Surprise! A new custom bike paint job

I'd like to give a great big thank you to Karel for designing the perfect paint job on my Trek bike.

This is the same bike that I received soon after I finished the 2013 Ironman World Championship.

 

With this bike, I've made some incredible memories in some pretty cool places, like St. Croix, Austria, Wisconsin, Knoxville and in Kona.

This bike fits me perfectly thanks to Karel knowing my measurements when finding me the right size bike for my 5-foot frame so that I can still ride 700 cc wheels. Plus, I'm lucky that I have Karel to keep dialing in my fit. I also couldn't imagine riding a bike without electronic shifting -what a game changer in cycling technology!

I was always happy with the design of my Trek but after two years of traveling with my bike, the white paint had some chipping and Karel thought it was time to get it painted.

But instead of a touch-up, Karel told me that he wanted to give me a custom paint job on my Trek.

To my choice, I had no say in the new paint design. This was all Karel as he knows what I like (plus, I trust him enough to know that he wouldn't give me a bad design). I knew nothing about what my bike would look like.
All I knew was that I would be without a tri bike from the day we came home from Kona in October until sometime late December. 

I have to admit, I have really enjoyed riding my road bike over the past two months. My skills have improved and with every workout (outside and trainer), I can work on my pedal stroke due to my position on the road bike (versus being aero on the tri bike).
I'll still ride my road bike here and there but it's time to create good muscle memory and now I have even more reason to get on my beautiful tri bike. 

My tri bike is back home and even though she looks too good to ride, it's time to put more miles on this one-of-a-kind, Trimarni Trek bike, designed by Karel. 

A pink bike requires a pink chain!

Although Karel designed the bike, he was not the main person behind the scenes of this surprise.
Jack Kane painted my bike and did an amazing job.
Karel found Jack on the internet (and word of mouth).

Even though I was not part of this surprise, Karel would keep me updated on the progress as Jack was constantly communicating with Karel on how things were going with the paint job. We appreciated the communication.

Karel even sent Jack a Trimarni tri top with my bike frame so that the pink matched perfectly to our kits.
After Karel emailed Jack to see if a custom paint job was possible on my bike, all Karel had to do was ship the bike frame (he used Bike Flights) to Jack and then pay for the paint job (and shipping) when it was ready.

If you have been considering a custom paint job on your bike, we highly recommend using Jack Kane. 

Here are a few more pics from inside Karel's bike shop.
A few days after we received the frame in the box, Karel started building my bike. So that I wouldn't see the bike, he put a post-it note on the garage door (reading "Santa's workshop") letting me know that he was building my bike and I was not allowed to enter. 

Lately in the off-season - workouts and creations

After a 3-week break from structure and giving my body the rest it needed from triathlon specific training, I am enjoying the transition to structured training. However, there will be no run-blocks in my training, no running races to train for and no extreme changes from "normal" tri training.

I am a triathlete and swim-bike-run is my lifestyle. There's a lot of work to be done this off-season and base period in order to ensure that my body is strong enough to withstand the training and racing load that I choose to put on myself in 2014. This is the time to work on imbalances and weaknesses with the body and to also maintain balance so that I do not peak too early and so I reduce risk for injury and burnout.

In the next week and a half, we will be launching our newest service which is a 5-week Transition Phase triathlon training plan. There will be more on this soon but Karel and I and our athletes will be following a very similar plan to address areas that can make for successful training performances and race day experiences.

The training plan is specific to lung capacity in the pool (and efficiency), power on the bike, form on the run and a heavy emphasis on core/hip/glute work (and plyometrics/cicuit training) as well as flexibility.

Here's a little peak at what my last week consisted of (not including Campy walks) with a few key workouts and yummy creations:

Mon: 6:30-7:45am: 2000 yard swim + 30 min hip/glute/core work
6:30-7:30pm: Yoga at the YMCA with Karel

Tues: 7:15am: 6 mile run (steady with short walking to reduce residual fatigue - first official run since Kona, aside from our run to and from swim start at IMFL. I didn't need to walk but choose to walk). 7:45 min/mile average pace

Wed: 6:30am - 8am - 2500 yard swim + 45 min hip/glute/core and circuit leg/upper body strength
Stretching throughout the day

Thurs: 7:00-8:30am: 1:30 bike (road bike)
Stretching throughout the day

Fri: 6am - 8am - 3000 yard swim + 40 min strength and hip/core work

Sat: 2 hour group ride (on my new Speed Concept)

Sun: 9.2 mile run. 1:11 (8 miles solo, walked every 2 miles to shake out the legs to reduce residual fatigue. The walking wasn't needed but choose to walk. 7:45 min/mile pace. 1 mile with Campy).
Stretching, foam roller, trigger point

Swim main set 2x's:
8 x 50's (25 as few breaths possible, open turn, 25 fast breath as much as you'd like) w/ 30 sec rest
300 steady swim
100 swim w/ pull buoy between ankles to work on core and upper body strength
(1600 main set, warm-up and cool down as needed)

Toasted quinoa and kamut, leftover baked eggplant, zucchini, onion and mushroom, fresh ginger, one scrambled egg, tempeh, spinach, asiago cheese, red pepper flakes and marinara sauce.
-For toasting cooked whole grains, heat skillet to medium heat and drizzle 1-2 tsp olive oil and toast grains until crunchy and golden. It gives them great flavor.
Veggies cooked in oven - 425 degrees for up to 35-45 minutes.
Tempeh - can be cooked in oven or skillet until golden brown

2 hour group ride - have fun and don't worry about numbers

For my 1:30 road bike workout on Thurs:
Main set 2x's:
5 x 1 min FAST cadence w/ 1 min EZ spin
Followed by 5 min steady effort

Recover 5 minutes then repeat
(40 min main set)

Oatmeal creation: raspberries, Bosc pears, chia seeds, raisins, almonds and oats.
-I recommend up to 1/2 cup oats (dry) and if you find that oatmeal does not leave you satisfied after 2-3 hours, add a bit more protein such as protein powder, milk or a side of yogurt.
-I recommend add at least 2-3 fruits to your oatmeal for more vitamins and minerals.
-I always add some kind of fat to my oatmeal to slow down digest. Enjoy any nuts or seeds for a little crunch too. 

Key hip/glute/core exercises:
Hip hikes
Clams
Bridge (w/ marching)
Planks
Planks on side w/ leg lift
Planks on side w/ hip thrust
V-ups or captain chair
Side crunches standing w/ weight
Bench step-ups

 Chocolate cherry sourdough bread (a gift from one of my nutrition athletes from NC) to compliment my plant strong meal of mixed greens, chives, tomatoes, grapes, avocado, sunflower seeds, raisins and cottage cheese (2% Daisy Brand) sprinkled with Parmesan.

As you probably know, I have a new bike in my life....

And I'm really happy about it!

Later next week I will be talking about the specifics of my new bike as well as an overlooked part of getting a new bike....getting a proper fit by an experienced bike fitter/mechanic.
Karel is the owner of the RETUL system and has over 20 years experience with bikes and in the bike industry. I like to call him the Bike Doctor. He knows his stuff and he has been really busy helping athletes around our area with their bikes so I will be talking about the RETUL technology soon which I highly recommend for any triathlete who is looking to reduce risk for injury, gain more power w/ a more comfortable ride and to help run more efficient off the bike. 

Oh, almost forgot.
My weeks are always filled with Campy love.