The day of RAIN (Ride Across INdiana)

[Mr. Bloom]

This will go down as one of the most memorable days in my life!

Well, at 5:15, Silver and I hitched a ride with Sr500 and MrSR500.

The sky was ominously bright with vivid lightning. It was spooky. But, NO THUNDER. I believe it was a severe thunderstone that Geonz was probably experiencing in Champaign/Urbana, but it was scary nonetheless since I was already apprehensive.

As it got lighter approaching the 7AM start, the sky was less ominious but cloudy nonetheless. At 6:55, it started RAINING.

We rode for 60 miles in the RAIN at RaIN. Once I rode for 10 minutes in the rain! Today I rode for three hours. Indy was SWAMPED. In the groups, the "rooster tails" were terrible. I've not been so water logged since Boy Scout Camp!

Sag1 - 40 miles. I remember looking down with each pedal stroke to see water bubbling out of my shoe vents!

40 miles to Sag2 (about mile 64?), I was alone at first for some distance. Then a group of guys from Wisconsin let me hug a wheel. We had a perfect pace line of 5 and averaged 24mph.

I lost my pace line at Sag 2 because I had to go to the bathroom

30+ miles to lunch. I rode alone for 2/3 the distance, but for the other time met some nice folks.

At lunch, I found my pace line guys and we stayed together the balance of the nearly 70 miles. I pulled about half the time...who says cycling is solitary.

Bottom line: I exceeded my wildest dreams! I finished either 123 or 124 out of nearly 1200 who registered

Prior to today, my longest ride was 110miles. So, today I broke 50 records.

I finished in 8hr50min - 20mph plus 50 minutes SAG time.

My goal was to finish hoping to average 17mph.

We spent a lot of time with makbike and indysteel as well and really enjoyed them.

Despite the rain, it kept things cool. It got sunny and hot, but we were so waterlogged that it kept us cool all day.

It's almost 11PM, we just drove into Bloomington...my knees are sore, my body is fatigued, but I am high on the experience of the day!

So, I'm treating myself to a South Beach Pizza and going to bed!

Thanks for the kind thoughts!