tcovert's Winter 2009 Mentor Group - FULL (Page 27)

Todd,

Veeeeerrrrry nice!

Lynn,

I agree, get two new tires at the same time.  I switched from the stock Bontrager road tires to Continental 4000s and I love them.  About $35 to $40 a pop, but they're worth it.  Nice and fast!

Todd,

 Congratulations that's a beautiful bike! You'll have to tell us what switching from road to TT bike does for your ave speed once you get used to it. I bet you can't wait to put some miles on it.

Amber,

 So glad you found your dog, and good luck this weekend!

Jake

Todd ~ I LOVE your bike!!!  That is so exciting!!!  Have you taken it out for a spin yet?  Tell us how she rides!

So I went to the Krispy Kreme challenge this morning to cheer on my friends that were participating.  That is quite possibly the most hilarious, yet disgusting, race ever!  (You basically start at the NC State Belltower, run 2 miles to the Krispy Kreme store, eat a dozen donuts, and then run 2 miles back to the bell tower - all within an hour)  ESPN was there filming and I saw some HILARIOUS costumes - Elvis, Santa, a guy in his jammers, Where's Waldo, the list goes on and on.  It was quite entertaining!

Excellent bike!  Sorry to hear about the renewed pain. 

I'm still waiting to hear about my bike parts.  The frame is ready to pick up.  I'm psyched!

I'm outdoor editor.  I have the Sunday outdoor section with main story, column and a travel column;  a Thursday fishing column and I write other news features for the metro department.  29 years here.  Everyone got the same furlough but the bosses who had to take a pay cut instead because of furlough laws.  All works out the same.  At the meeting where it was announced, I was the only worker who spoke up.  After being assured it was from bottom to the top, I said, Fine, if it means saving jobs of people in this room, I'm all for it.  That positive stuff goes over bigtime. 

As for writing about the weight loss, cancer, yes.  I have for four years periodically.  Folks have loved to get involved with it.  The bike coach who volunteered to help me get ready for triathlons recently said he did it because I was an "inspiration."  I've been called a lot of things, but that was a new one.

We don't write about AA.  It's against the organization's traditions and I certainly expect that.  We are anonymous at the level of press radio and film. 

Glad you found that puppy.  Take it as a sign of great things to come. 

I really enjoy the positive vibs from this group.  Looking forward to a great 2009. 

Todd, sorry to hear about the flare up. Stay positive, we'll send good thoughts your way. I know how tough it is to have to lay off.

Jocelyn, Loving the avatar!

Jake

Thanks! It's from last weekend's 5k. I thought it was fun!

Really nice bike, Todd. Are you going back to LBS for another bike fit? You know this I'm sure, but too far back or up can really make a difference on your knees, too. FWIW...

I'm glad the rain cleared up, aren't you? Glad you got it out for a spin.

Note to self:

 When going for a long run on a cool windy day, apply body glide to nipples.

On the upside, I got out for a 6.5 mile run today. That's my longest yet by a mile and a half. The running thing is finally clicking for me. I really need to find a new run course I think though. I live right on a bike trail, but the last 2 miles are a net elevation gain with some good sized hills on them. Not a fun end to a long run.

 I'm really hoping to order a bike this week. Its look like im going to have to look online to find what I want for a price I can afford. I am fairly certain I going to get a road bike with clip ons. I dont have enough faith in my bike handling skills to get a tri bike with the hills and curves I have around here.  I've been looking at this one:

 Its has Shimano Tiagro with a 105 rear deraileur and I can get it for 800. What do you guys think?

Todd - I am glad that you were able to get out there on the bike without any issues, that's great news!

Matt - That is a really nice bike!  I was actually looking at that one myself, or the Royal Windsor which is also on bikesdirect, before I ended up finding the deal on my Fuji.  If you decide to go with ordering one, make sure that you print out the measurements and then go to your LBS for a fitting (make sure that they know that you intend to purchase one online though).  Since the different brands measure in different ways, you want to make sure that you order the right size    Good luck - that is exciting!!!

So, I ran in my first race of '09 yesterday and it was a lot of fun.  I am still waiting for the official results to be posted before I put up my time and fill out my race report, but I know that I definitely PR'd.  My Garmin said that I ran it in 28:49 and the clock time when I passed the finish line said 28:50... so, we'll see what the official chip time says (I hate how they take forever to post!).  I made the mistake of starting off way to fast - I ran the first mile in 7:47!  So, as you can tell from my approx finish time, I definitely slowed down a lot - that is something that I truly need to work on, I am terrible when it comes to negative splits.  Anyways, I felt like I was running out of gas around mile 2.8 (we had a big hill that we had to run up), but besides that, it was pretty much smooth sailing.  The weather was perfect (70 degrees and sunny) for a fun race!

On tap for this week:

Great time!  I'm hoping to do as well by June.   

UGH - I didn't PR after all!!!  I went back and realized that I had run the exact same course in 28:20 (Women's Distance Festival ~ Sept 2008) - I was 29 seconds off    I really wish that I would have pushed myself more!!!

There is always next time though - I am going to scope out another 5K and get a new PR under my belt before the year is up!