...this tale has some happy moments but a bad ending, read on. Don't worry nobody gets "hurt".
Today was a business trip. Up at 3:00am, rolling down the drive @ 4:26. Had some equipment that needed to be put through real world testing. Lighting wasn't one of them, doesn't matter what system you've got when the fog's so thick you can only see about 30 feet. There was moments when I was pushing into the strong ESE that I couldn't exactly tell if I was climbing slightly or descending slightly, the gravel was so soft that it was offering resistance up & down, combine that with no visibility...strange.
Met these two as dawn approached, I would have offered some Clif Bar but the ditch between us had water in it...
glasses were useless, add that to the mix...
All B roads were impassable, not even a chance. No surprise with the rains we just had, but I lost count how many times I detoured, my fingers crossed that it wouldn't be too far before I would find a useable Eastbound path. Go left or right? I was about 50/50 on my choices, probably added 10 miles to the day with impromptu route adjustments. You can see my adjustments on the ride map below.Allright...fast forward. I had a plan for the day, but it started to fall apart as I was twisting through IA along the Missouri River. All paths involved big detours & ultimately returning to where I started by retracing my steps. Road choices were limited. I'm not going to tell you the plan, it's sweet & I'm going to save it for another adventure. I did find some interesting double track along the levee. Whoops, that can't mean me?
Too much of this today...
Anyway...I did get the 3 stater, but that was part of my bigger plan anyway.
Did I see anything cool today? F yeah I did! I found this by accident as I was "checking out" that levee that your not supposed to be on:)
Too much of this today...
Anyway...I did get the 3 stater, but that was part of my bigger plan anyway.
Did I see anything cool today? F yeah I did! I found this by accident as I was "checking out" that levee that your not supposed to be on:) 
then this right next to the stela...
the unhappy ending...Within 5 - 10 minutes after I left the border I started to experience a very sore neck & shoulders? Couldn't find a good position on the bike...hoods, drops, even straight upright with only my fingertips on the bars. Painful? No. Uncomfortable? Oh yeah. I'd ridden 90+ miles into the wind & now that I turn my back to the breeze this starts up. I limped into the convenience store in NE City (I wasn't planning any stops today, I had it all with me). Scored a throwback & some advil, stepped outside & started to feel light headed, neck still in discomfort. Not good. I've still got 45 to go & its going to be a hot crosswind all the way back. Fast forward again...I pulled the plug. Called my wife, only the second time in 9 years. Other time I got caught in a crazy storm down by Cortland. Sucked, but I never feel like this. Could I have made it back? Not sure? At what cost? How big a hole did I want to dig? Bummed though.Waiting for the ride of shame photos. Did I eat enough, probably not. Drink, thought so. Hitting the e-caps throughout the day. Who the f knows. Hope it's the first & the last time I melt down.
4 comments:
DUDE! Was that the reset button back to 1994??? That's what it says in the middle of that metal plate, right?
All kidding aside, sounds like you had a tough one. This was the first really hot day of the year, right? I think the body can't cope (and by cope, I mean do efforts like you could do before) with a sudden onslaught of heat. I believe it would be the equivalent of going from consistent hundies to a 300 miler, which the body just can't do. With all the extra heat, the gears that were turning smoothly before just lock up from the stress.
But, this is all just my speculation. Keep note of this and see if you have a similar experience next year, or look back to see if there was a drastic heat increase in the past that affected you adversely.
mm - appreciate the feedback, humidity is the silent killer, it's tried before but never grabbed that hard, if that's what it was. Then yesterday I was thinking recovery & ended up doing a ridiculously hard & fun 50+ mile "race" to Cortland & back on gravel. Cooked today though:)
one more thing...shout out to MT, k-dub, JxW, & wood-nuts. That was killer!
it was humid and sunny saturday. i was like what the hell is this yellow thing... then megan proceeded to make fun of my red legs :D
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