noattentionspan

It’s been simply ages since I’ve had the opportunity to get out and run with Anne-Marie, Mary and Michael from the old Rackets & Runners crowd, but today we laced up at the False Creek Community Center and headed off into the morning. We were joined by Charlie (also from R&R) and Cas to round us out to 6 and off we went.

This wasn’t a hard and fast run, it was more a chance for me to run with old run buddies and catch up as well as put on some extra distance. I’ve been stressed about my run volume lately (last couple of months) and am worried about the 30km tomorrow, so I wanted to get a run in today and mentally prepare myself for a longer run tomorrow. Mission accomplished!

On a side note, I recall Michael from the group telling me, shortly after I had signed up for Ironman, that I should get ready for the real expenses to start now that I’d signed up. He estimated $5,000, only because I already had a bike. He wasn’t including race wheels.

I thought he was a) joking, b) nuts. He was neither.

Down to MEC today to pick up the gels and shot blocks that I will eat over the next 2 weeks and weekends — $100. Yup, even buying them at 65% the price you pay in the regular store isn’t enough to make this cheap. If I’m stingy on my nutrition during the weeks, I should be able to stretch it to 3 weekends.

And I’ll need to do that because I’ll be spending my paycheque covering the credit card to pay off the Aero (read here, sperm shaped) helmet. Yup, 1 brand spanking new Louis Garneau Rocket Air sperm hat from our friends down at Speed Theory.

I was only heading down there to drop off my rear training wheel so that they can replace the bearing, but somehow I walked out with a helmet, Gu Chomps and a quick release mounting bracket for the Garmin 310XT (officially an accessory for my accessory).

And the day kept going for race and training related purchases.

By the time the day was over, the list looks something like this; helmet, mounting bracket, gu chomps, cliff shots, cliff gels, new run shorts (I have been thrashing the one pair I own washing them as often as I do) and finally fingerless bike gloves (mine are thrashed, I’ve had them for 5 years, AND they have fingers and boil my hands on long rides).

Last night, contemplating the bearing problem in the training wheel, and the click in the bottom bracket, I wanted to just say fuck it and buy a new bike. Dumb, I know. But I wanted to.

I didn’t. Today, in Speed Theory I was looking at the Cervelo P3 Frameset. See, I have a Cervelo bike with a Dur-ace component set. I could purchase the frameset and swap out my equipment. This would fix neither the bearing problem nor the bottom bracket, BUT, I would have a shiny new bike

I didn’t do that either. I’m either growing up or realizing that I’m broke, one or the other.

Besides, the 2006 Cervelo Dual (purchased new in 2007) has gotten me this far, it’s going to get me through Ironman as well.

After Iron… well, that’s a different thing. If I’m going to keep going in this sport I’m going to upgrade the bike, it really isn’t a question. The question is what I’m going to upgrade to, and when.

Nutrition and Exercise

So, while I haven’t been marking it down, I’ve also been drinking lots of water and some Diet Coke. No calories so no sense in recording it, right?

I need to watch this as the caffeine is NOT a good plan if over done. ug.

0645
- Vector and milk

0730
- 18.8km run with the False Creek group.
- 1/2 bag of Sharkies while running (70 cal)

1000
- Jones Soda
- Iced Tea / Lemonade

1230
- Slice of Cake

1400
- Fat Burger (2 patties, bacon) and fries
- Breath mint

1700
- Glass of Juice

2030
- 2 bowls of pasta salad (souvilaki pork, pasta, sauces)