#memorialday2022

May 30, 2022

Oooh Wee The HEAT! 

Monday’s heat gave us the blues! The UV was HIGH for what seemed like most of the day. Yesterday was bright, but there was enough cloud coverage to keep it cool- especially while riding under the shade of the foliage at Rock Creek Park. 

Riding from Bladensburg Waterfront Park does leave you exposed for a good portion of the ride. The heat just sat on you and hitched a ride, all without saying Thank You. The heat was draining but luckily there were some areas where we caught nice breezes. 

People Were Out

The Anacostia area was packed especially near the pool and skate pavilion.  The trail wasn’t crowded with pedestrians even though there were a lot of cars in the parking lot. I’d never seen so many cars in the area before today. 

I Made It Back to The Car

While I was able to feel yesterday’s ride still, I was able to come out of the saddle on each incline in addition to maintain a nice pace. My heart rate was up, and we incorporated three breaks into the ride to make sure we were hydrated due to the heat and UV. Again, due to the layout of this trail, my speed was higher, and I felt no fatigue. 

May 29, 2022

Weather

Sunday was NICE! The morning started off in the 80s but stepping outside didn’t feel like a chore. The air was cool even though the sun was shining. 

Rolling around the DMV

The festivities were beginning in my neighborhood and people were doing the right thing by loading up their ATVs to ride on trails. I495 / I95 were a mess! There was high volume, and I was under the impression most people had already arrived at their destination, but I was wrong. 

Destination Rock Creek Park

Alas, we arrived! As soon as we mounted our bikes and went down the first hill, a car was behind me and my visor flew off as I was trying to keep speed (yes, I know I should’ve worn a helmet, but rigid headgear isn’t a part of my wardrobe given my current hairstyle. For now, I’m wearing cycling caps and a visor. So, my visor flies off and I hit the first left which is an even steeper decline, hit a U-turn and come out of the saddle quickly to return to my crisp white visor that probably has tire tracks at this point. I’m only out of the saddle for about 20 seconds and my legs are tired when I land back on the saddle...

Revelation

I’ve been thinking about the differences in the areas where I cycle, and I think I’ve figured out why I cannot ride at least 15 miles at Rock Creek. This area, compared to my Bladensburg route (heading to the Douglas Bridge and Audi Field) contains more hills. I can ride and come out of the saddle on the hills and as soon as I sit back on the saddle my legs feel fatigued. I may be able to attribute this “fatigue” to back-to-back cycling days. 

The odd thing is that while the fatigue is noticeable, it doesn’t prevent me from coming out of the saddle later on during the ride.