Yesterday, in Rockwall, Texas, I did my 16th bike rally of the year and my 462d overall. I've been doing the Hot Rocks rally since 1989—the year I moved from College Station (where I had taught at Texas A&M University) to Grand Prairie. I missed two editions (1994 and 1995) when I was doing weeklong bike tours in Colorado, so yesterday's Hot Rocks was my 19th in 21 years. How could so much time have passed? It makes no sense to me.
Several of my home boys showed up: Joe, Jason, Mike, Julius, Troy, and Marc. We found each other at the registration area and then later at the starting line. The rally has always started at 8:00, but this year it moved to 7:30. I don't mind. I have to rise at 5:05 instead of 5:35, but we avoid some of the heat this way. Rockwall is on the eastern side of Lake Ray Hubbard, which is one of many large dammed lakes in and around the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. (Others are Lake Ray Roberts, Lake Joe Pool, Palo Pinto Lake, Eagle Mountain Lake, Lake Lavon, Lake Arlington, Lewisville Lake, Grapevine Lake, Lake Worth, Mountain Creek Lake, Possum Kingdom Lake, Weatherford Lake, and Lake Benbrook.) I may have mentioned this before, but there is only one natural lake in Texas: Caddo Lake.
A week ago, as you may recall, I averaged 18.11 miles per hour on a hilly 78-mile course in Granbury. Yesterday, by contrast, I averaged only 17.30 miles per hour on a flat 61.4-mile course. (Elapsed time = 3:32:53.) My average heart rate was the same: 132. (That's the highest I've ever recorded.) What's the difference? Wind. The average wind speed a week ago was 6.9 miles per hour. Yesterday, it was more than twice as high: 13.9 miles per hour (with gusts to 22). The first hour was fun. I covered 20.2 miles. But once we reached Josephine and turned south, the proverbial shit hit the fan. As if the wind weren't bad enough, the road was rough. There was nothing to do except grit your teeth and pedal. I covered only 16.1 miles the second hour and only 15.5 the third. Luckily for us, the final nine miles were almost due north, which meant tailwind. I averaged 17.51 miles per hour for the final 32:53 of riding. I don't feel bad about the reduced speed, because I know I worked just as hard as I did a week ago. The conditions just weren't as favorable.
It was good to see my friends again. Jason starts ninth grade next week. He and his father, Joe, go faster on their tandem each year. It's only a matter of time before they drop everyone. When we finished, we sat under a tent (with a cooling breeze) eating and commiserating. The Rockwall organizers always have sandwiches, fruit bars, and other goodies for the riders. The cantaloupe hit the spot. Having burned 2,314 calories during the ride, I didn't worry about what (or how much) I ate. I've said this before, but I love to eat. In order to eat, I ride (and run).
Addendum: I bought my first bike (a blue Sears Free Spirit 10-speed) 28 years ago today. I'm 52, so I've been riding a bicycle for more than half my life.
Addendum 2: See the picture in this post? It was taken 27 years ago this month, when I was 25. I was riding my bike around the perimeter of Michigan (alone) in 10 days. I weigh the same today as I weighed then: 155 pounds.
Addendum 3: Do you see the loop in the southwest corner of the course? (Refer to the map to which I linked.) In years past, this loop was part of the rally course. For some reason (probably safety), the organizers eliminated the loop this year. That reduced the distance by three or four miles. I wanted the same distance as in years past, so I did the loop anyway, without police protection. Joe and Jason skipped it. Joe told me afterward that he was worried that I would catch them before the finish. Ha!
Addendum 4: Here is what I wrote three years ago, on my 25th anniversary of cycling.
Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D. 
