Day Thirty-One
May Day! I started riding on April Fools Day so I'm into my second month. It's been a good day.
Yesterday was hard. It's clear that by late afternoon yesterday I was dipping into heat exhaustion. Elevated pulse, decreased power, chilled even when it was hot out. Classic. So I was right to call it a day early and not push to a achieve an arbitrary goal.
This morning, I rose before sunup and as was on the road as the sun showed its face. I was fueled, coffeed and well-rested.
The outside temperature started at about 70 and rose to the low 80s in the early afternoon, with a moderate breeze coming across my right shoulder at about 2 o'clock, not exactly a headwind, and crossing enough to keep me cool. My pulse started and remained in my "safe" zone, 105-118 bpm, not the elevated 125-135 like it was yesterday.
This needs to be my new normal, with an early cooler start, and off the road before it really heats up. As a NW guy, I'm just not acclimated to these hot/humid conditions. I spoke with an insulation contractor at my mid-morning break, and was reassured when he said that yesterday, his crew was laying insulation in an attic, when he noticed at about 3:30 PM that they were slowing down and obviously having heat stress, so he called the work day short and sent them home to rest. From here on he will have an earlier start/earlier finish daily schedule. Even the locals see the signs and make adjustments.
The ride into NW Houston was calm and uneventful, just churning out the miles. I rode about 58 miles, mostly on US 295, with broad shoulders and moderate traffic. The Exurbs gave way to the suburbs and the last 15 miles were in established Houston neighborhoods.
My destination for tonight was the home of my childhood friend Gerry, who has retired and moved to Houston. The afternoon and evening has been devoted to catching up, consulting on various projects around his new house, drinking beer and eating. All said and done, a pretty great day, especially since I think I have broken the code for cycling in this climate. Now I just have to stay disciplined and not get caught out in conditions I cannot handle, which is late afternoon heat, humidity and manic after-work traffic.
I’d love to hear from you. Donate to the ride and send along your words of encouragement and tell me why getting kids outside matters to you.
