Information Overload

First off, I'll just say I was gobsmacked this morning when I found out the Twins lost that game last night. Un.Be.Lievable. They were ahead 12-2 the last I'd heard. I thought they had that one in the bag. (Yeah, I heard about the bad call at home plate, but they must have done plenty of the wrong things to have that call decide the game!!)

This morning I decided it would be a "run" day. So I headed out and went down Fox Valley Drive to the west to do my "around the hill" 7.15 mile loop. I decided I'd bring tunes today, which I don't normally do. But it got me pumped up. (Nothing like a little Nickelback, Kid Rock, etc. to get the blood flowing. Don't worry, I have more mellow stuff on my play list, too. ;-) So I decided this would be a good day to start doing some pick-ups as all systems were go. The temps were pleasant--64 degrees--and it was a little humid, but nice. Slight south wind. So at mile 2 after getting warmed up, I decided I'd do 1 minute pick-ups at 6:30 pace with 2 minutes rest in between. I did 4 miles of that. I felt GREAT. My legs, and my brain, are wanting to race again. During the last one, I was telling myself to hang on, keep the pace, finish strong. So I looked down at my GPS and I was doing 5:42 pace. Wow. Pump. Me. Up. I was psyched. Mile 6 is just south of Historic Hill/County 22 hill south of 2nd Street. So I continued up that, around the hill clockwise to 6th St SW, and up Folwell Drive to home as I wasn't ready to quit yet, for a total of 10.03 miles. A wonderful workout. Great way to start the day. I also decided it's time to get the new asics shoes out of the box for my next run. These were feeling pretty "flat".

Tomorrow, it's back to the Y to lift and swim. Thursday AM I'm going for an early morning run with LaRee. :-) I look forward to catching up with her.

Then I spent the day in the cities. Dropping off Rochester Half Marathon & 5K race entry forms at various running stores ...

and bike shopping.

That's where the "information overload" comes into play. Road bike or tri bike? Aluminum or carbon fiber? Cervelo or Quintana Roo or Trek or Held or Cannondale or ... ??? Are Shimano Ultegra components really necessary? (I welcome any and all opinions on the aforementioned, you triathletes out there!)

I was pretty sure I wanted a road bike. More versatile. And after sitting on a tri bike, more comfortable. (I was on a $4200 Cervelo. Out of my price range!! But it was the right frame size: 56 cm) But the guy at Gear West mentioned that your legs are going to feel fresher after coming off a tri bike than off a road bike due to more heavily used quads on a tri bike. Hmmm. And of course there is the advantage of the aerodynamic position on the tri bike. So ... now I have lots more information, but feel no closer to being able to make a decision. Other than I will buy a bike locally (if I buy it new). Just easier all around. Help ............. !!

It'd be so easy to drop a boatload of $ at these stores ... bikes, accessories, shoes, clothes--running, biking, and/or tri. But I was a good girl today. I bought one fun thing. A Skirt Sports overskirt with snap-type things under a flap on the waistband for a race number. Kind of like a race belt, but a lot more fun. And stylish. :-) Can't wait to "tri" it out!

I stopped at Trader Joe's (St. Louis Park) before leaving for home. It's soooooo much fun to look around there. Didn't buy anything too unusual (but picked up some Pesto Parmesan Turkey Burgers), and found this fun little lemon pepper grinder for $1.99 so I decided I had to try it.

Saturday is the Rochester Women's Race (4 miles). I highly recommend it to all you females out there. 8:30 AM at Silver Lake east shelter. My good friend Jeanne Block is the race director and has been for it must be almost 30 years by now. All girls. All fun. Door prizes. Handmade awards in 5-year age increments, 3 deep. RTC Grand Prix event. Muffins and pop afterward. What's not too like? I hope to make it, but have to do a wedding at noon and pictures are at 10:00 AM. Maybe I can squeeze a race in there somehow!!

Thanks for all the positive feeback about my new recipe blog I want to add to it and will as time permits.

As I was driving home from the cities, I experienced a lot of weather.

I drove through very heavy rain south of Cannon Falls, and another storm in Olmsted County about 7:15. South of the cities at about Coates, there was a rainbow as the sun was coming out behind me and the Cannon Falls storm was in front of me.

So ... here's my quote for the day: "May there always be work for your hands to do, may your purse always hold a coin or two. May the sun always shine on your windowpane, may a rainbow be certain to follow each rain. May the hand of a friend always be near you, may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you." -- Irish Blessing

Go. Be. Do.