As the Year Ends...

As the year comes to a close, I have been able to complete one more century, and bring my December total mileage to my second highest month of the year! I traveled to Sebring, Florida – the home of the Highlands Bike Festival two weeks ago – to partake of the quiet, flat roads and the sixty-degree temperatures. On the week after Christmas, I packed in nearly another 200 miles.

So this makes 2011 my best bicycling year in decades – and probably the best of my entire life. It bests all the years since 2002, which is as far back as I’ve kept any records. I’m not sure how much bicycling I did in the decade after I left the Navy or in the 1990s. I think if I had done over a dozen centuries, I might have remembered it! (I remember doing one or two a year in the 1980s, but there may have been lots more long rides.)

A cyclist friend of mine mentioned that resting in winter time is a good way to avoid burnout. It’s always a balancing act, because one does not want to lose all the fitness that was gained in the previous season. As it turns out, our winter here on the East Coast is looking to be quite mild. There will be several weekends in which we can enjoy at least a short ride.

One of the nicest outcomes this season is the acquisition of a new bike. The crack in the frame of my Gary Fisher hybrid led to a replacement hybrid bike: a Trek Dual Sport 8.4. I like the hybrid arrangement because it allows me to ride the roads and the trails. The tires are a bit rougher, and one can’t really generate huge mileage on these bikes, but they take you places that are a lot more interesting.

Cold weather, I’ve discovered, also cuts down on speed and mileage. In the winter, even if you’re all bundled up, when you look down at the GPS you’ve gone slower and shorter than you expected. Add in a little chilling headwind and the pace drops even more.

A Wet Century

Sebring, FL. Over the course of 35 centuries, I have seen my share of heat, hills, headwinds, and, of course, rain. This past weekend I got some minor headwinds (minor for Florida), and a big dose of rain. I was enjoying the company of Florida cyclists at the Highlands Bike Fest, held annually at the venerable Kenilworth Lodge in Sebring. This is the "land that time forgot": the urban landscape, the street network, the architecture, and the whole 'feel' of the place seems like Florida in the 1950s.

This three-day festival takes advantage of a quirk of Florida real estate: the first part of any new housing development is the access boulevard. This means that the city is surrounded by long, lonely, well-paved and lightly traveled roads. The roads pass through what may someday be houses, but is currently scrubby wilderness (or cattle ranches or orange groves). On the map there are dozens of side streets, and it looks like a crowded residential gridwork. On the ground, however, there is nothing but straight, flat, smooth highway.

There's not much to say about the rain. It was not in the forecast. It danced around a bit in the morning, but began in earnest at about mile 60. For the final forty miles, I was soaked. The temperature hovered around 70 degrees, so it was not that uncomfortable. It helped that the road was smooth -- potholes hidden by puddles can be a big problem. On the other hand, I believe rain significantly reduces rolling resistance, and can add a few points to your speed.

I felt pretty strong at the end. In fact, I was able to maintain over 15 mph on the last long stretch. On the final straightaway through Sebring to the hotel I had enough juice to put on the afterburner.

I enjoy this warm weather break at the end of the cycling season. I did Highlands Bike Fest last December (when it didn't rain!). In fact, I came back to Sebring again to escape the ice, snow, and cold of Northern Virginia. You can walk around in shorts and short-sleeved shirts. You put away the chap-stick and get out the sunscreen. It's a great way to keep your bicycling fitness up for the coming season.

Reflections on the 2011 Century Season

So this was the year I got serious about the cycling quest. With the rides I took this Thanksgiving weekend, I've pedaled over 4100 miles this year -- my best year yet. I've ridden a bike in 21 states in one year, a new high as well. (If I can manage to grab some December miles in PA and WV, I can increase that number by two.)

Fitness and weight loss have been the two most prominent benefits. But, spending over 40,000 hours in thought and reflection with better-than-normal blood supply to the brain can change your outlook on life.

