Rolling hills are NOT all created alike...

As I mentioned previously, I really expected the "rolling hills" of Memphis to be like the "rolling hills" of Chattanooga...

They. Were. NOT.

The rolling hills of Chattanooga are LOVELY...they climb a tiny bit, they descend easily and then immediately roll up the next hill...you get momentum from one hill to the next that carries you most of the way up the next hill. It really doesn't feel like a lot of climbing...except for the one hill on Andrews...that's a big climb.

When I did the Chatty 70.3 I was NOT trained. I had not ridden my real bike more than maybe 20 MILES leading up to race day! (Don't do that...it was DUMB.) I wasn't teaching spin more often back then. I definitely wasn't running much then. All that to say I know I wasn't just in better shape then...in fact I was in better shape this year (for sure). 

The morning of the race it was cool outside. I talked with a fellow racer as we were setting up who asked my thoughts on the temperature.....I said I was giving myself options with both a jacket and arm warmers at my transition spot. 

I actually got a little hot in my wetsuit during the swim (probably because I kept stopping!) so when I got to transition I decided I didn't need anything extra. I simply got my helmet, bike shoes and sunglasses on, grabbed my bike and headed out. As I started riding I thought I might have made a mistake because it was a tad chilly, but I just knew I would warm up quickly...and I was right.

As I think back on the bike course (now that it's been three LONG weeks since the race...) the things that really stand out to me are the sheer beauty of the course--it was SPECTACULAR! I thought Chatty 70.3 was a pretty course, but Memphis is even prettier! The hills were NOT wonderfully rolling ... they were hills that made me work just a bit to get up (but NOTHING major at all)...and then the downs were mostly slopes that lead to just enough flat road that zapped all the momentum out...which meant more work to get up the next incline! 

And then there was the road surface. It feels like it was mostly chip-seal (even though it really wasn't). The hardest part about that was that I was relying on fluid nutrition from my aero bullet bottle. It's HARD to drink from an aero bullet when the road surface is so bumpy!

For bike fuel, I had made up a very concentrated bottle of Tailwind (along with a regular bottle of it in the aero bottle to start). The plan was to drink the aero bottle in an hour, then squirt out 1/4 of the concentrated bottle every hour after that, mixing with water I got from aid stations. Thankfully it wasn't too hot early on so I didn't really need much extra water beyond that. 

That worked the first 2 hours...but the road surface being so bumpy (combined with my own fears) really thwarted those plans. So much so that I really got behind on fuel. I think I ended up taking in about 2/3 of what I had intended. And, it started getting VERY HOT toward the end of the bike.

My power plan was to keep my watts right around 115-120. I surprised myself and was just a tad over that. Not so much that I blew up my legs for the run, but enough that I felt like I had given about what I had to give!

When I got off the bike I asked the volunteer if she wanted to buy a bike! The person behind me said "I'll take it if you are giving it away for free!" I laughed and said I might change my mind after the run!

The aid stations seemed to be well spaced and well worked but just a tiny bit cramped. I only stopped once-for a VERY much-needed potty break.

When I finised the swim I was in 44th place in my age group (out of 71)...when I got off the bike I had moved up to 36th. (I moved up 58 places, from 287 to 229, for all females, and I moved up 88 spots, from 946 to 858, overall. I knew I had passed quite a few people but I also know I was passed by quite a few. And, as always, I played leap frog (without drafting) with a few as well.

If I hadn't stopped so much on the swim who knows how that might have shaken out...

Next up...the run...

Just Like Riding a Bike

There's a reason the saying goes "it's just like riding a bike". That expression implies that you already know everything there is about an activity and can pick up right where you left off even after a long time away from doing it.

I have been teaching Spin a long time (except for a short time I had to take off due to brain disease). When I trained for my 70.3 and 140.6 races, teaching Spin didn't count toward my bike training at all. It was more of a recovery effort. I would teach 5:30am Spin and then go do my long ride (up to about 112 miles or about 6 hours).

When I first signed up for IMChoo70.3 (like in September 2019) I had plans to actually TRAIN for the race. But then I didn't really ever get into training when COVID hit and I threw in the towel. Then in January-ish of this year when it seemed as though the race would happen, I was REALLY struggling to get started training.

