With the California International Marathon just four weeks from today, I decided this morning that I needed to do SOMETHING, training-wise, but I did NOT feel like running.
Pulled out the road bike, planning on a 40-50 mile ride encompassing some East Bay stuff, a BART ride under the Bay to the SF side, some Blue Bottle coffee and then 30 miles into tony Marin, finishing off with lunch at Marin Brewing Company, the home of my favourite brew, Raspberry Trail Ale. If you can't find this in your store I highly recommend Sam Adams' Cherry Wheat. OMG!
Headed out at a chilly 7am, taking in the Berkeley/Emeryville shoreline, then passing IKEA, (which has FREE coffee Sundays between 9-10am, by the way, in case you didn't know. I was too early, so I missed out). Just short of 10 miles into the ride my back tire bonded with a really big staple that someone had left behind. Not to worry, right? I'm a bike mechanic. I'd never leave home on a ride without the requisite spare and the proper tools to install such. Not so much.
I have high profile, hoity-toity Italian (not Campy!) wheels that require an extra long valve stem. I only had the too-short standard. The puncture was large enough that I couldn't get enough air into the tube with my hand pump that would me the time required to locate the hole...so...long story short, I took public transit home...and switched bikes. Discovered then that after I tried earlier to patch the tube I'd apparently left my "Alien" multi-tool on an Oakland sidewalk.
Hoping to turn a sow's ear into a silk purse, I realized then I had over-dressed when I left home the first time. Took this opportunity to leave behind one of the two fleece tops I had on, plus my full-fingered gloves. Blew off the transbay plans, deciding instead to just do my "normal" 20-mile loop through Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland, back to Berkeley and Albany...with some added miles to pad. Everything was going swimmingly, I thinks, until I notice my Garmin 305's mileage tally is not changing at 28.7. How long's this been going on? No way of knowing, so I restart the whole thing. Came home and ran my route through MapYourRide and discovered I had done the 40 I'd wanted to....plus 2.5. Sweet!
BTW, rode by the scene of the initial puncture on the second leg of the adventure, just to see if the multi-tool was still there. DUH! What kind of optimist am I? It was gone. Hopefully to a good home.
Oh...tomorrow morning. I'm leaving the bikes behind, and putting on my running shoes again. Way easier.
2 comments:
You do have determination! This is quite an endeavor - always knew you were a bit nutty, and this confirms it! Good luck!
Aliens are heavy, anyway.
Post a Comment