Bike Travel Question - and Hi everyone

Sounds like everyone is keeping busy for upcoming events and/or just finishing their season. I have been happily riding my road bike quite a bit - it sucks that it gets dark early so after work riding will be limited very soon.

I have a question about bike transport - I am visiting a friend in Miami and happened to see that their is a Tri on Sept 26th that peaked my interest - Escape to Miami Olympic. I can rent a bike, but it is expensive. Southwest lets me check 2 bags and their size restriction says 62" and I am thinking that my small little 50cm tri bike may meet that limit but I need to call the airline - so my quesion now is where would I start to look for a carrier/case for the bike - anyone know if the local bike shops rent them?

Swim, swim and some more swim

Today I did an organized open water swim event. It was at Lake Quassapaug, where I thought I would never ever go again. Yep, parked in Quassy Park and boated over to the sailing club. I signed up for all 3 distances: 3 mile, started around 8:15, 1.5 mile, started about 11:15 and .5 mile, started at 1:30. I figured this was the year to go all out and challenge myself some more for something I had not ever done before.

3 miles is sooooo long and worse that it was a double loop of the point to point swim. The lake was quite choppy and I really did not want to do the other races, but after a few minutes that feeling subsided and w/about 45 minutes rest and some food, off I went for the 1.5 miler. The only thing that kept me going was the fact that I only had to go out and back one time because the back end of the route was pretty rough, like swimming in to a brick wall. Well at least for me. There were lots of 'swimmers' there and I am sure they did not find the water all that bad.

So I still love to swim. I am still slow as shit at it, but I really don't care. Times will be posted later (no chips, just a clock and someone writing down your number when you finished). My watch times were: 1:55, 1:01 and :21.

Great seeing Dave C - he is such a great swimmer - kicked ass even with pucking in the water. Unbelievable. I thought about attaching myself to him w/ a rope and I am sure had I done that he would still have been in the top 3.

Journey for Sight Triathlon

One last Tri for the season - this was my first sprint race since September 2008. Today's race was a .5 mile swim, 17 mile bike and 3.5 mile run. Very small and low key event, which I really like. Like Martin said in his blog, only 2 swim waves, but it was worse than Lake Placid - I got hit, kicked and punched several times swimming into the first buoy.
Swam pretty well, stood up and walked out of the water too early and lost a few minutes. Then a steep run up to transition.
Got on my bike and my goal was to see something other than 15mph as the avg speed. I finished the bike under 1 hr, avg speed of 17.5 - very happy, course was rolling maybe 1 or 2 hills, but pretty mild hills. Really nice bike
Run was through the park on a paved path, but some good uphills and some very hard downhills. I felt pretty strong on the run, body had its aches and pains, but nothing greater than what I have been feeling lately.
I must say I loved having to bring only 1 bag and 1 GU, which I really did not even need. So easy.

Endurance type of swim this Saturday and then I think race season officially is over - boo hoo

Sun finally

Had a ride planned with a friend - 4:30 start, but she got stuck at work, so I went solo. Got in 25 miles, it was absolutely beautiful outside - breezy, but sunny and just felt great to be outside. I must say I did not want to ride alone - post IM, I much prefer to ride with someone else. But today it was either ride alone or not ride at all. Picked a route that had some hills, rollers, etc. Avg 15.6 mph.

One of these days I will figure out the how to get faster on the bike -

Circuit and run

Monday was a rest day.
Tuesday, 25KB swings, 25 situps - 4x thru for time: 6:13.
Wed am: 3 mile run - ouch, pathetic really. Body sucks! Time was: 25:32

Swimming tonight since it is the last day the Y will have pool water before the close the pool for 10 days for the annual cleaning.

Weekend Activities

Friday: Dirty 30s (thanks Christina). 30 reps of each: deadlifts (75#), stepups, each leg, pushpress (45# bar), pushups, situps, wallball shots (10#), burpees. Time 10:47

Saturday: 400m run, 50 squats - 4x thru. Time: 13:23.
Saturday: Bike interval 1,2,3,4,5,4,3,2,1 minutes with rest equal work time in between. Total miles 13:31. Really liked this one.

Sunday: 500ft walking lunges w/20# dumbbell held overhead. I basically decided each lunge took up 3 ft, so I did 166 lunges. Had to take breaks to catch my breath - my ass and quads are totally feeling this today.

Since my back feels the same after activity or doing no activity, I am continuing on. I am seeing a specialist next week, but until I hear the word 'REST' from someone professional - I won't.

Really thinking about the 3 mile swim on Sept 4th at Quassy - anyone see that event, anyone thinking of doing it?

Swim, Run, Circuit

8/17 - 5k run for time: 25:56 - body did not hurt too bad. But then went for a walk w/a friend. Ended up we walked 8 miles and boy was I in pain - but it was great to be outside and it was my choice so I live with the consequences.

8/18 - Swim 500, time 9:44 - like Christina said, it is torture to get back into the pool and agree it feels like starting all over.
100 squats for time: 1:55
2x800 run @100%, 2min rest in between: 3:54 and 3:39 for times.

Xray on my back came back 'normal' whatever the heck that means. Have a call into the doctor to figure out next steps because I can't be in pain every day just walking around.

And I am officially able to belay anyone who climbs at any Y. Took the course last night.