Quakertown Triathlon T Minus 3 Days

Cathy and I will be doing our second Quakertown Tri (Sponsored by Piranha Sports) this Sunday, we're both excited and much more comfortable than last year!  Cathy's husband Mike will be joining us for his first Tri, having purchased a 2XU wetsuit.

After working with Cathy's swim coach for the past month, he's already swimming a mile!  Cathy will be riding her sexy new racing Specialized, I will be riding Phil's old Klein which I have named "The Blue Beast", and Mike will be riding a $100 Schwinn (with which he still beats Cathy on her new fancy bike).  In a flurry of texts yesterday we compared the expenses of Tri training.  Aside from the improved bike, Cathy spent about $180 on swim coaching.  I only spent $10 on a couple of Master's Swim classes; but after weeks of doing the breast stroke had to spend $180 on new bras at Victoria's Secret.  Cathy and I both agreed that our husbands didn't mind our spending habits involved with training because it's keeping us in good shape!

Greetings Earthling, brace yourself for immediate disintegration. 

After months of avoiding injury, I managed to re-tweak my knee last week leaving for work.  Carrying my 11 pound Morkie and work bag, I thought I was stepping onto hard surface but landed in mulch instead.  As soon as I felt my ankle twist, I took the weight off of my right leg and caught myself with the left.  I knew my left knee would be sore immediately, I was just hoping it was nothing major.  Sunday I had a fantastic ride, but the run afterwards yielded some IT band pain which I had also experienced after last year's tri.  This week we're doing iontophoresis to the front area which David calls "the insertion point", and he has taped the IT band from the back which last year fixed the problem instantly.  David calls the tape we use "medical duct tape" because it's very strong.  There was something about doing a 'fibular glide' while taping and anchoring to the tibia - whatever he does, it releases the tension.  Insurance companies don't want to pay for Ionto because they consider it "experimental" but it also fixed some bad wrist tendonitis that I had this year.  It's only used in certain circumstances, but it does work and has been around a long time.  If we ever treat an insurance company exec, I would love to say, "Oh we could fix that with Ionto but according to your company it's experimental."

        

Hopefully we'll have great stories & pictures to share after Sunday; and Mike will join our Blog Team with a post about his first big event.  Go Us!

Where have I been?

As much as I would like to say I've been doing a secret training plan in the Swiss Alps, the truth is less exciting - I've been at work!  The last few months have been a challenge of a different sort.  One of our office staff members had a sudden health crisis, and was unable to work.  In our hopes that she could return, we chose to wait several weeks before hiring someone.  The charity sports auction, of which I am a committee member, was also fast approaching April 14; there were final meetings to attend, posters to hang,  and a music playlist I was in charge of compiling.  This and pulling double duty at the office, was leaving little gym time, but such as most of life - shit happens.
At the time Derrick had not found a job yet, so I put him to work Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8-1 at the front desk.  He was impressive greeting and scheduling patients, entering the schedule into the computer, taking co-pays, and sending faxes.  I was happy to know first hand that wherever he got a job, they would be lucky to have Derrick.  A job interview in Richmond the week before Easter proved fruitful, as he was offered a position the same day.  The company owners went out of town for a week, giving him time to think about the offer and the prospect of being in "the real world".  He visited a few apartment complexes on the way home from Virginia.  I wished I could be there with him, but I needed to be at the office and after all, this was going to be his decision.
That Thursday, the stress and long hours had their effect -  I came down with bronchitis, dashing any hope of getting caught up (or going to the gym) over the long Easter weekend.  Good Friday, Saturday and Easter Sunday were spent at the office but didn't get as much done as I had hoped.  Saturday Derrick accepted the job, and we made a deposit on a nice apartment in a gated community.  There was a lot of organizing to be done - and despite antibiotics I was still hacking and miserable.  Dad came to the rescue with his cargo trailer, and on Sunday picked up furniture from our storage unit.  The week was crazy as usual with an overbooked schedule of patients.  Derrick worked at the office and packed while also arranging utilities at his new place.  Saturday was the sports auction, Sunday I drove to Richmond and back to help move Derrick into his place as he would start work the next day.  Monday I thought I would finally catch my breath, when mid afternoon I learned that the sports auction founder's house was burning down!  Tuesday I had planned gym time, but helping our friends was more important - they had 3 daughters, a dog, and no house.  I stopped by what was left of the house, and found myself choking back tears at the devastation my friend must have been feeling to see his house in ruins.  It was a new house, and they had just moved there in January.  The house was a total loss, as were most of their belongings.  When people are faced with such tragedy and you ask them, "what can I do?" they are so overwhelmed there is no answer.  So I chose more specific questions and came up with some things I could get immediately that would help.

