200 K Report (The Trifecta)

[KSH]

WOW!

Great job on finishing!

What an accomplisment!

[Nanci]

Congratulations!!! I knew you could do it! I had to laugh when you were thinking of how you could abandon- who you could pay to give you a ride. that must be a common theme of brevets!! I spent a lot of time after my 200k fantasizing about paying someone to just put my bike on the rack- I seriously didn't have the strength.

But the 300k was so much better, and easier, and fun. Don't give up! Not that you could, now. You're hooked, I can tell. Just think if you'd had proper rain gear, you'd have been a lot less miserable. Maybe that should be your reward for completing the 200k- some extra-nice piece of rain gear.

You are _so_ lucky you had some people to ride with. Experienced riders make you believe you can live through it. Poor guy on the recumbent- on almost every ride, and every Century, I meet someone having a worse time than me, so it makes me feel stronger to help them along.

Now the 300k is with the same group, right? So you'll know people there- that will be fun. No way can the weather be as bad. At least it will be two weeks warmer!

I'm so proud of you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nanci

[SnappyPix]

Well done Betagirl. Really great report, congratulations on braving the elements and finishing.

[Veronica]

Super job! Great that you stuck with it.

V.

[Bike Goddess]

Beta Girl- I definitely was thinking of you yesterday- looking at my watch from time to time and calculating when you would be back.

So, CONGRATS on finishing your 1st brevet! Awesome! Inspiring!

What MP said about having company is true. I have found on the long rides I've done that it is so comforting to have someone to talk to and ride with.

Re your granny gear- again- my recommendation is that you use it when you need it. Remember, when you are on a long distance ride, you're not in your "training" mode, you are in your "get finished" mode. Do whatever you need to do to accomplish that goal (as you did yesterday despite all of the challenges that you faced). The only time I've ever been a DNF was last year when a spoke on my rear wheel broke 67 miles into a century. No one had the tools to temporarily fix it so I had to break down and get sagged in. .

Looking forward to hearing about your next brevet! (We'll all ask the weather gods to be kind to you! SUN, COOL, LIGHT BREEZES)