Katie's Korner

Well, this marks the second entry from our IronGirl in training, Katie. Later, Oude Granny will take an in-depth look at the bike issues that Katie mentions below.

Floppy Hair
THIRTEEN WEEKS LEFT!

Hey Carla! Thanks for being so patient with me. This week was actually pretty good. I was able to ride pretty comfortably at 130. 140 was pushing it and kept that pace for about 20 mins. The total ride was only about 70 mins due to getting back to work, but think I could have kept the 140 pace for the whole 30 mins....not sure how much more.

Swims felt great....best yet. However, my swim cap broke so that was a hassle! My hair was flopping all over so I went to my bag to see if I had ANYTHING I could use to tie my hair back. Much to my dismay, I had a single bobby pin...which did nothing. So I ended up using my rubber band to make a buddah like pony tail for my bangs and let the rest of my hair float free. I must have looked like a nut job!!

Then...my goggles decided to leak! Instead of stopping to tighten (as I was pretending this was the race..heee), I just decided to open my eyes when looking down and close my eyes when I took a breath. That is because, when I turned my head...the water sloshed into my eyes! Oh brother!!! hehehe.

As for my run...will wear my monitor this weekend. Hope to get a better read this weekend. Going to try and ride outside tomorrow with a friend. Hope its not too wet.

Sounds good to meet up the weekend after next for the swim! I'm pretty free that weekend.

Got my bike all fixed up and re-measured. Basically, the guy (Chris, I think) and The Bike Shop, said my bike was way too big for my stature but he would do what he could do!

A few measurements, a couple bike part removals, and $200 later...my bike was ready to go. It is amazing how much better it feels now though. I was really overextending my back and need to focus on trying to anteriorly pelvic tilt more. Hopefully this will help me stay in my tri bars more.

Next week's schedule looks good so far. I will look at it more closely on Sunday and be in touch!

Happy Weekend!!!
Katie

Fitting and Physique
Strangely enough, I was recently asked for some advice, by another Katie (from Michigan) on buying a triathlon bike. She is also planning to jump into the world of Ironman racing, but is biding her time until next season, 2008. Here we go again, right?

Anyway, before I even jumped into the world of tubes, material, components, etc. I made sure to suggest that she go for a proper fitting. Now if you're new to the world of cycling, and I know some of our readers are, this point can't be emphasized enough.

Fitting...measurements, why bother? For starters, a proper fitting doesn't simply mean making sure that your bits and pieces (protect those onions) have enough clearance from the top tube, like when we were fitted for our childhood bicycles. A proper fitting can help you avoid those acute pains, as well as the chronic ones which usually manifest themselves in knee, lower back, and neck pain. And like any activity you do, you're more likely to enjoy it if there isn't pain involved (unless you're a masochist, then disregard all the above).

So what does a fitting involve? A good fitting actually takes a bit of time, as a dedicated shop person will take several measurements, more than even your best dress or suit maker. A lot of these measurements are done with some interesting measuring devices, with some shops having fully computerized modules. Click here for a perfect example. With the detail involved in a bike fitting, most shops may charge you a fee for this service, which will often be waived if you purchase your steed from that shop. So make sure you ask beforehand.

Now in Katie's lastest update, she mentions that she felt "overextended" on her bike. There are a couple of possible reasons for that feeling. One is the lack of a proper fitting, and therefore, a bike that is too large for her physical frame. Another may be a result of converting a road bike into a triathlon bike with some clip-on aero bars. Your standard road bike has a "more relaxed" seat tube angle (that's the central and mostly vertical tube of your bike frame). With a triathlon, time trial specific bike, the seat tube is usually at a more aggressive angle (anywhere from 75 to 78 degrees). This angle not only helps to close down the distance between your aero bars and your seat (your aero position), but it also helps the triathlete preserve some of the leg muscles which they will use later on the run.

But there is also one more (often overlooked) reason, and one which more bicycle companies are addressing, for Katie's overextension, physique. More specifically gender differences in the size of the torso (upper body). A lot of women are described as being "all legs" for a reason, as they often have a shorter torso. Most companies have realized this subtle difference and have created Women Specific Designed (WSD) bikes with shorter top tubes.

So what can Katie do to obtain a better fit without having to buy a new bike altogether? I'd suggest a new seat tube, if it hasn't already been taken care of, to help her move forward on the bike, like this one from Profile Design (Fast Forward Seat Post - $70).