July 1st 200k "Unto These Hills"

[betagirl]

Hey, at least you didn't have to abandon at mile 108

It was kind of you to help that guy out twice. I always ask people if they're OK and just hope in my head that they'll give the usual "yep" so I can keep going. I agree that murphy's law would have kicked in if you gave him your pump. Maybe carry a spare, not as nice pump, to give to someone in the future if you run into that again? Yeah, more weight to carry. And the 2 times of getting of course didn't help. I'd say you did great all things considered.

Now that it's so "humid" here, I had to wonder while reading your post if those brevets I did that were so miserably cold would be any better now in the humidity and lung soup? Oh how it would be swell to be 70 and 40% humidity for all brevets.

[Nanci]

He _did_ buy me a Gatorade and bag of ice as repayment :-)

I'd rather be hot and humid than cold any day. I just can't move when it's cold. 98% humidity is tough to breathe in when there's climbing involved, otherwise it just feels good to me.

Nanci

[bikerchick68]

holy moly woman! your report made ME tired that sounds like a heck of a tough ride all the way around... from getting off course, to the heat, to the hills, to the shifting issue... man, talk about perseverance! good for you for sticking it out and completing it.

I'm like beta... I always ask people if they need help, but sorta secretly hope they're OK... I have stopped on 4 different centuries to change flats for people! (not to give them my pump but to actually DO IT because they didn't know how!!!) Twice was for guys which is at least sorta amusing, for me anyway. LOL

I gotta ask where in FL is it that hilly? I lived in St. Pete as a kid (near The Pier if it's still there!) and can't recall hills... that profile looks freakin brutal.

[Nanci]

BC- it's hilly like that in Clermont/Tavarres. You know, right off the turnpike halfway between Orlando and Leesburg. Where the USAT headquarters is!! Where they do the "other" iron-distance race, the Great Floridian. (I was thinking, while I was riding Saturday, if I ever had to I mean wanted to (yeah, right) do an IM, it would have to be Panama City because obviously the hills in Clermont would take me out at Great Floridian. They say people at Panama City average at least an hour faster on the bike at IM Florida).

When I see people who might need help- I'm always HAPPY to stop and rest I mean help. :-)

The pier is still there. We went down for a training swim for St. Anthony's a couple years ago and I had the BEST time feeding the pelicans at the pier.

Nanci