The Abs have it

Hey Jeni! 

I am so excited to hear about your good training day! That's awesome. Training with others is helpful. I remember last year when I was new to my bike some really nice people helped me along with way with shifting suggestions and other things. I've also learned good road etiquette to benefit both cyclists and drivers. I think overall awareness of sharing the road and knowing eachothers space is a good thing. The ride of silence seems to promote this. 

Your friend does sound like a badass! Sometimes it makes me wonder if I want to try an Aqua-Bike, which is swimming and biking only. There aren't too many of them around but it would be something to reach for.  I think you should take advantage of the great shape you are in and your athletic ability and go for whatever you see fit. Maybe do the sprint tri as a training tri for the Olympic one?! That way you get a sense of how things go! 

Well on to my next "challenge." I am a month away from my trip to Europe. Of course, buying a little bit into the "concert fest workout" and the concert fest bod, I have decided to do this 30 day ab challenge that I found on Facebook. It involves sit ups, crunches, leg lifts and planks. I watched some YouTube videos on the correct form as a reminder. None of these exercises are effective without proper technique. The numbers increase each day and there are built in rest days. For some extra fun, I am going to add in some oblique work on the side to enhance the results. 

Today was day one. And I may have taken a before picture.  In my new bikini. We'll have to wait and see if I have the balls to do anything with that. 

Have you trained with your new friend since this last post? Are you training with anyone else? Have you gotten any good tips to share? 

Xoxo

Jenne 

Ps. Your snack looks yum. 

Comfort Zone or Adventure?

my new favorite snack: carob chips and almonds!!

Hey Jen,

  I really admire your ride of silence; I have yet to get on my bike and not think of Diva.  I hope some day that the US will be a much more bike friendly country.  How was the ride?  Do people outside of the riding community know about it?  How does it help to spread the word of "sharing the road"?  I think that's a really important message.  

  So I have been gearing up to do my first triathlon this summer.  I'm really looking forward to a new challenge and becoming a part of such a cool community.  Today I met up with a girl who's a member of the local tri-club.  She has a half-Ironman at the end of next month- let me tell, that is impressive- 1.2mile swim, 56 mile bike and 13.1 mile run- ALL IN A ROW!  I was really happy to train with someone who is such a badass!  Tonight we did a bike/run sequence.  We started with a 13 mile ride.  The distance isn't all that far, but it was the longest ride I had done at such a consistent pace.  Last week, E and I  covered double that distance but in a much more leisurely fashion.  Until today, I have used cycling as a gentle form of cardio with running as my main focus.  Today was the first time cycling felt like actual exercise.  We covered all 13 miles in an hour.  Then we hit the 5k (3.1 miles) loop on foot.  I have been planning on doing a Sprint tri in September- 0.4 mile swim, 12.4 mile bike and 3.1 mile.  But after tonight, finishing with ease I know that those distances might be too much in my comfort zone.  So I now wonder, should I push myself to go for the next level?  The Olympic.  If I worked all Summer on the Sprint distances I bet I could be pretty competitive or I could push myself and do something more challenging- i.e. more adventurous.  What would you do?  

  After our workout I grabbed my new favorite snack.  Carob chips and almonds.  Now I am reading female triathlete blogs and researching distances...  Do you like to "geek-out" over things the way I do?  When I get an idea in my head I like to read all about other people's experiences to determine if I think I'm capable.  My new friend Devon, who I trained with tonight is so gutsy, she has only done one Sprint tri, years ago and is now going for a Half-Ironman.  She makes me feel so inspired, like I should just go for it!  

What do you have going on the rest of the week?  Can't wait to tell you all about my upcoming weekend!  

sleep tight, fit dreams!

xo

Jeni