tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76378041853729944162024-03-05T04:20:42.412-08:00Captain Tan LinesMy ups and downs on the road to becoming an Ironman. If all works well, I'll be one in September, and I'll have the tan lines to prove it.Cap'n Tan Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02618805560011737791noreply@blogger.comBlogger114125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637804185372994416.post-1007502094977686972011-06-23T19:45:00.000-07:002011-06-23T19:45:20.761-07:00The New Steed's Maiden VoyageOriginally, I had a long run schedule for Saturday. Well, screw that. I wanted to take my shiny new friend out for a ride. I hadn't had a chance to transfer my Garmin from Rusty yet, so I'd use the bike computer that came with the new bike. There wasn't a lot of work needed to prepare it for a long haul. The previous owner must have been almost exactly my size. Other than slightly adjusting the seat post and leveling out the aerobars, there weren't any other changes that needed to be made. Sure, I'll get it professional fit at some point - probably during the off-season when I'm not spending all my dough on race fees and, well, buying new bikes. <br />
<br />
I've ridden on the <a href="http://www.dakotarailtrail.com/">Dakota Rail Trail</a> plenty of times and was excited to see how far West it stretched. Now that the bridge over Highway 7 is finished, the trail could take you from Wayzata out to who-knows-where. According to Google maps, it ends out in Hutchinson. That would mean a ride of a little over 100 miles round-trip. That should do for breaking in the new steed.<br />
<br />
The weather was cloudy and muggy, but at least it wasn't raining. There's a crap-load of construction going on in my neighborhood, so all the streets are torn up. As a result, I started my trek by walking my bike down to the main road and clipping in from there.<br />
<br />
It took several miles for my legs to warm up, but by the time I reached Wayzata I was good-to-go. The Dakota Rail Trail is fairly new and nice and smooth. Combine that with my new titanium frame, which is designed for a softer ride, and you end up feeling like you're riding on a cloud. I could really feel the difference in the feel of the road. <br />
<br />
Once I got past the multitude of stop signs that are peppered along the eastern end of the trail, I could open up the throttle a bit more. In the past, this would mean average speeds between 18 and 20 MPH. On the new bike, it wasn't unusual for extended stretches at a <i>casual 22 MPH</i>. Wowzer. I can't wait to see what will happen at a race with the carbon wheels installed. <br />
<br />
I kept cruising through St. Bonifacius, over the nice, new Highway 7 bridge and out towards Waconia. The trail was nice and flat, but that's okay. I'll do hill workouts later. A few more miles past Waconia, I hit the end of the paved trail and the beginning of the crushed limestone. Well, as awesome as the new steed is, it still isn't designed to run on gravel, so I snapped this photo, pulled a 180 and headed back East. Rats.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxcX9hDtfyEeX8QM3xnlm9nnEAGMST6voZ0zzqMo_vXzZnDqTMWU-A9JXGu1nSAcleuhptMetxS2mZRULlBMbZ-Wc8Z2v0H8WyWGlp2yr4ja1X7D5OgULiS92snmpK3t8rbwnrCrFhOOUx/s1600/0618011205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxcX9hDtfyEeX8QM3xnlm9nnEAGMST6voZ0zzqMo_vXzZnDqTMWU-A9JXGu1nSAcleuhptMetxS2mZRULlBMbZ-Wc8Z2v0H8WyWGlp2yr4ja1X7D5OgULiS92snmpK3t8rbwnrCrFhOOUx/s400/0618011205.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last stop...end of the line.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Well, I wasn't going to get as many miles in today as I wanted, at least not on the Dakota Rail Trail. So, I started to think about other ways to tack on some distance before heading home. As it was, The Wife and I had left one of our cars at a friend's place in Bloomington the previous night. So, if I could make it to their place, I could just drive home.<br />
<br />
I said "Goodbye" to the Dakota Trail in Mound and headed towards the southern end of Lake Minnetonka. At this point, the weather was still holding together, but I could see darker clouds off in the distance. I continued into Excelsior and stopped at <a href="http://www.excelcycle.com/">Excel Cycle</a> to pick up a spare 650c tube. The new bike has slightly smaller wheels, so my usual 700c tubes weren't going to work. I figured I had already tempted fate enough by going 50 miles without a spare.<br />
<br />
I turned South out of Excelsior and cruised down Powers Boulevard through Chanhassen. The first sprinkles started to come right about the time I hit Pioneer Trail and it didn't take too long before I was riding in the rain.<br />
<br />
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Cars make me nervous. So does riding in the rain. Fortunately, Pioneer has a bike path that parallels the road. I don't prefer to use bike paths closer in to town, especially when there's a good chance that I'll come across walkers. But, with the rain, there weren't a whole lot of people outside. I kept along this path until Pioneer turned into Bloomington Ferry Road and eventually turned onto Old Shakopee Road. That's when things got interesting.<br />
<br />
<b>Anatomy of a Bike Crash</b><br />
<br />
Nobody plans to crash their bike, but there are usually plenty of things that you can do ahead of time to prevent a crash. Staying on smooth roads and keeping away from traffic are among two of the most important. I wasn't doing either of these by riding down Old Shakopee road on Saturday. The path had ended, so I had to ride in the road, which had little to no shoulder. In addition, traffic along this road is always fairly busy, so I constantly had cars buzzing within a few feet of my left shoulder. I was cruising along at about 20 MPH and anticipating a left-had turn in about a block to take me onto a less busy street.<br />
<br />
14:15:00 - My front tire slid into a crack in the road and was immediately turned about 20 degrees to the left. I didn't have time to think.<br />
<br />
14:15:00.1 - With the back half of my bike now moving faster than the front half, my rear wheel launched into the air as if it was bounced by a giant spring. My first thought: "what the..?"<br />
<br />
14:15:00.2 - I was now airborne, travelling head first at approximately 20 MPH with my feet still securely fastened to my bike. It was an interesting sensation, but the flight didn't last too long until I started sinking. Cue Willie from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: "We're not sinking...we're CRASHING!"<br />
<br />
14:15:00.3 - Seeing the ground coming quickly up at me, and preferring not to land on my face, I stuck out my right arm. My left arm was still clutching tightly to my handlebar as I involuntarily flexed every muscle in my body. My thoughts: "This is going to get worse before it gets better".<br />
<br />
14:15:00.4 - My right hip and knee struck the ground first, followed by my right hand. The gravel and sand were still wet from the rain. I had finished my brief flight and was now skidding.<br />
<br />
14:15:00.5 - As I continued to plow through the road gravel, it felt oddly like trying to steal 2nd base in Little League. Only, I never slid 20-30 feet in Little League. The only thing I could focus on was not letting my face or head hit the pavement.<br />
<br />
14:15:00.6 - The bike and I finally came to a stop. One foot was still clipped in, but the other had come free. Remembering that there was still quite a bit of traffic, my first concern was that someone would run over me as I lay in the road. <br />
<br />
14:15:04 - Dazed, I got to my feet and pulled my new ride up over the curb and set it down in the grass. I was still stunned and didn't have the best balance, but managed not to fall again.<br />
<br />
14:15:09 - Traffic in the right lane had stopped. Several drivers rolled down their windows and asked if I was 'OK'. I looked myself over and didn't see any bones protruding from my legs or arms. There wasn't a massive amount of blood and I was still standing. I yelled back, "Yeah, I'm okay."<br />
<br />
14:15:15 - One driver asked if someone had hit me. I said, "No, nobody hit me. I'm just dumb." The driver then sped off without another word. Must have been a lawyer.<br />
<br />
14:15:20 - Finally, the pain started to settle in. My right leg hurt and no amount of stumbling in a circle seemed to loosen things up. I tried to focus my eyes on something...anything...but couldn't quite see straight.<br />
<br />
14:15:30 - A Honda CRV pulled over and the window rolled down. A couple nice ladies asked if I was okay. I was still convinced that I was good (contrary to appearances). Then, they asked me if I needed a ride. My pride said "No". Then, I thought about riding the next few miles back to the car. "That would be great," I said to them.<br />
<br />
14:15:40 - The driver, Emily loaded my bike into the back of the CRV with the help of two teenage kids who just happened to be walking down the sidewalk. I never did catch their names. They were good kids though. <br />
<br />
14:15:50 - While the boys were loading up my bike, I was hit with a wave of dizziness and nausea. I thought I was going to barf. I got down to my knees on the grass and curled up into a ball until my forehead was in the turf. After about 30 seconds the wave passed, without any barf. Whew.<br />
<br />
14:16:40 - I limped into the back seat of the CRV. I was wet and covered with gravel, sand and who knows what else. My friend's house and my car were only a few miles away. Emily served as my own personal <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycling_terminology#SAG_wagon">SAG Wagon</a>.<br />
<br />
As it turned out, Emily was an X-Ray tech from Regions Hospital. I didn't appear to have any broken bones, but she told me to keep an eye out for changes in my heart rate or blood pressure, just in case there was any internal bleeding.<br />
<br />
She said, "Well, you're pretty muscular, and that probably helped keep you safe during the crash." "Pretty muscular," eh? That totally made my day. When we got to my car, she started to unload my bike from the back of the CRV. I asked if she needed any help. She said, "Nah. This thing weighs like 5 pounds!". That totally made my day, again.<br />
<br />
I thanked Emily profusely, but she insisted she was just "doing her good deed for the day". So, if you're ever at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, MN and meet an x-ray technician named Emily. Please, thank her again for me. Really. She's an angel.<br />
<br />
I took one more assessment of my situation before heading home. My right side was covered in wet gravel and sand. My right hand and forearm were pretty chewed up, but weren't bleeding too badly. There was some road rash on my right shin that was about 2 inches across. My <a href="http://captaintanlines.blogspot.com/2011/04/group-rides-and-new-duds.html">new Twin Cities Spoke shorts</a> were shredded (NUTS!) and my tailbone was killing me.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwVw8GG-6dQ7y886Yo6YHTSNG7tJElYpbL5Vc8yllAhVtreC_YFpkR8pL4vVVIAo532UOeg4QwqLttyd0S9rmwEa-EqIpMBcu9BCe83-cOBC5MlRHGzlaJPfp6h5b5ErsOttbjPjgnOfKk/s1600/Shredded+Shorts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwVw8GG-6dQ7y886Yo6YHTSNG7tJElYpbL5Vc8yllAhVtreC_YFpkR8pL4vVVIAo532UOeg4QwqLttyd0S9rmwEa-EqIpMBcu9BCe83-cOBC5MlRHGzlaJPfp6h5b5ErsOttbjPjgnOfKk/s400/Shredded+Shorts.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NUTS!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The drive home was no fun. I felt weak...small. But, I knew that things could have been a lot worse. When I got home The Wife knew right away that something was wrong. Maybe it was the look on my face, or maybe it was the muddy gravel plastered down the right side of my body. She convinced me to take a shower and clean off all the muck, before driving me to Urgent Care.<br />
<br />
I peeled off my shorts and found this little number waiting for me. Yeeeouch!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkwupf3QM8O-tz-MSApUm5vJIIU5CIhVprvmy17RlM4vfrabn7PQjnTjnHlutGL7P5BaUlf2lLcjpdO5FbE0e8TjHd8_YRAK67opCe4jTaD5P5kjNPaDjArUA7ABS1WRoeMVXXUhAzGOQc/s1600/Road+Rash+6-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkwupf3QM8O-tz-MSApUm5vJIIU5CIhVprvmy17RlM4vfrabn7PQjnTjnHlutGL7P5BaUlf2lLcjpdO5FbE0e8TjHd8_YRAK67opCe4jTaD5P5kjNPaDjArUA7ABS1WRoeMVXXUhAzGOQc/s400/Road+Rash+6-18.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ahhh! My ass! My ghostly pale ass!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Well, the docs at Urgent Care gave me a clean bill of health. Nothing was broken and the sore tail bone would slowly become less sore. Wow. How lucky am I?<br />
<br />
I know, I know. What about the bike? Well, remember in my last post, when I said I was thankful that my new bike was titanium rather than carbon? If it were a carbon frame, it could easily have been ruined. Carbon does not respond well to trauma. Titanium, on the other hand, can take a licking and keep on ticking. The only damage I could find was a scratch on the handlebar tape and a scuff on the derailleur hanger. In fact, it still shifts like a dream.Cap'n Tan Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02618805560011737791noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637804185372994416.post-69446890394877462862011-06-19T20:57:00.000-07:002011-06-19T20:57:57.047-07:00Welcoming Home a New Family MemberThe last few days have been, well, crazy. It all started on Thursday. I skipped my normal lunch-time workout to check out the bike swap happening over at <a href="http://www.tonkacycleandski.com/">Tonka Cycle and Ski</a>. Just a few months ago, Tonka Cycle was about to go out of business. Since then, they've gotten a new location in Hopkins, had a re-Grand Opening and even became a bike shop sponsor of the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/">Twin Cities Spoke</a>. <br />
<br />
Anyway, bike swaps can be a great place to find a good used bike at a great price. Folks looking to decrease the size of their stable will bring their steeds into the shop, pay a small fee and then include their ride in the sale. Outside of the small fee, all of the money made goes directly back to the original owner. Since The Wife is in training for the <a href="http://www.irongirl.com/Events/Bloomington.htm">Irongirl</a> this September, I thought it might be a good opportunity to pick up something inexpensive that could get her through the race. <br />
<br />
There were all sorts of bikes at the swap. There were plenty of kids bikes, some classic Schwinn cruisers, some beaters that could use a little love and even some tandems.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKmcs8rr0D3LNdE0RFufP2WZx1-KZE1i2kfoIIIMsEvt3HIK6tqdBBf9bLcjFlMAAd7D9hm-GqfWUYC2PPZYRr-nRB2qw2kmpKUaXCZp_DRUW8asxe7LGsJf2YqOV0OxCuTSbmt1VenFkJ/s1600/0616011329.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKmcs8rr0D3LNdE0RFufP2WZx1-KZE1i2kfoIIIMsEvt3HIK6tqdBBf9bLcjFlMAAd7D9hm-GqfWUYC2PPZYRr-nRB2qw2kmpKUaXCZp_DRUW8asxe7LGsJf2YqOV0OxCuTSbmt1VenFkJ/s400/0616011329.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">$500 for this Cannondale tandem is a steal.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Unfortunately, I couldn't find anything that fit the bill for The Wife. They didn't have any road bikes in her size and all of the tandems available needed a bit too much love to get back up and running. Oh well. I was about ready to head back to the office when I noticed this little number just hanging near the edge of the lot:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRFxDMwL7uWcdfYCe1wP3JX2F8Tt-JMU5Urq40PGBdg2x0hoBZ7ygNo6MWY5VPkyvEPmtwc6LbIfoWJDeEFI_YYPGEYFvvijzo8VJHkR5S6eQuH37kV2eYP-CDf6Bw94XbhrSpxcftutCM/s1600/0616011330a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRFxDMwL7uWcdfYCe1wP3JX2F8Tt-JMU5Urq40PGBdg2x0hoBZ7ygNo6MWY5VPkyvEPmtwc6LbIfoWJDeEFI_YYPGEYFvvijzo8VJHkR5S6eQuH37kV2eYP-CDf6Bw94XbhrSpxcftutCM/s400/0616011330a.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why, hello there beautiful.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>What I found was a Merlin Aerial. Merlin makes high-end titanium frames and the Aerial was a collaboration between them and Quintana Roo, the first company to develop tri-specific bikes. I took this little number off the rack and took a closer look. The frame was clean, the Dura-Ace components were in immaculate condition and...drumroll please...it was my size.<br />
<br />
I wasn't prepared for a test ride and I had to get back to work, so I hung the Merlin up and headed back to the office. Needless to say, I spent the next few hours at work rather distracted. Between tasks, I hopped onto The Interwebs and learned everything I could about Merlin bikes. They're not exactly a household name like Trek, Cervelo or Specialized. But, from what I could tell, they were very well constructed.<br />
<br />
After punching out for the day, I'm pretty sure that I broke a few traffic laws trying to get home quickly. I hopped on Rusty and sped off to see if my new friend was still waiting for me - which it was. Not only that, but since lunch, they price had been dropped by $100. Nice. The folks at the shop were cool about letting me swap out the pedals and adjust the seat height to something that fit my stubby legs. I took the Merlin out for an extended test ride. <br />
<br />
The first thing that I noticed was that it was comfortable. I was able to ride without being all scrunchy in the shoulders. The second thing I noticed was that this sucker was fast. Maybe it was just my adrenalin, but it was easier to spin up to cruising speed. Plus, that the cruising speed was 1-2 miles an hour faster than what I was used to. The best part was that the asking price for the bike was 1/3 of what I was expecting to pay for my first dedicated tri bike. I was sold. Or rather, the bike was sold - to me!<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaUPCymOZWQVOkOuavlh_6w42MMZ3cfaMMPLG6i4OFKsimrx0iBMJ2MQCYzumde9skM9R3KDgvICla4onhdSd3lH28RQHmaaFNrxydJahoi4yMJtD_cj2py4h5HbFSKDA-JoNRaZ-dngAm/s1600/Merlin+Profile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaUPCymOZWQVOkOuavlh_6w42MMZ3cfaMMPLG6i4OFKsimrx0iBMJ2MQCYzumde9skM9R3KDgvICla4onhdSd3lH28RQHmaaFNrxydJahoi4yMJtD_cj2py4h5HbFSKDA-JoNRaZ-dngAm/s400/Merlin+Profile.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let me introduce you to my new (yet to be named) steed. It's already been set up with my trusty saddle bag and Twin Cities Spoke water bottle.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Of course, once I got home, buyer's remorse started to settle in. So, I immediately hopped onto the Twin Cities Spoke forum, where I was calmly assured that this was, in fact, a heckuva good deal. In fact, it was such a good deal, that I had enough cash left over to buy some carbon racing wheels from the swap the very next day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV3vWB_ACHfeHW_rNBUW9uX5Qh78j6Frm4wRejyAf0tv0p6YfkxUVOWP4I21_n55MA_FC7IbpR9MKu0Y9O5JDGmE0UO-9rRQDzMrgxuBa4a4OzVTzRffGxvP-TxEF9XEdyKILSxMmy4ohF/s1600/IMG_1244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV3vWB_ACHfeHW_rNBUW9uX5Qh78j6Frm4wRejyAf0tv0p6YfkxUVOWP4I21_n55MA_FC7IbpR9MKu0Y9O5JDGmE0UO-9rRQDzMrgxuBa4a4OzVTzRffGxvP-TxEF9XEdyKILSxMmy4ohF/s400/IMG_1244.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here he/she/it is all pimped out and ready to race.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>That's it though. There won't be any more big purchases for me, at least, not for a little while. But man, I can't wait to get this bugger in a race. Oh, and don't worry. Rusty's not going anywhere. In fact, I'm looking forward to converting him back to the nice road bike that he was created to be.<br />
<br />
Stay tuned and I'll tell you about my adventure Saturday breaking in the new steed any why I'm so very thankful to have a titanium frame rather than carbon.Cap'n Tan Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02618805560011737791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637804185372994416.post-1691798859571016702011-06-08T08:45:00.000-07:002011-06-08T08:45:37.961-07:00Buffalo Olympic Triathlon Race ReviewWhat a difference 2 years makes. But wait. I'm getting ahead of myself again. Let's start from the beginning.<br />
<br />
I spent Saturday evening was spent tweaking my bike and gathering all the necessities for race day. One of my moms (New Mom for those of you keeping track) gave me an awesome backpack for Christmas that can expand out to swallow all of my gear. I was able to get everything into that one bag - wetsuit and helmet included. This went into the car along with my bike (no, my bike wouldn't fit in the bag too) and waited while I slept.<br />
<br />
I woke up at 5:30 on Sunday morning and went through my normal pre-race routine. Warm shower? Check. Bagel with peanut butter? Check. Climb into new team racing jersey and shorts? Check. With that, I hit the road for the 45 minute drive out to Buffalo. The weather was looking absolutely great. The sun was shining and the temps for race time would be in the low 70s. Nice.<br />
<br />
