New SV Feature: Google Calendar

Hey SV Bloggers,

I just added a new sidebar to include a list of some of the races/events we're doing this year.  I plugged in a few that I knew of off-hand, but I'll work on getting everyone calendar access so you can put in some of your own—not that you have to, of course!  I just thought it might be fun to give people an idea of the kinds of events we do.  

Plus, it inspires me to think about the fact that Bethany is going to be running 45 kms in a couple of weeks.  Who knows, maybe I'll be so inspired that I'll get off my couch and run, um, 4.5 kms or something ;-)

-Jen

Not 247 lbs, but definitely a vegan athlete!

Hey, check out this awesome interview with a real professional vegan athlete, our own (soon to post here, I hope) Christine Vardaros!  Click here to see the interview on CTodd.  Christine, or "Peanut," talks about how she got her nickname, how she got into bike racing & cyclocross, and how her vegan diet helps her recover from workouts faster than her meat-eating counterparts.  

Plus, she shows us what's in her fridge!  (Am I the only weirdo who loves to see in people's fridges?  A few months ago, one of the tri magazines had a feature in which they posted pictures of Desiree Ficker's fridge and I was beside myself—it wasn't vegan, but it was actually pretty close!)

Biking How I Hate Thee

Yes, I'm a tri wanna be who pretty much hates cycling and I'm turning to y'all for some help. Both running and swimming I'll get a hankering for if I've been too lazy to work out in awhile, but I never think about cycling. I never want to get on the bike. It doesn't matter how nice it is outside or who I'm riding with (okay, that does matter a bit), I'm never really excited about cycling.

I've decided that a major reason for this is that I started cycling with basically Olympic-like cyclists who I could absolutely never keep up with and therefore consistently felt like an idiot and had absolutely no fun. This experience after many many times basically made me feel like I suck so bad that I think we could understand why I wouldn't be excited to get on the bike. And, don't be thinking that I'm exaggerating about their prowess because I'm not. The women I train with aren't normal. Last year my group sent more women to Nationals than any other tri group in the nation (or so my coach says so if that's wrong blame him). Seventeen (!) of the women I trained with qualified for and competed in Nationals.

You're likely thinking so why don't you just cycle alone? Do people really enjoy this? Do they do it? I don't know anyone who cycles/does training rides by themselves. Plus, I don't know as much about the bike as I should. That's embarrassing to admit, but there it is. For example, I theoretically can change of flat, but never have really had to do it myself. Not to mention, there really aren't places around where I live that you feel terribly safe riding by yourself. You head out of town and it gets real rural real fast and not a little bit freaky. I have done some rides by myself out of necessity when training for an event, but they've been few and far between.

I guess I'm just looking for stories of how others got inspired to like cycling. Was it immediate? Did it grow on you? Any recommendations for how I can get myself to like it more or at least just do it more?

The Rocket and B12

While I ate my lunch I caught a bit of the Roger Clemons Hearing on steroids. I didn't see much and I was following CC. What I did see was when Clemons was asked if he was a vegan, in referance to his b12 use.
"I don't know what that is". Was Clemons response.

Based on his response I would assume he is not vegan. If this is the case, is there any need for him to receive b12 injections? or.....is b12 the new slang for 'roids? If this is true, should we be careful about tossing around this term at the events we participate in.

Just wonderin'

Carb:Protein ratios

I have just started back to training (as opposed to exercising irregularly for health) and have been ravenous. It always happens that my appetite picks up after a week or two of regularly training. However, with trying to get all of the protein that I need (I weigh about 55kg and need around 80g of protein/day, ie. 1.5x my weight) I find that I'm also eating a lot of carbohydrates. Do you guys have any ideas for getting more protein without all the extra carbs? I know that carbs are important... I just find that I gain a bit of unwanted fat when my appetite picks up like this and I think a lot of it is attributed to my increase of carbs. It probably doesn't help that it's cold here and my body is storing up to last the winter!

Also, I am going to buy some Vegan protein this weekend (I just checked on the VeganEssentials website and I can get it cheaper online than at the stores by my house... oh how I hate markups!). So that should help. Any other suggestions?

vegan bike saddles?

Hey, all you vegan bike riding peeps, I have a question for ya.  I was just about to purchase a long-lusted after Terry damselfly sadddle for my road bike when I noticed that it was made out of leather.   Boo!  After some cursing and pouting, I started looking around for a vegan alternative.  What saddles do you use?  I tend to prefer narrow and firm (gee, that sounds dirty) and HATE the Bontrager gel seat that came with my bike.  Suggestions?

Workout Buddies

Last week was great for my training thanks to a visit from an old workout buddy. Well, she's only 26. I guess I mean a long-lost workout buddy. She left me in Cali and moved to the hinterlands of Minnesota. I shiver just thinking of it.

Anyway, I had absolutely no difficulty working out almost everyday that she was in town. We'd pick a time, I'd pick her up, and we'd be working out in no time. Of course, it helped that she didn't have a car with her so I knew if I didn't pick her up, she'd be deprived.

It works the same way with my running. My partner, CC, asked if he could run with my women's running group and my coach said sure. CC loves it! Whenever there is a scheduled run, no matter how much I try and talk him out of going, he finds a way to get me there. Amazing.

Given their tremendous power, I've decided I need more workout buddies! Does anyone else find that having people to workout with is a major motivator? How did you find your workout buddies? Can you share them? Any suggestions for ways to replicate that motivation even when a buddy isn't around or training that particular sport/discipline?