A Week of New "Firsts"

Well, this a my "first" blogging experience. I have loved reading other triathletes blogs, they encourage and inspire me. The first blog that got me hooked was Iron Will at http://www.throughth3wall.com/

Another first, I got a brand new bike this week! For Valentine's Day my husband bought me a Lightspeed Vela road bike, it's fire engine red. I couldn't have asked for a better present from my number one supporter! I used to think people that paid over $100.00 for a bike were crazy. I guess I'm certifiable now.

Since I was dying to try out my new bike, I went on my first bike ride alone. Call me a wussy but since I started riding a road bike in November of 2005, I have always gone on group rides. I felt there was safety in numbers. I was just learning to ride wearing clips too. See, we live in the country and people don't contain their dogs. The worst are the herding dogs that want to get in front of the bike. Last year, a guy in the group broke his shoulder when a dog knocked him off the bike. This has been my biggest fear, a dog causing me to break a limb. Yesterday, I overcame my fears and rode for 1:30 alone. I'm still alive and have no broken bones. I love my new bike too, the ride is so much smoother.

I made my first batch of goat's milk ice cream this week. I'm getting over two gallons of milk from "Happy" and "Maple" everyday. I don't need that much for making soap so I have been cooking a lot. Quiche(from the chicken eggs), goat's milk tapioca pudding, goat's milk potato soup but the ice cream is killer! I swear, I could make a million bucks selling this stuff, people will pay for food. My first batch was plain vanilla, the second was coconut(goat's milk, coconut milk, toasted coconut and shaved chocolate) It tastes like a Mounds bar. Yes, I actually shaved Hershey's chocolate bars with a cheese grater and almost gave myself carpal tunnel syndrome. Every night I eat that ice cream it's all worth it!

The first signs of spring are appearing at the farm. The hens are starting to lay lots of eggs(the first batch of hatching eggs are going into the incubator tonight), I see the first blooms on the trees, the goats are kidding and the songbirds are singing. Peabo is starting to fan his beautiful train for the peahen. It is truly an impressive sight. Every time he displays his tail feathers, I am humbled and in awe. Nature is truly amazing, I am thankful to be alive and witness the beauty.

Today is a beautiful day, it's going to be in the upper 60's. I'm going to throw on some shorts and run 5 miles. This afternoon I will ride my bike for 90 min. (I don't know how to make a training log yet)