![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mountainbikebill.com\/blog\/wp-content\/imagescaler\/e3c91acd3b78238740b0aa5a1fbdbf3c.jpg?resize=840%2C560\")
\nThis was the only smile Aqua would make on this climb.<\/p>\n
Okay, so we San Diego folk are self-admitted “weather weenies”, particularly us coastal types.\u00a0\u00a0 You get us out of our typical weather of 65-75 and sunny for more than a few days we start whining like a jet turbine.\u00a0\u00a0 There was a lot of noise happening this week.<\/p>\n
Wednesday, I met Steve for an after work MTB stoke at Anderson Truck Trail.\u00a0\u00a0 I knew it was going to be warm as this was our first really hot day of the year.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I was ready with extra fluids and electrolytes.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 When I pulled into the trailhead the temp gauge in my truck read 100 degrees.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 My first thought was that can not be right.\u00a0\u00a0 Within seconds of stepping out of the truck, I knew my truck was not lying to me.\u00a0\u00a0 Really rough but manageable was my overall assessment for the upcoming ride.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 As I’m pulling out all my gear, I realized I had left my cycling short, shirt and socks at home.\u00a0\u00a0 I normally keep an emergency stash of\u00a0 cycling clothes stashed\u00a0for just such an occasion.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Opening up the under seat compartment revealed that I had not resupplied my stash after the last time I forgot my digs.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Crap, I\u00a0was in my work clothes which would not do at all and\u00a0my after ride\u00a0clothes consisted of a heavy black cotton Tee-shirt and a thick pair of cotton shorts.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I\u00a0did find a\u00a0dirty cycling\u00a0socks that I missed taking out of truck after the last ride so they were called back into service.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The cotton shorts and T-shirt would be the apparel for the day.<\/p>\n
\nThis was the only smile Aqua would make on this climb.<\/p>\n
It was readily apparent that these clothes were not going to help me out much at all.\u00a0\u00a0These\u00a0was zero cooling happening with this outfit\u00a0and it was\u00a0blistering already.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The heat of this climb makes you suffer pretty good on its own but the my stifling apparel took it to a whole new level.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I thought about just not wearing a shirt at all, but\u00a0even high SPF sunblock would not be able to help my glowing white-boy torso\u00a0out whatsoever.\u00a0 I would have been\u00a0fried in no time so the shirt\u00a0stayed on.\u00a0\u00a0 I have to take lots of breaks and had to spin in the granny\u00a0ring\u00a0for the overwhelming majority of the climb.\u00a0\u00a0 Even with lots of breaks, by the time I reached the top I could feel I was close to some heat stress coming on.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Amazing\u00a0what the right apparel can do for you – More importantly what the wrong apparel can do to you as well.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mountainbikebill.com\/blog\/wp-content\/imagescaler\/574b61c234d21c5b23ac2dc53f18b0d6.jpg?resize=703%2C911\")
<\/p>\n
After cooling down as much as to be\u00a0expected\u00a0\u00a0I felt better and we set off on the\u00a0descent.\u00a0\u00a0 Steve was doing just fine, but I soon realized that I was off-game.\u00a0 My reaction time\u00a0was off just a little bit and on this terrain that can cause problems.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I made a point to\u00a0stay well within my normal limits.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mountainbikebill.com\/blog\/wp-content\/imagescaler\/8a4284738c0de5237046dadf81626408.jpg?resize=607%2C911\")
<\/p>\n
Brian soon joined us,\u00a0 he started later in the day,\u00a0 so he did not get as cooked as we did, but it was still freaking hot.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 By the time we finished up the ride, it had cooled off to a “balmy” 90 degrees which felt pretty descent after what we had already suffered through.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I was pretty much a wreck and completely drained.<\/p>\n
The following day was the San Diego Mountain Biking Associations annual Beer and Burrito ride.\u00a0\u00a0 I was still feeling a pretty beat from the heat the day before, but\u00a0I had volunteered to\u00a0help with pictures so I could not back out.\u00a0\u00a0This was a work for your supper event where you do a\u00a0ride and then got to kick back with a\u00a0tasty burrito from Chipotle<\/a> and some tasty brews from Lagunitas<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Over the course of the day leading up to the event the temps start to drop and a monsoon storm started to peculate.\u00a0 It was\u00a0 cloudy with ominous rumblings in the sky in the distance.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 This event was capped at 70 RSVPs and it looked like everyone of them made it out.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0There were lots of new faces and lots of folks I had not seen in a really long time.\u00a0 It was good times before we even started rolling.<\/p>\n In the middle of the ride, we actually got rained for awhile.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 It nice to get the trail patted down right in front of us.\u00a0 The rain did not last long but it was certainly enough to register as “rain” for San Diego.<\/p>\n Before long we had all did enough to qualify for dinner and the with rain gone, it was time for some kicking back and socializing for a couple of hours.\u00a0\u00a0 It was a mighty fine event.\u00a0\u00a0 A good chunk of the photos from the event are on SDMBA’s facebook page<\/a>.<\/p>\n Friday and Saturday were\u00a0back to the summer toastiness, so\u00a0Mark and I planned on beating the heat with a crack of dawn ride and the San Clemente Singletracks (aka weekpatch).\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Sunrise was at 5:52 so we met at 5:45 and were rolling at 6:00AM.\u00a0\u00a0 The morning temps were cool and\u00a0the \u00a0marine layer held off the sun long enough that it was just starting to think about punching through as we finished up the ride.<\/p>\n It felt pretty wierd being done with my ride so early in the day.\u00a0\u00a0 I’ll finish of the weekend with a little bit of honey-dos and a lot of lounging (in the shade).<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mountainbikebill.com\/blog\/wp-content\/imagescaler\/63f992d2d0651911aaa87925a7234ad0.jpg?resize=840%2C560\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mountainbikebill.com\/blog\/wp-content\/imagescaler\/f7e0695303d350bab9b25b0a3e1ed8c7.jpg?resize=840%2C560\")
\nAt a regroup spot<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mountainbikebill.com\/blog\/wp-content\/imagescaler\/35fdd8dbe8e60260e9a3e12b9b6b4a85.jpg?resize=607%2C911\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mountainbikebill.com\/blog\/wp-content\/imagescaler\/1238fabf0b1ddf75e3f73bb5dcc7d7a9.jpg?resize=607%2C911\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mountainbikebill.com\/blog\/wp-content\/imagescaler\/bbd89e4b36d16983c7dede0b0f034725.jpg?resize=840%2C560\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mountainbikebill.com\/blog\/wp-content\/imagescaler\/3c3009c962d67ce6708c3717293e656a.jpg?resize=607%2C911\")
<\/p>\n