WEEK NINE

Date: Monday, 14 July 2008
“Rest Day” – but I did haul the kids out to the zoo and then over to Broadway for groceries… ~25km

Date: Tuesday, 15 July 2008
Another “Rest Day”. Oh dear…. (I did ride down to a doctors appointment and then out to Stupidstore… ~12km)

Date: Wednesday, 16 July 2008
Um…
Broadway/Steep Hill with the kids…. (~5km)

Date: Thursday, 17 July 2008
Time: 57:19
Distance: 22.74Km
Average Speed: 23.8
Temp: 10°C
Wind: WNW8kph
Conditions: Cloudy to start – cleared up pretty quick…
Notes:
I was seriously dragging my ass this morning. I didn’t get on the road until just after 6AM.

10°C seemed pretty damn cold this morning.

I was really, really, REALLY damn tired. I felt like I was going to fall asleep on my bike at the turn around point.

My chain needs lube.

My knee hurts.


Date: Friday, 18 July 2008
Time: 29:50
Distance: 10.22km
Average Speed: ~20kph
Temp: 13°C
Wind: SSE5kph
Conditions: partly cloudy
Notes:
Again with the late night and early morning ass-dragging.

13°C seemed pretty damn cold this morning. I actually wore a jacket.

My crotch hurt.

My chain still needed lube. I am the WORST about these things – they will drive me to distraction DURING a ride, but as soon as I’m off the bike –POOF- gone from my head…

There was a really, really long, really really slllloooooooowwww train at the dump again on my out so I just turned around and tooled around the neighborhood and was just happy I had gotten my ass out of bed and hope that one of these days it will get into my thick head that I need to get to bed EARLIER (or maybe I’ll just pass out from exhaustion at 9PM one day…). I also took the opportunity to lube the chain when I got home.

Date: Saturday, 19 July 2008
Time: 1:07:33
Distance: 27.98
Average Speed: 24.85kph
Temp: 15°C
Wind: WSW 5kph
Conditions: Partly Cloudy
Notes:
Well…

I was all ready to ride 100km this morning. I got up very late and started out even later – but had nothing pressing going on today and the support of a wife that would like to see me be less fat and cranky…. Had my two big water bottles and four (count ‘em FOUR) Cliff Bars….

Got out on Valley road and my crotch (on my right side) and my right knee were starting to hurt again. It couldn’t be these new shorts I was wearing?! No, after much consideration and staring at my crotch I came to the realization that the nose of my saddle was closer to my right leg than it was to my left.

Ah-ha! An askew saddle! Easily fixable. I stopped my bike. Got of and gave the nose of the saddle a great whack and knocked it into place. Of course then I couldn’t leave well enough alone – if it had move thusly so easily perhaps the seat binder bolt needed a tad bit of tightening!? So I got out my trusty 13mm wrench – carried for just such an occasion – and thought I’d try and snug up that bolt just a smidge.

As soon as I applied pressure to the bolt there was a loud “SHPING!” and I saw half of the bolt shoot across the road…

Oooooooh damn…

So I had to ride the 15km back home on a seat that progressively got lower and lower despite my best efforts to keep most of my weight on my legs and arms….

Riding a 54x18 fixed gear with a saddle that’s about 5-6” too low SUCKS. A lot.

I hurt.

If that weren’t enough suck for one day I dropped my camera when I got home and now it’s totally effed.

ARRRRRGGGHHHH!!!!

On the plus side I happen to have a allen seat binder bolt that I was going to replace that one with anyway. I guess I could have swapped it out and gone out and did another 70km... but I just wasn’t in the mood for it…


Date: Sunday, 20 July 2008

Morning Ride:
Time: 2:12:41
Distance: 60.44Km
Average Speed: 27.33kph! BOO-YAH!!
Temp: 20°C
Wind: W12kph
Conditions: Sunny
Notes: 20°C seemed pretty damn hot…. A good ride. Maybe pushed myself a little harder than was really necessary (…or sensible…).

Alley Cat Race:
Time: 1:38:06
Distance: 27.66Km
Temp: HOT! (and kind of humid…)
Notes: This actually includes the ride over TOO the start point, the race itself and the ride over to Isaac’s birthday party and the ride home…

Yeah… went a little too hard this morning… more on that in the alley cat report….