Better & Worse

I start today's entry with these simple questions...

Is it possible to go "out the back" during a solo road ride?
Is it possible to get "dropped" during a solo road ride?
Is it possible to be the "lantern rouge" during a solo road ride?

The answer to all 3 is of course "no", but I think I at least gave some adequate foreshadowing.

On the road for a couple hours or so today. I've had better rides, but I have had MUCH worse. The friggin' heat was intense with a capital HOLY F! It didn't help that I didn't start my ride until 11 AM. Because you know I REALLY wanted to make sure the temps and humidity were as high as they could go before I hit the Beloki-ish pave.

This was once of the hottest road rides of the year. I ice cubed my bottles out the yin-yang and I swear they were as warm as cow's piss in 10 minutes. By the 2 hour mark it was like I heated up the Heed on the stove. I plowed through a bottle of heed, a bottle of plain water and a bottle of Carbo Pro/Gatorade P.D.Q. By the time I got home 40 miles and 2:20 later the bottles were dry and I was as hot as the From Undah Boob of a gastric bypass candidate (male, female your pick, the stank/sweat/cheese would about the same).

My legs were a bit dead. I wanted to abort at about mile 20, but I needed to/wanted to push myself this week. So I sucked it up and pushed on. I got it done and ended the week with 11 hours on the nose. Second week in a row that I've hit double digits. I have to watch or I'm going to lose my title of Slack Master.

Highlights of today's ride included an 8 mph climb up a farm road with cow shit run off baking in the 90 degree sun. "It stings the nostrils!". I also was buzzed by VW bug, and flipped off by a man driving some vintage classic car after I have him the C.U.W.T.F.?. sign (The Cyclist's Universal What The F*ck? sign) after he trailed behind me for like a quarter of a mile without passing. I also got yelled at by a couple of red necks in jeep who were sitting of the side of the road near the entrance to some "4 wheelin' trails". All I heard was "blah, blah, blah, bike boy, blah, blah blah" and then they took off. I suspect I possibly interrupted some Brokeback moment that bitter, sexually frustrated, mullet headed red neck boys enjoy while their girls think they're off doing "guy stuff" like 4 wheeling in the mud. I was suffering too much to really give a f*ck, so I just pedaled on.

A couple of things could have made this ride better. I could have taken a few more quality calories after my ride yesterday. I could have eaten better this morning too. 3 egg whites and 2 pieces of toast MIGHT not be enough calories (about 200) to really fuel a 40 mile ride! I also SHOULD have started my ride at about 8 AM rather than 11. BUT sometimes you gotz to ride when you get the time. Still, I don't regret going and it will make my rest day tomorrow all the sweeter.

Time to grill.

Later.