The first wave of the race wasn't scheduled to go until 9:00, but even at 7:00, things were just starting to get busy in the transition area. I grabbed a spot on a rack and made sure it would be easy to find in the rather large transition area. The Olympic and Sprint distance race at the same time, and there were two large transition areas separated by an Astroturf covered path. With 1500 bikes to rack, they did a pretty good job of giving us enough space to maneuver.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTmF9MYi_mxfqBaApKgGoJdjKWkP-FIuiiJ7w1dim3Gy-ib-U6nM3UPFYU0C9BTEGlqlNK7YkRajUqhM1bCxC_qJhy2Qnxjw5svGrSKrfhFjlVfvCBtBUtY3u67Md126MHEE4r8LRufCPI/s1600/Buffalo+Transition+Area.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTmF9MYi_mxfqBaApKgGoJdjKWkP-FIuiiJ7w1dim3Gy-ib-U6nM3UPFYU0C9BTEGlqlNK7YkRajUqhM1bCxC_qJhy2Qnxjw5svGrSKrfhFjlVfvCBtBUtY3u67Md126MHEE4r8LRufCPI/s400/Buffalo+Transition+Area.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Behold: my awesome MS Paint skills.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>After claiming my space, I went to body marking where some dude drew on me. No. Wait. That sounds weird. Anyway, I got my race number on my shoulders and on my quads, plus my age on my left calf. They do this so that you know if you're racing next to someone in your age group (remember this little tid-bit for later). After that, I had another 90 minutes to spend waiting around, just soaking things in. <br />
<br />
After about an hour of wandering around, I got a text from my mom - <a href="http://captaintanlines.blogspot.com/2010/06/happy-birthday-mom.html">Classic Mom</a> this time. She was heading over to see me race. Sweet! The Wife had to work on Sunday morning, so she couldn't make it, but it was pretty cool to know someone would be there. Classic Mom made it out to the Get in Gear in April, but she's never seen me in a tri before, so having her out was pretty cool.<br />
<br />
They had the pre-race meeting to remind us about the course changes. This year, the bike course intersected two sets of train tracks and there was a very real chance that we would need to stop to wait for any trains. That got a collective groan from the crowd. My wave only the 4th to leave, so after the meeting I poured myself into my wetsuit and headed over to the beach for a quick warmup. There was almost no wind, so the lake was just about as calm as my local lap pool. I could tell already that the swim was going to be fun. Just before my wave got lined up, I saw Classic Mom and gave her a nice wet hug before shuffling over to the start line.<br />
<br />
<strong>The Swim</strong><br />
There was a hard right-hand turn less than 100 yards into the swim, so I lined myself up on the far left so I could get out fast and cut the corner in front of most of my wave. Relatively speaking, I'm a stronger swimmer than I am a cyclist or runner, so I wanted to take full advantage of my time in the water. Oh yeah. I almost forgot. At Buffalo, you don't have swim course buoys. You get giant duckies. Awesome.<br />
<br />
The start was incredibly uneventful. I ran in, took a good dive when it was hip-deep and busted a move towards the first turn. I didn't get a lot of contact from the other racers - just a couple bumps here and there. On the way to the first duckie, I started to catch up to the wave ahead of me. I learned pretty quickly to stay away from any feet that were doing the breast-stroke. One heel to the mouth will drive that lesson home quickly. The good news is that all of the white swim caps from wave #3 made it easier to sight the course - just follow the little white dots.<br />
<br />
The first left turn was a bit of a cluster, but the long straghtaway was a great place to get some speed going. I knew I could go a little wider of the duckies without swimming too much further than the crowd. I'd much rather swim just a little further if it means avoiding packs of other athletes. After the third and final turn, I started seeing more caps from the 2nd wave - blue this time - but I was more focused on tracking down more yellow duckies. I hit the gas with about 200-300 yards left to go and hit the shore feeling dizzy from the swimming, but still fresh.<br />
<br />
Goal: 28:00, or 1:42 per 100 yards.<br />
Actual: 24:52, or 1:31 per 100 yards.<br />
<br />
<strong>The Bike</strong><br />
After a somewhat muddled transition (gotta practice those) I pedaled out onto the bike course. With 1500 athletes, it did get pretty crowded out on the course, especially during the first lap. Most of the riders were good about riding safely. Slower riders stayed to the right, giving speedier ones some room to pass. Although, there were a few that need to be reminded what exactly "on your left!" means. In the end, I don't think anyone was slowed down significantly due to congestion.<br />
<br />
The course was incredibly fast. During most of the first lap, it felt as though I was either going downhill or had the wind at my back. Yes, I know. The course is flat, so there weren't any downhills, but that's sure what it <em>felt</em> like. In fact, the only real hills to speak of were a couple long rollers on the back stretch of the course, heading back into town. <br />
<br />
I tried to keep my pace moderately hard. My goal was to keep my average speed over 19.5mph, so any time I dropped under 20mph, I gave it a little more gas. Cycling during a triathlon can be tricky. Sure, everyone wants to go <em>fast</em>, but if you go too hard you can ruin your chances at a good run leg. I have enough problems putting together a good run, so I'm often second-guessing myself when I see my average speed climb too high.<br />
<br />
Then again, sometimes you just have to say 'screw it!' and go out harder than you think is smart.<br />
<br />
The 2nd lap was a lot less crowded, but still felt just as fast. Again, the only real slowdowns were with the two rollers heading back towards the park. As I came up into the park I realized that I had forgotten to slip my feet out of my shoes. I wrestled with my right shoe and got my foot out, but was barreling towards the dismount line too fast to be able to get my left foot out. So, I unclipped my left shoe, hopped off the bike, took off my shoe, <em>picked it up and ran with it towards my transition area. </em>This was not exactly the graceful dismount I was hoping for.<br />
<br />
My speed still looked good though. I managed to keep my average speed over 20mph for the whole leg. Wow. That's the first time I've ever topped 20mph for any triathlon distance. Sweet.<br />
<br />
Goal: 1:18:00, or 19.6mph<br />
Actual: 1:16:00, or 20.13mph.<br />
<br />
<strong>The Run</strong><br />
The first 1/3 of the run is very flat, which made it a little easier to get my 'land legs' back. I haven't done as many bike-run bricks in training this year as I probably should, which probably contributed to me being a little stiff. Still, I managed to shuffle along at 8:50 per mile while running down the lake path.<br />
<br />
Mile 3 made me wish that I had studied the course ahead of time. It was essentially one long sweeping climb. It wasn't extremely steep, but the road just kept turning, and turning, and turning, so it was impossible to see the turnaround until I was almost on top of it. Needless to say, my split wasn't what I wanted - 9:23. The good news was that mile 4 took us down the same hill. So, I drank some water from the hilltop aid station, poured the rest over my head and booked it down the hill. Lo and behold, going downhill actually gave me a faster split time - 8:35. Downhills help you run faster? Go figure.<br />
<br />
As the course led back towards the lakefront, I was able to see the finish line waaaaaay down the shoreline. I knew that I was almost there, but it still looked so dang far away. I tried to pick up the pace a little bit and was even able to pass a few runners - something that I <em>rarely</em> do during a race. Usually, they're all passing me. I tossed some more cool water over my head at the last aid station and then focused on trying to reel in the next runner in front of me.<br />
<br />
With about 50 yards to go, I got close enough to see that he had a '33' on the back of his calf. He was in my age group (I TOLD you to remember that knowledge morsel, didn't I?). I managed to grunt out a little sprint at the finish and passed him with about 10 yards to go. That's the first time I've ever out-sprinted someone in my age group before. Yay.<br />
<br />
Goal: 56:00, or 9:00 per mile<br />
Actual: 54:49 or 8:50 per mile<br />
<br />
<strong>Summary</strong><br />
Goal: 2:46:00<br />
Actual: 2:39:42<br />
<br />
Well lookie here, I met my goal! Now, part of me says that I need to set some more aggressive goals. But, another part of me realizes that the race conditions were ideal for fast times. If there had been heavy chop on the lake or high winds on the bike, I could easily have missed the mark. The part that I was most encouraged about was my finish place. I was 21/42 in my age group, which puts me squarely in the middle of the pack. I've never felt this good about being average. Hopefully this means that I actually <em>am</em> starting to get a handle on this whole triathlon thing. Even better, I still feel like there's plenty of room for improvement.<br />
<br />
So, it was a good day. I met my goal. I got to race by Classic Mom a couple of times and I firmly established myself as a middle-of-the-packer. Good stuff.<br />
<br />
I'll get some photos posted shortly. Stay tuned.Cap'n Tan Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02618805560011737791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637804185372994416.post-678383203855683312011-06-04T20:01:00.000-07:002011-06-04T20:01:03.056-07:00Buffalo Olympic Triathlon PreviewWow. This one really came out of nowhere. I was originally planning to do the <a href="http://www.finalstretch.com/triathlon-events/liberty-triathlon/info/">Liberty Triathlon</a> on June 11. The problem was that I couldn't decide between the 1/2 Iron distance or the Olympic distance. Well, by the time I had finally made up my mind, the race was full! D'oh! Fortunately, the http://www.tribuff.com/ was still accepting entries. Heck. From what I can tell, they don't have a limit on participants.<br />
<br />
This will be my first time racing in Buffalo and only my 2nd Olympic distance tri ever. My first was Trinona back in 2009. I'm fairly certain that I'll be able to PR. I mean, I'd like to think that I've improved in the last couple of years. So, lets take a step in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WABAC_machine">WABAC machine</a> and try to figure out how things are going to go down.<br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>The Swim</b><br />
Trinona: 33:12, or 2:01 per 100 yards<br />
Being my first triathlon, I really had no idea what to do. I was still learning how to sight and was still getting over the initial shock of not having lane lines or any walls to push of of. Since the, my swim times have come down quite a bit. I averaged 1:45 per 100 yards at the Ironman. So, tomorrow, I should be able to break 30:00 without too much of a problem. I'm thinking that 28:00 sounds about right.<br />
Buffalo Goal: 28:00, or 1:42 per 100 yards.<br />
<br />
<b>The Bike</b><br />
Trinona: 1:28:12, or 16.87 MPH.<br />
It's really not fair to compare bike courses. Trinona is famous for having one of the steepest climbs in the country. There's a mile-long segment with a grade of 12%. It's no joke. Plus, that was a couple years ago, and I didn't have nearly as many cycling miles under my belt. Buffalo, on the other hand is flat as a pancake, and the forecast for tomorrow is calling for little or no wind. It's a 12.75 mile course. The sprint racers do 1 lap and us Oly folk will do two. With close to 1500 other riders, things are bound to get a little crowded for lap #2. If all goes well, I'm hoping for an average speed of 19.5 MPH. 20 MPH would be excellent, but I want to save a little gas for the run.<br />
Buffalo Goal: 1:18:00 or 19.6 MPH.<br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>The Run</b><br />
Trinona: 1:06:21, or 10:41 per mile<br />
The run was a rude awakening at Trinona. I hadn't really done any brick workouts leading up to the race. So, when I hopped off my bike, I was a little shocked when my legs didn't want to behave themselves. It felt as though someone had shot me in each one of my butt cheeks. I didn't have to walk any of the course, but I wasn't exactly breaking any land speed records. Running is still my weakest discipline, but I'm still hoping to keep my splits under 9:00 per mile tomorrow. If I can hold something faster, great. But I'll try to keep it around 9:00 for the first half of the race and speed things up for the 2nd half if there's any fuel left in the tank.<br />
Buffalo Goal: 56:00, or 9:00 per mile.<br />
<br />
<b>Summary</b><br />
Trinona Total Time: 3:08:01 <br />
Let's see, before I know my final goal time, I'll need to factor in about 2:00 per transition. So, that brings me up to a grand total of 2:46. Okay. Sounds like a plan to me.<br />
Buffalo Goal: 2:46:00<br />
<br />
I'll be back tomorrow to let you know how I did. Later gators!Cap'n Tan Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02618805560011737791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637804185372994416.post-84201734958815475292011-05-30T10:43:00.000-07:002011-05-30T10:43:30.787-07:00Multisport on a Shoestring: Your (T)rusty SteedOkay. So, last time I took you though getting set up for the swim. As far as disciplines go, it's one of the easiest and least expensive to gear up for. Suit? Check. Goggles? Check. Cap? Check. Easy enough. Now however, we come to the big money item: the bike. Bikes are sexy. They're elegant works of art that can be used to crush dreams and destroy the competition. They're also rather intimidating. There are so many different styles and brands, it's easy to get lost. <br />
Let's get one thing out of the way first. If you're new to multisport racing and aren't sure if you'll continue racing after your first event, you do not, I repeat, DO NOT need to drop $3000 on a carbon fiber rig. Case in point: <a href="http://www.slowtwitch.com/Interview/Cory_Foulk_s_wild_rides__1990.html">Cory Foulk</a><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdL4haYkWfYgElYUeAWYmD2cVzKmDFGyT3RhE65ODa1Z11UVWRD_eCxBlNCTIz7i_9B54yXAmt4WTN5DR4aG2rWrZxMgaaoyt32An_2fhuK4_TuLoic2UNRV57DpsQS2F0zdfZKWvU4o9t/s1600/29605-medium_CoryFoulk1996IMHparadeSQUARE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdL4haYkWfYgElYUeAWYmD2cVzKmDFGyT3RhE65ODa1Z11UVWRD_eCxBlNCTIz7i_9B54yXAmt4WTN5DR4aG2rWrZxMgaaoyt32An_2fhuK4_TuLoic2UNRV57DpsQS2F0zdfZKWvU4o9t/s1600/29605-medium_CoryFoulk1996IMHparadeSQUARE.jpg" t8="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cory's finished an Ironman on this $15 ride. </td></tr>
</tbody></table> All right. Let's get started. This first part is for the person that has a bike, but doesn't know if it's "Tri Worthy".<br />
<br />
If you're brand-spanking new to the sport, you probably still have some kind of bike stuffed in the back of your garage and are saying to yourself, "Self - I don't want to buy a new bike, maybe I can ride THIS...". Well, before you decide, consider the following questions:<br />
<br />
<strong>1. Does it work? - </strong>Take your bike out, and ride it for a while, shifting through all of the gears. If it doesn't shift smoothly, or sounds like a rusty barn door when you turn the pedals, then it probably could use a tune-up. If you have the know-how, you can clean and tune it yourself, have a friend do it, or bring your ride into a local bike shop. I'd recommend the local bike shop. In addition to doing a nice, professional job, they'll also be able to tell you if there's more going on that you can't see. The last thing you want is to have something break during your race.<br />
<br />
<strong>2. Does it Fit? - </strong>Opting to use your husband's old road bike is a great idea, especially if he's kept it clean and functional. But, if he's 6'3 and you're 5'4, you're going to have problems. Without getting too technical about fit, you'll want to be able to adjust the seat height so that you still have a slight bend in your knee when the pedal is at it's lowest. Too much knee bend can cause pain in the knees, and legs that are too extended can cause hip pain. Local shops will be happy to advise you on fit, especially if you already brought in your bike for a tune-up.<br />
<br />
<strong>3. Is it Fun to Ride? -</strong> This is often overlooked. Sure, just about any bike will be able to finish the cycling portion of a race. The issue is the training. If you actually enjoy riding your bike, you're more likely to put in the training miles needed to finish your race. If not, then it'll sit in the garage until race day, and you won't be as prepared as you could be. Some folks can have fun riding almost anything. That's cool. Others need to feel like the fastest kid on the block every time they ride. That's cool too.<br />
<br />
<br />
Now, if you don't own a bike, or the one you have doesn't meet your needs, then you'll probably be thinking about buying new. Great! There are all sorts of fun rides to check out. Again, what I have to say here is for the BRAND NEW athlete. If you've already been around the block a few times in multisport and are looking for advice on a sleek, sexy, superbike, then you won't find what you need here. However, if you're looking for something dependable that you can ride more than just for racing, then you're in luck.<br />
<br />
As always, there are two big questions to ask yourself before shopping for a bike:<br />
<br />
<strong>1. What kind of riding will I do? - </strong>If you just want to ride around the lake trails on the weekends, that's cool. But you may benefit from a different kind of bike from someone who say, wants to ride the county roads for 10-20 hours per week. <br />
<br />
<strong>2. What's your budget? - </strong>Yeah. This is a sticky one. If you're crapping cash, then that's great (I'll go grab a bucket) but not everybody can affort the top of the line. The good news is that there are plenty of other options out there for the rest of us.<br />
<br />
Okay. So you've decided that you want a new bike. You know how you'll want to use it and about how much you have to spend. Do yourself a favor and check out a loca bike shop. They'll be more than willing to let you test ride anything that strikes your fancy. It should go without saying, but do not buy a bike from Sears, Wal-Mart or Target. Sure, I use these guys for stocking up on toothpaste and Underoos, but if I'm going to spend my hard-earned cash on a ride, I'm going to buy it from an expert.<br />
<br />
Let's take a look at the 4 main styles of bikes to consider.<br />
<br />
<strong>Mountain Bikes</strong><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGfSaRpZBOKs_drklisOdG_a81qm-5JuEtkpKBQyQyEKLiH0tDyL2VOXMxiA4XPctp2M8Ok5QCgySJW982Ll2QWRtGjPvwB5-LKVrQ7zQ_UJELiplf5JqvcZPxJbIhxfnVza7WwfwVTWfi/s1600/specialized-hardrock-comp-2009-mountain-bike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGfSaRpZBOKs_drklisOdG_a81qm-5JuEtkpKBQyQyEKLiH0tDyL2VOXMxiA4XPctp2M8Ok5QCgySJW982Ll2QWRtGjPvwB5-LKVrQ7zQ_UJELiplf5JqvcZPxJbIhxfnVza7WwfwVTWfi/s400/specialized-hardrock-comp-2009-mountain-bike.jpg" t8="true" width="400" /></a></div><strong>Prices Starting At: $300</strong><br />
<strong>Who they're for: </strong>With thick, knobby tires, solid frames and up to 30 gears, these bikes are designed for trail and off-road riding. The rougher the terrain, the more that these excel. Many have front suspension - shock absorbers built into the fork. Others have dual suspension so both the front and back wheels will flex to soften the ride. Get one if you want to try Xterra or any off-road races.<br />
<br />
<strong>Who they're not for: </strong>They're tough, but they're also heavy. Plus those knobby tires create a lot of rolling resistance. Compared to other types of bikes, it takes a lot more work to get these up to speed. Avoid these if you want to go fast on the road. <br />
<br />
<strong>What you pay for: </strong>Spending more money will get you nicer components (shifters, deraileurs, brakes, etc), disc brakes, as well as front or full suspension. Components have come a long way. The mid-level components today can out perform the top of the line from just a few years ago. Some folks will get upity about getting the most impressive component spec, but don't let them convince you that it's needed.<br />
<br />
If you really want to go crazy, you can get a carbon fiber frame that's lighter and stiffer so that you can chew up the course and rocket up those mountains.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>Hybrids</strong><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEievOLDDc0TaqVK_QnrNNhbp-d5UYtdiEBKMrFwuq0xnZ9CxSRveEsKG_rBxcmLaPW6lW9LT5og7QNtoOV5Qq0xOYznSxfSTfrf_7FVoHU7jVTOrT1rExZL8H3s70-9z_UxEHgXZMoXem5n/s1600/bianchi-camaleonte-3-alu-lx-disc-hybrid-bike-60116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEievOLDDc0TaqVK_QnrNNhbp-d5UYtdiEBKMrFwuq0xnZ9CxSRveEsKG_rBxcmLaPW6lW9LT5og7QNtoOV5Qq0xOYznSxfSTfrf_7FVoHU7jVTOrT1rExZL8H3s70-9z_UxEHgXZMoXem5n/s400/bianchi-camaleonte-3-alu-lx-disc-hybrid-bike-60116.jpg" t8="true" width="400" /></a></div><strong>Prices starting at: $250</strong><br />
<strong>Who they're for: </strong>These are some of the most common bikes out there. If you're finding a ride in the back of your garage, it's most likely a hybrid. Why? Well, they mix the upright seating of a mountain bike with the gearing of a road bike and wheels that are half-way inbetween. This is designed to keep the rider comfortable, but also allows them to go quite a bit faster than the mountain rigs, at least on paved roads and trails. <br />
If you're new to the sport and aren't sure if you'll keep with it after your first race, this is a good place to start. At least if you decide that multisport isn't your thing, you'll still have a nice bike you can take around the lakes from time to time. <br />
<br />
