A lot of the riders did a century today. Some rode to the stop and then added a few miles to reach 100 miles, and others just got lost and ended up doing over 100 miles. The official distance today was 95.9, and Brian and I only got lost for about one mile, so I ended up with 97 miles for the day. Brian asked me to ride with him to reach 100 miles, but I have already done that a number of times and didn't need to do it again. Now if it would have raised more money for the Fuller Center I would have been all over it.
Brian rode with me all day today. I averaged 14.4 mph for the entire 97 miles today. Most of the last 30 miles I was drafting off Brian, who is a much stronger rider than I am, but he has been great to ride with me a lot these first two weeks. I did a lap record, but need to download the bike computer to see what that average will be. We were riding between 16 to 20 miles for a lot of that last 30 miles. Tomorrow is Brian's last day riding, and he will be leaving Sunday. He has been a great addition to this ride and will be missed, but family comes first, and he is also missed by his family.
I am fascinated with what my mind tells me, as I approach hills, especially when I have a lot of momentum going for me. I always think I can attack the hill and power over it much stronger than I am able to. I start up it strong, trying to stay in a low climbing gear, but always find myself having to shift into granny to make it to the top. Today we had another 12% fairly long climb, and I did it ok, but realized that I never could have made that 18% climb the other day. Talking to the other riders who did climb it, they all had to get up out of their saddles to keep from going over backward. I would not have been strong enough to get up and over the bars, so I guess at 70 years, I have some limitations, which I have no trouble accepting.
On our day off yesterday I lazed around for most of the morning, then some of us went to lunch. Most of the riders went to DC on the bus, which I did last year, so Brian and I went to see the George Washington Masonic Temple. Interesting and informative. I found out that old George died from tonsillitis that was so bad he could not breathe. One doctor wanted to do a tracheotomy, but was overruled; the doctors bled him instead, and he died.
Martha, Blake, and Patrick stopped by yesterday and the whole group went to dinner together. Patrick rode with us today and will again tomorrow; Martha and Blake joined us tonight. Martha will be joining the ride tomorrow, and maybe next week also. Really great seeing them again after riding with them all last summer. Blake can't ride tomorrow because of some feeble excuse about a job he has to be on. :) They and their church provided dinner for us tonight, after which we all went out for ice cream (that is, chocolate malts).
It's now time for bed, 10pm, and I need to be ready for breakfast at 5:30 in the morning. We'll have about a 70 mile day tomorrow.
Peace...
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