I got up early, but overslept the morning nap. I ended up starting the ride at around 1pm. I did a park and double ride today. I decided to add the Alpine Forest. All together, it added an additional 15 minutes of climbing. I felt average at the start, but my legs became more lively by the time I reached the end of OTR. Banducci was mostly warmup for the Alpine forest. The Alpine forest went quicker this time around. I think part of it was that it was the first major climb of the day. I stayed within myself the whole way up. On the last kicker, up Alps, I tacked using the lowest gear possible. I took a few moments rest when I got to the summit of Banducci. Hydrating and stretching. The descent was lots of fun. Practicing my tuck. When I got close to SS, I stopped to take some photos of the local cattle. From there it was the usual loop around SS. The return trip went quick. It was getting hotter as the ride progressed, so I knew that Keene was going to be a challenge. I kept that in mind when I was ascending CVR. No pushes over the top. From here, it was recovery to the base of OTR. When I got back to the car, I spared no time to swap out the bottles. The ones I put in the cooler had bottles with ice (un-melted). I took a few gulps of what I had left and swapped the used with the unused. After that it was the trek to Keene. My legs were noticeably fatigued, but not too detracting from my tempo. When I reached the top of the descent, I took a few moments to feed a power bar and then commenced the downhill. The trip down to Keene was mostly anticipation for the return climb. When I got to the bottom, I put my game face on and headed back. I was feeling good, all things considered. Also, my fear was realized, with regards to the temperature getting hot. The heat bouncing off the surroundings didn't help either. I had enough provisions, thank goodness. I had enough energy to turn over the pedals without laboring so much. But I was sore, nonetheless. I just kept one thing in my mind, that when I reach the Loop Monument, I'll be closed to my destination and all the hard stuff is left behind. After reaching the first steep section, my right leg started to cramp. I could feel the calf muscle start to tighten. I wasn't sure what to make of it. Was it going to linger, or was it just a momentary sign. Turned out that I eased back on the tempo, let my legs recover. In less than 5 minutes, the leg cramps went away. From that point on, I was able to hold the tempo I set forth without further cramping. After reaching the loop monument, my morale started to lift just a bit. I was focused for the remainder of the climb, keeping close tabs on my legs. I kept thinking of the landmarks that lay ahead. When I reached the last yellow gate, I was nearing completion, so the suffering was about to end. Once I reached the summit, I took a few moments rest, coasting, and headed back to the car. Concentration was pretty good today, few lapses. Not a whole lot to think about, but I found my way. Balance and form felt good, not great. Ailments consisted of right hand numbness, some cramping in the right calf (lasting a few minutes), and general heat exhaustion. Gear worked well. Although the Gopro camera stopped recording after about 3:15 hours into the ride. Other notes, 1 other cyclist today as I was feeding at the top of WTR.