Back in Houston

I'm back in Houston for a few days for work and to race Lonestar (aka Ironman Texas 70.3).  I'm a bit wiped from my IMTX course bike ride, so here's some observations in bullet form.

• Its green here.  Trees are fully leafed out, the air smells like blooms, grass in green.
• Its windy.  But at least for today's ride, it wasn't nearly as windy as last Saturday's Palmer Lake ride.
• Traffic is bad and the drivers are crazy.  Also: rubbernecking.
• I miss my friends.  I've done something with people every night since I got here.
• The "hills" on the IMTX course are not hills.  There were maybe 3 that got my attention.  I never had to go into my small ring.  Awesome.
• Its HOT.  Even with my Infit drink mix and taking some Enduralytes before the ride,e the heat still got to me.  The first 3 hours of the ride were awesome.  Then my HR got stuck at 162 bpm, much higher than my effort was.  Then I had a mental lapse and did a sweet sideways slow-mo crash while clipped in.  No idea what happened there.  I still had 30 min left on my ride schedule, but after riding back to the truck, I was slightly trembling and I had a pretty sweet heat headache.  Ugh, IMTX is going to be interesting....
• The IMTX bike course is PRETTY.  I've missed riding up there in the forests. 

IMTX course in the National Forest.

pretty pastures and wide open road in Grimes County, IMTX course