For me, it was a great ride! I was psyched out about the hills on Coleman Valley Road, but most were short so it wasn't as bad as I had imagined. By the time I got there the sun was out so that helped.

Although I started out with my club, I took a few moments here and there to remove clothes so I never spent much time riding with them. Instead, I rode most of the route on my own. Somewhere before the lunch stop at Warm Springs Dam, I passed SadieKate and Bubba- the back of the Amici Veloci jerseys is easy to spot. After that, it was a dovetail effect. I had some foot issues, so I had to stop a couple of times to handle my shoes. Nevertheless, I finished 8hrs35min. The last part after Chalk Hill was the toughest- strong headwinds the whole way ( lost 2/10 mile on my over MPH there!)

Don't let Ms SadieKate fool you! She's one strong rider, despite her concerns about training this year.

This was my first century ride two years ago, so it was an opportunity to see how much progress I had made in my riding. (This year, I opted for the double metric) I felt much stronger on the hills, and was able to keep up a faster pace as well. And, I did enjoy the all of the rest stops, the scenery, and the riders. I will do this ride again!