A Long winded blog and mild hypothemia.

Sunday 21st January 2012

Cycling
02:48:08 - 41.61 Miles (14.80 MPH / HR Zone 2 / 75% Max / Cadence 79)

I set out on a planned 3HR ride with a lot of optimism as it looked like it was going to be a nicer day than I have experienced recently.  Oh how wrong can I be!

The first 1HR went really well and average pace was up around 17 MPH and the route was not flat at all.  it was a bit wet and the drizzle had soaked me but it was not cold or windy so it didn't feel too bad. At this stage the wet in the air and on the roads was starting to take it toll.  My feet were soaked, even though my new Overshoes are class, there is only so much they can take.  The waterproof gloves I was wearing were doing a great job at stopping the water getting in - except for one major flaw.  The water was running down my jacket arms and in to the gloves.  the waterproofing was now doing a great job at keeping the water in the gloves and they were rapidly filling up.  This was bizarre.

At around 30 miles I had to take a diversion because of a closed road and this added a few extra miles of very wet roads that I really could have done without.

By this stage the rain had picked up and the wind, which was very light earlier, was really blowing.
I was coping well with both the elements and the cold up to this point.

At around 35 miles I noticed a slow puncture on the front tyre and this made pushing in to wind even harder. 
By the time I got to Moira it was clear that I would have to stop and repair the puncture .  This is where things went pear shaped.  I stopped at a garage and realised that I was actually totally freezing and couldn't even get the valve cap off the wheel.  I took my gloves off and literally about half a pin of water came out of each glove.  My hands were totally numb and pretty blue.

I realised I had no chance of changing the puncture and decided to swallow my pride and call Keara to come and get me. 
The 15 minutes waiting for her to come were actually a bit scary as I think it is the closest I have come to feeling what hypothermia is like.  I had uncontrollable shivering and pains in my hands.
Thankfully Keara arrived with a coffee as well.  It was an absolute life saver.
A warm bath and some food and I was back to normal.

I feel a bit disappointed that I had to cut the ride short and also that I had to call for help - but things were not good.  I am however confident that if I had not got the puncture I would have made it home easily enough and I definitely felt like I worked hard today.