Training Log - 2/5/07

Distance: 14 miles
Temperature: 53 degrees

Woo hoo! This was my first day riding my new bike. There were a lot of firsts today: new bike, new bike shorts, new jersey, new bike shoes. Let me tell you, it took a while to figure out how to mount the cleats on my shoes. And, sweet mother of Schwinn, it is quite a feat to get those cleats snapped into the pedals. That is going to take some getting used to.

After spending the last month riding my 5-speed heavy duty Schwinn dreadnaught, it was a dream riding the 14 miles on my new light Mercier road bike. It almost felt like cheating. Unfortunately, I have a grand total of about 11 inches of vertical distance to climb over the course of the 14 miles. I am worried about training for the climbs around Lake Tahoe. My trainer is due to arrive in a few days. So maybe I can use that to train for the climbs. No way to train for the altitude unless I wore a bag over my head. (Just kidding!)

I did end up raising the seat and moving it back some. Once I did that my posture felt more natural. I have never used cleats or toe clips either. Just like Mark, my coach, reported clipping your feet to the pedals helps immensely. I quickly learned to pedal through the entire revolution of each cycle which seems a whole lot more efficient. I noticed it used a different combination of muscles as well.

It was cold too. Okay... Okay... it was only 53 degrees. But I am a Floridian. The idea of biking in Lake Tahoe in 30-something degree weather seems insane to me. I wonder if it would be bad form to start the ride in Tahoe in a snowmobile suit... ;-)