Thursday Night Ride

 Well the final (for me) Thursday night Liberty Road ride rolled out with about a dozen guys.  Bob Wright joined us after a long hiatus,  it was good to see him out and about.  The wife works with him now at the hospital and she reports that he is a hard worker.   He apparently works hard at his cycling ability as well because he pretty much ripped my legs off.  Just what I needed as final prep for next week!

Thanks Matt for the last minute flat fix!

We pedaled out at a moderate pace.  On the I 26 climb, I found myself on the front again, so I set my pace and we cruised up.  I didn't hear any chatting so that made me happy.

Nixon

 The rest of the ride was mainly a repeat of previous rides.  Pull, peel off, try to recover,  land in front again.   There were 4 really strong guys, and I found myself in the group just above my skill level, but I dug deep and was able to hang on and do my part.

Me taking a picture of Nixon taking a picture

 We had a nice cloud cover, still lots of humidity, but cooler air temps made it bearable. 

overheated and toast....

I'm always at my limits after this ride.  I'm feeling great about my fitness and feel like I am more fit than ever before.  This group ride might have been frustrating at times, but I keep coming back because I know that it is good for me.  Part of the frustration is my own fault,  coming in with hopes and expectations that I have shared before.

I learned a lot this year though.   I met some new and solidified friendships with old friends.  Our cycling community is diverse.  Lots of hidden talent,  lots of strong personalities.  I'm excited about the future of cycling in our town.

While a lot of the rides tend to feel cutthroat, beat each other into the ground,  I believe that anyone on the ride at any time would sacrifice a training ride to help a fellow cycling with a flat or other mechanical.   I saw it happen repeatedly this year.  Someone waiting for a rider who got dropped to pull them back to the group,  stopping to help change a flat,  waiting while half the group got caught at a red light.  Sometimes even turning back to go look for someone.

What sticks with me about this ride is that our cycling community really does care about our fellow human being.  It is encouraging to ride with folks like this.  And in some strange way, it gives me the energy and desire to keep working with kids and teaching them to be world conscious riders,  aware of the humanity around them.

Thanks for the great rides,  see you next year!