This week, I was going to rest and sit on my [spreading] butt, but my coach would have none of that. We went for slow, easy ride on Monday, about 30 miles and some change, and it wasn't so bad but I still can't lean forward for a full mile in my aerobars.
That sucks because it's hard on my wrists and back to sit up that long, so it occured to me that I need to consider moving my handlebars up a bit. I did that in spin class and found instant comfort.
It also rids me of the emotional baggage of having my knees constantly hitting my stomach, ever-so-softly reminding me that my stomach is down where my knees are instead of tucked up just in front of my spine, where it should be.
On the one hand I feel that it's somewhat enabling to make this handlebar adjustment based on the tummy proximity, but on the other hand, it's not just the tummy issue at stake, so we'll leave it as a slightly enabling move that will make aero position more attainable. So, there it is.
Yesterday, I headed to the gym with Pirate to do a 1500 swim...which turned into a 2500 swim...because she said so. That's all I can say about that. She said so.
Sunday I'll be doing a 50-ish or so mile ride with my friend Stephanie down to San Ysidro and bout, but today, I've got a yen to get on my 8-speed cruiser, "Pistachio," so I'm headed downtown to do some stuff.
I'll not be dressed in anything sleek or aero. Pistachio has no illusions about being fast. She is a true cruiser--steel frame, heavily-padded seat as wide as a park bench--the better to fit my post off-season a$$, my dears.
She has a headlamp, a tail light, a horn, bell, large basket in back, fenders, and reflective hearts, and a couple of naggy bicycle-sized bumper stickers. Gay men adore her, as do the urbanites I see downtown when I'm disguised as an urbanite myself, instead of something who parks carefully at the edge of the suburbs and rides in. On Pistachio, I wear cycling sandals, comfy clothes. Even people who aren't into cycling admire her.
And she is mine. She even has a cup-holder, to hold my lattes. Fully loaded, I'd say she weighs in around 50 pounds or more. And my helmet large and round and has a tail-light. If I can get this beautiful behemoth up and down some hills, that will be a good workout.I'm determined to get back in the saddle, so to speak. I've thought more and more about what SW Tri gal told me a while back, and I really have had a block about cycling since Ironman Louisville.
It was just such a horrid experience, mostly becuase I was so woefully unprepared. And, this time, at Ironman CDA, I won't have that extra cushion because of the seeded swim start. I must finish in under 17 hours. In order to do this, I have to improve my cycling. I need to get over my dislike of it. I need to have fun with cycling, to really feel like the bike is my transport.
I'm ashamed to admit that I work 4 miles from home in a place that has about the nicest weather anywhere (well, except for the afternoon sandstorms) so it's time to get off the stick.
It was just such a horrid experience, mostly becuase I was so woefully unprepared. And, this time, at Ironman CDA, I won't have that extra cushion because of the seeded swim start. I must finish in under 17 hours. In order to do this, I have to improve my cycling. I need to get over my dislike of it. I need to have fun with cycling, to really feel like the bike is my transport.
I'm ashamed to admit that I work 4 miles from home in a place that has about the nicest weather anywhere (well, except for the afternoon sandstorms) so it's time to get off the stick.
Nobody can push me but me. Time to get moving, and on two wheels, too.
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