<strong>Who they're not for: </strong>Speed demons. Compared to road bikes, hybrids are still pretty heavy. The tires aren't quite as thick as mountain bikes, but they're still plenty beefy. If you really wanna go fast, keep scrolling down.<br />
<br />
<strong>What you pay for: </strong>Again, nicer components cost more money. They're more durable and will operate more cleanly. Do you absolutely need to spend a lot of cash? No. Of course not. But, it's there if you want it. Some hybrids have front suspension forks too.<br />
<br />
<strong>Road Bikes</strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTwar7TwqcQiwxJxpufAFOOW04MirV2nEd-Et7_H5PLqdUYNgAuQo4BrYrGLPQ9KUgSLzS7nLo8Dj4drF54zH__aMhouKBmSigZcdzz_C2E6BF2ItMs4IyI31oauqIJrC-AEk0CSXa28u3/s1600/2be2a169-a03a-4311-8330-b782483b9b8b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTwar7TwqcQiwxJxpufAFOOW04MirV2nEd-Et7_H5PLqdUYNgAuQo4BrYrGLPQ9KUgSLzS7nLo8Dj4drF54zH__aMhouKBmSigZcdzz_C2E6BF2ItMs4IyI31oauqIJrC-AEk0CSXa28u3/s400/2be2a169-a03a-4311-8330-b782483b9b8b.jpg" t8="true" width="400" /></a></div><strong>Prices Starting At: $550</strong><br />
<strong>Who they're for: </strong>All right. Now we're cooking with gas. Everyone knows what road bikes look like. They're what all those fast dudes in the Tour de France ride around on. The riding position is much more aggressive, meaning that your hands are lower than your butt, so that you're more aerodynamic. You have larger gears than on a hybrid, which gives you a higher top speed. The tires are nice and narrow - usually around 23mm, so you can get up to speed and stay there. You've even got hood-mounted shifters that will change gears with just a flick from your index finger.<br />
<br />
Also, there are some flat-bar road bikes out there as well. If comfort is an issue and your back just can't handle leaning that far forward for so long, consider one of these as an alternative.<br />
<br />
If you're going to spend time riding on the road, get yourself on one of these. As fugly as my bike is, it's still just a modified Trek roadie, and it did the Ironman just fine. I've got over 10000 miles on mine, and will probably put on 10000 more. <br />
<br />
<strong>Who they're not for: </strong>If you're new to cycling, $500 could be a lot to spend for what is considered a budget ride. If you're strapped for cash and can't justify the cost, you may want to hold off for now. Also, they're also not designed to be ridden on the trails. With those narrow little wheels, you won't have nearly as much controll on even limestone trails compared to a hybrid or mountain bike.<br />
<br />
<strong>What you pay for: </strong>Carbon fiber costs more. Carbon is lighter than aluminum or steel, so you don't have to work as hard to move it. It can be molded into any shape, so frames can be more aerodynamic. It's also said to yield a softer, less tooth-rattling ride. Some less expensive bikes will give you carbon forks or seat posts. Spend $2000 or more on a bike and the whole frame will be carbon. Is it cool? Heck yeah. Do you NEED it? Heck no. Some of the fastest rides out there are are aluminum, and trusty old steel still has a nice soft ride. <br />
Oh, and the same rules apply for components on road bikes - they more you spend, the nicer they'll be. Are they better? Yes. Are they required? Ehhh...not so much.<br />
<br />
<strong>Tri/Time Trial Bikes</strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpOgxuFnSdF-RX8V3moAaoyv6ExK6gWxnzXQg6qtZAwI3BlNwOEiZzgpYHBHvlqnuj1yxkkR8MiFG8BDFtYhNjRZBPGq12bKq035aWL7TBz8S8Nl1b8wh-DlYvw_7griMKMZTZupWkWRrh/s1600/Cervelo_P2C_Red%252520Package.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpOgxuFnSdF-RX8V3moAaoyv6ExK6gWxnzXQg6qtZAwI3BlNwOEiZzgpYHBHvlqnuj1yxkkR8MiFG8BDFtYhNjRZBPGq12bKq035aWL7TBz8S8Nl1b8wh-DlYvw_7griMKMZTZupWkWRrh/s400/Cervelo_P2C_Red%252520Package.jpg" t8="true" width="400" /></a></div><strong>Prices Starting At: $1000</strong><br />
<strong>Who they're for: </strong>Me! No, really. I want one. Bad. These suckers are designed to go fast. The frame geometry is much more aggressive and the aerobars get the rider nice and low. The frame tubing is shaped like a wing so that it cuts through the wind. Some have a rear wheel cutout that makes the back half of the bike even more slick. These are for the serious triathlete and time trialist.<br />
<br />
<strong>Who they're not for: </strong>There's a saying: "Tri bikes are built for races, road bikes are built for life". Meaning, a road bike is much more versatile than one of these beasts. For example, since it's bad form to ride in the aerobars on a group ride, I'd be riding uncomfortably up on my base bar during all the Twin Cities Spoke rides. They can also be a pain in the butt to maintain. Kind of like sports cars, the more you spend, the more you find yourself tinkering with it.<br />
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<strong>What you pay for: </strong>The same holds true for carbon fiber on tri bikes. You'll see it used create more exotic shapes. It can be softter vertically to absorb more road bumps, but stiffer from side to side so that all of your pedaling effort is transferred into the pedals rather than the flexing of the frame. But hey, if you've got pockets deep enough for a carbon fiber tri bike, you probably knew that already.<br />
<br />
<strong>Buying Used</strong><br />
There are plenty of deals to be had on Craigslist and eBay. I know that the Twin Cities area has a fairly robust cycling presence on Craigslist. If you really want a road bike, but still want to be able to afford gas and groceries, definitely give this a look. I know it goes without saying, try to test ride the bike and confirm that everything is clean and in good working order before handing over your cash. If something smells fishy, walk away.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>My Ride</strong><br />
So, what do I ride? Well, Rusty is a 2007 Trek 1500. I got him on sale in preparation for RAGBRAI back in 2008. Since then, I've added aerobars, flipped the stem to get lower in front, and rotated the seat tube 180 degrees to get more forward in the rear. It's as close to a <em>real</em> tri position that I can get to for now. The water bottle bolts rusted out, so I keep my fluids strapped between my aerobars and duct-taped the hole that was left when one of the bolts was 'extracted'. <br />
Even if I do finally save up enough dough for a dedicated tri bike, I'll still keep Rusty around for group rides, commuting, or nice rides around the lake.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc8KK-gsVqZIzuwed1SJX6yIJEYoDsyRR0Oj6CiLMKOKcil7Ui88C2tru-AIPNqEHYRKjECpDWqfVmXDO2IEUIlTA-k63rZdbCC4QV_tKyYk7ZkNqjiqwszbxu9I9bLSiVd0uVhUexAXOh/s1600/DSCI0163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc8KK-gsVqZIzuwed1SJX6yIJEYoDsyRR0Oj6CiLMKOKcil7Ui88C2tru-AIPNqEHYRKjECpDWqfVmXDO2IEUIlTA-k63rZdbCC4QV_tKyYk7ZkNqjiqwszbxu9I9bLSiVd0uVhUexAXOh/s400/DSCI0163.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My buddy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Cap'n Tan Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02618805560011737791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637804185372994416.post-82479358428628038392011-05-20T10:52:00.000-07:002011-05-20T10:52:12.650-07:00My Love/Hate Relationship with Beginner TriathleteYesterday, I posted my <a href="http://captaintanlines.blogspot.com/2011/05/multisport-on-shoestring-gearing-up-for.html">second article</a> in a series designed to help The Wife and several of my friends as they dive (pun intended) into the world of multisport. I put quite a bit of effort into it. Well, as much effort as one can expect from someone who has a full-time job, trains for triathlons and is a bit of a lazy-ass to begin with. <br />
<br />
Now, fast-forward to this morning when I hopped onto <a href="http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/">http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/</a> to find any updates on the local forum and check on any new articles. Well, what do you think I found? A wonderful write-up entitled "What a triathlon beginner needs to get started: The Swim".<br />
<br />
Dang it.<br />
<br />
Don't get me wrong. The article is great. It's comprehensive, includes advice for both men and women and even has some products that I omitted - I mean really, no newbie is going to want to use <span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Richey-Industries-Original-Swedish-Goggles/dp/B0006NW0Q8?ie=UTF8&tag=capta0a-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Swedish Goggles</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capta0a-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0006NW0Q8" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span>. They also include some purchases, such as wetsuits and racing gear that I'll be covering later on. So, if you're new to the sport and are still looking to get yourself set up for a swim, do yourself a favor and check out <a href="http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=2279">their article</a>. <br />
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HOWEVER, I would still recommend that you check back with me over the next couple of days. Why? Well, mostly to keep from injuring my fragile little ego. But I'll do my best to give you things that Beginner Triathlete might miss. Sure, there's likely to be some overlap between their advice and what I have to say. But I'll try to keep my focus on the budget-minded folks who still aren't sure if they'll want to keep training after their first race. For example: can you compete in your first tri using that 10-year old WalMart bike hanging in your garage? Absolutely. Will you WANT to? Ehhhh.....Cap'n Tan Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02618805560011737791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637804185372994416.post-92079934587147020742011-05-19T21:40:00.000-07:002011-05-19T21:40:36.299-07:00Multisport on a Shoestring - Gearing Up for the SwimDisclaimer: I'm no pro. So, take my advice at your own risk. However, I have managed to train and race on a conservative budget for the last several years. Also, I'm not sponsored by anybody. If I recommend any equipment it's because I've actually used it. <br />
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For a lot of folks, coming to grips with the swim can be the most intimidating part of getting ready for their first triathlon. It takes us out of our comfort zone - you know, walking or biking around surrounded by air - and puts us in a strange environment - you know, bobbing around surrounded by water. Most of us have seen coverage of the Hawaii Ironman with 2400 swimmers all thrashing around like the world's largest human washing machine. During my <a href="http://captaintanlines.blogspot.com/2010/09/ironman-wisconsin-part-2.html">Ironman swim</a>, I was elbowed, grabbed, kicked in the eye and kicked in the family jewels (twice!).<br />
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Sure, the swim can be scary, but it doesn't have to be. If you're new to swimming, the best thing you can do is get comfortable in the water. If your first race has a swim leg in a pool, then hit the pool. If your first tri has an open water swim, then in addition to your pool time, you'll want to swim outside too. Open water is a completely different animal, and takes a little getting used to. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's set you up with some gear first.<br />
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<b><u>Goggles</u></b><br />
<b>What they do:</b> Unless you're Aquaman, you'll need some help seeing underwater. They'll also protect your eyes from chlorine pools.<br />
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<b>Need Factor:</b> 10/10<br />
<b>Cost Factor:</b> $10-$20<br />
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<b>Where to Shop:</b> Triathlon Shops, Swimming Shops and Sporting Goods Stores will all carry the same brands. If you have questions, definitely check out your local tri shop or swimming specialty store. You may pay an extra dollar or two over the big-box chain stores, but knowing that you got the right product will be more than worth it. I would stay away from department stores like Target or Wally-World. The brands may be the same, but they're often a lesser quality version and not worth any potential savings.<br />
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<b>What to look for:</b> Goggles come in a couple different flavors. First, there are your standard competition goggles. They have small individual lenses, a plastic bridge to connect them and 1 or 2 straps to lash them onto your skull. I go with the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Speedo-Vanquisher-Swim-Goggle-Clear/dp/B00070QE12?ie=UTF8&tag=capta0a-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Speedo Vanquisher</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=capta0a-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00070QE12" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" />, but there are similar products from TYR, Dolfin and a number of other manufacturers. They each have a slightly different contour, so you'll likely find that one brand fits your face better than the others.<br />
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The best way to test the fit is to take it out of the packaging (don't worry, it's not stealing) and press the goggles gently into your eye sockets without putting the straps around your head. They should create a solid seal and hold in place on their own.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-38eznnhuWCaTaDM4JRx5P1s6x-4bYa8n7-nuHtqproVg5kO7YgVZFSi-R4bokwQlAbc3R-PTdxW8BIMtqpDuRXbIO3LG-NueVLsAH8nxDTDDOz1PhlOgwXz7quJT-mQ2HgTLpIDad5A/s1600/Speedo+Goggles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-38eznnhuWCaTaDM4JRx5P1s6x-4bYa8n7-nuHtqproVg5kO7YgVZFSi-R4bokwQlAbc3R-PTdxW8BIMtqpDuRXbIO3LG-NueVLsAH8nxDTDDOz1PhlOgwXz7quJT-mQ2HgTLpIDad5A/s400/Speedo+Goggles.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
The other style of goggles you'll encounter are designed more specifically for open water swimming. They are built with larger lenses and sturdier frames. Some still have individual gaskets (the rubber parts that suction cup to your face), while others have a single gasket - similar to what you would find on a SCUBA mask. While they are somewhat more bulky, the larger lenses provide a better field of vision, and the thicker strapping systems can provide some with a more secure fit.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCosFKcOOtdxaMlSWGb5pMXu_cY50E21NHqs8NHGWujuT8mMgh-hU21xrEBndrof4BAQBDuZG55CBSBtSCUrXr3wJEXXsIuKs_rJuSyJTtlflku4VyTtWAPb1LdA-ePMXj7ctqjfY4kg-6/s1600/Aqua+Sphere+Vista.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCosFKcOOtdxaMlSWGb5pMXu_cY50E21NHqs8NHGWujuT8mMgh-hU21xrEBndrof4BAQBDuZG55CBSBtSCUrXr3wJEXXsIuKs_rJuSyJTtlflku4VyTtWAPb1LdA-ePMXj7ctqjfY4kg-6/s1600/Aqua+Sphere+Vista.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<b>Why Spend the Extra Dough:</b> You'll get quite a bit of bang for your buck with goggles. When properly cared for, they can last years. Spending $17 at a specialty store versus 7.99 at a department store will get you better rubber gaskets, higher quality plastic lenses and more adjustable straps so they're easier to fit to your head.<br />
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<b><u>Swim Caps</u></b><br />
<b>What they do: </b>Control your mane, make you super hydro-dynamic, warm your noggin and keep your goggles in place.<br />
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<b>Need Factor:</b> 6/10<br />
<b>Cost Factor:</b> $5-$12 (or FREE with races)<br />
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<b>Where to Shop:</b> See 'Goggles' above<br />
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<b>What to Look For: </b>There are two types of swim caps: latex and silicone. They also come as one-size-fits-all, so even you guys with monster craniums are in good shape. So, just pick a color you like and snap it onto your head. <br />
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Latex caps are the most common. I've gotten one from every race I've ever done. They're color-coded to match the wave I started with. I shave my head though, so a cap doesn't make me any more streamlined in the water, nor does it contain my flowing mane (unless I pull it down over my eyebrows). The only problem I've noticed with latex, is that after a couple of months in the chlorine pool, the material starts to fade and get thin, which leads me to the other type of swim cap...<br />
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Silicone caps usually run a buck or two more than their latex cousins. The material is thicker, and not quite as stretchy. Though, you still shouldn't have any problem putting it on. Silicone's strength is its near indestructibility. I've had the same black cap - seen in my profile photo to the right - for the last 3 years. Do I take care of it? Heck no. I usually ball it up and stuff it in my bag in between my shower sandals and towel. After one quick rinse to knock off any sand, it's ready to wear again. <br />
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I'd also recommend silicone if you're prone to ice cream headaches when swimming in colder water. The thicker material helps keep my melon warm. Now, you're probably wondering, "why does he wear a swim cap if he's already bald?". First of all, I'm not bald. I CHOOSE to shave my head as a preemptive strike. Second, since most tris require that each racer wear a cap, I may as well get used to it in practice. Third, if you put your cap on over your goggles, it'll help hold them on your head.<br />
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<b>Why Spend the Extra Dough: </b>Don't. Seriously. All swim caps do the same thing.<br />
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<u><b>Swim Suits</b></u> <br />
<b>What they do:</b> Cover your bits 'n' pieces.<br />
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<b>Need Factor:</b> 10/10<br />
<b>Cost Factor:</b> $15-$60+ <br />
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<b>Where to Shop:</b> You know those goggles and swim caps? Well, would you believe that you can get your suits there too?<br />
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<b>What to look for:</b> Before I get too far, let me remind you, I'm a boy. I have boy parts. If you are a lady, with all those wonderful lady parts, please consider checking out a swimming specialty store or tri shop if you have any questions about fit. Also, for now, we'll just take a look at suits for training. I'll cover racing clothing later on.<br />
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As a boy, I'm fortunate that my suits cost a fraction of those the ladies wear. Why are they cheaper? I would imagine it's because they use considerably less fabric. In any event, training suits come in a few different varieties.<br />
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The first is nylon shorts. These are baggy, may have pockets and are conservative enough to wear to the beach without drawing too much attention to yourself. The good news is that nylon is highly resistant to chlorine, so shorts like these can last pretty much indefinitely. However, since they're loose, they'll slow you down in the water. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as training with a little extra resistance can serve to make you stronger.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRNk-tRWdeCirMMMz7lzLLbX0t3Rmp37M-o3LxBEmdWrJQu6GozmkJTXQmy8EaipI-QCwJv-Lt4U2ufaTR-jYpLmzuKtt2TkmADzvZDAx0U8UvDjoPhhIh4ugC2jZOfLae0tZrw-wSjsMP/s1600/Nylon+Shorts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRNk-tRWdeCirMMMz7lzLLbX0t3Rmp37M-o3LxBEmdWrJQu6GozmkJTXQmy8EaipI-QCwJv-Lt4U2ufaTR-jYpLmzuKtt2TkmADzvZDAx0U8UvDjoPhhIh4ugC2jZOfLae0tZrw-wSjsMP/s320/Nylon+Shorts.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Next up are your more serious training suits. I'm partial to the Speedo Endurance line of products. You can check out my review of their square-cut shorts <a href="http://captaintanlines.blogspot.com/2010/06/my-first-product-review-speedo.html">here</a>. The longest option are jammer shorts. Wearing these is like wearing cycling shorts without the pad. If you're more modest, but still want a fast suit, jammers may be right up your alley.<br />
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As the legs get shorter, you come to the square-cut shorts. I usually opt for these because they're a little less expensive than jammers (less fabric) but they still cover my tushy.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjczndEGjlaLRgW5fXFVpA7FTdEmrx7SlRahrfG_DNCqqmIN9D53XpyRm4IlYKRXtAxYYNBoSq7vagWr-meZJSqCIN-cq_9jmi7J98IaXthM1GLUl0aUDqvoQ3hxIjBqymS7kqtuDrLN-cK/s1600/Speedo+Pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjczndEGjlaLRgW5fXFVpA7FTdEmrx7SlRahrfG_DNCqqmIN9D53XpyRm4IlYKRXtAxYYNBoSq7vagWr-meZJSqCIN-cq_9jmi7J98IaXthM1GLUl0aUDqvoQ3hxIjBqymS7kqtuDrLN-cK/s400/Speedo+Pic.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Finally, you have briefs. These are what most people think of when they hear the word 'Speedo'. No, they're not for everybody, especially the self conscious of us. But heck, once you're in the water, nobody's going to be paying attention to the suit you're wearing. So, try a few different suits on and go with what's comfortable. If you want to sport some briefs while you train, knock yourself out.<br />
