When Joe Kern turned 80 back in July, he commemorated his birthday with an 80-mile bicycle ride. How did you celebrate your 40th birthday, or 50th for that matter?
Kern lives in Metropolis, Illinois, located not far down river from where the TransAmerican bicycle trail crosses the Ohio at Cave-In-Rock. He belongs to the Carbondale Bicycle Club and often joins such regional bike rides as the Tour de Cape.
For Kern, who has been bicycling since 1991, the 80-mile ride wasn't such a stretch for him. He usually rides 80 miles a week, comprised of a 50-mile ride on the Tunnel Hill State Trail on Saturdays and a 30-mile ride with friends one other day a week.
Interviewed in One Nation News, Kern said:
“I think that high mileage is healthy. On the bike trail you just pump and pump and pump and not stop for anything. I think that gradual motion is healthy.”
Kern isn't satisfied just going out for a “stroll” on a easy-going comfort bike. You can see from the photo, above, that his bike has drop handebars with an aero attachment and composite wheels. (He recommends getting a proper fit at a bike shop, especially for handlebar and seat height.)
A 10K ride usually takes about him about 21 minutes, just a shade under 18 mph. He competes in the Senior Olympics and has competed in 30 races. He's lost once.
A runner in his younger years, Kern started bicycling in 1991 but underwent quadruple bypass surgery two years later. Soon he was back on his bicycle, but only after consulting with his doctor and working up his mileage gradually.
By the way, how did I celebrate my 56th birthday in January? No bike ride, according to my log, but I did over-indulge in a tasty Boston creme pie. If I ride 57 miles on my next birthday, Kern will be my inspiration.
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