Friday, May 15, 2009

Hail at 60 Kph hurts

I think Chuck is the toughest rider this spring. Better than me, since I turned around when it started hailing.

It's been just crazy weather up here. Snow is in the forecast for Monday. SNOW!!! Today was supposed to be nice, but every time I looked, it got worse and worse. The day stared off perfect, sunny and cold. Cold as in see your breath on the air. While it warmed up I puttered away tidying in the front flower boxes.

It gradually got cloudier and cloudier, and I decided to go. I faced my fear. It looked like cold rain. Rain is always cold here. I wasn't sure what to wear, and settled for tights over bike shorts, and two long sleeved tech shirts. On the way south I was wondering if I'd worn enough, or too much. My legs were too warm, and my top was a bit cool. Pressed on.

I decided to work hard on the hills. Not that there is much choice, unless you feel like walking. So maybe, working harder. I got a good chunk of the way down, and was working my way up one of the steep hills. All the way along it's been getting darker. Then the hail started. I was thinking about finishing the hill and turning around, but I looked up, and could see a wall coming. I turned and pedaled like there was no tomorrow. I got some hail, then was out of it. I was afraid there'd be more, so I pushed hard all the way home. Got rained on with a touch of hail for a minute, then rode out of it again. Ended up riding 1.5 hrs.

My legs were killing me when I got home. My feet were the only part of me that were really cold, oddly enough. My hands in the fingerless gloves were fine. But I could barely feel my toes. I decided to get out for a short run, regardless. The first K was brutal, but found my legs and settled into a nice pace. I'm glad I didn't have to keep it up long, though. Ran 15 minutes. Stretched a bit, ate, showered.

Average speed down and back was just a hair under 24 Kph, which is the best I've done on those hills. It's probably just as well I didn't wear my heart rate monitor. I was puffing pretty hard sometimes.

4 comments:

  1. You got caught in hail? That sucks! The weekend looks nice, but what is up with next week? Crazy stuff! Hopefully you'll have a chance at a nice long ride this weekend!!

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  2. I bet you pedaled like the devil himself was after you -- LMAO!! I took my mountain bike out instead of my road bike that same day -- I was wearing my balaclava. Brrrrr. The rain/snow crap mixed with all the dirt on the roads and I was covered in mud by the time I got home.

    When is summer going to be here?

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  3. Hail DOES hurt, it stings, baaaad. I'm sick of 'this' weather and I'm not even close to you! You're a better man than I am, that's fo sho.

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  4. OMG I know how you feel. The fear alone is paralyzing but then the actual hail hits and you realize, nope, hail hurts more than the fear of hail. I got caught in one of those once and it left welts on my arms and legs the size of golf balls. NOT fun. But way to push through it and finish strong AND get that run in. You are dedicated.

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