Mama's Got New Shoes...And Pedals!

I thought when I bought my bike there was no way I’d ever be able to do clipless pedals (which you actually clip onto but they’re called clipless. Whatever). Two weeks of LOVING my bike and I knew I had to take the plunge, even if that means a painful one. So I did a little research, asked a few friends that have bikes, consulted with good friend and training partner Allison, and decided on some Speedplay pedals. The selling point for me was that you can clip in on either side of the pedal. With my poor coordination, that is worth the extra money.

I need to give another shout-out to Steve at The Bike Shop in PC because that guy has put some time and effort into making my biking successful. http://www.baytownbicycles.com/
It was Saturday and he was crazy busy but, while helping other customers, he was putting the clips on my shoes, had someone putting the pedals on my bike, and quickly had me in the trainer helping me get used to clipping in and out and giving me tips. When I told him I had signed up for my first triathlon, he even told me some swim drills that would help with my breathing and balance. I left there feeling much more confident than when I walked in that day.

Here they are! Yes, my pedals are pink and my shoes match my bike! I’m a girl and I love it!

The following morning I met Keith for what started earlier in the week as a bike/run brick and turned into a “Hey, let’s swim too!” swim/bike/run brick. This was great because it was my first open water swim and helped me get accustomed to the waves, the lack of a line beneath me, etc. Yes, I did swallow yucky, bay water but I’m okay! Got out of the bay, rinsed my feet, and slipped on my new shoes. Keith informed me that I don’t need socks for a sprint. Hey, he’s the Ironman so who am I to question. Once again, he smoked me on the bike. I’m really going to have to figure out how to gain speed. My goal is to hang with him at least for a little while!

Off the bike, slipped into running shoes (sans socks), downed a Gu, and we were off again. I did manage to hang with him for a few minutes but decided I’d better back off if I was going to make my 3 mile goal. He got faster, I got slower. I did start to feel my running legs again after about a mile and managed to average a 10-minute mile pace for 3.22 miles. Mission accomplished! I did all three sprint distances in training! Need to work on my swimming and transitions the most. Oh, and what to do with my hair!!!! It was a mess! Overall, it was a great training morning and I didn’t fall with my new pedals. Woohoo! More to come!

Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

Davis' End of Year Party is tomorrow and I, of course, signed up for cupcakes.  Yes, I could run out and pick up a couple of already prepared containers from Publix or Walmart but where's the fun in that????  And I love baking!  So I looked for cute ideas for a kids party and found Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes.  Super simple and too cute!  The problem was going to be how to transport the cupcakes without them tipping over.  I took a cereal box, traced the bottom of the ice cream cone and cut holes in the box for the cones to sit without falling.  I let Davis put the sprinkles on top and TA DA!!!!!!  Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes!

Training for my First Triathlon

I have officially registered for the Alagames Sprint Triathlon on June 19th. http://www.alagames.com/index.php?page=sport_tria

I jumped into this thing with both feet. I found a sprint triathlon in September and thought I could definitely be ready for that. When I told Mr Ironman Keith, he said “why do a sprint in September? You can do that now!” Don’t ever put an idea in my head that half-way seems like a good idea. I will run with it whether it is or not. So I found one in June. Yes that’s next month. Exactly 24 days from today. I’ve been training for a few weeks now so wish me luck. At first, I thought I was surely crazy (and I may be) but I am so pumped! I’ve taken some private swim lessons and practiced a lot, bought a bike which I LOVE LOVE LOVE, and have starting getting up before the crack of dawn for some practice runs.

Speaking of running, I participated in the Jubilee CityFest 8k last week. I can say, without a doubt, that was THE hardest course I have ever run. I talked with a few people afterward that agreed that the Seaside Half-Marathon was a walk in the park compared to 5 miles of grueling hills in 99% humidity. That being said, I finished with the help of my friend Justin who refused to leave me no matter how many times I told him just to go. Our goal was 52 minutes and we finished at 51:26. All things considered, I’m pretty happy with that. We are all smiles after the race!

In my mind, if I can finish that, I can do a 5k after a swim and bike. Right? Good. So that’s the latest on my training. I am not following a training plan because there wasn’t one for 6 weeks out from your first sprint triathlon. I’ve written down an aggressive schedule and am doing my best to stick to it. I thought the swim would be the most difficult but I’m actually starting to enjoy it and, as I’ve said already, I LOVE riding my bike. I can’t wait to get the pedals and shoes this weekend. I plan to do a brick (bike, run) while down in PC this weekend. Plan to see my update on how that goes.

One more exciting piece of news: Disney the week after the triathlon!!!! Woohoo!!!!

Bikeleague.org Blog » Blog Archive » How Does Your State Rank in Bicycle Friendliness?

