Episode 26: The Bike Ride Called Hotter-n-Hell Hundred

 If you read my post Episode #16 about my trip to New Zealand, you know one day of that adventure was dedicated to a 40 mile bicycle ride. I was a bit apprehensive about being able to do that, so I started training about 8 months before that event. During the training and preparation I remembered how much I enjoyed riding a bicycle as a kid.

When I was younger before I started driving and I wanted to go to a friend's house on the weekend or during the summer my choices were to walk or ride a bike. Living in the country from about age 12, my friends lived a long way away with the closest being a little over 3 miles and others that were about 8 miles away and  it took too long to walk so I put a lot miles on a Schwinn Stingray. 

After the New Zealand trip, I continued to ride because I simply enjoyed it and it's so much easier on my knees, ankles and hips than running as exercise. In early August of 2005 I had a small cyst on my chest and went to see my doctor about it who was also a good friend. He excised it there in his office and as we chatted during the procedure, he said that he and some other mutual friends of ours were planning on a bike ride in Wichita Falls Texas called the Hotter-n-Hundred in a couple of weeks and asked if I would like to join the group. I had heard of this ride and  thanked him for the invite but told him there is just no way I could ride 100 miles in one day, especially in Wichita Falls at the end of August. He said there were rides as short as 10 miles and encouraged me to join them, so I did.

When that weekend arrived I picked him up on Friday afternoon after he had closed his clinic and we drove the 90 or so miles west to Wichita Falls where we meet his brother, who is also a doctor and together they own the family practice clinic together, their friend who was the Pastor of Temple Baptist Church in Gainesville and the guy that owned the RV we stayed whom I have known for many years. This RV is packed but with a bunch of really nice guys.

That evening I registered for the 25 mile route and the others either did the 50 mile or 100k (62 miles). I am feeling a bit like a sissy now because all of these guys are between 6 and 10 years older than me. I was just not sure I would be prepared for a distance much further to start with due to the summer heat that comes with that venue, which is typically between 105-115 degrees.

We get up the next morning about 5:30 for breakfast and get ready for the ride. The ride starts at 7 am and we find our place at the starting line several blocks behind the lead out group. I am surprised at how many bicycle riders attend this event. My registration number (or bib number) was  3937 and there were hundreds and hundreds of others checking in at the same time on Friday afternoon and untold hundreds more file through the registration area the rest of the evening. I would guess there were easily between 6000-7000 riders here. 

I finish the 25 mile course pretty quickly that morning and it was still relatively cool in the upper 80s when I get finished. The terrain of the area there is extremely flat with no hills like the area where I usually ride so it was a very easy bike ride. I go back to the RV and change clothes and go look around the convention center as there are hundreds of vendors there. After a quick walk through and buy a few things I go back to the RV and the guys are starting to come in. When Larry (my doctor) arrives he asks me how the ride went I told him I would never do that again. With a look of great surprise, he asks why. I said I paid $35 to ride an easy 25 mile ride and that would not happen again, I would do at least the 50 mile ride next year if we all return here to the event. 

The picture below is one of the two or three organized rides we would take each year to prepare for the Hotter-n-Hell Hundred (HHH). The photo includes Eddie Chennault (left) who was the pastor at Temple Baptist  Church, Dr. Larry Sears and me.

One of the nice things I about these long organized event rides like this are the rest stops which are located about every 10 miles and include water, Gatorade, fruit, snacks etc. all at no cost to riders. Many people were not ready for the late August heat that comes with the HHH ride and most of the rest stops had volunteer EMT teams administering fluids via IV as some would dehydrate so severely.

As it turns out, I will attend this event with the same group of guys several times over the next eight years and the following year I did complete the 50 mile route. The next two years I sign up for the 100 kilometer  or 62 mile route. I missed this ride in 2009 but in 2010 I sign up for my first 100 mile bike ride.  Three weeks before this ride I had turned 53 years old and those extra 38 miles beyond what I had done previously definitely presented a challenge but I made it. One of the benefits of the two longer rides is we get to ride through Sheppard Air Force Base and get a close up look at some vintage planes they keep at the base.

The photo below of me was taken after I completed my first 100 mile bike ride also. It took me about 7 1/2 hours to complete the 100 mile route which I thought was pretty good for a guy my age and not knowing how to pace myself. The ride continues to grow in popularity as you can see my bib number is 10560 and I would estimate that year there were likely 12,000 or more riders there.

For several years this same group would meet a couple of Saturdays a month to ride 20-25 miles around the area for fitness, training and fellowship. We would also sign up for 2-3 organized rides throughout the summer to prepare for the HHH in August. For many years I rode a BMC bike that I bought used from a bike shop but it was a pretty fair entry level bike so I would have a better chance to keep up with these more experienced riders. In 2012, I spent the money and bought a high quality bicycle with better gearing and shifters and it did make a big difference and I still have and still ride this Specialized Roubiax.

The picture below was taken in 2008 at the HHH and included Dr. Larry (left), me, and Micky Francis who owned the RV we would stay in the night before the bike ride.

Pictured below left to right is me, Micky, Jose and Eddie at the annual ride in Ardmore Oklahoma in June 2012 called the Road Kill Rally. I think part of the gimmick is to come up with goofy names for the rides like this one. I like hanging around these guys as I am the youngster of the group.

2012 was the year HHH celebrated its 30th anniversary and there was a larger crowd than usual to celebrate the event. As you can see in the photo below the staging area for the cyclists goes for many city blocks in downtown Wichita Falls. The estimates I heard later in the day there were in excess of 16,000 riders. When the event officially starts, it takes about 20 minutes for the group I am with just to get started. The population of Wichita Falls is around 100,00 and they have a big job planning and supporting this event every year.

The picture below includes me and Les Carmichael who was the CEO of the company I was working for in 2013. This ride was a 62 mile ride in June of that year called Tour de Cure and benefitted the American Diabetes Association. This was a tune up ride for the HHH and started and finished at the Texas Motor Speedway. At the start of the ride, all of the cyclist would make one lap around the NASCAR track then head out to the route they chose for the ride. It is amazing to see how steep the banks are on the race track when you are on a bicycle! That year I turned 56 years old and the last time I rode the 100 mile route at HHH. I was planning on the 100k but I let Les talk me into doing the 100 miles with him. I was in better cycling condition, knew how to pace myself this time and being on the new bike, I beat my previous 100 mile trip by just over 1 hour 20 minutes.

The next year while on a 45 mile training ride I took a pretty bad fall on a rough spot on the road. It caused damage to my bike and damaged the cartilage in my right knee and soon had to have orthoscopic surgery to repair the damaged meniscus. I got the bike fixed and recovered well from the surgery but it took me quite a while to get the courage to start riding again. The picture below was taken in 2019 and did the 50 mile route and was the last time I have ridden the HHH.

I have done some riding since I retired but due to a lot of projects to be done around the farm and babysitting the grandkids, I haven't ridden as much as I thought I would, but I will.

Epilog-

The city of Wichita Falls was to observe their 100th anniversary in 1982 and was planning a celebration to commemorate the event. The planning committee suggested several options. Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls has an acclaimed cycling team that competes around the country so they decided to involve them. They decided they would have a 100 mile bicycle ride to coincide with the 100 years of the city charter. This event has been held on the second to last Saturday in August each year. Another of the committee members commented saying do you not realize how hot it is here during this time of year? It would just be hotter than hell! 

So as Paul Harvey used to say, "Now you know the rest of the story".

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