I am doing it again this year. I have lost track, but this may be my sixth year. And honestly, I have no idea why. I know that sounds ridiculous...but the last couple years I have said "this will be my last year," and then I register again. It is definitely not the scenery. It is flat, and dry with old oil wells dotting the landscape. And really...the support is not all that great. One year at HHH, my rear derailleur broke, and I waited for an hour and a half for a SAG to come by.

The one thing I do think is nice about HHH is it seems a majority of the town comes out to support the cyclists. This ride pumps a lot of money into the Wichita Falls economy, and the town seems to appreciate that. And there is the camaraderie aspect to it. Thousands of cyclist taking over a small Texas town and hanging out at the Expo. But I think the main reason why people do it is the chance to say they rode 100 miles in extreme heat....like you said, "to live and tell." I guess the ride has become legend because of the summertime temperatures in Wichita Falls, and I have to say I find that amusing. Out of the 5 years I have done it, only one of them the temperature got above 100 (2006). It was brutal, and I can say I finished it...but really what does that get me?

If you live in Texas, you almost feel obligated to do the ride because it seems everyone is doing it. I have already started saying "this is my last year to do HHH." Let's hope I stick to it