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<b>Why Spend the Extra Dough:</b> Honestly, as long as you're comfortable in the water, there's no need to spend a crazy amount of money on a suit. If you do decide to invest more, I would highly recommend the Speedo Endurance line since the fabric will last much longer in the pool than standard brands. Sure, the shorts will run you an extra $10 compared to their standard counterpart. However, they'll last 4-5 times longer.<br />
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Well, there you have it. Once you've got a suit, some goggles and maybe a swim cap, you're ready to hit the pool at your local Y, health club or rec center. We've got 2 more sports to get geared up for, and once we've got you set up for cycling and running, we'll be ready to train.<br />
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Stay tuned.Cap'n Tan Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02618805560011737791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637804185372994416.post-84943003573591763582011-05-17T21:00:00.000-07:002011-05-17T21:00:54.916-07:00Multisport on a ShoestringYeah, yeah. I know. Long time. No post. Don't worry. I've got stuff coming down the pipe, and I'm hoping that today's post will be the first in a series to help out those of you who are just getting in to multisport racing, or are trying to train in race on a less-than-liberal budget. You see, within the last couple of weeks, The Wife signed up to do her first duathalon. Plus, not one, not two, not three but FOUR of my close friends have also signed up for their first races. Some will be doing the <a href="http://www.ywcawomenstri.org/">YWCA Triathlon</a> in August and one will be doing the <a href="http://www.irongirl.com/Events/Bloomington.htm#axzz1MfMmbUnT">IronGirl Du </a>along with The Wife in September. It's pretty exciting stuff.<br />
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Folks sign up for their first Tris and Dus for all sorts of reasons, but for the most part they fall into two categories: those with a bucket list, and those seeking a lifestyle change. The bucket-listers see their first race as a new challenge, but may not have any long term plans after the race is finished. Then, you have the lifestyle-changers. Sure, their first race is a big deal, but they also have some other things lined up further off in the future.<br />
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Either way, getting set up to complete your first race could be a substantial investment. Here are just a few expenses that you may have to look forward to:<br />
<br />
Sprint Triathlon Race Fee: $50-$150<br />
Bike: $250-$2000<br />
Running Shoes: $50-$120<br />
Cycling Gear (Helmet, Jersey, Shorts, Gloves): $100-$300<br />
Gym Membership: $20-$50 per month<br />
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Gulp.<br />
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It's easier for the lifestyle-changers to justify the expense because they know they're likely to continue to use all their new gear. It's a little bit different for the bucket-listers. Understandably, it's harder to stomach the cost when it might be just a one-time deal. Nobody wants to be looking at a $1500 bike sitting in their basement that hasn't been ridden in years.<br />
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My goal will be to help you spend your hard-earned cash effectively so that you can get the most bang for your buck. I'll go over things like choosing what kind of bike to use, how to get set up with running shoes and how to fuel yourself without breaking the bank. <br />
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If you've been racing for a while now, I'm really not going to cover anything that you don't already know. The 'Multisport on a Shoestring' series will be for my wife, my friends and any other newbies out there that just need a little nudge in the right direction. <br />
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Am I a pro triathlete or a coach? No. But, I do know how to eek every last ounce of value out of my dollar.<br />
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So, stay tuned and feel free to drop me a line if there's something that you'd like to see covered.<br />
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Toodles.Cap'n Tan Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02618805560011737791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637804185372994416.post-21543841488148647942011-05-05T21:34:00.000-07:002011-05-05T21:34:59.375-07:002011 Ironman Bike RideLast weekend was heavy on the events. Not only did I have the <a href="http://captaintanlines.blogspot.com/2011/05/get-in-gear-10k-race-review.html">Get in Gear 10K</a>, but there was also the Ironman Bike ride. This was my 4th time doing the ride and my 3rd time in a row. This ride is infamous for it's brutal weather conditions. It seems that every year, the weather figures out new and creative ways to beat the crap out of us. In 2002, I did my first Ironman through 6 inches of wet snow. In 2009, it was torrential downpours. Last year, we had freezing rain.<br />
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This year was the most difficult of all. The word of the day was "Wind". This was no Spring breeze mind you. This was 20-30 MPH sustained winds with gusts that could peel the skin off your face. Sure, the temperature at the start was in the low 30s, but it felt closer to the mid-teens. Yikes.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJjE7mDLGwV50XXgEBOy8szciko36kWn-6s_n2IoOEZmpE-IYwzsYlGBWUOd2NVm22kqa-GG_ZdCy8mACgzkm8LJUF7AKDIPhRa6CbjVt_1X6Bs-Ux9LiM41-irjXLaxTZf-JpBMLTomc/s1600/MIBR+2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJjE7mDLGwV50XXgEBOy8szciko36kWn-6s_n2IoOEZmpE-IYwzsYlGBWUOd2NVm22kqa-GG_ZdCy8mACgzkm8LJUF7AKDIPhRa6CbjVt_1X6Bs-Ux9LiM41-irjXLaxTZf-JpBMLTomc/s400/MIBR+2011.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Now, if it had just been me, I would have considered wussing out and just doing the 30-mile ride. But, there was a crew of 10 riders from the <a href="http://www.twincitiesspoke.com/">Twin Cities Spoke</a> who had come out to tackle the 68 and 105-mile routes. Well, shoot. I wasn't about to let them have all the fun.<br />
<br />
The wind was blowing straight from West to East, so naturally, the first 23 miles were predominantly straight West. Ugh. We started out as a cohesive group, but with a few different ability levels we were soon spread out. For the first 10 miles or so, I didn't know if I was going to make it to the first rest stop in Jordan. My legs were still sluggish from the 10K on Saturday and the wind wasn't helping.<br />
<br />
Then, at about mile 12, while I was plugging along, I started getting passed by a large group of cyclists. There were about 40-50 in the peleton. My first thought was "Holy Crap! Look at all of those delicious wheels to suck on!". I shifted over into the pack and immediately my speed when from ~15 MPH to ~18 MPH. It was great. It really helped me appreciate the impact that drafting can have on speed. I was able to ride this wave all the way into Jordan before stopping for some food and to regroup with the rest of the team.<br />
<br />
At that point we had a decision to make. As much as I wanted to do the 105-mile route, I knew that it was probably asking too much from my body. Sure, I probably could have finished it, but really, that just seemed like unnecessary abuse. So, as the group split up, some of the he-men continued on their way into the wind and the rest of us turned South.<br />
<br />
The good news was that the wind was no longer in our faces. The bad news was that it was now trying to blow us into the ditch. I saw a guy riding with a disc wheel who I'm pretty sure is still airborne somewhere over Wisconsin. Soon though, we were in for a treat. A few miles before the next rest stop, we turned to go with the wind. Holy Moley! For the next 5 miles, I cruised along at 28 MPH. WOO HOO!<br />
<br />
We made another pit stop in Lonsdale and grabbed some more grub. If anything, the ride organizers did a great job of stocking these rest stops with all sorts of goodies. I didn't realize how cold my body was until I tried a cup of hot chocolate. I could feel ever drop going down my throat and warming me from the inside out. Plus, there was a fire pit in the parking lot for us to warm our buns. Man, that felt good.<br />
<br />
The next 23 miles were interesting to say the least. The route was a North and East zig-zag back into Lakeville. The wind had picked up, so it's impact was even more significant. There was one particular stretch where we turned back into the wind for about 1 mile. I was going all out, downhill, and hit a blistering 10.5 miles per hour. I was scared that if I stopped pedaling, I'd get blown back up that hill. <br />
<br />
Fortunately, that didn't last too long before we were back to alternating between leaning into the wind and shooting across the countryside like a rocket. Soon, we were back in Lakeville and on our way back home. When it was all said and done, I had ridden 67.4 miles in 4 hours and 22 minutes. That gave me an average speed of only 15.4 MPH. Sure, it wasn't fast, but I earned every one of those miles.<br />
<br />
Will I do this ride again next year? Eh, probably. I figure that after snow, rain, sleet and wind, what could possibly be left for the weather to throw at me?Cap'n Tan Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02618805560011737791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637804185372994416.post-88437186925580908212011-05-01T15:21:00.000-07:002011-05-01T15:21:13.323-07:00Get in Gear 10K Race ReviewSummary: Sometimes you get the bear. Sometimes the bear gets you.<br />
<br />
Okay, you probably wanted a little more detail than that. Fine.<br />
<br />
The Get in Gear 10K is actually a whole lot more than just a 10K. Sure, the 10K is the main event and has the most racers, but there's also a 2K fun run, a 5K and a half-marathon. There were a little over 3100 runners registered in my race, 1800 in the 5K and 1000 troopers in the half-marathon. So, at any given time during the race there were close to 6000 people out on the course.<br />
<br />
It's kind of a big deal.<br />
<br />
The Wife and I woke to some gloomy weather. It had been raining most of the night and the forecast said that it wasn't going to clear up any time soon. I suppose it wasn't that big of a deal. Last year was rainy too, so it wasn't something that either of us couldn't handle.<br />
<br />
We each ate a bagel with some peanut butter and snarfed down a banana before hopping in the car to head to the course. After about 10 minutes on the road, I realized that I had made my first mistake of the day and left my bib number back at the house. Crap. So, after a little bit of lead-footed driving and a little bit more cursing, we swung back home, grabbed the missing gear and got back on the highway.<br />
<br />
<b>Lesson Learned: </b>Get your act together the night before the race. C'mon, you've done this before. <br />
<br />
The Wife's mom lives about a mile from the start line, so we met at her place and strolled over to Minnehaha Park. Our friends Ike and Maggie (and their baby, Ruth) were there too. Heck, even my mom made it this year. She was always there to cheer for me back in high school, so it was cool to see her today.<br />
<br />
Even with all the rain, there was still a fairly intense crowd at the start. One of the hardest parts of a race this size is picking a good place in the crowd to start. If you start too far forward, you end up getting trampled by speedy folks. Start too far back and you'll be running zig-zags around the slower runners. <br />
<br />
By the time my chunk of the crowd reached the start line, approximately 4 1/2 minutes had gone by. It was pretty jumbled up, but at least everyone was running off the start. Adrenaline kicked in and I did the best that I could getting to my goal race pace of just over 8:00 per mile. At the same time, I was playing a game of human Frogger and probably ran a couple of extra blocks going side-to-side to move up in the pack. So, my second mistake of the day was starting way way waaaaaay too far back in the pack.<br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>Mile 1: 8:09</b><br />
<b>Lesson Learned: </b>Be more careful when seeding yourself at the start line.<br />
<br />
The next couple of miles were frustrating.. By miles 2 and 3, I was starting to overheat. As it turns out, I didn't need long sleeves after all and would have been better off with just a tri-top and lightweight gloves. Also (and I don't know if overheating had anything to do with it) I just couldn't get a good rhythm going. I knew that I could run faster, but every time I pushed a little harder, I just couldn't maintain the pace I wanted.<br />
<br />
<b>Mile 2: 8:34</b><br />
<b>Mile 3: 8:54</b><br />
<b>Lesson Learned: </b>It's better to be cold at the beginning of the race than to be hot in the middle.<br />
<br />
After stumbling through mile 3, I started to get angry with myself. I mean, for crying out loud, I've averaged 8:54 in easy workouts before. I tried to run with better form, focusing on mid-foot striking and leaning slightly forward with good posture. It seemed to help a little bit as my splits started to get a little better, but still weren't anywhere near my goal pace.<br />
<br />
<b>Mile 4: 8:43</b><br />
<b>Mile 5: 8:29</b><br />
<b>Lesson Learned: </b>I had better start to work more on my running form.<br />
<b>Lesson Learned: </b>A little rage while running isn't always a bad thing.<br />
<br />
For the last mile and change, I tried to force every last bit of energy I had into forward momentum, but it just wasn't happening. Usually, I get an adrenaline rush that helps me finish strong. This time: no rush, just more frustration. On a positive note, I heard my mom yelling my name as I headed towards the finish chute. It took me back to cross country races back in high school. It was pretty cool.<br />
<br />
<b>Mile 6: 8:25</b><br />
<b>Mile 6.3: 2:12 </b>(Remember all that zig-zagging?<b> </b>Well, it added another .1 miles onto the run. No biggie.<br />
<b>Total Time: </b>53:29, 8:31/mile. <br />
<b> Goals Reached: </b>None. Not even my 'Meh' goal of 52:30<br />
<b>HOWEVER: </b>I DID break my previous 10K record by over 3 minutes. So, um, yay!<br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>Lesson Learned: </b>Suck it up buttercup. Sometimes a strong performance just ain't in the cards.<br />
<b>Lesson Learned: </b>Moms that always cheer for you are awesome. Plus, they don't care how crappy you think you did, which is awesome-er. AND, I had <i>2</i>of them there for me yesterday. So, I suppose that's doubly-awesome.<br />
<br />
After finishing, I stumbled around looking for where all those cheers came from. In the process, I ran into The Wife, who had just finished her race. I gave her a squeeze and slapped her on the booty in a 'good game' kind of way. I'm glad I saw her first after the race. Then we met up with the rest of our crew and made our way back to the cars.<br />
<br />
As a special treat, Ike, Maggie, The Wife and I went to the 5-8 Club and treated ourselves to Juicy Lucy's.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn8oaajbMPXMrStgMbvcgnPi228GczOpoIoFBafaV9ySwzd89reoqU8QybE6hIu54H3o2I88N034OuGuIkVWxrNb2Ysvmn2Lz6rOQmzmD4k3zPRmw2IzcuLT7Zb1_zxx6iUSzsSNF-EKv_/s1600/Juicy+Lucy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn8oaajbMPXMrStgMbvcgnPi228GczOpoIoFBafaV9ySwzd89reoqU8QybE6hIu54H3o2I88N034OuGuIkVWxrNb2Ysvmn2Lz6rOQmzmD4k3zPRmw2IzcuLT7Zb1_zxx6iUSzsSNF-EKv_/s400/Juicy+Lucy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nothing says 'Sorry about the crummy race' like cheese wrapped in meat.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Cap'n Tan Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02618805560011737791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637804185372994416.post-32822900814607490352011-04-29T09:33:00.000-07:002011-04-29T09:33:02.428-07:00Get in Gear 10K Race PreviewHave you ever had one of those workouts where you wish you could harness your performance, put it in a bottle and drink it before a race? Last week, I had that type of workout. I had recently been getting over a <a href="http://captaintanlines.blogspot.com/2011/04/training-hurt-vs-training-injured.html">nagging knee injury</a>. It wasn't serious; just a bit of a pain in the butt (er...knee). The result was that I hadn't really done any hard-core running for the last couple of weeks. <br />
<br />
Anyway, last Saturday, I left the house for a tempo run. For those of you not in-the-know, tempo workouts are used to increase your speed over longer distances. For example, one may run a 5K at their 10K race pace, or a 10K at their 1/2 marathon pace. In my case, I wanted to get in a solid 5-6 miles to prepare me for the <a href="http://www.getingear10k.com/">Get in Gear 10K</a>. <br />
<br />
Well, I took off on my run and, after a little complaining from my legs (awwww...do we HAVE to run today? The couch was SOOOO comfortable) I was able to find a nice, steady pace. I felt great, and everything seemed to be clicking. When my Garmin chimed in at the first mile at 8:15 I was pretty surprised. That's the fastest mile I've run since the downhill portion of the <a href="http://captaintanlines.blogspot.com/2010/07/chaska-river-city-days-triathlon_17.html">Chaska Tri last year</a>. <br />
<br />
I still felt fresh, so I tried to keep the pace the same for miles 2 and 3. They clocked in at 8:05 and 8:02. Mile 4 was 7:47, but that was mostly downhill, so I was cheating a little. Mile 5 was flatter, and I managed an 8:11. I was starting to really feel it at this point, but was able to push through the last .62 miles at a 7:44/mile pace. So, I covered 5.62 miles in 45:08. That's an average of 8:01 per mile. Holy Cats!<br />
<br />
So, that brings me to the preview of the Get in Gear 10K race this Saturday. I'd love to have a repeat performance and finish with splits at or below 8:00 per mile. That would mean breaking 50:00. So, that'll be my lofty goal tomorrow.<br />
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The course is flat. Like, pancake flat. The only real hills to speak of are to get on to and off of the bridges over the Mississippi. So, if I fall short of my goal, I can't exactly blame the killer hills.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5bJkp-2CRMvSbLHcibm8KsUcZwEtnCRLnUqhBP7797ODGGpVDeAKBKxGZkxtAzdR23-rSwhy9n5hfrsVn7-OsQws6SjJPeCNCFe3ARUPLEeY_mSi3dZVhAaup3XDl-4JuhLRWDkgx9A2j/s1600/10k_map_2005_crop.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5bJkp-2CRMvSbLHcibm8KsUcZwEtnCRLnUqhBP7797ODGGpVDeAKBKxGZkxtAzdR23-rSwhy9n5hfrsVn7-OsQws6SjJPeCNCFe3ARUPLEeY_mSi3dZVhAaup3XDl-4JuhLRWDkgx9A2j/s400/10k_map_2005_crop.gif" width="190" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb2OyNfV1ZcE-SNcTv1uxCg4AzEahho8WEmHAqSGeaeL_1sjF5vOL6cKwYGykbKJ9WpKYwEJ2CrH41C4a-KQZObS1pJUI6M_s8Vhd-BFex3HRj6DnkAaRTupnJZ8GIkjaKNFg1PC4_DMKs/s1600/10k-map-elevation.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="155" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb2OyNfV1ZcE-SNcTv1uxCg4AzEahho8WEmHAqSGeaeL_1sjF5vOL6cKwYGykbKJ9WpKYwEJ2CrH41C4a-KQZObS1pJUI6M_s8Vhd-BFex3HRj6DnkAaRTupnJZ8GIkjaKNFg1PC4_DMKs/s400/10k-map-elevation.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The weather is supposed to be in the low 50s tomorrow morning, which is right in my wheelhouse for fast runs. Unfortunately, it's also supposed to be rainy. I don't mind running in the rain too much. It's standing in the rain waiting for the race to start that can be a pain. Of course, hopefully I'll be working hard enough so that I'll be worried more about my achy legs and less about getting a little soggy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One other thing to keep in mind is that this could potentially be a very crowded race. Last year, it took more than 20 minutes for the 10K runners to cross the start line. I'm hoping to start far enough back in the pack that I won't get trampled by the <em>real</em> runners - you know, the folks averaging under 6:00/mile. Then again, I don't want to start so far back that I have to weave through the crowd for 6+ miles.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, lets recap:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong>Super-Lofty Goal:</strong> Break 50:00</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong>Not-Quite-As-Lofty-But-Still-Pleased Goal:</strong> 51:30</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong>"Meh." Goal:</strong> 52:30</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'll be back tomorrow to let you know how it went. </div>Cap'n Tan Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02618805560011737791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637804185372994416.post-32689045851153927032011-04-24T20:15:00.000-07:002011-04-24T20:16:05.216-07:00Training Hurt vs. Training InjuredAs much as training and racing in triathlons has helped me get (and stay) healthier, I'll also admit that they can beat the holy heck out of your body. Over the last few years, I've had my share of minor setbacks. Last year, I <a href="http://captaintanlines.blogspot.com/2010/06/few-words-about-recovery.html">developed tendinitis in my left foot</a>, which took a good chunk out of my training right in the middle of the season. This year, I've had some minor abdominal stress along with a little patellar tendinitis in my right knee.<br />
<br />
