up at 4:30 am to head out the door by 5:30 am head to CIBA Carbos and Caffiene Breakfast Ride. My bike is fixed and I'm going to try for a century today. I hope the rain holds off...
Get to the ride, sign in and find out Marlin is going to be riding SLOW today he says. How slow is SLOW, I ask? 16-18mph. THAT'S SLOW??? I head out and I'm cranking for all I'm worth trying to keep up with the guys. Sheesh, my computer is saying more like 18-20!!!! I keep up with them for a while then I get separated at a turn and they pull away, well, there's no way I can catch them. I'm already pedalling as fast as I can, I've got 30+ miles on my legs already and I'm hauling a 50 pound bike. Get to breakfast and I'm already feeling it in the legs pushing towards a 13mph avg at 42 miles.
I don't have time to actually eat breakfast with everyone else when I get there so I have some ice water and head back out to my bike where I eat half of an egg sandwhich I'd brought from home. We're off again, and I'm pushing again trying to keep up. I get dropped again when I have to stop at a highway they had already gotten across and theres heavy fast traffic. By the time I get to Cicero, I see them heading over the rise into the housing edition. I'm on my own again. I have 52 miles and 13 mph avg finally. My legs are starting to scream so I have to bring down the pace. I've got more hills to climb before I can get back to the park and start point.
By the time I get to Noblesville and stop at the quicky mart all I can think of is getting a pickle for the juice. My legs are starting to really scream at me now and the quads are wanting to cramp. Of course this is the ONE TIME they DON'T have any of the pickles. So I get a tall drink and get back on the bike. It's really starting to look like I'm going to get caught in a rainstorm and I'm only at the 60 mile mark with 40 to get back home. YIKES! Head out to the road and YEP, the skies open. I'm flying down a hill on a busy street hanging on to my handlebars for dear life as it's pouring down rain. I make it to the next turn and at least get off that busy road with the rain.
I end up fighting bands of rain and a couple cloudbursts off and on the last 40 miles home. By the time I get downtown, my legs are ready to revolt, but I've got to get home. I end my day with 101 miles! At least it's not been ungodly hot today even as humid as it was since it was overcast most of the day.
Century #6 of 16 Metrics