Coco-Cola Dreaming


I’m training for a ½ Ironman race in Venice Florida October 28th so my weekends for the next few months will be very predictable.  Long ride on Saturday, long run on Sunday, repeat until a couple weeks before the race.  There you have it.  This past Saturday I didn’t get out for the ride till later in the day and headed generally north.  Figured I would just head 22.5 miles where ever I felt like it, turn around and head home.  Had two large water bottles on the bike and figured I could make it on just that.  Turns out that was a bad idea.  I ended up riding through the small town of Mecca which I don’t normally ride to.  They have a monster hill just on the other side of town that knocked my energy level down a full notch.  Soon that road meets back up with highway 41.  Though about turning around there, but noticed a road I‘ve never ridden before heading south toward home (325W specifically).  So what the heck I headed down it.  About 3 miles down the road it turned into gravel.  Now I know why I’ve never ridden it before.  Had to turn around and head home the way I came so it added a few miles to the ride.  About this time I also finished off my first bottle and started on the second and last one.

With the unceasing heat this year I think my sweat rate is at an all-time high.  Bad news is the one bottle I had left was nowhere near going to satisfy my unceasing thirst.  About this time I started dreaming about a tall glass of ice cold Coca-Cola.    Like a desert crossing I was dossing out small sips to manage it all the way home with little to drink.  The last 10 miles of the ride I had a nice tail wind and some downhill roads where I should be flying along, but dehydration city limited my flying to something more a kin to a bust winged buzzard.   My mind was filled with images of ice and cola and nothing sounded as good as that.  Caffeine, sugar, oh yeah, bring it on. 

Well finally made it home in 2 hours 44 minutes for the 49 mile ride.  I slumped in the chair while my wife looked at me wondering what the heck was wrong with me.  Dehydration is obviously not my friend.  Well I never got the Coca-Cola until the next day for lunch.  Have to tell you, it was awesome.  Sometimes it’s the little things.  Next long ride I’ll need to factor in some extra change and a coke machine on the path.  

Comments

Ron said…
Dehydration City is just before Bonk Town...Glad you made it back :-)
July 31, 2012 at 7:08 PM
Paul Asay said…
Bonk town, why yes, I've visited it regularly this year. Not my favorite place however :-)
August 2, 2012 at 9:57 AM
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