Girls, I had a fantastic time. It was great to meet so many of you during dinner and the ride. Glad you liked the stickers! I had to e-mail the dude from Laramie three times before he finally mailed them to me... I would have picked them up, but Laramie is 7 hours east of here.

What great energy from all the women! Someone told me 1,050 women registered before ride day.

I was pretty cranky about not getting on the road until 8:40, but I met up with like-speeded riders soon enough (and almost followed the 65 milers straight at one point, but Bikerhen and Marty helped me figure it out). Then I rode with them for quite a ways before trying to hook up with some fast gravy trains.

But I got in trouble, leaving the wrong way for the 100 right after lunch with some girls, and then when one got a flat (not my friends, not planned ride partners, and Little Red Riding Hood was there to help change it!) I kept going in pursuit of the ladybug team. Missed the top loop altogether so was at the metric length (65ish) at the final rest stop, which was supposed to be 17 miles from the finish. Yikes! I was 23 miles short! So I created my own loop by going left and around the bottom loop again, all by myself. So it sort of stunk being alone for the last 30 miles of a group ride, but I ride by myself a lot.

I couldn't believe that my average heart rate for the day was 150! I've never been able to hold that for 6.5 hours. I believe my average speed was 14.9.

Next year, I'm appointing a navigator, or at least getting one of those stupid $5 map holders so I will actually read the map.

Only 363 more days until LRRH 2007!