Day 1 — Things I knew...

Ok. It's day 1 of training. Day 1 came after my roommates college graduation party, last night. So lets say that Day 1 started out slowly. That being said, I was determined to start today, and i knew i wanted to bike. So after hydrating, eating, and digesting i laced up my shoes, donned my bike shorts and helmet, and set out to bike to Kezar Stadium and back. Kezar is where we will be doing our coached track training, and it's about 6 miles from my house, so i figured that would be a good distance to start.

The things i knew before i started: I have no clue where Kezar Stadium actually is. I'm going to need to hydrate so put some gatorade in my water bottle. Stay to the right when i get to Golden Gate Park and follow that road and it should take you to the stadium. SF roads tend to suck so watch for cracks and potholes so i don't injure myself on the first day.

Things i know now: I STILL have no clue where Kezar Stadium actually is. I went to where i thought it was, and i found tennis courts, a big open field where there was a drum circle, a playground, and a carousel. So I circled around for a little, and figured i'd find it another day. So, now that i'm home, stretched (with the foam roller, amazing) and showered, i now know that it's across Kezar Street. I also know know that making sure your water bottle is secure in its cage is important, because I am now sans one water bottle, luckily i have more. It was confirmed that, yes, SF roads do, in fact, suck for skinny road bike tires. I also now know that a pair of sunglasses is of somewhat high importance, not only for the wonderful UV and sun protection, but also wind protection, especially as i bike along the Great Highway and sand loves to blow everywhere, especially in and around my eyes. Also, a watch that i can do lap times, or just a simple chronograph feature would be helpful, because i can only guess how long i was actually biking (my guess is about 45 minutes). One last thing. And i should have known this before, because it wasn't my first rodeo on my bike, and even though the nice guys who sold me my bike said to give the saddle a chance because Specialized spent over $100,000 on R&D for the saddle alone, i am going to have horrible pain in the saddle region for at least 2-3 days.

With all that i've learned on Day 1, i'm excited to for Day 2 — Race Day. So please follow my progress, DONATE as much as you can, as often as you can (i'll be putting a link at the beginning and end of every post to my donation page as soon as it's set up), leave me encouraging comments and training tips if you have any, and remember that I cannot do this without your help and support. There is a cure for blood cancers out there, and i'm glad to be a part of finding that cure.