Two days ago, in Greenville, Texas, I did my 17th bike rally of the year and my 489th overall. Greenville is one of the first rallies I ever did, in 1989. I've ridden in every kind of weather: from brutal heat and humidity to frigid cold to torrential rain and wind. This past Saturday, it was hot and humid. The official high temperature for the day at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport was 93º Fahrenheit. The sun beat down on us the entire way. Two things worked in our favor, however. First, the wind was light (6.0 miles per hour average, with gusts to 16). Second, the road surfaces were smooth (for the most part).
Three of my friends showed up: Julius (a 60-something Czech-American), Marc (a 40ish dentist), and Phil (a 59-year-old retired accountant). To their credit, they don't put up with any shenanigans from me, a mere academic. But seriously, we had a great time. The early pace was high as we flew northward out of town. I had 19.80 miles at the one-hour mark. Just after our first rest stop in Leonard, Phil and I dropped off the back, letting Julius and Marc go on without us. As I explained to Phil, I got my workout for the day during the first hour and wanted to take it easy the rest of the way.
From Leonard we made our way to Randolph, climbing several hills as we went. Then we turned southeastward toward Bailey, where we stopped again. This rest stop had bananas, grapes, cantaloupe, and watermelon, which hit the proverbial spot. After 10 minutes or so, during which time we mingled with many other riders, we got back on our bikes and headed for Wolfe City. The wind was starting to hurt us by this time, though it had a nice cooling effect as our perspiration evaporated. At Wolfe City, we turned due south, stopping one more time before reaching Greenville.
Statistically, I averaged 17.52 miles per hour for 63.27 miles. (Elapsed time = 3:36:39.) My hour splits tell the tale: 19.80, 17.28, 16.29, and 16.20 (the last being the average speed for the final 36:39). My maximum speed for the day was 32.5 miles per hour. I burned 3,737 calories, according to my Garmin wrist computer. My average heart rate was 120, which shows that I worked harder than I did a week ago, and my maximum heart rate was 154. I did my share of pulling in the pack early on. It's amazing, when you think about it, that there were no accidents. A dozen or so strangers rode together in close proximity at high speed for an hour and nobody touched a wheel. Maybe we were lucky, but I think experience and attentiveness have something to do with it. The four of us have been at this game for a long time, and I assume that this is true of the other riders as well.
The heat can't last much longer. By this time next month, we should have cool, crisp mornings and evenings, as well as mild, sunny afternoons. It will make for pleasant running and cycling.
Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D. 