Something over 40 riders left Cleburne at 7:00 am this morning to ride either a 200k, 300k, or 400k brevet. I rode the 200k. As tough as the hills are on this route, I knew that would be all I wanted today. It was 67 degrees with the wind already blowing at start time. I can’t remember the last time I started an early morning ride just wearing shorts and a short sleeve jersey. It stayed cloudy all day, and the wind blew harder later in the day.

The 200k version of this route is an out and back that goes from Cleburne to Glen Rose, then from Glen Rose to Bluff Dale, then back. It goes down Goatneck Hill early in the ride, then climbs it near the end. It is a hilly route; there aren’t many flat miles. I knew from the beginning that I would be riding most of this ride by myself. It was a given that the only way I was getting up all these hills was by spinning my way up them, at a slow pace. With me being the slowest rider up the hills, and probably the fastest down the hills, it was not a day for me to be a social butterfly. I chatted and said hi to everyone the first few miles, then watched them pedal off into the distance on the first hill.

Peggy, Steve, and Nelson were still at the Glen Rose control when I arrived, so I left with them. After they all stopped briefly in front of the Dinosaur Valley State Park for Nelson to take a photo, they soon disappeared in the distance ahead of me. This stretch of the ride is the hilliest, with two big climbs just before Bluff Dale. But the hill that was the toughest for me was a short, steep hill just after Dinosaur Valley. As tough as it was going out, it was even tougher coming back. Before I reached the top, I was in my lowest gear, at 4 mph, with a cadence just over 70, and my heart rate was over 170. There’s not much left in the well at that point. I definitely need more hill work. But I did pedal up every hill, without stopping. I was thinking that this ride would make a good annual benchmark. As long as I can pedal this route without walking a hill, I haven’t slipped into too terrible of a fitness level.

Peggy, Steve, and Nelson were still at the Bluff Dale control when I arrived. We left at the same time, they continuing on for their 400k, I turning back for my 200k. With the two climbs near Bluff Dale soon behind me, I was feeling better about my prospects of finishing strong…….. until my struggle up the hill near Dinosaur Valley. That was a reminder to save something for Goatneck Hill, near the end.

When I arrived back at the Glen Rose control, Jim Rimbey, Cheri Brown, Debbie Breaud, and another rider (who’s name escapes me now; he was doing his first 200k) were still there, so I joined them for a good bit of the remaining miles. I fell back enough during the Goatneck climb that I never quite caught up with them again.

This was a good training ride for me, and the scenery is really nice, with Brazos and Paluxy river crossings, and great views of the hills and valleys in this area. But it was also a reminder that my hill climbing sucks. I finished in 10:17. My on the bike time was 9:26, so my time spent in controls wasn’t bad. I was just slow. My gps showed 6,041 feet of climbing. My heart rate average for the entire ride was 143; that probably explains how tired I am. I ended the day with a great dinner with Mark and Linda Metcalfe, and headed home.

Some random thoughts from the ride:

* If you are slow enough, there are plenty of rando droppings on these rides; I never did have to buy water.
* I think I could have walked some of these hills faster than I climbed them on the bike, but I just wasn’t willing to do it.
* At 4 mph climbing these hills, even grazing cattle drop me (but I do reel them in when they run out of fence).
* At 4 mph with a 30 mph crosswind, I seem to be a bit wobbly.
* While bombing down hills at 40 mph and climbing the next one at 4 mph, it occurred to me that if I had a device installed for counting gear shifts, I would have set a world record for a 200k.
* Small chainrings and large cassette cogs are good.
* I am more wiped out after this ride than I was after October’s 300k.
* I wonder if anyone has ever designed a point to point 200k permanent that is all downhill.