It's a Laundry Night in Pittsburgh!

Since moving into the new apartment, laundry has been piling up in epic proportions.  Hard training late last week means I have an opportunity to turn my stinky heap of spandex and underwear into a gleaming Mt. Olympus of cleanliness.  That means blogtime!

The most recent race update is that I have to unfortunately cancel the Pinchot Park Triathlon in Lewisberry, Pa.  I was greatly looking forward to it, as my brother and dad were going to come out in support.  However, one of the busiest weekends of the year at the restaurant (Carnegie Mellon's graduation) means nobody can have off.  Driving to Harrisburg is out of the question for Saturday afternoon.  Technically, I could drive there the morning of, but that would mean getting up at about two in the morning after going to bed at midnight.  Not happening.

So as a solution, I'm doing a race in Boardman, Ohio that's pretty close.  They're pretty close to the same in terms of distance (750m/18.5 mi/5k at Pinchot vs. 500y/14.5 mi/5k in Ohio) but the major difference is that the race in Ohio is, once again, a pool swim.  I suppose it's good for my chances, but I'm disappointed that my first open-water swim won't be until June.  Lame.  It looks as though I'll be in the mix for the win, but as I found out all season long last year, that doesn't always mean it will happen.  The person who won last year was the person who beat me in the Silver Springs Duathlon last May.  I have no idea if he's showing up this year, but if he is, that will be at least one more major player there.  However, there will be a huge reason to be excited this weekend...

It's here, it's here!

That's right, I'm talking about the disc wheel.  I got it in the middle of last week, threw a tire on it and quickly realized that I had not yet gotten a "crack pipe" with which to inflate said tire.  To explain, there is a very small opening in the disc where one can reach the valve to inflate the tube.  It's so small that a normal pump head cannot fit.  Therefore, a little right-angle adapter must be used to inflate it.  It's slang name is a "crack pipe" precisely because that's what it looks like.  Don't worry, mom, I don't know from experience ;-)

Fast forward to two days ago when it arrives in the mail, along with my new tri suit.  More on that later.  The good news concerning the crack pipe is that I figured out how to use it without having another person to help.  I have read that this is a common problem.  The bad news is that the end of the adapter that goes into the pump head basically ruined the head's seal so the the pump can't be used without the adapter at all.  It's not necessarily that terrible, as it still works, but I thought it was a bit weird.

Anyway, it's all pumped up and ready to go, though I haven't been able to get out to the track to take it for a spin yet; a must do before the race.

On to the tri suit.  I have needed a new one for a while.  Badly.  I have been using my beloved Orca elite tri suit for the past two years, but it's getting dangerously worn, almost to the point of offending those behind me on the course.  I would gladly buy another of the same suit if it wasn't out of production for two years an impossible to find.  I'm not sure how it's possible, but even with all the manufacturers of race apparel, not one of them makes a suit that attracts me like the Orca I had.  I wanted something black with some red highlights and maybe some white.  Only two that I found fit that criteria:  The De Soto Forza and the Speedo FastSkin II.  Huge problem with the Forza is that the legs are way too long.  My friend has one and they go pretty much down to his knee.  No good.  To find the problem with the Speedo, you need look no further than the price tag.  It's around the $230 ballpark.  Ouch.

So time passed and I delayed long enough that I had to use my trusty Orca in Slippery Rock.  But afterwards, it was time to finally make a decision so I could have some new threads for the next one.  I ended up with the 2XU endurance suit in black.  I have a wetsuit from 2XU and think they're a reputable company, so I didn't really have any inhibitions about the suit.  It has some white/grey highlights with the stitching that gives it some visual interest.  It fits well, albeit a bit more snug than the Orca.  For me, its drawbacks are:  A front zipper.  I'm still not sure whey anyone would do this.  Second drawback is the silicone leg gripper on each leg.  I much prefer the looser leg of the Orca that provides for some movement.  I'm not sure why people seem to shy away from this.  The third and final negative is the top-opening rear pocket.  I have seen some side-opening ones and that makes a little more sense to me.  The top-opening one is strange because it makes me think that it would create drag in the water if swimming without a wetsuit, as I will be on Sunday.  Granted it will be the only one that I'll do this year without a wetsuit in the event that the water is cool enough to always use one. 

The pocket could come in handy for storing a gel flask as opposed to keeping it on the frame of the bike, but I'm undecided on what approach I'll take.  Still, I would just prefer having no pocket at all.  As I said, I find it strange that given all of the manufacturers, a suit with this many flaws was my best option.  Oh well.

Lastly, I'll mention a new race that will be cropping up in Western Pennsylvania this fall.  It's not the closest to Pittsburgh, being in Meadeville, but it's still maybe only an hour and a half drive.  As I've mentioned before, Pittsburgh is a disappointment when trying to find races that are close by, but this one definitely helps.  There will be sprint and olympic triathlon options.  You can find more info here.