It definately feels like summer... Hot & Humid, nice tan action (funny cyclist tan, on arms, no hands, farmer's tan, tanned legs from knees down to upper ankles - and the infamous helmet strap tan), and time for vacationing.
Work was a hurried mess of events, meetings, quick action, preparation for some well deserved vacation time off, critical contingency of all odd work crap...I was ready to get out of there - which seemed to take forever so I could take one last training ride here in NoVA.
And what a ride it was... 90% humidity, thunderstorms rolling around (people at work have a new nickname for me this week: "lightning rod"...because supposidly I am "thin and attract lightning" - what a crappy nickname - sounds like a death wish)and 90 degrees. It was very hot out, felt like it was over 100 degrees. I was already drenched by the time I unloaded my bike and was ready to set out west towards Purcellville.
I have three things to say about that 44 miler I did tonight - in the nasty heat and humidity. Well, one is that I actually like cycling in the heat - it makes ya sweat...and I love to sweat. I don't mind the heat at all - I welcome it (beats the crap outta cycling when it's hovering -20 degrees, dark and icy). What I
DO mind is flat tires, and when bumblebees fly in my throught and then sting me.
I was almost past Leesburg when all of a sudden, I heard this zip and a sudden choking feeling of a furry thing buzzing in my throat - my gag reflexes kicked in as I panicked and tried to maintain control of my bike going @ 24mph... I coughed up whatever insect it was and it clung for dear life to my lower lip - I could feel it's tiny claws as I tried to slow down and stop my bike while pawing at my face with my bike gloves. Then it stung me - you know that horrid feeling. It stung like a mofo - there I was swatting my face and cursing to the bee gods, "fuck you, what did I do to deserve this?". Then my lip started to swell up - it was nasty, but I continued on - oh well...suprized it hasn't happenned more often....
On the way home, swollen lip and pissed about the bee - I get a flat tire. Well, happens. SO fixed it...I was waiting for the full "trifecta effect" (bad things happen in threes) - it to just dump rain, or to get hit by lightning - but no go.
Cool.
Welp - finally at home, all packed - ready to go in the early morn. Just a few odds n ends. Will have fun the next 5 days. So to keep this blog as boring as it always is - I'll keep it blank for the next few days while I enjoy my time off...
Ciao!