Big HOT Ride
The Ride: The Rectangle + Up High Cliff climb
Miles: 40.0
Time: 3:01
Ave. Speed: 13.1 mph
Weather: Sunny, Hot & Humid, 90, Wind 10-12 mph
2018 Season Outdoor Miles: 974.7
The Story
I live for this stuff.
These are the sunny, hot and humid days I dream about all the long cold winter months.
I like the challenge of it all. I like to attempt to do something special on the bike under extreme heat conditions, although to be honest, I never felt too bad at all today.
So with two bottles filled to the brim and some Hammer Gel in my jersey pocket I took off hoping to accomplish something big today. It worked out perfectly.
My first task would be to do the climb up to the observation tower at High Cliff State Park, so I took the ride out there nice and easy to conserve my legs for what would no doubt be a challenging climb.
Despite the heat I have to say it was my best climb of that beast yet this season. I handled the first 3/4 of it very well. The key for me is to get into a nice easy rhythm and just maintain that going up. Almost immediately I once again caught myself getting a death grip on the bars and having my shoulders tense up. Once you release that wasted energy and just focus on keeping that pace it really helps. Only the final 500 yards or so of that final steep sting up started to get to me.
On the way back I added more miles on because I could. I felt good enough and was enjoying that feeling of the heat coming up off the asphalt of the road. Once again I thanked the good Lord for the health and ability I have to be able to be enjoying this glorious hot summer day by simply taking in the beauty of the Wisconsin countryside.
When I got back into the city, while waiting at a light to turn left, I dumped what little warm water was left in my bottle down my back and chest. When the wind, which was a headwind all the way back by the way, hit me with that wet skin it felt wonderfully cooling. It felt like summer.
40 miles in 90-degree heat with 65 dew point.
Proud of the effort?
You bet I am!