it's a great book! these aren't the real agreements:

While riding the past couple days in the heat, I was really surprised by how well my body held up. Most of the time, while the day is warming up, I haven't realized that the temps have gotten about 100. If I keep on top of four things I do very well. First off is water. Drink even if I am not thirsty. Watch heart rate. I have seen great endurance when I can keep my steady heart rate about 135 bpm. It goes up under stress but I am looking for it to recover quickly back to around 135. By the end of the day, it gets higher and higher doing the same light work. 

Along with heart rate, I am watching cadence. I use my gears to keep my cadence around 85 rpm. That helps keep stress off my knees and legs and also keeps my heart rate low. It isn't always the most efficient gear, and going to keep me going longer. 

The other thing I have on the computer is calories burned. It reminds me to graze on things as I am riding and not wait till it's too late to replace calories. 

I think those 4 things have made it possible to be riding in the heat day after day. Oh and sunscreen. 

I tried again to leave early. I woke up to a flat tire. I can finally talk about my great luck with tires now that my streak has ended. It blows my mind that I have had only one flat in the years of riding my bike on the road. Granted I wasn't always riding when I could be, I still put enough miles on my bikes that I was surprised and never said anything out loud about it. 

I knew better than to leave on the trip with the set of tires that I had on the bike. They were great on everyday roads around the Bay Area and when I get back, I will put them back on a bike for that purpose. They didn't hold up to the torture of riding on the shoulder of a Highway. Or the freshly laid chip seal, except they were in the middle of sealing it. The 'goat head' thorns, or small steel fibers from blown out truck tires. 

Then you get into human error. It was hot!! I was hot standing in the sun. I changed a tire, ran my eyes and hands inside and out, thought maybe it was one spot that something had gone through. Well it wasn't that and I was changing the tube again within minutes. 

I was sick of fighting tires and made the decision to start fresh. I had to detour from my route to do it. 

I was hungry first and in Umatilla, OR. The bike shop was in Hermiston, about 8 miles away. I was passing by a couple and they were commenting about the heat and how crazy I was to be riding my bike and gear out here. I asked where to get some food. They sent me to the High School cafeteria. I was kind of hesitant at first and looked on my phone for another suggestion. Nothing else was much more appealing and decided to give it a shot. 

I was hot and had a light breakfast before leaving the campground. I walked in and they were just about to put everything away. Just in time! They said I could have whatever I wanted. 2 chocolate milks, piece of pizza, sandwich, salad, fruit, and cake! All for $2! It wasn't gourmet food and much better than the stuff on a Navy boat. 

I let things settle out and rode down to the bike shop. I was on a busy 4 lane almost highway. At some point I got up on the curb to look at my map to make sure I hadn't passed my turn off. A truck pulled up and a nice guy hands me my shoe and base layer shirt back. He said they fell off back a little ways. I didn't have my other shoe though. I was a good 5 miles from where I knew I had both shoes and wasn't going to turn back just yet in this heat. 

I rode on to the bike shop and wasn't surprised to find out that they only had one tire in stock that I wanted, in the size I wanted. I took that and then at least I could put my 'backup' puncture resistant tire on the other. 

I got a hotel room to get out of the heat, took the bags off the bike, changed the tires, and then went looking for my shoe. The bike was completely different without all the weight on it!  I was on the other side of the highway from where I would have dropped it and was trying my best to spot it. I went back to the school and turned around. On my way back, I found the shoe!!! Not too far from where I was given back the other one, but at least I found the shoe. A great feeling at the end of the day is taking off the cycling shoes and putting on something comfortable. It would have been a hardship until I replaced the street shoes!