the line here with advertisers I would think that Ironman Triathlon viewing would go up just because Lance Armstrong is racing?

So this is the question I have now do I accept that yes Lance Armstrong is a great athlete. Yes he loves triathlon, yes he is cocky, and he is going to do great things for the sport by making it more televised and getting more sponsorship interest? This is something to consider, he might make the sport more popular which means that we get to watch it on tv more often.

I still think that he should qualify though and I hope he gets humbled.

Lance Armstrong, Kona?

For the past couple of months I have been hearing rumors about how Lance Armstrong will be participating in the Hawaii Ironman. At first I thought people were just trying to speculate but it seems to be true. The first rumors I heard said that Lance Armstrong thought that he would finish in the first ten of the pros, now I hear he thinks he will finish in the top five.

Now don't get me wrong, I know that Lance was once a triathlete, that he placed 3rd in the 2009 Tour de France, and that in general he is a great athlete but him thinking he is going to place that well?!?!? I have almost never heard a well seasoned pro talk about finishing that well in Kona the way Lance is. He is really starting to get on my nerves. I am going to do more research on this and see how much of it is rumor or true but if most of the things I have heard/read are true then I have a bad taste in my mouth.

My rib is ok!

On Saturday when I woke up my rib hurt so I was not sure if I should do my triathlon workout or not so I emailed my coach Larissa and she responded right away. No workout today! She that I should never try and workout through that pain. So I took the day off and did some stretching and Christmas shopping instead.

My workout for today was a 35 minute run if my rib felt better which it did. So I woke up and went for my run and the conditions were great and my rib felt great. It definitely helped that it is about 15 degrees warmer than it was last week. So far my rib is still fine. I hope it stays this way!

My rib hurts!

This week has been a hard week for my triathlon training. I feel really busy because we are close to the holidays. It is also freezing cold 12 degrees its the coldest it has ever been! Anyway I powered through did all my workouts and have been really proud of myself for not even missing one but today I woke up and my rib hurts. In fact it hurt last night and it did not let me sleep.

So today I have to go for a run and do a strenght workout but I am in pain. I have to do some Christmas shopping and then I am hoping that the rib is going to get better. I do not like to miss a workout! It gives me anxiety!

I'm back home!

After a great time visiting my family in Illinois I am back in Oregon and back on my bike. While I was in the Midwest I was only able to run and do core and strength exercises so now I am able to get back in the pool and back on the bike for nice well rounded triathlon training.

On the triathlon training menu for today was a 35 minute run and a 45 minute ride. I went on my run at about 6am and it was 14 degrees!!! Very cold colder than in Illinois. Five minutes into the run the cold had penetrated my tights and my skin was in pain but I powered through it. When I got back home there were little bits of ice on my hat!

It is not usually this cold where I live so I don't have the right bike gear for this temperature so I did my ride on the rollers. Workout went well now I am really hungry and have to go to work after a long weekend of family fun.

The weather channel says it will be really cold in Oregon for the next few days I hope I can cope!

Vacation in the Midwest!

I am on vacation in the midwest and it is cold, but triathlon training must go on. I woke up this morning and there was a little bit of snow on the ground and a very cold strong wind. I ran for 35 minutes with a few intervals not knowing what direction I was going in because I was in a strange city.

Once I got going to cold was not that bad although when I got back my hands were frozen and so were my legs. Tomorrow the forecast is 16 degrees, its going to be a cold one, but I have to do it for the love of triathlon!

Swimming with a wetsuit PART 2

So I was one of the only people at a triathlon without a wetsuit and it was cold! Time to buy a wetsuit!

I did some research I wanted to buy a good triathlon wetsuit but at a good price. I was talking to a friend at work who is an Ironman and he told me about a local company out of Hood River, Oregon called ProMotion and recommended them to me. As look had it a was headed to Hood River in a few weeks so I decided to go check them out.

It was a very hot day in Hood River 100 plus degrees and the last thing I wanted to do was try on a wetsuit but I did. Of course it was hard to get it on since it was so hot but once it was on it felt good. They were also offering one that had been used a couple times for a great price so I bought it!

2 months later I wore the triathlon wetsuit for the first time at a race. It was true! It makes you float! Since then I have worn ProMotion wetsuits a few times during races and have had great times on my swims. I still prefer to feel free and not wear a wetsuit but it does help you float and maybe be a little faster. The things one learns in life.

Swimming with a wetsuit?

Before I became a triathlete I was a surfer. Once I moved to Oregon I gave up surfing but whenever I am close to the beach I still like to catch a few waves. One of the things that I have never liked about surfing is that when the ocean gets cold you must wear a wetsuit. I really don't like wetsuits at all I feel like they make me heavy and make me tired so the best thing for me was to never wear a wetsuit.

