Training this year was a little out of the ordinary, not for bikers but for sane persons.
I've had some commitments on Saturdays, so I've been riding on Friday and Saturday nights.. I've always wanted to try riding at night, so I did.
With headlight , taillight and the stars to guide me I ventured into the darkness to once again tempt fate. During the Summer I'd ride to Williams Blvd and jump up on the River Levee bike path, (about 6:30 after work or about 4:00 or 5:00 Sat or Sunday), it's smooth, no cars, picturesque, plenty trees, and no speed limit. The dying sun falls on my back and gives everything in front of me a subtle relaxing hue , it's beautiful. I ride toward New Orleans, past Harahan, the Golf Coarse, Ochsner Hospital, Metairie Playground, across the Parish line and all the boat terminals in the River. Tremendous ships maneuver the river best they can, and the tugs and barges line up along the banks 2 and 3 deep. The Crickets chirping ,frogs croaking , the mouths full of aphids, an occasional rabbit, plenty birds. the feeling of exposure ,night, bike, could get a flat, breakdown, fall, no one to help me, no way to find me, I'm vulnerable, it's an adrenalin rush. When I reach Carrollton Ave, the suns down and I'm riding in dusk, beautiful, past the Corps of Engineers and into Audubon Park. It's dark now, I ride into the parks 2 mile riding , walking , jogging path, my headlights on , taillights on , and usually, my MP3 player is blasting something like "The Doors" , playing "This is the End"from "Apocalypse Now" and suddenly I''m on a River Boat in the dark of Cambodia watching natives throwing spears , so I hurriedly escape , to the shelter on St Charles Ave, take a leak , a Nutrigrain Bar break, I also fill my water bottles, it's takes 3 or 4 during the summer. Next on to St Charles, plenty traffic, have to watch my rear, ride fast and deliberate. St Charles is filled with stately old mansions and churches, plenty bluebloods, relatively safe but don't' stop around Louisiana Ave and Jackson Ave. Riding the length of St Charles brings me to the French Quarter, well lit, I can see clearly, too many pedestrians, and the cops keep running me off Bourbon St, no bikes allowed, must walk, I make my way to the river front for another break. If your a people watcher like me, this is the place for you. The port is busy , they work day and night, all the boat lights reflect off the water and light up the whole river front. The MP3 player is turned off so I can absorb the sound of the quarter, people , music, street players, jazz clubs, my nose is already filled with smells of food, booze, air conditioning, perfume, the night dampness makes it hang about face level. It's about 9:00 now and it's dark as it gets. After touring the quarter, I have to ride the length of Canal Street out to the Cemeteries.. Canal St is smooth and easy to ride on , very wide, not too much traffic, plenty sights even at night, the Cemeteries are lit by the Street lights and contain many shadows I rather now know about any closer than the street. I turn right at the Cemeteries traveling down City Park Ave to City Park and take a dark ride into City Park, across the tickle bridge and around the Museum to Esplanade Ave meeting Bayou St John, The Bayou St John shore has a new bike path that brings you to Lake Pontchartrain, (plenty water to ride along), time for another break, I ride to the top of the Bayou St John Bridge, I can see for miles, the breeze smells of sea water, it's getting late , time to head home. Lakeshore Drive used to be a playground at night , plenty light , folks fishing, parking, picnicking, all at night, when I was a lad many years ago the family would go sit on the seawall at night and cast for shrimp, fish, now there are no lights, no people allowed , dark and deserted,, easy ride , no traffic, smooth road. reach the west end of Lakeshore drive and enter Bucktown, I wrangle my way through Bucktown and stop at the Bonnabel Boat Launch for another break, there's a few nuts, launching and coming home in the dark, I suck up some Gatorade , getting a little tired now. The Lake Levee path is closed between Bonnabel and Causeway so it's neighborhoods and cars not seeing me, on my toes until I get back on the Lake path past Causeway.
