For the first time in far too long I got on the bike.  It’s shocking that it’s been so long but what can I say.

I decided I’d go on a group ride with the Silver Wheels Cycling Club.  The calendar said it was an easy *2 ride of 30 miles.   I woke up a few minutes late so out the door I went.  This would haunt me later but I’m a big boy so what can I say?

I got there on time and there were a total of six riders.  I was the youngest at 58 (my birthday was just a couple days before).  We got on the road and I admired the bikes.  There was a Madone, Felt and the one that I want to get when I lose the weight, a Specialized Roubaix.  Took a mile or so for my legs to loosen up but once they did I felt great.

Before I left I noticed that the battery in my bike computer had died so I was riding blind.  Didn’t matter much as I couldn’t ride faster than the ride leader.  I’ll have to buy a few of those batteries since they fit in more than one of my devices, (watch, guitar tuner, etc.)

It was a warm day with temps just about eighty and I went through my water bottle quickly and realized that I only brought one.  Luckily halfway through we stopped at one of the rider’s houses and we got refills.  It was a nice break in the shade and I took a couple pictures with Paul Zacharias.

The ride took us into LaGrange and then north.  It was a perfect day to ride.  Around mile twenty-five I ran out of water and realized that rushing out of house without breakfast was a mistake.  At mile thirty I bonked, seriously hitting the wall.  I couldn’t ride about ten miles per hour.  What a dummy!

All in all it was a great ride.  I’ll never leave without having something on my stomach and two water bottles.  We ended up going a respectable thirty-two miles.  I’m back.  I plan to keep this nasty beard for a while but guarantee it will be off by Christmas

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