The Replacements

Aside from continuing to put miles in, much of my time "about the bike" this week has been around getting ready for 9 Mile. While many of the considerations are fun, like Johnny asking how many times he can hit me to get me back on my bike before I hit him back, others lead down the path to either frustration or a race I can be happy with or even proud of.

Two considerations which bare this out have revolved around the extremities; my hands and feet.

My feet have given me problems all year and I have no one to blame but myself. In the fall, I picked up a new pair of Nike shoes the day of a cross race because I had ground the cleats of my five year old Sidi shoes down to the sole. The Nike shoes were fine for cross. Over the winter, I used both pairs of shoes because the Nike shoes wouldn't allow cleat contact with my pink Candy pedals.

Unfortunately, once summer arrived and I got another pair of Egg Beaters, my feet began to ache as I wore the Nike shoes more and more. I stuggled through through TransIowa with foot pain and things culminated with the fact that my feet have continually ached into early July. Finally and, looking back, far later than I should have, I purchased a new pair of Sidi shoes with 9 Mile in mind.

If you have ever had a custom footbed or insert made for your shoes, you likely know the feeling of suddenly having your foot return to a proper alignment. I once ran a ski shop in California and was certified to make custom cork insoles for ski boots. When you made them well and put someone's lower body in proper alignment, they would be amazed, talk about the tingling in their ankles and knees and generally act like you had provided a new lease on life. This was the case with the new Sidi shoes. The flip side, of course, is that my experience with insoles should have had me changing shoes long before now, but at least the change has been made. Time to move forward.

My hands are another issue. Last year, I was riding with two functioning fingers on each hand by the end of the race and it took a long time for my hands to recover afterward. This year had been fine until Lumberjack. However, my post Lumberjack experience proved worse than 9 Mile and, as many of you know, prompted new bar considerations. However, the new bar, while an improvement, hasn't proven to be enough.

So, to steal from my conversation with Joe after Lumberjack, I am cheating. I'm cheating and my ego isn't dealing with it very well. I will be running a Reba at 9 Mile.

In the end, Mrs. Snob hit the nail on the head when she asked me what I would tell a friend to do in the same situation. 9 Mile only last 19 hours last year and my hands still aren't quite right. If I have a good race with a Reba onboard, I'll feel great. If I had to drop out with the legs willing but my hands unable to hold my bars, I'd be crushed. The Switchblade will go back on after 9 Mile, but I'm not taking chances on this one. Even if my heart doesn't want to do it.

With all that square, I can get back to the important stuff. Johnny needs certain songs in certain moments or certain times of the race. Time to burn some discs. I'm leaning toward The Germs "Lexicon Devil" for a race freakout, but who knows.

Suggestions are welcome.

On a side note, Mrs. Snob may "broadcast" 9 Mile with the help of my Blackberry. Be warned. She may find some of you for Dave Z inspired One Question Interviews.