January 22, 2012

Two Months Too Long

I have a confession to make...I have not been on my bike since Ironman Arizona!  It's not that I didn't WANT to ride it, it's just that between our schedules and the winter weather, there haven't really been any opportunities to ride outside.  And, the thought of riding on my trainer just didn't seem appealing to me in the least bit!  BUT, last week, I got a notice that a group of girls, including Julie and Kathleen, were going to meet up for a computrainer ride at Peak to Peak Training on Saturday morning.
Source

I've never used a computrainer before, but I heard that it is pretty cool.  So, I decided to break my 2 month streak and sign up for the session.  The only problem was that it started at 5:30AM, which meant I had to get up at 4:30 to be there on time to get set up and going.  I have not woken up that early since IMAZ!  With IMAZ training, I was always getting up at the "butt-crack of dawn," but since my race, I have to admit it's been nice sleeping in till 6:45ish every morning.

My 4:30 alarm totally woke me up from a deep sleep, but I crawled out of bed, got dressed, ate a PureFit bar (review coming soon), and headed to the session.  There were 7 of us total, and we all looked like we just crawled out of bed, but none of us cared...it was awesome!
All of our bikes set up!  How awesome are the fans?!
One of the owners of Peak to Peak Training got all of our bikes hooked up and set up to do the Ironman St. George course.  Now, not having ridden my bike in 2 months, I didn't know what to expect of my body/legs and knowing we were doing IMSG, one of the hardest IM bike courses, kind of scared me!

BUT, once we started, I was surprised at how good I felt.  It seriously felt like I hadn't taken 2 months off from riding at all.  I felt strong and although there were some hills I had to get up out of my saddle to power up, my legs responded pretty good to the crazy hills.  :)


Here is what I thought was really cool about the computrainer:
1) The resistance automatically changes depending on whether you're going uphill, flat, or downhill so it is almost like you're riding outside.
2)  You can track your progress throughout the course and see when a hill is coming up
3)  It gives you tons of data including speed, avg. speed, watts, avg. watts, distance, etc.  I actually really liked watching the data and can definitely see why people buy these over a regular trainer to train with.
Drenched with sweat after the ride
Overall, I REALLY liked the session.  I liked it so much that as soon as I got home, I got online to see how much they cost!  WOW...they are expensive!  I don't think I'll be getting one anytime soon, but I WILL definitely do another session with the girls!  It was challenging, but fun, and the setting was WAY better than riding my trainer by myself at home.  I got to chat with Kathleen and Julie throughout the session, and it made the time fly by.  I am so glad I decided to do it because I think this was just what I needed to kick my butt into gear and get back on my bike.  Woohoo! :)

16 comments:

justme said...

oh i would kill for one of these, even kill for just a session ? who set this up ?? how can i arrange for this where i live ?????

Tiffa said...

I would also LOVE a computrainer! I nearly shit myself when I checked on the price last year. Although, considering how long winters are here in Northern Alberta, it may be something to save for for next year....

TMB @ RACING WITH BABES said...

That looks awesome! I am trapped on my trainer right now but holy cow expensive!

Stephanie Anne said...

That looks so fun! It is a little pricey, I found a place near me after a little googling that charges $30/class. I may have to give it a try some time!

Julie said...

It was so good to see you Aimee! I'm glad we got the chance to chat and we are going to set something up soon to get a bunch of us together!

Alisa said...

Awesome, sounds like it was worth getting up at 430!

I've never done a computrainer session either but I know they are PRICEY!

Unknown said...

See, I think it's totally a good thing to take some time off, even if you didn't do it on purpose! I bet your legs thank you!!! :)

I wish I had access to a computrainer. Sounds amazing... even at 5:30 am!

Christi said...

That sounds so cool! I need to find a way to get on one!

Born To Endure said...

We have a computrainer..somewhere..buried under the ruble of me moving in last year..I should get it out and use it eh? :)

Missy said...

That sounds awesome. I would so love to have one of those.
Congrats to getting back on the bike!

DRog said...

well that sounds about right...I biked outside only 1 time from IM to winter...and only started indor spins in December!

you are actually ahead of track

Jason said...

I bet you WOW was not the first word that came to mind and was probably something a lot stronger than that.

They are crazy expensive but as you found out can be worth the money. I think it all depends on how many races you plan on doing and what you want out of those races.

Congrats on getting back in the saddle.

I bought Kale this week so that I can make Kale and Bean soup......from Tasty Tuesday.

Unknown said...

oh man, i haven't gotten my bike on the trainer either... eek. computrainers sound amazing, too bad i won't be able to afford one any time soon!

joyRuN said...

Those ARE expensive sessions, but I'd love to try one!

PS - tag you're it :)

Jill said...

I bet that was a great workout and tons of fun! I should get brave enough to try that one day.

I rode my bike, the first time in about 4 months, for about 25 miles just before I went to California to run the marathon. It was such a gorgeous day out and I thought I really need to get on the bike more!

Good job on that trainer, woohoo!

Unknown said...

I won a box of PureFit bars and tried them even though they weren't Paleo (because sometimes I need something on the run, so I was looking for a bar). Although the taste was good (I think I had the berry nut flavor), the texture was disgusting. My uncle tried them when he was here on vacation after a paddling excursion and loved them, so I sent them home with him. :)