May 17, 2010

A Brick and Sugoi Review

**Note: this is a long post.  Sorry! 

The Brick:
We finally had a beautiful day Saturday morning, so I took advantage of the break from rain and did my brick.  My plan called for a 2 1/2 hr. ride followed by a 1hr. run, but once again, we were expecting rain, so I cut it to a 2hr ride/30min. run.  I am going to get my bike fit adjusted on Friday, so I was really glad I was able to get at least one more ride in outside before hand.  

Normally when I go on long bike rides I like to take fig newtons and cut up clif bars with me.  But, I wanted to test out a new GU I got, Espresso Love, and my homemade cherry energy bars.  I also attached my aero bottle to my bike to try it out as well.  I loaded up all of my stuff and headed out.  It was amazing to be back outside riding again.  It was a little chilly, but what really got me was the wind.  It wasn't too bad going out, but on my way back I was riding right into the wind and it sucked!  I powered through it though the best I could.  

Around 45min. into my ride I ate my GU (Yum!) and then came across a girl with a flat tire and what looked like a guy trying the help her.  As I came up to them I asked them if they were o-kay and the girl asked if I had a pump.  I stopped and told her I just had a CO2 pump, but I would be happy to let her use it.  She looked at me kind of strange, but then said thanks.  It turns out this girl was a new cyclist and was pretty much clueless about bikes and changing a tire.  She had a small hand pump attached to her bike (that was broken), but she didn't have a spare tube or tire levers to change a flat.  Huh?  The guy that was supposedly "helping" her didn't have a spare tube on him either.  Now, I don't know about all of you, but I always take 2 tubes and 2 CO2 cartridges with me when I'm going out for a long ride.  The last thing I want to do is have to call my husband to come and get me b/c I don't have the means to fix a flat.  Anyways, I could tell that she had never changed a tire before, but it was weird because I didn't know if she just wanted me to do it, or if she wanted to do it herself.  I ended up spending about 20 minutes assisting her through the process.  In the end, we went our separate ways, and I was glad I was able to help her out.  I know someday I may be in her shoes and need help, and I would hope that someone would stop to help me too.    

I hit my turn around point and headed back towards home.  I felt great in the aero position and am gaining more confidence with going fast (er) down hills.  One thing that freaks me out about the aero bars is the fact that the brakes aren't on them.  Thus, when I'm going down a hill and I feel the need to brake, transferring my hands from the aero bars to the brakes is tricky for me and scares me a little.  I always feel like if I don't do it just right I'll lose control and crash.  I know it will get easier the more I ride, but I also think it's a mental thing I need to just get over.  

A little over an hour into my ride I was starving!  My ride did happen to be around the time I normally eat lunch, but I also think maybe the GU just didn't cut it for me.  I scarfed down my cherry bar (yum again!) and felt much better!  I was almost home when my husband called to say that he had taken the boys in the burley to get lunch and wanted to know if I wanted to meet them at the park (which is right by our house).  Even though I was supposed to do a brick, I figured a short 30min. break to play at the park with my boys was 1) Not really going to be a huge brick deal breaker, and 2) a great way to balance working out with family time.  When I got to the park guess what my husband had for me?  A sandwich from Jimmy Johns!  Although I am a vegetarian, one thing I still eat is the Turkey Tom sub from there.  I can't seem to give it up, it is soooo good!  I eat it so infrequently, that I don't really feel bad about eating a little turkey. :)  I gobbled it up so fast and it was delicious!  Dark storm clouds once again started to appear in the sky, so we finished playing at the park and all rode home together.  

I was going to run outside, but due to the ominous clouds I opted for the treadmill.  Even though I had a short break between riding and running, I could still feel the effects of my long ride when I started running.  But, after a couple of minutes my legs felt great and I was able to knock out my 30min. run.  
Second brick - DONE!  

