back in the saddle...

for the better part of a week, i was a little too sloth-y for my taste. wasn't feeling particularly well (phlegmy throat, and worried that i was coming down with the same bug that knocked me out for nearly two weeks after the tri), had too much other stuff on my mind, and it's stupidly hot - not a good recipe for me and training...

but this weekend has made me feel quite a bit better. yesterday was a run on the treadmill (thank goodness for the childcare center at the gym - otherwise, yesterday would have been nothing). 8.1 miles, 64 minutes - a good run, felt strong, and considering i hadn't run since sunday eight miles felt pretty good. could have gone farther, except i plugged 64 minutes into the computer to begin the run and i was pretty much stuck with it.

this morning i woke up, got my bike gear together, and headed out for a bike-swim-bike workout. the ride to the reservoir (12 miles) was uneventful if not annoying (thanks to a mysterious squeak of the rear tire), but felt good, and the water was amazingly pleasant. swam a 6 x 300, and really didn't want to get out of the water - with no crowds and the heat coming, it felt like heaven. back on the bike (and the way back is less strenuous than the way out) until five miles in, when the rear tire went flat. it was the second ride in a row that the rear tire pooped out, at just about the same spot. thankfully i learned from the last time and came prepared with a new tube. the change wasn't particularly quick - my old bike has some incredibly tight tires - but i got it done. and a ton of people offered help as they passed, which (after carrie's recent experience) helped to restore some faith in humanity...

after the run i got showered and headed out to a bike shop. i've been riding the same lemond reno for 8 years, and it's been a good bike. but lately, it's felt heavy and perhaps a little unreliable. i've gone bike shopping several times in the last couple months, but never pulled the trigger. today, though, i did. and i'm now outfitted with a new speciallized allez sport. still on the entry side of the road bike market, but i can't justify spending much more. and i've got a new ride that should only motivate me more to train...