The Lake path is dark , some areas are smooth, the water lapping the rocks just a few feet away can be heard over the Mp3 player, looking out over the Lake I see lights from rigs and boats, the air smells great, salty and clean. It's Lake shore all the way to Williams Blvd, I may see one person at this point , mostly I'm alone , happy and spiritually full filled. The Williams Blvd Boat Launch is bright from the lights of the Casino Boat, time for another break, nutrigrain bar and some water. Music blasting in my ear takes me over, legs are like machines , they just keep working, no complaining, no fatigue, like their not even mine. Back on the road, Williams Blvd to Vintage, can't take Williams to Veterans , that's known as the ride of death, speeding cars, no shoulder, rough road, no way, we take Vintage to David Dr, David Drive to West Napoleon then the house. I get off my bike and my legs don't want to walk, it feels funny , this trip was 60 miles, 15 miles less than the MS Tour, What an adventure, it''s another world, the sights , the smells, the sounds the high......That's actually the Saturday Night ride , the Friday night ride takes Canal Street to Metairie Road, to Severn to West Napoleon then home. It gets me home at a reasonably time. On Sunday afternoon I sometimes cruise Lafinenere Park. I'm a people watcher and the Quarter,the Lakefront, Midcity, and Lafinenere Park give me plenty to stare at, gotta watch for those pot holes too. One week prior to the MS Tour I peak at 2 days of 65 to 70 miles . 4 Days prior to the ride I rest so I'll have some fresh legs race day. My MP3 Player has a great variety of music to please me, for example; Xavier Cugat-Sorrento, Irma Thomas, Etta James,, Buddy Guy , Billy Holliday, Professor Longhair Tyronne Davis, Janis Joplin, Bob Marley, Bobby Blue Bland, Procol Harum, John Prine, Arlo Guthrie, Bob Dillon, Hendrix, Matchbox 20, Wallfllowers, Gorillaz, Stevie Wonder, Will Smith "gettin giggy with it", John Anderson, Flock of Seagulls, Human League, Bush, ELO, The Police, Eric Burton, Elvis Costello, Van Halen , Pat Benatar, Alice in Chains, Men at Work, Talking Heads, Roy Buccanan, The Cars, Pet Shop Boys, Edie Brickell, Elton John , Queen, Lisa Stanfield, Johnny Rivers, Tom Jones, Henry Mancini, Robin Trowler, Edwin Starr (original War) Bruce Springsteen, Duke Ellington, Tears for Fears, Blondie, Taylor Dane, Hank Williams Sr. Meat Loaf, Wagner (Ride of the Valkyries), Robert Goulet, Yardbirds, Marc Cohn, The Tremelos, Dave Loggins, Cream, Michael Murphy,, Gino Vanelli, Cowsills, The O'kaysions, Guns and Roses, Uriah Heep, Don Henley, Walter Eagan, Leon Russell, Jay and the Techniques, Sanford and Townsend, Stevie Wonder, Gene Pitney, The Bubble Puppy, Barry Mcguire, Ben E King, Todd Rundgren, Dusty Springfield, The Shirrelles, The Marvelettes, Paul Davis,,Crystal Gayle, David Cassidy, Earl King, Long John Baldry ( don't lay no boogie woogie on the king of rock and roll), Aldo Nova, Memphis Slim, Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra, Billy Joe Royal, The Stones, The Band, Rod Stewart, Faces, Martha Reeves, Crosby Stills Nash and Young (together and separately), Meat Loaf, Bruce Channel, The Classics IV, Electric Prunes, Stevie Windwood, Traffic, Don Mcclean, Monkees, Jay and the Americans, 5th Demension, Otis Redding, Lovin Spoonful, Jimmy Beaumont and the Skyliners, Friends of Distinction, The Jive Five, Reba Mcintyre, George Strait, Joni Mitchell, Dan Folgelberg, Lucinda Williams, John Prine, Rickey Nelson,, Chris Isaac, Gato Barbieri, Zombies, Van Morrison, Dave Mason, Steely Dan, The Verve Pipe, Jo jo Gunne, Allman Brothers, America , David Bowie, Super Tramp, The Babys, Yes, Max