Now, I know that I've been pretty lucky so far. Nothing has sidelined me for any significant amount of time. Aside from juggling around a few workouts or holding back on running for a day or two, there's hasn't been a huge impact to my training. Of course, one nice thing about triathlon is that if you can't train for one sport, there are two others to keep you occupied. When I couldn't run for a while last year, it was time to rock 'n' roll in the pool. In other words, I've trained 'hurt' plenty of times, but haven't hit anything serious enough to be considered 'injured', causing me to have to stop training altogether. Again: Hurt = keep training. Injured = no training.<br />
<br />
So, then the question becomes, "How do I know the difference?". Like most of us, I'm not going to head to the doctor every time I feel a little stiff. Shoot. If that was the case, I may as well move in to the clinic. No. As a general rule, once a body part gets hurt, I'll give it a day or two so I can understand it. After that, I'll try home therapies. If the body part starts to feel better, I'll continue. If not, it's time to see the doc to see what they have to say. Obviously, the severity of the pain is going to have a lot to do with this. If my broken shinbone is poking up through my skin, I'm not going to 'see how it goes' before heading to the doctor. Let's use my recent spell of tendinitis as an example. <br />
<br />
Things first felt a bit 'off' near the end of a run two weeks ago on Sunday. At first, I thought that I had just tweaked my knee a bit and didn't thing much of it. I thought that I would just walk it off and it would go away on its own. Then, later in the day, while on a bike ride, things went from 'off' to downright painful. Every time I pushed down on my right pedal it HURT. Of course, I couldn't just stop and call a cab, so I just sucked it up and limped my way home. Again, I wasn't too worried. I iced it, took some ibuprofen and stayed off my feet for the rest of the day. I didn't get really worried until the next day when I woke up and it still hurt like a mother.<br />
<br />
Luckily, I only had a swim workout scheduled on Monday, so at least my legs would get a rest. After my time in the pool, I headed home for some RICE therapy (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation). The next morning, the pain was much more manageable than the day before. "Okay," I thought, "at least we're going in the right direction."<br />
<br />
Tuesday, my plan called for a run and a bike. Running was out. No freaking way. But, I wanted to see what would happen on a quick bike ride. I headed out on a nice, flat route that would be easy on the knees. I was definitely <i>aware</i> of my knee, but it felt more like pressure than pain. It was a good sign. I upped the intensity just a tad, but the pain didn't increase. So far, so good. I headed home and started icing again, just to be safe.<br />
<br />
Wednesday was a mid-week rest day. It was good timing.<br />
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Thursday was supposed to be a long tempo run along with speed work in the pool. Well, the knee was feeling light years better compared to Sunday, but it still wasn't to the point where I was comfortable running - especially for a 100-minute sufferfest. So, I did the pool workout and then a spinning session to at least get my heart rate up for a while.<br />
<br />
Friday was another long day in the pool. Easy-peasey. No issues.<br />
<br />
By Saturday, I was finally ready to try running again, but I wanted it to be in a controlled environment. So, for the first time in weeks, I packed up my running gear and headed to the gym. I started at a modest 6.5 mph on the treadmill and things felt okay. Over the course of 40 minutes, I slowly sped things up to 7.0 mph. I could feel a little pressure in the knee, but no real pain. Great! We ARE on the right track. I also wore a kneecap strap, just to add a little extra support, but I'm not sure if it made any difference. Honestly, I think it only succeeded in chafing the back of my leg.<br />
<br />
During the first chunk of the following week, I still stuck to swims and bikes. The pain was all but gone, so, by Tuesday, it was time to get back on the schedule. The plan called for a 2-hour run. Since the forecast called for snow (ugh, SNOW?!?) I hit the treadmill again. It went something like this:<br />
<br />
<b>Good Idea:</b> Going for a 2-hour run.<br />
<b>Not-So-Good Idea:</b> Going for a 2-hour run on the treadmill at the gym.<br />
<b>Bad Idea:</b> Selecting the treadmill pointed at the TV playing a Bravo marathon of 'Pregnant in High Heels'. <span style="font-size: small;"><span class="messageBody"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="messageBody"><b>Even-Worse Idea:</b> Letting said TV show convince you that your next career path should be as a 'Maternity Concierge'.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="messageBody">Anyway, after 2 hours and 13.4 miles, the knee was sore, but good. Heck. After 13+ miles, ALL of me was sore but good. My knee and I were back in business. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="messageBody"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="messageBody">Since then, I've had a few more runs and started taking things outside again. I even had a breakthrough workout yesterday where I rocked some super-fast splits on a tempo run. Hopefully, that'll mean a good PR at <a href="http://www.getingear10k.com/">Get in Gear</a> next weekend.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="messageBody"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="messageBody">So, what's the takeaway? Well, I suppose #1 is that I've been very fortunate that I've only had to train hurt, and have never been laid out with a severe injury. Beyond that, I've learned to be flexible when my body starts barking at me. Things are going to hurt from time to time. The best move is to nip it in the bud by making adjustments to the training schedule. Or better yet, do some preventative maintenance like stretching and foam-rolling to keep from getting hurt in the first place.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="messageBody"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="messageBody">So, now that my engine is firing on all 6 cylinders again, I'm REALLY looking forward to seeing how things go at Get in Gear on Saturday. I'll be doing the 10K and The Wife will be racing in the 5K. I'm hoping that the staggered starts for these races will allow us to cross the finish line at the same time. Stay tuned to find out what happens.</span></span>Cap'n Tan Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02618805560011737791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637804185372994416.post-22615593331034009352011-04-17T18:45:00.000-07:002011-04-17T18:45:55.977-07:00MilestonesI hit two major milestones in the last couple of weeks. First off, I passed 1000 miles of cycling miles for 2011. Now, most of those miles were on the trainer, and the trainer doesn't always accurately represent how far I've gone. Okay, technically I wasn't actually GOING anywhere, so I guess most of those 1000 miles are virtual miles. But, the work was anything but virtual, so I'm going to celebrate. Yay me.<br />
<br />
Second - and this is a bit of a bigger deal - I celebrated my 1-year blog-iversary. Woo hoo!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxFEPu0yT37R763jEXvU6-WSzpNmtqbvJpDSxO8dJxilSzZR1l2cos2EP7IeEjrjKLkV5c8lTglZ-vD8vRI1e8zPsWYemMLpOzQB1d8u7CF90q5iC31TV5G2MMRYIbu99547qMnzSn0R2Z/s1600/blogiversary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxFEPu0yT37R763jEXvU6-WSzpNmtqbvJpDSxO8dJxilSzZR1l2cos2EP7IeEjrjKLkV5c8lTglZ-vD8vRI1e8zPsWYemMLpOzQB1d8u7CF90q5iC31TV5G2MMRYIbu99547qMnzSn0R2Z/s400/blogiversary.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Way back in 2010 I started writing as a way to document my training experiences leading up to <a href="http://captaintanlines.blogspot.com/search/label/Ironman">Ironman Wisconsin</a>. Go ahead, check out <a href="http://captaintanlines.blogspot.com/2010/04/into-wild-blog-yonder.html">my first post</a>. Pretty modest, eh? Well, the Ironman came and went, but the blog kept on going. Sometimes I'd post about <a href="http://captaintanlines.blogspot.com/search/label/Workouts">training</a>, sometimes I'd post about <a href="http://captaintanlines.blogspot.com/search/label/Fun%20in%20the%20Kitchen">food</a>, and sometimes I'd post about <a href="http://captaintanlines.blogspot.com/2011/03/100-things.html">all sorts of unrelated crap</a>. <br />
<br />
In the end, things usually come back to training and racing. I've had a lot of great experiences and met many groovy people through swimming, cycling and running. In my mind, blogging about it is just a natural extension of being a member of this community. Plus, I like writing, and this blog allows me to scratch that writing itch in a way that I usually don't have the opportunity to out there in the Real World.<br />
<br />
So, I'll keep writing. Sure, there's no big name triathlon this year, but I've got a marathon coming up in October, and all kinds of other goodies to look forward to this summer. <br />
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Oh, and don't forget to <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Captain-Tan-Lines/170815409612970">'Like' me on Facebook</a>. The more 'likes' that I have, the more it feeds my hungry ego, and the more entertaining I become.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi827PYhvfxzDzsMr_zPPhnhzaqMJuzAWFdp4dGF1ke5fkQXtA3kw9XUhKgtjRLA8WhHmrxlJwJypparJ9O4bO-RkaLspru0lGfZwg2DlIs2vdqemOIvmM7k1m0DxAtPdeEfG2xSi3AIe8f/s1600/Little-Shop-Audrey-II.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi827PYhvfxzDzsMr_zPPhnhzaqMJuzAWFdp4dGF1ke5fkQXtA3kw9XUhKgtjRLA8WhHmrxlJwJypparJ9O4bO-RkaLspru0lGfZwg2DlIs2vdqemOIvmM7k1m0DxAtPdeEfG2xSi3AIe8f/s400/Little-Shop-Audrey-II.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm kinda like Audrey 2, except, instead of dentists, I eat Internet traffic.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Cap'n Tan Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02618805560011737791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637804185372994416.post-86556030270188729982011-04-11T21:38:00.000-07:002011-04-11T21:38:10.045-07:00A Week of WorkoutsIt's been a busy week. My training plan is calling for a lot more two-a-day workouts, plus the volume is going up. So, basically, my day consists of waking up, working, working out and sleeping. Don't get me wrong though, I love getting some longer workouts in, especially since all but the swimming can be done outside now. <br />
<br />
Here's what I've been up to over the past 7 days:<br />
<br />
<b>Monday</b><br />
There was just a swim last Monday, and it was a speed workout at that. In general, speed workouts are shorter, but more intense. So, I spend less total time in the pool, but swim faster than race pace during the repeats. Here's the plan for Monday along with my 100-yard splits:<br />
Warmup: <br />
50y Swim, 50y Kick Drill, 50y Swim, 50y Kick Drill, 50y Swim.<br />
Main Set:<br />
400y - 1:32/100y<br />
100y - 1:22<br />
100y - 1:22<br />
100y - 1:22<br />
100y - 1:22 (how do you like THAT for consistency? Eh? EHHHH?<br />
300y - 1:34/100y<br />
100y - 1:25<br />
100y - 1:26<br />
100y - 1:25 (starting to feel it here - had to struggle to keep it up)<br />
200y - 1:34/100y<br />
100y - 1:25<br />
100y - 1:25 (DEFINITELY had to work harder to keep the pace steady for these last two)<br />
<br />
Cooldown:<br />
3 x 75 yards (nothing fancy here, it was just enough to wind down and return to 'normal')<br />
<br />
<b>Tuesday</b><br />
This was a long day. Since I work an earlier shift, any workout that can't be done over lunch has to wait until after I punch out. So, I packed the bike into the car the night before so I could zip out to Medina and cruise around for a 2-hour bike, before heading over to the pool for an evening swim.<br />
<br />
I have an affinity for the roads out west. The wind can be a little rough when it's coming out of the west. It really teaches you to get nice, low and aero. I started at Holy Name Church and headed out onto the course. It was breezy, but nowhere near as bad as it could be. After 1:48 on the road and a little over 32 miles, I ended up with a 17.8 MPH average. No, it's not race pace, but for a solo ride early in the season, it's not too shabby. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl6tipd5utHzTCS2nCZ6BAsEpkp7nn2x9L0lBrIVVnVoUbar8av6EYBjiT1DfDoZiqpDyAVvG1n1FVlItJwnh7yCfuVerG4BfcOzHW3lq0YW6RQ0X2MbJlQeT4ClSzg7yrm35s85d4vY-r/s1600/Bike+-+4-4-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl6tipd5utHzTCS2nCZ6BAsEpkp7nn2x9L0lBrIVVnVoUbar8av6EYBjiT1DfDoZiqpDyAVvG1n1FVlItJwnh7yCfuVerG4BfcOzHW3lq0YW6RQ0X2MbJlQeT4ClSzg7yrm35s85d4vY-r/s400/Bike+-+4-4-11.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
So, I packed up the bike again and sped over to the nearest pool. This is where I learned a valuable lesson about fueling for workouts. You see, I had plenty of gas in the tank for a 2-hour bike ride, but I neglected to eat while riding and ended up running on fumes during the swim. Heck, I was so pooped that I had to cut the swim short. Ordinarily, I would just tough it out, but I was so drained that my swim form was turning to garbage. It was better to just cut my losses rather than practice bad form.<br />
<br />
<b>Wednesday</b><br />
It was the 3rd day of the week, and I did my 3rd swim. This time, it was a long, steady session.<br />
<br />
Warmup:<br />
200y<br />
<br />
Main Set:<br />
2500y (1:34/100y) - I felt really good about this set. Since last year, my splits have dropped about 6-7 seconds per 100 yards. That's 2-3 minutes of saved time over a half-iron swim. Hopefully, that will get me out of the water even more quickly so that I can put more distance between myself and the stronger cyclists on faster bikes.<br />
<br />
Cooldown:<br />
4 x 50y - Again, nothing special. It was just enough to relax and get limber again.<br />
<br />
After the swim, I headed home and went for a run. No, it wasn't anything epic. I just did a quick 4.25 around the neighborhood. I managed to keep my splits under 9:00/mile, but it wasn't easy. I always feel a little oogy running after a swim. Maybe it just takes a while to get my land-legs back.<br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>Thursday</b><br />
There was only one sport to work on for Thursday. Shoot, after all these two-a-days, it was nice to just worry about doing ONE thing. The weather was absolutely PERFECT for a run. It was warm enough to wear shorts and a t-shirt, but it was cool enough so that I didn't sweat buckets. As a result, my splits rocked. Heck, they were better than my 10K race splits from <a href="http://captaintanlines.blogspot.com/2010/11/drumstick-dash-10k-race-review.html">last year</a>. In the end, I covered 6.7 miles in 57:38. That gave me an average of 8:36 per mile. Sure, I'm no runner. I mean, really, there are plenty of folks out there that can wax my fanny in running. But, 2 years ago I was grunting out 11:00 splits in training and couldn't break 10:00/mile in a race if you were chasing me with a knife. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizo-pSJtvmFvdI7jTREcpJb1Mx1T47P5g07diZ2R2xDObj8SLhho1I2_JXJVygDMgM4YaQnOyMdwXkCJii4AXdXhNLWgE1hA5QApF7AjFDRyhpZJ4Zir89ydBkLm6XBL2KQUj8E71aI4Kn/s1600/Run+-+4-7-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizo-pSJtvmFvdI7jTREcpJb1Mx1T47P5g07diZ2R2xDObj8SLhho1I2_JXJVygDMgM4YaQnOyMdwXkCJii4AXdXhNLWgE1hA5QApF7AjFDRyhpZJ4Zir89ydBkLm6XBL2KQUj8E71aI4Kn/s400/Run+-+4-7-11.jpg" width="310" /></a></div><br />
<b>Friday</b><br />
Friday was a rest day...or so I thought. I got a text from The Wife half-way through the day asking if I would go for a run with her. She's just getting back in to running again and is aiming to to the Get in Gear 5K in a couple of weeks. So, I sure as heck wasn't going to say no. We did a 2.5 mile loop around the neighborhood. She ran the whole thing and only stopped for a stoplight. Not bad. I'm proud of her.<br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>Saturday</b><br />
I did another group ride out of Chaska with the Twin Cities Spoke, just like <a href="http://captaintanlines.blogspot.com/2011/04/group-rides-and-new-duds.html">last week</a>. Only, this time around it was a 38-mile loop. We were really hauling tail that morning. These guys focus a lot more on cycling than I do, so they're much stronger in the saddle. <br />
<br />
As we got further into the ride, a handful of the faster riders picked up the pace. I tried to keep up, but ended up being just a smidge too slow. As a result, I ended up riding a good chunk of the route alone. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing. I got the chance to get into the aero bars again and get in some good time-trialing.<br />
<br />
Sorry. I don't have a map for this ride. I neglected to charge the battery on my Garmin, so I had to ride nekkid on Saturday. What I DO know, is that we covered 37.75 miles in just a hair over 2 hours. That puts my average speed at about 18.1 MPH. Now, this was a group ride, and it's a heckuva lot easier to go faster in a group, especially when you hide from the wind behind the stronger riders, like I do. <br />
<br />
<b>Sunday</b><br />
The workout plan called for an hour run followed by a 90-minute ride. The nice thing about running with a Garmin, is that you can make up your runs as you go along and always know how far you've gone. Sunday, I did another jog around the neighborhood. Near the half-way of the run, my right knee started to feel a little goofy. I didn't want this to turn into anything, so I just cut the run short and headed back home.<br />
<br />
For the bike, I headed out to Baker Park again to meet with the folks from Beginner Triathlete. The weather was looking nasty, and the wind was really kicking up. Only one other person showed up to ride, but we still rode a good chunk of the Liberty Tri course. In the end, I did get in just over an hour and a half of riding. <br />
<br />
My knee started to feel weird again during the tail end of the ride. It hurt just below the kneecap whenever I flexed my quad to push down on the pedal. Again, I didn't want to risk injury, so I sped home after the ride and iced that sucker.<br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>Monday</b><br />
The knee was still pretty sore this morning, so I decided to skip my evening ride. However, I was able to get in another nice swim. <br />
<br />
Warmup:<br />
4 x 75y, 1 x 100y<br />
<br />
Main Set:<br />
1000y (1:33/100y)<br />
1000y (1:33/100y)<br />
<br />
Cooldown<br />
250y<br />
<br />
So, there you have it. One week of workouts. Well, almost. I'll try to get in a longer bike later this week to make up for what I missed today. I'm not too worried yet. Every season has its setbacks. Last year, I had problems with my left foot, so a sore knee isn't too big of a deal...yet. In the mean time, I'll keep icing the sucker and concentrating on the swim.<br />
<br />
Later gators!Cap'n Tan Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02618805560011737791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637804185372994416.post-22241810802668935982011-04-03T19:19:00.000-07:002011-04-03T19:19:49.012-07:00Group Rides and New DudsThis was a great weekend for cycling. It was relatively dry and relatively warm, plus I got to be in my first group rides of the year. That's right. I said 'rides', as in 'more than one'. The first ride was with my homies from the <a href="http://www.twincitiesspoke.com/">Twin Cities Spoke</a>. We do a spin session on Saturday mornings throughout the winter, but now that Spring is here, everyone is itching to hit the road.<br />
<br />
We met down in Chaska at 8:30am, so it was still plenty chilly. The good news was that our club clothing order had come in, so I got to give my new wind shell a test drive. We headed south through Carver, up through a crazy-steep hill and then headed north towards Victoria. Parts of our ride were on the Chaska Tri bike course. It felt good to see that part of town. It makes me feel like race season is just about within sight.<br />
<br />
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</div><br />
It's nice to ride with these guys. There are folks with various levels of ability, but most of them are much stronger cyclists than I am. So, I get a little motivation to work a harder than I normally would on a solo ride. Plus, if I'm hurting, there's usually someone to draft off of.<br />
<br />
One pretty sweet part of that morning was picking up the new team kits that I ordered a couple months ago. I' had been going the last few years using just one team jersey and one pair of shorts. So, when this year's order went out, I grabbed a little Christmas cash (thanks Mom!) and some of my allowance money (yes, I have an allowance, but that's a story for another post) and placed my order for two pairs of shorts, two jerseys, a base layer and a wind shell. So, getting my delivery yesterday was a bit like Christmas morning part II.<br />
<br />
