Near Death Experience (let's do it again!)

This past weekend, I had signed up to ride in the 40-mile course of the Tour de Houston.  And that was my intention when I got to the starting line on Sunday morning... but... it's only 20 more itsy bitsy miles to ride the full 60-mile course.  Right?

So yeah, I rode the whole dang course and while it seemed like a REALLY bad idea about 35 miles into the ride, by the time I crossed the finish line, I felt super happy and accomplished about the ride.  66 miles!

I was surprised by my average speed because nearly the entire time down to the lake, I was battling a strong head-wind - it got to the point where I simple put my head straight down and pedaled without looking up - just following the lines on the road to ensure I wasn't going into a ditch.

The ride back to the starting point was a completely different story in that the head-winds were now behind me and I was freaking GOING!  Once I hit that stride, my confidence boosted and I was pedaling like no tomorrow. The route went super close to the house where my sons and their mother live, so once I got near, I sent a message and they were out there to cheer me on!  It's important for them to see their parents active in community events as it's a healthy way to share our enthusiasm.

During the ride - when I wasn't being smashed in the face with head-winds - I had a fantastic, hard rhythm going through my mind (I think it was inspired by The Notorious B.I.G.) and I did my best to capture it via a voice memo.  I'm going to double track the drum machine for the demos I'm making - recording a second take in a different part of the room - so I can experiment with getting a bigger tone.

Also, for the record - my trousers are not ripped on the sides in the photo of me with my sons.  Those are zippered vents on mountaineering stretch trousers.  I find these much better (and durable) for bike riding and skateboarding than the Castelli pants I also picked up.  The Castelli pants are nice to look at and feel good, but don't have that durable feel to them... I'll have to post about the two later.  

After the ride, I went home, showered off, and then rewarded myself with my favorite comfort food - Indian food!!!  Dahi puri and a masala dosa along with a mango lassi (see pic below).  I went to one of my favorite spots, Honest Indian Food, and just quietly enjoyed the amazing food.  Went home and - basically - passed the fuck out.  Hopefully I can get on the drum machine this week to try and capture some of my rhythm ideas.

Since I almost died on this ride, I felt that I should try again... like this upcoming weekend... in Hempstead, Texas at the Pedaling the Prairie event.  This time, I'm feeling ambitious and signing up for 54 miles.  Ha ha... guess I'll see what happened when I reach that half-way point.  :)

All of this bike riding is leading up to the massive 150 mile ride that is the Texas MS150.  I did the ride last year and felt an euphoric sense of accomplishment when I was done.  I believe I'm far more prepared for this year's race than last year as I now know what to pack and what to leave behind.  Last year - I carried a back-pack with my bike tool, extra snacks, extra shirt, and some other stuff.  I didn't realize that at each stop, I could load up on what I needed (even minor bike adjustments) without carrying a bunch of stuff with me.  I'm on the Saint Arnold's Bike Team again too.

Oh yeah - my sons and I went to go check out Doomsday Wrestling this past Saturday night at Urban South Brewery.  I mean... how could I NOT take them.  Live-action wrestling with a bunch of characters is the stuff dreams are made of.  They enjoyed it even though it got REALLY loud inside.

That remind me, I should check out some Urban South brews the next time I'm at Beers Looking At You.  And now, here's a few more beauty photos from my day at the races!

At the finish line - death or glory!!

Dehi puri and masala dosa