Hashers And Mashers - Part 3 - Open (Page 4)

i can't believe that it's not sold out already!  that is a very popular race.  i've never flown with my bike so i have nothing there...

I did fly with my bike once and concluded it was a pain in the rear. I borrowed a bike box from a friend and flew from CA to IL with it. You could also get a cardboard box from a bike shop, I've heard. In any case, you have to totally take the bike apart: wheels, pedals, handlebars all have to come off. So you have to make sure you can put them back on in the same place/angle/height. You will probably need a pedal wrench for the pedals. (Handy to have one anyway.) And of course, the airline will charge you a pretty penny for it.

Funny story - when I put my bike back together I was really confused because when I was putting the front wheel back on, I could only find one spring. It seemed really odd to not have symmetric springs on either side of the wheel, but I just couldn't find the other one. So when I went to my race, I took the bike to the mechanic on site and asked him about it. He took off my wheel, grabbed the spring and pulled - it was both springs stuck together just right so I couldn't tell! Boy did I feel dumb. (And I will defensively add that I'm pretty adept mechanically!)

Marilyn - If the half marathon in Italy is logistically not too hard (to arrange and get to the start and back to where you are staying) I would definitely do it.  It at least looked very interesting.

Rebecca - Early Happy Birthday!!  And, Crap!!  You just reminded me our oldest girl turns 37 this year.  

All - I went out with my work out buddy this evening and hid some Gatorade's along our run route for tomorrow morning.  When we stopped at his turn around point there was a deer (doe) just 6 feet from his door so I backed my car up a few feet and he got out and hid his bottle and piled some grass over it.  I watched the deer the whole time and she never moved or flinched the whole time we were there.  She looked to be saying, "You can't see me."

At the next stop a huge bald eagle flew low overhead as we stopped at the last hiding spot. 

Back in "Old" Hashers and Mashers we had talked about nutrition a few weeks ago and I wanted to show this recipe for Date Energy Balls (We call them cat crunchies) but it took me until now to get the recipe from my wife.

Ingredients:

2 cups of almonds

1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

2 cups medjool dates, pitted and diced

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1. In large food processor, process the nuts and coconut until crumbly.

2. Add dates, vanilla, sea salt until a sticky uniform batter is formed.

3. Scoop mixture out and roll into balls (aiming for bite size).

4. Roll balls in coconut and then put them in freezer to harden for an hour.

Makes 24 to 30-ish. 

Put 3 or 4 in a sandwich bag to carry along on a bike or run.  Really tasty.

Mmmm, I'l be making these this weekend! (Then trying to keep them just for training...nah, that won't work!) I've been meaning to start toget some more good energy food recipies together. I've adapted a banana loaf recipie to become a protein recovery  meal, (freezes well, I just grab a slice out of the freezer when I head out training and that's the refuelling sorted) so I'll have to dig that recipie out and write it up.

after reading stories like this - i would be most likely to go with a full service option like tri bike transport - they disassemble, ship, and rebuild your bike for you.  there are other similar companies i'm sure.  i've read glowing reviews here on BT.

I will have a car...once my colleagues are back in the office i will have to ask them what they think (they are shut down on fridays and have a national holiday on monday).   I also have to figure out how to handle the medical release form, since it's in Italian not sure if I can just have the work clinic nurse, who doesn't speak italian but knows i can run a half marathon, sign off on it :-P

Hi Todd!  I'm like you right now...floating around training with no plan...it's starting to get to me a tiny bit

so...anyone have any training/racing goals for the weekend?

it's supposed to be relatively cool here this weekend so i hope to get in a longish run tomorrow and longish ride on sunday.  

Goals for these workouts:  
Run:  5.3 mile loop <55min
Bike: 40k ride, no speed or time target, just time in the saddle.

missed my run time goal by 2 min