Frost, The Tams, the Originals , Barbara Lynn, Joe Jackson , Guns and Roses, the Beatles collectively and alone, The Dells, Mary Hopkins, The Winstons, Al Wilson, Cat Stevens, Blood Sweat and Tears, Johnny Lang,,, The Chiffons, Major Lance, The Rascals, The Music Machine,The Duprees, Gene Chandler (Duke of Earl), Danny Okeefe, New Birth, Tower of Power, Funkadelic, Rick James, Rickie Jones, Marvin Gay, LTD, Tavares, Commodores, Kris Kristoferson, The Rose Garden, Chaka Khan and Rufus, The Wispers, Colourbox, The Fixx, Jan Bradley, Delfonics, Hermans Hermits, Jerry Jeff Walker, Jimmy Buffet, The Main Ingredient, Carly Simon, The Stylistics, Maze., Leslie Gore,, Rick Springfield, Looking Glass, Andy Kim,, Inner Circle, Nickelback(wanna be a Rock Star), The Fleetwoods, , James Ingram,Dido, Emenem,Pink, Nervana, CCR, Lynard Skynard, Jethro Tull, Ten years After, Barbara Mason, Jimmie Ruffin, Glen Campbell,Mary Jane Girls, George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers, Sam The Sham and the Pharaohs, Los Lonely Boys, Bertie Higgins, ,The Police, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Marty Robins, Neon Philharmonic, 5th Demension, Jeff Healey, Montell Jordan, Blind Faith, Rob Zombie, Golden Earring, James Carr, Toussant McCall, Howlin Wolf, O.V. Wright, Howard Tate, Keb Mo , Mary Wells, Leon Haywood, Brook Benton, Traffic. Gary Puckett, Lou Rawls, Bob Seeger, Joe Simon,, The Impressions, Jerry Butler, Creed, Billy Vera And the Beaters, Doors, Otis Redding, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Metallica,Tommy James, James Gang, The Impressions, Outkast, Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, Gene Pitney, Trick Bag (saw you kissing willie across the fence), Green Day, Elvis, Elvis Costello, Johnny Rivers, Van Halen, Grass Roots, Men at Work,The Sapphires, Mary Wells, Talking Heads, Dylan, Maxine Brown,Dion, Steppenwolf (Born to be Wild; what else),Spiral Staircase,Cat Stevens, Conway Twitty, Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose, Bob Marley, Blind Faith, The Isley Bros, Peter Paul and Mary, , Lou Rawls (Dead End Street), Del Vikings, Beau Brummels, Blondie, Lucinda Williams, We Five, Persuaders , Teddy Pendergrass, Barbara Lynn, Blondie,The Searchers, Harry Neilson, Al Wilson, Joe Simon,.Taste of Honey, Tower of Power, Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen, The Jelly Beans, REO Speedwagon, Squeeze, Major Lance, Dion, The Shangri-las,Kathy Young, Delbert McClinton, The Ventures,Mel Carter, Miracles, The Band, Thin Lizzy,, Lovin Spoonful, David Bowie,Dave Mason, Staind, Lenny Welch, The Left Banke, Gordon Lightfoot , James Taylor, John Cougar, Barry Mcguire, Joe South,, Conway Twitty, The Kentucky Generals, Jerry Jeff Walker, Leon Russell, Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks, Patty Loveless, Rodney Carrington, James Carr, Rob Zombie, Glen Campbell , Alice in Chains,, Tin Lizzy, Eric Clapton, Ricky Nelson, Steely Dan, America, Dave Mason, Jerry Reed, Uriah Heep, Head East, Monster Magnets, , James Carr, James Brown, there's plenty more but I can't put then all here, Google them and see what songs I'm listening to. Or E-mail me about any of them they all have a story. Each one sends me to another place for a moment. They draw pictures in my mind, they stir up feelings in my soul, they make me feel happy, sad, mad , lonely, powerful, forgiving, and down right special.. The one I'm listening is in plenty cases not the one the group is famous for, I like a lot of side B songs. I"ll bet everyone likes someone out of this group, I am one of I tunes best customers. 458 songs in all. They inspire me to keep on .
On to the MS Tour 2009
Day One...