I tend to think happy thoughts -- I'm normally an optimistic person. So my 'discussions with my handlebars' don't normally dwell on the past, on the missed opportunities. I find myself thinking most about the future: plans I need to firm up, conversations I need to have, things I need to do, and -- of course -- blogs I need to write. If I made good on all the things I planned to do while bicycling, I would have so much impact on the world around me that I would bend light. But, alas, we can barely get a start on our dreams. This blog is such a start.

Bicycling is a solitary exercise -- especially the way I do it. I have to wonder what my life would have been like had I spent 40,000 hours playing golf in the past year. Of course, I surely would have been less fit and less successful in weight loss. But, I would have enjoyed a world of conversations, an interchange of ideas that does not seem to take place while you're in the saddle. (Don't get me wrong, I don't play golf and I doubt I would enjoy it -- it's just that golf provides a valuable counter-example to cycling.)

So, while there are no regrets about the path I've taken, I think I can say that I enjoy cycling with other people. The centuries that were the most fun were those in which I found other riders who moved at my plodding pace. And, the bike tour I took was likewise a pleasant moment: spending vacation time with people who climbed the same hills, saw the same scenes, made the same turns, and were pushed by the same tailwinds. Not to mention rain showers, traffic, and potholes. Sharing with others and extended conversations help to round out the bicycling experience, knocking off the rough corners of riding solitude.

All this leads to my next post, which will be about my plans for 2012 and beyond. Preview: I expect I will be able to finish the project in the coming year or so. So, don't touch that dial!

End of a Great Season

Springfield, VA. With the previous weekend, this brings to an end a season of highly satisfying accomplishments. All told, I completed centuries in fourteen more states. My total at the end of 2011 is thirty-five states. I have achieved probably the most important accomplishment of all: I feel great! I'm planning on celebrating this Saturday by doing a century (what else!) from my own front door.

I spent last weekend in Georgia's beautiful fall countryside on roads that could not be more deserted. The ride was called "Cruisin' in the Country" and it certainly lived up to its billing! The weather was much like the first century of the year: 70 degrees and no wind! Even though equipment problems kept me from finishing the 100, I did rocket along at a 16-mph pace -- my fastest yet.

I've updated the map at the bottom of the page to show my plans for next year. In the coming weeks, I'll post more reflections of this year and more information on the rides I plan to do in 2012. The short version is: I expect to finish all but Alaska in 2011, and knock off the fiftieth state in July of 2013. That gives me some slack so that, if I fail to complete a century in 2012, I have the first half of 2013 to try again.

FestiVelo: South Carolina's Bicycling Festival

I spent last weekend in and around Charleston, South Carolina. There is a modest bicycling event there called FestiVelo. FestiVelo used to be held in early December, often under conditions of early winter. This year the organizers have chosen to move the date to early November. This allows them to grab a little warmer weather, but sacrifice some of the Christmas colors and lights. Most riders are quite happy with the change.

The actual century on Saturday was cold and windy, but warmed (eventually) by bright sunlight. FestiVelo headquarters -- the start and finish -- were in a lakeside Navy-run recreation area near Monck's Corner, South Carolina. The course was amazingly flat, and in a calmer day I probably could have set a new record. As it was, I finished at my usual time: about 4PM.

South Carolina has not quite decided what it thinks about bicycling. Most drivers gave cyclists a wide berth. Some, however, chose to pass close to me at high speed. It's always subjective, but it seemed as if this was more common than in places like Minnesota or New Jersey. Additionally, there were side-paths along some major roads, but they were disjointed. They would go on for about two miles and end abruptly, only to start up again three miles down the road. Local bicyclists must be incredibly frustrated!

This ambivalence probably affected the negotiations with the local authorities. The ride organizers seem to have promised that we would be 'off the road' by 3PM. I certainly had every intention of finishing by then, but the headwinds ate away at my pace, and added about an hour to my time. The last 20 miles of the ride were on pretty quiet roads (or wide, sparsely-traveled four-lane highways). While it was lonely, it was warm, calm, and pleasant. I accomplished my goal of finishing with a smile.

