Let's Ride!

Woohoo it's Friday and I finally have some time to write a new post. I have really gotten into the idea of investing in a road bike so I can start training for the Tour de Braz here in Alvin in early April. Problem is a new bike is way out of my price range also considering with a bike I also need a helmet, car rack, cycling shoes, light, riding gear, water bottle holder, sunglasses and water bottle. I am going to start getting things a little by little and I'm planning on purchasing cycling shoes this weekend. During my cycling classes I’ve noticed at the end on our sprint segments I am having painful foot cramps. I talked to my instructor about it and he says I should get some cycling shoes and that should solve my problem. He also offered to talk to some of his lady friends that are out of cycling that still have bikes that I could buy used. I feel like this is my best option because they will be significantly cheaper and as of right now I want a road bike and a mountain bike. I figured that once the weather gets better and we can start going camping I can actually have something to do since I’m not that interested in fishing. Hopefully I can get one of these used bikes for about $300-$400 at the most, but considering I'm larger than the average woman they might not "fit" me,  so we shall see! 

So back to the Tour de Braz (http://tourdebraz.com/). Almost everyone, including my instructor, in my cycling class is planning on doing the bike ride. I’ve talked to a few of them about distance and they all say I should start with 50 or 62 miles for my first ride. I usually get around 25 miles during one spin class, so starting in February I am going to start going to back to back classes on Wednesdays so I can get my endurance up to 50 miles or so by the first of April. I am finding that I have controlled breathing throughout the 45 minute class and finally getting my sprints up to about 130 rpm for 15-30 sec intervals so I think I’m ready to start working on my endurance. My instructor is so great though because he asks you what you want to accomplish and help to get you there, almost like a personal trainer would. So shout out to Wayne at the YMCA in Alvin for helping me get involved in the sport and giving me the knowledge I need to become a better rider each week.

Quick weight-loss update: still at the weight I was on Saturday (which I’m not complaining about!) Technically two pounds less this morning than I was last Friday morning, so the biggest loser challenge at school is still going great! I’m taking my big certification exam tomorrow so pray that I can sleep tonight and a good workout in tomorrow morning to calm my nerves before my test at 1 pm! I’m a stress eater so thankfully I am starting to change that about myself too (munching on celery instead of fries!)