Buying A Bike- Chugging Along

I am in the process of buying a new bike.  It has taken a while for me to really get going on this because, well for one, it is really expensive.  And two, I was a bit like a deer in headlights with all of the new options.  A big thing for me, besides narrowing it down to what I can afford (which is not much these days in the world of super bikes) is...what fits?  The new "super bikes" are a little intimidating to me with the fit.  Now there is "pad stack" and integrated systems where you can't just buy a new stem.  That is what makes them fast- and that also makes them a little more challenging to fit it seems.  One mistake I made years ago was buying a Quintana Roo, that I loved, off of the internet in a size that "should have" fit me.  For all general purposes, I am a 48-51.  But not all 51s, or smalls, or any size are created equally between brands with respect to stack and reach.  Fortunately, I found a buyer for that bike and was able to get my Slice, which served me well for many years.

Fit matters.  A lot.  I don't have a fitter here in Nola that I trust, so that is going to be a relationship I am going to need to find and build.  When I am comfortable on a bike, I will be fast, regardless of how "fast" the bike is.  And I know I could reach that place with a super bike.  There were a few options out there for me, but when I started adding up the costs.... wow.

SO, after hemming and hawing, I am sticking with Cannondale.  The frames fit me, the price is right, and I have had good success on them prior.  Now, I am in the process of getting what I need/want with it.  Of course I want to switch out a ton of components.  I want SRAM, as I have loved their components in my previous set up.  I am also going to Shimano pedals due to the nerve problems in my feet I had last year.  (I will need new shoes too, which is another expense.)  The process of buying a bike and really getting what I want is just really expensive.  So, some things won't make the cut this time around.  I am not getting electronic shifting or power.  I just can't afford it, so, oh well.  Basically, I will have almost the exact set up I had before, with new components.

Hopefully this will all happen within a month?  I am excited to have my own wheels under me.  Until then, I will be eternally grateful to Sue Marston, Team Wattie Ink Teammate, for sharing her P3 with me.  What a friend.

MY MORNING BIKE RIDE

This is my morning bike view- maybe 3-400 yards from where I am living.  Of course I had to stop and take this picture the other morning, only to get my phone sweaty and now it is dead.  Life with technology is expensive!  (I think I have used the word "expensive" many times in this blog post today).  But what bike view, yes?

Running is picking up.  For the first time in 3 months, I am running 20+mpw consistently. (well consistently meaning 3 weeks, but I think it will stick this time).  It is odd, because in 2015 I was running 40-50 mpw for most of the year, but this is where I am now, and I am just happy everything is coming back.

MY MORNING RUN VIEW

I get to watch the cruise ships leave New Orleans and come back right during my run time, and it really is incredible.  They are just a stones throw away from me on my run, and I can't believe how big cruise ships are.  

I am learning to see the city at different angles and to love my view.  I only have a 5 mile loop to run on my side of the river, so I am having to find the extraordinary in the repetition.  

And a quick note on the swim.  I have been swimming by myself- MAYBE 4000 yards a week on big weeks, but mostly less than even that.  I am bored.  I love to swim, but I am just tired of doing it all by myself.  There are no real master's programs here in Nola, and I am very used to having a coach on deck and lane mates for shared suffering.  But, there are groups of friends that get together and swim; however, my excuse for not joining in was I didn't want to wake up a 4am to drive 30 minutes to swim.  Well, today, I did just that.  If that is my option, then I don't really have a choice unless I want to continue to swim by myself. Overall I am just proud of myself for starting to make things happen again.  

Weekly Outtakes:  

Lunch date with Isla and her friend, Josh.  (really it was just as much fun for Audrey and I to decompress and catch up!)  

Isla, my little animal lover :) 

Isla loves her neighborhood friends!  We really live in a great neighborhood.  

Saturday Art Day!  

Almost Settled

I am trying to keep this blog up.  I feel like the blog may be a big reflection of training.  When it is on a roll, so is the blog.  When I stall...so does the blog.

News:

-We have a contract on our house in Memphis.  With a few repairs to do, our house should be sold by mid-November.  Selling the house has taken a lot of mental energy from us, so we will be happy to close on it and look forward to furthering our transition here in Memphis.  Plus, owning a house in one city while renting in another has made finances tight.  Too tight.  So, this is great- fingers crossed for continued smooth sailing.

- I am back and forth with momentum on the job front.  I will have plenty of work one week and think, "hey!  I can do this!  It is working out!" and then I will have a low week and the feeling will completely shift.  And now, for the first time in years, I am also working in 2 places that I just dislike.  Really dislike.  One is unethical.  The other is very overbearing.  The management is not kind.  It is hard to believe at this age these things exist, but I am also not surprised that the two companies where I experience this are also the two "rehab management" companies that don't actually own the facilities.  It is all about the numbers, which is never employee friendly.  So, I have not found my home here yet in the work force.  I would say this is may be my biggest stressor from both a financial and soulful position.

 - Dave and I have been doing new and unusual things.  This city is just a great place for really exploring different parts of your personality.  Here I am reading on stage...in a bar...for banned books week.  Don't ask me how this happened.

 - Isla is loving school.  She has many sweet friends, and I already know many of the parents.  I feel a huge sense of community in just a short amount of time.

 - Yes, we are just having a lot of fun with life.

-And soccer.  Isla is playing, following directions, and having fun.  After noting the complete male dominance and lack of organization, I finally stepped up today.  I didn't play soccer my whole life and fight to my highest level possible to watch the kids not get the most out of the experience.  So, today I stepped on the field, and it looks as though my days of watching on the sidelines (a whopping 2) are in the rearview mirror.

-Training and health:
My lab tests came back in good shape.  No real sense the EBV is active now, so that is good.  All other levels look solid.  My doc has been great and we chatted on cell phone yesterday.  Next up is heart check and hormone panel.  I just have to stick with it and not get stalled on the process.  And that- getting stalled when I have momentum- has been a real issue for me the past few years.  It is a sign of disorganization.  So, the skill I am working on as a mother/employee/athlete is to FINISH what I start.  I am working on buying a bike...and I have to finish the process.  I can't let it drag on for a year, which I will do if I take my foot of the gas.  I have to get help to figure out why I got so sick this year...I can't let up!

I am consistently doing something to "train" every day.   It is all Z2 and very slow, simply because I am so out of shape my Z2 is slow.   But, until I feel healthy and strong, I just can't handle anything hard.  I have some posterior tibialis tendonitis, and that also really stinks.  For the first time in my 28 years of running, I have had my first soft tissue injuries with the hip earlier in the year and now this.  It hurts.  I don't even know how I got it since I haven't been training.  But, I guess when your body is not strong, stuff happens.  But, no excuses...I am pushing forward.

Back to watching Kona.  Damn it Raelert with your penalty!  Don't do that to me!!!!!  Fingers crossed he smokes it back to the podium.  Cheers to all of my friends racing, and best of luck to everyone in their training.  See you out there soon.

D