My swimming partner had told me about a "master's swim class" Thursday nights, and was begging me to come.  I was still coughing, and agreed to go if she agreed to give me CPR - should I sink to the bottom of the deep end.  After coughing and hacking my way through the workout (my first in 3 weeks) I did feel better and announced my comeback!  It has been a slow return to the nice base I had built up earlier in the year, but I'm starting to feel good on the bike again.  I haven't done half of the training I did last year, and might as well be doing a TWT.  But I feel confident I will survive, just not sure about improving on my times of last year.  The only good thing is that I haven't gotten injured because I haven't been doing much.  As opposed to Cathy's new fancy bike and her fitting guru, I have opted to ride one of the kids' road bikes which is lighter than mine, with a shorter top tube that suits me better.  Hopefully May will offer no new emergencies and I'll be in good enough shape to put in respectable times for the Quakertown Tri early June.  On a lighter note, I got carded while ordering a glass of wine at the Macaroni Grill this weekend.  My husband quipped that our waitress must have been drunk, but still - Go Me!            

A Bicycle Fitting at Cycle Center of Stamford

Nate Rex at Cycle Center is a master at Bike Fitting

Before I had started shopping for a bicycle this time around, I hadn’t heard of a “bicycle fitting” beyond a seat adjustment.  Since I was now becoming a more serious cyclist, however, the concept was now prevalent in articles I was reading and shops and exhibits I frequented.  And, as with most things regarding amateur sports these days, the advanced computerized methods available to professional athletes are now readily available to us amateurs.

Besides a great staff – I met and talked with many of them throughout the process – Cycle Center in Stamford, CT offers a free computerized fitting with your bicycle purchase.  Most of the shops I visited still charged something for this service even with the purchase of a bicycle in the price range I was shopping for so this became a key reason for purchasing my bicycle from them.  In addition, through out the process they had taken a lot of time to educate me and had a very low key approach to sales.

Nate Rex is their certified master bicycle fitter and, according Cycle Center’s website, was one of the first 20 bicycle fitters in the in the nation to become certified for a fitting process called BG FIT which was developed by Specialized Bicycles.  According to the website, Specialized worked with medical professionals, doctors, and physiologists to develop the system “to help cyclists ride faster, longer and in greater comfort, while reducing the chance for injury”.  They have a school that was developed by Dr. Andy Pruitt of the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine.

Nate has been working in bicycle shops since the age of fourteen and it’s apparent that he truly loves his chosen profession.  I think one of the loves of his life besides his wife and child is the BG FIT computerized system he uses for a bicycle fitting!  Nate showed me the manual method he used to use for a fitting and, being a lover of all things tech, I also became infatuated with the video computerized program.

Nate had me ride my 51 inch framed bicycle on a Cycleops trainer and took a video of me riding before any adjustments.  In the before image that you can see that on the left, I’m a bit hunched with not enough extension. The first obvious adjustment required was the height of my seat.  My long legs actually would require a 54 inch frame.  The next obvious adjustment required getting my short torso to not have such a long reach.  Nate said that my torso actually would require a 48 inch frame.  So for that adjustment, Nate swapped out the handlebar post to something smaller.  With each adjustment I was hopping on and off the bike for a video analysis that allowed Nate to instantly measure the precise angles of my legs and arms.  He also adjusted my cleats and fit me in a way that would help with the bike to run triathlon transition.  In the after image, you can see that my spine is more neutral, allowing my weight to be more evenly distributed.


