Although meteorological/astronomical summer is still in full swing, my colleagues would likely say "summer's over". Life has gotten to be rather hectic the last several weeks, so I'm thankful for the time that I do get out to ride. Keeping up with the Century a Month has been important for my mental and physical well-being, but the rides are feeling harder lately. As much as I love those mountain photos from Japan, I'm thankful to not be climbing them!
I may yet ride a few more long rides this September, but I wanted to be sure to get the official Century ride checked off the list. The forecast for the days here in central Texas are still averaging right around 95-99°F, with heat indices well over 100°F. I set my alarm for 6:00am, but had no complaints when I awoke earlier. I was out the door before my alarm would have rang, complete with a cup of coffee and a hearty breakfast (sourdough toast and bananas).
Although I'm anxious to get back into the Hill Country routes, I wanted to be sure to finish riding before the heat (and the sun) became too intense, so I angled out into the prairies. It was dark and traffic was mostly non-existent, so I rode along the shoulders of the state highways for a change. By and large, it was a simple reversal of my usual route, following the San Marcos River and coming in backroads to Kingsbury. From there, I pushed towards Seguin, where options for shops are plentiful -- at mile 45, I ended up with just a 32oz Powerade to get me through, nothing more sounded appetizing.
From Seguin, I took advantage of the developing southerly winds to sail northward back towards home, knowing I'd fall short of the century; I knew that I would be getting hungry, and wanted to schedule a lunch stop. At mile 70, I stopped for my first ever Schlotzsky's Deli sandwich (an Austin original) -- I ordered a medium, but it was enormous! I should have taken a picture. I forgot to start my GPS on the way out, costing me a few logged miles.
Lunch was perfect and I felt rehydrated, but the heat was getting predictably hard to handle. My pace slowed a bit as I settled into the popular local loop around York Creek. From there, a detour through the Hunter's Hill neighborhood added a modest bit of climbing, and rounded me up towards 95 miles. I was rationing my water bottles at that point, but knew it was just a few miles home. Tomorrow's Labor Day, and though many folks are planning rides and festivities, I'm looking forward to working as far ahead as possible: I'm glad I took the time to ride this morning!