When I became I triathlete a started hearing chatter about wetsuit legal races, how people could not swim without the wetsuit, how swimming with a wetsuit was easier and I was really confused. Since I had always hated wetsuits and was a pretty strong swimmer I could just not understand why anyone would want to wear a wetsuit because it helps you swim faster?! That had never been the case in surfing.

My first few races I did not wear a wetsuit, but I noticed that even though the water was warm people had their wetsuits on. I then had a race in mid June where I was 4 people out of 400 with out a wetsuit. The water was cold and I decided to buy one out of need to fight the cold.

More on buying my wetsuit and how I like it in the next post........

Going for a run on Black Friday

Like many people I woke up in the wee hours of the morning to go do some shopping. I don't really go crazy and hit people in order to get the flat screen tv, I just think it a fun thing to do so every year I do it and end up buying presents for the family and a couple of workout items for myself.

Today's workout as stated by my coach Larissa was to run for 45 minutes, no big deal unless one woke up early for Black Friday and is still in a food coma from eating lots and lots of turkey. Top top it off it is really really windy, at least 16mph winds.

After I got home from shopping I told myself that I don't deserve the exercise gear if I don't do my triathlon workout. So I geared up and went, once I was running it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Glad I'm done now, time to rest.

Triathlon and Thanksgiving

I work in the food industry so when Thanksgiving rolls around I get to work a crazy hectic schedule. Today I had not slept for 24 hours but I still wanted to do my triathlon workout. It was a cycling workout so that is not that bad. I put my gear on, got on my bike and was blessed with a sunny day. I went for my ride, I felt good afterwards and I am glad I did it, what a great day to ride!

I'm too tired now to keep writing though, time to get some sleep.

I almost got hit by a bus!

I participate as a comity member for an annual Diabetes ride in the Portland area called the Tour de Cure. As a committee member I attend meetings once a year to plan the ride and it is about a 1 hour bike ride each way, I incorporate it into my workout. Last night while I was on my way to the meeting I had a very scary experience with a TriMet bus.

I was riding at 5pm during dark rush hour in Portland which is definitely not my favorite thing to do and I was approaching a busy intersection. I know this is a scary intersection so I started to slow down but I was in the bike lane so I felt relatively safe but I was still being attentive. I noticed traffic had stopped and there was a bus in the lane next to the bike lane that would eventually merge into the bike lane about 1 and a half blocks away. In the past I have seen TriMet buses try to merge early so I was being very cautious. The bus was not moving and was staying in his lane so I decided it was safe to continue to ride. When I was at about the back door of the bus all of the sudden the bus started pulling forward and into the bus lane. I was stuck in between a TriMet bus and the curb with nowhere to go! The bus kept closing in. I uncliped my pedals and was skidding on the curb trying to stop.

Oh no! I thought to myself this is not going to end well. I was finally able to stop and at that point he saw me and slammed on his breaks. He was waiting for me to go but at that point there was no way I was going so we just sat there for a little bit and then he went and I followed.

My heart was beating fast but I still rode the remaining 5 miles to the Tour de Cure meeting. And then rode the 10 miles back home. I hope this never happens again!

Diet for Thanksgiving?

A couple of weeks ago my triathlon coach at Personal Best: Multisport Coaching told me I as going to have to change my diet or else. I agreed and that same day I changed my diet and applied everything I new to having a well balanced nutritious diet.

So far I have done a good job I eat lots more lean protein and eat healthy snacks but Thanksgiving is quickly approaching what to do? I was discussing with my family what everyone is going to bring or cook and prepare and it is going to be a lot of food. I don't usually tend to over eat so I am not really worried about that it is more that I am worried about eating things that I am not "allowed" to eat.

I think what I will probably end up doing is eating things that are not on my diet but being sensible. Yes that is what I will do.

Great running!

Today I went for a 35 minute jog and also did 30 minutes of core and strenght exercises as prescribed by my coach Larissa Herold. It all went very well I was able to maintain the right heart rates and paces that she had set for me so I am very pleased with that.

The core and strength exercises went well also, the planks she has me doing are probably the hardest part of my workout. I am not sure why they are so hard for me to do and I really don't seem to be getting better at them but I am still working hard at getting better at them.

I can't wait until my first triathlon, April is a long time away. I want to see if my new diet and workout routine are working.

Morning Ride on Marine Drive

Today's workout was a 1 hour 10 minute ride so I decided to go over to Marine Drive since it was still kind of dark and I wanted to be on a bike only path. The ground was wet but it was not raining. I geared up and headed out, 1 minute into the ride my back was covered in mud, it was pretty funny. I don't have a fender on my road bike so whenever the ground is wet I always get covered in mud!

