Arts as Astra

Results for the triathlon I swam/biked/ran in today are up:
http://www.sommersports.com/results/2006/igcolumbia/
I finished in the lowest 10 percent for my age group. And I accomplished my internal goal of not taking twice as long as the top finisher. :)

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I finished with a smile on my face, and still able to stand. DH and my friends told me that I looked a lot better than some of the people who they saw come in. We came back home, and my friends came over with food and drink for us and we had a little party to celebrate victory, even if I didn't win any prizes.

Mad props to DH for putting up with me through my training regime and fully supporting me in my efforts!

I sent DS2 to daycare in underwear for the first time today. He didn't have any accidents! ...until this evening. Still, progress!


I got my bike back from the shop this weekend, and finally had a chance to take it out for a test spin this evening, mostly to teach myself how to stop and start with the toe clips. I didn't fall, and I'm starting to get the trick of slipping my feet in and out. I'm not sure I'm getting much power out of the up-stroke, but there's a noticeable improvement in efficiency because I'm spending less energy keeping my feet on the pedals and putting it into actual work. I also got a new pump since our old one kept popping off before it got to 40 psi, and my tires are rated at 40-60 psi. So between the toe-clips, higher tire pressure, and a good tune-up, my bike is riding a lot more smoothly!

So many of my LJ-friends have been discussing bikes lately, it's practically a meme.

In preparing for my triathlon, I've been thinking about my current bike, trying to figure out how to improve it for the race, and realizing that I know next to nothing about bikes. I think I changed a bicycle tire once.

I don't think I can afford a new shiny race bike, and since this is my first race, with the goal of finishing without dying rather than trying to actually compete, it isn't really worth investing in an expensive new bike anyway.

What I currently have is a trusty 9 year old mountain bike. The tires have indentations rather than bumps on the theory that the outer surface is fairly smooth but has some traction when the road gets difficult. I replaced the original seat, which caused my toes to go numb after a few miles or so, with a wide gel-cushioned seat that has proven to be pretty comfortable for leisure riding. I like my bike because it's reliable and familiar, though I will admit to wayward thoughts. But don't tell my bike that, it might get jealous!

The improvements I'm thinking about making:

• Swapping out the tires for smooth ones. I think I will continue to train with my current tires, but swap in new tires for race week.


• New chainrings? ukelele suggested I might consider doing this since I tend to ride in my top chainring most of the time anyway.


• New seat? What's the advantage to a narrow racing seat, anyway? Is it possible to find one that won't cut off my circulation? Does having a cut-out actually help, or will it just redistribute the pain?


• Aerobars? These are supposed to help you maintain an aerodynamic position for racing. Are they really worth it?


• [ETA] Toe clips. Need to be compatible with my running shoes, obviously.


• Other suggestions?

I will probably take my bike in for a good tune up in a few weeks anyway, which would be a good time for swapping new parts in and/or out. Please chime in with your comments!