My ride on the Kona course today

We've been on the Big Island for a week now (some pictures in my album here ), and today was my day to rent a bike and do a long ride on the Kona course. Started out great, cruising along the Queen K, and then only 8 miles in I apparently ran over a staple and got my first flat that I've had in over a year. 

No problem, I had a spare tube - unfortunately I broke the valve stem off the new tube while trying to attach my inflator. I then tried to use the patch kit the bike had given me, but it would not hold.  The picture below shows a pretty pissed off rider considering throwing the bike into the lava as a tribute to Normann Stadler.... 

So I started walking the 8 miles back to Kona, wearing just my cycling socks on some very warm pavement.  After about a mile some guy rode by and offered me a tube, so we fixed it up and I took off again, only to flat a mile later. While standing there looking at my flat another guy rode by and told me that there was another bike shop just "a little way" up the side road just ahead, so I started walking. 30 minutes later I arrived at the shop. The mechanic and I fixed my tire (had a pinch flat - I guess I was rushing the last repair), and I rode back to where I had left my car in Kona. 3 hours, 16 miles of riding.  On the plus side, it was sunny and 82 degrees, not 15 and snowing like at home today, so at least I had that going for me.

I headed back out this afternoon and put in another 25 miles (would have done more but I had to get back for some evening plans). The Queen K lives up to its reputation as being pretty warm and very windy. The course itself is not that bad as far as hills - not flat, but no big climbs (except at the turn around at Hawi which I did not get to).  Some more shots from the course:

By the airport:

There are some really long, wide open stretches...

The white coral on black lava rock messages are everywhere along the course:

It's not all lava fields - the ocean views are awesome...

So in the end it was an interesting day, but still a fun experience to have been riding where the greats of our sport have become legendary.  Of course, it would all be worth it to end up here:

I guess it's time to ramp up the Lake Placid training.