Mamas In Training

Spinning

I participated in the Spudman Triathlon for the first time this past summer.  It was great fun!  However, this winter I know one thing is for sure - get spinning!  I thought I was an ok biker, then I did the 30 mile bike and I realized I need some work here.  I can run the 6 miles at about a 7:30 pace, and swim at a 1:30 pace, but I dare not even tell you my bike pace.  This is my death.  Many of my tri friends gave me some advice I will definitely heed this winter, and that is start spinning and spinning hard.  So, I gave in this off-season and spin on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.  I try to swim twice a week (have to leave my boy at the child care center but only for 1 hour) and still run outside only one time each week.  In about February I'll hop on the treadmill more often, and then in March I'll hit the road with my bike.

Jessica, Utah

Get on your bike!

Can this be true??? Over 40% of those surveyed by TodaysMama said that they had not been on a bike since banana seats were the style! 22% said that they've been on a bike in the last year. Having said that, I am surprised that 20% say they've been on their bike in the last week -- way to go!

I admit that it had been over 8 years for me when I hopped on a real bike again this year - but I have been missing out! It's time to dust of the old bike - but I'm also glad to hear that I wasn't alone in my absence from biking. But seriously -- it's time for ya'll to hop on a bike and go for a ride! Head over to Mamas In Training for help and inspiration from the novices!!! :)

- Rachael

From Training Wheels to the 20-Mile-Ride . . . a.k.a. Daddy Knows Best

So of course, after my true confession about my ability to ride real bikes -- the task at hand this week has been to hop on my bike and ride. The safety kid in me has been content to stick to my front lawn mastering clipping in and out of my pedals and learning to stop.

Well, my dad showed up bright and early Friday morning and in essence dragged my lazy self out of my house and demanded I suit up and ride. I tried to bargain my way out of it, I tried to tell him that I didn't have biker shorts yet and that I wouldn't be able to stop and that I would die. . . needless to say at the command of my father-- 10 minutes later I was on a bike and slowly pedaling up the street. I thought he'd go easy on me - but I was wrong.

What I thought might be a couple of rides around the block turned into an 18 mile ride halfway across the city. To top that off, most of the ride was on roads with traffic. I'm talking about cars, trucks, trailors, high school girls texting thier friends and driving at the same time . . . busy roads.

What I learned:

1. I don't like riding in traffic
2. I learned how to change a flat tire on 7400 S.
3. I don't dare to ride as fast as my dad
4. I did learn how to clip in and out of my pedals without falling
5. That I was cocky - as soon as I thought that I made it through the ride without falling, I failed to clip out at a dead stop at an intersection. The man in the car next to me laughed . . . a lot . . . and so did my dad.
6. The sirens from a fire engine are really loud when they fly right past you
7. I need sun glasses
8. My neck hurts, not my legs
9. I don't like riding in traffic.

Are we really racing this weekend? :)

- Rachael

True Confessions

So, we've been training for this triathlon right? All along I've been saying -- I'm totally comfortable with the biking and swimming parts, it's just the running that drives me nuts --- truth be told I've been training on a Spin bike and when we've done the compu-trainers -- I've gone fast -- but that doesn't take into account the fact that I would actually have to balance on a bike and clip into the pedals.

Well, I got a bike. The race is in less than two weeks and this is the first time I've hopped on a road bike. Period.

It's also the first time I've messed around with these new fangled pedals that I have to clip into. Period.

So I spent some good times riding my bike on the lawn last night trying to clip in and out of the bike. To make a long story short - my 4 year old offered to let me borrow his training wheels. I wish that was an exaggeration.

This is what I call a commitment to training excellence.

- Rachael
UtahMama.com

The Tortoise and the Hare

As Steph mentioned below, we trained last Friday with Coach Dave on the Compu Trainer. Steph did come ultra-prepared with pain reliever and her iPod and she TOTALLY showed that ten-mile course who was boss. She was focused. She was the picture of intensity and performance. I, however, was the picture of frustration.

Let me back up and explain. Back in February during my Bike Training for One, I had my first experience on the Compu Trainers and my “undercarriage” took a beating. You see, my bike is “vintage”…it may very well be older than I am, but it performs darn well and I’m proud to have it. The seat is a whole different story. That seat bites. And, I’m ashamed to admit it, but I didn’t realize I could change the seat. I thought the bike was too old!

So I made a last minute change and slapped my mountain bike onto my roof rack and away I went. I literally thought to myself, “How different can mountain and road bikes really be?”

A LOT.

I had heard my mom (rockstar road biker that she is) mention many times that “the gearing is very different” on road bikes versus mountain bikes. But until you actually have an occasion to ride a road bike with some urgency that statement sounds like “Blah, blah, blah, blah.” When I was riding that mountain bike I felt like I was out or a Sunday drive - I could not keep my RPM’s up, get my wattage output up or maintain more than a 9 MPH. When I was climbing hills it felt like I was in sand, or that my tires where flat (they weren’t). 

