The Boiled Ham Rides

high-corn-in-front-red-barn

The past week has been blazingly hot here in Michigan with temps often hovering in the mid-90s. As I’ve mentioned several times in the past, mid-90 temps in Michigan are roughly equal to living on the surface of the sun, especially when you realize that we were getting snow flurries in early May! As much as my super large former fat man (on his way back again) sweat glands don’t mesh well with high heat, I won’t complain all that much, since I would rather ride in some heat than the cold.

The week hasn’t been ideal for riding, but I did force myself out into the heat for couple short rides over the past few days.

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The Power’s Off

paint-the-barn-red

I was up super early Monday morning to go to a 3:30 AM physical therapy appointment (OK, it wasn’t 3;30 AM, but it sure felt like it). I was stretched, yoga-balled, pounded, rolled, BOSU-balled, etc., etc., in the ever failing attempt at having my back and hip feel normal during rides.

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Almost a Hike

patched-together-barn

Thursday was my birthday (thank you, but no gifts please). It seems I turned 45 years old, even though for some weeks I was convinced I was turning 46. Maybe that’s because my body feels way older these days? In any event, it’s been a long-standing tradition of mine to try to get out for a ride on my birthday to celebrate another of year of being healthy and fit enough to do such things. That my birthday plan… until it wasn’t.

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Taking What I Can Get

eagle-decoration-on-barn

Today was sort of a hodgepodge of getting some work done, house stuff, dad stuff, soccer club stuff, and life stuff. Somewhere in there I squeezed in a lackluster dirt road ride on the Boone with my camera. Part of me thinks that I probably would been better off just aborting the ride altogether, but after spending my Monday goofing off, eating and drinking poorly I figured I better do something to burn some calories.

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A Cold Sweat

black-white-barn-rosebush

What a difference 48 hours can make! My last ride was a short post-rain road loop in hot, steamy, humid, conditions and had me feeling like I was breathing through a straw. Today it was 65˚ at ride time with a cool breeze coming from the north. Once I started sweating–which given my girth takes about two miles–I actually got sort of cold. At least for bit.

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