The Road to Bend.
For the last couple of weeks, I have been riding with
75-year-old Bryant McKinley. Bryant was a bicycle racer, bike shop owner,
European sports car and classic motorcycle aficionado. Subsequently, we have a lot to talk about.
He is a funny guy, that is, if you listen closely. Subtle and dry is the humor
he employs. We talk a lot while we ride. I can never drop him despite the 25
years he has on me. No matter what, he is right behind me.
In the late ‘70’s Bryant was diagnosed with Retinitis
pigmentosa. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retinitis_pigmentosa RP is a degenerative eye disorder that slowly
removes vision from the person. Apparently, this has not slowed him down. A
couple of times a week he runs the stairs – all 20 flights- in the Bank of
America Bldg downtown. He also runs the Centennial Trail. Whenever he can get a
captain, he will ride one of his three tandems. This is where I come in…
Bryant put the word out that he was looking for someone to
not only ride with, but to help him achieve his goal of getting to the Master’s
Nationals road race this September in Bend, OR.
I thought, too bad I am not in race shape so that I could help him… Yea,
too bad. He called me up and suggested
that we ride together to achieve his goal. I asked a lot of question about what
sort of work out plan we would do, what sort of financial obligation I would
encounter, when it was… total tedium, basically I was looking for a way out. I
had ALL of my concerns assuaged so that tactic didn’t work. Then my wife Tess
was behind me saying “Do it!” as was my boss. How could I say no now???
Bryant and I first rode together 3 Mondays ago. It was a
shaky ride. I don’t think that I have been on a tandem in 25 years. Apparently, he had faith that my tandem
skills would re-emerge!
Many challenges await me; Getting used to pulling my right
foot out at red lights was a challenge. Getting a pile of base miles was a
challenge. Going from <60 miles a week to 250 is a real challenge. But I
chose to take on these challenges head on and full steam. I told myself that if
I am going to do this I am committed to complete it. Every spare moment is
spent training or recovering. I had forgotten how tired I can be.
Well now the honeymoon is over, a couple hundred base miles
behind us, nothing but intervals and hill repeats to occupy our “short days”
ahead. Our once a week “Long Slow Days” involve 60~100 miles at a moderate
pace.
This installment was a bit lengthy so that I could lay some
background info on you.
I will keep you posted – in shorter segments- about our
progress on the “Road to Bend.”
TKL
