Just Like Normann

In the 2005 Kona Ironman Normann Stadler basically lost it after suffering two flat tires during the bike 112 mile bike ride on the Queen K (I actually biked on the same road!). The footage of the breakdown is pretty awesome and I can totally understand where he was coming from. That really had to suck. Think of all the hard work he put in just to be felled by two flats!

When I was in Hawaii I halfheartedly paid attention during our flat lesson all the while thinking in the back of my mind, “that will never happen to me.” But what if it did? Now, I am ready. First, Running Coach wanted to change his mountain bike tires to slicks but he had no idea how to do it. Yep, I did it for him. First beating him at RoadRunners and now this? My Mom would be appalled.

Then, last Thursday I was all excited (not) to do some hill repeats. After biking in Greenwich I definitely needed to put some air in the tires. I really have no idea how I managed to do it but I broke the valve off the tire making it inoperable. Great, I was going to have to change the tube. After changing Running Coach’s tires I was able to change mine pretty easily. Then I went to blow the new tire up…..and BAM! I blew the tube. I was really frustrated at this point. It was Thursday, the day I usually run. However, due to painful shin splints I was biking. And then it looked like I wasn’t even going to get to bike due to a second flat. Here’s the internal debate I had: I could say screw it (who am I kidding? My language is never that clean) take the bike to Toga, throw it and say fix it. Or: I could calm down do it again and manage to salvage part of the workout. Unbelievably, the latter won out. I changed the new tire in minutes and was off on my ride. If you know me at all it’s a miracle that I didn’t throw the bike, order fries and watch the three episodes of Gilmore Girls saved on my DVR. I did manage to get seven hill repeats done (the aggressive plan set by Coach Mikael was for nine). I also learned some very useful info that might change my life (ha ha you are going to have to wait for that post).

And as for Normann, he came back the next year and won the whole darn thing!