Things not quite going to plan..

I'm ashamed to say that there hasn't been much in the way of bike riding happening in the Schmidt household of late. Not really ideal with the Big Ride looming; thank heavens it is a few weeks later this year. So much for the aim to get more training in this time.

December:

Back in mid December we did rock up to the Community Ride with the kids in tow (bribed with promises of Big Brekkies from the Town Centre outdoor cafe where we usually have a coffee and OJ after the ride.) The lure of bacon and eggs had Ali and Zoe all up and at 'em. Caitlin was (unsurprisingly) grumpier,.. couldn't find socks, blamed Mum for not being able to find socks, blamed Mum for her socks being in Alison's drawer... Not received very well by Mum before 6 am, as you can imagine.

"Mum" was already dealing with her own doubts about going. The weather didn't look too crash hot, but Marc was sure it'd be ok. Half way to town, the rain began. (I tried not to give him the "I TOLD you so" look.) We kept going because, well, we were up already, we'd made the effort to get the bikes on the car (no mean feat getting the triplet on its super rack), and we had limited riding opportunities together because of Marc's overseas work commitments. We had rain gear. It wasn't that cold. Training. He We said.

Not the usual turn up at the Community ride.. Only a few other crazy people with a 'rain, hail or shine' mentality, but there was a sense of camaraderie as we set off. Well, I felt it. Marc, Ali and Zoe felt it. Cait didn't. She was cold. She had wet feet... Her bum was wet and cold. Her legs were cold. Etc etc etc. I suggested she put her thermal top on under her rain jacket, but she wasn't cold there. Just the legs. And they were going to freeze and drop off. 'Just think of the Big Brekkie' I said..... "Don't care about the breakfast." We got as far as the airport, and I couldn't handle the carry-on anymore. Maybe I could have if I wasn't trying to push through my own issues; I'd been coughing for a few weeks, and it was a bit of an effort to keep up with the triplet and the rest of B-group, especially with the stoker on strike.

She got an earful from me the whole way back to the car, and for the next half an hour. This might sound harsh, but she had committed to doing the next Big Ride with us - committed to it the minute she crossed the finish line on the 2006 one. She's played rep level netball. She knows that for sporting achievement you have to push through discomfort sometimes. Etc etc. When I found out that she'd worn cotton undies under her bike nix, despite having been advised on numerous occasions not to, I really hit the roof. Small wonder her bum was staying wet. "Decide NOW, Caitlin, if you want to do the Big Ride or not, because I WILL NOT be let down by you again. I need to train (you need to train).. and if you aren't prepared to do it, I will do it on a single. Without you."

I left her in the car, and rode the tandem solo back a couple of blocks to meet the others for coffee and breakfast. No! No way was she getting the breakfast that she didn't care about. The others did ok on the ride - no great drama - the rain stopped - Zoe copped a bit of spray on the back, but she was fine. And they enjoyed their brekkie.

Unfortunately, Christmas was the next thing to get in the way of more riding. We went to the Blue Mountains for a week for family commitments, and it wasn't practical to try and take the bikes as well. And I coughed, coughed, coughed through everything physical we tried to do - a course of antibiotics the week before Christmas not achieving anything.

January:

A few days after we got back I went to the doctors again. Different antibiotics. And the advice to rest. I figured that as soldiering on (with trying to swim and bushwalk) hadn't worked, I'd better try the rest thing... difficult as it was. Hate being a blob. Husband with itchy pedal feet - and both of us frustrated that we were wasting riding time while he was on leave. What can you do... ?

By yesterday I was starting to feel like I was almost better. Almost. Grand plans to get to the community ride on Saturday morning. Yesterday while having a late bodysurf with Ali and Cait, Marc dislocated his shoulder. Something he does from time to time (and he probably should get a shoulder reconstruction, but the time involved in recuperation would kind of cramp his/our style!, so he keeps putting it off. He is just careful about activities where he is likely to put it out: diving at Touch, sleeping with his arm 'above' his head, and being a bit cautious with bodysurfing.. usually. Till he gets carried away and the waves are dumpers, and he gets dumped.

So, sore shoulder.. arm... rules us out for bike riding in the morning. It usually takes a few days to settle down again. So today I figured I had better test my lung capacity. Rode my bike round to the tomato stall to get tomatoes (6.5km grand total)... few inclines... and I feel like an asthmatic (or what I imagine an asthmatic might feel like.) So perhaps 30 km tomorrow morning would have been a tall order. Perhaps I should fill the repeat script for antibiotics tomorrow and really try to knock this thing on the head.

