Glad you decided to enter the race. I have no tips because I can’t even ride a bike LOL

Anon – Thanks 🙂 Aerobars are the arm pads you see in between the two pink handle bars on my bike. you can rest your forearms on them (much more comfortable) however you don’t get as much support and arent stabilize, so its bad etiquette to ride on aerobars in a group. in case you falllll!

You are going to have so much fun in your bike race. Make sure to get in a pack and do some drafting. It will save you TONS of energy!

Hope you have a blast in your race!! You’ll be great!

Okay, Stacey’s comment about the snot scares me! Cycling etiquette makes me nervous!

Feel better!

Aerobars are a no-no because you are not stable but you also cannot brake and when you are in a group you need to keep your fingers on or very close to the brake levers in order to be able to quickly grab them for various reasons. Other rules of etiquette are to never cross wheels (have the front of your front wheel in front of the back of the the person’s back wheel that you are following), point or call out everything (major pot holes, stopping, car coming from behind, etc), make sure to pull out of a tight group when you are getting a drink or eating because you tend to wander, take your turn pulling (front of the group which takes the most wind drag and is tiring), and come prepared for anything and everything (clothes for weather, tube for flats, and tools to repair…it is also good to know how to do minor mechanical work but other people in the group generally help out).

you should eventually fall into a group that keeps a comfortable pace for you. they aren’t competitive speeds, but riding at least 2 abreast in a group lets you draft from the people in front of you. and then you can take your turn at the front of the group and let others draft on you.

bike people (at least around here) are amazingly nice! so don’t be afraid to talk to the other riders and make some new friends. everyone has more fun that way. i’m debating on signing up for a bike ride july 18th now.

and there are bunches of bike races. Time trials are individual rides where everyone is timed for a specific distance. Crits are where everyone rides for a specific amount of time, and the winner is whoever rides the farthest. there are also road races where there is a main pack, a leader pack, and they ride in stages. biking is awesome! there’s always something you haven’t tried. cyclocross…. mountain biking…. track bikes….

Good for you! Hope you can get some rest and feel better soon. That’s awesome about the bike “race” I know you will do well. Have a good weekend 🙂

Good luck on the race! I’m excited to read along with your training 🙂

Don’t be so hard on yourself about the running…You have won a 5K that is amazing!!!!

So, I’ve been reading your blog for a while now, and it has really inspired me to try new foods. I even had tofu for lunch today!
I know this isn’t related to this post, haha, but I just had a couple questions and I was looking for advice.
First, I tend to do great with eating throughout the day. I eat healthy foods and snacks, however, come nighttime, its like some crazy snack monster takes over, and I have a hard time stopping eating snacks! Even when i try to portion control! Any advice?
Also, I recently lost 22 pounds, and I’m try to maintain that now, and I KNOW exercise is essential and I do exercise, but do you have any tips for making it more enjoyable/motivation to start a workout?
Thanks!!

bre – congrats on your weight loss!

i think nighttime snacking is just a habit to break like any other. basically you just need to say no and mean it. lol it’s that simple! there’s no magical trick to make you stop snacking, you just have to STOP SNACKING. i find its helpful it i wait a few minutes when the “urge” strikes because the desire to mindlessly eats usually passes. in the downtime, i try to occupy my mind with something else, like sit ups, walking the dogs, brushing my teeth (that always helps), etc. also, i do NOT keep snack-trigger foods (like chips or cookies) in the house, which helps. i dont really feel the urge to binge on tofu. LOL.

about exercise, just find something YOU like to do. it helps if you can do something with a friend or a class at a gym because then you have someone to talk to! also, dont compare yourself to others – some people like to/have the time to work out everyday. but maybe three days a week is what works for you. also, just commit to something small (like 20 minutes/ three times a week) and then slowly increase your duration/frequency over time. you’re more likely to stick with small changes.

The rides I’ve done have all been super relaxed. people get off their bikes at the SAG stops to refuel and rest for a few min. People tend to get so spread out over the course that you can end up riding alone for most of the time. At least you have your dad for company! Just let people know when your passing and call out ‘car back’ if you hear/see one that others ahead of you might not.

That lunch was totally up my alley. Hope some rest and more yummy food gets you back on your bike.
Can’t wait to hear more about your new “racing” adventures!

I’m sorry you’re not feeling well… I tried your “Perfect Baked Tofu” for lunch today and I loved it! I featured it on my website today and linked back to you. Just an fyi. 🙂

yay for signing up for the race! That’s awesome that your dad is going to be with you!

http://strivingforbalance.wordpress.com/

That’s fun that you signed up for your first bike race – way to keep positive! I know how you feel about your knees though – I have bad joints (and this year, a bunion!!) so even though I LOVE to run I rarely get to. I know I’ll never do a race, but I have fun living vicariously through other bloggers!

mmm warm melted cheese always makes me feel better 🙂

hope your cold clears up!

Good luck with the race. That sounds like a lot of fun. I know what you are going through with your knees. I don’t think that mine are as bad though. The 30 day shred has killed mine! I have to keep taking breaks from it. At first I thought that it was running, now I know that it is Jillian!!!
http://islandgirleats.blogspot.com