So long as Steve and Peggy will promise to slow down so I don't have to DNF at mile 93 again, I'm there!

Greg will you be pedaling the Lightning or the Tica?
 
Terry

Wow - looks like we'll have a great bent turn out for Saturday's 200k.  I haven't talked to Nelson in more than a week, though I believe he is riding the 300k.
 
Terry - can I assume that you'll join us as well?  If so, we should have:
 
Paul - you can't miss out on this fun...  
 
Steve
Peggy
Greg
Bud
Terry
Nelson
Paul (?)
Ray
 
Everyone, as a contingency plan, be sure to bring your night riding gear, and cool weather layering.  
 
side note:  A LSR member from Mississippi (Michelle Williams) had been asking me questions about recumbents as she is tired of having a sore bottom after riding 200-600k rides on her DF.  After testing riding many different bents, she purchased a Corsa this past weekend.  She isn't coming to the Italy Brevet, but we hope to see her soon.  Another female ultra rider on a bent (yaahoo). No worry Peggy, Michelle will admit that she is one of the slowest riders, but she is consistent and at least she completes the long rides, hopefully more comfortably on the Corsa!

Hi Terry,
 
 
hope you can come,  cue sheets are at http://lonestarrandon.tripod.com/brevet_schedule/2007/2007_brevet_schedule.html.
These will likely be close, although possibly not the final sheets, as the official ones will be at the start.
 
The routes out of Italy are quite nice, and fairly recumbent friendly.  I wouldn't worry about the distance too much, as the ride is sorta broken up into smaller segments.  The breaks at controls really do extend your reach quite a bit.  For the 200K some "just in case lighting" would likely be enough as you should be done before dark.  The 300K people will need something for several hours though.   I don't expect to get done before 10:30pm.
 
I think it will truly awesome to see this many bents come out!
 
So far the weather looks pretty ideal.
 
Take Care,
Nelson.

It was very cool to see the pack of bents!  I had time to yell Hi Peggy, Steve!   Who else was there?
 
Nelson.

Terry, and anyone else interested in riding the 200k this Saturday.  Nelson is absolutely correct.  At the beginning of each event, you will receive a cue sheet and brevet card.  There are mandatory stops, shown on the cue sheets. The official term for these stops is "control".  Each control is approximately 25-40 miles apart, and are usually convenience stores.  You must get your card date/time stamped at each control. You must finish a 200k in 13.5 hours, which is something like a 9.9 mph average.  
 
If you break a 200k ride mentally into parts (ie, control by control), they are simply multiple 25-40 mile rides, where you can rest as long as you want, as long as you finish in 13.5 hours.  You receive a nice medal for each successful Brevet, and a year end medal for each distance in multiples of 1000k (ie, 1000, 2000, 3000, etc).  
 
There are multiple routes out of Italy, all of which are probably the least climbing of any Lone Star Randonneur events.  I normally ride my DF in these events, though I ALWAYS ride my recumbent in the Italy events.  
 
Since daylight hours are shorter, I'd recommend brining front and tail lights even for a 200k.
 
One final thought.  If you are not a member, please see the "become a member" link on the web site:
http://lonestarrandon.tripod.com/

Well, The sore throat started a couple days ago, and really hurts today, along with coughing deep in the throat/congestion.  I'm not coughing up any junk though.  Anybody know if it's ok to cycle in that condition and not make it worse?  I can barely talk, but don't want to miss the ride.  

Greg - sorry you're not feeling well.  If it's any consolation, since TTTT I've had more "issues" than recent memory affords me.  As I previously posted, I've recently been very sick, had a fairly badly fractured tooth, etc, lots of business travel resulting in lack of sleep, etc...  I've been in Ohio most of the week, and Wednesday night literally had meetings that concluded at 4am yesterday.  Drove 90 minutes to the Columbus airport to catch a flight back to DFW.  Zero sleep for past two days.  Dropped my suit case on my hand yanking it out of the overhead storage., and think I have a broken middle finger on my right hand.  It hurts, and is swolen, and black & blue. Had meetings back at DFW all afternoon, that ended at 7pm last night.  Had a business dinner that ended at 10pm.  Got to be around 11:30, and up at 4am this morning for normal (ha ha) work day today.  Eyes so blurry it's literally difficult to focus on my computer screen.    
 
My body is so screwed up I feel as if I'm recovering from an overdose of anaesthesia.  Tonight will be the first night in weeks that I will hopefully have a normal nights sleep.  I usually check my bike, and pack my "Brevet bag" days ahead.  I need to do all that tonight and get my butt to bed as early as possible.  
 
I'll have to dig deep into my reserves for sufficient energy to complete tomorrow's 200k.  If I'm not at the start, it's because I couldn't get out of bed....

It's the Wheezing Geezer Curse....!!!!!!  We've been hexed!!!!!!!  
 
 
(I, on the other hand, feel fine...)

Quote from Richard on Oct 19^th, 2007, 9:52am:

 
 
Richard,take care of the back. I had 4 consecutive years of back surgeries(a few years ago). I know what real back pain feels like. My neurologists said that back pain is a cumulative effect-what we do to our bodies when we're younger,comes back to bite us as we get older.  
 
Holy crap, half of Flying Recliners are falling apart(then there's Paul l,I guess we're just too mean). Greg,I hope you feel better soon. Bud,don't let the preliminary info scare you. Docs are forever seeing things on X-rays that aren't really there(usually these "spots" are shadows). Ray,geez I'm exhausted just hearing about your ordeal. You work too hard.  
 

Quote from aikigreg on Oct 19^th, 2007, 5:38pm:

 
 
Not much for conversation?? So, same old Greg? C'mon...just kidding!!  We'll see you tomorrow. I hope you're feeling better.