Sunday, July 8, 2012

My right elbow continues to give me trouble.  I can’t take the top of a jar or squeeze a water bottle without discomfort, so clearly it’s not healing and not ready for another Survival Workout.  I know I need to head back to the doctor, but I haven’t even gotten the bill for my knee surgery yet.  At least I’m getting into fantastic cycling shape.

John stopped over to drop off his high-priced, carbon fiber bike.  I think it was making him crazy to see it sitting in his basement when it should be out on the roads, under someone who could appreciate it.  I am just such a person and was now anxious to find out if it could make some difference in my riding comfort.   Unfortunately, his pedal clips are slightly different than mine and I would either need new clips or a change of pedals to ride it.  I opted to change out the pedals.  His came off easily, but the pedals on the Trek were frozen from 18 years of sweat and corrosion.  I needed to get to Dan’s with the van and decided to load both bikes and see if he could free the pedals.

“Nice bike,” Dan said as I unloaded it from the van.

“I’m riding it if you can get the pedals off this Trek and mount them on it,” I said.

“I’ll get them off,” he said with confidence.

Only he couldn’t.  He had the tools and the torque, but was afraid he’d snap them, so I left John’s high-priced bike in the van and rode home on the Trek.  While I was riding, I decided that I needed to get the clips from the bottom of John’s shoes and that Jack could get in some driving time taking me to his place.

I told him so when I reached home and we drove out to Twinsburg.  Jack hadn’t been driving in the last three weeks, but did really well.  However, he was confused as we approached a flashing red light over an intersection with a stop sign.

“Do I need to look after stopping there?” he asked.

I had to think about a response.  I didn’t want to be too much of a smart ass…but I didn’t want to pass up the opening, either.  “You don’t think it’s like a rest stop…do you?”

“Then I should look?” he said.

“Every direction,” I answered.

We arrived at John’s place and I grabbed his clips.  His bike was not equipped with an air pump for emergency flats…the frame was to unusually shaped to hold my traditional one…but I forgot to grab whatever he used, which would turn out to be small, compressed air cartridges.  Jack decided he was too sore to drive back…he feels cramped in my Honda Civic…and allowed me the honor.  I would never have passed up the opportunity to get closer to my driver’s license.  He’s such a strange kid.

Bike Duration: 90 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 120 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 1250.