Baby's got a new set of wheels....

Well, it started out with one of the best rides I've had since I started riding a couple years ago. I headed out to do 20 miles with a goal- 10 miles out non-stop, a short rest and 10 miles back non-stop. Trying to toughen up the sit bones and really the only way to do this is good ole' saddle time, so that's what I set out to do. I rode to Yorba Regional Park which is about 11 miles from home and made it there non-stop in just under an hour. Then stopped for a quick drink (2 minutes) and headed home. There must have been a slight tailwind because all I know is I was flying (or at least the 17-18mph I was doing sure felt that way to me)! I made it all the way back home in around 35-40 min!! It was awesome! That was what initiated the trip to REI to get a rack for my car- so I could take our bikes and go. When I got it home it did fit on my car, which I hadn't been sure it would, but then the bikes wouldn't fit on the rack - BUMMER! I packed it back up and returned it and figured I'd at least get a new helmet since I had been wearing that ugly lavendar one since I started riding and have been meaning to get a better one (or at least better looking one). REI didn't have anything I liked so I stopped at the bike shop- UH OH... that pretty Specialized Dolce was sitting over in the corner ON SALE calling my name.... literally! Well, I asked AL if they would take a bit more off and he said they would take another $50 off and they'd also give me $100 for my Specialized Exhibition that had about 55 miles on it and was only taking up space in the garage... "SOLD" It's a very pretty bike too, black with pink swirl design on the frame and I simply cannot wait to ride it! Tomorrow I am going to take it in to have them put my pedals on it and then Sunday morning I'm going to get up and try to hammer out a repeat of last weekends perfect ride.

Tomorrow Makenna and I are going to take her bike over to the riverbed and I'm going to run 5.7 miles or die trying.... I wanted to do 5.5 but the mile markers I need to use are spaced out that far so until I get a Garmin and can tell how far I've run this is what I have to work with.

I was reading Kristin Armstrong's blog earlier and she said something on there that kinda hit home for me and I am going to try and remember this, especially for this long run, the longest run for me so far. It said
"A quiet and tenacious voice spoke to me and told me to take my time, go whatever pace I needed to go, but under no circumstance was I permitted to quit."

I'm hoping for the best but am fairly nervous- damn that fear of failure hang up!!

I eat therefore I run (or ride)....

I think that would be a cute saying to put on my license plate frame. It came to me one day when my stomach was trying to convince me I hadn't eaten in days when in fact it had only been a couple hours. It's no secret that I LOVE FOOD but I've noticed in the past couple of weeks I'll be absolutely fine one minute and the very next minute I will be starving as if I hadn't eaten in days. It's the weirdest thing.

This morning Michelle and I had breakfast and then headed out for our 30 mile ride and about 5 miles after we headed back from the beach, WHAM-O there was that appetite!! With 10+ miles to go all I had was Lemon Sublime GU and down it went.... you gotta be desperate to down Lemon Sublime GU!! The weather was fabulous, beach was bright blue skies and fluffy white clouds but about 8 miles from home it got really dark and the sky opened up and poured on us. I don't think a hot shower ever felt so good!! I think we're as ready as we are going to be for next weekend and I am really looking forward to it.

rain rain go away....

Funny how a little rain can mess up a perfectly good ride... Michelle and I are supposed to ride 30 miles tomorrow in our own feeble attempt at getting ready to ride our first Century next weekend... who needs training (smart people)? We tried to get a 30 mile ride in a few weeks ago and got rained out and it's raining now and supposed to rain all day tomorrow which means we will need to ride on Sunday which would be fine except I'm supposed to run 5 miles on sunday? I'm in week 6 of my 8 week 10k training, luckily if I have to repeat a week or two I have given myself plenty of time before the 10k which is March 15th so I will be ok.

I'm still running 3-4 days a week and increasing my mileage on my weekend runs and I think I'm at about 44 miles into my 500 mile goal for this year, it doesn't sound like much right now but I'm hoping once my mileage increases it'll start balancing out, but it is only February so I'm not too worried. I have also been journaling every single day.

Work still sucks and seems to get worse from day to day but I know I'm lucky to have a job so I'm trying my very best to be grateful and not resentful, I'll keep trying...