Caution: Don’t read this post if you don’t want to know what I did in the shower.

Yesterday I actually rode my bike. Outside. On a real road. While riding I made a couple of observations. One, riding outside on the road is different than riding in the garage on the trainer. And two, my neck gets just as tired as my legs.

We had great weather Saturday and I would’ve lost my USAT card had I not gone out for a ride. I did 30 miles on Highway 54. Hwy 53 is a little hilly and there was a decent cross wind, the kind that makes you swerve when the gusts hit you. Also, for whatever reason, Hwy 54 is always littered with dead armadillos, and they stink something fierce.

The above is the elevation chart but I’m pretty sure each of those points represents a dead armadillo.

I wore my racing kit, because, you know, train how you race. It has two small pockets in the back. I put my iPhone in a sealed baggie, then into one of the pockets. I had a Power Bar in a baggie in the other pocket. The latter was a bad idea. It got all melty and when I pulled it out to eat it literally looked like a turd.

When I got home I got into the shower, racing kit and all. So, I’m getting all showered off, washing my hair, my bod, and all that, and then I take off my kit and start rinsing it out and I feel something rectangular and hard and for a split second I’m like, “What in the world?” but then I remember. My beloved iPhone! Crap! Well, long story short I’m singing the praises of Wal-Mart store brand sandwich bags. The iPhone was dry and in perfect working order.

As for my second observation, I heard once that the guys who do the Race Across America, at least the solo riders, are known to stretch duct tape from their helmets to their backs to help hold their heads up. I think that’s what I need. I just want to hang my head down and look at my top tube, but I’m sure if I did I’d run over an armadillo. I’m going to look for some solutions to the sore neck and back. It may be a bike fitting, but it may just be more training.

I was dissappointed in how I rode. I only averaged 15.9 MPH. My goal for Louisville is 17 MPH over the 112 mile course. So, yeah, I have more work to do. I was encouraged though today when I ran. I did 5 miles and on the treadmill and my legs felt fine, but I’m pretty sure running outside is different from running in the TV room on a treadmill.

Well, I’ll get back to posting my workouts soon since that went over so well last time. I had up to 2 people who thought about posting a comment, probably.