Pieces of the Puzzle

    Things seem to be falling into place nicely. The Fates, Powers That Be, Wee Folk, Guardian Spirits, all seem to be steering my into lucky happenstance.
    Simple case in point: Decided to swing past Best Buy to look at, of all things, washing machines. I know, how very plebeian. As I pulled off my helmet I noticed for the very first time a cycling shop. A nice, big, shiny, expensive looking cycling shop. I really want to find a new stem for Joshua's handlebars, and though it is not at the top of my list, it is something I will want before an Olympic Tri. After my delirious, and fruitless, venture into Appliance Land, I wandered over to the cycle store. It was pretty damned glorious. I cruised past the sleek clothing, the aerodynamic helmets, the exorbitantly priced cleated shoes, and headed straight back to the parts section. Cruising the aisles I turned a corner to see that all the Forte seats were on sale. A great sale. One thing I have known is that my ass really wanted a bit more padding before I to the 25 mile Olympic distance, and my Tri-sui does not offer near the padding as my Camari shorts. It was swim night so time was limited, my eyes raked over the beautiful options and rested on the Softail. Not only does it share the name with a classic Harley style and look about perfect for my needs, it was marked down to $20. Yeah, that's right, twenty bucks. I did the happy dance, grabbed the seat, clutched it to my chest and would have run to the counter if I hadn't needed to inquire about the needed handlebar stem.  Needless to say, the acquisition of an awesome new seat obliterated any disappointment I would have felt when the nice counter guy told me they didn't have any "old school" stems in stock, though he did steer me to another good shop. So, new seat: Acquired. I installed it last night and will take it out for a test ride later today. Super happy on this score.
    Next up has been the "sink like a stone" dilemma. I don't know if it is my lowered body fat, dense muscle, or maybe I have bones made of Adamantium like Wolverine. That may explain why I have never broken a bone *knock on wood*. So I had decided to buy a wetsuit. I perused Craigslit, searched the web, researched brands. There is a lot of information on wetsuits for Triathletes. Of course the product I found, and covet, "The Speed Tube" are capri length swim pants of 5mm neoprene designed for "swimmers with a weak kick and buoyancy issues." That would be me. But with a price tag of $200, that would NOT be me. With the knowledge that a wetsuit had to be in my near future I began weighing options. Yes, Sports Authority carries a very nice suit designed for Triathletes with the slightly less sticker-shock tag of $120 on sale. But still, I can't justify that kind of money when I have exactly 2 Tris left this season. Again, the Fates stepped in with a little nudge. I had to return a pair of goggles to Big Five, they leaked and were not as comfy as my little Speedos. Just across the way from Big Five is a Goodwill that I have visited often, so I decided to swing through there and take a peek. I was looking for a wetsuit, knowing that once in a Blue Moon they will show up on the rack. Finding the rack wasn't too easy, but finally I espied the snow bibs and it looked like a logical place. Lo and behold, on the rack, a sleeveless, shorty wetsuit of 5mm neoprene. Not a glamorous, aerodynamic, over engineered suit, but a decent looking, like-new suit with a price tag of $25. The question; would it fit? It looked small. But then, I am smaller. I took it to the dressing rooms and told the clerk, "If I get stuck in this, I will call you."  Not only did I not get stuck, I did not have to struggle, too much anyway, to get the suit on. It fits like a second skin. It couldn't fit better if I had been given all the sizing options available. It feels like it was made for my body. And Twenty-five bucks! To say I am elated is the classic understatement. I am so eager to take it for a test swim today. I will go to The Cove at Clackamette Park and test swim it in open water. I know this will work. True, I am really banking on this being a good solution for my swimming anxieties, and I do hope I am not setting myself up for bitter disappointment, but I think this may be the last piece of the puzzle for me. So now to add to my already decent assortment of gear I have great shoes that did me right in a 10K, I have a more comfortable seat that will prevent my ass and tender girly parts from feeling brutalized, and now I have a wetsuit that should allow me to use energy for forward propulsion. I am getting excited for my next endeavor.