Some have it worse...

I wasn't feeling it this morning, except for the heartburn. It must have been the Easter combination of a big dinner, too much dessert, chocolates and beers.

It was a fun weekend, but it took a toll on my energy level. A couple hours after I woke up I started feeling a little better.

Last night, Alice was telling me that ever since I came back from China, she's had an upset stomach and at times has felt sick. I think that just confirms that it must have been some sort of "virus" I came back with, or our relationship is in trouble.

Except for the wind, it was a beautiful day, 22 C and sunny. It was a slow workday, so I left early and was on the road by 3:30 pm. For the first 56 kms, I rode directly into a headwind (36 kph and gusting up to 54 kph) and was only was able to maintain a 25.8 kph average speed. On the way back, I was flying and the final ride speed ended up averaging 29.7 kph.

For the entire ride I was thirsty. It was a good thing I brought 3 water bottles. Normally, for a moderate ride, where I'm focusing on keeping my heart rate under 138 bpm, I don't require a lot of water. But today was different, I even had to ration my water. I'm thinking the wind may be dehydrating.

When I got home, I started feeling sick again. Similar to after yesterday's run. I drank water, ate and had a nap on the sofa. I was too tired and unmotivated to do anything else. I couldn't even stretch, change out of my cycling clothes or blog. Even after napping, I only felt well enough to write the blog and that was it.

I'm not sure what's causing me to feel poorly after my last two sessions. It's either the after effects of the beer I drank this weekend, or dehydration from yesterday's run, or lasting remnants of my Chinese "pet" bug. I'll know for sure in a few days. I'm only drinking water, no more beer this week.

I was pleased with today's bike ride. It was a quality workout. I focused on keeping my heart rate in the zone, that was my number one priority. Since China, my body has lost some of it's fat burning abilities and I'm focused on getting it back with lower heart rate training.

Believe it or not, my ride back home, even with the wind at my back, was harder than the two hours I rode directly into the wind. In order to keep my heart rate up, the wind forced me to push on those pedals. By the time I got home, my legs felt like they had a hard quality workout.

On yesterday's run, I ran by a bridge and for a split second got scared out of my skin. As I was running, alone in my thoughts, something caught the corner of my eye and startled me. It was a possum hanging off the bridge guard rail. It was only a foot away and I instinctively jumped out of it's way. At first I thought it was alive and going to jump me. Then I realized it was dead.

On today's ride, it was still there, so I stopped and took a picture of it. The way I caught it in the light it looks like God's rays are shining down upon the little fella. If possums had funerals, I'm sure his possum parents would want the photo on the top of his little possum casket. It looks like God took him to possum heaven.

It's also a great image for a "Bry-Successories" poster, I'd add the tag-line "Some have it worse, so quit your damn complaining". It would be the perfect "must have" for any boss's office.

It's an intriguing pose and I think CSI needs to be called in. I can't tell how it died. Did it get hit by a car and flip or jump onto the guard rail? Was it hanging there and got shot in the face? Did someone find it and prop it up on the guard rail as a joke? Did it fall out of a plane?

It's such a mystery and it's creepy. Even taking it's picture I wasn't sure if it was dead or not. Which is an unreasonable thought, it was in the same position yesterday and bugs don't eat away at the side of the face of a live possum.

The one thing I know for certain is Spring is here, maggots eating the eyeballs out of roadkill is sure sign. Oh, and some of the trees in our yard are starting to bloom.

Mod Bike - 3:31:46 / 104.88 km / 29.72 kph / 126 avg hr / 567 meters climbing