Watching the sky

My greatest fear about the Shenandoah 1200 is the potential for serious heat. There's not a lot of shade in the Shenandoah Valley, where farmers cleared much of the land nearly three hundred years ago. Add to that the valley acts like a bowl, holding in the hot air. If the sun is out, it's usually warm. And I've learned that me, long rides, and high heat, just don't get along.

Last year, S1200 riders faced freak temperatures hovering around 100F for the whole four days. It was brutal. As a volunteer manning the Fancy Gap control, I saw firsthand how debilitating it was. I have much respect for those riders who knew what they were in for and toed the start line anyway.

Two years ago, on the DC Randonneurs' Middletown 600K, the forecast called for temperatures in the mid 80s. They soared toward the mid 90s instead. I suffered. I wanted shade so badly I started bombing the shadows of telephone poles. I'd see one up ahead, check for traffic over my shoulder, then swerve into the other lane for a millisecond of relief. It seems dumb now, but it helped me keep going when my entire body just wanted to stop.

So, in fear of the heat, I've been checking out various forecasts and discussions from a few NWS offices since last week. Here's what they're saying:

NWS Sterling Forecast Discussion
NWS Blacksburg Forecast Discussion
Accuweather for Harrisonburg, VA
Weather.com for Harrisonburg, VA