Another fantastic ride this past Saturday as the peloton headed out to Lillian, Alabama for one of our group's favorite routes. The weather was just about perfect, except for a bit of a headwind on the way back into Pensacola. But the sunshine aplenty more than made up for that. On the way out the group pretty much stayed together with one minor exception at the Blue Angel crossing. (Meaning where we crossed Blue Angel Parkway, not where they flew over the peloton...just thought to clarify that less the emails start again.) We were waiting at the red light at Blue Angel Parkway, when out of nowhere the Left Lane decides to cruise on across. In reality, the left turn signal was green and no approaching traffic so he did what all Left Lanes do, get a jump on the peloton before the light turns green for the traffic going straight. And in his defense, (I know, this is something I never do), the Young Jedis were not starting slowly after a stop. In fact, it usually went from standing still to 23 in about 400 to 500 meters. So, he was probably thinking, "This will give me a chance to get up to speed before those young whippersnappers drop me again and I have to chase hard to latch back on." (It's a dangerous place to be inside the mind of the Left Lane, but there you have it.)
Regardless, we caught up to him and a couple of other scofflaws by the time we reached the right hander at Hwy. 98. We cruised on to Lillian together and the obligatory rest stop. After filling the tanks, it was off to the countryside and beautiful roads of south Baldwin County. A group of Young Jedis got a gap on the peloton and that was the last we saw of them until the second rest stop back in Florida. The average age of the Young Jedis is probably 25 to 30 years old. However, the group's average age this time was a bit skewed as none other than Harland "Happy" Williams was mixing it up with these mavericks.
I mean, what on earth has gotten into Happy lately? A couple weeks ago he's throwing it down for a Fried Twinkie win. He'll go to the front and crank it up several mph. There's been several Happy sightings at all hours of the day and night. (Leads one to believe he is on the infamous Double Secret Workout Regiment) The man is a 60 something beast! And with the absence of the other 60 something rider, he appears to have taken up the gauntlet for those who were born just after WWII. (Otherwise known as Baby Boomers) Oh yeah, he's a boomer baby. I mean the man is a beast! He definitely has his Happy on! In fact, after the second rest stop, he hangs with the under 30s group (age not speed) all the way back to the finish line...uh, I mean the end of the ride. The rest of us show up and he's there looking fresh as a daisy. When asked how long he had been waiting, he replied, "Oh, I don't know, about 6 minutes."
Now for those naysayers among us, I did some quick calculations. The peloton was cruising into that headwind at an average of just over 18mph. The distance from the rest stop to the uh...finish line was just under 15 miles. Therefore, in less than 15 miles, Happy gapped a peloton traveling at 18mph. Hmmm...if my calculations are correct, that's just under 30 seconds (24) per mile faster for each mile. At 18mph the peloton is covering a mile in a little less than 3 minutes 30 seconds. He's doing it in 3 minutes 6 seconds. And he's a member of AARP! Oh yeah, he's got his Happy on! I would say, Happy's Happy!
I wonder what the boy will do when the route is longer like this Saturday's Around The Bay Loop?! We'll be crossing the Gargoyle Point Bridge and he'll be at home halfway through that box of a dozen Krispy Kremes! (Hopefully he'll stay in the pack and help us less fortunate AARP members!) Really looking forward to the help! Thanks in advance Happy! (See how I put that pressure on him? Don't tell him, maybe he won't notice.) Weather looks grand and the peloton is more than game. See you then! And...
See you out on the road,
Bob
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