How’s your little week going?
First, I have some random stuff to share.
Ben sent me this someecard last week. I am busted. Oh well.
And the California Almond board sent me an email saying a new study shows almonds don’t have the calorie count we may think.
1 oz. of almonds (~ 23 nuts) provides 129 calories vs. 160 calories on label; 20% less than previously thought!
I randomly found this interesting because I ate almonds as a little midmorning snack.
After work today I hit up the store for seltzer and milk. Of course I ended up walking out with 12 different things too!
One of those things was ice cream. This is a normal sized carton of ice cream. I just have MASSIVE hands. Thanks mom. 
So, I have my first triathlon in just about two weeks now. Crap! And I finally today rode my bike. Remember the last time I rode my chain fell off?
Well I wanted to give up on life training, but I knew I needed to get back on my bike. I’m already scared of the bike and that experience didn’t help! Yet, I remembered this is the year of being fearless and I went for it.
Well, Ben rode with me this time in case that happened again. I still think I need a tune up because changing the gears is kinda loud and clunky.
Good thing he was around too – my back tire was flat! 
We did 8 miles and it wasn’t easy. I am a very fearful rider and don’t really understand the gears to begin with. I think I’m going to do a little research tonight.
Oh and I just realized that the triathlon I am trying – iTriythlon is a backwards tri! 
Um, hello Monica. Luckily it’s just 3 m run, 9 m bike and 200 m swim so I think I can bust it out. But, I still have a lot of work to do over the next few weeks!
Check out http://zenhabits.net/beginners-guide-to-cycling/
I just started road biking and was totally using the gears all wrong! This post is awesome, especially the section about 2/3 of the way through on the gears.
You can do it girl!
http://bicycling.about.com/od/howtoride/ss/how_to_shift.htm
That’s a good explanation about shifting gears.
The main idea is to keep both you pedalling and shifting smooth.
you will do great!
Oh wow, a backwards tri- that’s cool! I did one like that in college. They did it that way because it was way before timing chips and they could space people out in the pool. The supersprint I’m doing at the end of the month is in the usual order. Running in a wet swimsuit=major chafing opportunity
Wow big fearless congrats to you for doing the whole tri thing. The thought of it all just totally freaks me out. After my first marathon I started thinking “oh I could totally do that!” Then I remember that I hate riding bikes and can’t swim so ya, no.
I finally figured out how to use different gears on a bike a few years ago. Trying not to die while riding up a steep bridge with a few hundred other bicyclists is not where I would recommend learning to work with gears; but that’s what happened and thankfully everything was fine. Once you know when to change gears and why, it makes riding a bike SO much easier! Best of luck!
I’m so excited that almonds have less calories than I thought. Now my normal serving is only 23927 calories instead of 25000!
Congrats on the ride! Riding on a road bike is so hard. I’m afraid to get one because I think I’d just embarass myself! Good luck with the rest of your training!
One reason I haven’t gotten on the bike and done a tri–it scares me! But I guess the fear that holds us back is also the fear that pushes us to do great things, so I think it may be time for me to buck up!
love your sunglasses – who are they made by? Are the polarized?
They are Iron Man from Target.
Bike gears are actually pretty easy, but you’re going to need to get on there and mess around with them a bit. In general, lower=easier, and as I said, you need to be on your bike to figure out which lever switches you up and down. I find that it takes a while to get comfortable with it, especially if you’ve had some rough experiences (like your chain incident). I fell off my bike last week and am sporting a super sexy shoulder wound because apparently I decided to tuck and roll to save my sunglasses. Just get on the bike and go for a fun ride – try to forget that you’re supposed to be training.
I really want to get into triathlons! Of course, first I need to get a bike, ha. But if/when I do one I think it’d be awesome for it to be backwards. The idea of having to run, even if it’s just 3 miles after swimming and bicking is quite daunting for me but having the swim be last is so much less scary. The swim is my favorite part!
It’s so strange that you mention calorie discrepancies. I was just asking myself yesterday how they determine how many calories are in something. Yes, I know the fat/protein/carb thing determines it, but I’m talking more in how they analyze the food to determine those measurements. A whole 30 calorie difference in an ounce of almonds?! So crazy…and somewhat relieving 😛
There is actually a calormeter device thing that helps indicate how many calories are in something. I’ll blog about this soon!
Those backwards tris are such a great idea. That way you can get to the swim and cool off a bit!
Sounds like a perfect one to start with!
The Kidless Kronicles
Perhaps you should get fitted for the bike? 2 weeks is 14 days is plenty of time for practice, practice and practice.
Caitlin and her dad wrote some great articles on that exact subject. Good luck!
Of Note: My internet provider F…KING sucks, BUT, they seem to like Run, Eat, Repeat.
You’ll do great at your tri! I know it!
so weird that the tri is backwards. I actually think running before biking is a lot tougher than the other way round, but i bet jumping in the pool at the end will feel good.
If the course is flat you don’t even need to change gears, just pick one you like and go for it.
That ecard sums up at least half of the words I speak throughout the day! My husband will always make a smart comment when I’m hangry.
I don’t have a bike, though I’m interested in giving it a try. I’m also really afraid of a major accident or breakdown, which is half the reason I don’t have a bike. Good luck as you prepare for your tri!
“hangry”……ha ha ha ha excellent! I might have to borrow that 🙂
I totally get “hangry” – such a hilarious word, such a serious condition 😉
I just completed my first triathlon this weekend! I am a really nervous cyclist too! One of the first times I went out on my bike by myself, I crashed and had to call my then boyfriend to come get me. I stuck to spin classes after that for a while.
I love the backwards tri style! GOOD LUCK!
Ben looks awesome in the pic! Has he lost weight?
hahha i love that ecard! perfect! and yay for biking!
I was on the hunt for ice cream today! I was craving mint chocolate chip but couldn’t find any!! Does no one in Brooklyn like mint chip?! It’s one of my top favs!
You’ll do great. Hopefully I’ll catch you at the finish line 🙂
Hi Monica – I’m with you on not knowing how the bike gears work…I’ve even read up and tried to put it into practice, but I’m just not sure I’m getting it. I’d love it if you write a post about what you learn. Or maybe a guest post or a link to a blog with info if you find one. Thanks!