Today I rode the 66 mile distance in the Kiwanis Crazy Kicker Bike Rally in Mineral wells.

It was cold starting out this morning but I knew it would warm up as soon as we started climbing hills, so I decided on arm warmers. I put my jacket in my under seat bag "just in case" but never needed it. By the 3rd rest stop, I removed my arm warmers. I stopped at two rest stops to eat a sports gel for about 2-3 minutes at each and then kept going.

The Crazy Kicker is a hilly course with 3 hills called the "Three Amigos" along Highway 337 (shown in the first 10 miles of the elevation profile right). The steepest/most difficult hill is called "Cherry Pie Hill" and occurs between miles 51-52. The mileage splits show an elevation gain of 270 feet during mile 51.

The white dog that always came out after the top of Cherry Pie Hill to chase me the last 3 times I rode this route was not there today. He would always wait until I passed by him and then chase and bark alongside the back wheel. He was always well hidden in bushes/trees so I could never tell where/when he would come out to chase me, but I knew it woudl be shortly after the top of Cherry Pie Hill. The other dogs (3-4 from a home on FM 4) that chased me previously weren't out today as well. Maybe the rally officials asked people to keep their pets inside today. I won't get on my soapbox about irresponsible pet owners...

FM 919 (8 miles) and FM 3137 (7.4 miles) were both rough roads (worn down chipseal). I was relieved when the route turned off on FM 4. I don't know if I feel more vibrations because my bike has an aluminum frame. Aluminum is durable, but it also doesn't absorb shock like carbon fiber. I felt "beat up" after those 15 vibrating miles. The rally organizers had a sense of humor though - they had a sign beside one of the rough roads saying "Good Vibrations!".

The one cool thing about the rough road (FM 3137) is that you can occasionally see white deer. And, no, I'm not crazy. One of the other cyclists saw them as well. They're just very rare! To the left is a photo. There are actually some scenic areas along this road - I wish they would improve the surface. But it's fine for cars, and other than the rally, there probably aren't enough cyclists riding it to justify the cost.

I have ridden this route twice before, once with the FWBA and once with a couple of friends. I like this route (except for the 15 miles of chipseal) because the other 51 miles are relatively smooth with very little traffic (except for US 180) or smooth wide shoulders (Highway 337). Plus the hills provide a phenomenal workout. A cyclist that only ever rides places like White Rock Lake is not going to have the strength/endurance as one that regularly rides hills like these.

Today's ride seemed more difficult than my previous rides on this route. I'm not sure why - possibly today's faster pace and some residual fatigue after Thursday's fast paced ride. Today's ride had several fast paced miles (20+ mph), but the hills really reduced my average speed. I need to do some research on the "best" way to conquer hill climbing. I know that riding routes with hills will help improve my ability, but I also need to find out the following regarding hill riding: cadence, gearing, position (standing or sitting), muscles used (hamstring or quads or combination), system predominately used (muscular or cardiovascular).

I need to be sufficiently recovered for tomorrow's run, so I think I'll go to sleep early.