This morning I sat at the computer drinking coffee and mapping out a ride that I hoped would come close to yesterday’s mileage and have me in the 40 to 45 mile range. Then I walked upstairs.
I am the first to admit that I am not in same shape I was just a few years ago, however I am still in OK shape for a cyclist caught between the back end of years (sort of) training and racing mountain bikes and becoming a weekend warrior (NO!!!!!!). Still, I knew that I may have over estimated my ability to do back to back 45+ mile road rides in 80-90˚ heat when I walked upstairs to get ready and let out an audible “fuck” as I crested the last step. But I figured I’d just ride and hope my legs would come around as I warmed up.
They didn’t.
I went from wondering if the ride I mapped out would be enough of a challenge, to wondering which road I should take to cut the estimated route in half just ten miles into the ride.
I rolled along pavement in the thick humid air until I finally came to the northern dirt road that would loop me back to town. Once on dirt, I felt a little better, but soon realized it was only because I had a bit of a tail wind.
As I cruised up a long false flat dirt road ripe with fresh gravel a car pulled up along side of me. Anytime I hear a car slow down beside me, I always expect the worst, even though my experiences in Michigan over the past 5 years continually prove me wrong.
As the car approached I slowed down and move further over to the right. The window came down and I glanced over to see it was a rural mail carrier. Figuring he wasn’t going to throw a stack of LL Bean catalogs at me, I relaxed and we had the following exchange as I rode along beside his car.
RMC: Hey, how ya doing?
Me: Awesome, yourself?
RMC: Wanna a haul some mail for me?
Me: Ha! I wish, they should get you guys bikes!
RMC: I know! I’m more of a runner myself. You’re really moving, keep it up!
Me: Thanks, have good day!
RMC: You too.
If Mr. Rural Mail Carrier only knew the only reason he even came across me was because I felt like shit and was on a bailout road. Still it’s always nice to have a positive interaction with someone while out riding.
I got in 25 miles of mostly flat gravel road and got a big sweat on in the humid air. It was pretty much a variation of a Better Than The Trainer Ride™ but without the comfort of knowing that only going 25 miles was part of the plan. I’m just lucky I went before the clouds burned off and the sun kicked the temps up into the 90s again! Had I waited that mail carrier may have found me laying in a ditch crying and mumbling the words to R.E.M.’s Everybody Hurts.
I don’t enjoy sucking this much, but I figure somebody has to suck, it might as well be me. Unless you wanna do it, then I’ll gladly trade places with you.
Hopefully I’ll have some mojo back and have better luck tomorrow. Or maybe I’ll just catch up on some work, drink beer hydrate, eat pizza good and plan for miles on Friday and over the Labor Day weekend.
On a side note, I am really starting to hate my long used and trusty Canon s95. Taking my DSLR on those rambles has really spoiled me on image quality.
Later.