I don't think I saw more than 100 people on this ride. This stands in stark contrast to the thousands who rode in the rain in Michigan the end of September. I guess getting to South Carolina is a bit difficult. I met several people from Virginia and Maryland who drove down.

This leaves me with one more state to complete this year: Georgia. I'll move from typing this blog entry to packing up to fly to Savannah. I'll be enjoying a century that I've been wanting to do for a long time: Cruisin' in the Country. After that, I'll publish the end-of-year map.

The Eternal Beauty of an October Bicycle Ride

Sometimes, as we push toward a bicycling goal we lose track of the real reasons we chose cycling in the first place. That's true whether it's a century goal like mine or a yearly mileage goal or a fitness-and-speed goal. We sometimes spend too much time with our heads down and miss the beauty that is all around us.

This affliction seems to become most acute in October. The cycling year is coming to an end. We want to grab one more century or cut n minutes off our time. And, as we all know, October is the most beautiful month of the year. So, I need to remind myself that it's important to pause and enjoy the ride.

I spent yesterday on Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. The foliage was a bit beyond peak, but there was still a lot of color. I love this ride despite the often heavy and inconsiderate traffic. It seems that every time you turn a corner you see another burst of rainbow colors. The late afternoon sunlight changes the hues of the forest as it glints from different angles. The photo is nice, but it does not do justice to the translucent glow from the leaves as the sun sets behind the forest.

You don't do a lot of miles on Skyline Drive. There's a lot of climbing and a lot of stopping to take pictures. But, a cyclist has a much better opportunity to take pictures along the drive than a motorist. The picture here was taken from a roadside grassy patch where a car can not stop.

So yesterday I paused to remember why I chose bicycling in the first place.

Mastering a Michigan Monsoon

Three Oaks, MI. On Sunday the 25th, I completed the Apple Cider Century here. This is the largest cycling event in the Midwest, with 5500 registered riders. Cars with bicycles on the back streamed in from Chicago and Indiana for this impressively well-organized event. As all large cycling events, this one goes rain or shine. This year it was rain. Rain began about mile five and continued, between heavy showers, drizzle, and a few breaks to about mile 75. It was amazing how many cyclists stuck it out -- at least for the first 50 miles.

There was still a lot to like about this ride. The roads were nice and quiet (except for the crowds of cyclists!). There were several areas of beautiful new pavement -- more than I have seen on many centuries. In fact, in places the rain-soaked road reflected the landscape and sky like a mirror, creating a bit of vertigo. It seemed unsafe, but I never saw a rider down (and there were many riders on these roads blasting across the ice-like surface), so I'm guessing that it was safer than it looked and felt.

And, the terrain was not that challenging. In fact, I did not have to use my granny gear once on this ride! At age 59, I don't have any pride about dropping into the small chain-ring. If I have to, I'll gear way down and tell myself I have nothing to prove. So, the fact that it was not necessary would recommend this as a particularly flat century.

Two other things made this century unique. The countryside in southern Michigan and northern Indiana is criss-crossed with railroads. We were never far from a railroad crossing, and were serenaded by train horns for most of the ride. And, the sheer scale of this event was impressive. The Apple Cider Century has been operating since 1974, so they know how to handle over 5000 riders. Thus, there were marshals at all the right intersections, markings in all the right places, and bathroom capacity to match the size of the crowd at every rest stop.

So, September came between extreme century book-ends. The month started in Tennessee with 100 degrees of bleaching heat, and ended with a 58-degree rain ride. I went from the long days of bright summer to a day-long autumn gloom in which the first hints of fall foliage were appearing at the ends of the tree branches.

This completes my twelfth century of the year and collects state number 34. I'll be taking a short break to vacation with my lovely bride. I'll be back on the bike as early as October 29, and certainly by early November. I plan to finish the year by coloring in South Carolina, Georgia, and possibly Mississippi.

Minnesota: Outriding Jesse James

Northfield, MN. On September 10, I added Minnesota as state number 33. This century was part of "The Defeat of Jesse James" festival. Jesse James has become somewhat of a folk hero in Hollywood and in Missouri (which is where he was from), where he's painted as a post-Civil War Robin Hood. But, historians have found no evidence that James gave the proceeds of his ten-year murderous rampage to anybody but himself.

