Cycling is a team sport

Lance Armstrong quoted in his book, that cycling is a team sport.

I can't count the number of rides i've had, where the only person I've spoken to, is telling another rider I'm on their left.  I have lengthier conversations with my cat.  (Yes, I'm sure that says all sorts of things about me).

As most of you know, and if you don't then you've either just started reading me, or the only thing you ever paid attention to, were my dick jokes...is that I've spent the last three years training to ride a Century. I got this bug up my bum when I rode the HHH in the falls three years ago. Lying on a grassy knoll, about noonntime, sweating and waiting for my ride, a man asks me "what did you ride?". The fifty.  It sounded so weak, so girlie.  "oh" he says, "I rode the 100k, but next year i'm doing the Century!". He leaned back on the grass, covered his head with his helmet and passed out.  A century. Geez he said it like "you aint nutthin til you ride that!". I heard it in his brain.

Engineer coworkers are the same.  IT's all about the century.  Anything less, is simply training for a Century.  OK fine. I wanna ride that.

LAst year, I was late to the season, and spent most of it either struggling to get my bike fitted right, figure out gear and clothes, and/or hurt.  I rode the HHH, but made it to 100k. I barely made it too.  THe last 10 miles were a beating.  Still, i was happy i was progressing, and in another month, did another 100k (purely by accident, bec I took the wrong turn..sound familiar?)

This year, a bit better..still struggling with proper fit. Found Wes at RBM.   Trained all winter, but after my best fitting, realized i had been training the wrong muscles. Sometimes I wondered if i'd ever get a break!

ONce situated, i started seriously training. I met some nice cyclists, who liked to train about my speed. Just like that! and I started pushing my distance threshold.

THen, i got sick.  Bronchitis from Houston.  Houston needs to stop sharing so much.

3 Weeks with that crud in my chest, right in the heart of cycling season, which IMHO, is too short anyway.

Recovering from that funk, a friend talked me into a ride in Waxahachie. Cow Creek County Classic. That's a lot of cows! Surprisingly tho, I didn't see alot of cows. I saw a lot of corn and hay. Not many cows. Maybe a horse...oh and a donkey.  What sort of people are these??

I digress.  There aren't alot of riders in this, because right off the bat, i find a couple of awesome hasher buds, both of which i have the honor to train w/ now and then.  At rego, i ran into corworkes. Better yet.

We all line up at the 100 mile. You know you're at a small event, when it's almost time to start, and you're the first in line..at the 101 mile marker.  None of them were doing a century, but they lined up w/ me anyway. Very cool! In front of us, that just cut in, of course, were the racers .I didnt mind, they were obviously going to go MUCH faster than me anyway.

You could tell them.   Kits all matching.  Muscles perfect. Very little food in their back pockets.  They rode around, stopped to chat like one big happy little clan, didnt even have a phone on them.  Racers. As opposed to us...or me. My pockets bulging like quasimoto full of food.  Not to mention electrolyte pills, sports legs, lip balm, suntan lotion..hell none of those racers even had suntan lotion ON much less packing. THey were going go THAT fast!!

I wont give a play by play, but i will say, it was windy.  Flags were horizontal and i felt pretty weak. The weakness began to fade as I was dragged along by the group.

I stopped at the 20 mile stop. I kicked myself all day for that, bec i lost the group and had to solo it.  But later, after chatting w/ a friend of mine, he stopped at the 36, and said he ran out of food and water and was hating life, and wished he had stopped earlier.  Funny howthat works out, eh?

When i left that stop, a man was in front. I jumped on his wheel. I called out to a lady struggeling on her bike to get on my wheel. To my surprise, she did.  ANother and i called to her too. I saw her jump on, but later, she had dropped.  I rode up to the man, and thanked him for being our hero. I joked that he was dragging three hot chicks up a hill. He had no idea we were back there, but laughed and said he wished he'd done a better job. 651..you're my hero.

After leaving that group, i took off.  I made a wrong turn (WELL DUH) and by the time i found my way back onto true trail, i ran into one of my fav training buds.  We rode side by side in the wind, until some lucky stiff passed.  I hopped on his wheel, and so did everyone else.   That man was my hero. I can't remember his number but he pulled us about 5 miles up a shithill of wind and rocky asphalt to the 56 stop. I couldnt feel my ass much less my hands, and my shoulders were SCREAMING in pain.

My friends soon bailed for the 75, and i was on my own.  14 more miles into the harsh winds alone. After i made that stop, the trail turned EAst and the winds were much better. In fact, once going north, i had a badass tail wind.

Still, it took me 7hours11mins. I was happy about the finish, but a little bummed on the time.

But it's ok! Not bec i rode the century, but bec i had help doing it.

lance was right. Cycling is a team sport. A team which will appear just when you need them, and you may never even know their names.

Thank you Team Boomer that helped me get my first century in.  And to my awesome pals that finished as well..Congrats to you on such a harsh, but rewarding ride.

What's next?

Clear, calm skies my friends.