I had an appointment with my neurologist where we actually discussed me doing a round of IV steroids again. I was having a flare of symptoms that really concerned me and steroids seemed to be the best answer. I decided to wait because I had changed my thyroid meds about a month before and the neurologist said it was a possibility that change sparked the apparent "flare". Just after that I got VERY serious with "clearing the muddy waters" of my diet. I did a Whole 30, and then partway through that 30 days I started eating Juice Plus+. 

To say I started feeling drastically better doesn't fully capture the transformation. I went from believing I might need another round of steroids to believing I might actually be able to finish the 70.3 (maybe not in the 8.5 hour time cutoff, but if I started early enough in the day I might at least not get pulled off the course-even if I ended up as an official DNF on the results). 

I felt confident leading up to race day I would have a decent swim because the current is so fast at that race. Having a decent swim would set me up to have "extra" time on the bike. I was confident if I made it off the bike within the time limit I could gut my way through 13.1 miles (again, even if it wasn't actually in the time allowed I believed I could finish it).

But, in my mind, the bike portion of the race was the make it or break it for my day. Spin class is about an hour long. I did the math before the race...if I rode at an average of about 14mph it would take me about 4 hours to finish the bike. Right at three hours longer than I was used to riding (because I'm sometimes on my bike for 75 minutes including pre-class ride time). FOUR times longer than my behind and legs were used to (and after swimming 1.4 miles*). 

I kept telling myself leading up to the race, "it's quite literally just like riding a bike".

I did not expect the swim to be quite so challenging. But when I got out of the water and got through T1 I was feeling SPUNKY! Dwayne, Cedric (husband and brother-in-law) and I all got to transition within seconds of each other but I was about 90-120 seconds faster getting out of transition. I was IN THE LEAD!!!! 🤣

I knew I wouldn't hold it for long, but it was glorious while it lasted! More importantly, I felt FANTASTIC. Except...there's always an "except" isn't there? I had a little annoying rub on the inside of my right thigh. My mind started racing "this is so stupid for you to be out here doing this...you are SO UNTRAINED...that rub is going to be a TERRIBLE chaffed spot, it's probably going to bleed...you are not going to be able to walk for a week-is this worth it". The barrage of thoughts were ENDLESS and UNRELENTING.

Until...I got to the first cemetary.

I remember when I did IMChoo '15. In training I passed that first cemetery and thought "I'm glad I'm on this side of the fence...keep riding". When Dwayne and I drove the course before his race the next year I told him that little mindset switch. When we drove the course the day before the race we talked about it again. When I saw that cemetery, the switch flipped and I was able to refocus on the spunk I was feeling.

The thing I LOVE about the IMChoo bike courses is the rolling hills (the 144.6* and the 70.5* courses are slightly different but mostly the same)! The ups aren't SO steep to be demoralizing and the downs aren't white-knuckle fast. It's a near-perfect mix. If you gear correctly you can really have a fast bike time. 

Hold on...I didn't talk about an important thing that happened!

Two weeks before the race we took our bikes to the shop to have them checked out, get our chains waxed, and just general pre-race tune-ups. (My good friend also let me borrow her -super fast-race wheels!) When we picked them up the day before we were leaving, the guy who worked on my bike told me he had fixed a little issue with the shifting.

Now, let me say...this "little issue" had been a THORN IN MY SIDE from when I first bought the bike. In middle gears it would shift on its own-either up or down! I had to actually hold pressure on the shifter in order to keep it from happening. Keep in mind, it's a TRI bike so to hold the shifters I have to be in aero. I had been on a hill a couple of times and had the chain pop off--not because of my own shifting but because the stupid bike would shift on it's own! I had taken it in no less than three times to have them FIX IT! Each time I was told it was fixed but it never was. I finally just told myself that's just the way it was going to be. Well, when we picked up the bikes, we didn't really have time for anything more than a little 20 minute ride to make sure everything was good to go. I was VERY nervous about this shifting issue because I had figured out how to cope with it the way it was. This "repair" might have made things worse! In that little ride it shifted VERY well, but I was still leary about it...until I realized partway through this race that it had not happened even one time!!

I can NOT describe the elation I felt!!! It was as if the angels in Heaven were singing the Hallalueigha chorus! ((For locals I'm talking about Tom at Bicycle Cove! He's a bike repair savant!!))

It wasn't long before Cedric passed me as if I were standing still...then not long after that my honey pot passed me. I figured I wouldn't see them the rest of the day.