Once I got to Marine Drive which is behind the Portland Airport a huge gust of wind hit me! It was actually pushing me over to the side when I was ridding it was crazy! Just to give you an idea of the headwind in one direction I was going about 10mph and in the other direction I was going about 20mph.

Overall a good day for triathlon workout. I was glad when I got home and was able to get out of my mud covered wet cycling clothes!

40 minute jog with 20 minute core

Today's triathlon workout called for a 40 minute jog with a few strides and different paces followed by 20 minutes of core exercises. Easy enough right? I woke up it was dry! Yes dry! It has not been dry the whole week so things were looking up.

I got dressed went outside and for some reason my Garmin GPS unit was not able to get signal. This is very frustrating for me when I can't get signal and I really don't have the patience to wait so I just started running anyway. The only problem with this is that then my distance and pace are off so I am never quite sure how much I am doing but it gives me an idea. Then about a mile into it my congested chest started acting up which made it hard to breath. Then my knee was bothering me a little. I carried on anyway and completed the workout but its like I can't catch a break lately. I just want to feel 100% and be able to train for triathlons without problems. I wonder when that will happen?

I am almost 100% healthy!

I am almost 100% healthy! I can't believe it! Yesterday I went swimming for 40 minutes and it went grate and today I rode for 1 hour and I felt great! Tomorrow I am going to go running and it is going to be the last test but I think it is all going to go well.

My coach Larissa has been really understanding about everything and made some workouts for me based on the way I felt which was really nice of her and helped me recover. I think that tomorrow is going to be a rain free day so its all going to be even better!

Yes I am very excited that I feel well again.

Trail runing or road runing

A few years ago when I started to run and just to be fit in general I started off by running on the track. As my fitness improved and I was able to run more than 8 laps I thought I would venture out and run on the road and sidewalk. My fitness improved and whenever I ran past parks I would always see people running on the trails and I also heard people telling me that running on the trails is better for the body.

One day I decided to go to the local dog park so that my dog could get his exercise will I could get my triathlon training in, this is going to be a great time saver I thought. I put my dog on a leash and headed out the door he is going to love this! I thought to myself. The park is about 4 blocks away so we jogged there that is when I discovered that my dog does NOT like to run on a leash he drags behind me. Now some people may think that its because I am going to fast for him but no, that is not the case because when we turn around to come home he wants to run in front of me and pull on me.

Anyway we made it to the park I let him off the leash all of the sudden he doesn't mind running but what I discovered was that I don't like running on grass on trails, I just feel like I can't get a good pace going. Since then my dog and I have done the same routine I drag him to the park, let him off he runs around like a lunatic while I think about how I don't like running in the park and then we struggle with each other and the leash to come home.

I had decided this is no fun for everyone and tried it again this morning because I just had to jog for 30 minutes, it was fine he actually cooperated on the way to the park, I did not love running on the trail but was fine with it and when we headed home he just ran next to me! Maybe this will workout somehow in the end!?

Back in the saddle!

After one whole week of not being able to do any triathlon training I was finally able to do some cycling today. Last night my coach at Personal Best: Multisport Coaching gave me the all clear to start doing a little bit of exercise. My workout was to spin for 45 minutes, I decided to be extra cautious and do it indoors on my rollers while I listened to the news as told my Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira. I would say this is a good start to the week. I reported back to coach Larissa and told her how the spinning went and how I felt so she is going to design this weeks workout based on this morning's feedback, I'll keep you posted!

I'm going crazy!

sorry to keep posting about my health and how bored it makes me to not be able to do anything but it is driving me crazy. It has now been 6 days since my last workout I feel lazy and like my fitness level is just disappearing. I know that this is not hot it works and that it is all in my mind and that it is better to rest if you are really sick but this is how I feel!!!!!

Today is the first day since I got sick that I feel better so of course I am tempted to go out for a bit of a workout but my coach told me to just sit tight and let the cold or flu go away. So at this point I can't wait until Monday when I can go for a workout again!

On a brighter note my new wool jersey arrived today, fast shipping as always maybe I will get to use it on Monday so it can keep me nice and warm that is only if it is a cycling workout.

Stay healthy!

New Vintage Wool Jersey

I have been sick for the past 2 days which means no work and no triathlon training for me so I have to find something to do to occupy my time. I have mostly been online and napping but being online usually means making a purchase. I liked my wool jersey from Oregon Cyclewear so much that I decided to order another one. The one I have already is green the new one will be yellow! I can't wait for it to arrive because once I am well again I am going to need it! It was 37 degrees this morning! Last time I ordered one shipping took 3 days so it should be here soon!

To all of you who are not sick and are still able to do your triathlon training happy training! Hope to be able to join you soon!

