The Draft

From the title of this post, one might expect to find me saddling up the ol' donkey or elephant and ranting some political rhetoric about serving one's country. Unfortunately, I own neither a donkey nor an elephant and my political views are irrelevant. The draft in reference is, in fact, the two to three foot space behind Keith "the Pink Bunny" Button's wheel.

As most are aware, riding in a group is quite enjoyable as the energry required to go fast is minimal. But, sitting on Keith Button's wheel gives a whole new meaning to easy riding. Picture driving down I-95. You see a giant 18-wheeler Wal-Mart truck driving in the right lane. As you slowly approach the mega-hauler, your car begins to shake. Like a Moses and the Red Sea, the Wal-Mart mobile is slicing a path through the wind, and the wind is crashing back down behind. Suddenly, there's silence. Your car no longer feels like it's stuck in an earth quake and the sound air zipping past the windows disappears. You've found the sweet spot; the truck is punching a whole through the wind, letting your car drive with ease.

This is generally how I feel when riding behind Keith. During Exeter rides when the pace gets hot, there is a quiet but aggressive fight to get on Keith's wheel. There is nothing like putting in your pull time and then Pink Bunny Button peels off in front of you. Your legs, once screaming for rest, become content in spinning easily as the speeds approach the high 20s. For this reason, I am excited for this weekend's racing. Keith will be joining us for the P123 race in Palmer on Sunday. I intend to sit in his draft at every possible opportunity. It will be great.