The "Before" and "After" videos of my bike fitting

Nate spent a good hour or so with me.  Apparently, I’m a tough fit with my long legs and short torso – and that’s why a Women Specific Design (WSD) is the best for me.  Nate said I’m actually borderline on requiring a custom fitted bike for the optimal fit.

I rode my new baby home from Cycle Center meandering through the back roads of North Stamford.  I had mapped out my route to avoid highly congested traffic roads and to take it easy on the hills.  Unfortunately the map didn’t mention the grooved pavement I encountered and, not knowing an alternative route, I proceeded anyway figuring how long could it be?  It was long!  Probably about 3-4 miles of an uncomfortable ride!  While the remaining 5 miles was smooth sailing, I’m obviously looking forward to my first “real” ride on my new baby.

My Final Decision: Specialized Amira and Shimano Tiagra vs. Shimano 105 Components

My new baby being assembled at Cycle Center

I knew I wanted the Specialized Amira Compact and I was pretty sure that the base model was probably the way to go.  I had quickly ruled out the middle entry level model with SRAM components.  Multiple sales reps at different stores had said that customers didn’t like the SRAM shifting which requires a double push and can be hard to get right, or for women with small hands, hard to push all the way over.  The Tiagra shifters in the base model felt like an upgrade to my Sora shifters, and I was questioning whether spending an additional $700 between the base and elite models was really worth it.  But, my husband, even being an accountant always looking for the good deal, said he would hate to advise me not to consider the upgraded components which are a very important part of any bike.

My one other concern as I considered either of these components was that fact that I would be going from a 27 speed, triple crank to a 20 speed, double crank.  The staff at Cycle Center of Stamford advised me that the difference would be that on the low end on either bike, I would lose the option of the lowest 1-2 gears but at the high end on the Elite, I would have one more gear allowing for more power going down hills.  I decided to do a test on my Raleigh around one of my North Stamford rides and since I was able to maintain my ride in gears 10 – 18  going up some rolling hills, I decided I should generally be ok.  In the end, I would also gain some speed and power through a better bicycle.

I returned to Cycle Center to test ride bicycles with the Shimano Tiagra versus the Shimano 105 components.  In the end, I could feel a difference in the ease and smoothness in shifting and decided this is a very important factor.  The carbon seatpost upgrade on the elite model is a nice factor, although that is something on any bike you can easily upgrade.  The Fulcrum wheels are also a nice upgrade, although based on some reviews I’ve read, if I were just upgrading the wheels, I would likely make some other choices.

So, in the end, it was the Shimano 105 components that were the biggest deciding factor in going with the Amira Elite.  I wish the middle Amira Compact model gave the option for the Shimano 105 instead of the SRAM Apex as I do feel like you have to overpay somewhat to get the overall package you want.  On the other end, the base Amira model is a very good value if you don’t mind the Tiagra components.  I was just concerned that one year from now I would be kicking myself for not going with the Shimano 105.

The Amira Elite model I was ordering only came in one blue and black color, which I was a little disappointed in when placing the order.  I had liked the white and gold color scheme on the lower models.  But when I picked up the bike, the color scheme in real life far exceeded my expectations.  The black areas of the frame have a very cool gloss over the matrix patterned carbon fibers.  The blue pallet is a cool electric blue and the blue and white stripes carry through to the seat and handlebars.  I was instantly in love with my new baby!

Bicycle Reviews: 2012 Specialized Amira Compact vs. The Trek Madone

I set out looking to test ride the Specialized Amira Compact and the Trek Madone.  Before heading out, I posted on each of the manufacturer’s facebook pages, “why should I buy your bike versus the competitor?”  Of course, I knew only I could decide what was right for me, but I was curious what they would say.

