Holy Cow.....Adding gear makes a difference!

So overall this was a good week of training. Started with a 35 mile ride on the Trace on Monday. Went to the gym at St. D's on Tuesday and along with riding a bike,, I did some upper body strength lifting. Wednesday I did a spin class at St. D's - brutal but effective. Rested Thursday, and Friday cycled 50.7 miles south on the Trace. I decided to load up my panniers (bags that I will carry my gear/ clothes etc.) each with a 5 lb brick. That's 20 lbs additional weight. Well what a shock that was.
Having ridden the Trace often now, I know what gears work well on particular hills. But with the addition of the weight on the bike, that all went by the wayside. I'm really going to have to watch what I pack to keep the additional weight to a minimum. After 25 miles, I pulled over and took the two bricks out of the back panniers and I could immediately feel the difference. They say it's best to load the front panniers heavier than the back for easier cycling. anyway going up hill requires a lot lower gears when carrying additional weight. This was a good test prior to my 100 miler to Natchez and then back the next day this coming Wednesday. Planning to rest until then. The other thing that affected me yesterday was the heat. 86 degrees in the sun. I had to stop at one point on the way home and get in the shade to cool down. They say only mad dogs and Englishman go out in the midday sun  and you know which one I am. The forecasters are calling for rain on Wednesday which I would rather have than 86 degree and strong sun. Staying hydrated is more of a challenge in the direct heat also. Stay tuned for Natchez and my first 100 miler!