The James Gang attacked a bank in Northfield, MN on September 7, 1876. The folks of Northfield, in those pre-911 days, realized what was going on, and initiated a firefight in downtown, killing two members of the gang at the scene. They then formed a posse, and chased down most of the gang in Madelia, MN -- 81 miles away. The two James brothers escaped, but the gang was essentially destroyed. Some historians have suggested, since James was a Confederate partisan and targeted the assets of former Union leaders, that this was really the last battle of the Civil War.

The festival includes a century. As most centuries, this goes a bit long -- 105 miles. It was a delightful day, with temperatures in the 80s (they think this was 'hot'!) and no wind. There were beautiful views of farmland in late summer as we climbed the many hills on this ride. I decided that, as I'm visiting Minnesota for my first time, I would slow my pace down and enjoy the scenery and weather. After all, it's not as if I'm chasing down a desperado or anything!

Thus, it was late in the day as I glided into Northfield Middle School. The post-ride shower felt great, the Subway sandwiches were delicious, and it was nice to sit and reminisce. I thanked the organizers, who were dressed as the original Western posse.

Today, the day after the ride, is the tenth anniversary of September 11. I will honor this in several ways. I'll fly on two United Airlines flights, happy to know that I'm a lot safer. I rode my bike this weekend in honor of those who brought other murderers to justice, successful in part because they rode harder and faster. But most of all, in a conflict with enemies who declare that they celebrate death, I've spend the weekend drinking deep from the cup of life.

Labor Day Weekend Doubleheader

On my list of personal 'firsts' is the accomplishment of two centuries in one weekend. I checked that off the bucket list today as I completed the Irene-delayed Delaware Shorefire Century. This Labor Day on-my-own ride (using the cue sheet for last weekend's canceled ride) gave me my last Northeastern State. And, on Saturday, I completed the Sunrise Century, which started in Clarksville, Tennessee.

Today's ride was cool, but breezy. Every time I took a leg with a southerly or westerly vector, I found myself facing demoralizing headwinds. Fortunately, on this course, this provided a tailwind for the final legs. Without the winds, this would be a delightful ride: no hills and pleasant backroads with great shoulders.

Delaware has been that hole in the doughnut for some time. It's the one Northeastern state that I had not completed. Hurricane Irene forced the cancellation of this August 27th ride. As I returned from Tennessee on Sunday, the local forecast looked like rain for Monday through Thursday. But, Delaware was forecast to be rain-free. With Robbie's help, I put together a self-supported century that used the Shorefire cue sheet. In fact, the road markings were still in place.

Saturday's Sunrise Century was something else altogether. Tennessee continues to experience a brutally hot summer, and the temperature on Saturday reached over 100 degrees. It was even hot at 9:30AM when I stopped to patch a flat tire (ugh!). At one point near the end, as we were climbing the last hill, I stopped to let the blood flow back into my shoes. It was so hot that the colors -- the foliage, the road, and the sky -- all seemed to be painted in pastels. There was not a dram of shade to be found anywhere. I waved off the SAG wagon that was sweeping the course for riders too tired to go the last few miles. With the odometer reading 98 miles, I knew that I had come too far to quit now. I poured the last of my water bottle onto my shirt, climbed back on my bike, and pedaled slowly to the finish line.

This brings the total states completed to 32. Next weekend I expect to hit Minnesota, and I have Michigan at the end of the month. Hopefully, I won't have to deal with the heat there. After that, I plan to take a break to do a relaxing cruise with my lovely bride. This is one break that I feel like I earned!

Weather Blues

It's been a frustrating end of the month for the centuries project, mostly because my weather karma has been on an apparent vacation. On 21 August, I attempted a close-to-home century in Reston, Virginia. At about the 65 mile point, I heard a clap of thunder and looked behind me to see a black sky. A quick call to 50CP Headquarters (my wife, Robbie, at home) revealed that there were yellow and red patches on the radar image of the incoming storm. What's worse, the storm looked like it would last for a long time. So, I arranged for a rendezvous in Leesburg, and ended the ride at 75 miles. It was a good thing, as the ride organizers told me there were about 1000 people left on the road when it started to hail.

