Baron vs Thunderstorm

I had the opportunity to make the Tuesday night WTCA (West Texas Cycling Association) ride at the last minute, and as I was riding to the start I began second guessing whether or not I would actually ride. Although the radar on weather.com showed the storms dissipating north and east of our ride route, the lightning was strong and it was still sprinkling. In the end, however, the group left and I went with them.

My legs haven't felt very strong since I did the MS150 Cactus & Crude, and I think they are just showing classic over-training symptoms as I have increased my monthly mileage by about 30%. It's embarrassing that a 30% increase only gets me to 500 miles/month, but embarrassing or not it's a fact! I got dropped by the hammer group and rode the remainder of the evening by myself...decided to pass through Ransom Canyon and travel just west of Buffalo Springs Lake for a couple of extra hills.

All in all, not a bad ride:

44 miles
18.8mph avg

This is the view of the western sky heading back into Lubbock tonight at about 7:30pm...the cool weather was a welcomed change.


I stopped by the Ransom Canyon entrance to take a picture this evening. A Dallas cyclist, Michelle Armstrong, was killed after being hit by a truck last Friday just prior to competing in the Senior Games. She had apparently swerved a few feet into traffic and was hit by a truck that had also supposedly swerved to avoid her but could not prior to impact. She was flown to the hospital by Aero Care, but unfortunately she died later that afternoon. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family during this tough time.

This tragic event sure reminds all of us to be ever mindful of traffic as we are out enjoying our two-wheeled hobby. Cyclists are often just as guilty of bad road etiquette as drivers are, and if we want to continue our hobby without car-related injuries, then we have to practice defensive cycling every time we're on the road. If that means we have to slow down or stop to avoid a potentially hazardous situation, then so be it...no matter how it impacts heart rate or wattage!