Prior to starting at 0730, I discovered an outside picnic table at the suggested start open control.
Good deal. Good place to wait for others to arrive.
I refilled a couple of my bottles with freshly cold water at the Bay Leaf Fire Station #2.
That station is one of the open-control possibilities, but the main thing is free cold water!
Every fire station in the area will re-supply any cyclist with water.
It is better to give them water than to have to rescue their behind from a ditch.
I didn't try to ride fast; I just tried to keep the pedals going.
That was making for good progress as I got to the Bahama Info Control at 0904,
And, upon seeing the open bay doors, went into the Bahama Fire Station (the one IN Bahama)
To refresh the cold water.
Ended up in conversation with a fireman or EMT.
So instead of a 3-minute water and nibbles break,
I got a 17-minute public relations break.
That was good.
On to Stem, still thinking I might get a reasonably quick time for the route.
Stem control at 1012.
Adjust for the public relations time, and that's a decent arrival time for me.
On to Creedmoor.
The heat started to make its impact on me.
Into the Creedmoor Southern States Farm Service Store for a complete swap to cold water.
Combined Stem and Creedmoor stop: 14 minutes.
On to and past the Grissom info control.
Heading for the Stony Hill Fire Station at New Light and Purnell roads.
Wouldn't you know it:
That darn station was closed up tight as a drum.
I still took a 16-minute shade and rinse the back of my head and neck with cold water break.
All I wanted to do was finish -- to heck with the time.
Putz on to cross Falls Lake.
25-minutes to cover the 4.6 miles of Ghoston, Peed, MVC.
All I wanted to do was finish.
At least one of the big doors at Bay Leaf Fire Station #2 was open.
I headed through that door and made a bee-line to the cold water.
Fireman that I didn't know saw me, and after the momentary shock,
He says "get what you need, take the time you need."
Name-dropping LT's name may have helped -- probably not.
I sat at the "indoor octagonal picnic table",
Drinking water and an inexpensive Coke,
Faking what Biker Bob calls a "Martin-nap" for quite a while.
The firemen offered to let me use the air-conditioned space,
But I was concerned it might be too big a shock for my system.
So I spent the whole 50-minutes in the 91-degree garage area of the fire station.
At least I was not outside in the hot sun.
And I had access to plenty of cold water to drink and wash my face and arms and neck and head.
After 50-minutes, I left the fire station and headed for a known air-conditioned refuge.
35 minutes to cover 7.4 miles, and I was wasted again.
Inside the refuge, I see the Red Rocket as he negotiated purchase of some nutrition purchase.
After spending too much time in the refuge,
Part of it talking bikes with Gary,
I headed out for the last 5.4-mile segment.
20-minutes ride time.
Nearly 15-minutes recovery sitting time before I could start to put the bike away, etc..
At this moment in time, I am not convinced that I'll be able to do tomorrow's Irregulars ride.
At least is starts EARLY.
The 0730 Bahama Beach start today was clearly TOO LATE.
Hard to believe that last year, I did a triple-double of three different perms,
In heat just as bad as today,
And I was never phased by the heat.
Randonnesia?
Perhaps this spring and summer have just been too mild.
That is, until the last week or 10 days, anyway.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Jul-03:
--> Bahama Beach 103-km perm-pop --> TLC-4-Bikes (the "refuge") --> ; 86.3 m.; 5h56 in-motion; 14.5 mph; BB rando elapsed time: 5h13.
Q-1 tot: _22 rides; 1,610.3 m.; 108 h, 42 m; 14.8 mph.
q-2 tot: _29 rides; 2,711.5 m.; 182 h, 48 m; 14.8 mph.
Ju1 tot: __1 rides; ___86.3 m.; __5 h, 56 m; 14.5 mph.
YTD tot: _52 rides; 4,408.1 m.; 297 h, 26 m; 14.8 mph.
I think this ride makes P-7 for me.
I know it makes M-41 (i.e., 41 consecutive months with at least one ride of at least 100k).
No comments:
Post a Comment