Friday, April 29, 2011

Epic Weather

Has it ever been an epic spring for crazy weather. Actually enjoying it quite a bit; it would be nice to pick up on tanning where I left of in South Carolina, but that can wait.

Yesterday was the best day yet! Wind guests of over 100km/h are quite fun to hammer straight into.

I took flight out the door with my bike, on a mission to hammer out some 30sx30s type intervals + some 5 sec sprints, no matter what the wind was sayin. Figured I'd cruise out to NOTL with the tailwind, then get all my intervals in on the way back, into the wind. It was crazy when I left home, but not at the point where shingles were taking flight and trees and fences were being pushed over. I think it was the worst right after I crossed the canal and entered some flat vineyards. Wind was hitting me from behind so hard that I coasted up to 70km/h!!! It was nuts, terrifying actually...cause I would get hit by crosswind guests and have to lean way over, while trying to keep it straight. I only went out 5ish km, before I decided to try and take the wind head on. HOLY F&$K it was tough. Put it in my smallest gear, got as aero as I could, then chugged along. My helmet flipped back a couple times, and I got blown in to the ditch 3 times! I didn't actually fall, but I had to unclip and hop the water to keep my feet dry. Definitely felt like I was wasted, but had super sober recovery ability.

So after some good tempo back to the canal, I turned into the crosswind, thinking the canal path would be good to do some work. Decided the actual path was too exposed so I used the road next to it, which is sheltered by the bank of the canal, and small forest on the other side. The road was covered in branched, but it worked well. Got my intervals done going up and down that streach of road several times, then headed home.

On the way back to my house I noticed that trees had been uprooted all around, some were huge ones that pop'd up sections of sidewalk. A few were down on my street, and my neighbors fence was leaning way over, but my house was fine, excluding a few shingles that broke off, which were about to be replaced anyway.

Found out later that the winds were far more ferocious than I knew. A school near my house had its roof blown right off! Traffic lights snapped right off, and their poles spun around. A building downtown lost its roof and of coarse, the power went out. Survived the night without it, keeping myself amused by playing with candle wax.

Feeling relieved right now, as of the completion of my exams and my first year of college. Lots of free time now, gonna be so easy to train!

Heading to Mansfield tomorrow for a pre-ride.....first time I've ever pre-rode that course. Might help a little, especially since the trails around are unreadable swamps.

See ya there!

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