The Amira caught my eye in Bicycling Magazine, which named it one of their top picks for women’s 2012 models.  The review gives the bottom line, “Buy it if you want an affordable bike that will let you go fast.”  Yes – that’s me!  The Amira Compact is the entry-level model of Specialized’s more expensive Amira line, which includes 7 models in total.  The entry-level line comes in 3 models:  the base model ($2,000 msrp) with Shimano Tiagra, or the next model up ($2,200 msrp) with SRAM Apex components, and the Amira Elite ($2,700) with Shimano 105, upgraded tires and carbon seatpost.  All three models have the same racing designed carbon frame.

I received a postcard in the mail for Cycle Center’s annual bicycle sale in March.  I showed up on a sunny Saturday with my shoes and peddles in hand.  The store was packed but there was an adequate and friendly sales staff to quickly service me.  As it turned out, Cycle Center in Stamford, CT had the Amira in my size available for a test ride.  They directed me to a route around one of North Stamford’s reservoirs.  They definitely get the award for “best outdoor environment for a test ride” out of all shops I visited, which is actually a very important factor.

I took the 20 speed, carbon frame base model out for a ride and zipped around the reservoir.  The Shimano Tiagra was an upgrade to my Shimano Sora shifters.  I liked the fact that the 20 speeds, double crank saved weight and had easier shifting over my current triple crank, 27 speed, although I wondered if I could make it up some of the steeper hills I encounter in my CT and Martha’s Vineyard rides. 

Next up, I headed to Danny’s Cycles to take a test ride on the Trek Madone.  The only WSD in my size was their more expensive 5 series model (retail price I think was $3,300).  Christina was ready for me and took me out for a test ride, which was a nice touch to have the sales rep accompany you.  She advised me to just wear my sneakers with normal pedals for our test ride, which was on some side streets around downtown Stamford (probably a wise thing for being on an unfamiliar bike having to watch out for cars and broken glass in the city streets).  Of course, this being such an expensive bike, the ride was awesome, even given the less than ideal street conditions.  I asked to ride the less expensive 4 series, which they had available in a men’s slightly too large frame.  I could tell the difference between the 2 models in shifting and absorption of road vibration but the 4 series was still a great ride.

Now, I was confused.  On one hand, the Trek felt more comfortable but I couldn’t put my finger on why.  And I wondered why Bicycling Magazine hadn’t rated it side by side with the Amira (was it some sponsorship deal?).  For some reason probably having to do with brand perceptions and style, I was in love with the Amira but my head was telling me the Trek was more comfortable and therefore rationally a more appropriate bike for me.  I checked my facebook query and the responses, which came from all over the world, were all from regular consumers who either were simply advocating “their brand” or very unbiased and good advice to just get what was right for me.  But I really wanted to know the facts of why I should get one versus the other (being a professional marketer, the manufacturers missed a huge opportunity here to have a conversation with me in social media to help me through my choice and have the response on display for other viewers).

I stopped back at Cycle Center.  They had told me if I got confused or liked something about another bike to talk it through since many adjustments to any bike can make a difference.  We looked online together at the Trek models and it became evident why the “comfort” factor was different.  The Trek only makes a geometry in the Madone series that allows for a more upright position.  If I wanted more upright comfort, I should be test riding a Specialized Ruby for comparison to the Trek Madone.  In the end, I wanted a racing bike, so it became clear that would be my reason for selecting the Specialized Amira.  Now my heart and my head could agree!

Good Things Come in Big Packages (but is a triathlon bike right for me?)

My husband took my “subtle” hints of my “need” to have a bicycle on location at both homes in CT and Martha’s Vineyard for this year’s birthday present.  Once I started training for triathlons, my 15 year old Specialized Hybrid which I was keeping on the Vineyard just wasn’t cutting it anymore except for short runs to the beach or store.  So last summer I was constantly insisting we load my 5 year old Raleigh road bike onto the car for our weekend trips to our home away from home.  Both the Specialized and Raleigh were former birthday presents so given history and hints, I was pleasantly “surprised” with my gift.

