The entry titled “AIDS ride training: Weird Inspiring Discouraging.” It’s been six weeks since I kicked off my official training for the and it’s
been … I don’t know. Weird Inspiring Discouraging In late December, I signed up for the AIDS ride, a charity bike ride that raises money for 10 local nonprofits that help people living with the disease. I volunteered to do the 50-mile portion of event, of course, to help the cause. But I also wanted a personal challenge. Four or five times a week, I climb on my $60 mountain bike and hit the streets of my North Central Austin neighborhood. Sometimes I ride along Shoal Creek, sometimes right around my house. Now and then I’ll cross Lamar and roll around Hyde Park. It’s relaxing, invigorating and fun. That’s the good news. The bad news is that I fall or nearly fall pretty regularly. You’d be surprised how easy it is for me to take a dive while sitting at a traffic light.
I’m slow. I ride about eight miles an hour, which is a crawl compared to most cyclists I know.