Road Warrior

Funny. Today brought that home in an interesting way. I thought I might share.

Today is Tuesday, so this afternoon I was out riding my bike on the hills near my home in the 100F degree Texas heat. I wished it were not 100F degrees, but that’s life. One cannot be a cyclist here in the Dallas area and avoid riding for many hours in 100F+ heat in the summer. In any event, I planned to take it just a little bit easier than normal since I’m still acclimating to these temperatures (it generally takes the average person about 10 days for your body to get used to extremes like this). My plan was for about a 1.5 hour ride.

I had been out for about an hour, cruising along at between 30 to 56 kph (18 to 35mph) when a small SUV pulled up beside me while I was going up a hill. The passenger window powered down and the driver called to me.

“Hey, how’s it going?”

“Okay,” I said. At least he wasn’t crowding me. He stayed in the other lane.

“You getting ready for a race?” the guy asked. He was in his mid-thirties with dark, short hair. He reached over to turn the radio down. He looked okay; not like someone getting ready to make mischief.

“Nope, just training,” I answered.

“Ha, for what?” he asked. He was nodding like he understood, but his face make it plain that he didn’t.

For what? A tinge of agitation swelled in me. “For …life, man,” I answered, feebly. “I have wife, a son …a few employees. I have responsibilities.” I think that made sense.

The guy made a face like I told him that the sky was purple and dinosaurs were going to construct a straw bridge to Valhalla. He gave a little chuckle, “Alright. But it’s like a hundred degrees,” And then he added, “…and you’ve got a lot a grey in that beard.” He smiled.

Yeah, he actually said that. He seemed to mean it a like an attaboy or something, like it was good that I was doing so well at such an advanced age. At least that’s how I took it.

I couldn’t help but laugh. What are you, the friggin’ ageist athletics police? I said, “Yeah, but it’s Tuesday.” I didn’t know what else to say. I’d had enough of this guy. I took the opportunity to reach back into my jersey pocket to grab a Fig Newton from the baggie there. I sat up and popped it into my mouth.

He was right. It was 100F degrees out and I do have a lot grey in my beard. That’s life. And life is funny sometimes. Like right now.

“Alright man, have a good ride!” he said. He seemed to mean it. He rolled on ahead and the window powered up as he drove away.

After a few seconds I sort of chuckled as I thought, that actually just happened. Was that the weirdest conversation or what? So then I started thinking. Why am I actually out here in 100F degree weather, kicking my own ass, training for “…life?”

My first thought in answer to that was that life is no sure bet. It is not outside the realm of likely possibility that I may one day be beset with some burly, scary thing that will try and knock me down. I have to be burlier and scarier than it so that I can kick it’s ass to the friggin’ curb. In fact, it’s my responsibility to be a burly, scary man when life demands it. It happens. Life is like that sometimes.

Then I got to thinking corny stuff, like life is what you make it. People often refer to that as a tired adage, but it’s right! Life is what you make it. And my life is friggin’ awesome. Seriously. In my mind, I was starring in that Nike commercial with Lance Armstrong. “…People are always asking me what I’m on. What am I on? I’m on my bike 8 hours a day. What are you on?” Okay, I’m not actually on my bike 8 hours a day. But you get the drift.

So riding along there in the 100F degree heat with all of that righteous emotion and corny fervor, I decided to make a statement; a righteous, corny statement. For me. I reset my bike computer and dropped the hammer. See I typically ride at an average speed of about 33 kph (20 mph) on my training rides and I am in no way a competitive-level cyclist right now. But it was Tuesday. And I have a lot of grey in my beard.

I rode the last 5 miles of hills in the 100F degree heat at almost 39 kph (>24mph). I’ve never done that at any temperature before. But I did it today.

And you know why? ‘Cause fuck 100F degrees.