Cycling Season Underway

Jamie, Lisa, Gill, and Jerry laughing it up about pounding me into the pavement. (ED NOTE: John was busy with his head in a shopping bag of food at time of photo)

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Today was our third group ride of the season, and it was a doozy. We did 40 miles of good hills, everybody working much harder than the last couple "wake up the legs" rides. Lisa is a machine, but of course it helps being 87 lbs. At one point Jamie tore his left arm off so he would be lighter and could chase her up a grade.

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Now, when you have a name like Lumpy, cycling up hills is probably not going to be your forte. And, it isn't. But for every uphill, there is a world speed record shattering downhill, and I'm quicky getting back into descending form. 50+ mph this week down Springwater way, and I should be creeping up on the magical 60mph mark in a couple of weeks. Everyone has their own little place in the world.

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The highlight of the ride was when buddy John, the star baseball pitcher/swimmer/sweathog disappeared off the back of the ride. We waited a few minutes for him, but nowhere to be seen. So, I double back. I find him sitting on the concrete at a 7-11, with a HUGE bag of food in front of him, 2 quarts of gatorade, a large coke, and just devouring it all. A hilarious sight (so much so that I forgot to take the pix...sorry). He ate for about 10 miinutes, then finally got back on his bike for the last TWO MILES back to base. Seems he didn't know how close we were, but when the bonk strikes, you have to "Feed the Bonk". And he certainly did, more than many 3rd world families eat in a week. He's looking more less like Roger Clemmons and more like David Ortiz every day. See, I knew he'd come around to the Red Sox!

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This week I head off on a great ride for 4 days, the Great Alleghaney Passage and C&O Canal trail. The ride will basically be from Pittsburgh to Washington, DC along an old railbed, climbing and crossing the Appalachian mountain in West Virginia. Accompanying me are old swim buddy Mark and San Diego buddy John. Should be some good stories inbound next week when I return. Till then, ride safe, and live life to its fullest.

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"Life is one big downhill" Lumpy out