So after a killer long day of eating yesterday, a career day which included steak, ribs, ham and all the fixins, it was time to detox. My detoxifying technique is washing down my food with a few glasses of wine. I didn't have the greatest sleep following this act of gluttony and I was pessimistic about the prospect of having a decent ride before yet another rainfall. I headed out at 9:00 am with lots of layers and a plan to ride a couple of hours solo followed by a ride with Sara and her friend Cynthia and finally some additional solo time weather permitting. The picture above and below are taken from Ridge Road looking out over Stoney Creek and Hamilton - quite a desolate view as it has been these days with lots of rain in the forecast to come.
I managed to get 39 miles in (yes I am Imperial Man - no metric for me!) before meeting up with Sara and Cynthia. I rode ahead for a bit due to the fact that I'm a man and cannot quite understand women-speak. Their topics didn't include sci-fi, movies with guns, hockey playoffs or general triathlon talk so I felt like I was in an alien world. When I returned I quickly realized that they were still speaking in women tongue so I hung back in the draft and snapped off a few pics. Despite not contributing a lot to the conversation it was nice to have company for the middle part of my ride.
They're smiling here but alas the rain was just starting to fall (surprise, surprise) but the girls were on their way back so it wasn't a big deal.
Just before returning home we had an unexpected treat! Now I'll be honest - I seriously thought that the "Hammer" was just an urban myth as I had never crossed paths with him. I was sceptical but today I was proven wrong! We encountered the "Hammer" close to home along Golf Club Road. For those of you not familiar with the "Hammer" he is the one in orange on the left and he happens to be Cynthia's dad. Her uncle (in the red) was also out with the "Hammer" and most likely learning a ton. I've had the pleasure of chatting with the "Hammer" at a few social gatherings but this was my first time seeing him in his full glory. The "Hammer" got his nickname from many rides and races where at a key point he "put the hammer down!" The "Hammer" has no shortage of race stories where the phrase "I put the hammer down" is mentioned. The man will entertain you for hours and you"ll feel like a domestique by night's end. For those cycling geeks out there, he can be booked for parties and the organizer can receive a "I got hammered by the Hammer" T-shirt with each new booking (you'll have to speak with his manager/daughter Cynthia if interested). I wonder if I'll ever see the Beast and the Hammer at the same time - now that would be mind-boggling! From here I went solo into the rain for an additional 45 minutes. I did not enjoy this at all but I needed to get some distance in. I'm happy to say "mission accomplished" as I managed to get 71 miles in altogether (you metric people will have to figure the kms on your own). My butt was pleased to be removed from the bike seat and I was happy to have a hot shower to unthaw. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE CAN I HAVE SOME SUNSHINE!!!
Cheers!
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