In the Western sun (fiction (excerpt))

Then she'd step forward into him. She'd look up, he'd look down. They'd stand for a second, for an hour, like that on the front stoop in the humid air, and then he'd step back down a step, change hands, take hers, and they'd walk. Down the street. Then left. They'd walk for ten or fifteen minutes. Who could tell? They'd stop at a swing set in the park. The mothers and fathers and their children. They'd move when others came. He'd pick up the basket and they'd walk over to the teeter totters. They'd laugh and bump and fly. She'd almost fall off once. She'd bruise her ankle, her red hair shimmering in the Western sun. It'd be too busy there, then, in the park. Too many people to say hello to. Too many to notice. Too many to smile and half-wink. They'd walk separate then, for a time, hands dangling aimless, open, lost, finding a pocket, front or back. They'd keep it that way until he'd say, "I have an idea." And she'd say, "What?" And he'd say, "Follow me." And she'd say, "You think I won't?" And they'd set off at a run. 

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After watching "A Sunday In Hell" yesterday night (which I highly recommend - see the link in yesterday's post) I was strangely inspired to test myself. After all, if Eddy Merckx can do it, why not I. Yup. Will delusions never cease? Merckx would have ridden what I rode today about 20 minutes faster - his one hour record, on a fixed gear is 49.431 ks! Be that as it may, I did ride today. I set out into the Western sun at just after three. The heat and humidity were pretty high - it was at least 28'C with humidity that felt like 90% or more. I'd just had something to eat so I didn't think I'd need anything but water. I wasn't wrong about that. But I'm not sure that just water was enough.

I rode what some of us call "the Letellier Loop". In the future I believe we'll call it the "Windfarm Wander" or some such clever thing. Those St. Jo guys have already got signs up, proudly proclaiming the presence of that which is yet to come as if it is already fully there. Some delusions know no bounds.

Anyway, when I started the wind was about 12 ks NW, but I was foolish to think it might stay that way and push me along. By the time I got to the 201 it was coming in pretty much fully from the South, and at about 20 ks. So much for that advantage. At about that time I also realized that it was hot. Damn hot. And I was going to have to ride with a cross wind, or into the wind, for the rest of the ride. Isn't psyching yourself out a wonderful thing?!

I made it in spite of myself. Averaged 30.37 k/h for the 53 ks, which I rode in 1 hour and 49 mins (including a turn around to go back home to get a second water bottle).