It’s official! Summer has begun; at least, according to the calendar. But things don’t always go according to our way of thinking of time.

It feels like the dog days already; and has for a couple of weeks. Last week I was on vacation; and didn’t get in the extra mileage that I wanted to. 

Of course when I’m on vacation I want (and need!) to sleep a little later; and when I don’t start a ride until 8:00 am these days, it’s already well into the 80s. In fact, overnight it gets little or none below 80.

The cat-sitting was a complication. I didn’t want to leave the poor kitty hungry until late morning; and when I went to feed him in the evening, the heat index was often 100+!

I wonder what the temperature in France is now. The Tour de France starts in a few days; and don’t stages typically begin around 1:00 pm? Thinking of riding in that heat makes me wilt!

How do you keep cool during hot rides? The answer for me is that I don’t! Workday mornings I typically ride before sunup; but Sunday long rides are another story. Even if I start at 6:00 am, it’s very hot by the time I put in 35-40 miles; and I’m considering starting at 5:30 am!

Unfortunately that means getting even less sleep; and it makes me long for Fall, when it might not be so sweltering. But it’s Summer now; it’s official.