It was a beautiful day for HHH, not hotter ‘n hell at all this year, but the south wind got up earlier than I would have liked. I took off at a 22 mph pace with a paceline of tandems and recumbents, but by mile 20, I couldn’t hang any more and fell back. By mile 65, I had really hit the wall, and by mile 80, I was hardly moving at all. The only riders I was passing at that point were the ones stopped at rest stops that I pedaled by.

I only made one five minute stop at mile 70, and finished the 101.7 miles in 5:42. I wasn’t very happy with that time; I’ve ridden HHH faster twice. I thought I was stronger than that this year. Last month, I had finished the 70 miles of hills at Goatneck with an 18 mph average, and thought I could do much better than that on the flatter HHH route, but couldn’t do it, ending up with the same 18 mph average.

I guess it’s all relative, though. Shortly after I first started riding, I decided that my biggest goal was to some day do a 6 hour century, and I wondered if I ever could. Now, I’m an almost 60 year old lung cancer survivor, and complaining because I can’t do a 5 hour century. I probably shouldn’t complain.

I rode down with DJ, and the trip was a blast. I always love the consumer bike show at the convention center, even though I never buy much. And cutting up with old friends at the community center gym is always fun, as well as meeting new recumbent people (email me, Andy; I’d really like to have your regular commentary on the forum).

I was passed by a lot of recumbents that I didn’t know. For those who don’t know me, I was on a black Corsa with HED wheels, and was wearing a red Bacchetta jersey. As always, I had a blast at HHH.