Yesterday, in Dallas, Texas, I did my 14th bike rally of the year and my 486th overall. The forecast was for scorching heat, and we were not disappointed. The official high temperature for the day was 104º Fahrenheit, though that came later, after we were done riding. (I finished before noon.) It was also windy (average = 13.0 miles per hour, with gusts to 23). Several of my friends showed up, which was nice. All of us are preparing for next week's Hotter 'n Hell Hundred in Wichita Falls. This was my 12th consecutive Red Hot Chili Pepper Rally. If the website is correct, then I've done all of them. I wonder how many others have done all 12.
The first half of the rally was hard, not only because of the wind, but because there were some steep hills. Fortunately, I was in a paceline for much of it. I took my turn at the front so as not to be (or be thought) a parasite. Some riders don't understand this. They sit on someone's wheel for a while, then, having rested, zip off ahead of him or her. It's a simple matter of cooperation: you scratch my back; I scratch yours. You save me energy; I save you energy. Even monkeys grasp the concept, but some humans, alas, do not. I have too much self-respect to allow someone to benefit me without reciprocation. If I can't share the load, I shouldn't (and therefore won't) partake of the benefits. Think of all the terms we have in English for such people: free riders, freeloaders, leeches, parasites, wheelsuckers. All are pejorative. Can you think of others?
Once we reached the southernmost point of the course, we were home free. The tailwind was great. At one point, Phil, Randy, and I were cruising at 22 miles per hour with little effort. I said, "Don't feel guilty, boys; we earned this!" They agreed. There must have been several accidents during the rally, because we saw two or three ambulances fly past with lights flashing and sirens screaming. I saw one man sitting in the grass near an intersection. He was being attended to by an emergency technician. It's always sobering to see this, because it reminds us that cycling is dangerous. We had good police support at intersections, for which I am grateful. These officers were standing in brutal heat (wearing dark uniforms!) for hours. We cyclists at least had the cooling effect of the wind.
Statistically, I averaged 17.31 miles per hour for 63.76 miles. (Elapsed time = 3:40:59.) My top speed was 35.4 miles per hour. I burned 3,735 calories. My average heart rate was 110 and my maximum 153. A year ago, riding with Phil, I averaged 16.88 miles per hour, so I feel pretty good about yesterday's speed. My best average speed on this course is 19.34 miles per hour (in 2001). All things considered, I had a wonderful time with my friends. We are blessed to be able to ride our bikes in the beautiful Texas countryside. Afterward, three of us ate at On the Border.
Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D. 