Training - Day 1

Let me introduce you to my biking gear!
Well - this is me...Training Day #1 - Not too flattering - but maybe with the training - Week #6 will be a little better of a photo. :)

Here's my trip timer/odometer/speedometer/clock. I love it! This was before we started...I forgot to restart it...but going down a hill I clocked 24.63 MPH. How fun was that!

Why am I taking a picture of my shoe "clip" (strap)? Because - two years ago...I biked for about an hour, casually...at the beginning of summer and I forgot I had the straps on the pedals. When I got home, I stopped my bike and tried to get off of it, but my feet were stuck in the straps and I took a BIG digger. Blood, skin scraped, sore wrist...an ugly event for sure! I haven't forgot about the straps since then!

Here's my bike - It's a Specialized Crossroads Bike. That means that it's not really a racing/road bike and not really a mountain bike. The tires are a little thinner than the mountain bike tires and don't have big, grippy treads on them. I got a new seat for it to "a comfort seat" - full of gel and a little more supportive than the average bike seat. Attached to the bottom of the seat is a little bag...it holds my key and/or the garage door opener. Could hold a phone, in case something happens, or a tire repair kit (which I wouldn't have the first idea how to use), or some $ in case ice cream is calling me. :) Sunglasses and Helmet...a must! Today - I should have had a water bottle along with me...I won't forget again!

So - anyway...that's my gear...so far!

Like I said in my title - it's Training Day #1 today and I am already disobeying my training coach (in the book) and going off the plan. Sunday (as it states in the book) is a day to rest...oops...well, I took out my bike this morning instead of resting. Steve came along with me and we turned right on Lost Dauphin Road instead of left. I knew Little Rapids Road connected with Lawrence Drive...just wasn't sure when we would run into it. Just so happens it's about 1/2-mile past a very large hill! Well...it wasn't THAT big...but I wasn't really expecting to have to bike up a hill today. It was a beautiful morning, the homes (wait...mansions) along the river are AMAZING and we put on almost 7.5 miles. I am just supposed be be looking at time biking...should have done 45 minutes and I don't think it was that long...probably close to that though.

Off to hang out with some friends today and feel great that I did my training in the morning and won't have to worry when I would have to fit it in later. Tomorrow is supposed to be swim day - but since it's a holiday, I won't have a location to swim at. Will switch and swim Tuesday morning before work. I LOVE to swim!

Enjoy your Sunday!