\”Last one in is the rotten egg!\” So went the shout when a group of kids was racing to see who could reach a goal first; and who would finish dead last.

I recall the 2018 Tour de Cure, when I was the rotten egg. I averaged only 12.28 mph; and that\’s not any too fast.

Somehow I can\’t seem to make substantial improvement in my pace; and I suppose I\’m too much of a sissy to make the hard efforts I need to get faster.

Get Fast!

I seem to have made some marginal gain in my speed, but not nearly as much as I would like; and I\’m still a long way from a casual cruising speed of 15 mph!

I think part of the problem is that I go out so early on weekdays; and maybe I\’m not really awake enough for a hard workout. On top of that, even after 11+ years of cycling, I haven\’t rid myself of the concern that I\’ll wear myself out too much; and then arrive at work exhausted.

They say that one way to get faster is to ride with cyclists who are a few mph faster than you are. I can see the logic in that; but how many riders go out at 5:15 am? The groups that I do see are WAY too fast for me!

I\’m not planning any Tour de Cure ride at present. The pandemic is still on; and I\’ve always had trouble finding enough donors to raise my required fund quota. I end up having to cough up the cash myself; and if I do Tour de Cure again, I suppose I can count on being the rotten egg yet another time.