Wooo Weee it was hot! The forecast was predicting Temperature-Heat-Index values at 105-115. Alan saw 100 real degress on his thermometer during the ride. Don said that he was having problems inhaling at the last rest stop at about the 35 mile point. We were all really, really tired. I suspect more than a little of it was heat exhaustion.
The last 10 miles took it's toll on me too. I realized too late that I should have re-filled my water bottles with fresh _cold_ water. Although I drank a lot of water, 2 bottles + whatever I downed at the rest stops, the water in the bottles became hot. I mean _really_hot_ where it felt like lukewarm tea when I squirted it into my mouth. Yuck. Yes, it probably helped keep me hydrated, but it wasn't any good at helping to cool off. Thank goodness for that woman at the 40 mile point who was holding her lawn sprinkler out over the pavement. We could roll through that cool water and the breeze did it's thing and it felt wonderful.
I'm glad I rode it and I'm glad it's over.
This year the organizers of the Collin Classic had to design a new route. The old route came south on Highway 75 for the last 10 miles or so. Most of that road is now under construction and unpassable to our bikes. So they wound us around on the east side of 75, through housing developments in Allen, TX, then back across 75 so we could "experience" the thrill of the "three sisters". These three short, very steep hills run south at about the 30 mile point. They are aligned one after the other where the 1st two are steep and short and the third is long and not quite as steep. The third is the killer. After grinding up the 1st two, that last one sucks the life out of you. Luckily we didn't have to do the "Big Mother" or the "Brother" which are north and west of Mckinney, TX. Maybe the longer routes covered them, I don't know.
After the ride I was just too tired and hot to hang around Clark Stadium and enjoy the festivities. They had hot dogs, baked potatoes, and other food, music, drawings for prizes, other stuff. Luckily they handed out plastic bottles of spring water as we drove past the finish line. I downed most of mine in one gulp. We walked around looking for people we knew, then loaded our bikes and headed home for some R&R in the pool. Don and D'Ann stopped by and we cooled our heels in the pool and sat around enjoying a _very_relaxing_ time in the shade.
I discovered an odd problem with biking and the pool. My legs felt fine all through the ride. I had no stiffness or cramping or any real tiredness in my legs. That is, until I got in the pool. Within about 5 minutes after dropping feet-first into the deep end my legs started cramping. It was particularly bad in the back of my legs from my hips to my knees. When I bent my legs at the knees my legs would immediately cramp up and it was difficult to straighten them! As soon as I got out and started drying in the heat my legs would uncramp and I would be fine. I never experienced this before!
Memorable events