Sugoi Velocity Tri Short/Top Review:
The awesome people at Outside PR sent me a Sugoi Velocity Tri top and a pair of Velocity shorts to try out.  I have not had a chance to test them in the water yet, but I wore them on my brick.  
   Front View
Side View
  When I first got them, the material was so different than the other tri clothes I own.  It almost reminded me of a wind jacket material.  I wasn't sure how it would feel on, but when I put them on I have to say they were really comfortable.  The fabric stretches and is not in the least bit binding.  The shorts have a thin chamois that I couldn't even really feel, and I wasn't sure how my girly parts would do on a long ride.  But, after riding 2hrs. in the shorts without my girly parts hurting, I can honestly say that the chamois did its job.  Oh, and the legs do not have grippers (which I hate), so they didn't "cut into" my skin and create that flab bulge like some other tri shorts cause.  They rode up just a little bit on my ride, but not enough for it to be annoying or uncomfortable.  The only thing that kind of bothers me about the shorts is how the sides are white.  They are almost see-through.  Although there is nothing to "see" on the side of my legs, I still feel a little self-conscience in them.  My husband thinks I'm crazy and it's just part of my body image problems, but it is what it is.  
The top is also really comfortable.  It has a built is bra and a half zip in the front for extra ventilation.  It is stretchy and moves with my body, and I didn't get any chafing from it anywhere.  When I did my run, I was in my basement which makes for a muggy, hot run.  Plus, I sweat a lot when I run, so I was interested to see how this would do in the wicking department.  After my run, I felt like it did pretty well.  However, it did get a bit clingy from all of my sweat.  But, all of my tri tops do that, so it's nothing new.  It has two back pockets for GUs, an ID, etc.  But, they are kind of small and a little hard to get at.  I wanted to take this picture so you could see just where they are.  I think two side pockets would have been much better.  But, again, I don't really use the pockets in my tris (I keep my  nutrition on the bike in my bento box, and I use a handheld for the run b/c I hate relying on aid stations for hydration), so it's not a huge deal for me.  
All in all, I really like the shorts and top.  They are comfortable and I feel they would perform really well in a tri.  I am still debating what to wear for my sprint in a couple of weeks and this may be the outfit of choice.  Or, I may end up wearing the shorts and a different top.  I haven't figured it out yet.  

*Note:  I was not paid by OutsidePR or Sugoi to write this review.  These are my own thoughts and opinions.      

24 comments:

Chef Amber Shea said...

Yay for flexibility! Surely a turkey sandwich here and there never killed anyone :]

Btw, can I just say you have amazing-looking arms?

KC (my 140 point 6 mile journey) said...

Great brick workout. What you did with a little break in between may have actually made it a harder effort. I always find it hard to get the legs going after a break longer than about 5 minutes. I would have taken a break for a delicious turkey sandwich and quality family time too.
The outfit looks killer on you! They sent me the tri suit that looks exactly like what you have but it's one piece of course. It's a little too big on the bottom half but perfect up top. Like you said, i was surprised at the material when i first felt it. Kinda funky. I like how light the material is and it dries super fast. I've been using Gu for years and just yesterday on my long ride, had the espresso love...yummy! probably my favorite flavor next to the chocolate outrage. Have the mint chocolate to try next time. have you been doing the pushup challenge? your arms are looking buffed out!

Julie said...

Hi Aimee,
That tri outfit looks like it was made for you:) Nice job on your brick workout!

Regina said...

Great work on the brick and also nice of you to help out that stranded cyclist.

This review couldn't' come at a more auspicious time; the universe is a magical thing! I just got an email from TNT about ordering a tri top and shorts made my Sugoi that will have the TNT logo on it. I am curious how you find the fit? Are they ru to size? Run big? Small? Would love your feedback on this, thanks!! BTW, they look great on you.

Christi said...

Congrats on your brick! I am glad that you had a great weather to get it done. FYI, I love Turkey Tom sandwiches!

Teamarcia said...

Great brick and how nice of you to help out the clueless girl (that would be me for sure).
The Sugoi outfit looks great--nice review!

DRog said...

