I'm getting acclimated to the Texas heat. Two days ago, in Waxahachie (WOK-se-HATCH-ee), Texas, I did my ninth bike rally of the year and my 481st overall. The high temperature for the day was 99º Fahrenheit. It wasn't that hot during the ride, obviously, since we started at 7:30, but you get the idea. It was also humid and windy. The average wind speed for the day was 14 miles per hour, with gusts to 22. I consider it windy if it's 10 or more.
The course was such that we had a headwind for much of the first half and a tailwind for much of the second. I'd rather fight the wind early than late, so this was good. My friends and I set our sights on Milford, where the turn occurred, and hoped we had enough energy left to take advantage of the tailwind. Several of my friends showed up: Phil, Joe, Joe's son Jason, Julius, Marc, and Troy. Randy was out of town on business, which made this a whine-free ride. Some of us have done this rally for two decades. I did my first Cow Creek Country Classic in 1990. I missed three along the way, so Saturday's rally was my 18th in 21 years.
For the past two years, I've done the 100-mile course. It was hard but satisfying. This past Saturday, I did the next-longest course, which turned out to be 79.29 miles. I pedaled 18.24 miles the first hour, 16.26 the second, 15.93 the third (brutal headwind), and 17.75 the fourth. I averaged 18.10 miles per hour for the final 35:39 of the ride, which gave me an overall average speed of 17.25 miles per hour. (Elapsed time = 4:35:39.) A year ago, I averaged 17.19 miles per hour for 98.50 miles. I could have ridden 100 miles Saturday, but I would have been even more exhausted (and overheated!) at the finish. The main reason I didn't do the century is that I had been on the bike only once (for 35 miles) in the preceding two weeks. Discretion, they say, is the better part of valor.
According to my Garmin Forerunner 305, which is programmed with my sex, age, and weight, I burned 4,461 calories during the ride. This is considerably higher than the 3,533 I burned a year ago on a longer course. I don't know which figure is correct. I guess it doesn't matter. I'll be using the Garmin from now on, so I can compare rallies even if the absolute amount is incorrect. I turned on both computers when we started rolling. The old computer, a Polar, recorded 79.4 miles. It's based on the wheel circumference, which I measured. The new computer recorded 79.29 miles. It's based on my satellite location. That's pretty close.
There were a few accidents along the way, which is usual for a bike rally. I didn't see the crashes themselves, just the aftermaths. There would be several riders standing at the side of the road, with one or more riders sitting or lying on the pavement or in the grass. Someone may have touched a wheel while riding in a paceline. My friends and I stayed safe, though we rode fast from time to time. Julius was the strongest rider among us, with Marc a close second. Joe, Phil, and I tried to stay with them, and when we couldn't, they waited for us at rest stops. Jason, who usually rides with his dad on a tandem, rode a shorter course on his single bike. Afterward, Phil, Joe, Jason, and I ate at a nearby Subway restaurant.
My average heart rate for the day was 116. My maximum was 149. I reached a top speed of 33 miles per hour on a gradual descent near the end. The rally organization was excellent, as usual. I had cold watermelon and a large dill pickle at a rest stop about halfway through. All but a couple of intersections were controlled by police officers. It was a delightful morning.
Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D. 