TRAIL (lakefront) MAGIC

Early this morning we volunteered for the Soldier Field 10 miler. Our task: remove each finishing medal out of individually wrapped plastic bags. Waste of time & waste of materials...yes! But, we were needed.

Afterwards, we ran 2 hours 20 minutes - 15.19 miles. Luckily, near Navy Pier (our halfway point) there was a candy promotion - Air Heads handing out lollipops. Overly excited Kirstin jumped in front of 2 patiently waiting kids to receive 3 free samples. Hopefully, her "go get 'em" effort continues through training & onto race day. This trail magic boosted our sugar. We're obviously still working on the nutrition thing.

Tomorrow were heading to Racine, Wisconsin to attempt the half ironman bike course. We'll cover 56 miles on our fully loaded bikes. To date, this will be our longest ride.

We're beginning to sport beautiful farmer's tans to compliment our burnt faces.

bike versus us

Just one final mention of The Cure...the concert was a blast! It was amazing to see and hear a band that has created 30 years of hits. Britt was impressed and impressive. She showed off her limited dance moves. Oh, those lucky people that sat behind us.

Today was a historical day for our triathlon journey. We took our brand-new road bikes for a spin. Slightly less than 4 minutes into practicing clipping in and out, Britt got quite the gash on her shin. She also ended our ride by falling off her bike. No worries though...only minor injuries and a bruised ego. Plus, Chicago Traffic Management and a few Cub fans got some entertainment.

SCORE: bike - 2, Britt - 0

Next on our bike list: getting comfortable with shifting gears, learning how to drink/eat while riding, figuring out our computers, and learning how to change a flat. Not to mention hill training. Thank goodness swimming and running are light on gear!

FRIDAY

It's Friday I'm in love
It's Friday I'm in love
But Friday never hesitate...
It's Friday I'm in love
It's Friday I'm in love
But Friday never hesitate...
It's Friday
I'm in love

Thursday (still stuck on The Cure)

Because I intend to finish the lyrics & it's Thursday...here it goes:
Thursday I don't care about you…
Thursday doesn't even start...
Thursday never looking back...
Or Thursday watch the walls instead!

As for Ironman preparation (the purpose of our blog): after work (tonight), we will pick up "partially loaded bikes". We purchased bike gear/equipment at REI. So, we need to "install" saddle bags, bento boxes, and cadence computers. Then, after our "do it yourself" installation, we can claim our bikes to be fully loaded.

We're hoping the bike shop instructs us on changing tires, releasing wheels, and other bike maintenance stuff.

Tuesday & Wednesday (The Cure continued)

tuesday's grey and wednesday too...
tuesday wednesday break my heart...
tuesday wednesday heart attack...
tuesday wednesday stay in bed...

Today (Tuesday) neither Britt or Kirstin woke up to train. Our inspiration is credited to the 4th Tuesday-specific line from "Friday I'm in Love" (listed above).

THE CURE

Here are four phrases we deliberately selected from "Friday I'm in Love" a song by The Cure. These lyrics are appropriate because today is Monday.

I don't care if monday's blue...
Monday you can fall apart...
I don't care if monday's black...
Monday you can hold your head...

Although lines are missing and this entry has no relevance to our training - we're ready to ROCK. Erik...we bought black eyeliner & are having a make up party prior to the concert. 5 DAYS - you're in for a treat!

SWIMMING

We swim at our local park district pool. As you can imagine, it's both a humorous and frustrating experience.

PROS:
1. Conviently close (walkable but usually we drive)
2. CHEAP (winter session $20.00 for 10 weeks & spring $15.00 for 7 weeks)
3. The multitude of lifeguards who keep us safe while eating, socailizing, & jumping rope (safety first)!

CONS:
1. Limited time for adult lap swim (adult lap swim is a loose term).
2. The characters who swim beside us! So far, there have been 2 deep-end explorers who smiled at us as we swam above them, a snorkler who managed flip turns, wet suit wearers, and floaters.
3. Unspoken rules, appropriate lane sharing, and courtesy are not followed.
4. 2 or more swimmers pushing off the wall at the same time!

"Busted Flat in"...Dodgeville

QuadruPedal Race Recap
Division: Mountain Bike
Distance: 33 miles
Finish: DNF
(tri lingo for "did not finish," according to our dad we DNS for "did not start!")

True to form, we arrived decked out in running gear. This encouraged fellow cyclist to comment on our active wear choice. We would like to thank all the non-cycling snobs who refrained from pointing out the obvious. The first 10 yards started out strong (us being in good form and menatlly prepared). And while we were focused and determined, we couldn't ignore the sound of "pppsssssssssssssss." Yep, our dream of finishing and enjoying a post-race celebration ended. Britt had a FLAT. In the end, we justified paying $50.00 for a t-shirt and contributing to a dog charity.

Our LEARNINGS:
*like a boy scout ...always be prepared
*a saddle bag full of spare tubes and bike tools isn't just for appearance sake
*Sprint (cell service) doesn't work in Dodgeville, Wisconsin (or at our parent's house or various locations around Chicago)
*Dodgeville's Walmart is super nice & has moral shoppers (our unlocked bikes weren't stolen)

Friday & Saturday

Post back-to-back bricks on Wednesday and Thursday, we ran 1 hour & 40 minutes after work on Friday. We survived a torrential down pour, allowing us to own the mantra "fair weather fans...that ain't us!"

Saturday, we spent 2 1/2 hours with a certified bike technichian and spent more money ($140 to be exact). We're almost prepared for flat tires, riding in the dark, and inevitable falls. We are becoming bike nerds, and hopefully one day, hard-core cyclists.

QuadruPedal...here we come! 33 miles on our good ole' mountain bikes. Fellow racers...be scared! Even you, century riders!