Wow, thank you all for the wonderful support!

Danielle and I did a ten-mile training ride today around a reservoir near our house - it's hilly, curvy, and very similar to the area where we'll be riding on Sunday. The one big difference is lack of traffic and crowds.

She held up pretty well for the ten miles. She got tired of me barking orders from behind her - "Down shift; you're going uphill...c'mon, granny gear, no pressure on your knees..." I'd have gotten fed up, too, had it been me getting bossed around. About mile 8 she finally pulled over for a water break and asked me to stop, so I did.

I think she'll be okay on the longer ride, though. I am concerned about the huge crowds, however. We're neither of us used to riding with people so close to us. I get nervous passing people on the 12-foot-wide pathway with the line painted down the middle to divide the road.

As for the weight, I hadn't considered burning that internal fat around my organs. That's a good point. I won't worry so much about it, then. And I do need to work on my diet. I work long days away from home, and to eat really well, I'd have to pack a cooler every day. I don't have the time or energy to do that, but I'm thinking I have to make the time. I can't afford to keep eating out, both because of the money and because of the fattening food.

Thank you all, too, for the tips on what to carry. I've got a big pouch (about the size of a loaf of Ezekiel bread) that will fit on my handlebars. I think I could fit some snacks and extra water in there, and first aid supplies.

I'm really looking forward to Sunday. I ran a 10K once, many, many years ago. I know I can do this because I'm riding 20 miles 2-3 times per week. I hope Danielle can do it. I imagine we'll be taking lots of breaks.

Oh, and her father did extensive measurements on both of us and adjusted our bikes. I think she's good as far as measurements, and we've been drilling the "keep right, pass on the left" rule into her since we all started riding about six weeks ago.

If I can just get her to keep her line, we're good. She's pretty good about it, but she gets distracted and swerves a bit. I'll try to stay behind her if I can. People will have to swing wide to get around me. Ha!

Peace, all,

Roxy