Okay, so I'm in this large pack of riders leaving the village of Frierson, heading toward I-49 about six miles away. We're flying down this bumpy, pock-marked road at about 26-27 mph and I'm reaching for whatever energy stores I can find in this 54-year old body. I looked over at Frenchie and said, "I thought the Thursday night rides were supposed to be easier than Tuesday night!" He just smiled and replies, "What do you mean...this IS easier." He's suffering as much as I am. But we're hanging in and sometimes I find myself at the front...how that happens I'm not sure. The speed was fast the whole ride, even when it was easy or easier. By the time we got to Linwood Road, we had dropped half the group and I started to lose touch with the front group. Considering we started the training ride with about 25 riders, there were only eight left to drop me. Later down Linwood I would catch up to two of them and finish back in with them.
Now I'm going to take it easy until the district time trials down in LaPlace near New Orleans this Sunday. Jonnene and I are signed up and I'm thinking this'll probably be my last bike race for the year. I'm not burned out yet but I'm starting to feel the beginnings of that weariness and not wanting to ride as much as I used to. It usually happens around August for me, partly due to riding all summer in the heat which makes me feel drained a lot and also that real life is busy during this time. I'm close to 4,000 miles which is the most I've ever done to this point of the year. I still plan to do a duathlon or two before the year is out (start running again next week) and would like to do the Louisiana Trails run again in November but we'll see how that goes.
Centenary College begins its fall semester next week and we moved my niece into her dorm Wednesday. That was exciting, mostly watching her (and her mother's) nervousness and anticipation...I was cool as a cucumber and enjoying the whole thing. I saw a couple of my cycling club kids who were helping people unload their cars and talked to them a bit. I have to get the club going again and schedule some rides and club meetings next week. As long as I'm getting paid I guess I should do it, huh? More of the members have gotten bikes over the summer and others remembered to bring theirs so I'm expecting more participation. I know we have folks who'll be doing triathlons in the spring but I also need to grow the road racing side of the club. My goal this year is to get more members out of the regular student body since my current membership consists of guys and gals from the swimming and cross-country teams, and I lose them when their main sports are in season.
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