I hate bees...

Saturday, August 21, 2010

I was riding along, minding my own business and enjoying the cool, morning air along the Chagrin River on Dodd Road when something with wings crashed through the slit in my helmet and smashed into my shaved, bald head. I considered that it might be a bee, but decided if I did nothing, it would fly away. I mean…why, if it was a bee, would it sting me when I wasn’t doing anything to it and if it did, it would die? So…if it was a bee my logic told me I was safe.

Wham…the pain radiated throughout my head and into my neck. I yelled and grabbed for the strap to my helmet, loosening it and pulling it from my head…all while riding along at 20 mph. That little bastard stung me and it hurt like hell! I continued to ride while searching the crevices of my helmet to make sure he wasn’t still in there somewhere and waiting for another opportunity to inflict another sting. He was gone, but the pain remained and intensified…and I still had an hour to go. Now…I always tell Holly when she’s complaining about my complaining about any aches or pains that I have…that what I’m going through would kill an normal human…but this time I think it would have. Maybe I’d developed an allergy to bee stings since my last one…about three weeks ago…and I was about to keel off the bike. I don’t know…but it hurt…like…hell!!!

Alright…alright…I manned it out and finished the ride without stopping to dial 911 on my cell phone. I finished the same ride I’d done yesterday evening 5 minutes faster…I suppose so I could get home and tell Holly how tough I was, riding when most men would have fallen to the side of the road and called their wives to pick them up. I’m not most men, though.

I have to do some more bragging. In addition to being a tough, old geezer, I’ve become quite the baker. My pinole has reached the point of legendary status…everyone in the house is eating it like its dessert. I made the latest batch with eggs, oil and the strawberry syrup but also added in raisins and I think that’s the big difference and the winning ingredient. I’d post the recipe again, but you’ve seen it a couple of times. I’ve gotten to the point where I’m making it in a 9” x 13” pan because if I make it any smaller, its gone too fast and I hardly get any. It makes a terrific breakfast and I like to take it to work and have it with a cup of coffee some mornings. They were great on the last camping trip because I’ve figured out how to make them so they don’t crumble and the oil is keeping them moist for almost a week (don’t know if they last longer because I eat it).

I’m missing run already. My doc, Nilesh, wrote asking me all about the symptoms and how I triggered them again and I told him he needs to fix me. Riding’s okay…but I have to run.

Bike duration: 85 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 125.
Calories burned during workout: 1275.