But I was wrong. On one of the little hills I saw someone on the side of the road. Thanks to our very bright and unique kits I recognized it was Dwayne very quickly. As I rode by asking if he was okay he told me he popped a chain. A few minutes later, he passed me again. But not long after that I saw him a second time-same issue.

Not long after I passed him I realized we were not far from where our cheering squad would see us!! I could hear them before I could see them. I have to admit-I was feeling on top of the world knowing I was in front of Dwayne-even if it was a result of a mechanical issue, and even if I knew it was very short-lived.

Something happens inside of me when I hear friends and family cheering. It's like gasoline on a fire and wind at my back!

I actually don't remember if that was before or after the "hill". The half iron course turns left before the full course, cutting off two miles compared to the full course (the full bike course is actually 116 miles long instead of 112, making the race 144.6 instead of 140.6). Just before that left hand turn on both courses, there's a nice downhill section. When you make that left turn on the half course it IMMEDIATELY goes up a short but fairly steep hill. That combination makes for a TOUGH climb. I had read A LOT about that climb before the race. Because of how I was feeling on other climbs I decided before I got there I would just get off my bike and walk up rather than fighting to climb it on the bike. 

That would have been fine, but instead of executing my plan, I shifted as if I was going to climb it and tried (not for very long) to grind my way up. When I got off I was in good company. Most of the people with me did the same thing. Except this one KID. He looked like he might have been 16; he was riding a mountain bike and was not clipped in, and was wearing a MOHAWK helmet! Everyone cheered for him as he climbed that hill like it was nothing at all!

The cool thing about this climb is that it culminates at yet another cemetary!

"I'm glad I'm STILL on this side of the fence." ...and HALF WAY done!!

In my mind, right after the turn, I was going to be in Chickamauga. I was really looking forward to getting there because in the full that town is HOPPING! That's where special needs bags are and they bus spectators out to that spot and I think there's an aid station. In the full it feels like what I imagine the Tour de France must feel like! Not to mention my good friends (AKA Thunder and Lighting) live there. I knew it would be different for the half (no special needs bags and no buses of spectators) but I wasn't quite prepared for two things. 

First, it took FOREVER to get there after the turn. FOREVER. Second, it was pretty dead there compared to the full. And then I heard Thunder and Lighting yelling!! And then I saw my father, and step-mother-in-laws there holding my very own FAT HEAD!!

Gasoline on my fire and wind at my back.

Except the wind wasn't at my back and my tank was running on fumes at that point. And I REALLY had to use the bathroom!!

I slowed WAY down. Up until the left turn where you go up hill (the one I walked) I was averaging 15.9!! From the hill (after I got back on my bike) until Chickamauga I averaged 14.9. From Chickamauga until I stopped to use the bathroom I slowed down to 14. (To be fair, you go up a gradual hill pretty much that whole way, but it was also into a headwind....I got down to like 8mph!) When I stopped I was feeling totally depleted. I had NOT taken in enough calories...what I had decided to use was NOT going down well so I switched to Gatorade. It was the worse Gatorade I'd ever had. We decided afterward it had been leftover from the year before so it wasn't "fresh". I was a bit upset with myself for stopping, but it proved to be a VERY necessary stop indeed! I averaged 14.4 the rest of the time.

When I finally got back to transition I told the two volunteers at the dismount line I was going to sell my bike and I never wanted to see it again!!

Then I heard our cheer squad!! I reached down and took off my shoes incorrectly thinking it would help me move faster. It didn't. I got to my spot and racked my bike, slathered on some sunscreen, put on my running shoes, grabbed my hat and took off. Dwayne and Cedric were LONG gone but I'm proud to say I beat them both soundly with my speedy T2 time!!

And then I headed out on the "run", shocked at how good I actually felt overall. I expected to be completely stove up, but, other than expected fatigue, I felt surprisingly good all things considered!!

Thanks for stopping in and sticking around! 

(The bike photo is from the glory day of IMChoo '15 because I can't download the FinisherPix from this race yet...)

Rolling Out the Welcome Mat

Everyone loves their own sport.

I had heard some negative things about bikers and swimmers, mainly they are both hard "cliques" to break into.  However, I have found that to be incorrect. I think it's a matter of logistics. Think about it, when we run, we run together, side by side (well, if you run in a group). Swimmers might swim in the pool together, but it's not like you can really talk as you swim laps. That is a sport best suited for those people who are happy in their own world, because if you spend much time in the pool at all (unless you have a really great waterproof MP3 player), you are very alone with your thoughts. Like it or not.

