Lessons Learned ...

Confession: I didn't go to the gym today. In fact, I haven't been since before we left for vacation. Honestly, I don't think I've been since Cari moved back home from college. UGH! That's not good. I need to get back to the gym. In light of that news, going for a bike ride after dinner tonight sounded like a really good idea ... one would think.

Last fall I took the bikes in for an annual tune-up. Everything checked out and they went back in the garage. I thought I was gonna use 'em. Had every intention of using them. In reality, not so much. So, they've pretty much been sitting since they were all gussied up. The weather was so beautiful today even I wanted to be outside. That's saying something. I'm not much of an outside person. I don't like the heat. I don't like to need a shower every time to come in from outside - translated, I don't like to sweat. I don't like the bugs (mosquitoes). Anyway, point made. I wanted to be outside today. I enjoyed a cup of coffee with my book for while this morning. Therefore, after dinner a bike ride sounded like the perfect way to end the day.

Here comes the first lesson - As I rolled my bike out to the driveway I noticed the tires needed a bit more air. No problem, right? We have a pump, right? It's hanging on the wall by the bikes. After several attempts at pumping more air into one tire, I tried readjusting the nozzle because it just didn't feel as if I was accomplishing anything (except working up a sweat - I don't like to sweat, remember?) After a couple more attempts with the same results, I called on Cari's expertise to see if she could get the damn thing to work. She finagled with the nozzle to the point of letting all the air out of the tire. Well that worked, huh? At this point I'm huffing and puffing (and sweating). I saw "screw it" to myself and run in the house to get the phone. I'm calling in backup resources - my neighbor - the one who's moving. I know she has a bike pump because she has three kids on bikes all the time. She says it may be packed up ... I wait. Jackpot! She found it!

So I ask the obvious question, "May I borrow it?"

"Of course," she replies.

My next question, "May I borrow you too?"

"Why?" she wanted to know.

"Because I want to make sure it's not the operator instead of the pump" I answer.

She walks up to the tire, attaches the pump nozzle and starts pumping air ... Oh My Freakin' God! It worked!!!! The pump actually worked!! Woohoo! We're in business! By now I'm starting to feel like I'd already been there and done that, but we'd put way too much effort in this to abandon the idea now. After she finished topping all all four tires, I asked her to test my pump out ... just so I'd know. So she attached the nozzle and after a mere three pumps stopped and said, "Yep, it's broken." UGH! Now I know. Guess where it went? It did not pass GO, collect $200, or ask forgiveness - it went straight to the trash can. That was Lesson #1 - buy a new bike pump.

Lesson #2 - Cari and I set off on our leisurely ride through the neighborhood. We really didn't have any destination in mind - we just wanted to enjoy the ride. We hadn't gotten too far down the road and I'm already experimenting with my gears. For some reason even the light gears felt a little stiff to me. Cari's lazily riding along, gaining more and more distance on me while I continue to fumble with my gears. After a few more minutes she slows down and waits for me to catch up wondering why I'm moving so slow. I have no reasonable answer to that.

In addition to my slow progress, I'm beginning to breathe a bit heavily - and to be honest, that's putting it a bit mildly. Cari and I continue along - on our leisurely bike ride. Another mile or so and I am about dying!! All kinds of things are running through my mind. I'm really getting concerned about my state of fitness. I really need to get to the gym! I had no idea I was so out of shape I couldn't even take a bike ride! I mean, hell, we took bike rides in Kiawah and it didn't wear me out like this. What the hell is going on here? I wondered if it was because of my asthma. I wondered if I was gonna pass out. I wondered how the hell I was getting home!

OK, I had to stop. As I got off the bike my poor legs were just shaking. I'm huffing and puffing ... and, yep you guessed it, sweating. As I tried to move my bike up level with Cari's I had a moment of revelation ... my bike wasn't rolling as easily as it should have. Hmmmm. When I checked the front brakes, they didn't move. In other words, they were already pressed against my front tire. I had ridden all that way with the brake on!!! You don't even want to know what went through my mind. It wasn't PG. It probably wasn't even R.

Now Cari starts to giggle. "It is so not funny!" I retorted - while I started giggling. It really wasn't funny though. Although I do have to say, I felt incredible relief at discovering why I was so winded and dying. The problem was how to adjust them so I could get my friggin' bike home! Cari suggested calling AAA as she laughed. I found a screw on the handle that turned easily so I tried adjusting it hoping maybe that would help with the brakes. Well hells bells, I don't know what it went to but it fell slam out - and didn't loosen the brakes either.

I don't know what other kind of fiddling I did to accomplish a wee bit of loosening, but the wheel turned slightly easier than before, so we mounted and set off again. Amazingly, it felt like a normal bike ride. I wasn't winded and dying just trying to keep up with Cari's slow pace. At least the second half of our "leisurely" bike ride was nice. For now the opponent is in the garage. Tomorrow it will go back to the "shop" and get readjusted again. Lesson #2: check the damn brake BEFORE you leave the driveway. That's enough for today ... dontchathink?