Today while I was out doing my 40 mile training ride, I had a sudden flashback to riding through Louisiana while on the Southern Tier. This happened frequently on the trip, where I would look around and comment that the terrain and plant life looked exactly like one of my rides in Texas. Today's flashback was caused by realizing that the fields on either side of me were rice paddies- I guess my first clue should have been that I was riding on rice field road, but somehow, since they weren't planted the last time I rode past, I never made the connection. A short distance later, I realized that instead of corn and cotton on either side, I had sugar cane on one side and rice paddies on the other, and that the road surface was chip seal. It was deja vu all over again. The only thing missing were the crawfish holes and towers. I'm not sure why they weren't around, it certainly seems like the right sort of area and agriculture for them but nary a one was seen.
The ride was lovely and although the weather is increasingly hot and sticky, the headwinds are still relatively dry and almost cool enough to feel welcome. I have finally figured out how to get a "halo" band on under my helmet which means that I no longer am riding in eye tearing agony as the combination of sweat and sunscreen run into my eyes. It doesn't quite solve the problem entirely since apparently I sweat enough in the area below my eyebrows and above my eyes to make up for any thing coming off the forehead, but at least the sunscreen sting is gone.
For the last two 40 mile distances, I have been able to maintain a healthy 16.9 mph average, in spite of having to stop for stop signs, traffic lights, and turning drivers. This is a positive result from the training I did for the cross country ride, and of the cross country ride itself as it means that I can cover longer distances in a shorter amount of time. On the other hand, because my body has increased in efficiency, I am burning fewer calories per hour than ever before. My average hourly burn has gone down from 400 to 300, which means that even though I am riding further, I am not burning as many calories. Since one of the reasons I enjoy riding is that I ride so that I can eat , this makes it harder to dial back on the eating.
Sigh......
The ride was lovely and although the weather is increasingly hot and sticky, the headwinds are still relatively dry and almost cool enough to feel welcome. I have finally figured out how to get a "halo" band on under my helmet which means that I no longer am riding in eye tearing agony as the combination of sweat and sunscreen run into my eyes. It doesn't quite solve the problem entirely since apparently I sweat enough in the area below my eyebrows and above my eyes to make up for any thing coming off the forehead, but at least the sunscreen sting is gone.
For the last two 40 mile distances, I have been able to maintain a healthy 16.9 mph average, in spite of having to stop for stop signs, traffic lights, and turning drivers. This is a positive result from the training I did for the cross country ride, and of the cross country ride itself as it means that I can cover longer distances in a shorter amount of time. On the other hand, because my body has increased in efficiency, I am burning fewer calories per hour than ever before. My average hourly burn has gone down from 400 to 300, which means that even though I am riding further, I am not burning as many calories. Since one of the reasons I enjoy riding is that I ride so that I can eat , this makes it harder to dial back on the eating.
Sigh......
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