Burned Up

Come to Church

Up here in the High Country on this part of the Reservation they have a Monsoon Season - just like Tucson Days.  But there's not as much humidity and it doesn't get super hot like back in Tucson.  It has been refreshing, that mountain rain - but that rain the last few weekends has kept me out of the saddle.  The Mighty Trek is still out of action as well, Gentle Readers, so during the a rainy week, I tweaked and adjusted the LeMond, and first thing this past Saturday morning, I set out for a ride!

I can't say for sure, but this is probably a Native American Church Ceremony.  I did know some "Peyote Boys" back in South Dakota - and later I got to know some Oklahoma Indians in the Peyote Church, which is what I used to sometimes hear them say.   I met many Haskell students that did a lot of scholarly writing on the Native American Church - and learned that the Church was very underground for a long time.   You could go to federal prison for practicing.  I did stop and take a quick picture - people outside and around gave me a friendly wave so all is right in the World!

Antelope Pullout

No triple ring to get me up and over the couple of hills out here.  I felt pretty good and made quick work of the first big climb, Benally Hill - and then was at the Massacre Cave Pullout, the first of the three Pullouts at Canyon de Chelly Nat'l Monument,  in very good time - and I felt great!  I looked at my cell phone and the Strava App (did not hook up my Garmin) and I had made it down averaging 15.7 mph.  Okay!

I feel, for the most part, fit - I can tell my jersey fits me a bit better, particularity around my neck and shoulders.  I used to not be able to zip up my jersey to around my neck but now I can - so I've lost some fat (I guess?) from my upper body.  Hey I'm still kinda fat, but feels good when your clothes fit and you can ride at 7200 ft and not blow-out your lungs onto the road!

I was riding the Titanium LeMond - a sweet machine indeed!  I was not planning to go out further and longer, but I though why not?  It was still early and there was no tourist traffic - and everything felt right - I was in that groove.  It just felt like the bike needed and wanted to keep going. 

Things took a bit of a turn as I was coming back - I needed more water.  It was hotter than I though - hotter as you get off the mountains.  And the clouds were rolling in and the wind was not going to favor my return trip.

Also, not having the three-ring and having to work a bit harder on the Arrive, I needed to hydrate - and was out of water and had very little for the return.  I made a bad choice of wanting to try to extend the ride on Hwy 12, which was up-hill with bad pavement, and really I should have just cut home and made my ride shorter.  

Bon jour la bon jour

I burned-up this ride.  I got home and just could not recover.  I slept all day, ate way too much of my food because I couldn't shake the starving feeling I had - then felt better late evening - and had trouble sleeping.  Things were just off.

Now I'm okay...  I think what it is, is that I've been working too hard - my boss has been on vacation so I've been working later in the evening and not having time to go out after work to be in the saddle and loosen up.

Riding 45 miles pretty hard and not prepping means things are going to be harder - especially when it suddenly gets hot, you're not drinking enough, and the trip back is all climbing in a headwind.

Cheers!  Bruce