Having said all that...everyone I've met while swimming has been just as friendly as all my running buds.  The guy who sits at the front "desk" of the pool who checks my pool pass always greets me with a smile and makes a point to bid me a cheery "have a great day" farewell as I'm leaving.  Any time I walk past the life guard (almost every time I'm at open swim), he/she smiles and asks how I'm doing. (I think they are probably just laughing at my less than fashionable swim shorts, but that's beside the point!)  Since I started swimming with the Master Swimmers (more on this in a bit), I've met two ladies in the locker room who were unbelievably kind in welcoming me to the sport they love. They made a point to introduce themselves and told me if I ever needed anything to let them know. (I don't think they can teach me how to be as comfortable in my own skin as they both obviously are, but maybe the act of sharing pool water with them will create some osmotic effect!!)

Biking is much better suited to friendly conversation (compared to swimming) as far as I've been able to tell....however, it's still more difficult than running (to chat that is). I have to qualify my comments because I've only been on one group ride so far. The only problem was that out of 10 or so people riding together, there were only a few of us with road bikes. The ones riding mountain bikes and Schwinns, and even the ones on road bikes equipped with platform pedals just didn't stand a chance to keep up with those of us who were clipped in.   It's not so much about fitness level as it is about equipment.  (Well, fitness level might have a little to do with how fast one can go, but I trust you know what I mean.)  So...on my "group ride" I spent a good bit of time alone.  ((This wasn't really a group ride for me, but training, otherwise I'd have slowed down to a more comfortable speed as opposed to pushing it.))

Having said all that, I have met several "bikers" who have graciously welcomed me to their sport of choice.  Although none of them have suggested we go on a ride together (probably because they are well aware I'm not up to the miles, or the speed, just yet) they have all been more than willing to share their opinions on everything from the best gruppos to shoes and even sometimes which finger to use to wave hello to the nice drivers who honk fond greetings as they whiz past.  (I choose to keep both hands, and all fingers, on the handle bars...but that's just me.)  While runners all have their favorite shoes, bikes and their components seem as personal to the user as a favorite meatloaf recipe. Sure, there are some widely recognized "favorites", but as soon as you think you know what the best of the best is, you'll find someone who has their own twist ("I use Dura Ace crankset, but prefer the Ultegra cassette..." much like "I use Ritz crackers in my meatloaf for that extra buttery flavor"...  My question is, could the average person really tell the difference??)

If you tell a biker they are crazy for spending $400 on pedals just to lose 8 measly grams of weight, you might not get a very good response. If you ask a swimmer how on earth they manage to spend hours in the water with nothing but their own thoughts to keep them going, you might not spark the warmest of conversations. What I've found, just like everything else in life....if you knock on a person's door with good intentions, he/she will generally roll out the welcome mat and invite you in.  I have been welcomed into the worlds of biking and swimming with all the enthusiasm I experienced from the running community.  I think I just might stay a while!!

Thanks for stopping in, come again soon.
:D

Better Biking

After a FANTASTIC (almost) four mile run with Daisy this morning, I went out and biked TEN miles!!  It was the best biking yet! 

The biggest reason it was so good?  Gearing!  Yes, learning how to properly use the gears of the bike significantly improved my time on the bike.   I think it's like anything else, learning the proper way to do things increases our enjoyment of the activity.  (At least for me it does.)

I don't think anyone here really cares about gear ratios or WHY bike gears are set up the way they are...but maybe you'll like knowing the "proper" way to arrange your chain?  If not, it won't hurt my feelings if you stop reading!

Basically, in a nutshell, if you want POWER and speed, like on a straight-away or going down a hill, you'll want to have the chain on the largest sprocket thingy (yes, there's a name for it, but I don't know what that is and I'm too lazy to look it up) in the front, and the smallest in the back.  If you are going up a hill, you'll move the chain to a smaller sprocket thingy in the front and bigger in the back.  Now...here's the thing, going up a hill you'll be spinning like crazy and won't be going far for your rotations, but it will be incredibly easy to peddle!  However, when you're on the flat path, you'll be getting major bang for your buck because with every rotation of your feet, the wheels will be turning quite a bit.  (Does that make sense?)

