It is with considerable disappointment that I have postponed my bicycle tour. I was to embark this Thursday and be on the road for eight days. But, if you have been paying attention to the regional weather - IT HAS BEEN FREAKIN' HOT. June records for high temps have been broken all through the northwest. Yakima, which would have been my second day, is normally averaging about 84F this time of year. Not so this year.
And the heat wave is very sustained. It started really kicked up about June 23rd and will not break until July 14th or so!
It took me about a week to reach the decision to postpone the tour. Back and forth, back and forth, go, don't go, go, don't go. I really struggled with the decision. Its just really difficult, after all you have planned for and trained for (six months!) - to deal with the disappointment. All the miles trained (1000 miles year to date), all the planning, all the expenses, all the support given from family - seem now for naught. I have to keep reminding myself that the decision not to go was based on extreme weather conditions and was mostly tied to being safe on the ride (um... heat stroke not fun). Also- how fun would a tour be if the weather is at the extremes? Sure- we do like challenges in our rides, but the ride would have become all about the heat and managing the issue.
Ack! Ugh! WTF!
Now in a way, it back to the drawing board. I need to re-plan the tour, re-plan my training (yah how to maintain my current level of fitness for another two months, w/o getting burned out?) and refocus the mind to that future date, to be determined, that is the "go day". Back to the start in a sense and then to just keep moving forward - all the while not loosing my motivation and not just deciding to bag it all in since one is tired - of the now months long commitment.
Ack! Ugh!
You can tell I'm not in the best state right now.
Ack!
I guess I do feel some comfort in knowing that given the heat wave locked over the northwest right now, me sidekick and certainly Luna will not have to fret and worry about me slogging all through that awful heat. This was a big factor in my decision to postpone - I did not want the family to worry. They are super supportive - but sometimes we can ask too much of the clan.
Ok. Fine. This to shall pass.
As of this morning, I do have a new plan and new dates. The tour will be 90% the same and the dates are in the early September time frame. It will be cooler then for sure. And it gives me some time between now and then to further improve my fitness and also fine tune my gear list. There were a few items I could not secure for the tour since I simply ran out of time. Now, anybody know where I can order a spoke oiler?!
Cheers!
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