Day 13: Welcome To The Club

My dad has accomplished some big things in his life.  In 8th grade he hit a game-winning shot at the buzzer in the last game to preserve a perfect season.  As a college student he graduated Magna Cum Laude and earned Phi Beta Kappa honors.  He taught at the Sauquoit Valley School District for 30 years and retired.  And he has been with the same woman for almost 40 years, but none, yes none of these things can even come close to compare to his most recent milestone...

Let me go back... There is a prestigious group of gifted cyclists within the biking community dubbed "The Century Club."  Now, this club does not let in just any old John off the street with a set of wheels under his ass.  This club is for those truly exceptional bicyclists that have riden over 100 miles in one day.  I was able to join this storied brotherhood of man and or woman on my last trip in 2008 while riding through Kansas.  But, the big guy had never done it yet although we'd already come close on this trip with a 93-mile day and a 92-mile day.  

Well, today good friends he broke the 100-mile mark and joined me among the ranks of biking masters and he earned it. On a day with winds of 15-20 m.p.h. Coming almost directly in our faces we were able to push through and ride 107 miles.  We rode from Gulfport, MS to Hammond, LA with the wind whipping us in the face all day and the sun baking us from above in the cloudless sky.. (We left Mississippi!!! 3 states down!)  We even had time to get a quick McDonald's lunch in with the mother and a stop at the Abita Brewing Company Pub (which just so happened to be along our route).

We finished the ride into Hammond at 6:30 p.m. and got a delicious dinner at Voodoo BBQ & Grill and needless to say we  are pretty tired.  To be honest we will most likely be asleep as soon as this post goes up.