Biker 7: October 2012

2012 MS TOUR. Part 1 of 2

I'd like to thank all that supported me and or donated to MS research.

Without the support of my friends and family I'd just be another old, chubby, bald headed, worn out bike rider. With the support of my friends and family I am Gary superstar, Ulysses, John Wayne, Green Lantern,, Lance Armstrong , Howlin Wolf, and Truman Gandhi all wrapped into one.

1,000 plus riders jammed the start in Hammond, I surveyed the crowd, I was pretty old but there were others, standing next to my bike my shoes stirred and patted the cement like a thoroughbred 's hoof grinding the sand anxiously waiting the gate to open. Starts with a walk, a slow pedal , a faster pedal then the first turn, every rider for himself or herself.. Weather was great , cool in the morning ,, mild in the afternoon, wore my temporary sleeves, forearms are lean , subject to cold and dampness.

Stayed with the crowd to the first rest stop, didn't stop, (trained for that) , passed up half the riders.

After 1st stop I hook up MP3 player, 1100 songs, should do it, such a motivator for me, the variety is so rich it's beyond explanation, taking as many pictures as I can , it was over 100, culled it to a reasonable amount , like 98. Started off listening to some "Candlebox", "Green Day", "Dr Wu", "Semisonic", "Hendrix:, "Robin Trower" and the best motivator "Santana" doing "Soul Sacrifice " from Woodstock. Those bongos get my feet dancing like Ali. Scenery is beautiful , new route this year, roads are a little better, all on the east side of I-55, seems like the hills were bigger and longer , it felt that way. If you feel the need to have your thighs burn to the bone , climb a few of those hills with intention. Stopping at second stop, quick, pee, cookie, orange, banana, I was packing 4 Gatorade's , good to go... New route crossed many rivers, caught Bigfoot off guard and got him again, he still looks the same, just a year older. Plenty tractors for sale , why?

Lunch stop, usual peanut butter and jelly, a little pasta, some cookies and I'm off. 45 miles , the spiritual mark, brain chemicals , bouncing like Bingo balls in the hopper, a couple of "Staind" songs come on, I"m now a machine, legs moving in perpetuality, vision wide , unfocused, starring into the woods for a Rabbit to take me to a Hookah Smoking Catapiller, and thinking how hot the Queen of Hearts with her big head is. A "Staind" song will do that to you, so will climbing hills for 50 miles .

The cool north wind of the morning became a pleasant breeze afternoon, it carried with it,scent of finish line. My burning thighs, I began to push, last rest stop, pee, 2 cookies , go ,. cross the interstate , close to the park, motorcycle escorts bunching up , sag vehicle loaded, yes the finish line is close., the entrance to the park is treacherous, small fast hills, speed bumps, traffic, turn the last corner and there it is , the big balloon finish line, Mike the announcer, and Marie all waiting just for me , well that's what it felt like..75 miles 6 hrs 27 minutes. not fast but better than last year.

For that one instant when I dismounted bicycle I just won the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia ,Paris–Roubaix, or made it to Audubon Park without crashing. It just feels good that's all, the cornerstone of my life, feel good, take em when I can get em. .

Sunday Morning

Its cooler than Saturday, wearing my sleeves, gentle north wind promises to help us southward, too gentle till afternoon, made a difference in the finish. Started the day with 2 important things, a breakfast of grits, yogurt, 1 biscuit, and some Delta Blues for the brain. Coming out the Park edges on suicidal , narrow, hilly, speed bums, riders trying to expand all their energy in the first 3 miles, I stay to the right, and escape to the highway safely. I light up the mp3 with some "Coco Montoya" "Its my tears that's falling so let me cry", then " Sloe Gin" by " Joe Bonamassa" , then stepped it up gradually along with the pace, "Creed", ' My Own Prison" , "Delbert McClinton", " George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers", "Nirvana " , "Outcast", SRV, all strategically set to escalate my physic with each mile packed to my pocket. Lunch time , another PBJ, 40 miles, starting to feel good, riding the groove like a 33 rpm record at 45 rpm's, can't feel the north breeze , I know it's there helping me, can't feel it, its as fast as I am. Spent very little time at rest stops, pushed, pushed, pushed, reached into my left side jersey pocket , pulled out a vial given me by the White Queen, looked to the right and just into the woods Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum were cheering me on , I knew then my endorphins were raging , time for some ZZ Top, more speed captain ,more speed, my hair flew behind me, (hey, its a story), my cheeks pinned back, legs engorged with blood pumping like pistons on a steam locomotive. In spite of all this I still looked at the sky occasionally thinking, :"what am I doing here", just for an instant, an instant that throws a handful of reality into a spiritual wonderland that transponds day to day mundane life, ordinary in other respects, maybe..

Miles 60 to 75 I'm averaging 18 miles an hour, not fast but fast for me, hills are behind me, I own the road at this point. Flip through songs till I find "Pink" "get this party started", crank up the volume, don't think my tires are even touching the ground . The final turn onto the 4 lane where it all started,

I see the big balloon at the finish, like a preplanned finish mp3 cranks out, " Born to be Wild " by "Steppinwolf", how aprapoe, cheers , clapping , Mike on the Microphone, crossed the finish in 5 hours 44 minutes,, my fastest time ever. Marie drove us home , I sat in the passenger seat grinning with accomplishment and pride..... $785 dollars for MS research, a great ride, great time. great imaginings, plenty pictures. . see part 2 for more pictures..

Click on the Pics for enlargement