I did part of the Philly course last weekend (big 60 mile loop). It was pretty warm that day. We were eternally grateful for the kind woman at an Amish fruit stand who turned us loose with her garden hose so we could refill our bottles and cool off. I know climbing difficulty is relative, but there are definitely two long, steep monsters to tackle and then handfuls of short steepies. I was loving my granny gear by the end of this one. The Garmin said we did over 5,000 feet in 60 miles.

Even though the pre-ride had me a little bummed and discouraged, I'm still really looking forward to this and to riding my first century. I'm sure the energy on that day will be amazing!