Texas Toast

Georgetown, TX. Today, I completed the Red Poppy Century Ride across the rolling hills of central Texas. The Lone Star State challenged me with headwinds & heat, and I countered with gears and Gatorade and gumption. The day was mine!

The temperature only reached 85 today, and there were clouds for much of the morning. But by 2PM on a late April afternoon, the dry heat down here can knock the stuffing out of you. But the real challenge was the 30 mph wind from the south, enough to make the flags stand on end. The route was a loop with about 20 miles into the headwind, and those legs were pure torture. Even in a crosswind it was difficult to control the bike. And, the combination of heat and wind made hydration a huge challenge. In fact, the temptation to take a short cut was about as much as the Wicked Witch saying, over and over, "poppies! more poppies!".

But, I did it! I did not finish at any great speed, and I took several "granny stops", but I'm happy to say I rolled in to Georgetown High School under my own power. On the headwind segments, I geared way down and just crawled along. By the afternoon, I refilled my 100-oz hydration pack with Gatorade and ice twice. It all worked because one of the EMT techs at the final rest stop (92 miles!) said I was one of the few who had a smile on my face at that point.

I can't go without saying that Texans are great people. I don't remember getting 'buzzed' by one car. I got a lot of waves, and a lot of friendly smiles. The rest stops were stocked well, and all kinds of help was cheerfully provided. I appreciate the woman who cheered everybody in to the 40-mile rest stop. (She must be hoarse by now!) And the nice lady who offered to make me a PB&J sandwich at the 82-mile stop. And, of course, there was the woman who filled my water bottle while I was elsewhere engaged, and I didn't realize she had put ice in it until later. I tried to say thanks to them all.

And, yes, there were red poppies. Late in the day, it was easy to stop and take pictures of the fields of bluebonnets and poppies. 

It's a great feeling coloring in Texas on the map. It's such a big state!