Last weekend, I had plans and reservations to do the Shore Fire Century in Delaware. As late as Thursday afternoon, the ride organizers were insisting we would still ride. "The rain from Irene isn't supposed to hit until late Saturday," they e-mailed me. But, Irene was bigger than expected (in rain and size, if not in wind and ferocity) and states of emergency and evacuation areas were declared. They pulled the plug late Thursday.

This is such a bummer because every other day has been beautiful. Temperatures are in the low 80s with bright sunshine and sharp shadows. There is a tangible drop in humidity. This morning was so cool you couldn't sit outside in shorts.

This weekend, I'm going to attempt to double up on the centuries. I have plans to do the Sunrise Century in Clarksville, TN (which does both TN and KY) on Saturday. I fly home on Sunday, and will attempt the Delaware Shore Fire Century self-supported on Labor Day. (The bike club was nice enough to send me the cue sheet.) The weather forecast for these two locations has been all over the map, so it will be a small miracle if I can finish all this.

How long does your weather karma go on vacation for, anyway?

Indiana: A Sequence of Unfortunate Events (Ends Well)

Sometimes, you just have to decide you’re going to persevere. I was in Howe, Indiana for the “Amishland and Lakes” century last weekend (August 6th). There was a lot to like about this ride: the terrain was mostly flat, the weather was warm but not hot, and there was very little wind. The organizers were very friendly as were the riders, and the food on the campus of the former Howe Military Academy was cheap and surprisingly tasty.

The name of the ride came from the large Amish population in the area (the lakes were definitely a secondary feature, but I understand the name is traditional). The Amish tradition here was no different than elsewhere: They avoid most modern conveniences – most prominently the automobile. Thus, we would pass numerous horse-drawn buggies and carriages. While this was charming, it also meant that we would ride 100 miles among the horses’ much-less-charming residue. What started out as interesting sensory reflections of a bygone era, by the middle of a summer afternoon, became the main focus of our riding attention. We had to avoid both potholes and ‘horse apples’.

After an early start, I made good time as far as mile 38. I found a rider, Barb, a florist from Ohio, who wanted to start early as well, and expected to ride the same pace as I. 38 miles in, I developed a flat on my front tire. I searched for a while to no avail to find what in the tire caused the small slit in the tube. In putting a new tube on, I spent too much time chatting and too little attention to what I was doing. I did not notice that I had failed to seat the tire bead. I brought it all the way to pressure before my spare tube blew out with a convincing retort.

I went back to attempt to patch the original tube. The glue in my patch kit had dried out, but a passing cyclist loaned me some from hers. During inflation, the valve stem broke rendering my last good tube useless. I called for a SAG and walked to the last intersection. An hour later, I discovered the SAG did not have any tubes my size -- they gave me a ride back to the ride HQ at Howe. After the purchase and installation of two new tubes (and a new patch kit!), it was about noon. I decided to attempt to finish the century by taking the 62-mile route that began at Howe. I went past the first rest stop after it closed, but I was able to make the others in time. I finished the ride after 5PM, happy to color in Indiana.

Back in the Saddle!

I'm winding down preparations for the Indiana Amishland and Lakes century on Saturday. (Links are on the right column.) I did a dry run metric century last Sunday, and I felt pretty good. Amishland is pretty relaxed: temperatures forecast to be in the mid-80s, and the terrain is flat. I've decided that my mantra will be: you're here to enjoy yourself! If I'm not having fun, then there's no point in going through all this time, expense, and aggravation.

So, I hope to bike 100 miles with a smile on my face on Saturday. I hate to get ahead of myself, but there's lots more to do in the coming two months. Some of them sound like a lot of fun, like Minnesota's Jesse James Century.

