You Wouldn't Think

Day 23 117 miles from Tuscaloosa to Prattville, AL in 7:10 at 16.2 mph. You wouldn't think there could be over 6,000 feet of climbing in northern Alabama, but rest assured, there are. And I rode each one of them today. It was ultra tough, with awful roads, heat, and annoying hill after annoying hill. Again and again we climbed these nasty hills, only to drop and have to do it again. 10 miles of fresh chip seal made it that much harder ... the rattling of my brain stem incessant.

You wouldn't think one could ride across the US and gain weight. Well, that distinction belongs to me. It's not enough that I get constant flak for being from Boulder. 'Have your wheat grass this morning, Eric?' 'You consult your crystals before you make a turn, Eric?' 'You like those vortex sites in Sedona, Eric?' Well, now the gang has more ammo. I'm the one who gained 5 pounds on this trip. I thought maybe I'd get back to the 147 I hit after Deb and I split up. Nope, I've increased from 155 to 160 lbs. 'Eric, the old guys wear bib shorts so their bellies can hang over ... that why you got a pair?' Of us 7 alpha dogs in front, I'm the only one without a concave belly. Those turds.

You wouldn't think it possible. Given that a 150lb man cycling at 15 mph on flat ground burns 600 calories per hour, and given we typically cycle 7 hours, I should be burning 4200 calories, plus the daily 2k ... around 6k calories. How could I gain weight? For starters, I'm eating food I never consider in Boulder. I've had so many chocolate milk shakes, so many cookies and candy bars it's embarrassing. Some here say it's muscle mass I've gained, but I can feel the extra weight. My metabolism has always been odd, somehow. First Ironman I ate 2 bunches of grapes. Maybe the more I exercise the less food I need. Sure seems that way with sleep. Off now to finish my pecan pie ...