Biking Outside...A Little Slice of Heaven

This past weekend I was able to get out of my basement, off the trainer, and outside to ride my bike as we traveled to St. George for Presidents Day Weekend! The plan was to link up with some athletes down there who are training for Ironman and ride on the course. I was really nervous about it as I knew that they were all great athletes who had been putting in a lot of miles! The plan was to bike 80-90 miles. Disclosure statement: I have never biked over 60 miles!!! And I was going to bike 80-90??? I had all sorts of self doubts about that much time on the bike and if I could keep up with everyone.

I decided as part of this bike ride I would use it as an opportunity to experiment with nutrition as well. As I did my 70.3's last year I felt like my nutrition was off on the bike and I knew it at Boise when I had been biking around this man for most of the bike ride and he whipped out a peanut butter sandwich...I would have done anything for that sandwich!! So, I felt like this was a good time to start experimenting as I am preparing for a couple 70.3's this year.

We met at the St. George Town Square and headed out for the ride. Riding outside was a little slice of heaven! The sun was shining, there was beautiful scenery, and a lot of bikers out! We rode on the Ironman St. George course and I was surprised at how great I felt. I had to smile when a guy I was riding with said he was surprised at how many people travel down to St. George to ride their bikes in the winter....I am telling you I wish I could teleport myself down there every weekend to ride with those fabulous group of athletes!

I learned that my body needs food...real food while on the bike! I enjoyed my nutroll and peanut butter sandwich, as well as my carbopro, stinger waffles, and gu! Can I recommend pineapple gu...it is so good! And...I made it...I rode 80 miles! I survived! Even though my legs were tired, I was so excited to have put in that many miles on the bike. I am so excited for this upcoming race season!

Vigor 5k

Today I participated in the Vigor 5k race. I know that a 5k race to a stellar athlete is like a McDonald's play yard compared to the Disneyland of races out there, but even a 5k in the snow and with challenging obstacles is a bit more of a challenge than your average 5k. Ultimately I have come to really love the obstacle challenge type races. They remind me that racing is fun! I think the popularity of these races come from people knowing that they have a permission slip to grab a group of friends, dress up like fools, and enjoy a little competition while being a kid again. I don't think anyone actually goes to these events to "win" but to have a really good time.

I was a lone ranger entering the race today so I decided to pick out the group with the funkiest costume and make friends with them. I placed myself in the first wave and took off. The air stung my lungs in the first mile, but after climbing three walls, I was shedding one of my jackets. The course was beautiful! What a clever way to use a golf course in the winter. One of my favorite obstacles was using a sling shot to shoot a clay disk. The last time I used a sling shot it didn't go so well for me... (remember this Jen?) Jen and I were snow shoeing in the mountains and she brought along her sling shot so we could act like 10 year old boys and shoot rocks at trees. On my first try, my bulging biceps cranked that thing back and SNAP it broke and smacked me in the lip. I looked like I had incomplete collagen injections in my voluptuous lips. Good times. So today, all went well, I shot the disk in 4 tries. I realized that being competitive is in my DNA because although I was just there to have fun, there was a couple that ran behind me and I would chat with them at the obstacles but never let them pass me (they probably weren't trying to pass me) Overall the race was great, and I won a cute pink beanie and that's always a plus. I can imagine how much MORE fun it would have been with all my tri girls with me. I just love our team!