Cohasset Triathlon 2009

So I’m finally able to check times from Cohasset and they’re not what I hoped for.  6:33 slower than last year, overall.

Other folks noticed this, so it can’t just be me. the swim was rough – a little choppier than last year.  The roads were rougher, wetter, and the fog/mist was very heavy.  I was mentally prepared for ocean chop, wet roads (what’s a dry road?), and road debris. 

This review brought to you by my own wallet.

In the interest of full disclosure, since I’ve seen this as a topic on the blogosphere lately, let me make it clear: not a single product that I have reviewed to date has been provided to me for free unless expressly noted.  I usually say something along the lines of “So and so gave me a sample of item X and it was [opinion].”  It would be great if REI decided to send me a bunch of towels to test or if Clif or Nuun wanted me to test flavors,  but it hasn’t happened yet.   (Hint!)

I pay for my bikes.  I pay for my clothing.  I buy my random gear, from sports bras to cycling shorts to wind pants.  I buy my own energy/meal replacement bars/gels/electrolyte drinks.   Further protecting my review integrity, I have also put together the occasional kit of products for other people to try, like a sampling of energy gels and electrolyte products, since personal preference and body chemistry is a huge factor in personal product selection.  How do I do this?  I go to REI and buy a selection, for cash, with my own money.

I have gotten the occasional sample size of something, usually in a race goody-bag and may have included it in a review.  (The Clif recovery drink that was added to my water bottle at Timberman is the only thing that comes to mind.)  There are other things that I have received in a goody bag that I already owned, like Body Glide.  A travel size of Body Glide is great – I keep it in my emergency kit along with a baby tube of Aquaphor and some adhesive bandages.  Wish I could buy it in that size.

Bicycle Commuting, new year, old bike?

Last year, I commuted on a lovely Raleigh Venture.  Yes, it is like riding a living room.  The squishy seat is a beauty to behold.  You are fully upright and fully content.  However, for commuting with passenger and gear, it turns out to not be the ideal idea.  It worked, no doubt.  But it did lack some finesse and carrying capacity.  New year, new (old) bike: SuperPinky, a longtail.

Bloghopping

Bloghopping (where you start at one blog, follow a link to another, and so on) can take you to some funny places. Today I visited:

Line Upon Line: which has very pretty cards with unusual ways of saying things like:

• “Congrats on adding to your eternal glory.” (for a baby)
• “I voted for you for Bishop.” (presumably because you did)
• “GOOD WORKS -What goes around comes around.” “Does this tupperware belong to you?” (Thanks for help with the pot luck.)
• Even her version of “our prayers are with you” is a bit more tasteful.

That took me to Seriously, so blessed! , a tongue-in-cheek look at wifedom in Utah.  It’s complete satirical fiction, which is a large part of its charm.

Which I then hopped to  Silverlime, a hand-stamped jewelry maker.  I’d like a custom piece related to their FinishLime work.

And somehow I also got over to Etsy, alway good for something cute and random, where I found hedgehogs and this charming print of a robot boy and his robot dog, both from BigHelmetHead.

It’s a good day for the Internet.

I’m so tired of being sick! More on the common cold.

A cold, any time of year, is a miserable affair.  By early-March, most folks in the Northern Hemisphere have had at least one, if not a few.  I’ve written before about the tough choice to go to work or stay home. I do believe that when it is the sniffles, even with a mild cough, it is tolerable in the office.  There are things you can do, when you are affected, when your family member is ill, or when your whole office has the sniffles, to keep yourself from getting quite so ill.