Happy bike to work week everyone.
I have a comment to make today after my bike commute home.
There is only one way bib shorts should ever be worn.
That would be with a jersey OVER them. Yikes.
I don't care if you look like this...
or this...
You still need a shirt or jersey.
This is also not appropriate.
Ugh. Please people. I'm not interested in hurting anyone's feelings, just trying to help some fellow cyclists out.
It has been awhile but there is some exciting new gear floating around here at the pttriathlete household.
The first arose because my swimsuits were all beginning to be see-through. Including when I doubled them up! So, I got on-line and ordered a grab bag suit from Kiefer. I like the Axcel style back and so I picked my size from the Flipturns grab bag, female one pieces. It came last Thursday. My husband opened it and was mildly horrified at the color scheme. I have to admit that I was looking forward to seeing just how awful it was. I knew going into it that the grab bag suits are left overs. Come on, though, I mean, you wear them 3-5x/week for 6 months (or less) and they are shot anyway. May as well get one that is expressive. Anywho, it looks like this...
It just so happens that on that same afternoon I had another rotten bike commute home from work. I had been on my bike for all of 3 minutes when I heard a little rattle. I checked my handlebars and stem because that was where the sound seemed to be coming from. Nope, nothing. So I rode on, carefully paying attention to all the feelings and noises. All of a sudden my seat shifted and I immediately thought, "oh crap, my seat post just cracked". I jumped off but nope again. One of the bolts was loose under there though and of course I had switched out my bike bag for my tri bike and had forgotten to put it back on. Suck. No tools. I tried to use my keys but to no avail. The only real option was to ride home standing up. Problem there was two-fold. #1.) I was still wearing shoes with cleats that didn't exactly match my pedals and #2.) I was getting headwind gusts of 40 mph. I am not kidding you. So, I sat back down, on a saddle that was not only sliding further back but tilting up at the nose. Not awesome, in case you were wondering. Oh, and I did manage to drop my chain shifting into a larger chain ring. Don't ask how that happened but I was not a happy commuter as I climbed the last big hill up to my house. I dropped my bike on the ground (derailleur side up), threw my helmet on the ground, marched inside and announced to Mr KT that my bike was a piece of s*#@ and I wasn't riding it anymore. He calmly went outside, picked up the pieces, fixed the malfunctions and packed me up in the car. He took me to the LBS where he helped me pick out new pedals and new sweet mtb shoes that I will also be commuting in. See below...
Yeah. Pretty nice of him. Especially since I was in the middle of a two year old tantrum that lost its momentum after about 5 minutes and that several of the problems were of my own making. Sheesh. And yes, I will commute again on that particular bike.
The last piece of new gear has not actually been purchased yet but it will probably look something like this...
This piece of gear isn't quite as pressing but yep, we are expecting a little one at our house this fall. A big change in my routine and my race schedule for the summer but I suppose it might count as some form of an ultra in it's own way. If Mr KT is interested in racing this season, I will be cheering him on from the sidelines. I have a couple of small, non-competitive "races" lined up but nothing too crazy. I am swimming, biking, running, and weight training, just not at the duration or intensity of before. It really is hard for me to sit the season out but next year I will be back. Mr KT has already promised that I can do some training next spring (probably with the running stroller) and I will be looking forward to it. In the meantime, I plan on trying to enjoy this strange new experience and can't wait to meet the new little babe and get to know him/her.
Got my first real ride of the summer in yesterday, 31 miles with a friend. I missed my powder blue tri bike. The wind was out of control and it seemed to take us all afternoon but it was good to be pedaling. I have been riding to and from work but somehow that just isn't the same. The road bike I have has really never been comfortable but it is a decent bike to commute on and I don't mind leaving it outside all day. It is also easier to ride up the gigantic hill that I live on than on my mountain bike so I suppose you must pick your poison.
Anywho, felt good to be riding, albeit, slowly.
I have to say though, my sit bones are mighty tender today. Gonna have to get used to that saddle again.
