A bun in the oven!

After last weeks disappointment and rotten reports, I have some very good news to report. SJ had a scan on Tuesday and it revealed that we have a lively, growing bun in her oven! We are, God willing, going to become parents. The scan revealed that SJ was 12 weeks and 4 days pregnant. I hope to blog more good news on 8 February 2013 ;).

Training this week kicked off with a lap around my TTT 20 route. I guess my legs were still recovering from last weeks audax - I had a relatively slow time. Weather was ok but some of the roads had been re-surfaced with that nasty loose gravel stuff.


I cycled the TTT 20 route again on Friday. This time I was used a different bike - 'Cayo' my road bike, recently repaired. Cayo had gotten pretty mashed up last week, following a DNF'd audax. The bike shop fitted her with new brakes (front and rear), head set, front mech, chain, rear tube, large chain ring, cable and cassette and straightened rims which were seriously dented. This cost about £300 and was serviced at Speed's Cycles in Bromsgrove. In addition to that, I fitted a new front tyre. Cayo's tyres keep changing colour - I guess she's chameleon like. Anyways, had hoped to reach a new personal best on this cycle but this wasn't to be. I was cycling at a very fast pace for about 15 miles and then, darn, the rear tyre had gone flat. Grr. I inflated tube with gas and sped off again hoping to get back before tyre was completely flat again. I got home pretty speedy and at completion of cycle was just 1 minute off my personal best. Why I have suffered  with so many flats remains a mystery to me.

Didn't cycle anymore in the week. Looked at my rear tyre and believe I found the offending 'thing' that caused puncture. The tyre looked pretty mashed up where this offending thing was too. Have now replaced the tube and tyre. The damaged tyre was a Michelin Pro Race 3 which I used to rate but am now having less faith in. These Pro Race 3's saw me complete the PBP and have lasted just one season but have punctured many times. The new tyre I have used was taken from Florence's (original) front wheel - it is a Continental Race tyre. This tyre has a wire bead so isn't a favourite tyre of mine, but as long as it stays inflated I'll be happy enough. I previously dissed Continental Ultra Gator Skin tyres but might give said tyre a second chance (and possibly carry a foldable version with me).


Weekly totals: Cycled 40 miles. (Have cycled 2,269 miles this year to date).