Journey to Kona Day 196: Be Prepared

Yesterday was an interesting day.  I planned on riding my bike anywhere from 100 to 120 miles.  I was on the road before 8am, stopped for Starbucks about an hour and a half into my ride, and ended up talking to a 73 year old Vietnam veteran for nearly half an hour.  I then road up the Ojai bike path, where I met my parents for lunch.  Up until that point, I felt great, was enjoying the solitude of the ride, and was very happy with how the ride was going.  As I rode down the bike path, I was figuring that I might add some time and distance to my ride, when suddenly, my front tire flatted.

I've been pretty lucky over the years, not getting flat tires too often.  One of the reasons is that I rarely let my tires get worn.  I also tend to ride tubular tires, which I think flat less often.  My new bike has clincher tires, though they're new.  I changed the inner tube, found a couple of thorns in my tire and pulled them out, and went to use my CO2 cartridge, only to find that the air was coming out of the CO2 adapter, and not going into the tire.  No choice but to call for Uber, which took about 15 minutes before he came.  While waiting, my rear tire flatted, probably another thorn having made its way through the tire.  I briefly thought about taking the Uber home, but that wasn't the point of the day.  I took the Uber to a bike shop at the base of the bike path, got both tires fixed, bought a new CO2 adapter and got back on my bike to finish my ride.

The good news is that if I flat at Kona for some reason, I'll have working equipment to fix the flat.  It would have been horrible to have this happen during a race, much less than at Kona.  It's a great reminder to check everything before a race.  Not only every nut and bolt, but everything on the bike, everything needed for a successful race.  I will get new tires prior to the race.  This is my dream, and I both want and need to be prepared in every way possible.

My ride home was uneventful, until I came to the final climb. I'd never ridden up this climb before, only to discover that there was a reason.  In fact, I'd chosen not to ride down the climb in the morning, due to its steepness.  I never really thought it'd be too steep for me coming up.  I was ok, until I wasn't.  In the last half of a mile the climb, the gradient averages 14%, with pitches up to 20-21%.  Huffing, puffing, sweating, I actually started to feel a little light headed.  I got off my bike and actually spent several minutes walking to get to the top of the climb.  Being prepared means knowing the course you're riding on.  I had learned that the bike path was in "thorn season."  I had learned that the climb home was brutal.  With 7 1/2 weeks to Kona, most of my bike rides will now be near home, where I can deal with anything that gets in my way, in order to focus on the training that I both need and want!  I will be prepared for Kona!