Stopping to "Smell the Roses"

Ever since the weather became warm enough to ride my bike outside I have been so focused on getting into shape on the bike, that I stripped the fun right out of any workouts. Dreading the bike workout over 4 months away from the Ironman is rather scary. Therefore, I decided to make my bike rides fun again by taking my camera.

Ohio has amazing back roads and even better scenery on those back roads. By taking my camera and stopping to admire what I get to see every day when I ride my bike, I have changed my rides from something I have to do in order to get faster, into something that I look forward to because I know I am going to see something amazing along the way.

Currently, I have 4-5 different "rides" I can take with the hope of adding more. I am going to attempt to capture the true essence of what I see so that you can experience a little of what I see while training on my bike.

May 3 - May 7

• 5-3-10 - Bike 2:00/Swim 4,000 yards - Today was my first "camera bike". I am a little stressed about the bike portion of the race because I know I have a lot of work to do. I understand I will have workouts where I will need to focus on getting my heart rate higher etc., but I also want to ensure I keep it fun so that I enjoy the Ironman experience. What is the point of doing something if don't enjoy it?
• 5-4-10 - Bike 2:00/Run :55 - The bike was interesting as it was my first day on my new saddle. I had to adjust it a few times and it's going to take some getting used to. Today, I dropped my water bottle and then ran over it, had a "stinging bug" fly into my shirt (I stopped and ripped my shirt off to get it out and keep it from stinging me anymore, glad I remembered to wear a bra). I completed a 2-hour ride and then finished it with a 1-hour brick run where I dreamed of eggs over-easy, lasagna and Gatorade. I ran along the beach where I had the privilege of seeing "bare buns" (since when is Alum Creek Beach a nude beach - keep your clothes on) I even stopped by the bathroom and drank from the sink ...ummmm...what can I say, when you get thirsty, it doesn't really matter if the water tastes like dirt. When I got home I sucked down two huge G-2's and am really proud I finished the run even though all I wanted to do was quit so I could eat. Thank you Ironman Demon in the back of my mind for yelling at me to keep going so that I could finish the run after the bike today. P.S. the wind is still really annoying!
• 5-5-10 - Bike 1:30/Swim 4,000 yards - The sun was shining and it was a gorgeous day to be out on the road - pretty uneventful (probably a good thing) and I am actually going to admit that I am getting used to the wind (I think).
• 5-6-10 - Run 1:30/Bike 2:00 - It is 115 days away from my first Ironman. I am running a consistent 10-minute mile (not fast, but fast enough to get the job done). It felt good today, the weather was perfect for a run and my legs didn't have any issues. The bike felt great too. I am happy with having such an amazing day and thrilled I have the opportunity to train.
• 5-7-10 - Swim 4,000 yards - I added some distance "sprints" into my workout today and wanted to give my legs a rest for the up and coming TOSRV ride I am doing this weekend (TOSRV is a 200 + bike ride from Columbus to Portsmouth and back again the next day). I need to make sure my legs are ready to go.