Limping home

To Changi and Lim Chu Kang, 108 km. Broken bone, broken heart and broken spirit are bad, but broken record is good. Since I'm reasonably fit (having come back a few days ago after riding to Kuala Lumpur) and I have a rather new toy (my little red Tank), I try to break my 6-hour round island (120 km) record. I start cycling furiously at 35 km/h and above. Changi Coast Road is alive with cyclists. "Yes, brother," one calls out to me. My left hamstring hurts. I stop at Kallang to stretch, my first break after cycling two hours. It is too late. The pain gets worse. At the rate I was going halfway through the ride, I could've completed my ride in five hours. After Jurong, I abandon my quest, as my speed drops below 25 km/h - too slow for record breaking. Adjusting saddle height no longer made a difference. And I'd thought that after cycling 400 km to Kuala Lumpur, I'd gotten my seat height just right. I "limp" home, sometimes pedalling with one leg. Still, it's a momentous occasion. My Tank has covered 1,000 km within a month.