The Tri Car

The top tube length is too short to accommodate
the width of the bike rack arms.

I ran into issues with the new bike fitting on my existing bike rack because the rack arms are too wide for the narrow opening in the bike frame.

The bike rack.

So, what's a guy to do?  The only reasonable thing to do is take my wife's 2001 Honda Civic, which she so graciously traded with me for my much newer and nicer Trailblazer, and turn it into my rolling triathlon training-mobile.  If I can't fit the new bike on the outside of the car, I guess I'll just have to fit it on the inside.

Let me give a little background information.  I never, never have anybody ride in this car with me.  When we go somewhere as a family (her, me and The Furricane) we always take the Trailblazer.  The Honda is my little good-gas-mileage-scoot-around-towner, which is usually littered with running shoes, swim stuff, bike gear, etc.  So I thought to myself, what would be a good solution to haul all of my gear around while keeping my bike safe?

The Dilemma:  The bike is made of carbon, therefore it's both expensive and fragile.  So, I can't just cram it into the trunk or throw it in the backseat.  It needs to be stable and secure with little to no pressure applied to the frame.  Also, the constant chore of transferring my bike stuff from the house to the car one day, then my run gear the next, followed by my swim stuff--back and forth, to and fro, repeat, repeat, repeat was getting to be a bit annoying.

The Solution:  Tri Car

Bada-Bing

I removed the front seat to allow space for the bike. This has multiple benefits, including some unforeseen.   Benefit 1:  My bike can go with me to train.  Kind of important.  Benefit 2:  The person sitting in the backseat on the passenger side has more leg room than on a first-class flight.  If Shaq ever needs a ride, we're good to go.  Benefit 3:  Norman can now ride comfortably in a car he once battled relentlessly in pursuit of stable transport.  The distance between the floor and the ceiling of the car is absolutely perfect for the bike to gently wedge itself in.  Better lucky than good.

Bada-Boom

Speaking of better lucky than good,  the front bolts that once held the seat are in the perfect location to attach a ratchet strap.  Boom. This little puppy's going where?  Nowhere.

Not something you normally see.

There is one major problem with this setup.  Every time I back out of my driveway or a parking space, I reach for the passenger seat, and it's not there...and it feels weird.  I don't like it.

Ignore the leaves, it's fall.

I also upgraded the trunk and the dilemma of traipsing back-and-forth with different gear everyday is no longer a hassle.  The bin on the left is swim gear, the center is bike and the right is run.  Swim, bike, run--just like a triathlon.  I have to keep it in that order or else I'd be screwed.  You'd see me running beside my bike wearing fins and goggles if I didn't keep the system simple.  The two bags on the left contain cold-weather gear and yoga clothes.  The tray in the bottom right corner is where I put sweaty stuff because it's an elevated grate that allows air circulation.  The car of a triathlete can get a little stinky.

Norman, a.k.a. The Furricane

Starting the Program

So, yesterday was the first day of my half-iron distance training program.  I ran about five miles of intervals with Mel and my running group at the YMCA.  For those who don't know, intervals are periods of fast running followed by periods of slow running.

This is what Wikipedia says about interval training:

Interval training is a favorite of coaches because of its effectiveness in cardiovascular build-up and also its ability to make more well-rounded runners / riders. However, it is also applicable to exercisers as it helps improve exercisers’ aerobic capacity to exercise longer at varying intensities (Mayo Clinic, 2009).

This is a basic  interval training chart

Interval training can be an effective means of enhancing an athlete's lactate threshold. Lactate threshold has been shown to be a significant factor determining performance for long distance running events.

This method of training may be more effective at inducing fat loss than simply training at a moderate intensity level for the same duration. This is due to the metabolism boosting effects of high intensity intervals.

This is where I swim, minus the kids.

The running went a lot better than I thought it was going to.  I felt pretty good after taking so many weeks off and eating whatever I wanted.  However, I did feel some discomfort in my left ankle, so, I'll have to keep an eye on that.

I also got back in the pool today.  The wrist is not ready for swimming; it hurt to pull backward and I couldn't really put any power into my left arm.  I decided to do some kicking drills and also use my fins.  With the fins, I can still use my left arm to work my shoulder and back without needing to depend on power from my left arm to propel myself forward.  Hopefully the wrist will heal quickly because swimming is my favorite part of training. 

Tomorrow is a bike day.  Sweet.