I have a really bad cold!

I woke up this morning not feeling 100%, I hope I don't have a cold I thought to myself that would be really bad, I hate when I get a cold. I geared up with my wool jersey it was about 37 degrees and very foggy today and went for my 1 hour 15 minute ride. When I got back home I was wet from riding in the fog and felt really congested.

I shrugged of the congestion took a shower and went to work. Once at work I realized I had a problem, I had a cold.... For a few hours I was in denial pretending it would just go away until I finally gave in and came home. I feel like I have a bit of a fever, I have a bit of a cough and cannot breath through my nose at all.

I hope my morning ride did not make it worse I am not sure what the exact science behind these things are. I am probably not going to go to work tomorrow and my roomate says I should not go running either, I just feel so guilty when I don't do my workout. I think I will listen to her though and just stay home and stay warm and try to get rid of this cold as soon as possible.

My diet got me in trouble...

I sent my coach the list of everything I eat in one day for 3 days and she was not happy with what she saw and understandably so. My days consisted of eating, burgers, fries, sloppy joes, chips, chocolate, and all sorts of other foods that are not that great for you.

I received an email from my coach this morning wondering how I was still alive and functioning after the list I sent her. She also said that if I want to have better performance in triathlons I need to eat better. I know I know, now I just have to apply what I know. I am going to do my healthier grocery shopping today and we will see where we go from there.

No surprises so far I knew I was not doing a good job with my diet and that it might affect my triathlon performance now I just need to apply what I know.

My coach wants me to track what I eat! Oh no!

A couple days ago my coach, Larissa from Personal Best: Multisport Coaching told me that she was interested in what I was eating and she wanted me to write everything down. Not only did she want me to write everything down but she wanted me to write down the amount I consumed, the time, as well as everything I had to drink. Oh no I thought to myself, that day alone before 10am I had had a cup of tea, a muffin, a danish, and half of a turkey breast! I agreed because I am in the program 100% and want to do all I can to improve in my races.

I tried to explain to her that everyday of my diet is different, the only time I am consistent is the week before a triathlon. Larissa's solution to my inconsistency was to write everything down for 3 days, I am currently beginning day 2. I wonder what she is going to say and what I will have to change, the things one does for triathlon.......

Next post, what coach Larissa said about my diet, I am sure it will not be good!

I Can't Believe the Rain!

Woke up this morning for my run pouring pouring rain! I could not see the rain because it was pitch black but I could hear it! I geared up and stepped outside and started to run. It was cold and windy and had to jump around huge puddles. I'm done with it tough glad I did it now I am freezing. Just another day in the Pacific Northwest!

Triathlon Swim With a Snorkel?

A few days ago I was reading a triathlon forum when I came across a thread that said triathlon swimming with a snorkel is it fair? I was intrigued by the forum post and clicked into it to see what it was about. It turns out that people are doing their swim segment of their triathlon wearing a snorkel!? They guy who posted the link also said that it turns out it is not against the rules.....

I think that this gives one an advantage and should be against the rules. It would seem that if you don't have to keep coming out to breath and are good at swimming with a snorkel then you could in theory be faster. Maybe no the fastest but faster. Apparently people also use this snorkel technique in the pool where you do not even have to poke your head out to see where you are going.

Maybe I'm wrong and just jumping to conclusions, any thoughts? Should it be triathlon race legal to swim with a snorkel?

Morning Bike Ride: Riding on Rollers

As all triathletes know one of the hard but fun things about triathlon is that one must train for three sports, swimming, cycling, and running. Today was a day that required cycling, 1h 15min of cycling as dictated by my coach Larissa at Personal Best: Multisport Coaching. I had to do this ride at 7am which allows me to sleep in but it is still pitch black at that time and I really prefer to not be on the road in he dark with the morning traffic.

Last night I decided that I was going to be brave and extra careful and just ride in the morning but when I woke up and could not see a ting and felt the wind I decided to just do my bike workout on my rollers. I don't know about you guys but I find rollers to be rather boring and to stay on them for 1h 15 minutes is really harder than the workout itself.

I did it anyway, I almost fell off one as I was daydreaming while watching the Today Show. I tried to drink my sodium drink but only had half of what I should because I need to stop to drink. Overall though a decent workout I am happy the time is changing to help with the morning darkness.

Profile Design Cobra Wing Handlebar with Sonic CSX Aerobar

As mentioned in an earlier post for my review of the Felt s32 2010 triathlon bike I am not that happy with the aero bars it came with. I was checking out the internet to try and find a good deal on some carbon aero bars and I came across the Profile Design Cobra Wing with Sonic CSX Aerobar. They look pretty cool and on my previous triathlon bike I had Profile Design bars so I know they are a good. These bars also seem to be on sale, I found them for $349.99 when the MSRP is $449.99 that's $100 off!