And we will have to get our riding in where we can. Marc is back at work next week. Unsure yet when he has to go back overseas.

Meantime we are working on making some improvements to 'the green tandem'. I want/need a cluster with lower gearing.. but with the current arrangement being a 7 -speed freewheel cluster (do I sound like I know what I am talking about?) I am a bit limited with options and will have to go with a 'megarange' one that makes a big leap to a super granny cog (something like 24 to 32 teeth.) I gather that people like the 'bail out' gear concept, but I feel like I will miss my 28 tooth granny. I don't think that I want such a big jump... I think we were still talking about maybe changing the front wheel.. and were kind of interrupted by the shoulder dislocation thing. I also want to drop the height of my headset... so a bit of work to do to make 'The Tank' more ..... appealing...

Big Ride 2007 - We're in.

Marc decided to pull out of the Touch tournament in NZ... so that we can do the Big Ride in March!!! In the end the family adventure time won out. Which is good for the girls and me.

Despite hoping and hoping that he would fall this way on the decision, I am a mixture of emotions about it. I am really looking forward to doing it as a 'returnee'... and knowing that we'll know quite a few people now.. all the other tandemers.. and quite a few from the Coffs BUG that we didn't know last year. (And that was a big reason for being really sold on the idea of backing up for the NSW one for another year.. that and how much of a shame it would be not to be taking the triplet on it now that we have it.)

There is a little niggly part of me, however, that wonders if we have taken leave of our senses (again)! The hills! The early mornings! The greater likelihood of rain. The training..!

Must actually do the deed and register on Monday (there is the complication of my winning entry).. and start thinking about any other gear we need.. new riding jerseys for a start...

Bring it on!

Tracey on a "short bike"

I amazed myself, and Marc (over in KL) by getting myself up and in to the Coffs community ride last Saturday morning. (Had something to prove to myself, as well as him after my carry on the previous weekend... Note: It helps to go to bed at a sensible time the night before!)

The Coffs BUG people didn't recognise me at first. "You're on a .. short bike" they exclaimed. I must look lost without a tandem.

I had been worried about keeping up on my MTB, but had no problems in the C group, and I was happy that I handled any of the hills with ease. Must have been getting a bit of bike fitness with all our rides.
The only bummer was that the group got really strung out.. There were a few of us in the middle that I think lost track of the rest who did a last detour out past the racecourse and round the headland and we cut back to the city centre maybe too soon.

I had been paranoid about getting a flat and not being able to fix it myself. I grabbed a 1.75 tube (which Marc said would get me by)... When I got the bike out of the car, I realised the pump didn't fit on my bike with the water bottle holder. Thought I was clever and moved the holder.. then realised the pump still didn't fit. So I just went and hoped. And was ok.

Got home, got bike out of car, wheeled it round the back and left it propped against a pole. About an hour later I did a double take as I passed it. Front tyre was flat as a tack. doh!

I've yet to fix it... though I did get a replacement tube. Might attempt a DIY tomorrow and if I am successful I might risk riding again on Saturday. However, I'm kind of looking forward to a bit of a sleep in. (The Sloth Within is prevailing this week.)

Pretty high on the priority list for when Marc gets home is a lesson in changing a bike tube. And other bike maintenance-y type things. I have spent far too long just relying on him to look after all that stuff. There are a few more tyre valve issues to sort out with my bike too.. I have one of each kind now, which makes carrying one spare tube only a bit dicey anyway. Add to list of Marc jobs.

*******

Meanwhile, he has an even bigger dilemma to sort out. He managed to, in theory, double book himself for the weekend of the 17th/18th March by making himself available for selection in an Aussie mens over 40s touch side to play in a tournament against New Zealand. In New Zealand. (He got selected.) The 17th is the start of the Big Ride... but it didn't click with him that the ride had set down for later than this year's, despite the fact that we'd talked about our rainfall concerns for that time of year still. Oops.

Meantime I've very much warmed to the idea of doing it. (Despite flashbacks to the early mornings.) Know heaps of people doing it now. Just got the triplet. Etc.

And now... to really put the cat amongst the pigeons. Seems I have won myself a Big Ride entry... got a call from Bicycle NSW earlier this week to say I'd won their 'Who Am I' competition. (I won something!!!!!!!)

Just to make the decision that much harder for him.

Fate?

I think he's wavering. Stay tuned.