Flat

So I'm heading out on what is to be a 26 mile bike training ride this morning. A couple miles into it I start thinking about how I've never had a flat tire on a ride, and what a bummer it would be to have one happen to me in the Lake Stevens 70.3 and have to "learn" how to fix it while in the race.


Not 5 minutes later, while cruising down one of my favorite hills at about 30 miles an hour, I heard a "pop" and thought to myself "hmmm...that sounded weird...a bit sharper sound than a rock". Then about 30 seconds later I heard my back tire going thump thump and had to carefully apply my brakes to come to a stop.


Pulled my bike over into a safe spot and removed the back tire. Found a nice bent nail lodged in my tire, and then spent the next 15 minutes learning how to use all the handy-dandy tools I carry in my pack under my seat for just such an occasion. Got the new tube inserted, put the tire back on the rim, put the tire back on the bike, and then attached the CO2 cartridge to the valve to pump it up. Unfortunately I wasted a good portion of the gas and I could not get my tire up to enough pressure to ride on it. Thankfully had a cell phone on me and Ann was able to come and "save" me.


So....at least I know I can do it now, but I sure hope that's my last flat in a long time!


21 days to Lake Stevens!!!

Comments

Kari said…
LOL!! I'm so glad Ann could save the day!! ;)
June 14, 2008 at 5:31 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Nothing happens the same way twice

Image
Another interesting line from Prince Caspian is when Lucy asks Aslan why things aren't working out the way they did the last time they were in Narnia. Aslan responds, "Nothing ever happens the same way twice." I want things to always work the same way. In relationships with people, I want to always know what to expect. If I act in a certain way, I want to be certain people will respond the way they did the last time. But I really want God to act in the same way. If at a certain point in my past I received an answer to my prayers when I fasted - I expect that God will come through if I fast again. If I felt close to God by singing a certain song or reading a certain book, I want to re-create that experience time and again - but it never seems to work. I remember going back on my 2nd tour with the Continental Singers back in 1989, having had such an incredible, life changing tour in the summer of 1988. The "sophomore" tour did not live up to my memories of the fi
Read more

Becoming more aware (a prayer of gratefulness)

Image
Thank you God for the growing awareness That you are everywhere You are the force that animates every fiber of my being But not just my being Or all humans But all of creation Nothing exists apart from your creative power  And the force of life you give it The energy of the cosmos is the same As the energy in my cells In my molecules In my quarks So You are always with me No shouting or striving to get Your attention Just to be still And know You are God To breathe in and breathe out with gratefulness For lungs filled with oxygen Sustaining me for another few moments Every breath a gift A reason to praise You are in all things and you have given me existence Life Consciousness Awareness of beauty Ability to act  It is all so good Thank you.
Read more

The Shack

Image
My wife started reading Willam Young's runaway bestseller "The Shack" a month or so ago, and I read it after her (with apologies to people waiting for it back at the library!) It seems "everyone" Ann knew was reading the book so we both were interested to find out what all the excitement was about. I started the book with a good deal of skepticism since I don't tend to enjoy most popular Christian fiction (too predictable and poor writing). But I found "The Shack" to be an interesting read and thought provoking as well. It seems to flirt with the far edges of orthodoxy a few times, but I think overall it is a helpful book for understanding some confusing aspects of Christianity, and for giving some vivid pictures of hard to understand doctrines. All you have to do is get used to the image of God the Father being called "Papa"and appearing as a black woman. (Ann said she kept imagining "Papa" as the head angel from "Touc
Read more