My marine and my pledge to him

So my son joined the Marines in December. I couldn't be more proud. He was expected to leave in June but is now scheduled to leave on March 23rd. I had a huge shock when he told me. He's now aiming high and it looks like he has his sights set on Force Recon. I couldn't be more proud. Did I say that already??? So knowing that he is going to be spending every day for the next 12 weeks getting his BUTT KICKED, I've decided that I'm going to kick my own butt every day until he graduates. A self imposed boot camp. I can do it.

I pledge to my son that for as long as I'm here, and as long as I can, I will take care of myself. And I'll always be his biggest fan.

Love you Bubb.

I'm back in the saddle again...

My last post was July 12, 2010. I'm not sure how many days it's been but it's been quite a wild ride. Last year, soon after I decided to get on the bike and do the 50 mile race, all kinds of craziness ensued. Grandma died. I was diagnosed with Epstein Barr but not before I was told I had a brain tumor and there was nothing I could do about it. Oh and my son joined the Marines.

Not that all hope was lost. I made some new friends, gained a few pounds but have never been happier. I got rid of the killer headaches (mostly) and I don't sleep 20 hours a day anymore! I'm eating right but my butt and my gut are screaming at me to move. I'm so proud of my son!

So, without further hesitation, I'm back on the training schedule!!! First, the Mermaid Triathlon in June. 400 meter swim, 12 mile bike and 2.5 mile run. A baby could do this!

September will be the Centurion. Fletcher should be done with Basic, then done with his leave, then Maddy and I will head up to the Great White North.

I'm told last year was amazing. I can't wait for this year!

Biking today. 2.6 miles. Ya gotta start somewhere!!!

Back on the Bike

I took my bike in to get a tune up yesterday and the local Trek shop was very friendly and quick to do it. I also needed a new tire (which I wasn't aware of) but got that taken care of too. So when I came home, I got the bike off the rack and hopped on it and raced around the garage. Little did I know, they didn't tighten the brake cable on the rear right brake handle and I almost killed myself! I've fixed it but holy crap... I almost went face first into the wall! Not only that, but they didn't loosen the tension on my pedals so once I did get my cleats attached, I couldn't get my cleat into the pedal! I'm not sure I'll go back.

So now I have a new quest. I am going to learn to tune-up/fix/whatever else my bike, myself. Why not add another skill to my never ending repertoire of amazing and interesting abilities ;-)

I also got my new decals. Oooohhhh... I am so excited. The site is BikeNames.com. Starting from $7, you can order custom decals for your bike. Turnaround time is quick, I got mine in about 4 days, there may have been a weekend in there too, I'm not sure.

Anyway, I'm excited to take the bike out today. I found the cleat adaptors I was looking for yesterday and finally put the SPD cleats on my Carnacs. I asked at the local Trek store but they didn't have any so they told me to call around. I called 4 different stores around town and each one told me a different thing. One place needed to know what year my shoes where and what model my pedals were! All 4 of these shops didn't have what I needed.

I called REI and asked them if they had SPD adapters and they simply said "YES."

I went in and they had 3 different brands: Shimano, LOOK and SIDI. I asked one of the girls behind the counter if they had an opinion and she recommended the SIDI. So, there you go.

I fixed my brake cable and my pedals (all by myself) and am looking forward to a nice ride, after my call with Coach Mel!

I'm Back

After a week and a half away, I'm back. My grandmother, Josephine, passed away on July 29, 2010. I was gone for about 5 days and have been dealing with the aftermath of her passing. Just a reminder folks, even though Josie lived 94 years, doesn't mean you will AND you would think in 94 years, you would have time to get things organized IN CASE you pass away some day.

Anything could happen at any time so I urge each and everyone of you to make sure your affairs are in order so that those left to deal with your stuff (all while missing you) can handle things easily. I know it's not a great thing to think about but we all die, it's just part of the experience we have here on Earth, so better to spend a few days helping your family at what is possibly going to be one of the saddest parts of their lives.

I'm not complaining but I am just expressing an opinion about procrastination. As Nike says, "Just Do It."

WWCD?

This week, as I browsed several sites for the newest and coolest gear out there, I came to realize that there was something about cycling that I hadn't even dreamed of when I decided to adopt it as my new sport of choice... The clothing and accessories! I couldn't help think, What Would Carrie Do?

Sex in the City has always made me 'laugh out loud' but I just could never get into the fashion obsession, not to mention the outrageous outfits and money spent on them. But as I hit site after site of cool jerseys and shiny shoes and helmets, I couldn't help but imagine Carrie stopping in front of the Jimmy Choo shop with eyes wide open, cooing, "Ooooohhhhhhh!"

For a split second, (okay, maybe 3 hours) I was Carrie.

Here are a few examples of what has made me more than excited:

http://www.terrybicycles.com/

http://www.teamestrogen.com/product/cycling/apparel/tops/c0-atsport_01-c1-c2.html

http://www.vanderkitten.com/

http://shop.pearlizumi.com/index.php


Okay, enough shopping. Time for a ride on the new bike! Woo hoo!

Can anyone say SCATTANTE???

New bike in da house!!! Woo hoo!!! Scattante R330. After getting measured for a bike, I found out I needed a 51cm not a 54 like previously thought. I searched around and found this! It's two years old and I got a sweet deal on it! I'm so excited. I have to get new pedals though and a new seat. It's fine though! I'm so happy!!! Here are the specs:
Frame: 51 cm Scattante Three Thirty
Fork: Carbon Fiber
Rims: Alex R500
Hubs: Formula HS
Tires:
Pedals:
Crank: FSA Omega ME Compact Crankset
Chain: Shimano Dura-Ace XTR CN-7701
Rear Cogs: SRam PG-970
Bottom Bracket: FSA Omega
Front Derailleur: Shimano Sora
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Sora
Shifters: Shimano Sora
Handle Bar: Forte
Headset: Cane Creek, 1 1/8

Watch out Canada, here I come!!! Maybe I'll just ride there...

Liz who?

I just saw an article about Liz Hatch. Liz who? I asked myself. Here she is. If I ever wanted a reason to get on a bike, here it is. When I grow up, I wanna be just like Liz Hatch! Okay, I just want to have those legs!!!