In an attempt to step up our training Lisa and I set out early this morning to meet Nobu for a LAR ("Long Ass Ride"). We define a LAR as anything over 50 miles. The first couple hours on the bike offered everything a roadie could dream up. We started with a ride over the Gold Gate Bridge. Headed down into the sleepy bayside town of Sausolito. Then headed into the Marin headlands. The romance of the ride pushed us further and further out. Instead of turning around at 25 miles, we extended to 30. Then we extended our turn around point to 35 miles (Point Reyes). That set us up for 70 miles on the day.
Shortly after turning around, my back tire blew out. Here began a comedy of errors which would have been funny, but for the blazing sun and lack of any breeze or shade. Ask any roadie how to change a tire and you'll likely get different answers regarding the best technique. That said, all would likely agree getting a road tire on a wheel is frustrating.
An exercise in frustration. . . My first attempt was with a tire with too small of a stem. My second attempt was with my patched up blown tire. It almost worked until the stem broke off! My third attempt was with a donated tire from another roadie. It went flat right after I got it on. Finally, I patched the donated tire, got it on my wheel and started off again down the road. All in, I spent 90 minutes on the side of the road and switched out 4 tires.
My repair worked for about 5-10 miles at at time. Then I would have to hop off and pump up my tire. The 4 hours of riding and roadside repair had taken a toll on all of us. It became clear to all that it was time to call in reinforcements. Without discussion, Nobu called his girlfriend, Kaori, to pick me up in Fairfax. I had covered 50 miles and my ride was over. Thanks Kaori!!!
Nobu and Lisa pushed on into some fierce winds. While climbing back up to the Golden Gate, Lisa was literally blown over by a rouge gust of wind. 20 miles and almost two hours later Nobu and Lisa rolled into the parking lot. I could not have been more impressed with their effort and accomplishment. They covered 70 miles!!! Don't let Lisa's casual smile fool you, she pushed her limits and is now passed out beside me.
Reflections on the day. . . bring correct tires to IMAZ (x2). . . Nobu is no joke. . . Lisa is one tough lady. . . running a marathon is unimaginable right now. . . in fact, I can barely walk. . . hoping for a better ride next week.