Thursday I ran in shorts and sunglasses and 60+ degrees. I bike commuted to work and was fairly comfortable. Well, except that I forgot I had changed out my Look cleats for some Shimano cleats for spinning this winter. Oops, realized when I got on and was headed down the hill and couldn't clip in that my Look pedals were still on my bike. I was already late for work so I just rode with mismatched pedals and cleats and tried to be careful. No standing up! I only had one little incident where I slipped and banged my shin on the pedal. Will make sure to have those cleats changed out before I ride next week.
Look Pedals look something like this...
My cleats look something like this...
Not really compatible.
Friday it snowed and it is still on the ground.
Hee hee. Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.
Hope it is spring. (And more bike commuting.)
...you show up at the pool for Master's practice at 5:15 am and realize you may have forgotten your swimsuit. You dig around in your swim bag and find an old suit that you usually double up on. There is no time to go home for another suit because the door will be locked when you get back. You decided that instead of missing a practice/workout you will just wear the see-through suit at the expense of your teammates. (Sorry everyone.)
Oops. Here's hoping no one was traumatized this morning.
It is still February. I still am in Nebraska. This means that it is still cold, windy, snowy, and icy. I ran with both dogs on Sunday and fell on my face. Well, more correctly, I ended up in sort of the splits. I wasn't hurt, just annoyed. I think I could tolerate the cold, wind and snow if I could lose the ice.
I've been swimming 3 or so mornings a week. It is worth the 5 am wake up and the initial icy shock of the water to swim for an hour and be nice and warm at the end. I have been going to bed before 9:00p and here's a little secret, I like it.
Two more secrets for Nebraska winters:
1. Lots and lots of blankets on the bed at night.
2. Lots and lots of time in front of the space heater.
I guess since it is still snowy and cold and not looking to change anytime soon, I will be getting in a little more xc skiing. Yay.
This is the third New Year's Eve that Mr KT and I have spent in our current house. We moved in on 12/31/07. The first year I made an oriental beef dish, sugar snap peas, fried rice and cranberry sorbet. Last year we had an All-American meal with BBQ beef ribs, baked beans, cornbread, and lemon daiquiri sorbet. Both meals turned out great. I asked Mr KT if he had any thoughts on dinner for this year. He requested Jambalaya, cornbread, and apple cobbler. I added a salad. Everything turned out really good. Add a glass of wine and it was perfect. The other good news is that I cooked and we ate, all before 8:30 pm. That means that I can usher in the new year at 9:30 and then head to bed. Sweet.
All recipes are below. Mmmmmm.
Jambalaya
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium cloves garlic, peeled
1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
2 celery stalks, diced
3 tbsp fresh Italian parsley, minced
4 oz extra-lean smoked ham, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
5 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced
1 large bay leaf
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
3/4 cup brown rice, uncooked
Directions:
Add oil to a large nonstick saucepan. Over medium heat, sauté onion, garlic, bell pepper and celery until onion is translucent. Add parsley, ham, chicken, bay leaf, and cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring often, 5 to 6 minutes. Add tomatoes (with juice), tomato sauce, and 1 3/4 cups cold water. Gently simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Pour rice into the pan and stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered, 45 minutes or until rice is cooked and absorbs most of the liquid. Remove bay leaf. Season to taste with cayenne pepper and salt.
Golden Sweet Cornbread
Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Spray or lightly grease a 9 inch round cake pan.
In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder. Stir in egg, milk and vegetable oil until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Strawberry Spinach Salad
Ingredients
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced onion
10 ounces fresh spinach - rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
1 quart strawberries - cleaned, hulled and sliced
1/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered
Directions:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce and onion. Cover, and chill for one hour.
In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries and almonds. Pour dressing over salad, and toss. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
French Apple Cobbler
Apple cobbler with cinnamon and vanilla, along with a cake-like batter topping.
Ingredients:
Apple Filling:
5 cups tart apples, peeled, sliced
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon butter, softened
Topping:
1/2 cup flour, sifted
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 egg, slightly beaten
Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine apples, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, vanilla and water. Turn into a lightly buttered 9-inch square pan. Dot apples with 1 tablespoon butter.
Combine all topping ingredients. Beat with wooden spoon until batter is smooth. Drop batter in 9 portions, over the apples, spacing evenly. Batter will spread during baking. Bake 35 to 40 minutes at 375° or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown. Serve warm with cream or ice cream.
Serves 6 to 8.
