102 degrees on the truck thermometer last night at 6:00 as I pulled into the trail head parking lot at Magnolia. It didn't feel any hotter than 95 did the evening before at FM but the idea of riding when it's that hot that late in the day makes me wonder if I've got any sense at all.
At the TT Tuesday about half a lap in I began to think about what would happen if I had a heart attack while out there. That's not something younger riders even consider and I don't dwell on it very often but when it's that hot and I'm pushing myself the thought did creep in my mind. Let's see, I'd left my cell phone in my pack back at the start and the rider going off behind me was Rupe which didn't make me feel any better. So I backed it down a little. Still took a few seconds off my previous time but got stomped by a new old guy who stole my (imaginary) 50+ crown. It's fun to go that hard once in a while and Rupe seems to enjoy it even though he's not even breathing hard at the finish I suspect he's got a lot more in the tank that he's not using. Speaking of Rupe he bailed on two of the rides this week and the group asked about him. When I told him he was missed it made him sorry he didn't make the ride. It's hard at that age to know what to do, I remember how it was.
I can't believe it's the end of July already. Everybody complains about the heat but I know I'll miss the long daylight and the evening rides without having to use lights. The year seems to pick up speed after August and rolls fast to Christmas. Bonnie Rait has a song with the line "times seems so precious when you've got less of it to spend" or something like that. Anyway the point is to make the best of it even if it's not always comfortable.
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