Triathlons

I'm going to blog about Triathlons. I love them. A month ago, I wasn't sure I could do one this soon after the baby. I was feeling pretty down--having major hip soreness (so sore that I drove to Ogden to get a cortisone shot from a Orthopedic Dr. that is a friend that could get me in THAT DAY! Thanks, Dr. ________, whom I don't want to name in case it was illegal! Just kidding. Ouch by the way but it worked pretty well-got rid of the alarming pain-now just a dull ache but I've got to be very careful not to over do it with too many miles) I also have 5 more pounds to lose to pre-preg weight--just wasn't feeling competitive or worth much for the upcoming "Women of Steel" triathlon in AF. Wasn't really feeling like I was made of steel or any other tough material. Anyway, the night before the event when I drove the course, I starting feeling that little flicker of excitement--the Alpine Highway was nicely paved with a bike lane. Ok, at least this will be smooth--let's start with that. Well, even though the swimming was less than fun cuz the pool was about 90 degrees with hundreds of women in it, the rest was a surprize for me--I felt strong and motivated to do my best. I never know how I will feel about it until it gets started. My only hope is that my adrenaline will turn on and I will do my best. Well, I beat my training times by 10 minutes and got my best 5k time ever! That, for me, was all I needed to get excited again. Beating your best time is the best feeling in the world. I was excited for myself. Sometimes it's OK to be excited for yourself. Even though I won't probably do that event again--too many bikers at once and it was $100 for a short pool swim (LAME! Open lake swims are worth the $$ since it's something you can't really do on your own safely)--I'm at least grateful I did it cuz it got me jump started for more events this summer. Plus, getting a necklace instead of a medal was pretty cool, even though it was pretty cheap. . .and the shirts were sized too small--everyone was trying to upsize! Gosh, listen to me complain--but $100!!!! I must mention that the cans of ice cold Diet Coke at the finish line were AWESOME! Only at a Women's Tri. . .

Anyway, I want to blog about my "Friends," which is what my tri equipment has come to be. I'm kind of attached, appreciative really, to these little and big items that make all the difference. Plus, once I got started on my little project, I realized how useful it is to have them all photographed so when I get ready for the next tri, they are all there like a list. Handy. Man, there is a lot of stuff! I've added a few new things this year that have been great, although not essencial, to the collection. Now that I've used and loved them, they have become essential. Interesting how that works-kind of like cell phones.

Here we go:


1. Road Bike: I love you. You are awesome--the skinny tires that can hold 100 lbs. of air pressure and endless gears. You are so much faster than my mountain bike.
2. Helmet: I hate you. You are uncomfortable, but you are required. Maybe you will save my life someday, or from a traumatic brain injury, but for now, you take time to put on and bug my chin and mess up my hair. But you have pretty flowers.
3. Bike pump--this is necessary right before to make sure the tires are to their max.

4. Backpack--I use this to bike to the pool for training and also, for some venues, you have to bike from your car to the bike station. So everything has to fit!

5. Shoes (in order of use): Flip flops-necessary for some venues when getting to the transition area from the lake w/o hurting your feet on the gravel. (please don't make fun of my using the word "venue" but it's the only one that fits and they use that word in the event descriptions) Biking shoes (New this year!) Great investment--they snap into the pedals to allow better leg position and muscle effeciancy. Running shoes-just same old pals. . .
6. Special Towels: the "Megen" towel was given to me by my mom at Christmas when I was on the highschool swim team. Big, labeled, and treasured. The Barbie towel is thin, to eliminate bulk in the backpack, but usefull to wrap and dry my hair while I'm getting my bike stuff on.
7. Swim suit--Speedo type suits stay in place while swimming and are tight enough to sub as a jogging bra. Eventually, I will get a tri-suit but they are ugly so I'm putting that off for now.
8. Swim cap
9. Goggles
10. Biking shorts--New this year. Not flattering. I can't believe it took me this long to get these--they are so expensive! But worth it. It does feel like you are wearing a diaper. I didn't realize how much better your legs feel in these because the tight fabric holds your muscles closer to your bones and joints so they aren't flopping around.
11. GPS watch--New this year. I also put this little baby off for awhile--they have gone down in price a little. Michael surprized me with it for Christmas. Thanks Love of My Life! It helps you pace while biking and running. It does other stuff that I can't figure out or haven't tried. I'm kind of basic.
12. Water bottle: For water. A lot of bikers have two, but I stick with one so I'm not tempted to drink too much and want to hurl.
13. Food: Cliff energy "Blocks"--kind of like a big, square, soft fruit snack. These are new and I really like 'em. Hammer Gel--like gu and cliff shots. I hate it--it tastes and feels like swallowing thick, over sweetened caramel, but it was free.
14. Drugs: Generic Aleve. I love you. Sometimes I take Ibuprofin, but Aleve works better for my hip. Sport Legs is a supplement that the bike store owner let me try. It's suppossed to help the lactic acid build up. I think it's a bunch of crap but sometimes taking stuff like that gives you placebo confidence.
15. Driver's License. If you do not have this, you do not get your packet, which means you do not race. Tip: do not leave it in your backpack after the race and then lose your backpack. This makes getting ready for the airport 6 months later very stressful. Yes, I drove around for 6 months w/o my driver's lisence. Yes, we had to get a new one on the way to the airport. Yes, I found my backpack a week later after returning home.
16. Biking Gloves. Just nice and comfortable.
17. Wet Suit: (not pictured)--On it's way! I've borrowed them in the past; now I will own one. I will not look hot in it.
18. And finally, the bike rack. Thank you, Mr. Jeep seller that included this handy accessory with the transaction: (I'm so glad it fits our new vehicle also!)



There you have it--a giant list of equipment for the greatest sport on earth! Maybe this will help some of you prepare for your TRI!!!!! Any ideas from others would be appreciated by me.

Ok, one last piece of equipment and an entertaining story:

A couple of days ago, I was riding my bike home from swimming at the rec center, and was attacked by 3 big dogs. They didn't bite me but they surrounded my bike and knocked the front tire--thank goodness I had seen them and slowed down so I wouldn't hit them. My feet were clipped into the pedals so I felt completely helpless. I screamed and kept riding. Two hours later I called animal control who let me know the same 3 dogs had already been taken cuz they had attacked a runner an hour before. (I posted my dog attack on Facebook, and my friend, Lenise Mason, commented on my update that SHE was the RUNNER! They had attacked her twice, the second time running her into a barbed wire fence and cut her pretty bad!) These dogs have also attacked other runners, walkers and bikers. So they are gonners. So, the next day, Jen Rouska (I run and bike with her) and Liz Timothy show up on my door step with a present: Jogger Self Defense Spray!

The best part was the picture on the back to demonstrate: Kind of creepy.

Well, I took it a step further and did a little improvising and sent the following photo in a text to Jen:


Ok I'm done with this post now.