I signed up for the Reston Century near here on the 21st. It turns out there really are not many out-of-state options that weekend. I'll do the ride if the weather cooperates, but I've done many centuries in Virginia. There's no need to be a hero -- especially if temperatures reach the boiling point again.

I've also noticed that there's significant weight gain over a century weekend. I think it's human nature to over-compensate for these endurance events. Much has been made about 'carbo loading' in advance of these events, but it may be just hype. I think the best recommendation is to eat a reasonable but not excessive meal the night before, a good breakfast, and top off as you ride along. It's incredibly easy to take in more calories than you ride off. (For the record, I estimate a century rides off more than 5000 calories.) It's a balancing act. If you don't take in enough, you reach the restaurant or the ride dinner famished and start eating the plates and napkins.

I'll post a new map Sunday! Hi Ho, Silver, away!

First Ride After the Fall

I got a jump on the heat this Sunday morning and took my first real post-crash ride. I had several plans to ride over the course of this week, but the abnormal heat wave forced me to postpone. Over the past several days, we've had temperatures near and over 100 degrees, and heat indices that were pushing 120. I decided to let mother nature take its course and allow a little more neck recovery.

So, this morning I discovered how much fitness one loses by idling for three weeks. A 10-mile ride had me bushed. To be sure, I rode after having just a banana and some water, so I bonked out a bit on the ride. But, the good news is that there was no neck pain during or after the ride. This will give me a green light to slowly increase the mileage.

Of course, all this has important implications for the century project. I've all but decided that my Ohio ride next weekend will have to be canceled. There's no way, in this heat, that I'll be able to build mileage enough to get up to ride a century. And, the Indiana ride the following weekend is in doubt as well. We will see how well I can recover my endurance.

The wisdom of old age -- I turn 59 this week -- tells me that I need to give myself plenty of recovery time. There's no use in forcing the issue and having a relapse. Besides, these heat waves take all the fun out of cycling. I have a busy August and September planned, and I want to finish the year strong in November (SC & GA) and December (FL).

Can You Bike Off the Pounds?

I realize that there are folks who post pictures of themselves just after an accident. I have such pictures, but I just can't bring myself to put them up. Call me vain, but my bruised-face photo would make you wince. Instead, I decided to post side-by-side pictures of me between November 2010 and July 2011.

On the right, in today's photo, you will see our slowly healing hero. I still have some trouble moving my neck around, so I'm clearly stiff. And, my deepest cut was to the inside of my lip. This is taking a while to heal. It gives my face the kind of 'bar fight' look that just drives women wild.

But I thought this would answer the question, once and for all, as to whether a bicycling regimen can deliver weight loss. As of this morning, I've lost over eighty pounds. This has come through a mix of careful monitoring of what I eat (I write everything down), drinking lots of water, and getting out on the bike every chance I can.

To help me control my calories and eat well, I use the Diet-to-Go program. I pick up my weekday meals at the gym. They prepare my lunch and dinner for Sunday night through Friday lunch. The food is fresh, and you can tinker with the menu selections to get only the meals you like. At this point, I look forward to every meal. I tried sending them my before-and-after photos, but -- get this -- they have so many that they don't need mine! I think that's a rather amazing testimonial to their effectiveness.

Recuperation

It has taken a while to recover from the crash. While my helmet saved me, I landed squarely on the head so my neck took the full weight of the fall. Needless to say, it is taking a while for the tissue to repair itself. The doctor says I can't get on a bike until I'm pain-free. While every day is a little better, progress is agonizingly slow. I canceled the New York ride this weekend. I was only doing it because it sounded like a lot of fun: riding around the Hudson River valley. The next century is scheduled for July 31, some two weeks from now. I expect I'll be cleared to ride, but will I still be century-ready?

Alas, every challenge has its setbacks. I'll get there. It just might take me a bit longer. I really don't like doing centuries in July anyway. It's just too danged hot!