My accountant husband did a lot of research and determined the best deal on the market was a Kestrel triathlon bike – you can find it online with high end components for about $1,800.  I was thrilled at the opportunity to not just get another bike to satisfy my “need” but also to upgrade for my future races.  But, the first question I started asking is “should I get a triathlon bike”?

I read some articles that would indicate I should consider a triathlon bike.  Generally, you should only consider a triathlon bike if you already have a road bike for certain training and riding situations in which you would not want a triathlon bike.  A lot of group rides prohibit triathlon bikes, which are not made for quick maneuvering or a lot of hills.  Triathlon bikes are best when you want to maintain speed over long distances on flat or not more than rolling hills surfaces.  Their design can be considered a little less stable when needing to deal with situations where you have to maneuver through a lot of bike or car traffic.  The geometry of the bike is designed to help “save your legs” somewhat during cycling to make the transition into the run easier.

So with this in mind, I visited some local bicycle shops to further investigate triathlon bikes.  My first stop was to a triathlon shop that I’m thrilled just opened in Stamford, CT – Pacific Swim Bike Run.  I follow them on Facebook as they frequently hold some great events.  While they carried Kestrels, they didn’t have any triathlon bikes in that or any other brand in my size to give a trial ride.  I stopped in at another store while in Waitsfield, VT – FIT WERX.  Very nice folks who take cycling seriously and it appears that people travel for miles to shop in their store and/or use their bike fitting services.  Again, there was nothing really in my size to try.  On the way home from VT and almost home, we stopped in Cycle Center, a bicycle store in North Stamford a few miles from our house.  Again no triathlon bikes in my size.

I started looking online at manufacturers’ sites, hoping to find a manufacturer’s event or sponsorship at a local expo.  While there appeared to be many events across the country, I was surprised and disappointed that there was nothing upcoming in the metro NY area (a huge oversight I think for the manufacturers).  I finally discovered a woman’s bicycle shop in Fairfield, CT.  The shop, Trek Women Bike Store, is really just a section of the larger Trek Bicycle of Fairfield store, but they did have a woman’s Trek triathlon bike in my size.  They were very busy that day so I had to wait awhile for them to get the bike ready but once they had time for me, the person helping me was very knowledgeable and actually a former triathlete pro-in-training who spent a couple years in Colorado at the training headquarters.  The weather was misting so I just took it for a quick ride in the parking lot to see how it handled.  I returned to the store thinking I would have to come back for a longer ride on it, and upon coming into the store, one of the sales attendants said, “yeah they are really nice bikes but you really only want to take them out on race day.”  Huh?  While I understood they are not good for all situations, I didn’t envision having a bike that I only took out on race day.

My next stop a few days later on a late evening just before closing was to Danny’s Cycles in Stamford, CT.  Danny’s offers lifetime annual service for free if you buy a bicycle there, a plus.  I instantly liked the sales rep, Cristina, who was a triathlete herself.  We talked more about a triathlon bike and she further discouraged me from it, confirming that most people who have one bring them out for race day.  As I thought about the fact that I ride on bike paths a lot, I often have to maneuver around people and on occasion stop quickly.  I also concluded through these discussions that I could just put aero bars on a road bike, particularly if I knew that going into the purchase and bought a bike sized with that in mind.  When I googled “getting optimal speed on a bike” one of the best things you can do is reduce wind resistance which is what the aero bars help accomplish, as well as ease the pressure on your back during long distances.

So, one month into my shopping, I concluded I would focus on a road bike.  I was also reminded throughout this process how important a Women’s Specific Design (WSD) is for me.  While many women can ride a man’s bicycle, I have long legs and a short torso which is one of the key features a WSD addresses.  Furthermore, bicycle designers who have been taking the woman’s market seriously, have made design changes to the handlebars and braking and shifting positionings, accounting for women’s smaller frames and hands.  As I researched WSDs, it appeared that Trek and Specialized are the two brands taking WSD seriously.  Both brands tout women designers on staff, have events tailored to women, and have an online presence that clearly demonstrates they take the market seriously.  Next up – my reviews of Specialized and Trek test rides.

