spokes ‘n spurs 2008

yesterday i rode the spokes ‘n spurs ride in liberty hill, texas. the funds raised for this ride are used to support the spirit reins foundation which provides support & healing for troubled children. this was my first organized ride of 2008 & outside of the 30 degree temperatures it was an awesome ride with great course support & sponsors.

the spokes ‘n spurs ride course was for the most part the same course that was setup for the rip roarin ride i did last year with dave & laura. i recall that rip roarin ride being a tough one too – i did the 108 mile coarse & there were only like seven other dudes going the full distance (other distances included 20, 40, 60, & 80) & the course support near the end was basically non-existent. i recall coming into the finish area & 95% of the cars in the parking lot were gone.

the t3 team was representing at spokes ‘n spurs & while the longest course was 62 miles (100K) we added an additional 25 of our own. it was quite motivating getting to the end & turning back around & passing by all the other participants (many of who were just riding the 40 mile distance) that were still coming in knowing that you were adding another 25 miles to your ride. on top of that, t3 had us scheduled for a 3 mile run after we finished our 80+ mile ride. the good thing about the run at the end is that the sun finally started coming out & for the first time all morning i could feel both my hands & feet!

my thanks go out to lara bar who was out sponsoring the race & handed out those perfectly sized trial bars that i love & which work so well while on the bike – i wish they would sell this size. accelerade was there sponsoring too & they were handing out full sized bottles & there were plenty of ‘em. while i have mixed opinions about this product & i go back-&-forth between using it – yesterday it was nice to have one. lastly, a HUGE thanks to all the volunteers who were out supporting us. many of whom were out there before & stayed out there longer than most riders. these volunteers were so cool that they even prepared PB&J sandwiches on wheat bread - while traditional wheat bread doesn’t come close to super healthy (& pricey) hemp bread that i’ve become accustomed too, they still looked damn good.

oh, & congrats to carlos who enjoyed his first road ride on his new bike. also, thanks to dave & laura for making the trip out there too. while we didn’t get to hang out or ride together it was just nice knowing that friends were out there on the course with me.