I want to ride my bicycle - I want to ride my bike...

Who knows the song?

I'm getting ready to hit my first half century - that's a 50 mile ride. For you non-cyclists, that a very long ride for a big, fat fuck like me... laughable for anyone who's serious about biking. But I have to say in my own defense that, aside from being a big, fat fuck, I don't really have a bike for long rides. My bike was a hand-you-down from a friend and, while nice, not really suited to long distances. Vicky says she'd like to buy me a real road bike... but I don't have the heart to tell her how much that would cost.

So, in the meantime, 50 is my goal.

This morning, I tore through my morning ride. I was really proud of myself. I covered 16 miles in 72 minutes. My average speed was 14 miles per hour. According to Bicycling Magazine, that's considered "vigorous effort". When you hit 16 mph, you've entered the realm of "racing speed". Sure, I'm not there, yet. I may never get there. But I'm a damn lot faster than I was just a month or so ago when I was averaging 12 mph (light effort).

Tomorrow, I'm extending my weekly commute from 26 miles up past 30 miles to get some extra roadwork in. Then, on Saturday, I'll ride 30 miles up to the end of the Santa Ana River. That's all prelude to Sunday. The big day. That's when I'll go for the half century, down the river trail to the beach, up the coast to Warner Avenue, and back again!

This is all relatively new to me. Just last year, I was a regular smoker. There was no way I could get on a bike and go five miles, let alone 50! But I knew a change was needed. I didn't know what it would be and I didn't realize what I charge I'd get out of cycling until Vicky suggested we take a ride. If it wasn't for her, I'd still be over 250 pounds and...

Wait.

Hold on.

See, this is what's really bugging me. This morning I got on the scale and weighed myself. It read 250... and it didn't budge. Not an inch. Vicky heard two loud farts and I said, "Dammit! Farts don't weigh anything!" You'd think that after all this riding, I'd lose more weight. Granted, I've come down from the edge of 260 - only a few months ago - but you'd think I'd lose more.

Maybe after 50 miles. Maybe I have to start looking towards 75...

Eventually...