Karen writes: Being tough on equipment

I couldn’t find my favourite running watch for several days.  I found it yesterday morning when I went to hang the washing out, who knows how it ended up in the washing machine, thank goodness it seems to have lived up to the manufacturers claims of ‘toughness’.   Just had to empty the handy little lipdip thingy out, shows that the stuff is waterproof anyway.   I quickly checked that the girls didn’t see that bit of carelessness, I would be cross with them if they did the same thing!

Looking back at this blog and seeing frequent references to how this or that hasn’t worked, something has been busted, worn-out, or misplaced, it would appear that equipment has a hard life around me.  Of course there was that big failure, the spin bike, then expensive bits needing replacement on the road bike recently, not much I could have done about those.    But on a smaller scale, the everyday cycle clothing ends up with grease on it, running tops get ‘pilled’ from the camel-pac which is also looking battered, my tri-pants usually have a mend somewhere,  socks quickly go from white to brown, shoes don’t stay pristine for long, and yet another set of swim goggles has been consigned to the ‘use in emergency’ category.

I think (in my defense)...drumroll at this point...the shortened lifespan of equipment cant just be blamed on me being unusually rough on it, the fact that so much more distance is being covered these days, at a faster pace, must surely have a part to play.  

So in the quest to be a real endurance athlete, this month’s resolution was made to respect my equipment more.   Getting rid of the grottier items of clothing first off, and better maintaining the good stuff is a start, but most important will be an inspection of the bike before every ride, a lube of the moving parts, and at least occasional cleans.

Anyway, I took a few hours leave yesterday afternoon to go for the 110k cycle ride the training plan specified.   I checked the moving bits on my bike, no, none of them wiggled inappropriately, I greased the chain.   I looked down at my pristine white arm protectors, what do you know, I'd greased them, and my leg too.  Cant win.

The ride was pretty good.   It felt long, very very long.