Extracted from:
RoadBikeRider.com Newsletter
Issue No. 416 - 10/29/09: Win Against Wind

Ed's Note: In 2006 I rode the Saturday/Sunday centuries of the Gainesville Cycling Festival in 4:29 and 4:49. Last weekend I made the same effort but slowed to 5:09 and 5:21.

I couldn't be happier!

This year the weather was better (cooler) and the Florida wind I moaned about last week wasn't a big factor. Conditions were right for fast rides. I did my usual carpet-unrolling thing, starting almost dead last in the fields of 500+ riders and then gradually picking up the pace.

I like to do a negative split on long rides -- cover the second half faster than the first. If I eat, drink and parcel my energy correctly it means finishing strongly instead of slogging through the final miles.

But even though my effort for the weekend's 200 miles (322 km) was the same as in '06, my total time was more than an hour slower. That's cause for joy and jubilation?

Well, those '06 centuries were before I busted my hip. During the 28 months since that crash I either couldn't ride or couldn't ride very well.

What I could do was keep pedaling to see how much ability eventually returned. Lots of you e-mailed with encouragement.

Patience, however, is not one of my virtues. Sometimes I pushed harder or longer than the hip could handle.

Now, the wonderful thing about last weekend is that I don't recall thinking about this metal contraption even once. That's a long, long way from feeling sore and weak on every ride. The hip still has its moments when I'm off the bike, but it rarely feels better than when I'm riding.

I'll take that deal any time!

Slower, yes. Happier, definitely. Looking forward to more improvement in 2010, for sure.

Thanks again to everyone who sent well-wishes during this long road back. They're working.

Ed Pavelka
Editor, Publisher, Rebounder