Garmin Forerunner 735XT Review!

I gave in and traded in my fitbit surge (it kept dying on me, not syncing no battery hold) for the Garmin Forerunner 735XT a couple of weeks ago. This watch has a lot of functions so I am still trying to figure out all of the buttons but so far I love it. One of the main things I like about the 735XT is that it is very lightweight and can be worn as a watch without feeling too bulky.

Another thing that I really like so far about the 735XT is that it is able to find its GPS location really really quickly even when I am indoors and getting ready to go out which was not always the case with some other Garmin watches. This watch also acts as a smartwatch if one is into that and if you do not want alerts it can be set to do not disturb pretty easily.

The Garmin 375XT also has a heart rate monitor on the wrist, this specific function does not always work that great but its nice to have. If you want a heart rate monitor when swimming you have to upgrade to the triathlon package which I did not do. The swim functions on this watch are pretty good as well as it will count your laps.

I still have to mess around with it a little more but overall great watch for a triathlete and a great investment especially as it can actually be worn as a normal watch!

2017 Eugene Marathon!

Two weeks ago I completed the Lima, Peru 70.3 Ironman exactly two weeks later I did the Eugene Marathon and it was a push! My body was still recovering from the 70.3 Ironman so I decided to stay with the 4:30 pacer for the whole Marathon. At around mile 19 I started to get a little hungry and had to slow down a little bit but in the end I still came in at 4:42 and I am pretty happy with that especially considering what I had done two weeks prior.

Why would I do the Eugene Marathon after the Peru 70.3 Ironman?! I had already signed up for the Eugene Ironman before I knew about the Peru 70.3 Ironman I figured since I was already signed up I should take on the challenge! Im glad I did it feels great to have finished both big events in a two week period!

This was my third time running in Eugene. It is such a great place to run and it is so fun to finish on the Hayward Field track, running in the footsteps of legends. Now I have to look at my nutrition and adjust that so I don't hit the wall at mile 19 again! here are a ew pictures of the 2017 Eugene Marathon.

CERVELO P3 ULTRA BIKE (2015)

AS you may have read earlier I participated (and finished) the Ironman 70.3 Peru in Lima. I was lucky enough to borrow a Cervelo P3 bike and it was amazing! It was the first time I rode a bike that was so fast with ultra components and electronic shifters. The only problem now is that I have to give the bike now and I don't want to!!! For those of you who have not tried electronic shifting before it is truly amazing and so easy to shift. It is especially great on a triathlon bike because you are able to shift both at the end of the aero bars like one usually would but also by the break leavers so it really makes shifting a breeze. One main concern of mine was making sure the shifters were charged but I later learned that there is a way to check the charge and also the bike charges in about an hour and last for at least a week.

The Cervelo P3 that I had the pleasure of riding was a 2015 model I cannot speak for newer models but I would assume that they are just as great. Put some aero rims on that bike and it would be even faster! It is also a really smooth bike, there were a lot of speed bumps and speed stoppers on the Peru Ironman 70.3 course (I hope they do something about this for next year) and I cannot imagine how much more painful it would have been on another bike. As you can see in the above picture there was so much vibration the saddle came a little loose (it is pointed a little upwards) I even lost a water bottle!

Anyway the Cervelo P3 is a great bike and electronic shifters are great as well here are some specs on the bike:

Aero Basebar 3T Aura Pro

Aero Clip-On Bar 3T Aura Pro

Bar End Shifters Shimano Dura-Ace 9000, BSR1

Bottom Bracket Rotor PF-30

Brake Calipers Magura RT6 Hydraulic

Brake Levers Magura RT6

Cassette Shimano Ultegra 6800, 11-25

Chain Shimano HG700

Crankset FSA Gossamer BBright, 52/36

Fork All-Carbon, P3

Frame Material Carbon

Front Derailleur Shimano Ultegra 6800

Headset FSA IS2 1 1/8"

Pedals Not Included

Rear Derailleur Shimano Ultegra 6800

Saddle ISM Prologue

Seatpost Cervelo Carbon, Aero, Rail-Adjust

Stem 3T ARX Pro

Tires Mavic Yksion Comp 700x23c, Continental Grand Prix 650x23c (On The 45cm)

Wheel - Front Mavic Cosmic Elite S, Vision Team 30 (On The 45cm)

Wheel - Rear Mavic Cosmic Elite S, Vision Team 30 (On The 45cm)

Garmin Forerunner 735XT

Last week I completed the Ironman Peru 70.3. During the race both my bike computer and watch failed me, the screen just turned black on the bike computer and on my watch the multipart function did not work 100%, so now as a gift to myself I want to buy the Garmin Forerunner 735XT - Midnight Blue & Frost Blue. It looks like a really cool watch, good size for a device that has so much going on! I also love the color of it. Makes it look different and interesting. The Garmin Forerunner 735XT seems to have some great features like: -measuring heart rate at the wrist -fun swim features -ability to measure vow max -multisport options -are for those who are inclined to be connected it can connect with your smartphone and act as a smart watch in some capacity. These are just some of the features the Forerunner 735XT has many more! Amazon is selling it at $449.99 so it is a bit of an investment but once I save up I think it will be totally worth it. If you are looking for a triathlon Garmin with some of the same features I think the Garmin 920xt is a great option. I personally have not used it but I have talked to many other triathletes who love this watch. Amazon sells it for $224.99 Any thoughts on watches or computers? Garmin ir not?