Naturally, I ran home, locked the door and went through all my swag.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMMQw2CsXxjuLMt1qHuJ0zyu754M4RTVhXHhKjsDUX0x6MLgAQ1WVOmX-QP52bAx9gL37kVBUq_Nu2wDVjNHqJh3IDx3zgztTUGsrrbIu2VAz8x5Jsng5fhbFhatsjD_Pby1tlq4-ODXUb/s1600/New+Kit+in+Bags.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMMQw2CsXxjuLMt1qHuJ0zyu754M4RTVhXHhKjsDUX0x6MLgAQ1WVOmX-QP52bAx9gL37kVBUq_Nu2wDVjNHqJh3IDx3zgztTUGsrrbIu2VAz8x5Jsng5fhbFhatsjD_Pby1tlq4-ODXUb/s400/New+Kit+in+Bags.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Then, I tore those bags open.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5_m1DQ8J7kWRmjK7GYBC6KEWdFpkyxAEkvl1BvOI20MMbgjfnLsS83VS2vBPp2-wJeTl3_YSrBVIOIGq6wiKwtAlSFSsOQ-BwgAwvQ0PyRZACP1CWUgtwP-cIFJKSsbQsVQJgYHmaSHJF/s1600/New+Kit+Spread+Out.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5_m1DQ8J7kWRmjK7GYBC6KEWdFpkyxAEkvl1BvOI20MMbgjfnLsS83VS2vBPp2-wJeTl3_YSrBVIOIGq6wiKwtAlSFSsOQ-BwgAwvQ0PyRZACP1CWUgtwP-cIFJKSsbQsVQJgYHmaSHJF/s400/New+Kit+Spread+Out.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh Boy Oh Boy Oh Boy!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>This is exciting for a few different reasons. First and foremost, I can now wear the team gear for training AND races. It'll be nice to 'dance with the one who brung ya', if you know what I mean. If you'll recall rule #1 from my <a href="http://captaintanlines.blogspot.com/2011/03/captains-8-rules-of-road.html">rules of the road</a>, it's important to remember for whom you ride. Second, my current training gear, team-sponsored and otherwise, is in pretty sad shape. My shorts, especially, are really showing their age - you'd age more quickly too if you spent that amount of time near my nether-regions.<br />
<br />
Third, the team has re-designed their shorts with a black panel in front and back, rather than the old purple/navy panel. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcvHevIrV2i94Aah8ZCvtr7u7yQVkUInRVDEjy3TCWx9JXW1N4tXqJkqRmbHOJPdqqiXbRW50nC8sTQGFa5dU8U5BfrarGS_yWM-svR7MwNzYk0Dj3l1msPPn6DP64UgEQlMWzhdR_7z0n/s1600/Old+Shorts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcvHevIrV2i94Aah8ZCvtr7u7yQVkUInRVDEjy3TCWx9JXW1N4tXqJkqRmbHOJPdqqiXbRW50nC8sTQGFa5dU8U5BfrarGS_yWM-svR7MwNzYk0Dj3l1msPPn6DP64UgEQlMWzhdR_7z0n/s400/Old+Shorts.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The old shorts.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Why is this important? Well, colored spandex has a habit of showing, um, how do I say this? "unwanted moisture". In the past, I had to walk out of the rest room with my helmet over my lap (no matter how much you shake and dance, the last two drops go in your pants.) Plus, even if your my bladder wasn't an issue, any amount of cycling is going to cause a little sweating, so after a workout I'd end up looking like I wet myself.<br />
<br />
Anyway, on to Sunday.<br />
<br />
I've mentioned before how I use <a href="http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/">Beginner Triathlete</a> to track my workouts and connect with the local tri community. Well, since many of us are getting antsy to ride outside, several members organized an impromptu group ride out on the Liberty Triathlon bike course. We were scared that the threat of rain would ruin the afternoon, but, it turned out to be a great day for a ride. The highs were in the 50s and the sun peeked out from time to time. <br />
<br />
So, 7 of us met over at Baker Park and headed out on a nice casual ride around the course. It was nice to chat with some 'forum buddies' and learn what everyone was up to. One fellow was riding for just the 2nd time on clipless pedals. Like anyone new to clipless pedals will tell you, accidentally tipping over while stopped is a rite of passage. So, we all had a bit of a giggle when he had a bit of a "gravity attack" when the group stopped (sorry Adrian!). <br />
<br />
Of course, I didn't want him to feel bad, so the next time I had a chance, I decided to "accidentally" tip over too. And just to make things "extra convincing" I decided to tip over onto one of the other riders (sorry Sarah!) and take a chunk out of my knee.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjppF9FkuLr5ZLZRa-grF5hv9-wszE4xbpZQL3H6YOmglB0ZQjm8cdjrsLD_UDtkhYhV-6Rh7ikvd3IYHL9344pjUvllXJkq86v3WB8uCUnYSAT2wzwjHtpKAJpjA4Gc4-xCL372THDYSxV/s1600/Bloody+Knee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjppF9FkuLr5ZLZRa-grF5hv9-wszE4xbpZQL3H6YOmglB0ZQjm8cdjrsLD_UDtkhYhV-6Rh7ikvd3IYHL9344pjUvllXJkq86v3WB8uCUnYSAT2wzwjHtpKAJpjA4Gc4-xCL372THDYSxV/s400/Bloody+Knee.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Okay, okay...so it wasn't a 'chunk', but it did draw blood (also: notice the lack of awkward sweat lines).</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Once we all stopped falling over, the ride went really well. The wind coming out of the east was a little gnarly, but once we started to head west again, we got to enjoy a little free speed.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_vcC_M3gbyl7B6UHOMlD-bgLu_lA2zOI7Qg8j_EJXOzK9GQVrnTfcJb9javYd64NBNpjl1UYNwvSrRenqGlOe0lCkM0KnZTE74qvhyJEnF5uMQybd5caD5vtD88Bp2xsgOhBCo7eYRj8r/s1600/Bike+-+4-3-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_vcC_M3gbyl7B6UHOMlD-bgLu_lA2zOI7Qg8j_EJXOzK9GQVrnTfcJb9javYd64NBNpjl1UYNwvSrRenqGlOe0lCkM0KnZTE74qvhyJEnF5uMQybd5caD5vtD88Bp2xsgOhBCo7eYRj8r/s400/Bike+-+4-3-11.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Getting outside and riding with folks was excellent. Hopefully, we can get some more of these group rides together throughout the spring as we're all putting in our base miles.<br />
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Speaking of base miles, since I'm wrapping up my first rest week of this training plan, tomorrow will be the beginning of my first Base Training week. What does this mean? Well, it means my volume will go up, especially for swimming and cycling. Don't worry though, there will be plenty of time to focus on the run later on.<br />
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Toodles!Cap'n Tan Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02618805560011737791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637804185372994416.post-39731290758492253612011-03-29T19:52:00.000-07:002011-03-29T19:52:42.563-07:00Farewell to a Friend, and I Wear Women's ShoesIt was a sad day last week. I had to say goodbye to a training partner and a good friend of mine. That's right. My swim shorts finally bit the dust. So sad.<br />
<br />
Everything was going fine until one day last week when, after a long swim, I noticed that the stitching was starting to separate on one of the seams.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUF6QOkte_xfyONZeXXyWrxKOknlpIZ8F8HaxUoN_gJULlF6vqmntv5q6YHdqNaWFDfgX_hcJ7U-L1s_QU6ugvfNGLf7DveJiQ39JsU3JG3qAaz33Tyi_DW0RlKrdtKBzcKE6RA3dIipYc/s1600/Speedo+Stitching.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUF6QOkte_xfyONZeXXyWrxKOknlpIZ8F8HaxUoN_gJULlF6vqmntv5q6YHdqNaWFDfgX_hcJ7U-L1s_QU6ugvfNGLf7DveJiQ39JsU3JG3qAaz33Tyi_DW0RlKrdtKBzcKE6RA3dIipYc/s400/Speedo+Stitching.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well, that doesn't look too bad.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I took a closer look, and didn't like what I found...<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLD14o_OqMCna349kKwyUJhERe9CH5NYoMBlbYyD06dDhjluue1Z_kydgWlRSs_hhtUUq-IjnNCPDxX6XecrhFhypox1nO77__hMaSohK0i6J1aF0r0afljCezNWNpvjvu3tVPsPqAQDY4/s1600/Speedo+Hole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLD14o_OqMCna349kKwyUJhERe9CH5NYoMBlbYyD06dDhjluue1Z_kydgWlRSs_hhtUUq-IjnNCPDxX6XecrhFhypox1nO77__hMaSohK0i6J1aF0r0afljCezNWNpvjvu3tVPsPqAQDY4/s400/Speedo+Hole.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uh oh...</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg09WClpplCTuSG0yAFYvCdbEc3crhaN96jaeh3GMIPc2kwzt0gPNVi7x2h-JWz4_Q6PeeYOmTxX96GAC4mYzBAwU0ImDD-B6-ziFt7JEQapzk2SPVwQg1qlifBM1CbY9Sqq2pDREVpApwS/s1600/Speedo+Finger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg09WClpplCTuSG0yAFYvCdbEc3crhaN96jaeh3GMIPc2kwzt0gPNVi7x2h-JWz4_Q6PeeYOmTxX96GAC4mYzBAwU0ImDD-B6-ziFt7JEQapzk2SPVwQg1qlifBM1CbY9Sqq2pDREVpApwS/s400/Speedo+Finger.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you can do THIS, then it's time for a new pair of shorts.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
You may remember my Speedo Endurance shorts from <a href="http://captaintanlines.blogspot.com/2010/06/my-first-product-review-speedo.html">my first product review</a> way back last June. Chlorine has a way of eating shorts, especially the stretchy kind that lap swimmers use. I was lucky to eek 2-3 months of use out of a pair of shorts before they became dangerously see-through. The Endurance line is a blessing. For just a few dollars more, they lasted well over a year. What's even cooler is that the fabric never failed, it was the stitching that finally gave out. Not bad. Not bad at all.<br />
<br />
So, the old shorts had a good life, but their time is done. I ran out the next day and picked up a fresh pair. This pair is cut a little differently. There's no seam going up the back, and they leave a little less to the imagination. If you want to know how much less, then you'll have to meet me for a swim workout some time.<br />
<br />
On a somewhat related note, the day after I picked up my new swim trunks, my shower sandals crapped out too. Ugh. I'm not too particular about my sandals. I'm happy just as long as they keep my feet off the shower tile. So, I ran by the nearest target and snagged the cheapest sandals I could find. Shoot. How could I possibly screw this up?<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8XBBaWU6MZECCCJMNGAB9AJfXGRPvmgF78NOC_wuJDxbmOnrS7BQvsxRM1P8cawJHfnMOt7k4rdSO-3OYbejUFSCgbxLJ8dfgk9H5teDyYkcLgRSxRlDCFWuEH1OhvVCDgkGk_4zHBs_m/s1600/Sandals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8XBBaWU6MZECCCJMNGAB9AJfXGRPvmgF78NOC_wuJDxbmOnrS7BQvsxRM1P8cawJHfnMOt7k4rdSO-3OYbejUFSCgbxLJ8dfgk9H5teDyYkcLgRSxRlDCFWuEH1OhvVCDgkGk_4zHBs_m/s400/Sandals.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sandals. Easy. No problems. Right?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Then, I took a closer look...<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRbG4ysXsVg5FQFed6mg0zuLDGtSkXXTZHdfOrLlayU2pqGDMQOgeZlL6b3LStocvfXJcvrhxq_3W28g7MQsA7AQFrFsmL9IgF0VRkd5nZqOKIkyMrdvjeoCxDqVTfnKRhQqqsPi4_nXIT/s1600/Sandals+Closeup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRbG4ysXsVg5FQFed6mg0zuLDGtSkXXTZHdfOrLlayU2pqGDMQOgeZlL6b3LStocvfXJcvrhxq_3W28g7MQsA7AQFrFsmL9IgF0VRkd5nZqOKIkyMrdvjeoCxDqVTfnKRhQqqsPi4_nXIT/s400/Sandals+Closeup.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh, you have got to be kidding me.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Yep. My new sandals were made for a woman. So, in addition to my silky smooth legs, I am now sporting some ultra-fem-y footwear. Basically, I'm all woman below the thighs. <br />
<br />
Score.Cap'n Tan Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02618805560011737791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637804185372994416.post-14581908602283355212011-03-28T20:37:00.000-07:002011-03-28T20:37:48.446-07:00The Captain's 8 Rules of the RoadThe snow is almost gone. It's staying light later into the evening. Folks in the cycling and tri communities are anxious to unplug from their trainers and hit the roads for some meaningful rides. But, even in bicycle-friendly community like the Twin Cities, there are still plenty of opportunities for conflict. <br />
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Cyclists and motorists often find themselves at odds. Motorists think that cyclists are invading their turf. Meanwhile, cyclists want to exercise their right to use the roads, but are wary because they aren't wrapped in two tons of steel to protect them in a crash. There are jerks on both sides. I'd pay real money to go for a long ride without someone yelling out their car window at me. At the same time, I can't tell you how many times I've seen cyclists behaving like arrogant wieners.<br />
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So, with that in mind, here is a quick list of rules that I think responsible cyclists should follow:<br />
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<b>1. Remember Who You Ride For</b><br />
Whether or not your realize it, when you ride, you are representing more than just yourself. Sure, if you ride with a group or wear a team jersey, you've got them to worry about. I don't want someone to catch me acting like an butt-munch when I'm wearing my kit from the <a href="http://www.twincitiesspoke.com/">Twin Cities Spoke</a>. But beyond that, you represent everyone else out there who throws on spandex and hops into the saddle. Many drivers cringe every time they see a cyclist on the road dressed like Lance. They see us as a menace. The best thing we can do is represent ourselves well. Bottom Line: If you're going to ride, don't be a douche about it.<br />
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</b><br />
<b>2. Don't Turn Off Your Brain</b><br />
I know that it can be difficult to stay focused at all times, but having a lapse in concentration is one of the easiest ways to end up kissing pavement. My biggest struggles are during long rides out in the country and during group rides. During the long rides, I just get into a zone, where all I'm concentrating on is keeping my legs pumping (and maybe whatever song is playing on the IPod in my head). During group rides, it's a little different. It's really easy to just 'go with the flow' and hope the rider ahead of you has things under control. Of course, if they don't you'll be eating their back wheel in no time. This is also a good way to accidentally drop the slower members of the group. I can't tell you how many times I've been on a club ride where we hit a stop light and have a conversation like this:<br />
Person A: "Hey, where's the new guy"<br />
Person B: "I don't know. The last I saw, he was hanging on my wheel"<br />
Person A: "But you were supposed to ride at the back of the pack to keep everyone together."<br />
Person B: "D'oh"<br />
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<b>3. Know Your Route</b><br />
This is a critical one for me. Please - know where you plan to go before you hit the road. I don't just mean knowing which streets to turn on. Make yourself familiar with what you may encounter. How busy is the traffic? How wide are the shoulders? Will you be riding during rush hour? Is there some place to fill up your water bottle (or empty my bladder) or grab a bite to eat? Which way is the wind blowing, and how will that impact whether I ride clockwise or counter-clockwise loops?<br />
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<b>4. File a Flight Plan</b><br />
This is especially important if you'll be riding alone. Make sure you let someone know where you'll be riding and about what time you'll be back. It's the courteous thing to do to keep your spouse or significant other from worrying to death. Plus, if you have a flat out of cell phone range, you can hope that they'll drive your route and pick up your sad, stranded butt.<br />
If you're riding in a group, make sure that everyone either knows the route or is hooked up with someone who does - before the ride starts. That way, if the plans need to change half-way through the ride, everyone will still be able to get home. <br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>5. Obey The Local Traffic Laws</b><br />
As a cyclist, you have as much of a right to use the roads as any motorist. However, if you are going to use their roads, you must follow the same laws that they do. What does this mean? Well, for one, if you see a stop sign, then stop. Yeah, it may break up your rhythm. Just look at is as an opportunity to practice your track-stand and your explosiveness off of the start line. Around here, cops are ticketing more and more cyclists for moving violations. I'm not exactly pooping cash, so a $100 ticket for whipping through a stop sign in Wayzata would pretty much ruin my week.<br />
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<b>6. Be Predictable</b><br />
Hold your line. Don't make any sudden swerves or turns. If a driver sees you going straight, they're going to expect you to continue along the same path. The same thing goes when riding in a group. Peeling out unexpectedly may be a good way to get a jump on your opponents during a road race, but it's also a good way to startle a hapless newbie who just wants to build confidence riding in a peleton.<br />
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<b>7. Use Hand Signals</b><br />
Get used to signaling every turn. Left = Left arm straight out. Right = Left arm up at 90-degree angle. Stop = Left arm hanging down with palm facing back. If you're in a group ride, practice signaling for obstacles like potholes, railroad tracks, sand and broken glass. Learn them. Know them. Love them. Use them. Oh, and if you start to consider using the most popular "hand signal", reconsider rule #1.<br />
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<b>8. Spread Good Will</b><br />
The best way to share the road is to play nice with those with whom you are sharing. If a driver makes an effort to be nice, then make eye contact, smile, and give them a little wave. You'll feel good. They'll feel good, and you can sleep better at night knowing that there's one less driver on the road that wants to run you over.<br />
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Well, there you have it. It's not too tough. Most of it boils down to treating others the way you'd like to be treated. <br />
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I know I haven't posted much recently. I've been mourning the loss of a training partner of mine (don't worry, it's not as serious as it sounds). But, I'll be back tomorrow with a little memorial, and a bit about what I'm doing to move forward.Cap'n Tan Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02618805560011737791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637804185372994416.post-2511481906046373222011-03-20T17:55:00.000-07:002011-03-20T17:55:00.489-07:00The First Bike Ride of the YearI like to go around lakes. Maybe its because they provide a natural loop and make it easy to plan a route. Maybe its because they don't let me wuss out part way through a workout. Once I'm half way around one, its not like I can take a shortcut home. Maybe it's just because they're nice to look at. So, I suppose I'm fortunate to live in Minnesota where you can't help but trip over one whenever you leave your front step. <br />
<br />
On Wednesday, I did a <a href="http://captaintanlines.blogspot.com/2011/03/fresh-air-is-good-for-you-really-yes.html">nice long run around Medicine Lake</a>. So, naturally, when I did my first outdoor ride of the year, I headed towards Lake Minnetonka. This was just going to be enough of a ride to knock the rust off my legs and enjoy the day. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHIcx210bvuvlLk-bsw_Y_WOM2d996aH7NuZj9MssQahGhns7_I5ezs8gj2DlUfRw1kq1Bpj1qXe5xgF16DxjRm9_KYTbvBffruBINvvC64bTiPFG-Btcijc1G4XBcIuBOEw51oubm2TPV/s1600/Ride+-+3-19-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHIcx210bvuvlLk-bsw_Y_WOM2d996aH7NuZj9MssQahGhns7_I5ezs8gj2DlUfRw1kq1Bpj1qXe5xgF16DxjRm9_KYTbvBffruBINvvC64bTiPFG-Btcijc1G4XBcIuBOEw51oubm2TPV/s400/Ride+-+3-19-11.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Lake Minnetonka is popular for local cyclists. The roads are in good shape, the shoulders are wide and drivers are fairly tolerant of cyclists sharing their asphalt. Plus, there's no shortage of little towns where you can stretch your legs and grab a bite to eat. I stopped in Wayzata for a couple of minutes and snagged a photo of this adventurous fellow out kite-skiing. He was waaaaay out there, but he was hauling tail. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6CZGT2Mo-atpXauk8frJjPOaGGp845QynLYFWAFsDFXlv9DO4nqwxM5IHqoSEaTVAexG8qsmM-45hz-czMUxo2sMiqdhdML9A1ufkY_zwcmx7PGTkK-6Rat2jxr1-Kd3yIiB3eSBAu2_3/s1600/DSCI0387.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6CZGT2Mo-atpXauk8frJjPOaGGp845QynLYFWAFsDFXlv9DO4nqwxM5IHqoSEaTVAexG8qsmM-45hz-czMUxo2sMiqdhdML9A1ufkY_zwcmx7PGTkK-6Rat2jxr1-Kd3yIiB3eSBAu2_3/s400/DSCI0387.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM94q_ILnWwrUnEJo-PkeCz3mHnmnjmmjPvQTUFGqi-nKRXwZVXoF9gsTrkisgkZ2Ooqe3Dp22V-ngOCmboEi4UPLNZV2JqvnqS25hEuVsaIwvVQJOMfWMgBzA44nh1k-FLX5cdwR2pVN7/s1600/DSCI0383.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div>Then, immediately after I snapped a photo of my kite-skiing friend, a freight train came by and blocked my view of the lake. So, I grabbed a shot of Rusty by a melting snow bank instead.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVcbkMlzjnClNFylQZRghfNDF7-n7drySYTPVWlSgdd3DTdgBAi9Vqkf0gENvx-5tkXPYK_8CIKGYU8YG4KT91jdyDoSNUyI2hgIM9jg-JM57J73KzPQii2qhRr5TSv-FATFxLo59wBbKz/s1600/DSCI0385.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVcbkMlzjnClNFylQZRghfNDF7-n7drySYTPVWlSgdd3DTdgBAi9Vqkf0gENvx-5tkXPYK_8CIKGYU8YG4KT91jdyDoSNUyI2hgIM9jg-JM57J73KzPQii2qhRr5TSv-FATFxLo59wBbKz/s400/DSCI0385.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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In any event, I hopped back on the road and continued around the eastern half of the lake. It was a nice day and there were several other cyclists out there enjoying the warm weather. Hey, for us in Minnesota, 50 degrees IS warm weather.<br />
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After rounding the lake, I continued east towards town and then back up north to get home. Sure, it wasn't a 6-hour ride - I'll have plenty of chances for those in a month or two - but it was great to feel the wind and see something other than the inside of my own house. <br />
