Yesterday, in Wichita Falls, Texas, I did my 15th bike rally of the year and my 487th overall. The rally, known as the Hotter 'n Hell Hundred, is in its 29th year. Yesterday's HHH was my 21st in a row. I've ridden the 100-mile course 16 times and the 74-mile course five times. My highest average speed on the 100-mile course was 21.69 miles per hour (in 1991) and my lowest was 15.82 miles per hour (in 2000). Yesterday, I averaged 17.60 miles per hour, for 101.5 miles. (Elapsed time = 5:45:52.)
The day did not begin auspiciously. After rising at 3:43 (my alarm was set for 4:00) and driving 121.4 miles to Wichita Falls (in the dark), I discovered to my horror that my front bike tire was flat. This would be bad enough if I had a spare tube, since time was of the essence, but I had used my final tube the previous evening. My first thought was that I had driven 121.4 miles for nothing. Then I realized that there were other cyclists in the parking lot, getting ready. I approached three men near a pickup truck and asked whether any of them had a spare tube. Two said no, but the third threw a new tube to me. I tried to pay him, but he refused. Luckily for me, the tube had a long stem, or else I would not have been able to use it. I replaced the punctured tube in short order and continued my preparations.
By the time I reached the rendezvous point, my friends were nowhere to be seen. I must have just missed them. Undaunted, I set out on my own, ahead of the racers. Within two miles, I came upon my friends. What luck! After that, it was a normal ride. Had I flatted, I would have had to borrow a tube from a friend or, if I were alone at the time, beg one from a stranger. Every time I saw someone fixing a flat on the side of the road (there were many), I thanked my lucky stars.
The heat didn't become a factor until about three hours into the ride. Several of my friends bailed out in Burkburnett (near the Oklahoma border) for the 74-mile course, while four of us (Joe, Julius, Marc, and I) proceeded on the 100-mile course. By this time, the southeasterly wind was in our faces. Our pace slowed considerably compared to what it had been with a tailwind and crosswind. There was nothing to do except keep pedaling and count the miles. Marc dropped the three of us in short order, and then, 15 miles up the road, Julius went ahead. Joe and I rode together until 92 miles, when I stopped at a rest stop for a few minutes. I saw everyone at the finish. (My stops totaled 63½ minutes.)
The wind cost me about two miles per hour. Two years ago, on the same course, I averaged 19.56 miles per hour, and a year ago I averaged 18.76. The official high temperature in Wichita Falls (which came at 3:17 PM) was 96º. It was 63º when we started riding. My average heart rate was 108 and my maximum 153. I burned 5,976 calories. My maximum speed was 32.5 miles per hour. Here are my hourly splits: 17.32, 20.11, 20.14, 16.88, 14.58, and 16.31. (The last is the average for 45:52.) I think you can see where the headwind began.
All things considered, I had fun. I wouldn't miss the Hotter 'n Hell Hundred for anything. Phil told me that 14,000 people registered for either the rally or the race. They come from every state and many countries. The rest stops are fabulous and the volunteers are energetic and helpful. If you're a cyclist, you must do this rally.
Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D. 