I started off Saturday with my usual run with the L.A. Leggers. The only difference was that my friend and Secret Movie compatriot, Jim Jones, joined in. Jim is a very good runner who has qualified for the Boston Marathon in the past, but who has had some foot problems for the last few years and has only recently started running again. He joined my 12 min./mile pace group and we did ten miles.
The skys were getting more and more threatening during the run and if I wanted to get in a two mile ocean swim, I had to hurry. About thirty minutes after I started my swim, it began to rain pretty hard. It would take a while for the storm drain run-off to get to the ocean and mucky it up, so I figured I would just keep swiming and do the 1.5 miles I had planned. Fortunatley, it stopped raining after a few minutes and I finished. Shortly after I got home the skys opened and it rained hard.
The Sunday plan was to ride 112 miles on the San Gabriel River Bike path with a group of other folks who where training for Ironman Arizona. The forcast was for a chance of showers, but clearing by the afternoon. We met in Duarte and headed south. There were a few sprinkles here and there, but nothing too bad. Mark Lyttle, an L.A. Tri Club member who sent out the email alerting me to this ride turned back after about 20 miles. He had just competed in the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii and didn't need to do 112 miles. Soon there after it started to rain pretty hard. I was having trouble staying up with the group and when I missed a turn on a detour, I never saw them again. I was still going to do the full ride. I have never done 112 miles on a bike and I wanted to do the full Ironman distance and then run a few miles afterwards to get a feel for what that was like. The bike path comes to an end in Long Beach after about thirty five miles. I knew the group was going to head south into Orange county on Pacific Coast Highway and so I did too. This stretch of PCH was not too bike friendly and since I didn't really know where I was going, after a mile or so I decided I would do my riding back on the bike path. I turned around just as I was about to get back on the bike path my rear tire went flat. Oh well, at least it wasn't raining anymore. When I changed the tire I realized I only had one spare tube. "I sure hope I don't get another flat," I thought.
It was a pleasent enough ride back, but about 15 miles after the turn around my front tire went flat. D'oh! That'll teach me to not be fully prepared when I go out for a long ride. It was going to be time for a rescue. I called the Great Magnetic Wife and told her of my situation. I wasn't really sure where I was. I told her that when I was able to get off of the bike path I would call again. It was well over a mile to the next exit. That really isn't that far, but walking in cycling shoes makes it seem much farther. When I finally got off, I found myself in Pico Rivera. I called the Great Magnetic Wife and gave her my location and waited. I got about fifty two miles in, but that was far short of the goal. I will attempt 112 miles on the bike this Friday before I start my taper. Because of the rain, my bike was quite dirty and I spent much of the rest of the day cleaning it.
I kind of wish I had not skipped church to do this ride.
No comments:
Post a Comment