The Bitch Stomper Handling Trials.

Well on Saturday, dry conditions and cool temperatures made it conducive for me to official baptize The Bitch Stomper into my unique riding style ( ie aggressively attack everything but a 10% gradient down hill). I took my lovely aluminum "Trepidor de Puntas" ( Claire can you double check mi espanol) up to Lake Waramaug and ran it through three laps of the sprint course to get a feel for it. I will say that I learned several things in my test ride at waramaug and my Sunday twice around the blocker.

1) I am more comfortable breaking with bullhorn bars than I am with my road hoods.
2) I need to get better at shifting on climbs ( on those two bitch hills at Waramaug I nearly fell over on my first lap because it was in too high a gear.)
3) Bring on the Gale force winds at Eagleman and Kona I CAN BITCH STOMP THEM! ( During my lovely tour de lake I was nearly blown across the yellow line twice by 30+ mph wind gusts. I was never in jeopardy of being blown off the bike, but those damn cross winds kill your momentum.)
4) the thing turns on a dime very responsive.
5) I need to get used to unclipping my road shoes although I was clipping and unclipping like an expert today.
6) I need to learn how to clip my tri shoes so they're on the pedals and I can mount and dismount like a pro at Park City this weekend.
7) Michelin Ironman Pros ....nuff said.
8) New bike gear bag that will attach to my aero seat post.( my current saddle bag's post mount isn't large enough to fit around my new flat aero post and I had to use elastics to strap it in place this week end. )
9) I need to stay aero on anything that's not a hairpin turn, suicide decent..well screw the last one...or a climb.
10). HED H3's and an aero helmet?
11) Even if it cuts into the sexy aero tuck...hydrate...hydrate...hydrate!!!
Well after about 26 miles on the bike ( I know it's a short one but my mileage will be spiking after this weekend as I get into Half IM and IM mode) I went for a ten mile run, with my new fuel belt. I chugged around the Waramaug Bike loop and back down to where I parked my car in New Preston ( because there is no way in Hell I was paying 7 bucks to park at the State Park.) After 3 hours of biking and running bliss ( 1:33 on the bike and 1:29.5 on the run) My legs felt a little tight but they still seem ready to crank out a Half IM. I went and visited my Pops up in Winsted ( he was working the bitch double shift) So I brought him coffee and we watched the Firemen's carnival fireworks from the Health Center. Today was a lazy day. I went to church, cooked a cardiac nightmare breakfast ( bacon and eggs), and got in about 3 miles on the bike just for shits and giggles (I rolled through the burbs in my cycling shoes and cargo shorts, and got stares from all the middle school aged guys with their BMX toys, they were amazed any one could climb this one bitch hill by my house with out dismounting, their jaws dropped when they saw I never even got out of the saddle. BOO YAH!) So yeah Saturday I had a good hard workout and Today I sat on my ass and got fat. Tomorrow I will purge my high cholesterol treats from today out of my system with an ass kicking morning swim and a 6 mile run. Until then Happy Training!
R.D.