Marie drives us to the starting line, we arrive about 7:30.perfect timing , pump up my tires, 85 psi, get a good roll (Jonathan installed some new hybrid tires that have no thread, their smooth like road bike tires), put my numbers on bike, my Jersey, and helmet, 401 is my number this year. I load up the Gatorade bottles, pack my pockets with Poncho, Nutrigrain Bars, cellphone, map, I'm wearing my riding beanie so my bald head don't burn, my seat pack already has first aid kit, spare tubes, tools, last minute check of bike, all's tight and ready to go . The 1000 plus crowd is herding toward the starting line. I hear, "GARY!" ,turning to the left I see my friend George, George has joined the ranks of the recumbent riders, we wish each other luck, George is more comfortable on his recumbent and a lot faster. A recumbent has a seat like a chair and your pedals are out in front of you. I start in the about the lower middle of the pack, George moved closer to the front with the speeders. I see Marie maneuvering out the parking lot and onto Ward Blvd, she's going to McDonalds for breakfast, Jonathan stops to say hello and wish me luck, he and Eric keep my bike in shape, I drop it off and they replace whatever needs replacing, that's why I have 19,450 miles on this Trek, maintenance, their pictures are below. I chit chat with the riders around me then the boom goes off, it's a start, we all walk for 30 or 40 feet then we're able to pedal slow, once we turn onto the main blvd everybody's pumping at least to the first turn. The First turn is always riddled with flats and mechanical troubles, that front group of riders pick up the glass, nails, and debris so I don't get a flat. I feel good, legs are fresh, a lot of riders are passing me but not as many as in the past, I' m holding my own, here comes the man with the full size speaker box on back of his bike playing the LSU fight song, wow. At this point I''m riding sans Mp3 player. Chatting with the riders around me, old guy in red who usually beats me pulls on side, I don't know how he does it , he says it's the bike,, we talked a while and I accelerated and left him in the dust for now. It's still flat ground as we approach the first rest stop , I pass it by, it's like passing 200 riders in one blow..My one and only edge.. The crowd has spread out , time to turn on the mp3 player and get serious about pumping, I put on my game face on and start looking for that groove. First song, "Lucinda Williams" "Right in time " perfect song to start.. Starting to hit a few small hills, no problem, I cruise right over them ,, I'm in great shape, I"m ready for this. First road kill, opposum, missed it, Second song "John Prine" "Crazy as a Loon" and he is. The weather's great, the scenery's great , life don't get any better. 2nd rest stop , fill up with 10k, take a leak in one of the any portalets, eat some fruit and a couple cookies, didn't stay long , back to the highway. The pasture on the left has a few horses , beautiful, a large Mansion in on the right , the front yard is about 20 acres. Another road kill, looks like it was an armadillo, caught the edge of it , pretty dry ,, the life has been already squeezed out of it. Whats that smell, oh , it's one of the many stinkey dairy farms, phew!,hurry past this. I'm riding in a small group , not too close together but all about the same speed. We're approaching the 3rd rest stop but not without climbing one of the Mississippi Alps first, I downshift to low range and drop down a couple of gears and scoot right up that sucker, a ha, it's just one of many to come. We pass through some little town and the local police officer is stopping traffic (one car ) for us. 3rd rest stop , leak, 10k, orange slices, cookies,, a few nuts, and I take along a few Jolly Ranchers. Stop and talk to Eric and Jonathan, their working this stop instead of riding this year.. Onward and upward, now it's one hill after another, and their getting bigger , road kill !, 'Owl", flattened. I was just passed by the Elvis Impersonators, they added a female this year and their capes are a light blue, sunglasses sideburns , they looked good. My endorphins are starting to kick in, sometimes they make me see things , I looked to the left and there in the woods I got the glimpse of a centaur, wow!, what a feeling, scary, here comes the "Old men who get fat over winter " team, they do recumbents. I just realized the girls in black I've been riding with are the Big Easy Roller Girls, won't mess with them. Stella Stroup is in here somewhere