Going Nowhere Fast

The skies have been pissing down rain here for a week now. This is highly unusual, and most unwelcome. I haven't been out on my mountain bike for almost 2 weeks (insert short violin solo). Got a race coming up this weekend, so needed to get some workouts in.

On Wednesday, I decided to leave work at 5pm if it wasn't raining, and take my road bike up and down the Butte beside my house for some hill climb intervals. At 4:59 pm, went to the window to ascertain the weather situation : some dark clouds, but no rain, and the streets were drying out from earlier rain. At 5:01 pm, exited the building, and it was pouring down rain - WTH ? But the deluge was localized, with no rain at the house, so out I went. Several minutes later, rain. It proceeded to rain hard for the next hour, while I gamely pounded up the steep hills. My 'all-weather' booties soon filled up with water, and each foot gained an additional 5 pounds (glass half full : better workout, right ?). After 4 climbs, dragged my soaked self home. (Insert cartoonish pouring out of 20 gallons of water from each boot).

Thurday, serious rain all day. Had optimistically packed my mountain bike, but no way Jose was I heading out for a sad soaked muddy ride. Upon arriving home, decided to ride the trainer in the garage. This is for me a most unhappy proposition, as I can't stand riding in one spot for an hour or more, with no distractions save for pounding loud workout music. In fact, I never last more than an hour, ejecting myself jubilantly from the enslaving device at that point. But gotta endure it somehow - no other choice. I make up some over-under type workout, where go very hard for a minute or 2, then tone it down a bit for double that time, then rest for the sum of the hard parts. Soon I'm sweating from every pore, the liquid dripping in a steady stream all over the bike and the floor. Man, don't remember ever sweating this much. Every time I take my hands off the bar for a breather, and then replace them, the water squishes out of the half-gloves I'm wearing. Soon I've saturated every towel and other pieces of clothing, from siphoning the sweat from my oozing head. Am I working too hard ? My heart rate monitor broke a year ago, so no feedback beyond the raspy breathing and pounding in the chest.
When it's all over, head back into the house, and holy shit is it freezing in there! Check the thermometer - room temperature... ? Take a shower, head back into the garage, and it's like entering a blast furnace ! My workout must have raised the temp in the garage by 20 degrees ! (insert some vague idea about recapturing energy to save on heating costs...)