Oh Heat My Heat

I hate this heat; it is so intense. Today, the 19th of July, is the hottest yet. I started biking at around 7:30 but only managed about 25 miles by 11:30 due to the head wind. Then things started to get hot. We had this brilliant plan that we would get up early, bike a couple of hours, and then take a break during the hottest part of the (from about 2-4) and then finish the day out with another 20 or so miles in the evening. Somehow, it just didn't work.

By three I was still on my bike. Well not for long anyway. By about 3:10 I decided to pull off to the side in a small clump of shade. I was just going to stand there for a minute, while I tried to remember how to breath in the water they call air around here, but then my helmet was too hot, so I figured I would just take it off for a minute. Then I looked at the ground, "look there is ground," I said to myself. "One could sit on the ground."

And that's what I did. I woke up around 3:45. It was still incredibly hot. The high today is 97, with a heat index of fantastically infernal degrees, which in layman's terms is somewhere between roasted egg on pavement and "well I guess I didn't make it to heaven" hot.

Unfortunately because I am slow anyway, Ivan and Chris spent about 45 minutes waiting for me. Though because they had to wait for me they had an excuse to find some McDonald's and shade. I think they survived.

I have had so much water to drink. I have refilled my Camelbak twice and finished one of my two water bottles. That is about 180 ounces, which equals 5.62 standard nalgene bottles. The problem is that it means I have to go to the bathroom all the time, but unlike a man I kind of have to bare all--so to speak. On a rather trafficked road, where cars zoom by, and there is hardly any shoulder cover that isn't probably infested with snakes (considering all the dead ones I have ridden past and the one live one I rode over) it is a little hard to find places to go. It is not like there is a gas station conveniently placed, according to my specific bladder needs. I have found that it is all about timing. You pick a spot, as covered as possible, and wait till you don't hear anything, drop the drawers, and hope that you timed it right. So far I have been very lucky.

How long do you think my luck can hold?

Darn men and their convenient anatomy.