Atb 30k 2014

Going into Around the Bay, was not feeling overly optimistic. Training was far from ideal in grey/ Bruce counties this year, not a lot of time to train with family commitments.... and both are poor excesses.

 

I am the queen of no excesses police. You can always make time, and I do own a treadmill. However I just was not in the right head space to do this winter. Happens.

What I have been doing is a lot for more core work, and frankly I think it made a difference. Not a lot of long runs in, but I still felt strong.

 

Basic plan was to stick with my friend Matt at the beginning so I wouldn't go out to fast, which I am rather fond of doing, and stick with him until I couldn't any more. Just run by feel.  He was much more motivated than I to follow a race plan. So I just hung out with him and another guy from our triathlon club. When he geled so did I. We took turns setting the pace. I mostly said, 'is it necessary for us to be doing a 4:45 pace.' Hung around a 5:05 pace mostly. At around 20k we met up with a friend who had done the 15k relay and wanted to run the rest of distance in cause it was such a nice day. Her and I chatted for a bit then she decided to walk a bit. Meanwhile, my buddy had fallen off pace or I had been going ahead of pace and I was all alone. Had a singular dance and song party. Ran/ walked up the big hill, looked for Matt again, figuring he would be right behind and realised I would have to take myself to the finish line.

 

At that point, I think it is 27k. I was done. I knew I only had 15 or so minutes left but my:

-bra strap was chaffing

-had to pee

-right quad hurt

-worried I was getting a sun burn

- was thinking about other friends and wanted to find out how they were doing.

 

Pace varied widely here. Put that Happy song on repeat and just pushed it on. Finished in 2:34:40, which isn't bad, considering, but I will never be happy.

 

2014-2:34:40- Whatever

2013-2:38:42- Ran with a friend.
2012- 2:54:51- Paced a friend to sub three.
2011- 2:25:20- Raced.
2010- 2:37:04- Tried to race- crashed.
2009- 2:31:27- First timers luck.

 

 

This really hurt, had to pop. I wore toe sock and lubed my feet so I am rather upset about this state of affairs.

Argon18

For the last couple years I have felt like I am putting a ton of work into the bike, but my return has been minimal. Nothing I could do on my road bike could help me get faster. Sure the common saying is it is not the bike but the engine, but I say the engine is working fine but you can only push that civic so fast.

My 1.5 year plan is an ironman distance 2015, and in an ironman you ride for 180km. That is a long way to feel that you are working way to hard. I want every advantage I can get. Hence, it was decided I needed to pay for some speed.

 

I have always said I wanted used. There is nothing wrong with a used bike that has been maintained. So for the last six months I have looked regularly on kijiji. Pink bike, slow twitch, and word of mouth that I was looking. Only one bike really piped my interest and overall, after consultation with people more knowledgeable than I,  I felt it was over prised.

 

Thus, the Toronto bike show. Friends went on Friday and Saturday and basically told me I would be crazy not to go. Very good deals in my price range.

The thing about the bike show is, for some venders, it is basically a flea market. Bike stores come with last years or even older stock with the hope of unloading it for any sort of a profit. Thus the best time for a deal is Sunday afternoon.

I had done some calls ahead, knew what some stores where bringing, and zeroed in one them. I had no shame is saying what my budget was and no shame in saying exactly what I had to get out of that money. I know how to bargain well, and I knew exactly the MSRP was for most bikes I was looking at. Most important, I wasn't afraid to drive home with nothing.

 

Then I saw this bike and I feel in love. Matte black. I LOVE matte black. I repanted Evers bike matte black. The sales person was a very nice soft spoken fellow, and his boss was willing to haggle. I thought about every angle for a price reduction, and I was signigicantlly under budget. At the cash register, just to be a jerk, after I had paid I asked if I could have haggled for any lower, and I was told he lost $150 on the bike. So I think I am good.

 

The one thing that is not good is the bike fit. Part of my haggling was about the bike fit. I saved mucho money from not getting it from that bike shop. It is in downtown Toronto, so the trouble of getting down there and paying for parking just wasn't worth it. I have been fiddling at home with it since I bought it and with likely go someplace a tad easier to get to in the next couple of weeks.

 

The thing is I have always admired Argon 18 bikes since I saw Bree Wee ride one years ago, I have a minor girl crush on her. Canadian company. But mostly I bought it for the matte black. I buy shoes on appearance also.

 

I have been riding it on the trainer and find it so smooth as comparied to my roadie. As this is the winter from hell it will be May before I ride it out of doors.