Ironman Peru 70.3 Done!!!!

Last Sunday I became an Ironman 70.3 Peru finisher! The trip to Peru and back was long as I only had four days there but overall the experience was great. The organization of the race was fantastic and so was the support of the people on the streets especially for it being the first time Lima had an event of this size. The swim was a little choppier than I had anticipated but went really well once I was able to get my rhythm going. ​​ Off to the bike. I started off feeling comfortable and confident. I was concerned about the heat in general luckily although warm it was an overcast day which helped. Also it was not very windy which was nice. The main problem were the speed reducers. Lots and lots of them all over the course. This proved to be very hazardous and painful. Lots of people lost bottles, CO2 cartridges, sunglasses, tubes, got flats and even fell off their bikes. By the end of the 56 miles my back was starting to hurt from holding on to the bike so tight overtime I went over one of these. This should definitely be covered up in some way for next year. I unfortunately lost one of my water bottle with GLUKOS in it so by the end of the bike my nutrition was off. ​​   ​​The run! At this point the sun was starting to shine through, I was tired and my nutrition was off due to losing my water bottle on the bike course I know it was going to be a very long 13.1 miles. I took the first two miles to try an cool down my body as I could tell I was starting to overheat a little. I went into every aid station asking for ice, water and Pepsi. Put ice in my trip suit took a sip of water and dumped the rest on me and drank some Pepsi. Drinking the Pepsi really helped in the end I was able to pull it together and although slow was able to maintain a pace. ​​   That was the 70.3! As I said great time and lots of great support. Thank you to everyone who has helped me on this journey and a special thanks to Las Primas, GLUKOS, Sunshine Dairy/Sunshine Power, Grennlayer, and Rudy Project. ​​   ​​Whats next? Eugene Marathon in one week!

Bridge to Brews 2017 and Terrapin Promo Code!

Yesterday morning was bridge to brews one of my favorite races/runs in the Portland area. I participated in the 8k distance, which is such a fun distance! Also at the end of the run you get tickets for free beer from lists of different booths. This is the Last race before the big day at the Ironman 70.3 Lima which is just under two weeks away! The goal was to do better than last year and I was able to accomplish that. It was a great morning for a run nice crisp air. Running on the Fremont Bridge is always such a fun unreal experience. I was able to maintain pace throughout the race ad was able to adjust my speed very quickly when I was going to fast. All in all a very good day and I came in 3rd in my division and 16th out of the women! As always thank you to GLUKOS and Sunshine Dairy for the pre race and post race fuel. Thanks Terrapin for putting on such a fun race. There are many more runs this year here is a link to their website: www.terrapinevents.com Also if you use promo code AMB17CAAC you get 10% off! Enjoy! Here are a couple of pictures from the event.

Terrapin Events Promo Code Oregon

Racing can get expensive with all the gear and all the signup fees but if you are in Portland and are interested in participating in one of the many Terrapin Events I have a 10% promo code for anyone to use. Yes 10% off!!! You can share it with anyone you like as well! The promo code is: AMB17CAAC Here is a list of 2017 Terrapin events, sign up at www.terrapinevents.com 02.11.17 The My Muddy Valentine 03.18.17 Dirty Leprechaun 04.09.17 Bridge to Brews 05.07.17 Cinco de Mayo 06.03.17 Mad Dash for Cash 06.17.17 Grateful Dad 07.22.17 Rose City Relay 08.05.17 Spring water on the Springwater 09.23.17 Country Girl 10.22.17 Run Like Hell The Rose City Relay looks like a really cool fun event to do with a group of people. Anyway you have a promo code now for Terrapin Events! Use it! Share it!

Vancouver Rock n Roll half marathon!

A couple of weeks ago I participated in the Rock'N'Roll Vancouver, Canada Half Marathon and it was a ton of fun! It was my first time going to Vancouver so I was really excited to see the city by running 13.1 miles. I trained really hard for this race by doing lots of long runs and speed work and although I did not PR my time has improved greatly over the past few years. ​​ ​​   I like to analyze my race as most athletes though and my main problem was that I started off way too fast. I realized it about two miles in and was able to adjust my pace but some of the damage had already been done and come mile 10 I started to feel tired and had to slow down a bit. My nutrition was great and my body felt great throughout. My final time for 13.1 was 1:56:29. Overall 1104/5272, Division 72/489 Gender 379/3232. As I said overall a good result just went out a little too fast early in the race. My first mile was 7:40 minute mile and the second mile was 8:06. Here ore some post race pictures.

This is me in July 2011. The goal was to complete a Half Ironman and open a restaurant for my 30th birthday and I was able to do both! ​​   That was the first and last time I did the half ironman triathlon distance. I have participated in quite a few sprint and olympic distance triathlons, as well as several half marathons and the Portland Marathon but this was the biggest sporting challenge of my life! Later that year Sadie and I opened Las Primas and participating in sporting events took a back seat for a couple of years. About three years ago I started training for half marathons again. In September Ironman announced the first ever Ironman 70.3 will take place in Lima, Perú! I've decided this is my chance to train hard again and participate in such an important event in my hometown. Follow my journey through this blog. I will be reminiscing about past events, writing about training, diet and my very generous supporters.