I’ve been told that bad things happen in threes. Based on today’s ride, I tend to agree. The “ride” finished with a bit of good luck, but I’ll get to that.

Today is the last day of 2009. The weather lately has been rainy, snowy, rainy, cold, rainy, and gray. Oh, and cold. But as I’ve had the past couple of weeks off from work I’ve braved the conditions and have put in my share of hours on the bike despite the crummy weather. The masochist in me actually enjoys the cold discomfort of gray, lonely rides in the wind and drizzle. My toes often go numb in the cold and they ache after the first hour as I turn over the pedals, but that seems to be the kind of pain you forget.

Anyway, today’s weather was on par with the recent trend, though a bit warmer…in the low- to mid-40s, so I didn’t put on my bike pants. I did put on 4 layers up top, but my legs were al fresco. It was just fine. I was a couple hours into my ride when I got to a particularly rough railroad crossing, where I jumped the tracks as I always do there. This time, however, I jumped right into a small pothole on the far side, landing hard on my back wheel. I could tell immediately that the bike was off-kilter.

I pulled off to the side and check the rear wheel. Yep, there was a distinct warp and I was now rubbing my left brake pad at a certain point. I turned the bike over and adjusted it so that the warped sidewall didn’t rub, but without a spoke tool I would have to ride home with a slight wobble. C’est la vie, I thought. Serves me right for not being careful. Bad thing #1.

About 15 minutes later I noticed that the smooth road just got rougher. Yep, back tire was going flat. Bad thing #2. Okay, no worries. I had a replacement tube in my jersey pocket for just this scenario. Desolate country roads left behind, I was in a populated area by now, so I got off onto the sidewalk and went to work replacing the rear tube. Tube switched, wheel back on the bike, time to air it up. I was getting cold by now. Would be glad when this was done and I was back on the bike, pedaling home. I put my mini-pump to work and just when I was getting a decent air pressure, “DINK!” …I broke the stem off of the new tube. yeah. bad thing #3.

I took stock of my situation and decided to use the old tube with temp-patches for repair (I had a snakebite/pinchflat puncture). Tubes changed, pump, pump, pump, but to no avail. the patches wouldn’t hold. Awesome. I put everything back in my pockets and began to hoof it. I was about 11 miles from home. I was sweaty and, by now, beginning to get quite cold.

As luck would have it, about a mile into my walk of shame a passing motorist slowed and asked if I needed a lift. My angel was a fellow cyclist with a hatchback. I told her what city I lived in to ensure she was serious about the lift offer and she didn’t hesitate. She was on her way back from a workout and not in any hurry to be anywhere specific. Yay. We loaded my bike and had a very cool conversation about beach volleyball (her main sports passion), beer, and cycling as she drove me home. I hope I can repay her for that kindness one day. If nothing else, I have a karma debt to pay forward.

So, farewell 2009. You were good to me and my company and I hope that today’s activities were just a last-gasp fit of mischief, not a portent of things to come.

Son of bitch. Shit.

Early morning training in near freezing temps just sucks. At least that’s what I think. After 2.5 hrs on the hills in 35F temps and 10 to 20mph winds I’ve decided that I do not like cold weather training. No, not at all. After the first hour all I could think about was how much my feet hurt from the cold. The hurt was replaced by a numbing hurt (yes, somehow it’s possible for my feet to both be numb and hurt at the same time) and soon after by a deep ache. Awesome.

The wind and the cold and the numb/painful feet wore me down and pretty soon I was no longer a man, no longer human. I was just a thing in constant motion. I was it.

It turns the pedals over. It ignores it’s cold-numbed feet. It doesn’t complain …it rubs the lotion on its body.

Aside from the numb feet (did I mention that my feet were numb and that they hurt?), the cold wasn’t too bad. Of course I had on 4 layers, including a long sleeved jersey plus arm warmers. Perhaps I shall work to devise a battery powered heating system for my shoes. Hmmmm.