Hey, all,

Short story.  2001..I had a total separation of my patellar ligament...my knee cap with north in to my thigh, my tendon was shredded.  The knee cap is now held together with silk and you can feel the actual knot under the skin.  Part of rehab was cycling.

27 Sept 2003...age 48, did my first Santa Fe Century as a GCC member. Time adjusted 5h30m11s for 100 miles, 18.6 mph.  God, did that one hurt.

Jump to 21 Oct 2007...after a putting in 4-5K miles per year....this year I did 5200 miles...and I'm 52...I again rode the SFC.  Perfect conditions.  I lasted with the main peloton till mile 58 when I got spit out the back from Ken's surges to 30+ mph.  Then, various other riders helped me trade pulls to mile 75, then I rode ~15 miles alone ~20-22mph, till I caught another rider and we traded pulls in to the Boy's club.  Bottom line: time adjusted 100 miles in 4h29m30s...22.3 mph...beat my goal by 30s...whew.  Pain? What pain?  Easiest 100 I have ever done.  Naw, there was pain...but when you are going that fast and you know your goal is in your grasp...you just do it.  In 4 years, I knocked an hour off my best time over 100 miles.

I just send this to aspiring riders of any age...keep spinning.  Do the pain.  It pays off.  To every club member...probably A riders, who pulled me through that beautiful 58 miles...a big thanks. It was real cool with go that fast with the big dogs. I couldn't have achieved any of this without being a member of GCC and putting in miles on weekend rides...learning what I needed to know to survive at that speed over that distance.  It took 4 years...sort of a cycling undergraduate degree.

see you on the road...spin the hills...Bob Howland