I *heart* my bike shop

I went out for my two-hour ride this morning, and 200 metres into it I decided I can't wait anymore - I had to do something about the awful saddle on my bike! It' a Selle Italia Trans Am, the stock standard issue that came with the bike.  But it's no good if you're a) a woman, and b) a triathlete. It's not built for long hours in the saddle, especially if you're a girl. With my next tri just two weeks away, it was time for swift action in the saddle department.

I changed my course and headed for the bike shop. I took my bike in and saw Gavin, who whacked a lovely white chrono tri saddle on in under three minutes. It's awesome. It has a nice long padded nose (perfect for when I get my aeros in three weeks), plenty of padding around the glutes, and oh so comfy. I went from home to the bike shop, then out to the international terminal at the aiport, via the domestic terminal. I stopped for a couple of minutes to wolf down a gel and a quick slug of drink, enjoy the smell of jet fuel and soak up the sights you miss when you're driving, and rode back home.  

What a great ride! I'd been terrified of riding over there along Puhinui Road, which is a 100kph zone. I've done it once before but was pretty freaked out the whole way over there with buses, trucks and cars whizzing past at close range and ended up coming back on the airbus with my bike. Today, it was a totally different story. I think I'm getting used to traffic at last, but riding over first thing on a Saturday morning is great because there's next to no traffic.  The only real hazard today was a dead possom on the bridge over Pukaki Creek, right in the middle of the bike lane.  Stupid possom, not a tree in sight and it decided to run up a highway...epic fail!  

So, with my two-hour ride dispensed with today, I refueled and went to the pool for a 1km swim.  My legs were great but by the 800m mark my arms were over it.  Amazing how my arms are more stiff than my legs and how does that work exactly? I wasn't pedalling with my arms, so it must be time for the short stem to go back on and to get some aero bars. Three more weeks and I can pimp my bike.  Bring it on, I can hardly wait.