Riding, heat increasing

The weather is definitely showing a strong propensity for following the forecast this weekend - just when I wish it would head in the other direction. Hot, hot, humid!

I was glad for the heat and sunshine on Friday. It signaled an end to a wet and threatening week, and it gave me a wonderful day for a commute by bike. By this time of the year I am usually riding my bike to work three days a week; this week and last my commute days numbered one (each week).

But my weekend rides have been hard. Not hard because of distance or terrain, but because of the heat and humidity. Yesterday's ride was more problematic. I felt slow and my energy level was much too low. I don't think I can blame that one on the weather though; I really believe that my slow ride was dogged by lack of sleep. For some reason I woke up at 5 in the morning, and that was it for sleep. Ouch!

Today's ride was much more enjoyable, even though I could feel the waves of heat coming off of my body. And as soon as I stopped riding, the sweat just started pouring.

Tomorrow's forecast is for more of the same. My plans are to ride to work but I wonder if that's a really dumb idea given the forecast published by the National Weather Service:

"Widespread haze. Partly cloudy, with a high around 95. Heat index values as high as 104. West wind between 3 and 6 mph".