but I can't ever find her. There it is Mount Osyka, what a climb, in my lowest gears I struggle to get to the top without stopping, after breaching the top I push the speed on the down side, 32 miles per hour, I glance to the woods and thought I saw Bigfoot. I'm still in the crowd and feeling good, no pains, no bike troubles, great weather, The 'Buttwatchers" Team is out in full force, they have red stickers on their legs shaped like Budweiser Bows . The Land Sharks with their fins on helmets are spread out but in full force . The highest hill is always the one before lunch, done that, now lunch, check my time, distance,speed, etc.. looking good even though the leaders crossed the finish line while I was at the third stop, 3 hrs non stop, 75 miles in 3 hrs , wow ! Their a group that travels like a Bullet Train, tight fast, and non stop. Lunch Time, , they have pasta, sandwiches, po-boys, fruit , cookies , cakes, pies, candy, and plenty soft drinks, I grab my usual peanut butter and jelly sandwich, wash that down with some cookies and fruit maybe some trail mix or peanuts. The lunch stop has the most portalets, looks like a hundred. Still haven't seen Stella Stroup . I visit a portalet , rest a few minutes then head out feeling nourished and refreshed ready to kick it. I get a couple of miles down the road then another big hill, no problem, low gear , pump harder, I glance to the left and there in the woods are "The Lone Ranger and Tonto", right, I guess they came to support me, maybe it's a flashback or those endorphins raging. Ironically the MP3 starts playing Blind Faiths (Steve Windwood and Eric Clapton) "I"m Wasted and I Can't Find My Way Home", so I check the ground and find a MS arrow, I'm going the right way, there's riders ahead of me, occasionally someone makes a wrong turn and the motorcycle riders go get them .. ROAD KILL ! a water snake, boy he's squished bad, look like a skin laying there. this section of the road is narrow and the trees are close to the road, we cross a few creeks, then another little town, no crowds, no cheering , just a policeman stopping a car or 2 . James Carr singing the blues, "You Got My Mind Messed Up" wow, what a motivator. the 5th stop is a long way off, plenty scenery, we approach the I-55 interstate, the last or 5th rest stop is just before the Interstate, I pull up and old man in red is there like he's waiting on me , I don't know how he does it. I wonder if he pulled a Rosie Ruiz on me. I grab some fruit, take a leak, and back on the road, many riders skip the 5 th stop since they can smell the finish line, I skip the first and take the last. After crossing the Interstate the stretch of road leading to Percy Quinn Park is typical country road dotted with homes , once I get to the entrance of the Park, the motorcycle volunteers that are finished line up ,about 50 of them, they clap and cheer you in, makes you feel good, into the park and the MP3 plays " Born to Be Wild" by Stephenwolf, that song always puts some kick in my calves. Once in the park the trip to the finish line is like a roller coaster, very small hills, but a consistent up and down, shifting my ass off, and moving to make a big finish. The MP3 starts "Welcome to the Jungle " by Guns and Roses, how apprapro.. I see the sign that says "FINISH" the crowd claps , roars and cheers , I dismount and greet Marie who's waiting for me and an official awards me with my Patch. What a day. We walk together to the bike storage area and I recount my adventures, as we walk I see a movement in the woods nearby, turning quickly to see what's there, I thought I saw Yosemite Sam, nah, can't be. The MS people put on a steak dinner for the riders Saturday evening, Marie loves beef but I gave it up years ago, I find it clogs my body up, alementary canal, arteries, brain , just makes me feel like shit, I'm not against eating meat I just don't eat beef, foul, lamb, pork , fish, love it all, beef taste good, poor source of protien, hard to digest , I pass. I expalin to Marie my apparitions in the woods, she understands and feels it's normal for me, nothing to worry about. The bus ride to the main parking lot where Marie is parked is full of riders with tired legs and new stories of today to be replaced with stories of tomorrow. Back to the Motel, I'm feeling great, gonna kick ass again tomorrow, out to Golden Corral and eat as much as I can fit. Forcast for tomorrow is rain, thunderstorms, lightening, tornados, gale winds, dark clouds, we don't care, got a poncho and 2 big legs, unstoppable.
