Africa Hot

Good freaking grief it was hot yesterday! At 8pm, after my workout, on the drive home it was 88 degrees. I get to the park and I can see that it had just rained - the steam is rolling off the wet, soon to be dry again blacktop. Riding through that is like 99% humidity. Forget glasses.

So I get setup, pump up the tires, fill up the water bottles for a 37 mile ride (three laps), and then - Crash - huge, monster Florida lightning. But, I came to ride, and lightning rarely hits a moving object on pavement, right? So off I go. 10 seconds later, pouring like an Amazon monsoon. But, hey, it feels good - right? One mile into the ride - snap - my right forearm pad bracket snaps off at the bolt! WTF? I pull in to a little water stop with some shelter, and the skys just open up. As if it weren't teaming before, now the lightning's gonna play "Apocalypse Now - Redux" with me. We're talking zero seconds from flash to bang, repeatedly, for 5 minutes. When the leading edge of that storm was by me, I took off my bike shoes, ran down the trail, grabbed the broken arm, and got back to the bike, all without getting struck by lightning. Somehow.

The 36 miles were pretty uneventful - but today my arms are a little sore for staying in the drop the whole time (yes, it was a base ride, and yes I kept my avg HR to 138, but it was tough in the heat). It rained, it would stop, then rain again, just before you finally dried out. At one point, the "bikers" came out. The Crews. The draft lines of 5 to 8 dudes and chicks that go and do 14 or 21 miles in a draft line - and I've rode up on these lines, they're only doing 21mph or so. They crack me up. Of course, Mr. Needs-a-can-of-shut-the-hell-up! was there, leading one of the groups. You know the guy - rides up on you while your peacefully enjoying your solitude and proceeds to speak for the next 20 miles. Next ride...same shit, different day - complete with the same stories!

A glutton for punishment, I just wasn't dehydrated and overheated enough, so I bricked 4 miles after - no rain, just a little shade. It was funny-miserable; when it sucks so bad you just have to laugh. I saw Excel Man while I was out there - so he wasn't sleeping on the couch like usual. The park has installed bike wash stations - there are some off-road trails here too - that cold water felt awesome after that run/death march.

Things to do today:

- get bike fixed before tomorrows time trial
- cut 4 lawns
- swim 2500 meters
- blow off run 'cause I'm freak'in exhausted. (ok, so I changed my t-do list - so shoot me!)

Time to get a move on!