First Friday evening didn't go as planned. Something felt off and work felt on. After leaving the office I covered the couch for the evening "resting up" for Saturday. Friday dinner was limited calorie soup after burning and then cutting the roof of my mouth earlier this week. I'm on self imposed soft foods until it heals.
Saturday morning something still felt off; and it just devolved from there. I managed to eat a banana for breakfast. And that was it for the day. In the afternoon a migraine joined in the party. I kept three Advil and water down for a half hour nap and then woke up to throw up. Then fever and chills joined in for the party. It was a long evening meditating away a migraine. Meditation involves slowly rolling my head. I rolled enough to mediate pain and slowed or stopped as necessary to avoid puking. Talk about a delicate balance. Sleep finally settled in for the evening.
Sunday morning was normal enough for auto-pilot routine to kick in. I weighed in at 192lbs, a new low for my adult life. On the bike by nine I briefly considered coffee and oatmeal at Starbucks and then kept pedaling south on the trail. I nibbled a Honey Stinger bar while rolling.
The American Tobacco Trail (ATT) was pleasantly busy with Sunday morning bikers and runners. I stopped to move this little guy off the trail:
He was the poisonous variety and fortunately very docile; cold I suspect. He was laying out to soak up sun. Unfortunately that meant laying in the middle of the trail. The volume of people and kids around didn't seem like a good combination so I helped him off the trail.
I found the south end of the trail, headed north, and then followed bike lanes and greenways to Lake Crabtree. The lake looks low this early in the year.
Making my way around Umstead I opted for another lakeside repose. My neighbor to the right had to cut their relaxation short due to illegal parking. Ah the benefits of biking. I didn't quite catch a nap but the downtime was great.
I stopped at Umstead water station to fill up. A guy there was checking out my setup. He then asked if I was training for Tour Divide. The guy was Tony Cervati from Type1Rider.org. I must be doing something right if he can guess my goal by my setup. That also speaks to the unique nature of the event and the requisite combination of gear.
After good conversation the miles beckoned. Lake Crabtree looked nice in the afternoon sun.
The beavers have been hard at work along the White Oak Creek Greenway.
This stretch is always a welcome site as home is nearby. Shade from the trees is also great. Its a cozy little section of trail.
And finally the setting sun from atop the last hill on the way home. I frequently enjoy the sunset vista from this location. It's either the view or the proximity to home and most likely a little of both.
Today's ride was just to be in the saddle pedaling. With recent calorie deficits I only wanted to be moving and accumulating saddle time. Friday was light on calories but I don't know how light. Saturday I ate one banana. Sunday I consumed 1160 calories while burning 6600. I had Recoveite immediately after ride and chicken noodle soup after fetching it from the grocery store. I'm happy with 85 miles after being sick and calorie deprived.
I really noted benefits of the new Ergon Pack today after adjusting it to my newly hollowed waist. The pack holds weight on my hips rather than shoulders. I moved the water bladder into the frame bag so the bag isn't terribly heavy but still noticeable. I look forward to riding with more weight to see the weight-on-hips idea hold up, literally.
My only other new variable for today was shoe soles. I removed the flat insoles from and replaced them with Specialized soles that should support my foot better. I didn't notice significant difference but I'll reserve judgement given the other extremities of the day.
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