Cool-hand Mike...

Strange photo for a cycling-related blog, or maybe any blog for that matter, I know. But there is a point to it. It might have been more obvious if I could have photoshop'd some steam rising off my paws, like you might see in a cartoon. It seems some super-heat has come back to the region after a few relatively cool days, and the first thing I do when I get back in after a ride in this kind of heat - run some nice cold water over my hands. Before the recovery drink, before the shower (assuming one is available), this is what I do. When I was making the 12 mile ride into Rancho Cucamonga everyday, and lacked a shower, my hands quickly found that faucet at the bathroom sink to begin the cooling down process. I am not sure how much is physical, and how much mental, but I swear it works. It is probably not too surprising, if you think about it; a body looses most of its heat through the head, chest, and extremities. So I figure if you run cold water over any of those body parts, it will help cool you down. True, not as effective as a cold shower perhaps, but it is a fair start. Computer said it was 97º this morning in the Inland sun while I was riding. Plenty of folks out and about on bikes this morning, unfortunately the roads were quite crammed with early-in-the-school-year-traffic, so keep aware. Maybe some day all those drivers will realize it is better by bike, no matter how hot the air, and how long it takes to cool down. Human bodies are pretty amazing, and adaptable, that way.