An update on my 2011 cycling season

Okay, it’s been two weeks now, and I haven’t been on the bike since the Bike MS ride in late May. It weighs on me, but I should explain what’s going on.

1. My wife is on the search committee for church as we (as a church) evaluate candidates for the permanent rector. As a result, she’s been gone entire weekends travelling and visiting. I’m home with the kids, so that doesn’t leave any time to go out for a few hours of pedaling. Such is life. Sometimes I have to cover for her, sometimes she has to cover for me. It’s teamwork!
2. Our weekends have been packed with soccer games, parties, and general running around.
3. In the interests of full disclosure, my left knee has been a bit achy since May 21st. I never truly let it recover in May, so I think I’m paying for that now. I’ve been to the gym twice now, as that is my primary mechanism for getting in shape.
4. My bicycle was a little banged up while it was loaded and transported back from the Pinelands school after the ride, and I never had a chance to have it checked out after the ride was over. A turnaround time of a few days is to be expected, but I wouldn’t want to go out again until I knew my bike was in good shape.

Two new water bottles

Thursday evening, I dropped off my bicycle to one of the two bike shops I use for a quick tuneup to ensure everything is in working order, and it will cost me about $34. I got the bike back Friday evening, and it’s in pretty decent shape, including the tires. I also purchased an additional bottle cage and two 20-oz. insulated bottles for my bike. They had to move the bike lock to the back, but now I have two cages to hold two large bottles. Hydration is important, and apparently, I was told that I really need to have two bottles. I can also use a bottle when at the gym, which would cut down on the use of plastic water bottles. When in Rome….

So when am I going to go riding again? Yeah, I don’t know. This past weekend was packed, and next weekend isn’t looking too good either. Sigh. Around the 18th and 19th, I think I get some free time. Also, that would give me the four weeks of time off from the bike that my general physician recommended to me in April, which I ignored. Maybe it’s all working out in my best interests anyway.