View from the passenger's seat

This was my view from the passenger's seat on the way home from Saturday's "three dot orange" ride.

p.s. I really don't think Floyd did it...

Plastic Peloton People eBay shop EMPTY

I think it'd be fun to buy a Plastic Peloton Person on Anthony Pope's eBay shop. Too bad nothing's there...

If you're not familiar (then you're obviously not a ProCycling reader - heck, I'm not a ProCycling reader unless we buy a copy for a long plane ride. I always think about getting a subscription for my husband but it always is superceded by another gift. This year's gift was a digital camera. Anyway...) here's a link to Pez's interview w/Pope.

Sadness

Two cyclists were killed near Cincinnati last week. A drunk (or under the influence of something) driver whose license was already suspended, plowed into a group ride. Story here on WCPO.com.

One of the victims was joined on the ride with her daughter. Fortunately, the daughter didn't see the moment of impact - she was either in a group ahead of or behind her mother. Still, what a horiffic, terrible event.

And a reminder that not everyone watches the news - during our ride today, a driver yelled at one of the cyclists, calling her an asshole. (Little did they know she's a well-known local TV anchor.)

Ride report

Miles when I got home: (Need to check)

Cyclometer still doing that 0 mph thing on and off: yes

Post-ride food: Some whole wheat pasta w/veggies; Small taco salad (I took off 85% of the cheese and didn't use any dressing/sour cream); a taco; a few fresh cherries

About the ride: Went with husband's MS150 team (well, the team he would have ridden with).

We went on a nice rolling route and I didn't do as terribly as I thought for "just" having a baby. (Can I still use "I just had a baby" as an excuse? How about I "just ate a ton of cookies this week" while baking for the baby's naming?)

The weather was in the mid-70's (Mother Nature is STRANGE) and breezy. Hallelujah.

What didn't happen in Le Tour: My father is always telling tall tales, so when we stopped over to pick up the baby, he asked me if I'd heard about the cyclist in the Tour De France who was caught eating McDonalds. I believed him enough to Google News search it as soon as the baby went to sleep. After 29 years of my father's tall tales, you'd think I'd learn...

Weekend rides: Riding in the heat

Mileage when returning home: 2784.8 (though my cyclometer registered '0' mph several times during the ride - I need to check that out)

It's getting hotter every day. Yesterday was high of 90 and today's high is expected to be 95! Thanks to the "thick air", the heat index will top 100.

(I'm not a doctor and I don't play one on TV. So, if you're some bastard who is relying on this for 'medical advice', forget it bucko. Wow, I can't believe I wrote a legal disclaimer on my blog that no one reads. That's pretty pathetic!)

So, does the hot weather mean no riding at all? I don't think so. At least, not for me. It does mean paying attention to my body and taking it easy when necessary.

For my own knowledge, I've looked up some info about cycling in the hot weather. Here's what I've compiled so far...

TIPS FOR RIDING IN THE HEAT

- Ride early when it's not yet hot outside. (With my daughter's breastfeeding schedule, I haven't been able to get out of the house early enough...) The sun is highest in the sky between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

- Drink. Yeah, duh. Drink when you're NOT thirsty, in anticipation of the thirst, though don't drink TOO much - you may become waterlogged! Better yet, according to this article, you should have a drinking schedule while riding - drink no matter what every 8 to 10 minutes.

Here's a link for a more complete look at staying hydrated.

- Acclimate yourself to the heat. The first day out in the heat will be tough, so ease yourself into the heat starting with shorter rides during the early morning.

- Dress for succes. I have been wearing the only jersey that fits over my boobs while I'm nursing - a BLACK Terry jersey with multicolored hearts. It's cute enough, but it's hotter because the fabric is primarily black. At least it is a well-ventilated touring jersey. My helmet has lots o' slots for ventilation.

- Pre-and post-ride self-exam. This article I referenced above (no wonder it was the #1 link for my google search) recommends checking the color of your urine (should be colorless if you have had enough to drink,) amount of urine before and after the ride to check out fluid loss. No, don't get out the measuring cup, just be mindful.

- Don't forget the sunblock. Not SPF 10, either! Re-apply sunblock as frequently as needed, as the sweat can take off the sunblock. Don't forget about your protecting your lips and ears!

- Make sure your eyes are protected. Wear sunglasses with the proper filtering from the sun.

- Make sure you know the signs of heat stress.

- Pretend you're on a tropical island on vacation. In my mind, this makes the heat seem like a gift that I had to take a plane ride to get to.

- This page has some nice stats on heat stress, fluid loss, etc.

Milk Crate Panniers

The directions are on Indestructables via Make Magazine's site.

momma's ride report

Miles on the bike after today's ride: 2,750.4

Finding spontaneous non-trainer (outside) bike riding time is tricky, but do-able with 8-week-old. Let's take today as an example.

for posterity, here's an example from the pre-baby days: wow, it's nice outside. i'll go for a ride right now. well, perhaps i'll put a load of laundry in the wash, ooh, then i'll check the mail. oh, i should start the dishwasher. i'll make this one call. // an hour later... hop on the bike for a lazy 3-hour jaunt.

today: the baby's 8 weeks and i'm breastfeeding: honey? (assuming honey is home from his 1,204 hours/day lawyer job) would you mind taking the baby for 15, well, 20 minutes? great. oh shit. i need to feed her first and her next feeding is in 30 minutes. well i could pump...nah, i'll just try to feed her now... // 30 minutes later (the baby was taking her time, snacking on the breast. she fell asleep a few times along the way.) ... hop on the bike for a 25 minute loop around the neighborhood, up that hill that leads into the park and back home.

OFF TOPIC: Typing numbers is hard

You know what really grinds my gears??????

I'm a slow poke at typing numbers on a computer. I never learned to use the keypad thingee on the big keyboard. My laptop keyboard only has the numbers across the top. There is no home key for numbers. Therefore, I have to PAUSE and LOOK at the keyboard as I'm typing the numbers.

This grinds my gears.

Food Poisoning 1, Husband 0

The husband calls from work Thursday afternoon, says he's not feelin' so hot. Does he want to be picked up? Nope. He says he's pedaling home.

When he gets home, way later than usual, he says he went about 10 miles per hour (slow) the whole way home, and promptly goes to the bathroom to puke, and puke, and shit and puke some more.

After a torturous night, he does look a damn sight slimmer this morning. What great lengths for our little contest!

Trash haiku

From the husband...

96 days to get fast.

you will likely have no problem.

i may need the epo.

95 days left

I feel like the woman in the photo above, without the smirk.

The fitness competition between myself and my husband has commenced. I SHALL BE VICTORIOUS!