Gravel & Rain

Weather.com's radar can not be trusted. At least not in Michigan! Yesterday I headed out for my brunch time gravel ride after checking the radar map and seeing that any rain in the area was clear off by the lakes. Sweet! I headed out on the Jake. I got to the end of the block and felt a misty rain on me. No big.

I continued on, but not before hearing some (what I assume was going to be a douche bag) blowing his horn at me a few time. I turn around and it turns out it's not a d-bag, but Mo-Mo mechanic Mike R. heading to work and just saying hello. Always nice to avoid a D-Bag Moment.

By the time I reached my shortcut through Mill Pond Park, the mist had turned to drizzle. Rats! I had to stop and stuff my phone and camera into a zip-loc bag make sure they stayed dry. I was quickly to the pavement leading me out of town when the drizzle turned steady and my fenderless cross bike shot cold water up my aging ass for a mid morning water sodimization of sorts.

Mile 3.5- On to dirt and the rain starts to let up, grey mud spatters up and I get on with the ride and the ride takes on a nice feel. The mud spatter, the mist, dark clouds, I'm really enjoying it. I am never motivated to ride in poor conditions, even though when I'm riding IN the poor conditions I feel an energy and adrenaline that I never get when I ride in perfect conditions. Strange.

The rain had all but stopped and some of the dirt and gravel roads look like they hadn't even see any rain, while other covered me with gravel juice and mud. I took the time to free the camera from it's multi-layered zip-loc prison and take a shot or two. As you can see from the clouds in the pics here today it needed to be quickly returned as things did not look like they were going to improve much.

I ran into (not literally) a group of about 20 turkeys on one road, saw 3 big deer run in front of me in Mill Pond Park of all places, felt the sting of pouring rain on my face at 20+ mph, dug gravel junk out of my eyes, enjoyed bright sunshine that came out of nowhere for a few brief warm, glorious moments, and smelled the smell of wet corn being harvested. It was a good, but wet time on the gravel farm roads.

By the time I reached pavement for the return to town, the rain had started yet again, washing the fresh mud and grey spatter from my legs and bikes. I returned home after two plus hours soaked, a little chilly and a bit clammy, but smiling nonetheless.

Today will be time off the bike and a focus on some XXC work. Then preparing mind and bike for the Ronde Von Stoney tomorrow morning. I hope it rains.

Later.