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Lostby7 18 years, 2 months ago.
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I almost called Greyhounder (one of only 4 phone numbers in my cell phone; I hate cell phones) on Sat to beg for a ride.
I rode the Lake Mills Tyranena brewery bike ride (63 mile route) on Sat morning and as it turned out it was VERY HILLY, HOT, HUMID AND WINDY! Anyway that aside, it was also (IMHO) badly marked. At one point I got off course. I kept following the painted arrows on the road and was almost out of water (which is a disaster when riding in this type of heat) and expecting a rest stop for miles. Well, the paint announced one alright and it showed a turn into a church parking lot. EMPTY! There was no rest stop. I had somehow been following the directions on the road for another bike ride that had occurred a few weeks earlier.
I was so screwed. Thankfully there was a neighbor who gave me some water and said I was off the route map and about 15 miles off course. He said to take a right up there then a left then a right then another right….ya right. I was barely standing I was so light headed from the heat and I was supposed to follow those directions? I saw a sign for Fort a few miles back and asked him how to get there instead thinking it would be easier to either get a ride from Greyhounder or to call home and get a ride from my wife (who is an hour away).
The directions seemed easier….so I set off still light headed and somewhat lost….I got about 2 miles up the road when the man pulled up to me and FINALLY offered me a ride. He ended up dropping me off back on the route about 5 miles out of Lake Mills. I rode in the rest of the way and suffered from mild heat exhaustion the rest of the day. I ended up with about 70 miles instead and with a renewed hope that there are some decent people out there after all.
But it looks like I may have fared better than a bunch of runners in Chicago….or maybe I should have gotten fluids….
I so wished I had my GPS!!!!
Glad you are better today. We have bike mounts and use our receivers often while biking.
TEI had a bike mount for my old meridian gold(though the mount was huge) and I used my gps on almost every ride. I have a 60cx but really didn’t want another huge mount like the meridians.
Instead I got a mount for our vistaCX, it works great on the bike and the mount is probably one of the smallest you can get. I’ve got my autorouting and even my topo 2008 maps loaded, so I can really plan out a nice route when riding.I see garmin has a couple new cycle GPS, the edge 605 and the edge 705. These may have a few more features making them more like a cycle computer, but the price difference I think I would rather buy a color etrex and a bike mount.
@hogrod wrote:
I see garmin has a couple new cycle GPS, the edge 605 and the edge 705. These may have a few more features making them more like a cycle computer, but the price difference I think I would rather buy a color etrex and a bike mount.
We sell these at work but even at cost these are still VERY pricy.
I actually did have a GPS mount for my bike but returned it as I have been known to crash now and again…trashing my bike is one thing but trashing my GPS….now I just couldn’t live with myself after that. 😉
Your story brings back similar memories from our days doing all the 10k-half-marathon runs around here. Some were very well laid out, others…..
well, they had good intentions, I guess. I DNFed one race because of heat exhaustion, it just wasn’t worth it to me to keep going when I felt like that.I did see that someone died doing the Chicago Marathon this weekend due to the heat. Trekkin’ has run that marathon two or three times, and you just never know what kind of weather to expect this time of year. Glad you were able to get back into town and are here to tell the story today!
Your story reminds me of when I was about 11 or 12. I was asked to be in the Kenosha county parade, and to carry the American Flag. My folks dropped me off at the start and then went and met up with friends and family near the end of the 8 mile parade.
I don’t remember what month it was, and I couldn’t say what the temperature was. What I can tell you is that it was HOT, DAMN HOT! So hot in fact that the soles of my shoes were sticking to the blacktop. And there I was, walking 8 miles, in that heat, carrying an old heavy cotton flag, blowing in the breeze, wearing my dark blue, long sleeve cub scout uniform, and jeans. My scout leader had no water, and neither did I. Of course he was in a T-shirt and shorts.
I made it to the end of the parade. I think I had a headache for a week after that. For some odd reason, that was the end of my scouting days. I think maybe my parents held it against the scout leader?!?!? So much for Eagle Scout!
As soon as I got back to Lake Mills I downed a 1 liter recovery drink and a root beer. I waited (in the sun) in the food line for 20 minutes and when I got the food I could eat only three or four bites.
Getting home was a challenge as well. The 40 minute drive was almost too much for me…kept thinking I need to pull over and rest, I need to pull over.
When I did finally get home my head felt like it was going to explode and I would have sworn my temp was in the 100’s (it was only just above normal).
I took a three hour nap and then was finally able to eat the first food I’d had since breakfast some 10 hours earlier (save for 3 bites of dinner, an orange and a half at a rest stop and some Power Gel). After the nap, food and more water I started to feel better.
Long story short, keep other people in view, know the area AND bring a GPS!
Great story. Thanks for sharing.
Do you plan to change your caching name to “Lostby15” now?
zuma
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