DAY 2. MS Tour 2009
Rise at 6:00 am, wolf down some nutrigrain bars, get dressed, pack up, check out, drive to the park . Marie drives me to the bike storage area, I give my bike a quick check over, looks ready, pump up the tires, Marie heads off and I ride to the starting line and have that MS Tour breakfast, eggs, grits, yogurt, bacon, delicious. The sky looks a little cloudy but nothing threatening, have my poncho just in case. Ran into Jonathan and Eric, they checked my cassette (rear gears), I thought it seemed close to the derailer, they assured me it was perfect and ready for the day. We're all huddled up at the starting area waiting for time to elaspe, the Bullet train group takes off early, like thorobreds in the starting gate busting to get out, the rest of us wait and talk about the weather. 8:00 am, the man on the bullhorn says go. I don't like the close quarters of exiting the park, the road is narrow and stacked with small hills, I stay on the right and mark my time, I shifted so much my chain popped off , quick stop, rethread chain and back on the road, didn't get run over luckily. We exit the Park and the motorcycle riders are waiting to escort us , the suns coming out and the highway is straight and flat for now. Across the big divide, Interstate 59, things start to get hilly, and even mountainous, no problem, we're ready and feeling good. Several riders are stopped on the side of the road with breakdowns, Sunday morning brings out the worse in tubes , cables and gears. The hills come early on Sunday, so lets climb and get them over with. I've set a good pace for myself and seem to be around other riders so I'm confident I'm in the Tour and not behind it. I hear a loud voice "Hey Gary" quickly I turn to see a red flash fly by and just get a glance to see George's face. I return the hey but George is gone, he's flying on that recumbent. Once w'eve cleared the Park by about 5 miles I crank up the MP3 and whats on "Hot Rod Lincoln" by Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen, great kicker to start the day, that was followed by "Twilight Zone" by Golden Earring, by now I'm buzzing. It started again I glanced toward the woods and thought I saw the Gnome from the travel agancy commercial, he was smiling. Have to get my prescriptions checked, ROAD KILL ! a Armadillo, nothing but a shell, had a little smell to it.. Speaking of smells there's another dairy farm, whew!. it's not the milk that stinks , it's not the cattle that stink, it's the years of accumulated manure that stinks to high heaven. I guess they get used to it. I can't. Here's the first big hill, low gears, pump hard, don't stop , keep your balance, the top of the hill is rest stop one. I smell victory so it's a quick bite, quick leak, fill 10k bottle and on my way. The sun's starting to expose itself reluctantly, I'm ready to pedal. Mp3 player hit me with a string of Mary Wells cha cha's, what a pacemaker, love Mary Wells' music. Crossing a lot of small creeks and rivers, sometimes you can see the fish and snakes laying the water below if the sun hits it right, couple of more hills, they don't impress me any more, I just take em and kick their ass. Still some riders around me , I'm in the tour not behind it, the motorcycle people start checking on riders at this point , looking for the tired, weak and injured, many are dropping out for those reasons and riding the SAG truck. SAG, Security, and Gear trucks, a fate worst than anything, being picked up by the SAG truck and having to ride in to the finish, it motivates me to push a little harder. Nickelback "Wanna be a Rock Star" comes on and kinda gives me an attitude, something like lets kick this bitch and finish this tour before it rains. Rest Stop Two, not a lot of riders, this stop is in the woods just off the road, I do the usual pee,drink and eat, I note the sky starting to cloud up.. I push on, the wind seems to be picking up, I am unafraid, my steed and I embrace any deterrent that attacks us. The hills are getting larger as we approach lunch, seem to be accomodating me more than Saturday hills, or maybe its that Golden Corral Food. Endorfins are kicking , I know because I looked to the woods and saw Elmer Fudd sneaking up on a weal wabbit, I blinked my eyes then he was gone, maybe it's the glasses. Oh Oh , next song Rob Zombie "Dragula" the pounding beat takes over my feet, I'm climbing anything in front of me. I chit chat with some riders around me kinda being social. Everyones having fund, but probably not as much as I am, I try to make the newcomers feel welcome and encourage them to finish at all cost, that's how I met George. We encouraged each other to finish and we did.. This is my fifth Tour and I'm just