Anyway...regardless...it was a  super fantastic ride.  I wish I lived somewhere that was more biker friendly because I would really like to feel safer riding on the road.  There are people who do it, but I'm not one of them yet.  I'll stick to the greenways and mostly untraveled back roads for a while (at least until it drives me crazy!).

After I get the next two big races out of the way (Huntsville Half on Saturday, and then the NEW ORLEANS ROCK AND ROLL HALF (!!!!!!) on February 13th) I'm going to find a "heel and crank" to sign up for.  I'll have to work on not drowning some more before I sign up for the sprint tri.  I've already pretty much decided to sign up for the group that trains for that event (Tri 101)....but, like I said, I really have to work on my swimming.  I guess it's really a matter of learning how to do it better, right?

Thanks for stopping in, come again soon!
:D

Is "My Best" "Good Enough"??

I was reading an old Runner's World forum thread this morning and it's really got me thinking...which, as always, has me writing!

The original poster said:

I've been running for about three years now and I love it!  I've run in a couple dozen races from 5Ks to a half marathon and while I definitely want to keep improving, I am proud of how I've done so far. 

In all my training, there have only been two times EVER that I was unable to complete a run (due to bad shin splints), but I still have this weird issue: whether I'm racing or training, and whether I'm running 12 miles or 2, I always begin my runs nervous and with a nagging feeling that I won't be able to finish.  I know it's silly, and usually the feeling goes away almost as soon as I'm under way, but I can't shake it.... (emphasis mine)

I wish I could say I completely understand, but the truth is, I don't.  Not because I don't have that exact same feeling (duh...if you've read any of my posts you'd know I do)...I don't completely understand because, for me, that feeling doesn't stop until I reach the end of the run/work out/race. 

...a measuring stick...

Unfortunately, sometimes (maybe more often than not) that feeling derails me.  It doesn't usually keep me from starting (like the original poster).  It doesn't keep me from "finishing"...but what it does is prevents me from doing "my best".  I end up slowing down, or walking, in the middle of a run for no good reason other than my brain thinks I won't be able to keep it up.  I finish a work out/run with an overwhelming sense that I didn't give my very best effort....most of the time because I know I didn't.

The bad part is, I'm beginning to understand why...I think.  Fear of failure.  It's a cycle.  A bad cycle.  I start out worried I won't do "good enough".  At some point I slow down or walk because "I just can't do it"...so I don't end up doing "my best"...which reinforces the idea that I "can't" do it.  I've never quit a race, and I've never walked out on a work out....but I have slacked more than my fair share.

If this struggle sounds familiar to you, I wish I could say I have this thing figured out and wrap up the post in a neat little package, but I don't.  I'm still working on it for myself.  It's like an addict trying to tell another addict how to stop using.

But, I will say this....I think the key is to let go of any preconceived expectations, and give yourself (myself) full permission ......

See, I can't even finish my thought there because I was going to say "to do what feels right"....but that's crap.  If I only do what feels right at the time, I'll never get faster.  I'll never go further.  Because the truth is, training to do more is work.  And, the truth is "my best" changes every day.  My best in January was running 30 seconds at a time.  That "best" is certainly NOT good enough anymore!!

biking vs. running

What's funny....I don't feel that way when I bike.  I think the biggest reason is that I have NO experience at all on a bike so anything I do is going to be my best.  I asked a seasoned biker the other day what's a "good" speed and he said there was no way to answer that because there are so many factors-namely the wind-that can effect how fast you go.  I have nothing to compare myself to-not other bikers, but not even myself since I've only been on the bike three times!  So I don't start out afraid I won't do well, because I'm proud of anything I do on the bike.


Maybe that is the key (be proud of anything I do)....but how can I be proud of slowing down in a final 800m speed work interval when I was able to pull out a killer sprint the last 25-30 feet without even blinking an eye.  Speed work is sprint work, I shouldn't have been able to go even faster--I should have been going "fast" (doing my best) the whole time, right?? 

But, what IS my best???  How will I ever know if I don't give my full effort?  And, not only that, how will "my best" ever be "good enough" if "my best" is always changing? 

So, to answer the question in my title....

No, "my best" is not "good enough"....and that's exactly why I'm afraid I won't do good enough, because even my best doesn't cut it.

