In Which I Ride Off Into the Sunset

Art at Lowe Park frames setting sun.

It was very, very hot today. I went to church in the morning, and then played in the back yard with a grandson. After he went home, it was getting very hot and buggy, so next was nap time.

Then, my wife and I went to “The Black Panther” at the local second-run cheap movie theater. I’m a little late to that party, but it was a fine movie.

So it was after 8, and I had not biked today and wanted to get some miles in. So I got my road bike out, turned on the lights, and headed up to Lowe Park in Marion.

Honestly, while it was warm, the ride itself created a breeze, the sun was no longer bright, and it was past the hottest part of the day. Overall, I would say it was a good 13-mile ride, which I did in about an hour.

I hope to get more miles in tomorrow morning before the day gets fully hot. Sort of like a day of RAGBRAI.

On my way home on Boyson Road, pretty sky.

Hot Time In the Old Town Last Night

How did I feel during my ride Monday?

Well, there you have it. The heat finally got the upper hand, briefly and made me dizzy. It's a good reminder to be careful out there, I suppose. I had planned to do an early ride, but what with one thing and another didn't get on the road until close to noon.

I rode the along the Cedar Valley Trail north, then headed south. I only went as far as the ballpark park next to the power plant, where I had my boxed lunch, then I decided (it was getting past 4) to head home rather than continue this hot, hot ride.

By the time I neared McLoud Run Park on J Street, I was feeling a bit lightheaded. I stopped at the park to cool off for a while, rested, drank, and texted Audrey. She wanted to know whether to come get me, but I figured I would be OK with a few minutes rest.

As it turned out, I was right. But, I'll have to remember, on these hot days, to ride earlier, drink more and take it even easier. It could be a hot RAGBRAI this year, and I need to be ready for heat, but I also shouldn't overdo it.

Anyway, what feverish imaginings were running through my mind? A version of Katy Perry's song “Waking up in Vegas” was--I'm toying with re-writing the lyrics for a parody, the chorus of which would be something like: “Shut up and stick your feet back in your toe clips, that's what you get for waking up on RAGBRAI, stand up and squeeze the sweat out of your shirt now, that's what you get for waking up on RAGBRAI …”

Anybody want to make a spoof music video?

How to Ride in the Heat

Not that I’m an expert, but I do have some experience—especially today.

I rode on the Cedar River Trail t work, making my morning commute more on the order of 7 or 8 miles rather than 5. I started coming home around 1, and took the trail again—but added the loop around Cedar Lake, as a well as a 1 ½ mile trek north on the Cedar Valley Nature Trail, to make sure that I got at least 20 miles in today, since I was too busy to ride Saturday or Sunday.

So I rode 20 miles, 15 of them in the afternoon, when the area was under a “heat” advisory. The Banker’s Trust sign at Blairs Ferry and C Avenue said “100,” but I know from my winter rides that the bank’s thermometer is off by 5 to 10 degrees to the warm. The computer says it’s 92, and was 96 at the hottest point of the afternoon, and I suppose I should go with that.

How do I feel? Well, fine, but a little foolhardy. I was for sure “stretching it,” but being used to the heat is part of RAGBRAI prep, too, and that’s my story. Beats brain malfunction due to hot weather, right?

So, how did I ride in the heat? What are CR Biker’s rules for those fools—mad dogs and Englishmen—who will bake their behinds on a bike seat at 92 or 96 degrees?

1) Take water. Drink water. My rule was that every time I came to a stop, for any reason, I took a drink from the water bottle I was carrying. I also used every water fountain I passed that was working, although the only one working was at the Hiawatha trail head. But, I refilled my bottle, there, too, and had plenty to drink at MMU.

2) Stop and rest every once in a while. I shot some photos for my crgardenjoe blog along the way, of graffiti along the trail. Of course, I don’t need much of an excuse to stop and snap a photo anyway—but this little art interlude was partly deliberate, just to get off the bike, take some drinks and cool off. When I got 1 ½ miles out of town, I also stopped and sat for a few and drank most of the water I had gathered at the Hiawatha trail head.

3) Don’t forget to sunscreen. It’s the sunny part of the year and I was out in the sunny part of the day. My dad tanned fairly easily, but my mom was fair skinned. I’m in between—not as unlucky as some of my sisters who burn very easily, but I will certainly burn without sunscreen. I don’t think I burned today—because, yes, I remembered and used my sun screen.

4) Be an easy rider. No, don’t take off on a motorcycle. I mean where you might shift into “4,” it’s OK to use “2.” Take your time. No racing on a hot day—I was happy to “amble” on my bike. One advantage to biking is that, while you can pump hard and be Lance Armstrong, you can also pump lightly and be old Joe on a hot day. Take it from old Joe—today was a “and there’s Uncle Joe, he’s a moving kind of slow” day. And yes, a free earworm for those who remember 1960s sitcoms.

5) Dress like it’s hot. No, not shirtless—Arabs cover up for a reason. But light shirt and shorts. Saw some old people out today who seemed wildly overdressed. I suppose that’s more pleasant to see than old people wildly underdressed, but today was not a day for blue jeans or flannel, regardless of your age. I felt I was “hot appropriate” in my attire—modest (and I always try to be as a favor to the world), but shorts and a white cotton T shirt.

There you have, 5 rules that I hope will help you on your hot summer rides! As for me, I think I might actually be able to face the heat of RAGBRAI. It certainly felt like the last week of July in Iowa today!