Rainy Days

Today was definitely considered a rain day. I decided I would ride into the Netherlands again and venture further across the border and closer to the coastline. My route today would take me to Breskens, Netherlands. I had a great night sleep followed by a nice breakfast of Muesli and bananas and a cup of coffee. Oh it was so hot and tasty! (If only I knew that’s all I would be thinking about the entire ride.) During breakfast I could hear the pitter patter of the rain on the skylights and see nothing but grey outside. So automatically I knew I would have to pull out the rain coat and heavy duty booties. I was mentally ready for the day. I met my teammate, Casey, downstairs, as we would begin our rides together but split up after we arrived in Sluis, Netherlands. We pulled the bikes off the hooks, opened the garage door, and headed on out splitting puddles, spraying rooster tails, and leaving narrow tire tracks on the wet pavement. Within the first 20 minutes my shoes were filled with water and my entire backside was soaked from the bottom of my raincoat down. It was okay for a while but I knew I still had another 3 hours and 40 minutes of being uncomfortable. The ride went well; Casey and I chatted and joked around until I had to begin my intervals just a few kilometers before Sluis. Once we crossed the Sluis town sign we said our goodbye and wished each other a good rest of the ride. Onto Breskens.

Once I was by myself it seemed as though I noticed the wet and cold a little more; constantly wiping my lenses, water dripping from the brim of my cycling cap, feet sloshing, gloves slightly squishy, spray, grit, and sand ricocheting off my down tube and coming to rest on my shins and shoe covers, and my face feeling slightly cold from the wind. But I pressed on following the signs to Oostburg which would then take me to Schoondijke and finally to Breskens.

I rode along narrow bike paths easily distinguished with bike signs and arrows. The paths were completely covered with a sheet of water which created a sheen in which I could look down and see my silhouette staring back at me. Looking out you see nothing but green fields, flooded wetland areas, and grey skies with unrelenting rain. This was about the time I began to think about that wonderful cup o Joe. How nice it would be to have a little warmth in my belly. After following the bicycle signs to Breskens, I found that the bike path would come to an end and leave me riding through a neighborhood. By this time I was too cold and wet to want to explore, so I turned around and began my trek back home. I followed the same route back to conclude my 4 hour ride. Nothing too spectacular to tell; I just wanted to share what the weather and riding is like, the majority of the time in Belgium, as I sip on this wonderful cup of coffee.