So Many Ways to Spend (Waste) Money...

With the big race and cyclocross camp and another 5k, a trip to the beach, a couple more triathlons, a few time trials, and a potential chance to race an Xterra looming, there are a lot of things I want to spend money on. In no particular order: new Splish 'Killa' bikini ($55), DeSoto race kit ($90), cyclocross bike ($499 for a Motobecane from bikes direct), new TT bars (dad found a pair for $90), HR monitor and watch ($100 from Timex), new kits for both cycling teams (close to $250), a Profile TT bar water bottle and cage ($25), and of course, a million race entry fees (around $200). Total: $1310. I need a new job just to pay for all of the race stuff!

Yeesh. And that's just the more immediate expenses, nevermind the idea of an actual tri bike and a mountain bike for Xterra racing, as well as plenty of other odds and ends...

I'm doing fine this summer, I've saved a good chunk of money, but given the fact that tuition won't be cheap (though hopefully I can get financial aid) I'm leery about spending a lot of money. Then again, let's face it: I'm 22 and this is the one time in my life when I have few responsiblities and the real chance to have a semi-legit racing career. In a few years, I'll have to be focused on buying a house, having a mortgage, etc, and won't be able to spend as much time on this.

Anyway, enough about that. Yesterday, did a really solid weight set, and while I was doing it, noticed that I was working out next to a guy who I'm pretty sure I passed during the Hammonton tri in May. Fantastic. Then, Pete and I went on a run- my legs felt like they weighed a million pounds, and I was really having a rough time keeping up. So once we sprinted home, I decided there would be no bike ride that night. Instead, ate black beans with avacado and salsa for dinner, had a serious stomachache, and drank a lot of chocolate milk to calm it down. Lately my stomach has been screwy- I think in large part because I stopped taking all of the stuff I was taking for IBS a month ago and my system is finally out of it and trying to figure out how to manage on it's own. I was worried I was destroying my intestines, so now I'm learning to live without it. It's just a hassle getting used to it, but oh well.

It was a good decision, not riding the bike, and when I woke up this morning, I felt a lot better. Off to the gym for a fast 45 min swim with a hard push at the end, then just threw shorts on over my suit and rode as fast as I could on the mountain bike home, had my trainer set up to go, hopped on that, and pushed it for 30 minutes. It felt really solid, so I was happy to be feeling springy again.

Hopefully I'll make it out on another run with Pete tomorrow, then one more on Monday before I start tapering. I know the tri is only an Olympic but I want to be super rested for it- it's the one I've been focusing on all summer and I don't want to disappoint myself with my performance.

Now, off to Duke Island Park for a run before a Team Somerset picnic meeting. Whoot!