I tried doing some research on the internet about these aero bars but I really have not found much on them. I really do not want to throw away $350 on my new triathlon bike but they seem to be a good deal and really good looking and light. What to do what to do?

I-205 Bikepath, Portland, Oregon

My training for today was a 1.5 hour bike ride at an average effort of 3. When I woke up this morning there was impressive fog and frost on the ground but I could see some sun and it was dry so way better conditions than yesterday's pouring rain.

I suited up with my layers, bib tights, and Oregon Cyclewear wool jersey (which I love) and set out. Once on the road I realized that it was so foggy it would be safer if I stayed on a bike path at all times so I headed towards the Marine Drive bike path. This is a bike path I really enjoy its relatively quiet except for the airplanes landing at PDX airport and it runs along the Columbia River. Sometimes you can get a bad head wind at Marine Drive but today the wind was only 4mph.

Eventually marine drive hits I-205 which goes over to Vancouver, Washington. There is a path called the I-205 path and it is basically a path the goes in the middle of the interstate highway which goes over the Columbia, River. I decided to take this route today it had been years since I had been on it so decided to try it out again. It is really weird how you are riding protected by barriers in the middle of the highway. The path is in good condition a couple of bumps here and there and it is really really noisy from all the highway traffic. Once I crossed into Washington I turned around and came back home to Portland to finish my 21 mile ride.

All in all it was a good ride I am not a huge fan of the I-205 bike path although it is good to have something to help one cross the river. It was nice to just ride on marine drive with the cold sun and the landing airplanes.

Swim and Run Complete!

Today's workout called for a swim and a run. I woke up this morning to pounding rain, the type of rain that just makes you want to stay on the couch all day with a blanket a movie and a warm drink. I kept thinking to myself the rain will die down and then I will go do all that I have to do. A couple of hours later it was still pouring rain so I decided I was just going to have to go out in it.

My swim was fine the pool was very crowded with the senior aerobics class they take 5 out of 7 lanes. I am not sure why they need so many lanes and us lab swim people only get 2 but it is what it is. Then I went for my run it was also fine the wind was more of a factor that the rain and the leaves are all over the sidewalk which makes it a little slippery.

Workout done! Now I can shower and just stay cozy and dry.

Day two of new workout

Today was my second day following the workout routine set by Personal Best: Multisport Coaching. This workout called for a 1 hour bike ride with a 15 minute warm up at effort 1, 30 minute at effort 2 to low 3, and then cool down for 15 minutes. The goal was to try and maintain my cadence and not go over the recommended efforts.

Anyone who knows me knows that I really never do anything in life at a 1 or 2 effort so this is proving to be very hard for me. I really focused though and tried to do what I was told and overall it went pretty well. I went about 3 miles slower on average an hour than I usually go but because I was focusing so much on the cadence I feel like I am getting a better pedal stroke.

So its going to be hard to maintain the efforts and paces set by my coach but with focus I am sure I can do it. She says that I need to trust her and follow the plan to see the results so I am going to do what she says. Tomorrow I will try to go swimming again, I hope the pool is open!

My first workout with my new coach....

Today was my first workout with my new coach Larissa Herold with Personal Best: Multisport Coaching so I was very excited. Workout for today, go swimming and then go for a run. I woke up in the pitch black morning with pouring rain got into my car and drove to the pool. Once I got there I could see in the window and there were only two people there. Cool! I thought to myself I can swim laps without having to worry about that many people.

No I was not that lucky, as soon as I stepped inside the building there was a huge whiteboard that said closed with a smiley face. Closed without notice!? Smiley face?! there is nothing to smile about!!!! So my first workout ruined. I have to go to work now but I will go on my run later at least I can do half the workout I guess. Not a good way to start my new training program.

Training Needs!

So I had a long conversation with my coach at Personal Best: Multisport Coaching and she seems very nice. My coach's name is Larissa Herold and as I am typing this she is creating a program for me. I am sure of this because she is in constant email communication with me wanting to know everything. She wants to know how fast and long I usually go in the swim bike run. So far I am very happy with the way my relationship is developing with my coach. The few times I have already emailed her asking her questions she has responded rather quickly great!

The only thing is that she wants me to get a threshold test and for this I need a power meter for the bike. I don't have a power meter and I cant buy a power meter so I am trying to either find a friend or someone who can give me this test. I also need a heart rate monitor to get the most out of my training she says (yes its true I don't have a heart rate monitor). I went on ebay and bought an inexpensive one form Hong Kong hopefully it will come soon. I bought the inexpensive one because I hope that I will soon (I hope!) be able to buy my beloved Garmin Forerunner 310xt.

