Ok, so my bike is pink. My gloves are pink. My socks are pink. My racing underwear is pink (too much?). And now….
I have a pink helmet. It’s a Giro, it was on wicked sale (30 bucks! Incredible!), and it matches my bike.
[photo coming soon]
I officially LOVE the off-season. The sale prices are phenomenal, and even allow a poor student like me to buy a trainer and a fancy pink helmet and a few new pairs of shorts and still be able to eat.
My wetsuit WetZoot has arrived! And I’ve ordered a trainer! Hooray!
[details to follow]
I have new running shoes 
They’re the same Mizunos as my last pair, but this year’s model. Which means…they’re brighter pink.
A while ago, I posted Triathlete magazine’s gear suggestions for beginner cyclists/triathletes. Today, while shopping for a wetsuit (yes, yes - I’m finally getting my wetsuit!) I found OneTri’s race equipment checklist. Since the off-season is the best time to buy these things, it’s time to do an inventory:
Swim
Swim suit or tri shorts - I have a couple of swimsuits (Speedo and TYR), but I’m actually considering getting a trisuit to wear under my wetsuit. TBA.
Wetsuit - ordering it now (there will be a post about this when it arrives!)
Goggles - right now, I have a pair of Speedo goggles that I use in the pool, and some Aqua Sphere Kaimans on the way.
Swim Cap - I still don’t have one. My hair is crunchy from chlorine. I should do something about that.
Lubricant or anti-chafe - I have a stick of Body Glide that I bought at the marathon. I’ve used it plenty of times and there is no dent. I think it lasts forever.
Towel - check.
Ear Plugs - I’m not really an ear plug kind of person. They’re too uncomfortable to be useful to me.
Bike
Bike - my pretty pink Fuji Finest 2.0.
Helmet - a cheapy one from Target, to be upgraded at a later date.
Bike shorts or tri shorts - Pearl Izumi.
Bike Shoes - Pearl Izumi Vagabond M4 mountain bike shoes (I like the bigger treads).
Sunglasses - still looking.
Water bottles w/energy replacement fluids - I have several bottles now. Regular plastic ones I picked up at Performance, and my new insulated Polar bottles.
Energy gel or snacks - I like to buy these closer to race day. I don’t know if they expire or not.
Biking gloves - Pearl Izumi Gel-Lite gloves.
Sunglasses - still looking.
Spare Tube, CO2, Tire Levers - you’d think I would have gotten these by now. Nope.
Run
Race shoes with quick laces (elastic laces are generally not preferred for longer distances) - I have my Mizunos, but they’re getting on in miles. A trip to Running Away will happen soon.
Cap or Visor - I have a baseball cap. I don’t think that counts.
Lubricant for feet - I don’t really use this.
Race number on race belt - this will arrive closer to race day.
Energy gel or snack - again, closer to race day.
Other
Warm clothes or Rain clothes - got it.
Sunscreen - I’m shopping around for Bullfrog brand. I got a free sample of it at last year’s Flying Pig and it was phenomenal.
Bag - the old trusty Adidas bag that I’ve been using since high school soccer.
Extra Energy gels and snacks - I’ll get these closer to race day.
Sandals - comfy Adidas sandals
Change of clothes for post race - I have clothes. Possibly too many.
And some running shoes.
I have a road bike!
It’s a Fuji Finest 2.0, and it’s pink. That’s right…I have a pink bicycle.
I found her at Performance Bicycle, and I can tell that the dudes in that store are going to be serious enablers for my endurance sport addiction. Keith, who helped me pick out the bike, does ultracycling events, and completely “gets” the desire to push oneself to athletic limits. I didn’t really know what I was looking for, so I just told him that I was new to cycling, and that I want to do triathlons. He explained the difference between road bikes and tri bikes - apparently, it’s not just about aerodynamics. Tri bikes have different geometry that forces you to pedal differently, in such a manner that transitioning from biking to running is much more seamless. Sounds exciting, but the only tri bikes they had in the store were way too big for me. I needed a small (47cm or smaller) bike, and I wanted a women-specific model.
My bike was also obscenely cheap (for a road bike…it still took a huge chunk out of my paycheck!). I love the off-season and the fabulous, fabulous sales it brings. Performance has a nifty little membership card that gets you some wicked discounts on top of the sale, and I got the bike, a pair of shoes, cleats, pedals, water bottles and cages, a saddlebag, gloves, and shorts for less than I was expecting to spend on the bike alone. Umm, amazing.
I’m still getting used to the bike - like I said, I’ve never been on a road bike, just my electric blue fixie. I need a name for this one…any suggestions? (I’ll post a photo later)
It’s time to start shopping for a road bike.
This will be interesting. The only bicycle I’ve ever owned* is my vintage 1969 Schwinn Catalina. It’s a cruiser. If I go more than a few miles on it, my butt hurts. It’s electric blue, and I found it on Craigslist…I have no idea how to shop for a bicycle. I have a vague idea of how much it will cost, and that I want a road bike versus a mountain bike or a tri bike, and that I’m supposed to get the pedals that you clip into, but that’s about all I know.
I’ve been pointed to Cycle Smithy on Clark by some cyclist friends and two (2!) strangers on the train. I think I’ll check it out this week.
*I’m not going to count the one that my parents bought me when I was a snotty little brat who didn’t want to ride bikes. It didn’t really get any use until my younger sibs co-opted it.
We’re Jenny and Kayleigh, two cousins who are training for assorted events leading up to (eventually) an Ironman triathlon. This blog exists to keep us in check and (sometimes, when we remember to) log our training. We’ll also post about events, nutrition, fitness apparel, and anything else we can think of that relates to running, biking, and swimming.
