Gran Fondo Niagara - Double Dare Ya

OH MY, what have I done!

I've wanted to set a fitness goal for myself.  I was so inspired by so many great athletes who post to Facebook daily.  Where do I begin?  I had read about Niagara hosting a Gran Fondo event for several years but never thought that I could ever do it...never, ever!  BUT the post was made and the details were final.   Niagara will host its first Gran Fondo in 2013.  DONE!  That's what I will do.  That's my new goal.  I can do it and I WILL do it.

I marked my calendar for the official first registration day.  When the registration day in January arrived, I hopped on the website and pedaled my way through the registration document, made the payment and took a very deep breath!  DONE!

Goal set, registration complete.

I had a few business trips to take and upon my return I planned to sit down and make a detailed training schedule.  WOW, where do I start.  That's the first thing that came to mind.  I bought a Boflex gym.  I will need to work on muscle strength.  I also purchased a yoga mat and weighted ball.  I have booklets showing me how to use these items.  I will build muscle, develop core strength and stretch.  My bike, which is a year old, isn't much but I paid $400 for it on sale and it seems suitable.  A women's specific design.  I'm going to be logging many kms on that bike and I hope it's going to be comfortable.  IS IT?  I tried to set it up so it feels good.  Last year I went out for about 10 rides but nothing that compares to riding for 5 or 6 hours (I figure I will need at least that long to complete the ride)

SO last week I went to Trek in Aurora and had a nice chat with Paul.  He suggested that I bring in my bike and get fitted.  He asked that I bring my shoes as well.  First problem, no shoes.  Yes, my bike has flat peddles and I wear running shoes.  So tomorrow morning I will bring what I have to Trek and see where it takes me. Most importantly, when I leave the store I will have a comfortable ride for training and some new riding tips.

I was online posting to the Gran Fondo Niagara site asking for training help.  They have  posted a schedule which I have downloaded tonight.  I will be setting up my bike on a trainer in my basement to log the hours and mileage I need to succeed - once I have completed my bike fit session.

Looking forward to starting my training schedule once I pull all the pieces together.  I think I have bitten off more than I can chew this time!