A personal best

In order to keep in some semblance of condition I ride a bike. Typically I try to do a modest 100 miles a week. Usually I do that in 25 miles intervals. The best I’ve ever averaged for 25 miles is 16.5 miles per hour and usually I come in at about 15.5 mph. Almost always I ride by myself but today I had a riding partner. That may have been the difference as I averaged 17.2 miles per hour over 25 miles.

Now I feel guilty for not pushing myself harder when I ride alone.

Author: jetbrane

I am a Pastor of a small Church in Mid-Michigan who delights in my family, my congregation and my calling. I am postmillennial in my eschatology. Paedo-Calvinist Covenantal in my Christianity Reformed in my Soteriology Presuppositional in my apologetics Familialist in my family theology Agrarian in my regional community social order belief Christianity creates culture and so Christendom in my national social order belief Mythic-Poetic / Grammatical Historical in my Hermeneutic Pre-modern, Medieval, & Feudal before Enlightenment, modernity, & postmodern Reconstructionist / Theonomic in my Worldview One part paleo-conservative / one part micro Libertarian in my politics Systematic and Biblical theology need one another but Systematics has pride of place Some of my favorite authors, Augustine, Turretin, Calvin, Tolkien, Chesterton, Nock, Tozer, Dabney, Bavinck, Wodehouse, Rushdoony, Bahnsen, Schaeffer, C. Van Til, H. Van Til, G. H. Clark, C. Dawson, H. Berman, R. Nash, C. G. Singer, R. Kipling, G. North, J. Edwards, S. Foote, F. Hayek, O. Guiness, J. Witte, M. Rothbard, Clyde Wilson, Mencken, Lasch, Postman, Gatto, T. Boston, Thomas Brooks, Terry Brooks, C. Hodge, J. Calhoun, Llyod-Jones, T. Sowell, A. McClaren, M. Muggeridge, C. F. H. Henry, F. Swarz, M. Henry, G. Marten, P. Schaff, T. S. Elliott, K. Van Hoozer, K. Gentry, etc. My passion is to write in such a way that the Lord Christ might be pleased. It is my hope that people will be challenged to reconsider what are considered the givens of the current culture. Your biggest help to me dear reader will be to often remind me that God is Sovereign and that all that is, is because it pleases him.

8 thoughts on “A personal best”

  1. No drafting. I’m not that sophisticated.

    About a third of the time I rode in front. About a third of the time I rode behind. About a third of the time we rode side by side.

    But, if we were heading into a win, and I was riding in back, the guy in front would break the wind for me thus giving me a easier time of it. Never thought about that. He was a strong rider than myself also.

    How does one draft?

  2. Drafting is taking advantage of the fact that it is easier to pedal when you have an object diverting the wind-resistance in front of you (even in a tail-wind it is easier to ride directly behind someone).

    You have to ride pretty close behind the other person to get the best effect, because whatever wind is being blocked (think of those diagrams of windflow around a car or semi) is only being blocked for a certain distance behind the object in front of you.

    With a pair of riders, you can prolong your ride or make it faster by alternating who leads and who trails. The lead bears the brunt of the labor while the trail man rests for a bit.

    If you watch a little of the Tour de France you’ll notice that the small group that breaks off from the Peleton (the big trailing group) will alternate positions as they ride: they are drafting.

  3. You said the guy in front of you was breaking wind for you; that usually makes me want ride faster so that I’m not down wind anymore.

  4. What is it about human nature that is so competitive with one another? Do you not see that your “pushing yourself” is rather more of an indirect KITA from your riding partner?

    Why is it really that you rode a little faster, and put away the science for a minute…

  5. What is KITA?

    Why is it that this is so important for you to explore?

    Psychologically speaking it is very interesting that you find this so fascinating.

  6. KITA = kick in the ass

    I think I find this so interesting because I myself am very competitive. From a young age I was taught to work harder and faster than everyone else… It annoys me, because sometimes good enough is good enough!

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