The Crash

Stillwater, OK. Well, I suppose it was inevitable. I crashed. On my Oklahoma century -- the Tour of Payne -- I rode 57 miles on wide, paved, smooth shoulder. At mile 57, however, the state highways department installed a big, bad rumble strip right in the middle of the shoulder. (See picture.) I came upon this without seeing it. In fact, I was taking a picture of the Payne County sign (documenting the “Tour of Payne”.) Thus, I had only one hand on the handlebars as my bike became instantly unridable. This wasn’t just a mild rumble strip – it had 6” long, deep ridges. I hit the strip head on, and tumbled over the handlebars. I hit face first into the rumble strip. There was no chance to recover as the bike simply went out from under me.

Most of the damage was to my face. I also hit on the helmet, and this pushed my neck back. In fact, it’s the neck pain that will probably keep me from riding for a while. I had an X-ray to determine if there was nothing broken, and it just appears to be muscle strain.

I have substantial bruise marks where the helmet contacted the skull. Clearly, the helmet saved me a lot of injury, and may have saved my life. Of course, I need to buy another.

I was picked up by two brothers – good Samaritans – who dropped me and my bike at my hotel. They were both from Stillwater and both were from Oklahoma State. One graduated and started his own graphic arts business, the other graduates in December. I was reluctant to accept a ride because I realized I would get some blood on their interior. I said as much, and they insisted. Refusing help was silly in the bright heat in the middle of nowhere in Oklahoma. And, I needed to get checked out for any serious injuries. “This is just what people from Oklahoma do,” they said. I told them they should be proud of themselves.

I’ve decided to count the OK century. The brothers who helped me declared, “I think you should count this.”

In reality, I was on pace to finish. I had been making 12.2 mph overall, and 13.5 mph moving average. I had started early, so I was approaching the town of Yale and the 62-mile rest stop by about 11:10. Clouds had provided shade for the first 60 miles. The sun was beginning to burn through, and it was a hot ride in the 'rescue car' back to Stillwater. It would have been an uncomfortable 42 miles (in which there would be several ‘groaner’ uphills), but I think I would have been able to complete the ride. In fact, I can say that I experienced the best the event had to offer. I think, however, I would have enjoyed doing the swimming pool at Cushing – the 77-mile point.

Recovery may take a bit. Fortunately, the 50-state quest is not scheduled to resume until the end of July. I may miss a New York century, but NY is already complete. I'm just doing it for fun.

Missouri: Tour de Loco & Joplin

Joplin, MO. I just completed 100 miles of hot southwestern Missouri farm roads. The Tour de Loco begins and ends in Mount Vernon, MO. It is run by the Locozmos bike club, and wanders around some pretty Missouri countryside. I did 66 miles in the morning, finishing that segment at around 1PM. The temperatures by then were pushing 100 degrees. I decided that discretion was the better part of valor, and finished the last 34 miles from my hotel in Joplin after the temperature went down. Running a century in the heat of the day in summer is a questionable venture.

Riding around Joplin, of course, was a sobering experience. Last May 22nd, the town was devastated by the deadliest tornado to hit the US since 1957. The broad-front twister cut a swath a mile wide and eight miles long. It devastated about 15% of the city of Joplin, and barely missed the downtown.

Six weeks later, Joplin has barely begun to recover. The devastation along the path of the tornado was complete. As you crest over a ridge, you are greeted with the sight of debris, wrecked structures, and broken trees. There was absolutely nothing left standing along the centerline path.

Debris removal has just barely begun. Less than 10% of the structures have been cleared to the slab. Some businesses have brought in temporary structures and reopened. Some have moved and placed signs to their new location. It was inspirational to see "We are open!" signs.

The people of Joplin face massive problems. Looters struck the wrecked areas quickly. Recently, a rare fungus infection has struck many of the survivors. It will take years to rebuild their city, but their determination, their love of God, life, and country, and their unbreakable spirit make recovery simply a matter of time. I rode with tears in my eyes for miles.

I've included a picture of Joplin High School. It will have to be completely rebuilt. School was not in session when the tornado hit. In fact, seniors were graduating at a college nearby, away from the tornado. The picture does not do justice to the massive scale of the destruction.