UPDATE: It poured rain! Thank goodness I had waterproof (yes, they were) over my biking shorts, then a tech tee shirt, a thermal cycling jacket, then a PI Barrier cycling jacket. My feet, hands, face and hair were soaking wet most of the time. It rained, we had a 10 mph or so headwind, sometimes a "side wind" when the rain was coming down horizontally, and sometimes but not often a tailwind. There were what I call long, slow rolling hills that went "uphill" if that makes sense. I have NEVER ridden 30 miles and I have not practiced hills except a few very short steeper ones around here once in awhile. At mile 16 there was food- dave's killer bread peanut butter & jelly half sandwiches, watermelon, gatorade, strawberry shortcake, boiled eggs, etc. They also had breakfast, and gourmet food for our "dinner" with a band.
In the beginning I think I tried to go too fast up the first loooong rolling hill AND into a headwind and I was almost crying, I just got off and walked. I was so disgusted with myself. My 62 year old friend who's been off her bikes for a few years, just kept peddling and she was 10 minutes ahead of me the entire time. She was riding a heavy hybrid, only had clipless pedals. My DH stayed back with me and it took 3 hours of actual riding to ride 30 miles. Let's just say that many folks who signed up for the 68 & 100 mile rides quit after 35 or 40. The weather was bad.