I did 30 miles for the first time today. 31.1, as a matter of fact, average speed 15 mph on the dot (I really think it would have been faster, but there were periods of slowness--I was exploring new territory today even though I've lived here for 27 years. I spent five miles or so crawling along a road paved, curiously enough, in both dirt and
large, sharp stones. Won't be going that particular way again. Then I got a flat in town less than two miles from home and decided to walk the bike to the nearby gas station before I fixed it, which I'm sure didn't make the average any higher.
But I did 30 miles, I fixed a flat out on the road for the first time, and I really think I'm ready to do 40 next week in the Capital City Century. This time next year I'll do the full century! I really think if I absolutely had to do the 100, I could do it in the maximum time allotted simply by gutting it out. I'm just not really ready and I want to enjoy myself.
In even bigger news, my wife did four miles with the kids and I today. That's the first time she's been on a bike in
thirteen years. I am all
kinds of proud of her! She's a great woman and a great wife. She's hurting right at the moment, but so was I a couple of months ago. Now that's nothing.
She's going to take my bike to the bike shop tomorrow after school and have some things checked out--the bottom bracket developed a weird creak, the brakes and spokes are loosening up the way the mechanic said they would, and I'm down to one spare tube now, of course. So I won't have my bike, but that's OK. I'll have it back in time to do the commute Thursday and a little longer route Friday, and it should be perfect when I get it back. Brand new, broken in, and tuned. Yeah, baby!
Besides, I was blowing my nose like crazy today and that's no fun. I have a feeling I'm going to pay for this ride tomorrow with this cold and I don't want to have it when I do the big ride Sunday. A couple of days off should help me clear it up.