Dreary, drizzling, and driven.

Before I headed out this morning, I was drinking a cup of coffee with Birgit. I tell her about an article I read in May's "Outside Magazine." It is about a guy with OCD. He's driven to complete challenges. He sets a challenge, and "has to do it" "The incompleteness is like a sickness, he can't get over it" ......."But for now, he can't think about much else" "So he keeps trying"

Birgit says to me, "That sounds like you"
I say, "Hmmmmm"


It looked like rain and drizzle all day according weather.com. I was committed to ride regardless. On the way out of town I pedaled by Josh's apartment, my 23 year old, see if he made it home on payday weekend Saturday night out night, once a dad always a dad I guess. Josh is the type that works hard, plays hard. No car, so I figured that could be good or bad, good if he left his car parked and got a ride. bad if he was in jail. I figured it was item #1 and headed out to the country.

After just an hour I was soaked to the bone, my Bontrager rain jacked was all ready soaked through. Leg warmers, shorts, gloves, jacket and jersey all soaked through. After a couple more hours, I was froze. I could have dressed a lot better, seems I sometimes have to relearn how to read the temperature, wind, cloud cover and precipitation, all effect what are the right riding clothes to wear.





I kept the effort high, to try to keep the shivers away. After 32 miles I decided not to head to Field of Dreams as originally planned, I had 32 miles yet to get home, rain was coming down harder and my hands were numb, I was having trouble shifting gears my thumbs weren't working well.





Saging a ride wasn't an option, I needed this century to stay in the game, to get my 100, "McRides" in this year.





I ate my two energy bars early, hunger was hitting me, burning calories riding and trying to maintain body temperature.





The road was muddy, my tires were sticking, and sinking in, maintaining 12 mph was an effort. I finished my ride, made it home, turned on the furnace for the first time this season. I had too, I couldn't warm up. Dirt Metric Century #67 for the year. Probably the hardest century ride this year, it was a tough push, but I loved the feeling I had when I pulled into the house after completing the ride.





"Hmmm" Perhaps Birgit is right.

It's said this cut through the rocks was made with picks and wheel barrows in the 1800's to make way for the Railroad. All three of us were cold and wet, I was headed home to a warm house, they didn't tell me where they were headed.

RideOften,

DAve.