Spinach and kryptonite

65 miles

Who the heck knew it would take sooo long?

My goodness that is a lot of miles.

Random things on the bike:

While riding up the three sisters, I passed a few kids who where pushing their bikes up the hill. They see me coming up the hill and stop and watch.

As I pass them (while staying seated), they say “Wow! How do you do that?”

I swear I actually said “Eat your spinach kid!” and pedaled past like nothing had happened.

I wanted to break into song:

“I'm Popeye the Sailor Man,
I'm Popeye the Sailor Man.
I'm strong to the ‘finich
Cause I eats me spinach.
I'm Popeye the Sailor Man.”

I say wanted to, because at this point I was hypoxic from the several lack of oxygen of pedaling up this 'hill from hell' while trying to look cool.

Needless to say I waited until I was over the hill and out of sight and then I passed out!





Also on this trip, I realized my kryptonite (one of two million).

The Freakin’ heat!

Over the ride the heat steadily climbed from a comfortable temp to an oppressive energy draining heat. Now it wasn’t bone searing heat, because I am apparently used to this type but rather it was a slow succubus heat that drained the live from me.

Like superman I was faced with this invulnerable invincible enemy and there was no place to run to for safety.

The water was hot, the nutrition was hot and thick; the GU’s were hot, thick and sticky. Everything turned against me!

In SCUBA, they have a sign of panic called ‘equipment rejection’. The pivotal moment when you body is freaking out while your mind watches through the looking glass as you throw the very equipment that is keeping you alive. Like being under water and feeling like you can't get a full breath of air so you throw away you breathing tube (regulator)! Now you’re breathing sea water! Illogical but panic never is very logical.

I was nearing that point. I wanted to take off my shoes; I could feel THEM suffocating me! I wanted to get off the bike. It was slowing ME down! I wanted to get rid of my water, IT was the reason I was so thirst!

I was nearing meltdown. I had to do something quick or I’d be on the phone calling in support with demands of ice cream and air conditioning.

Finally I found a tunnel on the trail, got off my bike and rested. When that wasn’t enough I took of my shoes. (I swear I saw steam rising out).When that wasn’t enough, I was worried. Normally when I get this hot I take off all my clothes and stand under the fan. That thankfully is at home. Here, I am out in public, While I don’t mind being naked, I didn’t want to frighten any young children or give older people heart attacks.

Finally in desperation I laid down (clothed) on the concrete tunnel floor. To hell if another biker came around the corner and rolled over me. It might be a blessing, give me something else to focus on.

As I lay there, I wondered what had happened to my heat training. I had just trained through the entire summer hadn’t I? 110+ degrees. And here I was on laying a semi-cold floor watching the ants crawl over me, dying in 90 degrees!

I had gotten soft!

In the end I finished the ride but it wasn’t without promising myself a week of cold showers and a pint of ice cream.

Ice cream is part of the triathlon diet right?