Way to help out that other girl cyclist! I am still a rookie on the bike maintenence and tire changing process...but I carry what you do: 2 tubes and 2 CO2 cartridges...also great work getting the brick done, I sacrificed the brick for family last week - LOL...
-Derek

RockStarTri said...

Nice brick and nice samaritan effort. What always cracks me up is when you see some noob on the side of the road trying to fix a flat with their mind - I've never seen wishing a flat to get better work yet.

Jon said...

That was really nice of you to help out a fellow cyclist! I am with you on always have a tube and spare C02 on you. I hate those little hand pumps.

Regarding GU....they are only 100 calories each, so usually if you are going to use them on a long ride, every 30 mins is when you want to pop em. That comes out to 200 calories/hour which is pretty typical for calorie consumption on the bike.

misszippy said...

I love the looks of the sugoi outfit. Their stuff is very comfortable--my favorite shorts are sugoi.

Nice of you to lend a hand!

jojo88 said...

Cool I like Sugoi brands. Last summer while on a long ride I wondered if I would feel cooler with white bike shorts. But I would never wear white bike shorts but these with white on the sides might be the solution to hot summer rides. Hmmm... I may have to pick up a pair.

Julie said...

The Sugoi is very flattering. You shouldn't be self conscious in it.

Great workout and way to be a good Samaritan!

Aimee said...

KC-Mint Choco. is my favorite so far! I was doing the push-up challenge, but had to stop it b/c of my wrist. I need to get back at it though...sorry Jeff! :)

Regina-I'd say it is pretty true to size. I wear a small and it fits perfectly.

Jon- thanks for the reminder about the amount of calories in GU. I guess I'm so used to eating clif bars and fig newtons that I forgot to take that into account! It won't happen next time though! :)

Caratunk Girl said...

Awesome brick! And you have oodles of good tire karma coming your way after helping that girl out. I wonder if she will have her own stuff on her next ride? Great gear review too! :)

funderson said...

Yeah...you look totally great and you're my kind of vegetarian. Why is a bike and then run called a brick?

Big Daddy Diesel said...

Your the second person who rolled up on a flat when the person had no repair kit. I am a little dumbfounded by this, I thought it was just common sense. But your a 100% right, its the right decision to stop. Karma, its always good to be on the good side of it.

Regina said...

Thanks! I would wear that Brooks top in a Tri.

Unknown said...

Great brick workout! And good review of the Sugio gear. I have yet to try them but all our other blogger peeps seem to really dig Sugio! You are rockin' some pushup challenge looking arms my friend ... nice!

Emz said...

Yay for you. helping others is the best.
fitting "life" into training is sometimes challenging for me but you look like you have it down pat. I hope I would have done the same thing [park].

and the outfit . . .

is awesome.

Paula (Adventure Junkie Mom) said...

Good job on your brick, and being able to juggle family time with workout time. Sounds like it was a great day!!
LOVE the new tri gear. Looks perfect on you.
I am sure that girl with the flat appreciated your help. I have never had to stop for anyone (always ask if they need help) but really don't understand how people don't carry tubes and CO2? I guess for a newby...but still. I bet she was happy to run into you. =)
PS: My mouth watered when you mentioned JJ's. LOVE their sanny's. I get the veggie. Unfortunately I have to go to Spokane to get one...worth the 30 in drive though. Yum!

Sherri said...

Great workout!
I love the outfit!
I don't know how you fit everything in??? Your amazing!

Jill said...

Oooh, it's so great to see another Colorado blogger :). I love the outfit, very fitting on you!! Looks perfect with pockets for on the go needs!! I was out on the track yesterday when tornado sirens were screaming...eeks! But can you believe we're going to hit the 80's this weekend - yahoo!!! Enjoy!!!!

Unknown said...

Great job with the brick... so nice of you to stop fo that girl with the flat - hopefully you taught her something along the way!

And I really like that tri suit... looks like it fits you perfectly, but I kind of get the white side thing being an issue... espcially once it gets wet! ;)

Heidi Austin, PT, DPT said...

nice outfit and ya for squeezing in the brick!!!