Riding through the rain
Last week, work destroyed me. I was basically catatonic Friday night. I couldn't really think of anything to say to anyone I ran into after work. I was exhausted and my brain had shut down. At some point during the night I was out on Lake Union and a whole series of ships had burst into flames. Fire engines went cruising on by, and all the while it all went in my eyes and never got processed.
I barely had any sleep all last week, so I thought I'd sleep the deep sleep of the just on Friday night, but I awoke early on Saturday as usual. It's the one day of the week I desperately want to sleep in and can't. The weather was gray and drizzly, and while I had committed to Tim that I'd ride a long ride with him, secretly I was hoping for a rainout. I was awake but my body was asleep.
So when he called and said it was raining where he was and asked me whether or not I still wanted to ride, I of course logically said yes. My longest ride all season was about 60 miles, so of course we decided to do a 100, consistent with the doctrine of gradual increases in mileage.
The first half of the ride we got drenched. It's my fifth winter in Seattle, and I've realized it's not the severity of the weather in Seattle (it's one of the mildest climes I've lived in) but the duration of the gray season which slowly wears out all but the sunniest of personalities. We were cold, wet, and covered in mud from the road. Even worse, because of the backspray from out back tires, neither one of us could draft off of each other so we had to expend a ton of energy.
We had to stop for food and warmth at a Subway in Enumclaw. The second half of the ride, the sun poked out on occasion. By then my legs were shot and it took an eternity to make it home.
Eight hours on the road, 104 miles, a pair of sore legs.
So Sunday morning I woke up early again and thought it was strange that I had only needed seven hours of sleep. I picked up Lucky Jim, read about five pages, and passed out with the nightstand light on for two hours and dreamt about work. I dreamt I was in a huge and unproductive meeting with a whole bunch of my co-workers, and at the peak of my frustration I woke up.
I leave for my sister's wedding Wednesday, and I can't wait.
I barely had any sleep all last week, so I thought I'd sleep the deep sleep of the just on Friday night, but I awoke early on Saturday as usual. It's the one day of the week I desperately want to sleep in and can't. The weather was gray and drizzly, and while I had committed to Tim that I'd ride a long ride with him, secretly I was hoping for a rainout. I was awake but my body was asleep.
So when he called and said it was raining where he was and asked me whether or not I still wanted to ride, I of course logically said yes. My longest ride all season was about 60 miles, so of course we decided to do a 100, consistent with the doctrine of gradual increases in mileage.
The first half of the ride we got drenched. It's my fifth winter in Seattle, and I've realized it's not the severity of the weather in Seattle (it's one of the mildest climes I've lived in) but the duration of the gray season which slowly wears out all but the sunniest of personalities. We were cold, wet, and covered in mud from the road. Even worse, because of the backspray from out back tires, neither one of us could draft off of each other so we had to expend a ton of energy.
We had to stop for food and warmth at a Subway in Enumclaw. The second half of the ride, the sun poked out on occasion. By then my legs were shot and it took an eternity to make it home.
Eight hours on the road, 104 miles, a pair of sore legs.
So Sunday morning I woke up early again and thought it was strange that I had only needed seven hours of sleep. I picked up Lucky Jim, read about five pages, and passed out with the nightstand light on for two hours and dreamt about work. I dreamt I was in a huge and unproductive meeting with a whole bunch of my co-workers, and at the peak of my frustration I woke up.
I leave for my sister's wedding Wednesday, and I can't wait.