well as the elevation. Training in Florida is 150-160 ft above sea level while some climbs on tour will reach elevations of 7-8,000 feet. Less oxygen in each breath makes the climbs more difficult. SPOTLIGHT: LAKE ASHTON CYCL I STS GO TOURING Two Lake Ashton bicycle riders will leave on cycling tours during the month of September. Calvin Eakins (above left) will be touring the state of Texas on a two-week, 850-mile adventure, while Bob LeMaster (above right) will be taking a 3,000+ mile adventure from San Diego, CA to St Augustine, FL. Average mileage on both trips will be approximately 70 miles per day. Both riders are preparing for this high daily mileage by logging between 50 and 70 miles five to six days a week. Calvin has been riding for ten years and brings a lot of experience to their efforts. According to Bob, Calvin knows all of the local roads and popular routes which has been a tremendous help. Bob is relatively new to cycling, having started riding when he moved to Lake Ashton two years ago. Calvin and Bob met when their paths crossed while cycling one morning and have been riding together since that chance encounter. One of the biggest challenges encountered during training this time of year is the heat. They start at 6 am most mornings so they can be finished before the temperature and humidity become too much. A 70-mile ride takes roughly five hours and it is very hot at the finish even with an early start. Both tours will have days of high temperatures, so adapting to the heat is a training goal. They must train like an endurance athlete to stay hydrated and have enough energy to finish the rides. Another challenge to training for long tours is the lack of mountains or long hills in Central Florida, as 13 13 Bob’s trip is hosted by a tour company, TransAmerica Cycling, that provides Support and Gear (SAG) during the trip and has taken care of all of the planning and logistics. The tour route leaves California September 27 and passes through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and will end in Florida on November 12. Calvin’s tour is hosted by the Texas Conference of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. It is called the “Determined Cycling Tour” and is a fundraiser to support K-12 Christian education. The tour starts September 12 at the southern tip of Texas in McAllen, passes through Corpus Christi, Houston, Austin, and finishes in Dallas September 24. You can follow the Determined Cycling Tour at texasadventist.org/determined/ for photos, videos, and interviews. Good luck to both of these determined Lake Ashton residents!
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