New Biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiike!

[teawoman]

I definitely cannot grasp the brakes nearly as fully from the hoods as from the drops. I will brake in the hoods for gentle hills and slopes, but for real security down hills, I like the drops.

Whew. That's exactly what I mean.

Just my .02 ...I really enjoyed reading your post...you are really on the right track and doing great. Now, it is just a matter of time and riding, and you will relax, enjoy, and learn what kinds of things you will want to tweak on your bike as you go.

Aww, thanks. I was pretty active as a kid, but other priorities took over as I got older and getting out there took a back seat...and I gained weight, yada yada. I am so excited to be doing stuff like this!

[Starfish]

I am so excited to be doing stuff like this!

Just wait, you will be amazed at what you will end up doing. One of the things that keeps me hooked on riding is that it has exploded the limitations I used to believe about what I can do. I am doing a ride this weekend that I am not at all sure I can actually do. But, I will attempt it, because every year for the past few since I started riding (on a 40 pound bike on flat paved paths), I keep pushing through to doing things that I couldn't have believed just the previous year.

Although I am a little scared of my ride this weekend, I will give it everything I have, and I know that in another year, I will look back and see it as another moment for breaking through my own ceiling. It has brought real fun, joy and positive expectation for the future to me. Now, I daydream about what I might possibly accomplish next year (at 42 years old), and five years from now, and ten years from now! I believe I'll be stronger and doing more in ten years than I am now. I bet you will be, too. You are embarking on an amazing adventure, one step at a time, and we're right there with you!

[teawoman]

Now, I daydream about what I might possibly accomplish next year (at 42 years old), and five years from now, and ten years from now! I believe I'll be stronger and doing more in ten years than I am now. I bet you will be, too. You are embarking on an amazing adventure, one step at a time, and we're right there with you!

Neat! We are the same age! I am even thinking I could do an oly, and that was *not* in my mind even remotely when I tried that first tri.

What event are you doing?

[Starfish]

What event are you doing?

The Shasta Summit Century, in Mt. Shasta, CA. It's a climbing century...a big stretch for me.

But, I just bought a book called Marathoning for Mortals! I have some friends in my home town who do Ironman Triathlons. One of them did her first Ironman at age 50, and the thought keeps tugging at me, although I haven't run for 20 years, and wrecked my knee doing it (stupid overuse and lack of brains as a college student...didn't listen to my body and rest).

I need to lose some weight before I submit my joints to actual running, but I can swim, and I've been thinking that a winter-long cross training program of walking, swimming, cycling (spinning classes, maybe, in winter) and weight training might be perfect for losing weight and improving my power-to-weight ratio for whatever comes next year. I really, really want to maximize my power on the bike this winter and get lighter and faster for next year.

[teawoman]

The Shasta Summit Century, in Mt. Shasta, CA. It's a climbing century...a big stretch for me.

But, I just bought a book called Marathoning for Mortals! I have some friends in my home town who do Ironman Triathlons. One of them did her first Ironman at age 50, and the thought keeps tugging at me, although I haven't run for 20 years, and wrecked my knee doing it (stupid overuse and lack of brains as a college student...didn't listen to my body and rest).

I need to lose some weight before I submit my joints to actual running, but I can swim, and I've been thinking that a winter-long cross training program of walking, swimming, cycling (spinning classes, maybe, in winter) and weight training might be perfect for losing weight and improving my power-to-weight ratio for whatever comes next year. I really, really want to maximize my power on the bike this winter and get lighter and faster for next year.

Wow. A century is scary enough to think about...but a *climbing century*...I didn't know there was such a thing . I actually started triathlon because the first thing I did to get fit was a run-walk program and I found that as I increased distance it bugged my knees. I thought biking would help, so I started that, and I had done a lot of swimming when I was a kid, so it made sense to think about triathlon.

John "the Penguin" Bingham's books are just great! Very encouraging to read. Even Lance Armstrong got a stress fracture when he ran a marathon--he had not accustomed his body to the pounding. I feel better about my running when I remember that!

Your winter plan sounds similar to mine! (prolly mine is a bit smaller scale, tho!) I am a bit scared of losing fitness because we get a lot of snow here and my job is busy in the fall. I can run in the snow, but not bike.

I will look out for your report on the century!

[Starfish]

Wow. A century is scary enough to think about...but a *climbing century*...I didn't know there was such a thing .

Well, this is the thing I'm talking about. Two years ago I did my first century...a really, really flat & easy one. I am excited to see what might happen two years from now. The possibility of achievement and improvement really tugs me along.

I really admire you with the Tri's. My thinking sounds a little similar to yours...I know I can swim, and I'm getting better on the bike, so if I can just rehab my knee to some run/walk stuff...well, a Tri seems like a natural thing to, well, try someday!

[northstar]

Had to pop in here and say congratulations on the new bike! Way to go!!