The Gear Part 2 - Road Bike

Do you have any idea how much a bike costs??  I sure didn't.  I have been riding a bike that my grandma got after she had hip surgery in like 1994.  Don't get me wrong I LOVE that bike!  I really do.  It rides well and it has sentimental value for me.  However it wouldn't do real well in a race.  If you know anything about bikes you know they have different size tires.  The skinnier the tire, the faster the bike can go.  My old bike is a hybrid which means it has mid size tires.  It's great for city riding but would probably double my time when it came to racing.  Which means I need a racing bike. 

I went to a few store in the area to try to learn a little bit about what I need.  It was quickly becoming clear to me that I would not be finding a road bike for a couple hundred dollars.  I rode several different brands of bikes and as usual fell in love with the most expensive one.  When I say expensive I mean this bike is going to cost me more then anything I have ever bought...except for my car.  So I did whatever any logical person would do and I put it on my Christmas list....nope didn't work...suppose you could see that one coming.  Well I'm back at square one.

At this point it's mid January.  I go to good old REI and low and behold bikes are on clearance in the middle of winter in Chicago.  AWESOME!  They carry several different bikes but the one I found was a Novara Carama Pro.  They only had one left and it was my size and it was really pretty (it has pink on it).  It had been sitting there waiting for me to find it!  The wonderful sales staff got me all hooked up with bike shoes, special pedals and a computer to track my distance, speed, ect.  The best part about the whole thing was I got all that and the bike for less then the original price.  Way to go me!!

This really cool bike had been sitting in my apartment for the past few months and finally it warmed up enough for me to go for a ride last week.  It was GREAT!  It's smooth and easy to ride.  I love being able to track my distance.  Being able to see my speed motivates me to go faster and challenge myself.  I can't wait to take it out again!

The gear Part 1 - Wetsuit

So who would have guessed that getting all the gear for a triathlon is really expensive!!  At first I thought all I would need was myself and a bike...and I guess that is technically all I would need.  But as I have previously stated I'm not a strong swimmer and everyone seemed to think I needed to get a wetsuit.  This magical suit would keep me warm in the cold lake waters, it would help keep me buoyant and help me swim much faster by cutting down on the water resistance.  It seemed like a no brainier I had to get the suit! 

I did a bit of research online to help me decide on the most expensive brand because of coarse it was the best.  It has...

• Special "Glideskin" neoprene coating helps you move through the water with less resistance
• Strategically located neoprene panels maximize buoyancy and flexibility
• Sealed seams keep the warm water in and the cold water out
• Legs are cut at ankle v/s calf to increase flexibility and mobility

Lucky for me I was smart enough not to just order one of these things online.  I decided it best to go try some on.  Well, for those of you who have never tried a wetsuit on...let me tell you it's not that much fun.  I went to REI and the lady who was helping me was wonderful.  I grabbed one of the suits, size L, and was attempting to put on this super skin tight piece of rubber.  I jammed my feet and legs into the openings and pulled the suit up about an inch and a half.  I called out to the dressing room lady that I thought I might need a bigger size.  She poked her head in the door and saw the suit hanging from my ankles and said, oh no..that might be to big.  (She was serious)  She comes in the dressing room and helps yank the suit up my body and and stuff me in.  Then she zips it up!!  Let me tell you, if nothing else, it will keep me warm.  I might die because I can't breath but I will stay warm in the cold lake water.  Almost instantly I start to sweat.  How gross is that.  I'm tightly wrapped in rubber and I can feel myself starting to sweat, my arms are floating at my sides and my lunges feel like they have just been cut in half.  The sales lady assures me that when I get in the water it will feel much better and I will be glad I have it on. 

As I peel the rubber off of me I glance at the price, it's on clearance!!  What a deal.  I suddenly seem to remember it fitting perfectly.

P.S.  There will be a picture coming soon of me actually in this rubber body suit :)

Man.... I look good  :)

Swimming

I remember my mom taking me to swimming lessons when I was a kid.  We blew bubbles in the water and learned how to dive off the edge of the pool...I think I was probably 8 or 9 when I stopped taking lessons.  Growing up in a very small Wisconsin farm town doesn't really give you the opportunity to swim much, and needless to say I've made it almost 30 years without being proficient.  So, this was a real problem.

The day I decided to actually do the triathlon I brought my swimming suit to work and jumped in the pool.  I didn't waste any time and "swam" to one end of the pool.  When I got to the other side I grabbed hold of the wall and gasped for air...not so bad I thought.  I continued going from one end of the pool to the other (gasping for breath in between) for about 30 min and was exhausted when I had completed my 10 lengths.  I thought to myself, that had to be close to a mile.  Not so much...I wasn't even close to 1/2 a mile...I was in trouble. 

The next day I got in touch with one of the swim instructors at my club.  She spent several hours with me in the pool trying to help me learn the proper strokes and breathing techniques.  I can't thank her enough for everything she taught me.  It's really amazing how much easier it is to swim when doing it properly.  I actually have gotten to the point where I don't dread swimming.  I won't go as far to say I like it, but it's not all that bad.

I'm very proud to say I've swam a mile on a couple different occasions!

About Me

Hi, my name is Emily.  I'm 29, recently got engaged and my fiance, Jeremy, and I are both personal trainers in Chicago.  So as you can imagine we both lead pretty active lifestyles.  However, last summer I started getting bored with my workouts.  (Yes, even personal trainers get in workout ruts.)  So this is how I got myself in this situation of training for a triathlon. 

Living in Chicago is wonderful and during the summer my favorite place to be is at the lakefront.  I spend my afternoons biking or running along the lake.  Last summer I saw people swimming in lake Michigan...it must have been a really hot day because I was a little envious of everyone in the water while I was sweating my ass off riding my bike home.  I thought it might be kinda fun to jump in and swim and then ride home, of coarse I didn't.  Doing a triathlon had crossed my mind a few times throughout the years but having to swim scared the shit outta me.  I can barely doggie paddle let alone swim a MILE!!  So, I went home and didn't mention this crazy idea to anyone.  I ignored it and thought it would go away like most of my crazy ideas usually do.  But, it kept coming back...every time I rode by the lake I had this overwhelming desire to do a triathlon.  Finally after weeks of trying to convince myself this was crazy I casually mentioned something to Jeremy about maybe, sometime, possibly doing a tri.  He thought it was a great idea!  I would be great!  I should do it right away!  That's all I needed.  The next day I told everyone I saw I was going to be the next triathlete champion.  I wasn't just going to maybe do one...I was going to win!!