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When I got home, my bike was filthy from all of the sand and crud still out on the roads, but I didn't care. It was totally worth it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdw8hyphenhyphenLWqqyj22aKpwlfQnPgJ3Hs33lmbyyIGceatpdA9gzciU0ouj82tkT3b142AAImUPqDVKx1k8FSxmv7hkwwNcYNvYFFVKEjYIxJtfZeZWQh4JRCBpBp0EtrNZuwmbaFI4dPWlTxrI/s1600/DSCI0388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdw8hyphenhyphenLWqqyj22aKpwlfQnPgJ3Hs33lmbyyIGceatpdA9gzciU0ouj82tkT3b142AAImUPqDVKx1k8FSxmv7hkwwNcYNvYFFVKEjYIxJtfZeZWQh4JRCBpBp0EtrNZuwmbaFI4dPWlTxrI/s400/DSCI0388.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eew. Gross.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Cap'n Tan Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02618805560011737791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637804185372994416.post-72439878491069218382011-03-19T21:48:00.000-07:002011-03-19T21:48:54.060-07:00Fresh air is good for you? Really? Yes. Really.Spring is on its way. Is it here in full swing? Well, no, not yet. Morning's are chilly, there's snow in the yard and foolhardy ice fishermen are still wandering out onto the lakes. However, this last week, it felt like we've finally turned the corner. Daylight savings is now in our favor. For the most part, running paths are clear and the puddles left from melting snow no longer drown running shoes. Plus - and this is my favorite part - I no longer need to bundle up before running. On Wednesday I wore shorts. Yes, shorts.<br />
I was so excited for doing a long outdoor run that I re-worked my training plan to do it a day early. The thermometer read 53 degrees when I left the house, so it was a perfect day for shorts and a long-sleeved top. I headed out on one of my favorite routes around Medicine Lake. There's a good variety of terrain ranging from local streets, to paved bike paths, dirt paths and even two boardwalks. There are a couple nice long hills. One is along the west side of the lake and the other is on the north end as you climb out of French Regional Park.<br />
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<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFfgnQgfKNMgMhXjitMczg5xxhC8DYbaw4aFZaGxuNOHc7_bAlKEPLa-VGpq4JqGVZ6isME_b82wk2y5mUKujS-185dBLmMnwJ510DW06mrf7-aZ_XdOyHrsXNHm9jxLxXlgjUHw8q4IZ_/s1600/Run+-+3-16-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFfgnQgfKNMgMhXjitMczg5xxhC8DYbaw4aFZaGxuNOHc7_bAlKEPLa-VGpq4JqGVZ6isME_b82wk2y5mUKujS-185dBLmMnwJ510DW06mrf7-aZ_XdOyHrsXNHm9jxLxXlgjUHw8q4IZ_/s400/Run+-+3-16-11.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first long run of the year.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>My training planned called for a nice easy run. My high school cross-country coach called these "LSD Runs" for Long Slow Distance. The idea is to build your endurance base with the added benefit of burning a heckuva lot of fat. Last year, I would have kept a close eye on my heart rate and then backed off if it got much over 160 beats per minute. This year, I'll still look at my heart rate at the end of the workout, but during the run I'm going more by feel. On a scale from 1 to 10 where 1=slow walking and 10=running like a bat out of hell, I was aiming for about a 6. <br />
<br />
Again, the weather was right in my wheelhouse: warm enough to not freeze my nubbies and cool enough to keep from sweating like a pig. I beat feet down towards the lake. There was snow on either side of the path, but no ankle-twisting ice to worry about. After my legs warmed up, I stopped on the first boardwalk for a little light stretching. Then, I headed along the west end of the lake, the second half of which is essentially a 2-mile long uphill. Yes, there was a little plodding involved, but I tried to stay light on my feet. <br />
<br />
When I turned to head east, I noticed the temperature drop quite a bit. The wind was blowing from the south - over what is essentially a 3 mile long ice cube. It wasn't terrible, but I was thankful to climb out of the park and away from the lake again. As I finished out the last couple of miles I did a little math in my head and figured I could wrap up this long run with an average mile split of under 9:00. <br />
<br />
Now, my last 10-mile run was at the Monster Dash last fall, and I finished that with splits of 8:56. Well, would you believe that I polished off that 10.4 mile 'easy' training run in under 1:33 which gave me splits of 8:56? Well, it's nice to know that all those hours on the dread-mill this past winter were good for something. I'll take it. <br />
<br />
Thursday called for a short run and a quick bike. My legs were still barking at me after the long run the day before, so when I hit the road again, I took it REALLY easy. My legs warmed up after a few miles, but I'm a little worried about my abs. My lower abs were still plenty sore - right along the left side of my belt-line and getting dangerously close to my special places. There wasn't any pain during the 60-minute spin session, just while running. Strange. I'll have to keep an eye on it and see the doc if it doesn't go away by next week. I don't want it to be some kind of weird hernia or something.<br />
<br />
Friday was a rest day. That night it was just me, The Wife, some Chinese food and the NCAA basketball tournament. Awesome.<br />
<br />
Today was my first outdoor bike ride of the year. It's past my bedtime though, so I'll tell you about that tomorrow.<br />
<br />
G'night!Cap'n Tan Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02618805560011737791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637804185372994416.post-50727954760927451792011-03-07T20:55:00.000-08:002011-03-07T20:55:42.756-08:00My Body Hates Me, and....an ExplanationI've really been looking forward to this week. I'm scheduled to <a href="http://captaintanlines.blogspot.com/2011/02/routine-yay.html">start my 20-week plan</a> today. Unfortunately, my body had other plans and decided to smack me around with a postnasal drip for the last couple of days. Sure, it wasn't as bad as a full-on flu bug, but it jacked up my sleep schedule and and just made me feel plain old gross for the weekend. So, instead of hitting the ground running with a swim and a run today, I stayed home and caught up on reruns of The Simpsons.<br />
<br />
Is it frustrating? Yeah, I suppose so. But, at this point I'd rather delay the training by a day or two than go half-assedly into workouts and end up hating myself with more than 95% of my training left to go. So, what's the plan for the next few days? Well, I'll stay out of the pool for the next couple of days. The chlorine has a tendency to give me runny noses, and I'd rather not 'poke the bear in the zoo' when it comes to adding more gunk to my head. Tomorrow will be a nice, easy spin to get my legs and lungs stretched out. Then, on Wednesday, I'll ease into running again. <br />
<br />
It's not the way I was hoping to start things out, but it's a long season. I'll have plenty of time to get some mega-miles in between now and my 'A' race in July (let alone by October for the Twin Cities Marathon).<br />
<br />
On a more serious note, I want to clarify something about <a href="http://captaintanlines.blogspot.com/2011/03/100-things.html">yesterday's post</a>. Namely, items #34 and #35. Go ahead, take a <a href="http://captaintanlines.blogspot.com/2011/03/100-things.html">quick look</a>. I'll wait.<br />
<br />
Okay, you're back? Good. What I want to clarify is the difference between God (or in my case, Jesus) and religion. God is great, perfect and gave us the Bible to teach us how to go about our business. He blessed me with the ability to swim, bike and run (and blog), and to get into all kinds of crazy adventures from Iowa to Istanbul. He also gave us Jesus, who, among other things, taught two basic rules: 1-Love God, 2-Love Others. I can get on board with that.<br />
<br />
Religion, on the other hand, isn't perfect. It was created by people. Since people are inherently flawed, so is religion. Does that mean that I think churches are bad? Heck no. They do a lot of good. They bring people together and give us a sense of community. Many also help to feed and clothe the poor. I just question when people start to put their faith in their church, or their religion, rather than in God, where it belongs. Oh, and what I REALLY have a problem with, is when people use religion to do and say things that have nothing to do with loving God or loving others. Then, they're just being jerk-faces.<br />
<br />
Thanks for letting me clarify. My Mom (Classic Mom) reads this blog, and I wouldn't want her to think that she raised a blasphemer. I won't get preachy very often. After all, this is supposed to be a place to talk about training, racing, eating, and <a href="http://captaintanlines.blogspot.com/2011/03/100-things.html">wearing multi-colored banana-hammocks in public</a>.<br />
<br />
Hi Mom!Cap'n Tan Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02618805560011737791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637804185372994416.post-71874839856094135222011-03-06T20:33:00.000-08:002011-03-06T20:33:26.654-08:00100 ThingsThis post is a bit of a milestone for me. Believe it or not, this will be my 100th entry. Yeah, I know. You'd think that by now I would have run out of things to talk about. Guess again. To celebrate my 100th post, here are 100 things about me that you may already know (but probably don't).<br />
<br />
1. Boxers.<br />
2. I met my wife on the dance floor of <a href="http://www.wild-onion.net/">The Wild Onion</a> after one too many Mike's Hard Lemonades. <br />
3. I tell my grandmother that I met my wife at 'an eating establishment'.<br />
4. My first ever training run was for Nordic Skiing practice in the 8th grade.<br />
5. I did my first ever training run in a cotton t-shirt, basketball shoes and jeans.<br />
6. I ran cross country for 4 years and was a middle-of-the-pack-er.<br />
7. My best 5K time in high school was 19:30.<br />
8. I'd pay real money to run that 'slow' again.<br />
9. I was an above average Nordic Skier (skate skiing) and even scored an All Conference nod one year.<br />
10. My coldest skiing practice ever was -24 degrees BEFORE windchill.<br />
11. Frostbite on your junk is no joke.<br />
12. Seriously.<br />
13. I cry every time I watch The Iron Giant, The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, Toy Story 2 and Snoopy Come Home.<br />
14. I also tear up to U2's 'Beautiful Day', Kenny Rogers' 'Coward of the County' and Widor's 'Toccata'.<br />
15. I love my Rusty Steed - my bike. It's a Trek 1500 Franken-bike that's been tortured and twisted to get me into something that resembles a proper aero position.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAW0WnQI7Xp64a2Vdn88elec6Hz86VGzOWRqotPDMNj2McYmFX0p655eKGx01IXDfPP6J4dTrtbfp3Ekuk_EwFuXocLc42FwRzeGklY2_8aRcR6pmuarLyViNCXILjdeiBEeZr5Z1hf0DL/s1600/DSCI0163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAW0WnQI7Xp64a2Vdn88elec6Hz86VGzOWRqotPDMNj2McYmFX0p655eKGx01IXDfPP6J4dTrtbfp3Ekuk_EwFuXocLc42FwRzeGklY2_8aRcR6pmuarLyViNCXILjdeiBEeZr5Z1hf0DL/s400/DSCI0163.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
16. Going fast on a crappy bike is cool.<br />
17. I'm saving up for a new steed - a proper triathlon bike. So far, it's a choice between these three:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2bPIs1kkh1WrqbRrcNGv1mgUR5iNXGHYsxSzIUpXc4w_b9MuKhCkt5C8Pi53MUB0LaiFOAj8ANSrOqIUiCYFkYli9WT1u1UmyoDbR2DcSdSyzgnHsMmt2Y4OqqT58WoRjkV8_VSYJ6ujd/s1600/CV9P1UL-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2bPIs1kkh1WrqbRrcNGv1mgUR5iNXGHYsxSzIUpXc4w_b9MuKhCkt5C8Pi53MUB0LaiFOAj8ANSrOqIUiCYFkYli9WT1u1UmyoDbR2DcSdSyzgnHsMmt2Y4OqqT58WoRjkV8_VSYJ6ujd/s400/CV9P1UL-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAnporrVwy_r4kZ-7yfzZt1YuN4tp-WRwu4b1Eeuwea5A0SWRm0eGd8kDIouIQCeg9Fdb3saG8LStGeZbFbD39Oh7fzvWGwq9j80c0cOaTg6XR0kUihLXW3lPiU0wQskb-hwfHNUMnUZ7Q/s1600/b16_2011_1___32399.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAnporrVwy_r4kZ-7yfzZt1YuN4tp-WRwu4b1Eeuwea5A0SWRm0eGd8kDIouIQCeg9Fdb3saG8LStGeZbFbD39Oh7fzvWGwq9j80c0cOaTg6XR0kUihLXW3lPiU0wQskb-hwfHNUMnUZ7Q/s400/b16_2011_1___32399.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9xTA8BsExMVSgpKwHv0cWUNNjLy64Yh0W0yPqy6wAI1nptXIWrSUAiTiDvOwnheqlofna6jRVeQA9AiW1TkWlgLLj17FAU1FIW_Ra_flD_WQbL_X1LXz7MDy5g8juDFHxKg0LFuafeTwU/s1600/tt1_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9xTA8BsExMVSgpKwHv0cWUNNjLy64Yh0W0yPqy6wAI1nptXIWrSUAiTiDvOwnheqlofna6jRVeQA9AiW1TkWlgLLj17FAU1FIW_Ra_flD_WQbL_X1LXz7MDy5g8juDFHxKg0LFuafeTwU/s400/tt1_small.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
18. Musically speaking, I was born in the wrong decade. Everyone knows that rock peaked in 1974.<br />
19. I've been a fan of Simon and Garfunkel (but mostly Simon) since high school <br />
20. I'll take Captain Picard over Captain Kirk any day of the week.<br />
21. I attended college at the University of Wisconsin in Green Bay.<br />
22. I started college with a major in Photography just as everyone was switching from film to digital. Ugh.<br />
23. I graduated with a Major in Communications, and minors in Political Science and Information Science.<br />
24. You aren't going to get rich quick with a Communications Major and minors in Poli-Sci and Information Science.<br />
25. I kinda wish I had earned a degree in a more marketable skill. <br />
26. I believe in 'Working to Live' rather than in 'Living to Work'.<br />
27. My first organized race was a 1/2 mile 'kids run' when I was in 2nd grade.<br />
28. They misspelled my name in the 'kids run' results sheet as 'Eric Bugstrom'. Jerks.<br />
29. I got my 'bark-n-sniffer' Bailey from the Humane Society back in 2001. She's the shizzle. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3kC5q-UBsEPsjKrIauBMU6Ycgcp4bNlQQYFFi0qGENyuRAgfE50Cri6NthgjTM1af_ZLf8m-rkh9fg5t7fBqTxU-fK1_G72UjC0j9-wltL7rGKY2HQuc6f2NTxzdJkiOjJy8Sxjk0tju9/s1600/IMG_0127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3kC5q-UBsEPsjKrIauBMU6Ycgcp4bNlQQYFFi0qGENyuRAgfE50Cri6NthgjTM1af_ZLf8m-rkh9fg5t7fBqTxU-fK1_G72UjC0j9-wltL7rGKY2HQuc6f2NTxzdJkiOjJy8Sxjk0tju9/s400/IMG_0127.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
30. As I write this, she's curled up in a ball on the sofa chasing bunnies in her sleep. It's adorable.<br />
31. I once saw her catch a real-life baby bunny and eat it whole. It was disturbing.<br />
32. I've been slowly losing my hair since my early 20s.<br />
33. I'll never wear a comb-over, or a toupee or get hair plugs. If bald is good enough for my <a href="http://captaintanlines.blogspot.com/2010/11/rembering-one-of-my-favorite-vets.html">Grandpa</a>, then it's good enough for me.<br />
34. I'm a Christian - which is why you won't find a lot of naughty language in my blog.<br />
35. I figure religion is kinda like genitals (just go with me on this one). I like mine. I'm proud of mine. I'll be happy to talk about mine. But, I'm not going to whip it out in public and wave it around just to taunt you, and I certainly won't try to shove it down your throat.<br />
36. I sometimes need to think a little longer before I say something inappropriate when I'm 'just trying to be funny'.<br />
37. I'm not a morning person. Over 90% of my workouts last year started after 12pm.<br />
38. I once spent a J-term in college traveling through Greece and Turkey; two absolutely beautiful countries.<br />
39. I should have thought twice before eating Turkish meatballs from a street vendor.<br />
40. Having food poisoning in Istanbul is no fun.<br />
41. It is entirely possible to poop and barf at the same time.<br />
42. I kinda wish I hadn't told you that last one.<br />
43. I dig me some beer. It's the most delicious social lubricant known to man. <br />
44. I'll take ales over lagers though, thankyouverymuch.<br />
45. I stay away from hard liquor. Nothing good can come from me with a shot glass.<br />
46. When I was born, all of my grandparents and great-grandparents were still living.<br />
47. I have memories of all but 1 of them. <br />
48. Both my parents and my wife's parents are divorced, and our dads remarried. Yes. I have 4 moms.<br />
49. I've nick-named them 'New Mom', 'Florida Mom', 'Fun Mom', and of course 'Classic Mom'.<br />
50. Moms love me. <br />
51. I've read every major work by Stephen King.<br />
52. My dad can kick my butt at Call of Duty.<br />
53. I can destroy my dad at Guitar Hero.<br />
54. Karate for <i>defense only</i>.<br />
55. First learn item #54.<br />
56. Society would be in better shape if we all listened harder to Mr. Miyagi.<br />
57. One of my favorite places in the world is my family's cabin 'Up North'.<br />
58. My profile picture (where I'm wearing the black swim cap with goggles on my forehead) was taken on the floating raft at the cabin.<br />
59. 'Up North' doesn't seem nearly as far away as it used to.<br />
60. I've had either a beard or goatee since the fall of 2002.<br />
61. I once shaved my face bare. It upset The Wife so badly, she almost cried.<br />
62. The first time I shaved my head, I didn't tell The Wife until after the deed was done. Her first words: 'Don't expect me to ever have sex with you again.'<br />
63. She got over it.<br />
64. I know the difference between there, their and they're. I also know the difference between your and you're, between affect and effect, and do my best to keep from ending my sentences with prepositions. Three cheers for public education!<br />
65. I'd love to eventually qualify for Kona, but realize that my best chance at qualification will be to outlive my competition and race into my 70s and 80s. <br />
66. When triathlon has finally left me beaten and broken, I'll be cool with not running, and even not cycling, but I'll continue to swim until they have to haul my lifeless body out of the pool.<br />
67. I figure I'll eventually be that quasi-creepy old dude at the gym who still tries to squeeze his wrinkled bod into a Speedo.<br />
68. Screw Superman, Batman and Spidey. If I could be any superhero, I'd be The Flash.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgIQ9imlvENdbmpYsDsOTWDc8WrfgxGUX99NLLG5xX2CeBjZMBgpDLWWJWRIMmn-W8soG_T4EzreezBVwMCz1wveGY3GdUnweCVZQiA1An41O51XwuuG0rCKBYobaAJT_seb_Q19CZNkrm/s1600/The+Flash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgIQ9imlvENdbmpYsDsOTWDc8WrfgxGUX99NLLG5xX2CeBjZMBgpDLWWJWRIMmn-W8soG_T4EzreezBVwMCz1wveGY3GdUnweCVZQiA1An41O51XwuuG0rCKBYobaAJT_seb_Q19CZNkrm/s400/The+Flash.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
69. If I ever get a disc wheel, I'm putting The Flash's logo on it.<br />
70. I close and lock the door every time I go to the bathroom, even when I'm home alone.<br />
71. I try to take control of the kitchen whenever I visit a friend's or relative's home. They think I'm being nice by helping out, but really I'm just a control freak when it comes to food.<br />
72. I have never changed a diaper (on myself or anyone else).<br />
73. I've had asthma since I was young. <br />
74. I'm extremely allergic to cats.<br />
75. Even if I wasn't allergic to cats, I still wouldn't trust them. If God had made them any bigger, I'm pretty sure cats would eat their owners while they slept.<br />
76. I absolutely LOVE ice cream. We had to stop buying ice cream by the gallon, because for me, 1 gallon = 3 servings.<br />
77. My ancestors came from a few different countries, but I identify myself most with my Swedish heritage. <br />
78. I visited Scandinavia for 3 weeks back in high school. While I didn't get the chance to see the Norwegian fjords, I did see the Swedish Volvos.<br />
79. I understand that most of you probably didn't get that joke the first time your read it. That's okay. You're still cool.<br />
80. I'd move to Sweden in a heart beat, you know, if my wife, family, friends and job weren't all still here in the U.S.<br />
81. I read Moby Dick just to check it off my bucket list.<br />
82. It actually turned out to be a pretty good read.<br />
83. During the beginning of every one of my workouts, there's a moment when I question my sanity and consider going straight to my recliner to watch TV.<br />
84. My first real job was working as a janitor/maintenance guy at a funeral home. I was there for 2 summers in high school and 1 in college.<br />
85. I don't like black licorice. It shouldn't even be considered candy. I can't stand when I think I'm about to eat a grape flavored jelly bean and it just turns out to be black licorice. Blech!<br />
86. The Wife is much more into ball sports (baseball, football and basketball) than I am. I pretend to like watching hours of basketball when I'd really rather be watching cartoons. <br />
87. We both have a team in the same fantasy football league. <br />
88. Most of my friends agree that when your wife plays fantasy football it doubles her 'hot factor'. <br />
89. I have a bet with one of our bridesmaids that The Wife and I wouldn't be parents until we had been married for 5 years. The wager: 1 keg of beer.<br />
90. I've only got 7 months until I get my keg.<br />
91. I wouldn't be completely disappointed if I ended up losing the bet.<br />
92. My family has been pretty good about not pressuring The Wife and I to have kids - probably because I threatened to move to Sweden if they did.<br />
93. I hosted a radio show on my college radio station, WFPR, showcasing tunes from the '60s, '70s and '80s. The name of the show? 'Music that doesn't suck'. <br />
94. After training and racing for 2 years, I now have to wear my wedding ring on my index finger.<br />
95. I could wipe the floor with you in a game of Trivial Pursuit, and not in a nice way. I go for the jugular.<br />
96. I just don't understand the appeal of vampires in popular culture.<br />
97. I'd much rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy.<br />
98. I put this list together over the course of 3 days.<br />
99. It was a lot harder than I was expecting to come up with 100 interesting things to say about myself. Sigh.<br />
