Yeah! If you want to place your ad at the top of any of my postings, let me know and we'll work out a deal! I'm just looking for ways to fund my art!
Changing out the K2 for time trials ended up being a good idea. I put the aerobars on the steed last Friday and have put in a couple of good training rides on it since then. You can tell the difference...the bike feels peppier and it seems a little easier to maintain some decent steady speed. I made some guesses on my positioning and I was darn close...I haven't had to change much from what I originally eye-balled on seat and bar positioning. It feels comfortable enough for a 40K ride. I've also sent off my nicked-up rear carbon disc wheel for repairs. Russ knows a guy who can do these repairs and has some experience with carbon bicycle wheels. If it can be done, then I'll have a sweet ride for the TT's next month.
I went to a podiatrist yesterday to find out why my right foot has created these "hot spots" outside my little toe. Sure enough, on the x-ray you could see how the small bones on the two outside toes have flared out and the toes are practically sitting on the side of the knuckles, not lined up at all. The doc called the skin area of my hot spot a "tailor's bunion" but in all the talk he never brought up the possibility of surgery. Apparently that's reserved for severe cases and I'm not severe...yet. The tendons are too stretched out and weak to bring those outside toes inline, so I have to find other relief. Among those are to take a tablet of Aleve twice a day for the next two weeks to reduce the swelling, and I took my right cycling shoe to a local shoe shop to "spot-stretch" a section of the shoe next to that part of the foot. If the stretching doesn't work or help much, we can cut a small slice of the shoe to reduce the pressure. I'd hate to cut on a brand-new shoe but I'll do it if I have to. A very last, and unlikely to happen, option would be to get a pair of custom cycling shoes that would be built to fit my feet exactly. I know several guys who have done this but these shoes can cost anywhere from $400 to $700. I wonder if, at my age, it's worth doing this but we'll see how the other options work out. The website link for the custom shoes is:
http://www.rocket7.com/shoes.htm
I've been running regularly now mostly to strengthen my legs for the time trials but also to prepare for the off-season. After September I will take some time off the bike but will get into trail running again. I really like running in the woods but it's nearly impossible to do during the summer. It's way too hot and you rarely see MTB riders on their bikes during these times, too. I'd like to do a few competitive trail runs this winter but need to find out where these things are done. I know there are plenty of runs in Texas. I'll miss the Louisiana Trails half-marathon and full-marathon this fall since I'll be at the ULM-Alabama football game in Tuscaloosa that weekend in November. I won the Masters Division last year in the half and really thought about doing the entire marathon this year. It's easier for me to run on the trails than on pavement so if I was to do a marathon, that's the way I'd do it.
Yesterday's morning ride was well-attended...13 riders in all and it made for shorter pulls for everyone. I usually add some TT training after I leave the group to head back home. It was fun as usual but the windy conditions made for slower speeds when we headed south on the parkway. In the back you aren't affected by the wind as much as you tend to run up on the riders in front of you, so you have to be aware of the ebbs and flows of the paceline. Today I did a short 4 kilometer (2.4 miles) run but I ran it easy. I'm not ready to add some speed to the runs yet.
Got the Blackwell catalog to the printer yesterday (yeaa!) but had to make a correction to a page today. I'm also working on a book cover for a friend and need to have it done by the end of this week. I'm still waiting for approval on the proof right now.
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