Bikeleague.org Blog » Blog Archive » How Does Your State Rank in Bicycle Friendliness?

Posted using ShareThis

Monkey Bread

It dawned on me that I started my blog to talk about baking and running and I haven’t written about either!!! So here is my first baking post. Last week we had a pot-luck breakfast at work. I don’t cook anything really. I only bake. So I wondered what to bring to the breakfast that was somewhat dessert-like. I was talking about it to a friend (Allison) and she suggested I do Monkey Bread.

The first time I had Monkey Bread was probably 10 years ago and I remember it being really good and I wondered “How do you bake bread and get it to pull apart in pieces like that?” Since then, I really haven’t seen it much. Allison told me it’s totally easy to make and is even better than cinnamon rolls. That was a relief because I attempted homemade cinnamon rolls once and it did not turn out well. I looked up a recipe online and, sure enough, seems easy and delicious. You cut refrigerated biscuits into quarters (using a pizza cutter is easier than doing it with a knife), coat them in a sugar and cinnamon mixture, and arrange them in a greased bundt pan over nuts. After that, boil a stick of butter and a cup of brown sugar for a mixture that is so good it should be illegal. Pour that on top and bake.

I was pleasantly surprised when my kitchen started smelling like Cinnabon. Of course, it was 11 o’clock at night and I was digging through my pantry for something sweet to eat while waiting for the Monkey Bread to finish. Once it was done, I pulled it from the oven and it looked divine and smelled even better. I must admit that I had to quality control a few pieces to ensure it was okay to take to work the following morning. I do have a baker’s reputation to uphold! So here is the finished product and the reviews from my co-workers were great! I plan to do it again for an easy breakfast occasion. I think I’ll try it with Davis soon. He will love it (lots of sugars) and it’s easy enough that he can help prepare it.

My New Bike

So if you read my last post, you know I attended that Gulf Coast Triathlon and loved it. That was just the push I needed to go ahead and purchase a bike. I’d already done a little bit of research since I got the idea in my head to do a duathlon at the Wilson YMCA. I thought I’d be able to do it with a borrowed mountain bike but, after riding it a little bit, I realized that I was going to really need something for the road. Another push was the fact that my good friend Allison went ahead and bought a road bike and raved about how much she loved it. Not that I’m typically competitive (because I’m really not) but I couldn’t let her smoke me on her road bike while I pumped my short legs on a mountain bike!

First let me stress that up to now, I have known nothing about cycling except that I could ride a bike. I found the bike I wanted at Steve’s Bike Shop in Panama City. My PC friends spoke highly of their experience and customer service. Props to the Bike Shop and to both Steves for taking the time with me to make sure my bike was a good fit, give me tips on riding, etc. I’ve spoken with them on the phone numerous times and they are great! I’ll be going down a lot and stopping in for all my accessories.

My good friend Keith met up with me the morning after my purchase. The weather was perfect for a bike ride. We decided to do about 20 miles for my maiden voyage. I was getting used to the gears, etc but felt pretty comfortable. As we got about 11 miles into the ride, I asked Keith how much further to Hwy 79. He said a few miles so I said “Might as well go there and turn around.” Keith warned me that we would be against the wind coming back but, of course, I seem to think I’m Superwoman and was like “So?” We rested for about 10 minutes at the turnaround and headed back. He wasn’t lying about the wind! I was pedaling about a minute per mile slower than I had on the first half. Then came the rain!

Neither of us was expecting rain and we got lucky. We got a lot of wind and a little bit of misting and light rain but we managed to miss the downpour that came only a few minutes before we got back to Hwy 77. We made the wet 4 miles back to my grandparents to discover that Keith had left his sunroof open and everything was soaked. Other than his wet interior, it was a perfect ride. I loved that I got to experience sunshine, clouds, wind, and rain all in one bike ride. And we ended up doing 32 miles! That’s a heck of a ride for my maiden voyage. I can’t wait to get new pedals and clips and shoes. I have not fallen yet but it’s coming. It’s not a matter of if, it’s when.

Gulf Coast Triathlon May 2010

No, I was not a competitor. Last year, I reconnected with a high school buddy that was such a great friend that I don't know how we lost touch to begin with anyway. Fast forward to 2010 and the invention of Facebook and the band is back together! So I met up with my buddy, Keith, back in December to catch up and he told me he was training for a 70.3 triathlon. I was so inspired that I even signed up for my first half-marathon which I did a few months later. He was one of the first people I called when I finished it and I told him there was no way I was missing his event. It happened to work out perfectly that the GCT was on Mother's Day weekend so I was able to spend time with my mom and grandma AND go support Keith.

