Right lower quadrant pain

My silence as of late is the result of my being in Ontario attending a medical course.
The pace of the course itself has meant that most of my remaining preparations have been left for June. On the upside, I'll be able to correctly identify appendicitis and etcetera in either Tyler or myself should we be stricken by it or whatever else while on wheels.
Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a cure for hit by transport truck -itis, so preventing this condition is key. Reflectors, flags, blinky lights, low traffic roads and not cycling during periods of poor visibility have all been prescribed prophylactically.

This trip just became much more fancy. I was in the bike shop this past weekend bouncing ideas off the staff, and seeing what I would officially need to get my bike ready for a 26 day run. Well, it would seem that I should sink about $300 into it, and that still wouldn't do anything for any possible underlying issues with the frame. That fact, plus this quote from the guy; "I wouldn't trust that bike to go to Victoria and back" kinda hit home. So...

... I bought a 'new' bike! It was a resell to the store, but was still new enough to have mold lines on the tires. It also came with an under the seat pouch with a spare tube, patch kit and multi-tool. It is a Secteur Sport Triple from Specialized. [See equipment for specs] I was able to knock off a decent chunk of the price by paying cash. I asked about getting a kick stand for it... and I received an odd look, accompanied by "Road bikes don't usually have kickstands..." My Bad!

I am super pumped now with the addition of the rack and panniers, as well as the custom rear light and the other accessories. Took it out for a spin tonight [ROUTE] and it definitely feels MUCH smoother. I was able to clock a trip speed of 24.6 Kph with a flat speed of 28.3 Kph. I am interested to try it on my way to work to see if it will cut down on the average trip time of 30mins.

The issue with getting a new bike is that I am leaving my 'ol girl behind. Would like to call this the 'nostalgia factor'. I have had that bike for 7 years, and it has gotten me through a lot with very little grief. The funny thing is that the bike is essentially worthless. Would be lucky to get $50 for it? *Sigh* The other issue with it, is that I have to go through and re-adjust EVERYTHING again. Found that out pretty quick on tonight's test ride!

The trip is coming together, and I AM STOKED!

I will second Ian's lack of bike interest in the midst of poopie weather. I am starting to see that a big part of the training is not just physical: CAN I ride a bike for hours on end? But there is also a mental discipline that needs to be exercised aswell: WILL I ride a bike for hours on end...?

The drive to train right now hardish as I am the only one around to push myself. Once the trip gets underway, I know that Ian and I will be able to help each other stay on track. (Even if it is with him 'drafting' behind me... bastard!)

I have been able to keep track of my training routes with the use of an App on my iPhone. [Can be found at http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/? and search for 't.whelen' around the Courtenay area. But the site is quite clunky... easier to check FB if you have it]