Roadkilled

Today a few of us took part in the 15th Annual Red River Roadkill Rally leaving out of Ardmore, Oklahoma. We were planning on completing the 40 mile ride, which goes around Lake Murray. It's a beautiful ride, passing through the rolling countryside and Lake Murray State Park. After a start signalled by a shotgun blast, 500 cyclists rode through downtown Ardmore and out into the countryside. We were nearly fortunate in the weather, as during almost all of our ride the sky was overcast. On the other hand, we enjoyed very warm temperatures, 84% humidity, and high winds. After a struggle up Tater Hill Shana and Sharon began to think about "sagging in". We ran into two more of our party at the next rest stop, and we all proceeded down the road, but a few more hills convinced Shana and Sharon that it was time to stop. They asked me if I wanted a ride as they cruised by in the bed of a pickup with their bikes as I continued on. The relief that there were no more hills on the scale of Tater Hill on the course was tempered by the knowledge that my legs were so tired that the smaller hills were still challenging. Coming up on the forty mile mark my back hurt (meaning I must get back to my yoga practice) and my feet started to complain. The ride was soon over and once I got a meal and a nap the feeling of accomplishment was mine. Three of us finished our ride today, swearing that beginning next week we step up our training to include longer and tougher rides than we have been selecting lately. Our Wednesday Night Hills had been pared to 20 miles to accommodate repairs to a sinkhole on our route and the shorter days of spring. Those two excuses no longer apply, so it's back up to a 30 mile ride for us on Wednesday nights, with a longer ride on the weekend. I'll be back in yoga class with the weak muscles of my torso howling in pain.

When I got home and checked out Tater Hill on the Internet, I found that it has a claim to fame other than killing cyclists dead every year. Apparently Tater Hill was the site of a massive UFO sighting in 1965. I did not see any UFO's today, but next time I'm down that way I'll sure be looking for them.