Getting Stupid For 112 Miles

Wisconsin got hit pretty hard and heavy with a heat wave this year.  The whole summer has been unusually hot, but things got ridiculous for a few days.  It's very, very rare for us to hit triple digits so having highs above 100 for nearly a week made for some tough days.

I'm not one to let the weather keep me from completing my workouts as planned so I continued as planned.  And, as is all too typical for me, I learned some lessons the hard way.

I've been wanting to do a 112 mile time trial for quite a while now (for some reason, Courtney giggles every time I say 112 mile time trial...I don't know why).  I decided the 4th of July was a great day to do that.  I chose to do it on Hwy 14.  Flat and fast with almost no stops.  I would head out 28 miles and then back and stop at my car just long enough to grab more water and then head back out 28 miles and back.  

When the forecast called for highs of 105 (it eventually hit 107) I decided I should get up a little earlier than planned and beat the heat.  

I'm an idiot.  Seriously.


[Sorry mom and dad, but you raised a moron.  At least Jen turned out fine.]

My bike is ready to roll.

 

Full on TT mode - skinsuit, shoe covers, aero helmet....it's like I put my brain in a jar and set it aside the second the heat wave hit.

Do you want to see what happens to your heart rate and power when the temp goes from 80 to 100+ while you're attempting to TT wearing a full-sleeve black skinsuit?

Power trends down, HR trends up.  That's what heat and dehydration will do to you. 

4:38:40 if you don't count the two times I stopped at a rest stop to get water and try to cool down.  4:58:28 if you count the stops.  One of these days I'm going to head back out there and repeat this TT and see if I can improve my time.  That day will NOT have a high of 105.  The time isn't bad considering the conditions, but it's a pretty fast course.  Take it with a grain of salt. 

Not looking so good after the TT.  I'm so glad Courtney made me get the AC in my car fixed this year.

On the way home I stopped at a gas station to buy some water.  I was feeling pretty rough and there was an old man in line in front of me.  The cashier rings up his stuff and then the old man digs into his pocket and pulls out a huge handful of change and starts counting.  Meanwhile, I'm behind him getting lightheaded.  The room is spinning and I'm losing my patience.  I need to sit down.  I almost paid for his stuff with my debit card just so I could get the hell out of there and sit down before I blacked out in line at the Kwik Trip.

I survived.  Made it home and spent the rest of the day on the beach.

The next few days were above 100.  I ran at lunch, swam at Devil's Lake, rode, etc.  Then that Saturday was the Janesville triathlon.....

Yeah.....I'm in there.