What's the cause? Or Pity Party Part III

What's the cause of this? I have dropped from rides I could once pull. And... I had some adjustments made and I keep getting a blistered butt. Serious (y'all stop laughing!) it's shaped just like my bike seat. Looks like someone branded my butt with an upside down "U". I rode centuries for days on end last year with no body problems but this year I'm riding like someone from a retirement center and it's gotten old. This morning I got up and felt great and ready for the last long HH100 training ride! My bud Bill Stewart was leading so i knew it would be a fun ride.The nice thing about the ride was that it was going to start just a couple of easy miles down the road at St. Vincent North. One of the guys got there and forgot his helment so I rode over by a couple riding buds that live on the next block from the hospital but both looked closed up and families still sleeping. So I volunteered to ride over to my house and let him use Terri's helmet. Not the best but it worked. We had to ride to catch up with the others but they were dropping down through a neighborhood further out so I thought we could take a short cut and see them but a minute too late. These guys were riding fast! We rode along, the 3 of us, and got to the coffee shop in Cabot. It's an awesome little place with great hostesses. They fill your bottles with water and ice. I wanted regular tea but all they had were special teas so I got Orange Blossom on ice and sugar. It was great! Everyone back on bikes and heading through Cabot. Most folks in Cabot are really nice to bikes but every now and then you'll get someone that buzzes you pretty close. The fast goup finally kicks it up several notches and I ride with Jim Britt and a girl and we take turns pulling. We worked well together and made it through the head wind. Actually, truth be told, Jim did most of the pulling. Then something happened. I was fading. No! I told myself it's a mental thing. You have eaten, you're drinking, you pulled a lot on the ride to the coffee shop and those were hills, you are on flat lands now and that's one of your strengths, tap into it. Sing a song to yourself, hum Long Train Home by Pat Methany, something but don't you dare drop. But I did. I limped along solo until I got to the c-store on this side of I-40. I found out a little later when I go over the bridge the rest of the club is at the c-store on the other side. Sorry guys! I filled up my water bottles with ice and bottled water and a guy that comes in from DeWitt (He's stationed there but is actually from central Arkansas) rode together over the bridge. After a few moments the club was ready to ride again. Nice pace through Lonoke and we turn to head back out on farmland and take it home. As sudden as it happened last time, I drop. The group is getting smaller and smaller. The winds are coming in a bit more it seems or maybe it's just because it's farmland. The sun is high and it's 11 o'clock. I know where I am and not worried about that and decide to kick into touring pace mode. 16mph. I know, some of you guys would fall off your bike going that slow. I'm wearing the other trial hearing aid today and I hate it! It started whistling feedback and it's eaten into my brain. I flip the switch to phone mode and all goes silent. If anyone honked I didn't hear it...(insert evil laugh) "Too bad!" I ride through Furlow and stop at the c-store there but only to rest a moment and drink some icey water in my bottle. Back on the bike and riding to South Bend I really start weirding out. I mean really bad. I'm shaking and have chills, my stomach is in knots. I keep having to blink because things are looking sort of glazed like I have a film over my eyes. A couple of times I reach up to rub my eyes and want to scream when I do it, the burn! I ride past a couple of c-stores and tell myself, "Come on buddy, you can do this. You're not that far from home. You like doing this route." But nothing was working. I was beginning to not care about anything. Riding through gravel patches, swerving out into the road without checking what's behind me. Several times I rode though the freaking glass. Man, this isn't me. On the outshirts of SouthBend, if there are outshirts, I pulled into a Texaco station to rest yet again. I find a shady spot and half fall off my bike. I lean against the wall on the sidewalk and close my eyes not really caing that there are people walking around. I feel homeless, just needed the clothes. I start to get up and it's not happening. Serious, I felt better and I reached back to get up and nothing. I whip out the phone and call Terri. She was home and on her way. I told her I was going to ride right into J'ville on Military road. After I hung up I tried again to get up and make it part of the way and that was it. I'm back where I started. I tried several times and I give up. I called Terri again and gave her my exact location and she was already at the J'ville exit. I thought to myself, thank goodness we live in Sherwood! I take my gloves off and unzip my jersey some. About that time Terri flies into the parking lot. Thank you dear, it's times like this I love you even more! We got the bike loaded and I get in the passengers seat and feel the cool AC air. Never felt AC that felt that good. Terri was trying to talk to me but I was just sitting there in both exhaustion and disbelief that I've done this several times this season. However it was the first time in 3 years that she was called to come get me. That's got to be worth something.We get home and I head straight to the shower and just stand there leaned against the shower wall. I'm completly drained. I coach myself to turn it off and make it to the bed and crash. I mean really crash. I wake up a little over an hour later. I spent the rest of the afternoon on the sofa watching tv with a blanket over me. A blanket? Yep! Seems whenever this has happened this season after I finally get a grip and become social again I freeze to death and this afternoon was no different. I wonder if it has something to do with dehydration? I mean I'm the guy that kicks the cover off the bed. Terri had to run over to the school and Emmy went with her so I finally start feeling well enough to eat and I headed straight for the left overs from Cozamel's last night. Oh man, good as ever! We had a little avacado dip we brought home too and it was slap yourself hot today. It wasn't like that last night. I still ate it. I know, this was a depressing journal entry but some days are like that. We all have them huh? Oh, don't lie. A great date starts out and flops later, a baseball game, or a bike ride with friends. I guess tomorrow will be an off bike day due to the blister. I really wouldn't mind riding in the morning but we'll go to early service and I spotted a roast in the fridge so I suspect we'll be having a Sunday lunch. No complaints there! Later tomorrow afternoon I plan to go visit my folks in Benton and get home in time to hopefully run off Emmy's boyfriend so she will be in bed a little earlier sinc school starts on Monday. Hey, she can drive this year so we don't have to worry about that! WooHoo!!! We have one more week with Max (the boyfriend's dog) then he's out of here. I really am to the point of not caring where but not in our house. Sad isn't it that it's come to this but I gave them 1 month to take this over to Sean's and he's still here. He has to be gone when I get back from Texas. It really is sad because although he is a big dog, he is a very lovable dog when he's by himself. Just as laid back as he can be but with Sadie he is Alpha Male and makes everyone in the house crazy.