More Daily Numbers.

Maybe I will title all my blog posts with number that start the story.

22: miles I biked
42: Degrees

In the rain.

Now, how is it, that on Friday it was 80 degrees and North Carolina remains in a severe drought and on Saturday, when I decide to ride, it's half the temp and there's a downpour? Why, why, why?

For the second Saturday, I decided to join some GSK et al road bikers for a training ride.

I always overdress (by that I mean I dress too warmly, not glamorously) for riding and end up stripping and carrying most of my clothes. I forget how hard my body works and how quickly I warm up. So, when I'm preparing for this morning's ride and it's a touch chilly methinks "Not falling for that again" and I dress lightly.


Ride starts at 9:30. Mile 6, it starts to rain. It's heavy rain and we think to ourselves "This can't last too long" so we pass our opportunity to make this a short ride and continue on. This is what is meant by "past the point of no return."

We continue on. So does the rain. It becomes increasingly unpleasant. Have you ever been passed by a 18 wheel truck on the highway on a rainy day and been sprayed? Recall that I am on a hybrid and everyone else is on road bikes so effectively, I am the 18 wheeler passing and spraying them. And I don't know these people very well.
Hmm. Persona non grata? This is the second time this week I've felt like an 18 wheel truck (the first time was out dancing but that really is another story).

I don't mind being wet. I don't like being cold. But, I really can't stand being cold and wet and around mile 16 I am very cold and very wet. My hands especially. Fingers so cold that I'm switching gears with the back of my soggy hand if I bother to shift gears at all.

When I come home after the ride I proceed directly to bed. Under down comforter. In my wet spandex. Shivering. Somewhere, I find the movitation to get out of bed, remove wet clothes and turn heat up to 80. Back in bed. And then I'm sweltering, but somehow still cold. I take a hot shower, then a bath, then another shower.

I do finally warm up. And then I'm off to the mall.

None of this, however, stopped me from snapping a photo in the parking lot. It's times like this that I feel like I'm at risk for being one of those parents who won't put the camcorder down even if their child is in some of precarious situation because they are so preoccupied by making the recording. Which reminds me about a family video of me slipping into the deep end of the pool at a family party. My Uncle Frank grabbed me out immediately somehow this is all on tape. Thanks Dad.

While I don't think I'll forget the feeling of being chilled to the bone (which is different from being cold), I'm glad I was still smiling. On the outside.