Hello everyone - here is my report (sigh):

First of all, let me start by saying my friend had an amazing race! She set a personal PR of 5 hours, 57 minutes, beating her previous best by 2 minutes. She said it was the hardest she had done, too - the wind kicking hard in the last 25 miles, and they announced that the heat index was up at 104 degrees. It was hot and muggy. After the event, however, you would have never known that she had just done what she had done - she didn't even look remotely tuckered out! Did I mention that Jean is a 54-year old grandma?

Unfortunately, I medical-ed out at the 70 mile rest stop. I made it through Hell's Gate about an hour before the cutoff, and was feeling really good - my legs were still pretty fresh, and I was feeling positive about the whole distance. But when it stopped being good, it went downhill fast and dramatically. I got off the bike at mile 70 to eat my sandwich (pb & honey!). As soon as I got off and walked about 50 steps, I felt a little woozy. I sat down, all of a suddden my vision went gray, and the next thing I know I am being sat on a cot in the med station. I have no recollection of passing out, but I do have a couple of scrapes where I hit the ground. (!)

Two different doctors had two different opinions on what might have happened (neither one really heat related) - either my blood sugar took a precipitous drop or after I got off the bike (I felt fine while still on it) or the blood stopped pumping so hard up to the head and down I went. There's a name for that, I forget what it is. In either event, the day was over for me - they were not letting me back on the bike. Frankly, I wasn't much feeling like getting back on the bike after that. You can figure that I am really disappointed, but it is what it is.

I cannot say enough good things about the medical staff there. There are not enough doctors in WF for this event, so they come in from all over - Dallas, San Antonio, OK City, Houston.

Everyone in the med tents had his/her own personal nurse and doctors rotated through the tent checking on everyone repeatedly. I have never had such good care in my life. (Note - while I was at the mile 70 med tent, a guy walked over and just said he didn't feel good to one of the nurses. He didn't look good, either. He was young, buff, in a team outfit - a strong-lookng guy. Ninety seconds after he said that to a staffer he had doctors and nurses all over him and an IV in his arm a minute or so after that. He went straight to the ER, he didn't even go to the med tent at the finish area.

Three things I would have changed about that day, although I don't know that they would have changed the outcome - 1) I was hydrating with water, saving my sports drink for "later" - mistake number one. 2) I started talking to someone and realized too late that she (and I) were going about 3-4mph faster than my planned speed. After this hit me, I let her go on and got back to my own race, but I had let it go on too long. 3) I tend to have low blood sugar to begin with, and have learned what foods to avoid and the best way for me to eat throughout the day. I had started off the day with a couple bananas for breakfast, and was using my Hammer gels and Carb Boom. However, in the 40 minutes before infamous mile 70, I had several of my Clif Shots, which I have used before, but never when my stomach was empty of real food, I think. One of the ingredients as a sweetener is rice syrup. I theorize that this might have spiked my sugar and caused a sugar crash - I can't eat regular syrup that goes on pancakes as the same thing happens (but far less dramatically). I think I need to practice with more solid foods while riding as well, with more protein/fat to prevent a sugar drop. (anyone have thoughts on this?)

Interesting notes:
There was a guy on roller blades! My friend saw him drafting off of bikes at one point, and (from the SAG wagon , wah ) I saw him again at mile 70, still looking good.
There were over 10,000 riders. The Air Force did a flyover at the start of the race, which was way impressive.
The opening cannon misfired twice, then they "hit it with a hatchet" and it went off.
A spectator was hit by a cyclist coming over the finish line, possibly breaking his (the spectator's) neck.

Already looking forward to next year. It is what it is. I am bummed that it wasn't my first succesful century, I learned good things, was there to celebrate a PR for my friend, and am looking forward to the next plan of action.

Looking forward to reading other posts about the (hopefully successful) experiences of others!