Busso training

Keeping myself honest. Here's the training I've done over the last 2 weeks (bold are days that I actually trained, unbold are my excuses).

• 30/3 - off (day after Mooloolaba)
• 31/3 - swim pm (mostly drills)
• 1/4 - river loop ride (37K) am, pilates pm
• 2/4 - nothing, at conference (attempted swim, but got scared as I was the only person in the water, it was choppy, getting dark and I don't like sharks)
• 3/4 - nothing, still at conference, back seized up from sitting in conference chairs
  
• 4/4 - massage for the back, no training
• 5/4 - nice 9K run with a few sets of stairs
  

• 6/4 - pilates am, strength training pm (ouch)
• 7/4 - skipped run in the morning cause it was raining, swim pm
• 8/4 - ride (~30K) with sprints am, pilates pm
• 9/4 - run with squad + 20 minutes on my own (14K), swim circuit plus 1K warm up on my own
• 10/4 - ride with squad (~70K)

So clearly, I've done much better this week than last. The whole back thing was a big issue. I've never had it seize up as badly as it did. I was not a very happy Laura. But the point is, I'm cramming in my training. This being Easter weekend (with public holidays on Friday and Monday), I thought I'd get lots of training in.

This morning was a nice long ride with some of the folks from BTS. We met at a very civilized 6:30am. I actually woke up before my alarm. I felt refreshed and awake, which is a nice to change to how I've felt most of this week. I even left a few minutes early, which was lucky cause 10 minutes into my ride it starts to rain. But Tanya and I were already almost to the meeting place, we weren't going to turn around. And it really paid off. Once we got going on the ride the sky cleared up, and it was beautiful heading south toward the coast.

About 40K in, we were riding down this big hill, and I got a puncture in my back tire. I could hear it pop and feel the air escaping each time the wheel spun by my leg. We stopped. I started changing the tire. I couldn't find the object that had punctured it, but I did find a hole in the tire from whatever had punctured it. When I inflate the new tire it bursts. Bugger.

I borrow another tube and canister (of CO2) from Nadine. At this point Mike starts to give me a hand. We replace the tube again. And just as we're putting the wheel back on the bike, it bursts too. This is a bad sign. There's something in the tire causing the tubes to burst.

Now we're down to our last spare tube amongst the group. This time Mike and I pull off the tire and inspect it again. Still can't find anything in it, but Mike reckons that gash is big enough (~1cm long) that the tubes are pushing through it, pinching and bursting. Now it's time for the old $5 note trick. Australian money is made of plastic, not linen like US money. Also there are no $1 notes, only coins. The smallest note is the fiver. The idea is that you line the tire with the note, the pressure from the tube keeps it in place, and the note keeps the tire from pushing out. Great idea. Only problem is none of us has a $5 note. I have a $20. So that will have to do. Mike and I replace the tube a third time, with the note in place, and we're on our way.

I mentioned it's a public holiday, being Good Friday and all. Well, this means that no bike shops are open. I've called about a dozen in the greater Brisbane area. Everywhere is shut. The $20 trick is a good stop gap, but I really need new tires to do the 70K ride out to Redcliffe tomorrow morning as planned. Shops should be open tomorrow, but not until after the ride. This is definitely putting a damper on my weekend training.

On the plus side, Nic bought my breakfast this morning since my cash was otherwise occupied.Here's the gash, with my thumb for a size reference. Also an impressive watch tan.