The Real Reason I'm Almost Serious About Cycling This Year

Well, as I spoke about in my last post, we (Teamfubar, which includes me) are doing the 24 Hours of Moab again this year after a 10 year hiatus. Whether I want to or not, it is coming and it will be coming quicker than I want. All the training, there I said it, I've been training. Yes, after all the bellyaching I've done about friends training and taking their cycling so damn seriously, I'm now training. Though I assure you, if our "club" goes out for a mountain bike ride, I won't skip it because I have to go for a long road training ride. Riding is riding and having fun on your bike is the real reason we do this anyhow.

Whew, coming back from that tangent...you'd think all the training I've been doing has everything to do with the 24 HoM. You'd think that, but you'd be wrong. And you'd think that all the training I've been doing was to be able to hang with the jackrabbits I've been riding with, but again, you'd be wrong. And you might think I've been training to do better in the Dakota Five-O this year, but once again, you'd be wrong. And sure all the training will help me with all that stuff, but it isn't the real reason I've been training.

Here's the real reason. The 6 or so of you that regularly read this blog might remember our trip to Curt Gowdy State Park in Wyoming. When we were there, we ate dinner in Laramie. Before our dinner, we went to Mulligan's which is a bar in Laramie that my aunt and uncle own. We started drinking beers there, getting fairly well oiled up before going to dinner at Applebee's and drinking more there, so I do realize a lot of what was said that evening was alcohol fueled. We were in the bar, sitting around a long table, so there were multiple conversations going on. I was sitting next to my aunt, who I was speaking to most of the night, and Bob, one of our Teamfubar members. At some point during the evening, Bob was talking to Nick, the young triathlete and Greg, the wild Aussie/South African/Brit, when I heard Bob say "This mutha-fucker could kick everyone's ass at this table back in the day" (or something to that effect) and pointing at me.

I realized, yup, I used to be one of the fastest in the group. I used to be able to throw down with anyone on a bike and now I can't. And while I don't care that I don't anymore, I don't really like that I can't. And realistically, I know I probably won't be able to throw down like I used to, I want to be able to feel good about my efforts, which I didn't last year. And after yesterday's group road ride, I am getting closer. When we got done, guys that were stomping me into the ground last year were hurting and I wasn't. Yup, definitely getting closer.