Notes
I need to add a "Fail" ride category. Today the plan was 70-75 miles, including the Tues. Night Ride at Velo-City. Didn't happen...not by a long shot. Temps were a good 10º above normal (and out in farmland there was no shade...the wind was even hot). Less than 3 weeks ago we rolled 65 and needed to get me an extra long-sleeve layer from the VCC clearance rack, since I was freezin' my ta-tas off (IIRC it was in the 40s by the lake, that day). Today I was chilled, too...but chilled on a 90+º day is not a relatively minor discomfort--it's a sign of bad things to come. I still can't seem to get enough fluids in me. By the 12 mile marker I had already guzzled 1 24oz. bottle and had finished at least 72oz. by the end of 35 miles. I also popped 5 Endurolytes, and one of those bottles was sport drink, another had a Nuun tablet added.
Needless to say, our plan to do the Tues. Night Ride went out the window. I was overheating (and still battling lung issues on top of the poor air quality with the heat and humidity) and Derek's legs are shot from a sudden increase in miles in the past week. We both decided to bag the ride (bummer, since neither of us have done this ride and it's the only one in the area featured in the top 50 organized rides by Bicycling Magazine). There's no way either one of us was going to be able to keep up with any group other than the 18 mile "mellow" group...and neither of us had 18 miles left in us--at any pace.
It was the right decision. I stalled my car pulling into the driveway. That's not something I do...like ever. Forgetting to take my car out of gear in my own driveway...lame.