Raining S*$% Storm

After reading Susi's post about the rain gently "spitting" on her, I looked up at the skies and thought to myself -- it's ok if a little rain falls on me. Yesterday's workout was to be 4 sets of 10 min at 150-165 watts with some 5 min breaks in between. As I am wattage-less now, I thought I'd pedal by feel. I know what 150-165W feels like so I'll just do that.

First off, biking outside while doing wattage workouts is a WORLD apart from doing them on a trainer. It requires so much more mental focus. I didn't have time to look at potholes or gravelly bits, I was completely focussed on powering my way along. That is, ahem until the gentle spitting turned into a bloody torrential downpour. Rain was blasting me head on, sideways, from the top, from the bottom, everywhere. Trucks would drive by and I would get splashed by their crap. My feet froze and my hands had a hard time changing gears. Still, I slogged on.

I biked just over the BC/Alberta border and timed it just right -- my next set of watts would be going back up a hill into Alberta again. Here, the realization struck me -- today was one of those days where the winds are against you both ways. AAAARRRGGGHHH!! About 10 minutes later, I recognized my darling Mike's truck pull up on the shoulder. He got out and told me that the weather was even worse now and if I wanted a ride, hop in. I looked at my watch and saw that I had only completed 1 hour and 5 min. of my 90 min. workout. Can you guess what I did?? Of course you can!!! I decided to get thoroughly bloody drenched and bike all the way home.

Well, Mike was right. It was the coldest crappiest bike ride I have ever done. But, with the words of Gord ringing in my head, "A ride outside in the rain, is better than a day at work," I tried keeping a positive outlook. I learned a number of new skills yesterday -- Because my shades don't have windshield wipers, every vehicle that passed made me virtually blind. The caution I used to ride on wet pavement dissipated the colder I became -- I learned that I can blindly ride in aero through puddles big and small -- downhill too!

As I got closer to home, this song suddenly popped into my head -- Welcome to the Jungle by Guns N' Roses. Not the whole song, just the beginning of the song where Axel is screaming. Over and over again, I heard Axel screaming in my head. I felt so hardcore as I pedaled my way home. I even started screaming along with his voice in my head when I would get drenched by passing semis. I don't really like G n R, and I have no idea why this song emerged from my subconscious, but I tell you, it worked!! Hee-hee!!!!

I just posted the song for Keith's benefit!! By the way, Keith, I tried your natural drink and it was very good -- I am going to have to cut the salt a bit though and add more of a glug of OJ, like you suggested! :) :)

When I wheeled poor Madge onto my deck, she was covered in sandy dirt. So was I. I took off my clothes in the bathtub and rinsed them out. There was more dirt in there than when I take Diva and Toby to roll around in a coal pit. (Not that I ever want them to roll around in the dirt, but hey, they are dogs!) I washed off Madge and thank God for Mike -- he had made a bunch of pasta. I was starving at this point!!

I then went and stood on my bathroom floor -- it is heated. For those of you who have never stood on a heated floor -- OH MY GOD it is absolutely wonderful. My two cats sleep in there sometimes. I was so thoroughly pooped out by this time, that I crashed in bed and slept like a log. Whoo boy.