little tweaks & awesome peeps

Last year I was lucky enough to race for SOAS Racing.  They make some pretty baller kits for women, and if you have a vagina and haven't heard of them (or read any of my blog posts before, um, this one), you should check them out.  Their tri shorts got me through every race I did last year without a single chafed spot or saddle sore.

This year I'm pretty thrilled to be back on the SOAS party wagon, which is chock-full of awesome women from all over the US, quite a few of which are new and I can't wait to get to know better.

When I came out to visit Colorado last spring, I was fortunate enough to meet all the people that make up Kompetitive Edge, which is hands-down the single best tri shop I have ever wandered into.  So when they put out an application in the late summer for their racing team, I filled it out as fast as my little fingers could type and sent it right back in, along with a bribe for Jared and Ryan.  

I was ALL CAPS excited to find out in December that I had been selected to join the ranks of some ridiculously awesome athletes here in Colorado, ranks that include my own coach.  

I'm lucky to have these great people in my life, Kebby and Steph and Jared and Ryan, to be a part of what they do, I know that, I am lucky.  And Sonja should probably get a post of her very own except that I don't want to spill all her secrets to the universe.  She keeps me moving forward in the right direction, mostly in a straight line, although sometimes I will dive into the bushes or off the cliff when she isn't looking (she is probably rolling her eyes at me right now like I envision she must do at least once a day).  But I couldn't do any of this without her, I wouldn't even know where to start, she's been a big part of figuring out how to get rid of my shit and make my life the joyful place I want it to be.  

While visiting KE last spring to start my current trend of trying on every single pair of sunglasses in the shop and then buying none, I did a bike fit with mastermind Scott Geffre.  He fixed my pinched adductor and got me on a saddle that I love and just in general contributed to the overall happiness of my 2012 crotch.  At the end of last season, a couple of tweaks popped up but since I was done being in aero for three months, I instead focused on my Oreo-eating and put my bicycle worries away.  

However, now it's March and time to start remembering how to get into aero without dumping into a ditch, which means it was time to get my fit checked up on.  I made an appointment with Scott and only tried to reschedule eight times was ten minutes late thanks to traffic we got down to it.  Here's the before:

And here's a picture of Scott on his own bicycle for no reason at all, because he's got it going ON.

All of the issues I had been having were relatively minor.  My shoes were squashing my toes on the foot that has the bunion and making my fifth metatarsal feel scrunched after about an hour on the bike.  My lower traps were getting pissed when I spent uninterrupted time in aero.  My fussy SI joint was popping out every time I rode.  I spent the few days before the fit hunting down several different pairs of shoes to try, because I knew that my shiny red slippers from last year were definitely getting the boot (HA HA....ha.).  

Scott, of course, was able to throw a dart in my hips and pin down the single thing that was making everything twitchy and weird.  He moved my cleats over to a new pair of shoes (the winners?  Specialized Tri Vent), moved my seat forward and up a centimeter, and suddenly I'm in a whole new world of comfort (yes, I am completely incapable of getting my picture taken on the bike without making a weird face).

I went out yesterday at lunch for a spin and can tell that these tiny tweaks have made a huge difference.  They was much less wiggling around on the seat, back and forth, and while I only spent a few minutes here and there down in aero, my back feels opened up and more relaxed and I'm ready for the many many MANY hours of cycling that are in my very near future.

I feel like this post turned a bit into a commercial, which I hate, but I don't often talk about this stuff so hopefully the ass pictures distracted you from getting too cranky.  I feel strongly about the people in my life who make it happier and support me despite the fact that I will never actually run an 18:07 5K and all I do is post pictures of my ass and/or myself looking like an idiot on the internet wearing their brand.   So with that, I'm saying thanks.