Anyway that is the update on my training with Personal Best: Multisport Coaching, coach Larissa says that I will officially be starting tomorrow. I wonder what tomorrow's workout will bring....

Waking up in the morning, to RUN!

I was all cozy in my bed this morning when in my dream an immigration agent was trying to send me to Australia for some reason. I tried telling him I did not want to go to Australia and as he was dragging me across a border my alarm went off, saved by the alarm, time to go for a run!

I looked out the window no rain and little wind great day for a 4 mile run. It is about 55 degrees so perfect temperature as well. I got dressed went out for 4 miles, I am not sure why I keep choosing the distance 4 miles but I do, my new coach at Personal Best: Multisport Coaching is probably going to change this. Anyway it was a good run a couple of hills and a pace of 8:03 so pretty pleased overall. Now that I feel good about my workout, time to go to work.

2009 Triathlon Year in Review

Now that my triathlon season is over I though I would write a post about this years races and results.

Beaver Freezer Sprint Triathlon April 4, 2009
Time: 1:17:53
Swim: 8:05
Bike:41:48
Run:26:11
Place: 18
Age Group Place: 4



Hippie Chick Half Marathon May 9, 2009
Time: 1:55:04
Place: 87
Age Group Place: 4



Blue Lake Sprint Triathlon June 13, 2009
Time: 1:22:58
Swim: 14:23
Bike: 38:41
Run: 25:25
Place: 21
Age Group Place: 5



Hagg Lake Sprint Triathlon July 11, 2009
Time: 1:30:34
Swim: 15:45
Bike: 45:02
Run: 25:38
Place: 25
Age Group Place: 3

City of Portland Olympic Triathlon August 23, 2009
Time: 2:59:29
Swim: 25:31
Bike: 1:30:53
Run: 58:56
Place: 38
Age Group Place: 7



Steve Prefontaine Memorial 10k September 19, 2009
Time: 53:55
Place: 100
Age Group Place: 10

Personal Best: Multisport Coaching

I have decided to take my training a step further and be coached my Personal Best: Multisport Coaching. They have good reviews so I hope it all goes well. I will start the training with them in about a week, can't wait! Hopefully they will help me achieve a lot of personal bests. I will keep you posted on the training and results. Happy training!

Adding to Felt 2010 S32 Review

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the new Felt s32 2010 triathlon bike. At this point I had just ridden it a couple of times but now that I have ridden it a few more times I am glad to say that this bike is great! It shifts well and feels smooth, very smooth and it looks great.

It is also a fast bike, I am able to accelerate well on it and it is surprisingly easy to handle.

I think that in the future I will make a couple upgrades to it like a carbon seat post but this is a great bike! I highly recommend it to any entry to mid level triathlete who is looking for an affordable good looking fast bike.

(In case you are lost I posted a full review describing components and comparisons on a previous post it is on this blog)

Portland Cyclewear Vintage Wool Cycling Jersey

As the weather started to change I decided I wanted I nice wool jersey for cycling. I checked around and some of the prices were really high until I found Portland Cyclewear Jerseys. I ordered one on Friday, it is Wednesday and it is here! I love it! It is soft, fits well, and was affordable overall a good purchase and fast shipping!

They are a cool company with good looking product. You can have them print company or team names on the jersey and the jersey comes with one large pocket in the back with a zipper. I am pretty sure they also give different discount based on how many jerseys you buy from them. The best thing about this jersey is that you can also wear it as a sweater.

So if you are thinking of getting a nice wool jersey that you can afford I recommend you check out Portland Cyclewear.

They can be found at: www.oregoncyclewear.com/

City of Portland Triathlon 2009

On August 23 2009 I did the City of Portland Triathlon, it is the last triathlon of the season for me and I decided to do the olympic distance this year instead of the sprint. This was going to be my first olympic distance triathlon so I was a little unsure. In true Portland style this triathlon is also called Freshwater Trust Portland Triathlon which brings awareness to trying to save our waterways. It is also the greenest race in the country and a very fun one.



The course consists of swimming in the Willamette River, riding through the city of Portland and running across the bridges that separate the city, it truly is a beautiful race and has a great cause attached to it.

The Willamette River over the years has had a bad reputation of being very dirty many people do not want to swim in it and when they hear that I will they think I am crazy but the river has gotten cleaner over the years and it has never made me feel so it is SAFE!

Overall it was a great race I highly recommend it. The volunteers and race organizers are great, all very enthusiastic and eager to help! I did very well except for a case of exercise induced asthma on mile 3 of the run.

