After church I got ready to go biking. At first the recliner was calling my name but I got away from it and headed out. Vacation resting plus the hospital stay lowered my energy level and recliner resistance. Riding north I adjusted the typical route through Oakhurst and did not ride to Cumberland. Instead I went north on Sorters Road to FM1314 and then turned east (or south as the direction sign says on the FM1314 pole). Stopping at Stripes I got a 32 oz Gatorade as part of my new regime to not drink Diet Pepsi. This is what one of the doctors at Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel wanted me to do. He said he was a cola addict like me and they can cause dehydration. So far I have only had two swallows from the bottle my wife was drinking on the drive back from Florida. Plain water is blah but I am sticking with it so far.

Leaving Stripes I rode through Valley Ranch to the southbound US59 service road. The partly cloudy sky kept the temperature moderate (84 at the start 11:33 and 87 when I finished at 1:57). The wind was up and down as I rode on the service road. When I got home I saw why it seemed strong at times: 16.1 mph gusts from the SE slowing to 9.2 mph. I went south on Loop 494 and then Adams Street into Kingwood. On Adams I had a dog charge me near the end but he was fat and gave up quickly, thank goodness. By then my sprint was not too strong. Later I did a dumb thing crossing Northpark Drive. At the crossover the tree limbs stick out making it difficult to see the traffic coming from the right. I thought no traffic was coming so I clipped back into the pedals just in time to see a SUV coming towards me in the closest lane. I panicked and did not unclip but did slowly roll along the curb until the SUV went by. Next time I need to go out further into the crossover to see past the trees and brush.

With the slightly adjusted route I biked 26.39 miles and I increased the average speed from yesterday to 14.4 mph. May mileage is up to 168.06 and year to date is 2305 miles.

Yesterday I forget to include an almost flat tire. On the way home when I ride south I usually go behind the HEB store in the Kings Crossing shopping center. As I was riding I ran over a piece of metal about an inch long and 1/32″ in diameter. It stuck in my rear tire and hit the brake each time the tire passed it. This only happened a few times before I stopped to check the noise. Nothing in the front tire but it was in the rear. I hesitated pulling it out wondering if the tire would go flat and I would have to fix it but the other option was no good so I plucked it out and the tire stayed firm. I checked it again before today’s ride and no problem.

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Link to RideWithGPS map and metrics.

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