Posts Tagged ‘Heidi Leggat’

Only One Saturday Left

Written on April 28, 2010 at 10:22 am, by hleggat 2 Comments

Category Heidi Leggat | Tags: Deadline,Heidi Leggat,Training

As I sit here in Herriman, wondering if the roof on my house will blow off,  I can’t believe that there is only one Saturday left before the 60 mile ride.  I haven’t ridden my bike for almost two weeks now and I am feeling quite sluggish.  I find it funny how I was constantly wishing for warmer weather, but when the warmer weather came I had less time to ride.   With warm weather comes more responsibility in and out of the house.   I was advised that I should try to do a 40 mile ride before the 60 mile, but so far have not been able to find the time.  It has been so much fun trying to get together with friends to ride at different times of the day. (Mornings are my favorite!)  I have felt better physically and amazingly mentally since I started this adventure, and I hope to ride for a very long time.  Now, I just might cross that finish line dragging the bike behind me with bloody knees, but the fact is I WILL finish the 60 mile ride no matter how hard it is.  And I think there will at least be a few other women like myself, considering more than 50% of the riders signed up for the 60 miler.  Unless of course there are hundreds of amazing women riders, which I have a feeling there will be.  But being last is okay with me as long as I finish.  I hope for all of our sakes the weather will be cooperative….. that is temperatures above 45 degrees and winds below 40 mph.

Below 45 degrees makes for a COLD ride!

Written on April 5, 2010 at 4:09 pm, by hleggat No Comments

Category Heidi Leggat | Tags: Group,Heidi Leggat,Training,Weather

So, as I have previously stated, I am the ultimate cold wimp.  I grew up swimming on various swim teams, and what I hated more than anything was jumping into cold water.  I loathe cold days, and the thought of riding a bike in the cold is not one on which I like to dwell.  However, when the bike group wants to ride,  I force myself to muster up enough courage to participate.  In fact, I think I would prefer riding in 100 degree weather.  I may change my mind on this, but for now I am holding steady.  Off I went, hoping my fingers would not fall off somewhere on Redwood road where they would be lost forever.  20 minutes into the ride I was shivering, wiggling my fingers and toes to make sure they were still there, and wondering if I could make up some excuse that would enable me to turn around without looking too wimpy.  But to my dismay, no one else looked or even sounded miserable.  Even our mountain biker was keeping up without complaint.  So on I pedaled.  It took a while before things warmed up for me.  But after about an hour, I have to say either my body just got used to the cold, or the temperature warmed up… and I actually started enjoying the ride.  I was, however, anxious to ride quickly to my 72 degree home.  Good company and scenery can only dull the senses for so long.  I will say that I am ready for this cold weather to dissipate.  I don’t feel ready for a 60 mile ride as of yet.

Some of the awesome women I ride with.

Dani and Laurel taking a break while another biker fixes her bike chain.  One way to learn all about flats and chains is to just go on long rides with friends that know what they are doing.  We always try take along a couple of males for moral support, not to mention “fix-it” support.

Did I mention how cold it was?  But how could anyone say no to a group like this?

The Lowdown on Bike Britches

Written on March 27, 2010 at 1:40 pm, by hleggat No Comments

Category Heidi Leggat | Tags: Heidi Leggat,Infinite Cycles,Pain,Shorts

After much deliberation I decided to purchase those lovely bike shorts that all the hip bikers wear.  Let me tell you, it was not an easy decision.  I was hoping I could find something a little more stylish, but to my dismay there was NOTHING out there that was more stylish.  For some reason I just can’t seem to find the desire to wear shorts that have permanent “padding” all around the groin area.  Unfortunately, my rear was in such pain that I felt this purchase was a necessity.  I searched high and low trying to find out what makes some shorts/pants cost $150.00 and others only cost $39.99.  Luckily Infinite Cycles was there to help the bike illiterate.  Being the cheap person I am, my immediate reaction is to purchase the $40.00 shorts.  However, my favorite bike shop suggested I try on the shorts before making a decision.  What great advice!  After trying on 3 different pairs of shorts at 3 different price ranges, I found that there is a huge difference in price and fit.  To my dismay, my rear, and all other parts of my lower body, appreciated the mid-price shorts which run about $80.00.  The shorts I got are specifically made for women (Shebeest) which would explain the better fit.    There are differences in padding which also play a part in price, but what I learned is that if the shorts fit, buy them.  I plan on wearing these shorts for LONG 60  mile rides, so I need to be comfortable.  It is worth the money to spend a little more for comfort, especially when there isn’t a lot of style to choose from.  As for bike pants, which would be worn in colder weather, if you don’t have money for the shorts and pants I do have a great money saving tip.  Buy the better shorts, then get some running pants to put over them when it is cold.  Running pants will only cost you about $30-$40, and will keep you plenty warm on those cold days.

Spinning to Success

Written on March 11, 2010 at 8:57 pm, by hleggat No Comments

Category Heidi Leggat | Tags: Heidi Leggat,Spin Class,Training

Taking spinning classes has been so much fun. The classes are always packed with fun people that are willing to give free advice on biking. I have learned a ton of things such as form, pedal position, and even how to jump on a stationary bike. I just hope all this practice will make the actual bike riding a little easier! I am looking forward to warmer weather so I can actually ride on my “real” bike.