I went to the Expo Friday night and finally picked up my 13.1 sticker (in pink, of course) which I'm proudly displaying on the back window of my car. I hung out with some of my Panama City girls (Nicki and Kim) while we waited for Keith and his girlfriend, Megan. Once they were done with their carb-load pre-race dinner, we met up with them.

Here's what I LOVE about most runners: There's a common thread. Keith introduced me to two of his friends, Chris and Aaron. Chris was competing the following day and Aaron had a booth at the Expo. I had just met both of these guys and we talked as if we had been friends forever. Aaron even remembered me from the Seaside half-marathon where he had a booth at the Expo and what I was looking for that day (pink calf sleeves). He and I talked for the longest time about running and marathons and which ones were his favorites and recommendations. I don't typically connect with people quickly but the Panama City running community is phenomenally warm and welcoming. 

Back to the triathlon! Okay, I've been kicking myself about this since the day of the event. I missed the swim portion. I know! What kind of crappy friend misses the beginning of the race??? I do. First of all, I don't have pictures of it.  When I get some from Keith, I will post them. I made it to the turn-around for the bike portion and waited for Keith. I really started getting excited cheering for the competitors. One of the things that touched me the most was that so many of them smiled, waved, or said "Thanks for coming out." I didn't think I deserved a thanks for just standing and cheering. I was reminded later of how those cheers from spectators got me through 13.1 miles at Seaside and I was so glad that I could be a part of that for these guys. Eight minutes earlier than I expected him, Keith showed up. He caught me so off -guard that I don't even think I got a good picture! So I'm waiting for that one to be emailed too. About 5 minutes after Keith passed, I heard a familiar voice from the Expo say "Hey!" It was my new friend, Chris! So I got to cheer them both on and I did manage to get a picture of Chris.

After I saw the guys, I headed toward the beach to see Keith at the transition from bike to run.  I didn't take into account the parking situation.  I had to park and walk and got there just in time to see Keith and his buddy, AJ, go past.  From there I met up with Megan and AJ's wife and mom.  I jumped in the car and we were on the hunt to find the guys.  We parked at Schooners and waited for them.  Cheering the running portion was a different experience than the cycling.  The sun had come out and it was HOT and HUMID and you could tell these guys were ready to finish.  Just a few miles to go!  Keith is checking his watch.

Once the guys passed, we jumped back in the car to meet them at the finish line.  I had my first experience with watching people finish something BIG at the Mardi Gras Marathon in NOLA when my friend, Allison finished her first full marathon.  There is just something about watching people finish something you know they've put months of training into doing.  I love it! Once again, I don't have a great picture of Keith finishing but here is one a few minutes after he finished in 6 hours 10 minutes.  Way to go!  He was breathing and talking and everything!

Okay, so I told you all that I'm new to blogging.  I was kind of all over the place and I'm still playing with picture placement, fonts, etc.  Bear with me. 

So, I had so much fun and was so inspired by my friends and all the competitors that I've decided to try out a sprint triathlon.  The swim is the part that is going to whoop me.  I'm just not an efficient swimmer.  But I want to do this and I have my first private swim lesson tomorrow to work on my breathing and technique.  Will keep you all posted on my training.

If you've never had the opportunity to be a spectator or volunteer at a race, I highly encourage both.  Keith has suggested I might want to volunteer at the full IronMan in November.  I think I will!  Thanks to all my friends, new and old, that shared in my Gulf Coast Triathlon experience.  Can't wait til the next one!

Another Blogger is Born!

Hello Friends! I've been tossing around this "blogging" idea for awhile now but thought I had NOTHING to blog about that anyone would be interested in reading. A friend of mine said if people read his stuff, they'll read mine too. Then another friend's dad suggested I blog to keep up my writing skills since I have a degree in English but work in IT where I spend part of my days talking about baking, running, buying a bike (which I have not done yet but will definitely post pictures when I do), etc. So this is my very first post and I'm actually quite excited. Please be patient while I get the hang of it and for my friends I consider "really great bloggers", bear with me as I ask for advice and tutorials (you know who you are). So this will be mainly focused on my running and baking since I do lot of both (in my mind anyway) but I'm sure I'll throw in some other stuff too that I just feel like I need to share with, well, anyone who has a few minutes and wants to read it. So enough of my intro.

I'm heading to Panama City this weekend to visit Mom and Grandma for Mother's Day. While I'm there, I'll be catching the Gulf Coast Triathlon on Saturday. A friend of mine is competing and I'm so excited to be there to cheer for him and all the competitors. I've attempted a short run to stationary bike to short run and it wasn't exactly easy. I have much love and respect for multi-sport competitors! That is hard! So I'm sure you all (my 1 follower and the people I force to read this by sending you all the link and saying 'please read this!') will be waiting for my post next week about the Gulf Coast Triathlon. I'll get to play around with posting pictures and everything so I'm looking forward to it too!