a rookie still, participants cover all ages , sizes and conditions, their reasons for riding are just as varied , everyone's here to support MS , and also to get exercise, to fullfill challenges to ourselves, to rehab from medical issues and like me I just love to ride my bike. Here comes one of my favorite songs, "Jimmie Loves Maryanne" by Looking Glass, they also did "Brandy" but my favorite is "Jimme Loves Maryanne". ROAD KILL ! Oppossum ! still fluffy and even looks like a oppossum. I missed him. A lot of esses on this road, here comes stop 3, I'll spent a little extra time here, Jonathan and Eric are working this stop, so I chit chat a few minutes and that's right, pee,eat and drink. It's staring to get cloudy, like dark cloudy , like it's gonna rain cloudy. Not to worry, I have my Poncho. Onward to lunch, not too far, the road is close to the woods here, I worry about a 8 foot female bigfoot grabbing me and taking home for supper or worst yet a boytoy. I keep my eyes peeled on the road and to the woods, the riders are spread out at this point, I still have riders in sight but not many, I'm comforted by Mp3 playing "More Than One Way Home" by Kebmo, yes theres more than one way home, but right now all paths lead to here, and here is where we start to finish. The center of the universe lies within me nustled with a host of other unimaginable dramas, beliefs, and dogmas waiting for release from the prison I've created for them. Someday they'll escape and I'll become empty of soul, null of mind and void of thought. There's no mercy for we that spend too much time looking inside the mirror instead of the image it creates. The sky continues to darken, the hills remain constant, and the push is relentlous. The head wind starts to ripple my jersey, bad sign. Over the music I hear the woo,woo,woo of an emergency vehicle, an ambulance, I hope a rider didn't get hurt, have a heart attack or fall into the 5 foot deep ditch along side the road. It wizzed by me headed toward Hammond, a motorcycle volunteer pulled along side me to see how I was doing, ( since I'm old they check on me), I asked what happened , "did a rider get hurt?", "no" he replies," a deer hunter fell out of his deer stand and they're rushing him to the hospital using our ambulance since its closest". ROAD KILL ! Looked like a turtle but was to flat to be sure.. pretty dried up been there a while. I glance to the woods and low and behold a pink unicorn is looking up at me, wow! Endorphins, endogenous opiod polypeptide compounds, atavan, elevated serotonin levels, or a flashback, no matter feels great. A sign on the side of the road announces lunch stop next, 2 miles, its uphill all the way. Pulling in I notice the crowd lighter than usual. I park my trusty steed and peruse the menu, after perusing I choose the peanut butter and jelly sandwich, 10k and some cookies, gotta keep it light, don't want to lug around a roast beef po boy up one of those hills. I spent a little time there letting my food get into my stomach, take a pee, load up the 10k , throw some sweets in my pocket, and on my way, I note a lot of riders climbng into the SAG truck, like they know something I don't know. . I get 500 feet from the lunch stop and a camera man is there taking my picture so I throw my arms in the air like I just won the Tour de France, then I feel it, yes a drop of rain, then another, then another, oh oh its time to stop and put on rain gear. the wind was blowing and I could see a hard rain acoming so I broke out the heavy stuff, I had in my pocession not only a poncho but also a rain suit top. Approiately the Mp3 plays "Riding the Storm Out " by REO Speed Wagon (live). It starts to rain hard and its coming my way, the wind stopped me dead a couple of times , the drops pelted my face, it hurt, I keep pushing, I trained in rain just for this moment , The SAG trucks are full when they pass by, you won't get me, I'm certified in riding in rain , lightening and tornadoes. After the last hurricane I was on the Tammany trace and a Tornado passed about 100 feet in front of me, I almost had to slow down. I keep moving so the lightening has to aim for me. A bad omen just came up , MP3 is playing "C0nquestador" by Procol Harem, one of the chorus lines is "Though you came with sword held high, you did not conquer only die". Needless to say after that my little feet were pumping thier ass off. By now I'm sweating in this rain suit, I vow that at next stop #5 I'm changing to my regular poncho,, much cooler , rain is easing to a drizzle. The hills didn't dissappear they just didn't have any impact. Dirt and water streak up my back , glasses are covered with water drops, the wind keeps stopping and or slowing me, my shoes