A tire and I both took a dump

Season Miles: 1,946

Wales, 40 miles
14.8 ave. speed
81 ave. cadence
Sun, 65-70, Windy again, E NE 12-15

Funny how toward the end of this ride I was thinking how uneventful a 40-miler could be. Things changed.

I spent too much time worrying about which way the swirling wind was blowing as I headed out today. At the last minute I decided to stick to my plan and ride out to Wales for lunch. At one point near the pond on the New Berlin Trail I swear it felt like all I would need to  do would be to sit up, spread my arms out and the wind would push me to Waukesha without so much as a turn of the crank! And as nice as that was now, I knew I'd be getting all of that in my face on the way home.
But like I said, I was worrying too much about that and told myself to just enjoy being able to be out riding under this blue sky. Still a bit chilly in the wind, but I'll take it.

Oh, and here's a tip for those of you who like to pack a little sandwich for lunch like me. Here is the new bread. I love making a PB&J on this flat bread stuff. 

It packs in your rear jersey pocket real well, taking up less space than traditional bread slices. 


Plus, it tastes good too!


Riding back from Wales to Waukesha was a breeze. I had downed this sandwich and a Cliff Shot gel in Wales and was able to fly down to the water stop just outside  of the Glacial Drumlin Trail exit with ease.


As I started the portion of the ride on the New Berlin Trail from Waukesha to Greenfield Park I was wondering what or who I might bump into to make a story of the day. I thought to myself how dull a ride this turned out to be. No characters to write about. Nothing unusual happened today. Would this just be a workhorse 40-miler?


Nope.


I noticed some stomach cramps and groans from deep within. Odd. It started to get worse. My legs were dead now too from pedaling into this steady 12-15 and gusting wind out of the east off the lake again today.


More groaning.


What the?


The final three miles were a pain. I was tired. My legs hurt. I felt like every minute more on the bike put me closer to having to rush into the bathroom once I got home...IF I made it home!


I was reminded of the time Tom Boonen clearly had, as the announcers said when the camera was on him, "A digestive issue" during a stage of a race on TV. Clearly he had crapped his bibs and just kept racing!


Then just three blocks from home I thought my Roubaix felt funny. Was it going over bumps differently? Something didn't feel right? Did I have a tire going down? I've suspected this on rides in the past and have been wrong.


Groan. 


Oh man...come on...get home in time! 
Wind gust.


Groan...gurgle..groan...


I pulled into the driveway without a minute to spare. I pulled off my shoes and pinched the rear tire as I ran past the bike. Yup...mushy. Damn!


Into the bathroom I went where some unholy matter came bursting out of me. Ahhh....relief. No Tom Boonen syndrome for me!


Back out to the bike. I see a small cut in the rear tire. I bet that was the issue, and I bet I know when it happened too. There was no pop involved here, just a slow leak out of nowhere. Acorns. I rode over a patch of acorns on the path approaching Bluemound. I bet that did it. Right? 
Any of you have this happen to you? Acorns...not a friend of thin bike tires pumped up to 100 psi I am guessing.


Off to Rainbow Jersey Thursday to get a new tire...already.
Oh well. At least it happened close to home. If this had happened out farther on the route in my condition today I would have been in the woods with my bibs down around my ankles.


And here I thought this was going to be a dull ride.