reflections on a sunday ride

Hot, hot, hot, hot, HOT it was... and it felt much hotter than the 92 degrees or so that the thermometer displayed... mayhaps it was the humidity that made it feel so toasty?

Ed and I participated in an organized bike ride this morning...through the lovely rolling hills of Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties...the fifth annual Sunflower to Roses (S2R) ride...a charity ride with proceeds this year benefiting Cancer Action, the KU Cancer Center and the Lance Armstrong Foundation. As Ed was diagnosed with and treated for a significant melanoma in 1992, this was a special ride for us. The day started with a high school kid playing the National Anthem on solo electric guitar... ala Jimmy Hendrix. It was totally awesome! There were probably about 300 riders or so in the customary range of sizes, shapes, and ages. The start included a kitschy champagne toast out of dixie cups, and a ride through rose petals and sunflower petals strewn on the pavement.

We set out with the intent of doing 65 miles...but ended the day at 40 miles, when the legs just plain gave out. The first 32 miles were very do-able...with some challenging hills, but nothing that we couldn't handle...weekend warriors that we are. The second leg (aka the south loop) thinned out considerably...and as one guy put it..."separated the rock stars from the groupies." Very well stated.

I chatted fairly extensively on the ride with a guy who does some professional racing and is also heavily involved with the upcoming Tour of Missouri. Said gentleman lives in the Brookside area and commutes about ten miles to work each way...regardless of weather...and said that when his training and recreational rides are added to the mix, he puts on about 10,000 miles a year (and only about 1,000 on his car!). This guy is definitely one of the aforementioned rock stars!

I've decided to make a few changes as a result of chatting with him. For one, I'm going to drop the camelback and get an extra cage for my bike to carry bottles of water. As I was in my usual state of vasodilation when we spoke, he talked a lot about heat release and cooling...and also suggested wearing a wicking jersey rather than a cotton tank. A relative no-brainer, I know...but its just nothing I've ever taken very seriously. One other suggestion was to remove the little plastic visor from my bike helmet...he said that the way it deflects the airflow keeps air from entering the cooling vents of the helmet.

One of the high points of the morning was riding by Ed's childhood home, the elementary school that he attended, and an old lake that he used to poke around at when he was a kid. I even ran into an old friend from the Symphony Chorus. Christie and I sang beside each other every Monday night for about five years, but haven't seen each other but a hand full of times since I stopped singing with the group. All in all...a very good day. Very educational, no rain...a bit on the humid side...and VERY tired dogs...but a good day...