I got home a little while ago. Just got out of the shower, and I’m feeling a little better now, although I am pretty wiped out and don’t know how long I’m going to hold out.

So, the ride was good. The start was pretty confused. The 100 mile riders were supposed to start at 7:30, a half-hour before everyone else. But the team photos ran long. By the time I made it to the start line there were hundreds of people already hanging around and waiting to start. I dove into the fray and started asking around, “are you doing the century? Are these the people doing the century?” The responses were confused. But one guy said he was doing the 80. We agreed to work together, since the 80 miles and 100 mile routes were the same except for the last 20 miles. His name was Brian too. We worked our way as close to the front of the waiting cyclists as we could, and eventually an announcer started talking and then someone sand the national anthem, and they started letting us go. I went out in the second wave of 50 riders. However, I’m convinced there probably was a group of other century riders that was allowed to go early. Bummer, it would have been nice to get an earlier start. Still, we were on the road and the temperature was comfortable still at that hour.

We made pretty good time at the beginning. We picked up other’s wheels wherever we could to lessen the amount of energy expended, and we skipped the very first rest stop, didn’t feel the need yet, although we hit every single one after that. But we did stop at the second one which was at the 18 mile mark, and replenished water. Immediately after that we reached the first big split. Everyone doing the 65 or less went one way, while 80 and 100 went the other. All of a sudden we were alone on the road. Everyone near us went the other way. We looked at each other and settled in to work, trading off turns at the front where you work harder.

The miles went by pretty quickly there for a while. We rejoined part of the 50 mile route at around the 42 mile mark for us, and then quickly veered off again for another separate loop. This time there were some other people out there, and for portions we did share the burden with a few other people, and got to socialize a little bit, although I will confess, you can’t have too many long conversations out there on the road when you are trying to cover the miles.

Around about the 67 mile rest stop I started to realize I was getting tired, and by then the heat had become a factor. The temperature was into the 90’s I’m sure, and it was sunny, and there wasn’t much, if any, shade. There was another rest stop that came pretty quickly at the 73 mile point. At that one I discovered the greatest thing—iced towels. They had these paper towels soaked in ice water. I took off my helmet and draped one over my head and then got another one and spread it across the back of my neck. Ah, that was good.

By this point Brian was saying to me that I’d talked him into doing the century. I, meanwhile, was beginning to wonder if I was going to make it. The nasty kick to the ride was that at around 80 miles we went right back past the entrance to the park. It was so difficult to ride past and be so close to the finish line in order to get the last 20 mile loop in. And then to top it off, they put a few nasty hills along that 20 mile route. It was becoming more and more clear to me that I had probably become a little bit dehydrated by this point, and then I ran out of water again. Every time we hit a hill Brian dropped me and then waited somewhere along the road for me to catch back up. I could take my turns at the front on the flats, but on the hills I was pretty much useless.

At around mile 86 I told Brian that if we passed a store I had to stop and get some water or gatorade. I was concerned that I might have a problem making it to the next rest stop to wait to get more water. Luckily we did come across one at around the 88 mile mark. We both got gatorades. That’s also when I realized my legs were cramping a bit. When I got off the bike I started to make some kind of movement and I felt the cramp almost seize. I quickly stretched the leg back out, but it was another concern.

While we were at the convenience store we saw one of the guys on motorcycle who help support the ride. They cruise up and down certain stretches of road making sure riders aren’t having difficulties. They’ve got radios, of course, so they can call in support if someone needs a lift. Anyway, he was gassing up his motorcycle. I asked him which way we turned at the intersection we were approaching? He pointed up the road in the direction we had just come from. I was like, that’s not right, and he said we must be doing that part of the route backwards. I said whatever, 20 miles is 20 miles in whichever direction as long as it was a loop, and when we hit the road again I saw a sign to turn in the direction that seemed right to me, but I was a little anxious about it. About a mile along after that the same motorcyclist caught up with his and he hollered over to me that I had been right. His GPS had gotten turned around when he stopped at the store, and we were going exactly right…relief, at least from any extra anxiety.

We did hit the next rest stop at mile 92. It was actually the same one from mile 73, we just looped back around to it. I got more iced towels. They were the best, and I think they seriously kept me from overheating. I also got some iced water, also the best. I was really needing the cooling down. Now we were back on the same road as before heading back towards the same entrance to the park we passed earlier. Brian was doing most of the work by this point, although I still tried to do whatever I could. Finally we reached the park and turned in. I had a moment of anxiety, because the route isn’t really marked inside the park, and there was at least one side street we passed. The last thing I wanted was to be adding extra mileage circling around inside the park trying to find the finish. But we got it right and rode to the finish at right around 3:30 PM. A long day out on the road.

Marcella and a number of other Polo teammates were at the finish cheering me on, and handing me water bottles. I said my farewells to Brian, and headed over to get some lunch and take my shoes off and also to get a massage.

Post ride I can tell that I overdid something in my left leg, might even be hamstring. It’s definitely sore and stiffening up behind my knee, both above and below it. I had been planning on doing another 30 miles tomorrow, but I think it’s out of the question. I will probably still go out there and cheer on the other riders.

From a fundraising standpoint I raised $1,124 which I am incredibly proud about, and I’m really happy that I was able to successfully complete the 100 mile ride to earn that money.

Now, I’ve got a tuna sandwich from subway that Marcella went and picked up, and which I was kind of craving for some reason, and I expect after I eat it that I’ll probably be ready to go to sleep. Perhaps there will be more that occurs to me later to mention, but for now, I’m done. Good night!