Hot Hot Heat

As you can see from the weather graphic above, it is HOT here in North Carolina today. I went for a bike ride this morning from 9am until 12:30. I carried 60 ounces of water with me. I rode for an hour and then swung by Performance bikes to pick up a computer to replace the one I lost at my recent “Over the Mountain” race. In that hour, I had gone through 40 ounces of water and was already feeling really hot!

I went into the bike store and looked at the computers. I considered going with a wireless model, but the sensors looked bulky and I didn’t want to add any bulk to my bicycle. I don’t think any of them measured cadence either. So, I ended up buying the same computer I had before, a Cateye Astrale computer. That way I didn’t have to rewire anything – I just can snap the new one into the old clip…which is what I did right there in the store parking lot!

By the time I was done at Performance, it was about 10:30. I refilled my water bottles at the store, and headed out to do my hilly route covering Damascus Church road and S. Greensboro, past John Edwards house. By the time I was done with the hills on Damascus Church, I was too hot to enjoy riding my bike. And if you are a regular blog reader, then you most certainly know that I LOVE to Ride My Bicycle. So it’s a rarity for me not to enjoy riding.

I skipped the hills on S. Greensboro and took the most direct route home. I still had about an hour of riding. It was awful, stifling, sweaty, and hot. Sweat was stinging my eyes so badly that it interfered with my vision. Oh, and did I mention that it was hot!? I had plenty of water, and a gel flask filled with a mixture of honey, water and salt. Hydration and nutrition-wise I was fine. But I just wanted to get home…and I didn’t feel like putting any effort into “riding well“, so I took it easy and coasted whenever possible. My average speed was only 14.3 mph.

On the side street leading back into my neighborhood, I got distracted looking at the newly installed bike computer. I was trying to see if my profile aerobottle was pushing on the computer…wondering if perhaps that’s why it popped out of it’s clip at that race. I was going about 10 mph up a slight incline. My distraction caused me to run into the curb and fall over onto the sidewalk. I landed right on my elbow – ouch, that hurt my elbow AND my pride! I glanced around quickly and thought “Phew, noone was around to see my stupidity”. Of course, here I am telling it to the world. It immediately swelled into a big goose-egg bump. Luckily, I was close to home, so was able to get ice on it right away.

I took a photo of my elbow…

Then, I used photoshop to alter the brightness and contrast to bring out the nastiness of the injury. They do this on dead bodies in the TV show, CSI. Luckily, I’m not dead. I’d love a job doing this kind of work!

Hmmm…maybe I ought to go put some more ice on it. I didn’t realize how bad it was! Surprisingly, it doesn’t really hurt, even if I push on it!

I will end this article with a fitting song…

Bandages, by Hot Hot Heat

Bandages on my legs and my arms from you
Bandages, bandages, bandages
Up and down on my legs and my arms from you
Bandages, bandages, bandages