Yesterday, in Cleburne, Texas, I did my 13th bike rally of the year and my 507th overall. (My goal is to do 1,000.) This was the 24th edition of the Tour de Goatneck. I did my first Goatneck in 1990 and have now done 19 of the past 22. The 69.5-mile course is hilly and it's always hot. My best average speed on this course is 19.75 miles per hour. I've averaged at least 20 miles per hour in almost every other rally.
Many of my friends showed up, which was heartening. Some did 41 miles, so I was able to talk to them only briefly before they turned off. The official high temperature for the day, at DFW Airport, was 100º Fahrenheit, but fluffy clouds obscured the sun during much of the rally. This made a big difference to our comfort, because when the sun was beating down on us, it was scorching. Thank goodness for small favors.
I rode most of the way with Joe, Julius, and Harold. We stopped three times for a total of about 33 minutes. One rest stop (in Eulogy) had pickle juice, which is delightfully good. I need to find a source of this nectar from the gods. It's not only delicious; it wards off cramps and helps replace sodium that is lost through perspiration. Another rest stop (in Nemo) had long lines for water and Gatorade, but we needed a break from pedaling by this point. My final stop was at 55 miles, by which time the heat and hills were taking a toll.
Statistically, I rode 69.42 miles in 3:59:50, which is an average speed of 17.36 miles per hour. I rode 18.72 miles during the first hour, so my average speed thereafter was 16.91 miles per hour. It was officially windy (10.6 miles per hour, on average), though, because the course was so winding, we were never fighting the wind for long. Some of the hills near the end were long and steep. Julius, who is 64 years old, powers up these hills without getting out of the saddle. He's an amazing physical specimen. (He once played soccer for the Czech national team.) I can only hope to be riding at half his level 10 years from now, when I reach 64. Joe (the kid of the group) is also a good climber, so I was constantly racing to catch up to them. Friends push and inspire each other.
I burned 4,024 calories, according to my Garmin. My average heart rate was 117 and my maximum 153. I reached a top speed of 36.8 miles per hour on one of the descents. This was my 25th consecutive week of riding. Everyone is gearing up for the Hotter 'n Hell Hundred in Wichita Falls next month. It might live up to its name this year.