100. Last, but not least, I have no problem rocking the European Man Thong (but not in this country).<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKBNGO-n9aDVHqYyYLQIdTpc9qvJL4HRParJMUAQmAjK3kduFyDD9S8SZP_ZL_4mg_lCnEdH2VAWKox6TjeqzQoU-ScVExHRwABsxIcbUz67B2oGJc2F-7jkvycPDk7qqZdPg3yGleqJTv/s1600/Top.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKBNGO-n9aDVHqYyYLQIdTpc9qvJL4HRParJMUAQmAjK3kduFyDD9S8SZP_ZL_4mg_lCnEdH2VAWKox6TjeqzQoU-ScVExHRwABsxIcbUz67B2oGJc2F-7jkvycPDk7qqZdPg3yGleqJTv/s400/Top.bmp" width="312" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mexico - 2010</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Cheers!Cap'n Tan Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02618805560011737791noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637804185372994416.post-44643819952771102882011-02-28T20:25:00.000-08:002011-02-28T20:25:30.946-08:00Routine! Yay!I'm a creature of routine. Last year, I worked off a 20-week training plan to prep for the Ironman. Was it the optimal plan for me? I don't know. But, it did give me some structure. Some people have the motivation to train on their own, without anyone telling them what to do. But I benefit more when I have someone telling me what to do, even if it is just a sheet printed off from an on-line training plan.<br />
<br />
Even after the Ironman, I found myself getting into a steady workout routine. Monday was Pilates, Tuesday was cycling on the trainer, Wednesday was a long swim, Thursday was a long run, Saturday was (and still is) spinning with the <a href="http://www.twincitiesspoke.com/">Twin Cities Spoke</a> and Sunday was a hodgepodge of whatever floated my boat that day. I've also been peppering in some good 1/2 hour workouts over lunch - one of the bonuses of working across the street from my gym. In the end, I've been averaging around 8-10 hours per week. Through the winter, this routine was good. But after a while, being in a routine started to turn into being in a rut. That's why I'm looking forward to next Monday.<br />
<br />
Since the Ironman won't be happening this year, my first 'A' race will be the Chisago 1/2 Ironman in July. Believe it or not, that's only 21 weeks away. Since I'm a cheapo, I'll be doing the same free training program from <a href="http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=441">Beginner Triathlete</a> that I did last year. So, my 20-week plan will start on March 6. Routine! Yay!<br />
<br />
Now, I know what you're wondering. Why would he do an Ironman plan when his longest tri is only half that distance? Well, there are a couple of reasons. The first is my 2nd 'A' race of the year - the Twin Cities Marathon. I don't want to skimp on my running in May, June and July. I figure that the Full Ironman plan should give me the running volume I need to be prepared for the marathon. That way, I can taper off the swimming and cycling a bit in August and September.<br />
<br />
The second reason I'm going with the longer plan is that, well, I just plain ol' like to train. I love looking forward to a 80-100 mile bike ride over the weekend, or a good brick session out at Baker Park. So, as long as The Wife will let me, I'll keep doing it. (Thanks Hon!)<br />
<br />
What's on tap this week? Well, I made it back to pilates again after a couple weeks off. It felt so good that I'll probably try to incorporate it into my summer training schedule. It may not be every week, but I'll try to fit it in from time to time. I'll hit the foam roller to iron out a few minor cramping issues in my calves and booty. Note to self: Beware of plyometric squat-thrusts. But mostly, I'm just going to take it easy and enjoy a rest week before I get serious. Granted, my 'serious' still isn't all that serious compared to other people's 'serious'. Seriously. You know what I mean. <br />
<br />
Later Kids!Cap'n Tan Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02618805560011737791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637804185372994416.post-74504327723424631692011-02-19T22:30:00.000-08:002011-02-19T22:30:16.886-08:00Good Massages vs. Bad MassagesIn my <a href="http://captaintanlines.blogspot.com/2011/02/i-feel-pretty.html">last post</a>, I talked about how The Wife and spent Valentine's Day. We decided to treat ourselves to a couples massage. Now, because we were able to spend the day together, we had a great time. The massage experience on the other hand, for lack of a better word, sucked. <br />
<br />
I've had several massages over the last few years. They've either been couples massages to celebrate an anniversary, or as a post-race reward. But I have never had one as bad as Monday afternoon. In fact, it was so bad that we decided to get another couples massage on Friday at a different location just wash the Monday debacle out of our brains. Ordinarily, we wouldn't choose to spend the money on this. We're not rich. There are more important things we're saving for and treats like this only come a handful of times each year. Most of the time, I'm happy with using a foam roller to work out the kinks. But, it was important to The Wife (and thus, important to me).<br />
<br />
So, Friday evening we headed over to a different Spa. This time we chose <a href="http://www.sanctuaryspa.com/locations.php?id=1">Sanctuary Salonspa</a>. It was a FAR superior experience. We left relaxed and refreshed and not at all remorseful that we chose to spend a little of our hard-earned cash. That got me thinking. What made this massage so much better than the one earlier in the week? Why was Spa X (not their real name, but my Mama always said, "If you can't say anything nice, zip it") a waste of money, and Sanctuary Salonspa transcendent? Let's take a look. <br />
<br />
<i><b>Scheduling & Customer Service</b></i><br />
Your first step for getting a massage is arranging an appointment. It's also where you'll decide the type of massage you'll get (relaxation, deep tissue, stone, etc.) how much your session will cost and possibly make a partial payment<br />
<br />
<b>Spa X</b><br />
This is where our frustration started. When The Wife called to arrange the appointment, she told there was a Valentine's Day special of X dollars for a couples massage. When we settled our bill after the appointment, we were told that their 'special' was actually X dollars PER PERSON. Now, I don't know about you, but when I'm told a price for a couples massage, I expect that price to cover both people. This was like shopping for shoes only to find out that the store charges per shoe. Was Spa X outright deceptive? Eh, maybe. Could they have been more transparent about their billing? Absolutely.<br />
<br />
<b>Sanctuary Salonspa </b><br />
There were no issues here. We knew what to expect going in and what our bill would be at the end of the day.. The Wife arranged for a deep tissue massage for me and a relaxing Swedish massage for herself. <b> </b><br />
<br />
<i><b>The Meet-and-Greet</b></i><br />
<b> </b>People get massages for all sorts of different reasons. Your masseuse should review these reasons with you prior to your session. They should ask you if special attention should be paid to any specific muscle groups and determine what kind of pressure you are comfortable with. <br />
<br />
For me, I want to know that the session is functional. Sure, I want it to be relaxing, but I also want to have some kinks and knots worked out. Loose muscles will help prevent injury and facilitate healing. Loose back and shoulder muscles will even help me stay in the aero position longer and more comfortably. <br />
<b> </b><br />
<b>Spa X</b><br />
There was no meet and greet the first time around. We were directed into our room by the receptionist, where we disrobed and waited under the blankets on our massage tables. The masseuses came in, told us their names, and got to work.<br />
<br />
<b>Sanctuary Salonspa</b><br />
<b> </b>After heading into separate locker rooms and changing into robes and sandals, The Wife and I sat down for a moment with our masseuses for a moment to talk about our sessions. My masseuse, April, would focus on my traps (neck and shoulder), lats (outer-middle back), quads and calves. My pressure would be a 7 or 8 out of 10. In essence, she would be firm enough to work out the knots, but wouldn't beat the holy heck out of me until I was a quivering lump of goo. <br />
<b> </b><br />
<i><b>The Atmosphere</b></i><br />
This shouldn't be too complicated. Everything about the spa's setup should be soothing, from the music, to the staff, to the decor. I don't want to be distracted or taken out of the moment during my session. <br />
<br />
<b>Spa X</b><br />
<b> </b>Spa X also does manicures and pedicures. They had a TV on in the main customer area running soap operas with the volume turned up to 11. Needless to say, it wasn't what I was looking for.<br />
<br />
<b>Sanctuary Salonspa</b><br />
The spa area was separated from the main customer area and from the hair styling and manicure/pedicure areas. It was nice and peaceful; just the way I like it.<br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<i><b>The Massage</b></i><br />
Here is where the rubber meets the road. We were paying good money for this.<b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>Spa X</b><br />
The massage at Spa X was nondescript. Sure, they worked my shoulders, back, legs and arms, but didn't actually press down hard enough to make a difference. I didn't feel like any progress was made. I felt the same coming out of the massage as I did going in. In fact, the only thing I can specifically remember about the experience was the 'smack-smack-smack' coming from my masseuse as she chewed her gum.<br />
<br />
<b>Sanctuary Salonspa</b><br />
I knew quickly that this massage was going to have an impact. We found a nice thick knot over my right shoulder blade. April worked for several minutes on just this area, digging in deep to loosen up the knot. I won't lie. There were times when it hurt like a sonuvabitch, but she just told me to focus on my breathing, which helped me deal with the pain. My legs were in pretty decent shape - no major knots there. Although, I did find out that my quads are wicked ticklish. <br />
<br />
In the end, we had a much more rewarding experience at Sanctuary Salonspa. Sure, it cost a few extra bucks compared to some of the budget places around town, but the extra money was worth it - especially for The Wife and I that only indulge ourselves a couple times per year. Now, this may sound like a commercial for Sanctuary Salonspa, but I'm not being paid to kiss their butts. Shoot. I'm trying to save for a new bike. I may not be back in a spa again for years. Though, I've had massages at several different places, both good and bad. In my experience, these folks rate right near the top.<br />
<br />
<i><b>TIPS</b></i><br />
<br />
So, if you're in the market for a massage. I would recommend the following:<br />
<br />
1. Ask around. The best place to start is with a referral. <br />
<br />
2. Do your research. Internet reviews are a good place to start, but to really ensure you're not going to get hosed, you should make the appointment in person. Ask for a tour and check to see if everything meets your needs. <br />
<br />
3. Keep the communication lines open. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Also, make sure you are clear about your needs and expectations. <br />
<br />
4. Tips - as in gratuity. This is a service industry after all. Be generous - more so if they do an excellent job. Don't be a grinch.<br />
<br />
<br />
I'm glad that The Wife and I had a chance to have a 'redo' on our spa date. Could I have settled for a few minutes with the foam roller? I suppose so. But that's not really the point. Sometimes we need to treat ourselves.Cap'n Tan Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02618805560011737791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637804185372994416.post-65053122140133031692011-02-14T19:46:00.000-08:002011-02-14T19:46:30.081-08:00I Feel PrettyMy mood has greatly improved since last week. Two great things have happened in the past two days. Number one, the local temperatures broke freezing for the first time since, well, I can't even remember when. Second, I got to spend Valentines Day with The Wife.<br />
<br />
Let's start with yesterday. We were blessed with a high in the mid 40s. The sky was this strange blue color, rather than the gray that we've all grown accustom to around here. With all the complaining I've been doing about the weather lately, I didn't want to be a hypocrite and let the day go to waste. <br />
<br />
I had already done long treadmill run the previous Thursday, so instead of trying to kick my own butt again I decided to just 'run casually' and enjoy the afternoon. The local sidewalks were a bit of a minefield. With all the melting snow, you had to look twice at every puddle and make a judgment call as to whether it was shallow enough to run through, narrow enough to jump over or imposing enough to avoid altogether. I only ended up with soggy toes a couple of times, so all was good. <br />
<br />
Once I made it down to Medicine Lake, I found that the park trails were in great shape. It was refreshing to run on actual asphalt and concrete rather than snow and ice. It was also promising to see that my pace hasn't taken too much of a hit since last fall. I was hitting 9:10 to 9:15 per mile, which for a casual run is pretty OK. Shoot. At this time last year I was averaging splits at around 10:00 per mile. All in all, it was a great run. I know that we've still got plenty of winter left to smack us around, so I'll take all of this that I can get.<br />
<br />
After my run, I got ready for Valentines Day. The Wife and I took the day off of work and scheduled a couples massage and spa day. Since I didn't want to frighten the poor soul assigned to massage me, I decided to clean things up a little bit 'down there'. No no no. Not THERE. I mean my LEGS. Sheesh. <br />
<br />
Shaving your legs means a few things. First, it's a way for runners, swimmers and cyclists to put on their 'game face' and helps them feel faster. Second, it tells everyone else at the gym and in the pool that you're so serious about training that you don't care what society says about men shaving their legs. Third, it says that you care enough about your masseuse not to give them rug burn on their hands.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz6sUTB4MSi7vG_qimWXGQOrZJsX4NAzwJ78ZJwxStpc1HeAci22-m7X71dW_LQVWON7pz_Naw660Mz19G1CLejezH3ZYspDRJkRP-mQWWptp0pvZ34V_dkNI6JeUrp1YVWMyf_3G8YQts/s1600/DSCI0375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz6sUTB4MSi7vG_qimWXGQOrZJsX4NAzwJ78ZJwxStpc1HeAci22-m7X71dW_LQVWON7pz_Naw660Mz19G1CLejezH3ZYspDRJkRP-mQWWptp0pvZ34V_dkNI6JeUrp1YVWMyf_3G8YQts/s400/DSCI0375.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before = Wookie Legs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>After a few moments with the <strike>hedge trimmers</strike> electric clippers, and a few more moments with the foam and razor, I was ready to go. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghCXlicrgm3SP-S0wbBJGB2sgeQVgbAWE-Rmtnj69rI0B1luD0k6BJyJkmnIaXVAgrKk5BAlmhnWvdqXZUowoSOxoxSaQTtNMxy_hDCbqwVXQl9cD3SH0ISYxWVDyT6Asy8TXWdvarQitE/s1600/DSCI0377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghCXlicrgm3SP-S0wbBJGB2sgeQVgbAWE-Rmtnj69rI0B1luD0k6BJyJkmnIaXVAgrKk5BAlmhnWvdqXZUowoSOxoxSaQTtNMxy_hDCbqwVXQl9cD3SH0ISYxWVDyT6Asy8TXWdvarQitE/s400/DSCI0377.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ahhhh. Much better.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
So, today The Wife and I got to spend the day together. We don't spend as much time together as we like; she's going back to school at the moment and our work schedules don't mesh the best, so getting the whole day is kind of a big deal. <br />
<br />
We headed down for our spa time and enjoyed a nice hour-long massage together. My masseuse didn't say anything about my legs, but I could tell she was grateful. After the massages, The Wife got a manicure, and I sat down for my first pedicure. Runners are known to beat the heck out of their feet, so I was looking forward to showing my tootsies a little love.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSS9ECqnPz_FEqcLtph4qQyhjNQJz1_zWqVDFVTJhyphenhyphenmmEQWEqKe72iZyeEVxnXnYXsKy1arfr-I0VyFXHgKAYT4qEuwTH10LWDL_gs4d5vMM145jXUtYQISPlPxXRCUcv1ybZgOTC_rvCQ/s1600/dumbanddumber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSS9ECqnPz_FEqcLtph4qQyhjNQJz1_zWqVDFVTJhyphenhyphenmmEQWEqKe72iZyeEVxnXnYXsKy1arfr-I0VyFXHgKAYT4qEuwTH10LWDL_gs4d5vMM145jXUtYQISPlPxXRCUcv1ybZgOTC_rvCQ/s400/dumbanddumber.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No. My toenails weren't THAT bad.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6AzLpPcEeitiI2d4T1iNsyt9CyvmcYPd9u7UwLg8_Qrzn9oWYkEtQgj0_yXuBV1HGbD8kJHhS6tF9lgEeQDY-U0bf6YMUGouxSdKE7o1L2c294tyvw1-ebM4nf_EKobZPAfEH_G0OovEA/s1600/DSCI0382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6AzLpPcEeitiI2d4T1iNsyt9CyvmcYPd9u7UwLg8_Qrzn9oWYkEtQgj0_yXuBV1HGbD8kJHhS6tF9lgEeQDY-U0bf6YMUGouxSdKE7o1L2c294tyvw1-ebM4nf_EKobZPAfEH_G0OovEA/s400/DSCI0382.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See. Nice purdy tootsies.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Would I do a pedicure again? Eh. Maybe. It was nice to have them sand off the rough spots and clean things up a bit, but I spent more time trying not to focus on how much it tickled than I did actually enjoying the experience. <br />
<br />
After our spa treatments, The Wife and I headed over to Old Chicago and enjoyed a nice burger and fries. Good stuff. She's out at an evening class now, but for a day off work, I couldn't have asked for more. It was a great day. I love ya hon!Cap'n Tan Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02618805560011737791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637804185372994416.post-804076006611826772011-02-09T19:32:00.000-08:002011-02-09T19:32:25.145-08:00All Snow and No Sun Make Eric Go CRAZY!Sure. I've done my share of <a href="http://captaintanlines.blogspot.com/2010/12/open-letter-to-mother-nature-and-old.html">complaining about Minnesota winters</a>. But, I'm at the point now where I'm so anxious to get outside that I'm starting to get twitchy.<br />
<br />
When winter first took over, way back in November, it was actually kind of nice. It ruffled up my training schedule and gave me a change of pace that freshened things up a bit. For cycling, it put me on the trainer for the first time since last March. I started doing <a href="http://captaintanlines.blogspot.com/2011/01/hitting-trainer-how-i-spent-my-winter.html">high-intensity interval sessions</a> on DVD and felt like I was getting a better workout with a 1-2 hour indoor ride than many of my 3-4 hour outdoor rides. Plus, I didn't have to clean all the crud off my bike when I was done.<br />
<br />
On the running side, I got to do some cold weather runs. Sometimes it was pleasant to enjoy a quiet run and just listen to the crunch-crunch-crunch of my feet hitting the snow. There was also a twisted part of me that enjoyed the looks on drivers' faces when they saw me running in the below-freezing weather, or the "seriously dude, are you crazy?" looks on my friends' faces when I told them I just went for a run through the tundra. At the gym, the treadmill was new again. It was nice to run while listening to music, or even better, while watching Jeopardy!<br />
<br />
But, all this is starting to wear a little thin. I'm tired of it taking 20 minutes to get dressed for a run. I'm tired of frozen cheeks, chapped lips, runny noses and the ever-present risk of freeze-drying my bits 'n' pieces. Trainer rides are getting old. The view never changes. I've done all of my Spinervals multiple times over. I can't get Coach Troy's voice out of my head. "Keep your tempo up?" Really!?! "On this next set, you're going to stand up?" Bite me.<br />
<br />
Granted, none of this has actually caused me to stop working out. For some reason, I'm still motivated to train just as much now as I did at this time last year, and even more than last fall. I've got goals, and still have plenty of room for improvement. I had better do the work now, so I can be faster later. I like the work. I like that training every day is tough. Sometimes tough feels good. Lately though, it's just getting harder and harder to focus on the silver lining rather than the big, ugly cloud. <br />
<br />
Maybe it's the competition that I miss. Through last year, there was an average of one race/event per month to focus on. My next race is scheduled for the end of April. That means there are still 2 1/2 months to go before I can scratch that competitive itch. Maybe one of the local indoor tris is the answer; or maybe there's a 10K or 1/2 marathon that needs another entrant. At the very least, it'll shuffle things up a bit.<br />
<br />
Sorry about the rant. I know this isn't the usual cheery post that usually grace this blog. But, the nice thing about my blog is that it's MY BLOG. So, where I go, it goes. Now, I don't want to make it sound like life is all doom and gloom. Cripes. If the biggest thing I have to gripe about is a lack of workout motivation, then things must be going pretty well. The next thing you know, I'll be complaining about how my aero helmet messes up my hair, how my running shoes don't match my socks, or how my clothes are giving me weird tan lines. Though, on second thought, I do kinda like the weird tan lines.<br />
<br />
Fret not. I will be back soon with a more uplifting post. Maybe it'll be food related. Maybe it'll be funny. Or, maybe it'll be something I haven't even considred yet.<br />
<br />
I'll keep you guessing.Cap'n Tan Lineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02618805560011737791noreply@blogger.com0