Cycling on the Road

The cycling part of the Half-Ironman is 56 miles.  The race in Chattanooga goes into the hills of Northern Georgia.  Did I say hills?  That's only because I am from Colorado.  They are mountains. The iconic advertising on barn roofs throughout the area does not talk about the view from Lookout Knob. It is called Lookout Mountain.  I think they say you can see all fifty states from the overlook, and you actually look down on the moon from the top.  At least that's how it will feel on my 30-year-old Cannondale, that I bought for $400 on Craigslist.

Cindy and I have kept a bike on the truck for years.  We have a tandem, and a folding Dahon bike.

We had gotten in the habit of looking for great  trails around the United States and Canada, places to park our truck and go for a ride.  We even started sharing the places with other drivers on Facebook groups like Truckin' Runners, Ride and Roll Cycling on the Road, Truckers with Bicycles, and have begun documenting them on Facebook group Trucker Trails and http://truckertrails.blogspot.com/
Running or cycling around the truckstop can be dangerous, smelly, and irritates other drivers.  Then again, maybe they need a little "encouragement".

I had to get in some workouts on the bike, though.  A pleasant ride with Cindy to Old Town Sacramento for dinner is different than racing youngsters with $6000 tri-bikes.

So I did.

32 miles in Sacramento CA

51 miles in Fontana CA

56 miles around Kent WA

65 miles around Denver CO

Am I ready? I have certainly tamed the mental beast a bit.  I know I can ride that far.  Now, as for running a half-marathon after...

Bugs are protein.  Protein is good, right?