The week of the Fourth of July (Independence Day) was one of those rare super hot weeks on the...
Captain Barb (Image credit: Josh Snead)
The week of the Fourth of July (Independence Day) was one of those rare super hot weeks on the coast. Usually, if I want damp cool weather to ride in I just ride towards the ocean until the desired temperature is reached. There was very little escaping the heat this week. Since I had two races approaching that were bound to be hot and I have very little tolerance for the heat I decided to train when the day was at its hottest in an attempt to acclimatize.
The morning of the fourth was spent with Josh watching the local parade, complete with little league teams, drum and pipe bands, old army vehicles and an effigy of Dick Cheney in a jail cell.
My ride later in the day turned into somewhat of a disaster. To start with I flatted and much to my dismay and infuriation my spare was also flat, which lead me to spending way too much time in a small patch of shade on the side of a busy road patching my tube while attempting to redirect a river a sweat away from my eyes. Later when I intended to stop to refresh myself after my intervals, I found the store I was going to stop at, shut, this lead me spending a considerable amount of time in a restaurant trying to buy some water or ice or liquid of any sort so I didn't dry up before reaching home. Not the best ride by a long shot.
Things were bound to get better later in the day when Josh and I joined his Dad and some friends on his parent's sailboat, which they live on in Sausalito, to find the best spot for viewing the fireworks as well as avoiding some of the crowds. It is hard to imagine how cold it gets out on the water when everyone is sweltering on land, but I know enough to bring some extra clothing. We motored out, caught a chilly breeze, ate dinner and enjoyed fireworks from both Sausalito and San Francisco. By the time we docked we had even missed the Sausalito traffic exodus.
