I am old, I am plump, but on June 5, 2011, I had my butt kicked by much older and some plumper bicyclist. The scene of this embarrassment, The 2011 Elephant Rock (www.elephantrockride.com). A great ride and party to welcome in the new summer season of Colorado cycling.
I figured that since I can no longer ride with the tall kid I could turn my attention to the short kid as a riding companion. I figured what the heck, he wants to be part of our riding, has a nicer than mine bike, why not. The Elephant Rock had a 32 mile loop which was as long as kids under 14 were allowed to ride. He had rode 29 miles before so I signed us both up for that loop and the tall kid for a 62 mile loop with some friends he enjoyed riding with. The 32 mile loop started with a 4 mile climb of which I guessed to be a 12% grade but was probable more like a true 6% grade. Since the short kid, like the tall one, does not seem to understand that long inclines are difficult, I was a good Dad and said “I will see you at the top”. The last I saw of him was when he was passing the lead riders about a quarter of the way up. Next time I saw him he was clapping for me at the finish line. The tall kid had left with our friends that we rode a little bit with last summer. Connor enjoyed riding with them because he was as fast as they were. A year makes a big difference, after the nice lunch, our friend Ron said that they were looking forward to the tall kid riding with them. They saw the back of his jersey at the start and it just kept getting smaller, till he was totally gone. A year really does make a difference. The tall kid did his 62 miles with an average of 17.2 mph.
All of this brings me to me. No I have not ridden the miles I wished I had at this point but we have a 32 mile loop that gets the distance in. Throw in some of the old fat person intervals and compete against the clock and I should be good right? Re-think that brainstorm………….theory is good but in reality it is not there. I had plenty of time to think this over, believe me at an average speed of a blazing 9.8 mph you have time to think. Not only think but over think. There were thoughts that if I was alive at the end of this, I was done with cycling. I was done with the false plateaus, the sick humor of putting a 100 yard stretch of a real 12% grade, in the middle of a 5 mile climb. Then the thoughts drifted in and out of, I lost my kid…………did he miss a turn, is he lost, did the State Patrol pick him up. I’m a bad, bad parent. There was humility, an elderly lady, more elderly than me, in a tie-dyed DRESS, on what appeared to be a beach bike with gears, passed me multiple times, usually going uphill. The defining moment to top it all, being passed (on that real 12% grade) by a heavy set women, of my seniority pushing her bike up the hill. Yes, she walked by me pushing her bike up the hill. That was time for me to get off and give in to walking.
As I walked up that last 25 yards to the false plateau I was convinced that a training partner is the only way to go. Someone who you can’t cheat with, a person that dangles that carrot in front of you and forces you to push and pick up the rpm’s just a little bit more. Turn those old fat person intervals into real intervals to get an actual improvement not a presumed improvement. Yes I have greatly improved this past couple of years, but you can only do so much on your own. I have assisted the tall kid to the best of my abilities and now it is time for someone else to refine and take him to the next level. This I understand, but when it comes to ourselves, we always attempt to do it without help and that does not always pan out.
As far as the ride finished, it was a great time, beautiful scenery, great people to be around which made a beautiful day of a two day event. As far as the climbs go, my bad, this is Colorado and Denver the Mile High City. The Mile High mark is on the Capitol steps and to leave there you need to go up, in any direction. A ride in Colorado is a climb no matter where you ride. But to top the day off, I could not be a prouder parent of how the tall kid and the short kid performed, they gave me much, much pride.
Till Next Time
Ride Safe, Ride Far, Ride Short, But Ride
“G”
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