Half Way Mark!

With the completion of New Jersey's Rotary 100, I am now half-way through my quest.

Progress has happened in fits and starts since I first learned how to keep a two-wheeled vehicle upright back in 1957 in Milton, Massachusetts. There have been long stretches of my life when I did almost no bicycling at all, including the period from 2007 to 2010.

But, for every uphill there's a downhill, and I can feel myself gaining momentum. If the schedule cooperates and bike and body continue to function, I should be able to finish off 12 more centuries in 2011. If I complete only a fraction of that, this will be my best century year yet.

I'll never be the first across the finish line. Becoming a fast rider is not my goal. "Start first; finish last; have the best time," is my mantra. It has a number of side-benefits. If I pace myself, I will probably see everybody on the ride at least once. I notice more things. At some point I need to write a blog entry on "Weird Things I Saw in the Road". I can also take more pictures if I'm not watching the clock. I found that, years after an event, I have a hard time remembering what kind of day it was, or what did I see on the ride.

All of which reminds me, I need to begin to update my photo album.