'Tis the Season

I've not posted for a while. Part of that was deliberate. I've had a lot of posts lately. On the other hand, I've been busy with work - which is normal - but I've been extremely tired afterwards. In the middle of last week, I began an affliction of allergies which - over the weekend - turned into a sinus infection.

When I went to work yesterday, I did not eat as much as I normally did. I excused myself regularly to blow my nose, hack up some green stuff or whatever. The fact that the air conditioning was broken (and it always seems to get warmer inside the building than outside), I was plenty miserable. I fell asleep watching the Spurs game last night - though that isn't altogether very unusual.

So, did I ride? No.

As a rule - and I've discovered, it's a very good rule - I do not ride when I'm feeling unwell. If my reaction times or judgment seem impaired, then I eliminate riding as an option. I did spend about two hours riding on Sunday, but I was exhausted upon arriving home.

So, this Spring and Summer here are two things to look out for: allergies and dehydration. Both are easy to overlook. The medicines we take for allergies cause many of the same symptoms as dehydration: dizziness, sleepiness, lack of clarity of thought - all of which can be fatal to a biker or any commuter, for that matter.

In hindsight, the accident that precluded the purchase of the XT600 gave me lots of warning signs: I was not feeling 100% (I convinced myself that I just needed some 'fresh air.') I also got that "feeling," which told me that something was not right. I decided I'd just be careful. I also thought about wearing some leg protection, but opted for jeans - just that day - I thought. Any extra protection I could have worn would have been used.

So, I'm taking the cage to work today. But it's okay: they know me there!