If you've followed this blog for a while you'll know that I (Ron) am a bicycler. Well, actually I talk about it a lot more than I ride. I enjoy road biking on my recumbent bike. It is a good work out. It is a good escape. I love being outside. I'm normally the kind of guy who is up for the challenge. So, bicycling is my occasional "thing." For fitness I run. For fun I bike.
In keeping with that type of agenda, I made a decision a few years ago to commit myself to an annual ride during the month of my birthday. That happens to be July! My commitment is to participate in an organized ride that is as long in number of miles as are the number of years of age I have celebrated that year. Thus, this year I needed a ride that was 59 miles long, since I turned 59 this year. Now I know most of you find that hard to believe, but it is, nonetheless, true. I attribute my youthfulness to the excellent care Marilyn has taken of me for almost 37 years, now.
A ride out of Cleburne, Texas is about the only organized ride in this part of Texas during the month of July. They are the only ones who do not realize it is too hot for such an event. It is called The Tour de Goatneck. The name has something to do with the shape of a turn in the Brazos River or something. You can google "Goatneck" and read. Anyway, The Goatneck has become my annual ride of choice for my BMR (birth month ride). They have various distances you can pedal - the longest being the 100km. However, the 100km ride is not exactly 100km. It turns out to be more than that. 100km would be 62 miles. But the Goatneck sponsors tell you up front that it is actually 70 miles. According to my bike's computer they are right. That being true, the Goatneck is going to qualify for use as my MBR for several years to come.
This year was the third time I've ridden the Goatneck. This year was the hardest. I'm not sure what made it harder this year, but it definitely was. The second half of the course is much more challenging than the first, as far as hills are concerned. This year the second half was also when the wind became a factor. Add to that the fact that it was a day of abnormally high humidity and 100 degree temperature and you have a formula for exhaustion. And exhausted is what this old coot was by the time I finished the course. But! Finish I did! To steal a quote, "I'm not a competer, I'm a completer."
There were three friends who rode with me this year. Brian Read had ridden with me last year and did again this year. We were joined by Chad Killeen and Carter Davis. Chad wanted to try Marilyn's recumbent. So she bowed out of the ride just to let Chad ride (isn't she sweet). Carter is a recent starter in bicycling and this was his first organized ride. We were all challenged by the Goatneck - me perhaps more than the others. But we all completed it. That means it was good time and we'll all be able to talk big about it.
Next year is the big six-o for me. I am brewing up something even more crazy that may replace the Goatneck for that year only. I'll keep you posted.
