Dusting off the bike and fixing first flat of the season

Now that the skiing season is over, it's time to get the bike back out on the road. The temperatures these days are slightly below 10 degrees C, but with my ski hat, ski jacket and ski gloves on, riding is warm and comfortable. It will have to get a bit warmer before Michele gets her bike out. So, for the early part of this season I'll be on my own. This Saturday (March 6th, 2010) and Sunday (March 7th), I cycled along the bike path towards Chambly, but had to turn back at Carignan becuase there was too much snow on the path past that point. A return trip to Carignan covers abt 24km and burns off 1600 calories (well...it took 1600 calories on Sunday when I had to cycle back from Carignan on a flat tire which is no easy feat...perhaps it would have taken fewer calories on well inflated tire. Primeau contacted their contact at Connondale in the US to find out if the specialized "Mini" car rack for a Bent1 was still available. As far as that contact knew, it is not...how unfortunate. May have to purchase a 2nd bike which fits into a normal bike rack for the Mini. Now, I need to purchase a new tube to replace the one I ruing by cycling back on it in its flat condition. This will be the first time I have fixed a flat on this bike. It feels great to be back on the bike again.

Tripping on a Leaf

Hard to imagine, perhaps, but the other day as Michele and I were skiing at Parc Mont St Bruno, I tripped on a little brown leaf sitting innocently on the trail. The thing is, as I was transferring my weight to my left foot and leaning forward to slide with the step, my ski ran over a leaf and got stuck...so, as my body continued to move forward whith my left foot stuck, I ultimately lost balance and fell. I tried to imagin other animals tripping on a leaf, and I was unable to think of one.

Nine Months Later

The clock ticks and tocks and nine months have suddenly passed since our retirement. That's just enough time to have had a baby (which we didn't do). Our backpacks from the Manresa Tour are waiting for our next extended adventure which, coincidentally, might just occur in another nine months from now. Michele, in her usual organized fashion, has stowed her backpack in the baggage closet downstairs, whereas mine is conveniently tucked into the corner of our bedroom where it acts as a daily reminder of our great trip and of the next one to come. Michele and I have both returned to work for two days per week. This, of course, cuts into our cross-country skiing time, but because we are working the same to days, we have the other five together to hit the trails. The snow in late Decemeber and early January has provided a good base for cross country skiing, an activity in which I am discovering much pleasure in exercising old forgotten muscles within the peace and quiet of the winter forests.