Wet Ride!

It's been a wet year. Our 2023 drought is sure over! I had a wet long ride with my cutie on July 4th, and then some SOAKING 3x5 mile intervals just over a week later. My most recent ride was also a wet one.

On Thursday, it was drizzly. The morning news and my Weather Channel app both said the rain would stop around 9:30 a.m. for a few hours, and then kick back off later. So I took off in a light drizzle a little after 9 knowing it would let up shortly...

... but it never let up. It just started raining harder.

I was going to just get in a moderate distance / moderate speed ride, but I didn't want to get too far from home with the rain falling so hard. So I decided to double back after 7 miles and do 2 harder 5-mile intervals (1 interval back to home, and then the 2nd riding away from home).

The FIRST INTERVAL was kind of into the wind, and it was up Cleveland where there's decent traffic and stoplights ever half-mile. So it wasn't fast: 14:14, 21.1 mph (20.9 mph halfway, down to 20.6 through the heart of Highland Park, then raising it on not-as-slow roads).

The SECOND INTERVAL was faster: I rode along the river where MN laws say I just need to be ABLE to stop (not HAVE to stop) at stop signs along that stretch - and there are few roads that cross that road, so it's faster, safer, and has fewer stops. And it was more with the wind (and rain). Number 2 was 12:56, 23.2 mph (23.5 mph halfway before slowing more on rougher roads around Hwy 5).

Then I kept going and did the "River Road / Shepard Road / Summit Ave" loop that I like to do. I bascially had 19 miles done, and then did the final 12 miles of that loop.

Heart rate and speed. More sporadic at the end coming down Summit Ave.


Highlighting the 2 intervals.


Back at home: my sidewalk was UNDER WATER and you can see
the raindrops falling. So much for "no rain for these 3 hours!"


Completely soaked feet inside.




About to shower 5 mins later, and I noticed my hair
was "parted" by raindrops through my helmet vents.