By Michael Secrest, edited by Wendell Hyink

Why did you want to do a record?This was my ninth attempt for this record.

What equipment did you use?

I rode a fixed-gear track bike for this attempt; the same frame that I have used since I set three records at the outdoor velodrome in LA in 1996.

What did you eat & drink?

I subsisted on liquid nutrition and water, solely.

What was the best part?

The best part was sharing this success with my crew and the officials who had presided over most of my eight previous attempts.

What was the hardest part?

It was all hard: All in all, a nearly perfect performance!

[editor’s note: Michael sent the following shortly after this amazing feat. In view of recent developments (was Michael prophetic?), this is a reminder to all of us just what the athletic spirit, unaided, can achieve, and this, after eight previous unsuccessful attempts. Hats off, folks.]

I received the results from USADA today for the test following my World Record on 10-15-11. It was a complete test including testing for EPO (a seperate test with additional expense). I will be mailing a copy of it to you tomorrow. Comments from the WUCA have been made about me harping on drug testing for any WRs set, i.e. 100 mile; 200 mile; 12-hour; 24-hour; transcontinental, etc. As you well know, the state of cycling is in a deplorable condition-and might get worse with testimonies from top cyclists against Lance Armstrong. My case is a perfect example of my personal need to drug test, as not many cyclists-and surely almost no one “in the public”-would possibly believe that a 58-year-old man is capable of setting a World Record, unless, ‘of course,’ he is using performance-enhancing drugs. Mandatory drug testing for any World Record would eliminate any suspicion about whether or not a cyclist was using drugs. I’m just trying to do my part to show young kids that one can achieve success in sports without using drugs. It’s a message that they don’t hear enough. Unfortunately, in our modern society, clean athletes don’t make the headlines, the dirty ones do. The values of hard work, persistence, and believing in one’s self are lost on the need for immediate gratification and who is the latest celebrity. If there is just one young person who hears about my success without the use of drugs-and he or she decides against taking drugs to improve their athletic performance-then I will have changed the world in a small way. I hope this will illustrate why I am so adamant about this issue.