I was born September 1, 1956. That means I turned 56 last Saturday. I rode 56.4 miles on Saturday, and the Buckeyes of The Ohio State University, my alma mater, scored 56 points that day. Recognizing that the lottery is a tax on the mathematically impaired, I decided not to play 56 in the lottery last Saturday and, not surprisingly, it didn't come up.

Riding your chronological age in miles on your birthday (or the closest possible weekend) is the rule. Break it, and you might be sentenced to rooting for Michigan.