These were my results:
Time: 2:59:21
7th in age group
swim:25:31
bike:1:30
run:58:56

Harvest Ride; Hillsboro, Oregon

Living in the Portland, Oregon area gives me lots of chances to do nice organized rides. The last organized ride of the season is called the Harvest Ride so my friend and I decided to do it we thought it would be a fun 45 mile training ride, its for a good cause why not we thought.

I woke up in the morning and it was cold 44 degrees and we heard there was going to be a 13 mph headwind later on in the day. My friend cam to pick me up to drive about an hour out to where the ride started we were a little early so we were feeling good. Next thing I know my friends says oops I think I missed my turn. Great I thought, we are on the freeway and had missed our turn, not a good sign it was a good thing we were early. We turned around missed our turn again (don't know how) and for some reason I look at the gas gave it was on red! We are going to run out of gas I said, out in the middle of nowhere with no gas station in sight. Oh I forgot to get gas last night my friend said, great I though.....

Then I saw our exit turn its our exit I exclaimed, we did and for some reason turned right instead of left and drove away from civilization with no gas once again. I asked where are we going I don't know my friend responded, turn around I said this is the wrong direction and we don't have gas! We drove for another 4 miles finally in the right direction and finally got gas and eventually got to the ride.

The ride was fun we barely made the start time it was cold but sunny with 10mph wind but all in all a well organized ride that was lots of fun. In the same way that we started we managed to take a wrong turn and ended up riding 50 miles instead of 45. I am really glad I was able to do it and make it there in time to start. I think I will do it again next year!

Garmin Forerunner 310xt in Review

Yesterday I posted that I wanted the Garmin Forerunner 310xt and the response I got was impressive. People have lots of opinions and suggestions on what do do which was very helpful.

Many people suggested the 305, they said it is not waterproof but for half the cost (its on sale at amazon today) you can just put it in your swim cap during the swim and then in transition 1 put is on your wrist. This way they say you can track the distance of your swim.

The things people said about the 310xt is that it does not track the distance of your swim because of GPS in water and your arm moving back and forth messing it up. Some people also said it was too big, and why buy it when you can get one that is half the price?

So I have made a decision, I think I prefer the 310xt mostly because I don't care that it wont track my distance in the water and because I do not want to have to mess around in transition. I just want to have a watch on that will not get messed up in the water and that I can bike and run with.

These are the main things I like about the 310:
1) the functionality is easier to use and simpler than the 305 and much much easier than 405 (which isn't hard!)
2) The transition function works perfectly
3) It's smaller than the 305
4) The virtual partner is easier to use and set up
5) The battery lasts for 20 hours
6) It's waterproof

So once I get the money I will get the 310xt. Make your own choice and happy shopping!

I want a Garmin Forerunner 310xt!

A while back I read an article in the newspaper about the new multisport Garmin watch the Garmin Forerunner 310xt and thought it looked pretty cool. I had been wanting a Garmin watch for running mostly because I wanted to try something other than the nike chip system. The problem I found with the Garmin watches was that they are not waterproof so every time I went for a swim I was going to have to take it off and that seemed like too much trouble especially if I was paying top dollar for a new toy.

Once I discovered the Garmin Forerunner 310xt I was excited to know that you could do all sorts of things with it most importantly swim, bike, run. Not only could it go in the water but you can buy attachments for it so it can be your bike computer and heart rate monitor. It also tracks your runs with GPS and you can download them! Very exciting stuff! The only bad thing I can figure about it is that it does not have an alarm, how will I wake up in time for a race?!

So now its time to save some money to try and buy it. Does anyone have it? Is it good? Any advice?

Cross Fit?!?!

About a year ago I started to hear people talking about this cross fit thing, over and over cross fit. Everyone told me how great it was so I did some research on the Internet and it was a little too expensive for me so I decided it was not for me.

In April the beginning of triathlon seasons started for me and lots of my friends were doing really well, when I asked them what their secret was cross fit they said. I was starting to get annoyed that everything and anything that was getting recommended was cross fit but started to think more and more about it.

As the season went on everyone just seemed stronger than me so I have to try this phenomenon I thought so I looked into pricing again but too expensive, then I had a bright idea. I am going to find a plan online and build a cross fit gym in my garage! I have the discipline to do this! So about a month ago I found a training plan bought a couple kettle balls, jump rope, and mats for the floor and now I get to do cross fit and it cost about $100 to set up! Hopefully I will see the results that everyone talks about. I will keep you posted.

Must complain about the weather, at least one more time.

I am having trouble adjusting to the change in weather as you can read so sory for talking about it again but I must. For me there is nothing better than running in shorts and a tank top in about 65 degree weather and light.

