Stp 2014

[esoterrica]

Laura and Khg, glad you had good rides!

Mine was smooth too, despite the heat--no flats or mechanicals, and I managed to stay in a decent mental space all day. My goal for every ride is finish safely and happily so I consider it a success!

I rode just with my fella, as our training group wanted to start later, and good thing we did--they were pushing 20mph at the end and we were hanging on at 17mph. We left at 4:30am from home to avoid the start line madness (I may have cried a little at the beautiful sunrise over Lake Washington) and made great time to Centralia, rolling in at 10:30am. It was high 80s/low 90s by then so we agreed to slow down a little and take as many breaks as we needed--I think we stopped for at least a quick break at every stop save one. We saw lots of people stopping by the side of the road to drink or lay in the dirt and I went through the sprinkler at the St Helens stop 4 times. I teared up coming over the St Johns bridge into Portland, too--such a beautiful city, and I was so proud of the cyclists around me! We rolled in to the finish line at 7:30 pm and there were more people waiting there than I expected, certainly more than last year. Hopefully that means everyone was slowing down and being mindful of the heat. After acquiring falafel and my 1-day rider t-shirt it was back on the bike to the hotel, thankfully only a mile away, but thanks to our sensible pace on the last 100 miles I could have ridden further (especially with the promise of AC at the end), which was a good feeling.

I've been on an epic shorts quest and though my current shorts at least have a sufficiently wide chamois, the seat bone patting is not quite thick enough (Boure elites, 8.25" chamois, just wide enough so I am not sitting on seams). The frequent water stops kept the suffering from getting too intense but I was definitely feeling it and making up cranky burning butt variations to Ring of Fire to distract myself.

This is my second STP and I am not sure if I want to do it again, but I suspect when January/February rolls around I'll be excited and ready.

[lauraelmore1033]

I suspect when January/February rolls around I'll be excited and ready.

It's like a sickness...

[khg]

I may have cried a little at the beautiful sunrise over Lake Washington

That sunrise! And the light of it on Mt Rainier, with Lake Washington spreading out below! That was worth the ride right there. And let's face it--if I weren't dragging myself out of bed for STP, there is no way on earth that I would be up riding my bike early enough to catch a summer sunrise and its unique quality of light.

It's such a beautiful area--how lucky are we to get to ride our bikes here!

[Crankin]

I often do short rides where I see the sunrise over the Concord River.
No matter where I am, on my rides in the early AM, it's just awesome.
However, this does sound like an epic experience, with the heat and hills.