Steph kicked so much booty that morning…she won’t brag and tell you that she finished her 10-mile ride in 33 minutes, but I will. I will also tell you that I didn’t finish the ten miles…at 42 minutes I was just hitting mile 7, both my calves cramped up and I was done.

Lesson learned. The next day I headed to Bikers Edge and picked up a fancy new girl seat for my “vintage” road bike. Look out road.

Erin

Looking For a Used Tri or Road Bike?

From the TriUtah Newsletter…

13th Annual BIKE SWAP

Date & Time: Saturday March 3rd, 2007 

For the past 13 years the Sports-Am BIKE SWAP has been the place to find GREAT DEALS on used and new bikes, they range from $100 to $2000, the average prices ranges from $100 to $500. Bike Shops will be there with new bikes, clothing, accessories, and all priced to sell.

DOORS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC March 3rd from 10:00 AM TO 6:00 PM

To Sell a Bike

* Bring it to the Utah State Fair Grounds from 11am-7pm March 2nd

* $5 tag fee per bike

* SWAP keeps 15% of bike sale

* Must pick up bike or money March 3RD, 2007 from 4pm-6pm only

THIS IS A ONE DAY BLOW OUT

SALE

As a person that is proudly training on a hand-me-down bike, I can tell you that people upgrade bikes for numerous reasons. A used bike is a great option! I have personally witnessed (thanks to Mom and her fabulous biker chick friends) how well road bikers treat their equipment. Happy Hunting!

Erin

I Don't Have a Road Bike

I've heard several mamas ask, what if I don't have a road bike?  Here is what I think.  You don't need anything fancy.  Trainer Dave told us we could get a decent bike for around $800.  Hum...guess he didn't know my bike only cost $600 and I consider it "decent". 

Many first-timers race in a triathlon with mountain bikes, although a decent road bike will make you much faster (and probably have less leg cramps afterward as well).  I know many people who have also mounted slick tires on their mountain bike.  These people are by no means winning the race, they are just trying a tri, and having fun.

If you are going to buy a new road bike, remember the most important thing to get right is the fit.  Do you want saddle sores?  The bike segment is the longest in the triathlon, and for the 10 mile distance of the Women's Tri, the average time for newbies is probably about 42 minutes.  Keep in mind the swim will take less than 10 minutes and the run, maybe, a little over 30 minutes.  Check out the posting entitled 2006 Women's Tri Results in the Triathlon Basics category to see the exact segment times of the participants.  To keep you comfortable on the bike, also remember to always wear padded shorts (and see Erin's latest post for more tips on this subject).  Some of you may also want a pair of riding gloves to prevent blisters on your palms.

Don't worry to much if you don't have a road bike.  You won't be the only one.  Whatever bike you decide to race with, just be sure to ride it several times before the race to get comfortable with the bike.  Get out there and "feel" the road.

Bike Training for One

Monday was a big day – it was the three month mark counting down to the Tri Utah Women’s Triathlon (May 19^th) and it was our first training session on the bikes with Trainer Dave. I will be the only one posting about this experience because the other two jokers on my team SLEPT IN AND MISSED TRAINING. 

But that worked out just fine for me because I had Trainer Dave's undivided attention for my entire workout on the Compu Trainer. The Compu Trainer, or “instrument of torture” as I like to call them are actually phenomenal devices.   Trainer Dave placed my bike on a stand, attached sensors to my bike to track my stats and hooked me up to the computer where I was able to watch my “virtual” self ride a 10 mile course. Now let go of every comparison to a video game that you’re making in your head – this is not like a video game – my virtual self matched me pedal for pedal. When I went fast she did too. When I languished pitifully on the last hill, she almost fell over from the lack of momentum. My only beef is that my virtual self was wearing a stupid pink helmet…I would so never wear a pink helmet, ask ANYONE.

During my ride Trainer Dave talked to me about the stats being tracked across the bottom of the screen of which there were about a dozen.  I only remember a few of the important ones - heart rate, pedal rpms, wattage (energy output). By watching these stats I was able to use those handy-dandy shifters on my bike to adjust the gearing to make sure that I was being as efficient as possible, which helped me recover after climbing the hills on the course. 

I learned a great deal during this session about riding – but I also learned an invaluable lesson about equipment thanks to my Mom. The night before training Mom sat me down and gave me “the talk” about biking shorts, the value of good padding…and the fact that you don’t wear underpants under biking shorts because all those layers and all those seems can lead down a dark path of chaffing and ouchyness. 

By the end of the training session my “undercarriage” as Trainer Dave so delicately put it was…well…it wasn’t feeling fabulous. But had I not been wearing the right shorts, I don’t think I could have spent even 5 minutes on that bike. There was a point when I was climbing the last hill that I had to fight the urge to jump off that bike and flee the building. I didn’t flee, I did finish…10 miles in 45 minutes and 51 seconds. I hope to vastly improve on that time, but I proud of it nonetheless.

On my drive home it occurred to me that I’ve never been as grateful for any advice as I was for the “Don’t wear underpants” tip from my Mom.

Erin