The Long Haul...and we're off!

Coincidently, the drive to Lake Placid is around 10 hours similar to my last IM time up here in LP.  As the legs begin to cramp from the long car ride, I'm sure they'll be hurting a lot worse on Sunday.  So where are we you might ask?  We're currently on I90 heading east outside of Buffalo New York.  Thanks to my awesome mobile wifi I can blog the entire car ride.  Well that is at least until we hit the Adirondacks (where service goes from 3 bars to - "Hey where's the closest superman phone booth if something were to happen").

So yesterday after work I went to the bike shop to pick up my bike.  After the big overhaul (new cassette, chain rings, and chain) I was worried that something would be off.  When I set off for my test ride it was completely the opposite.  The bike never shifted and handled this good in it's short 2 year career.  It was as if I was riding a completely different bike...but in a good way.  I'd shift, and there wouldn't be that 2 second delay.  No fine tuning the gears, it just worked like it was supposed to.  So who fixed it you might ask?  Dan at Spoked Wheelz.  Dan actually worked for some pro cycling teams, rode in the team cars just like you see on the Tour, and even did bike support in Kona and at IM Florida.  This guy knows his stuff.  If you're in the Pittsburgh area and need a good mechanic, Dan is your guy.  Shoot me a email if you need his number or what more info.

So after a quick 30 minute ride, and 15 minute run my day was complete.  I made it home, put the Zipp's on Jen's bike and we then headed to dinner.  Later on that night I spent a visit to my favorite (and only) chiropractor John Capuano.  I'm not sure if I ever talked about John, but if you're looking for a good adjustment John is also your guy.  Not only did he come in last night after hours to fix me up, he also spent a good hour with me working on my neck and back.  He is also a big believer in the use of ultrasound and so am I.  Every time I would feel a slight pain coming on John would hit it with some ultrasound to increase the blood flow, and I'd be feeling better in hours.  John also has a sports medicine backround which makes him more then just my chiropractor.  He always spends extra time stretching my legs or any other crazy things chiropractors normally do not do.  So I guess all I'm saying, is John is really a great guy and cares about his work and patients unlike other guys I've been to in the area. 

So when I got home around 9PM it was time to pack.  I know I know!!!  I should have been already packed 3 days ago, but I'm always a last minute packer.  Ever since I got my job where I was traveling week in and week out, it just became second nature.  We finished up with everything around 10:00 PM, and were soon off to bed. 

So back to the current drive.  We're still on 90 East....not much further then when I mentioned it above, but now there appears to be a big rain cloud in front of us.  I normally wouldn't care, but our bikes are up on the roof, and our car is full.  Last year we drove in rain the entire ride and it just makes for that extra work for cleaning the bikes once we get there.  Not to mention heavy rain is never good to the bearings and those other pesky gaps in the bike.    The camera is buried in the back somewhere, but we'll try to take some pictures soon! 

posted by Chad Holderbaum @ 8:42 AM Comments: 2