I Got Me Some Wheels

Written on March 2, 2010 at 9:37 am, by hleggat 3 Comments

Category Heidi Leggat | Tags: Cannondale,Heidi Leggat,Infinite Cycles

Yahoo! After much searching I have finally purchased the PERFECT bike. Buying a bike was a tremendous learning experience. To tell everything I have learned would take way to much space, so I will do the best I can at condensing. First, I went to what felt like 50 million bike stores. I looked at bikes that started at $390.00 and bikes that cost $5,000.00. I even went to pawn shops to see if they had any used road bikes. I checked the want ads for a few weeks, to no avail. I talked to all my biking friends to get their opinions on bikes. I talked to my road biking brother-in-law to get his opinion. After all this I decided to buy my bike at Infinite Cycles for the following reasons:

• They offer lifetime service on every bike. Most shops only offer two tune-ups on a new bike. Infinite will tune up my bike as often as I need as long as I own it! Plus, they are super close to where I live so I don’t have to drive very far for my tune-ups.
• They sell the best looking bikes: Cannondales (Of course this is based on my good taste and opinion
• They have the best customer service and treated me like a queen. I was there for two hours learning about my bike and getting fitted for it. They answered every question I had and I didn’t feel rushed. I went back two days later to get something and even though he had never helped me before, the guy that helped me knew who I was. I was amazed.
• They are not pushy. I’ve always been a little leery of going into a small bike store because I was afraid I would be hounded by the sales staff (like a car dealership). Not at this store! I left there feeling like I had made some new friends. (I know that sounds cheesy, but it is true.)
• They are the biggest community bike ride supporters. They are supporting Goldilocks and The Tour de Riverton. You know when a store supports the community like this they love biking!

I purchased new instead of used for a variety of reasons. The most important are listed below:

1. I don’t know enough about bikes to trust that I would be getting a good deal when buying used.
2. When you buy used you have to expect to still put a little money into the bike for tune-ups, parts, fittings, etc. I figured I would have had to put at least another $200.00 into the price of a used bike to get it to where I wanted. And, I would not have the benefit of getting free tune-ups every year. Tune-ups alone can run between $60 and $140. Fittings for the bike can run about $60.00. Even the seat of a used bike might need to be replaced and those can be expensive too.

I hope these tips help anyone looking for a bike. My biggest fear was to spend money on a used bike and have it turn out to be a lemon or just simply not have the right fit. I know that some people are able to find screaming deals on used bikes. However, I am so happy with my decision to buy from Infinite Cycles. The included fit and lifetime service are really what sealed the deal for me.

A Pain in the Butt!

Written on February 22, 2010 at 8:57 pm, by hleggat No Comments

Category Heidi Leggat | Tags: Heidi Leggat,Seat

Are you kidding me? When people told me my rear would hurt I had no idea it would be so painful that I wouldn’t be able to sit. I now have a deep hatred for any unpadded chairs. I feel like I should be carrying a pillow around with me for extra padding. I think (no, I know) I am going to invest in padded bike pants. I just assumed that a stationary bike seat wouldn’t hurt. I was wrong.

The 60 Mile Death Wish

Written on February 20, 2010 at 8:50 am, by hleggat 3 Comments

Category Heidi Leggat | Tags: Heidi Leggat,Training

They saw her crawling towards the finish line, sweat streaming down her face, blood rushing from both knees. She was dragging her bike behind her, both wheels bent, both tires flat. It was the most pitiful finish anyone had ever seen. I am praying this will not be the end of my story. I am hoping that by training for this 60-mile bike ride I might be able to change what could be the inevitable.

To start my story I should introduce myself. I am Heidi Leggat and I like colorful shoes and clocks. (This is what my eight year old suggested I write.) I have 4 girls: an 11 yr. old, an 8 yr. old, a 3 yr. old, and a 10 month old, and think they are the most amazingly beautiful girls in the world. I wake up every day realizing that I have been blessed with more estrogen in my life than the average person. My husband works for the Jordan School District and we are all glad when his masculine presence permeates our home. He is the perfect “girl” dad.

So, why in the world would I try to kill myself riding a bike for 60 miles when I have never ridden more than 20 miles in my lifetime? ( And that 20 miles was 18 years ago when I was in college.) Here are the reasons (not necessarily in ranking order):

• To lose the last 15 pounds of baby weight.
• I love to exercise.
• I want to show my girls how important it is to be active.
• I love a challenge.
• Someone double-dog-dared me.
• My mom told me there was “no way” I could do it.
• All my neighbors are doing it.

I plan to accomplish my goal by thinking positively and finding the time to ride my bike. Because the weather is so inconveniently unpleasant I plan to take spinning classes or biking classes at various times during the week. I am hoping to go to at least three 1-hour classes each week. When the weather is 50 degrees or warmer, (I am the ultimate cold wimp!) I plan to ride my bike with the kids in the bike trailer. I am trying to find a good road bike, so for now will use a mountain bike to train. I’ll let you know how the search process for that road bike goes. I would love feedback on good routes to take or any other good biking tips. See you on the road…I’ll be the slow one.

Meet our Training Bloggers

Written on February 18, 2010 at 10:25 am, by brad 4 Comments

Category Training | Tags: Amanda Packham,Grace Packham,Guest Bloggers,Heidi Leggat,Heidi Loewen

We are very happy to have three guest women train for and blog about their training experience leading up to Goldilocks. Each blogger will be training for a different length ride. They will post regularly about their training and experiences leading up to the Goldilocks ride in May. Check back often to see their stories.