are saturated and heavy, I keep pushing, pushing, pushing, not giving up , another line of hard rain pelts me trying to cause submission, I am relentless, the MP3 plays "Miles From Nowhere" by Cat Stevens , inspiring, "my body has been a good friend but I won't need it when I reach the end". The rain comes and goes I'm about 5 miles from the 5th stop, the riders are few and far between, most don't have rain gear, their getting cold, the wind is bolder, I keep peddeling my soaked shoes, it's raining too much to stop and swap this rain top for a open poncho, have to wait for the 5th stop, stopping in this limited visibility is a good way to get tangled with a car bumper I'd probably win but why go through the hassle.. I've got time so how about "Little Wing" the Stevie Ray Vaughn version not the original by Hendrix. Another line of showers blast me , rain water splashes up my legs and backside,, the trees are blowing left to right or east to west, good crosswind, in the words of Bob Roll "Crosswinds and Scar Tissue". This is what makes me a bonifide bike rider, I've got the scar tissue, a little titanium, I ride in the crosswinds, and I've put in 29,000 miles on 2 bikes. I look at a field on the right and for a second I saw Timothy Leary laying in a chaise lounge in the rain seemily relaxed, playing "Drop Kick Me Jesus Through the Goldpost of Life "on a kazoo . I blinked my eyes a few times and he disappeared. I think thats originally a "Bobby Bear"song. My Mp3 honored me with "Madman Across the Water" by Elton John, MP3 player thinks he's funny. I'm about 2 miles from the 5th stop, a motorcycle pulls on side of me , I give him the thumbs up to show I'm ok, his lips are moving, I turn off the Mp3, he says 'be sure and stop at the 5th stop, don't pass it up" , I once again give him the thumbs up that I understsand. So whats going on, I'll find out soon. About a mile from stop 5 I can see a commotion, there is a giant bus parked on the roadway, slowing down I approach carefully, no food, no drinks, no volunteers, pulling on side the bus a staffer ask me to park my bike with the others and climb on the bus, "whats up" ? I ask, he replies "The State Police have stopped the Tour because tornadoes were spotted in the area. My first thought was that's no reason to stop the tour , but safety for the masses comes first. I park my bike and climbed aboard the bus and it's loaded , there were only a few seats left, I was in good company, I even bet Stella Stroup is on this bus. I grabbed a seat next to a big fellow, we chit chatted, he said he's gonna count this in his overall time. I was worried about my bike getting to Hammnd safely, this is mile 55 and were short 20 miles to finish, nothing to do now but relax and enjoy the ride. I cell phoned Marie and told her whats going on so she can leave early to come get me. The bus pulled in to the University Center at Hammond and I was relieved to see my bike made it there before me safe and sound, my first duty was to jump on my bike and ride around the grounds then find a secure place to park my bike. The rain was just a drizzle now, so I moseyed over to the stuffed chicken breast, jumbalaya, and drink tent, I indulged, good stuff . Staked out a spot under the edge of the Center Building out of the rain, Jonathan stopped by for an explanation of what happened and why all the busses. George found me and said he made it in prior to them stopping the Tour, he was way toward the front and that group got past the 5th stop before the decision was made . His best time ever , good job George. Waiting for Marie I did some people watching and listened to Lucinda Williams sing "Fruits of My Labor" , what a woman, just as Marie pulled up Nickelback was playing "Wanna Be a Rock Star" " again "gonna trade this life of fortune and fame, I'll even cut my hair and change my name" , Marie parked it and off with the MP3, time to load the bike, Marie drove home, and I regaled her the events of the day, as we crossed Interstate 55 I saw a flash in the water, turned my head in time to see Captain Ahab in the bow of the Pequod chasing a white whale in the Manchac Canal. I need some rest. .
Thanks to everyone who supported me , financially and emotionally. Thanks to friends and relatives for donating money for a worthy cause, and my American Legion Post 397 for their donation to help me reach my goal of $500.00. Thanks to my friend Frank for his advice, training and encouragement and thanks to Jonathan and Eric for taking care of my bike. Thanks to Marie for doing without me while I ride.
I'm registered for next year. So lets start training.
ggauthier7@bellsouth.net to e-mail me
When you look at the pictures click on them and they''ll enlarge.
