I'm the weenie of the group so far with only 10 miles but under the circumstances, for me that's a big deal. I've been riding flat trails for the past few years, so this year I decided that I need to tackle hills.

Drove up to Gettysburg National Battlefield, thinking I'd have just a few mild inclines. You don't realize how big those rollers are when you're driving the auto tour. When I stopped at the top of one curvy, fairly steep section that goes around Devil's Den, I felt a bit nauseous from the heat and the effort. Then I looked at the bike and realized I hadn't shifted down from the big chainring. If my legs hadn't felt like noodles, I would've done a little dance. I also hit my fastest speed today-- 29mph (downhill, of course).

Beautiful scenery around the battlefield. A pretty sky full of puffy clouds, once the threat of rain had passed away. A challenging route, but a short enough one that I can get back out tomorrow on one of the flat trails and aim for a longer distance. Adds up to a good ride