Yes, I'm aware something has to change in this line of thinking.  But, for now, I think I'll just go ride the bike!


Thanks for stopping in, come again soon!
:D

Run, Bike, P90X!

Yesterday I did a tri!  Not in the official way... but I did three kinds of workouts, so I'm calling that a tri!

I ran 3.5 miles on the trails with Daisy (not my best run at all, but got it done).  Then, later, I rode the super-fast road bike I borrowed from MV8r on a nearby greenway for seven miles.  Later still, I did the Legs and Back workout from P90X.  (DISCLAIMER:  I didn't do ANY of the pull ups because, 1) I'm not set up yet with the bar, and 2) I can't do pull ups! --I'm going to have to learn how to modify those.)

You might think I'd be sore today, but I'm really not.  I mean, I can tell I worked out, but it's not like I can't move today.  ...I'm getting stronger!!

One thing is for sure....there's nothing I've done that can get my heart rate up like running.  They talk about getting "in the zone" on P90X, but I just can't get my heart pumping doing those work out moves.  I'm sure part of it is because I'm not doing all the moves exactly correct just yet...but I think the other thing is that I can vary my speed while I'm running, to achieve better results with my heart rate, much easier than I can doing anything else.

Having said all that...I'm quickly becoming a fan of the bike.  Riding on the greenway was such a great experience.  I didn't have to worry about cars at all, which was a HUGE advantage, plus, it was much more flat than the route I took the first time.  Having a flatter place to ride allowed me to stay at a more consistent speed.  The only bad thing is that the longest greenway I know of is only 7 miles total.  Sure, I could do it multiple times, but that gets as old as running laps around a track.  YAWN!! 

I just remembered the advice I give to anyone who is looking for a new route.  Amazing when my own words come back to me!!  ...I'm looking on GarminConnect.com, under "Explore"/"Activities".  You can look in your own area for routes that have been shared by Garmin users (running, biking, hiking...all kinds of things!).   How exciting!!  :D

Thanks for stopping in, come again soon!
:D

Back In The Saddle Again

No, I haven't been riding horses...I've been riding a bike!

A friend of mine is letting me borrow her super-fast Fuji road bike....along with all the gear you need to ride (helmet, sweat band, gloves, shoes...and, heretofore unused butt balm!).  She brought it over Saturday; I spent an hour on it just learning how to clip-in and out.  ((This was the day after an hour long spin class.))  I didn't go very far because she told me I would certainly fall so I didn't want to be far from home when it happened.  It didn't!

Yesterday, I decided I would take a "real" bike ride.  I had a little trouble shifting gears-I haven't quite figured out when to shift and what gears to use.  But, I didn't fall, and I didn't get hit by a car (which was a little bit of a miracle--Sunday afternoon is not the best time to go for a bike ride!).  The worst part-it was really WINDY.

I started out with the idea I would go about 10 miles.  I thought I was being fairly conservative because the day before, when I was practicing clipping in and out, I was on the bike for an hour and my legs felt fine.  There were three things I didn't count on...one-I wasn't actually RIDING on Saturday.  Propelling a bike forward takes a bit more force than puttering around the neighborhood clipping in and out of the pedals-especially being out on a road that is mostly one long no-passing zone with no shoulder.  (Read, cars will still pass, but by just barely going  over the center line....meaning I wanted to try to go as fast as I could to make for the least inconvenience to the cars.  I don't know if that was the best philosophy or not...I'm going to have to look up rules of the road for bikers!)

I also didn't count on the fact that I would be EXTREMELY nervous and feel like I was going to throw up the whole time.  My stomach was in knots.  I think I want to get a rear view mirror thing to put on my my friend's helmet so I can stop being paranoid about having cars come up behind me that I'm oblivious to!

I also didn't count on the gale force wind!  Riding into the wind up a hill is NOT easy at all.  Although my heart rate didn't get up as high as it does when I run, and my legs didn't feel as spent as they do when I'm running...at one point I was wondering how I'd get the bike home if I gave up and called Hubs to come get me.  I decided that wasn't an option and kept going...and by the time I got off the bike I decided I LOVE IT.  Maybe not as much as running, but I think when I get more comfortable with it, I think I will love it that much.

Yes...I will be trying Tris next year.  I just have to learn to swim better!

Thanks for stopping in, come again soon!
:D

(Don't laugh...here's my data from this first ride.)