Ok, so chain of events… I’ll talk boilermaker, then bike!

Boilermaker: This is an awesome race once you get past the fact that you are running with 15,000 people and battling crowds of about 50,000 – but you can’t beat the community support, the awesome music, and the fantastic course.  I just love the hill in the golf course (yes, I’m a bit sadistic that way) and I enjoy the tour through the city.  However, what I do NOT love is mile 8.  It got the best of me last year, and again caught up to me this year.  I had an awesome 10K split of 52 minutes, but for the final 5K, I fell apart. Just like last year… I did beat last year’s time but I did not hit my goal that I had set for myself.  I guess I need to do a bit more training for the longer distance runs.  However, I can’t help but wonder how much the heat and lack of shade on the final 5K plays a role.  Oh well, they don’t call it the boilermaker for nothing!!

Bike:  I’ve done it.  I’ve taken the plunge.  The investment was made…  I am now the proud new owner of a Triathlon/Time Trial Bike.  I went bike shopping Friday night to look at Trek and Cervelo (and sadly didn’t obtain much help from the store, so I promptly crossed that store and those brands off my list), then I attempted to go shopping Saturday in Utica for a bike but triathlon does not have as big of a following so nobody had any TT bikes BUT I did get some questions answered.  Yesterday (post-Boilermaker) I went and looked at a few Felt bikes and discovered that the shop I was at ready to make a deal to move their 2012 models before the 2013 models hit the stores. And finally today, I took this afternoon off from work to go check out Cannondale, Aragon and Trek and found another bike shop ready to cut some deals.  However, I’m glad I have been researching and comparing bikes (yes, I have an entire spreadsheet that compares everything from the frame, to shifters, to brakes, etc…)  Because I was able to obtain a BEAUTIFUL new Felt TT Bike today that has a full carbon frame, Shimano Dura-Ace components and a set of carbon wheels on it for what I will admit is a pretty penny, but in the long run will cost me half of what I would have spent trying to piece this beauty together!

Take a gander at my new Felt (real pictures will be posted as soon as I get her home, she is being stocked up and needs to be fitted still…)

 …now if only some fairy would pay the credit card bill, I would be all set!!