Today I woke up ready to go on my 4 mile run. It was dark and it was 41 degrees brrrr. What should I wear I thought I don't want to be to warm but I don't want to freeeze. So I went with tights and a light long sleeve dri fit. My first half mile my hands were cold and I was thinking I am glad I wore these clothes by mile 2 I was too warm trying to roll up my sleaves. Frustrating, I just want to be comfortable!

Anyway I guess I could layer but I like to keep it simple maybe next time it will be tights and short sleeves we lets see what the morning brings us....

Oh No!

Its officially fall, what this means for me is either put on lots of gear and ride in the cold sometimes pouring rain or ride endless hours on the trainer. I usually end up doing both.

I woke up a few mornings ago to pouring rain so the trainer has officially made it into the house from the garage easy to move in front of the tv. I get bored on the trainer but I have to do it I tell myself must stay fit... I also tell myself it is a good time to do interval training which I may not be as likely to do outdoors, but I still prefer to ride outside.

So all the warm riding gear is out and the trainer is out. I wonder which will get more use this winter......

Felt 2010 S32 Review

Like most triathletes I decided it was time to get a new toy, but with a limited amount of cash its hard to buy new toys and that is when I came across Felt's 2010 S32.

I have always been a fan of Felt they provide good bikes with good components usually for cheaper than the competing brands. The S32 has an aluminum frame with a carbon fork. It comes with deep rim wheels and shimano 105 components not bad at around $1400. The next step up is the Felt B16 same components but carbon frame at around $2000.

I decided to go for the S32, mostly because it is more affordable and with the money I save by buying an aluminum frame I will be able to buy carbon aero bars or a better wheelset. The one thing I do not like very much about this bike is that the seat post is not carbon but that is also easy to solve since I just saved $600. The aero bars it comes with are nothing special but these are the same ones that come on the B16 as well. I guess what I am trying to say here is that I rather buy the aluminum bike and have carbon aero bars than buy the carbon bike and still have the same components and bars as the more expensive bike. What do you think?

The Age Old Dilema

The weather is changing and with cool weather comes getting a cold. I want to follow my training plan but I have a cold what should I do?

Some people say sweat it out some people say stay at home bundle up you will recover faster. I hate it when I don't train I just don't feel right so the second option is always the hardest for me.

So today even though I do not feel well I decided that I should take the tri bike out for an easy 12 mile ride in 52 degree weather. What would you do?

My First Triathlon: The Beaver Freezer

Once I decided that I was going to participate in triathlons I had to pick a race. So I looked for races around my local area and found the first race of the season, the Beaver Freezer, in Corvallis, I was in!

This race happens in april which means lots of rain and cold but I was ready to do it anyway. The swim would be 20 lengths in the pool so that made me feel a little more comfortable. I trained through the winter and before I knew it it was the day before the race. I drove to Corvallis it was a nice sunny day, this must be a sign I thought. Checked into my hotel and it was hard to relax, the nerves were getting the best of me but I kept thinking to myself it will be fine the weather tomorrow will be like today. At around midnight I finally fell asleep.

At 5am I was rudely woken up by the alarm to frost on the cars and then about half an hour later pouring rain, of course. I got to the course watched other people set up and did what they did, the atmosphere was great and everyone seemed friendly so I started to relax.

Once I started to swim that was it, I had started now I just had to finish, all I wanted to do was finish. I left the pool, ran outside into the pouring rain, put on my rain gear rode in the rain, overheated, then ran in the rain and finished right in the middle of the pack. Once I caught my breath I thought to myself not bad! I wonder when the next race is?! Thats when I became a triathlete....

How do I get started?!?!?!

Getting started in the sport of triathlon can be overwhelming since there are three sports you are trying to do. It is important to first choose the distance you want to participate in Sprint being the shortest distance and Ironman being the longest. Below I will post some links to training plans. These are good plans and if followed will help you complete your goal in no time.

Good luck, enjoy, and share your thoughts and experiences!

Sprint Triathlon Training Plan:


Olympic Triathlon Training Plan:


Half Ironman Triathlon Training Plan:


Ironman Training Plan:

How it all Started

Like many people after college an inactive lifestyle and poor diet led to me gaining some extra lbs. I realized I had to do something, so I started to eat healthy, jog once in a while and ride my bike to work. These things made me healthier and helped me lose some wight but then I hit a wall and no more pounds were coming off.



What should I do? What should I do I thought? how can I lose those last few pounds? Then a light bulb went off in my head, triathlon....... Triathlon is going to be perfect I thought, I already jog, I already ride the 1 mile to work, when I was a teenager I was a swimmer. Perfect!



And so the journey began. It was hard and still is but it is one of the funnest things I have done in my life. Its sometimes hard to stay motivated so tell me your story. The goal of this post is to swap experiences and share the best deals.