Rest Day

Thanks to a half-day at work and and an off-day from training, I enjoyed a true rest day. Ah, so this is what it's like?

I got home around 1:30 p.m. and, after catching up on HBO's "Boardwalk Empire" (Al Capone's character steals the show in this series), I took an hour nap.  What a luxury!  I was only awakened once by Trudy and Bam-Bam, which isn't bad in the middle of the day.

Instead of feeling run down at the end of a work week, I feel refreshed and eager to get on the bike tomorrow for another 112-mile jaunt.  Except, in my eagerness to clean said bike I popped the chain while applying White Lightning chain greaser.  I was flipping through the gears and cleaning the chain when I dropped into the smaller chain gear and watched in astonishment as the chain bunched up like a train wreck around the crank.  I tried fixing it based on what I'd normally do if I dropped the chain on a ride. This seems worse.  The chain is completely separated from the crank and pedal, just dangling there helplessly.  Fortunately, I'm riding with Frank tomorrow and he'll help me fix it.

Well, at least my bike is pretty.

This sort of mechanical problem is what I'm most afraid of for Ironman Arizona.  While it's unlikely I'll drop a chain on a flat course, if I get a rear tire flat I'm going to be in trouble.  I plan to practice over the next few weeks, as I've mentioned in past posts. But it's especially frightening to think a silly chain derailment could be the difference between meeting my goals and a big fat DNF.

If anyone has any suggestions on how to easily pop the chain back on when it's separated from the crank, I'm all ears.

Until then, I'll continue to rest.  And avoid touching anything that has moving parts.

35 days and counting.