What?

World Cup Blues

Slightly in a fog at work I learned that Japan was up 2-0 versus Belgium at the half.  Excellent news.  Later in the shift I checked in with our guest mechanic (an engineer from Shimano who is here getting some real life training).  He told me that the score was tied in the 84th minute.  Noooo.

Later I went down to use the rest room and Joe the mechanic is watching the game on his phone.  I wandered over to watch Keisuke Honda take a direct kick and the Belgian goalie knocked it out for a Japanese corner. I rushed to use the restroom came back and Joe is disgustedly putting away his phone.  "Belgium won."

"What?"  How could there have been a corner and then a goal at the other end of the field in that short time?  Not possible.

Not possible.  Pass, dribble, pass, pass, goal, game.  Grrrrr.

More Scientific Study

 

The comforting jingle of halyards on masts at Wayzata Yacht Club.

So yesterday it was my day to go long on the bike.  I hopped on the 520 and headed west, taking the Cedar Trail west to Hopkins (with a hat tip to the Depot Coffee Shop for the bathroom), northwest through Hopkins to the Minnetonka Recreational Trail to McGinty Avenue to Lake Minnetonka and the Wayzata Yacht Club.  I was surprised at how short the trip was from the yacht club to the downtown area.

From Wayzata I headed north on Broadway until I found the Luce Line and then I headed west on the Luce Line, hoping to find Micki Wanous's new house.  Unfortunately, I ran out of time and I got within 12 minutes - which is probably two miles, before I had to turn around and head back.  This was my final view west.

Luce Line Trail

You Are Here.

For here I navigated my way back home.  I was surprised at how quickly I was able to get back to the friendly confines of the Depot Coffee Shop.  Here I was met by the Grim Reaper - a chocolate covered old fashioned doughnut.  This was no ordinary doughnut either.  The chocolate frosting was liberally applied, which caused me to abandon all common sense -- forget the bars with cranberries.  I wandered outside to a table in the shade and then I inhaled this culinary gut bomb with all the enthusiasm of a seventh grade boy.  I think I may have got frosting in my ears I was eating the doughnut so fast.  

A very poor idea.

From here I headed east, eventually racing a train to the place where the trail crosses the tracks.  Happily the train slowed down at the intersection before the nexus of path and train tracks so that I make it with ease.

The remainder of the trip - back around the lakes and south back to home is an exercise in paying attention to the body and taking breaks here and there.

So far, on the longer rides, I seem to need a bathroom stop 10-15 miles into the trip and then around the 30 mile mark my neck begins to get sore.

The Doctor is In

Eventually I make it to the bike shop - late for my Monday shift.  In a stroke of good luck no customers were waiting to have their bikes serviced, so I was able to check the 520 in with Andrew Chaffe (an amazing mechanic).  

I thought I might need a new cassette, perhaps some new cables, new hoods, and that might be it.  Turns out the ole 520 needed a lot more attention than that. Your rims are supposed to be a flat surface, but mine have had so much use that there were badly scalloped.  This led to one of those moments where all the mechanics gather and comment about how close to collapse my rims were at.  Hat tip here to Mavic for building great rims.  Not only were my rims trashed, but my trusted "newer" Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires had a big cut in the back tire.  

So it is with great sadness that I say, "goodbye" to my beloved Deore hubs.  Thanks for the ride boys!  So I will be getting new tires, rims, cassette, hoods, bar tape, bottle holders, and who knows what else.

Thank goodness that I took the bike in for a check up with three weeks to go before the big Iowan adventure.