Dare to Dream

There was a moment last September when I was running down the path along Manhattan’s West Side in preparation for my last triathlon of the season. It was a beautiful evening run with the sun setting and glistening on the Hudson River and Lady Liberty standing tall in my view. I was feeling good that the pain in my knees that had been bothering me for the last 3 weeks had dissipated and that my pace was up despite my recent lack of running. But, it was unseasonably HOT. I was cursing that I had chosen to pack a long sleeve top that morning upon leaving my house. Then, it occurred to me there was an alternative – I had my sports bra on underneath my shirt.

It took me another five minutes of internal debate whether or not the right thing to do was just to strip the shirt since it had never occurred to me to workout in my sports bra. I was trying to envision the women in the gym – surely I had seen some of them working out in halter type outfits, whether or not they were a sports bra or not, I was unsure. And, there was that woman in the Nantucket Triathlon whom I had passed and ultimately beat – the image was very clear that she had been wearing something less than a shirt. But, there was something nagging me keeping my shirt on until I was so hot that I finally said the hell with it, ripped off the shirt, and went on to turn around for the second half of my run, waving to Lady Liberty and not caring what anyone thought about my freedom to wear what I pleased so I could insure a good workout.

After watching a fantastic movie last evening, it occurred to me why perhaps there had been a nagging thought in the back of my brain. As logical as I had thought about the fact that my swim suits were more revealing in public and that other women were certainly not always covering themselves with shirts, there once was a controversy that had put the issue on the front of the newsstands – it was the end of the 1999 World Cup when the American Women’s team had just beat the Chinese in overtime based on penalty kicks. Brandi Chastain, was just doing what the guys do when they win, she ripped her shirt off, revealing her sports bra, and fell to her knees in exultation for their magnificent victory. Somehow the models who pose in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition are sexy and Brandi on the cover of Sports Illustrated, Time, and Newsweek was a controversy?!

I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, Dare to Dream, about a group of women who changed sports forever. Most were high school age teenagers when they were recruited in the ‘80s by Coach Anson Dorrance for the US women’s national soccer team based on a vision and tiny investment from US Soccer. I have to say that I’m embarrassed and disappointed that I didn’t know more about them until now, especially considering they are my generation and that one of its star players, Kristine Lilly, went to my husband’s high school, and we were likely living in Wilton, CT at the same time as she was. In fact, before watching the movie, the only things I could recall was “the bra incident” and the name Mia Hamm.

The reality is that these women played for the love of the game. They didn’t have the same dollars and investment that the men’s team had. And, they had to figure out what all professional women have to do – how to balance family and work. When one of the young players in her twenties decided to start a family, she thought her “soccer hobby” was over, but thankfully her coach encouraged her back on the field. But, while we office professional women can thank the discrimination laws for equal pay for equal work, there are no such laws protecting female athletes and other creative artists whose pay is dictated by the market force of butts in seats and TV viewing that fuel sponsorship dollars.

So, you would have thought after they had finally proven their ability to get butts in seats in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, that sponsors and others would have taken notice. It took a labor boycott in advance of the 1999 World Cup for them to negotiate only some of the same terms in their contract as the men. And, as women of many professions have found, their abilities to succeed were called in question in the media – could they really fill the seats in Giant Stadium and the Rose Bowl? They did what many women have had to do – they worked harder. Not just on the field, but at building a fan base and in their grassroots ticket selling efforts. In fact, they played to a SOLD OUT stadium of screaming and fanatical fans of all ages and genders.

Brandi’s shirt ripping off gesture was not just about that win. As she whooped it in the air with her right hand – just like Lady Liberty holds the torch in hers – it was a symbol for the change and revolution that this team of amazing women had achieved.