And so it begins.....

I ride a bicycle.  I'm not very fast, not very strong, and not very good at it, but I like it a lot, so I ride between 50 and 75 miles a weekend, year-round.  I am a recreational rider, and have been riding regularly about a year and a half.    Stated simiply, I do it because it's fun.

Why a blog?  Three reasons, beyond a touch of narcissism.  First, I want to force myself to keep a record of the organized rides that I'm going to attempt this year.  I'm thinking that going public (and also incorporating a bit of technology) will make me keep current. 

Second, I have a goal of completing five centuries this year.  Being old and slow on two wheels, this is a big deal.  Last year, I completed two centuries:  the Lighthouse Century (flat edition) and Foxy's Fall Century.
 
Third, I have gained a great deal of information and confidence in my cycling from reading a number of other blogs, including Kristen Keeping Up and Samantha Cycles, which helped prep me for Foxy's, and also Declan's Blog, which is helping me get set mentally for this weekend's Tour de Palm Springs.  I'd like to think that, maybe, someone might gain similar insight from something that I may post about a ride. 

So:  This weekend, I begin my organized cycling event year by attempting the Tour de Palm Springs century.  By November, I hope to have five centuries and a fistful of metrics completed.  We'll see how it goes....

Mr. Sock Monkey, fearlessly hanging out on the back of my bike...