Background and what I use!

Well, a little about me and the blog...

I’m a 24-year-old from and currently residing in Kansas, going to school at the University of Kansas Medical Center, and starting a PhD curriculum focusing on stroke rehabilitation.  I have been a KU fan my entire life, stemming from my Dad.  I was lucky enough to go to KU for 4 years and still wish I was living in Lawrence!  Such an amazing place!  I also work at a local hospital in the Rehabilitation department, and volunteer at a pro bono clinic at the Med Center. 

Growing up in Kansas, I stayed very active in sports, and focused primarily on soccer, basketball, and baseball in high school.  My main sport was baseball, and I really focused on weightlifting and gaining power for hitting.  Weight lifting for me continued clear up to my graduation from KU.  I would lift weights 4-5 days a week, but never really did anything concerning swimming/biking/running.  As far as endurance training goes, my only experience before 2011 would be summer conditioning for soccer in the summertime, running with the cross country team and getting smoked by everybody!  The farthest I had run before this year was about 4 miles.  I had zero swim experience, other than the basics (aka drowning prevention) and I had the cycling skills of a 10 year old. 

I started multisport training on Jan 1, 2011, with the intention of just doing a triathlon.  This stemmed from completing P90X, and I was looking for something “hardcore” to try (Tony Horton was driving me crazy! Just his voice gives me chills now).  I participated in an indoor triathlon in February of 2011, and took first in my age group (out of 2, woot!).  Since then, I have been hooked. 

So, what do I use for all these days of training?  Well, I have been acquiring all of my equipment for the last few months.  For shoes, I use two pairs for training and racing now.  I have a pair of Mizuno Wave Rider 6 for longer runs because they offer a lot of support and cushion ( I over-pronate when I run).  For shorter runs, I use my Nike Free 3.0's, which are insanely light!  I have recently been using these more often, mainly because of their weight and also because they mimic barefoot running.

Green Nike Free 3.0

Mizuno's!

Now for my bike....

Haha, yeah right....  I ended up purchasing a road bike off of Craigslist, and have had so-so luck with it.  It's a Cannondale Caad3, made in the late 1990s.  It rides okay, but unfortunately the shifters are going out, and because it is a 7 speed (please, for your sake, don't buy a 7 speed....), I will need to buy a full set to upgrade it.  It would probably range from $600-$$$$$ to replace.  So yeah, making due with what I got.  But hey, it has a carbon fork...

That's about it.  I have a standard Timex watch with a 30 lap split limit.  I am hoping to get a Garmin watch for my birthday, but I am making due with the Timex.  I have a tri top and shorts for races, but just wear standard athletic clothes for training. Triathlons and multisport is fairly expensive, especially if you are starting from nothing.  I am planning on upgrading my equipment as I develop and get a "real" job, but right now I'm pretty content.  

Nice socks, right?