No ulcers today at the 109-mile Utah Lake century! The day was hot and windy, but most of the course was fabulous. The first 33 miles went through some industrial areas and had a lot of stop signs and lights, although there was good traffic control at the most dangerous intersections and at the roundabouts. After mile 33, the route improved tremendously. We rode around Utah Lake and had gorgeous views of the lake, the mountains, and some orchards. The climbing was modest (2023 ascent, according to my Garmin), but the longest climb had us battling a very tough headwind. After about mile 70 or so, we turned right and the vicious headwind/crosswind turned into the most sublime of tailwinds. That portion of the course had rolling hills, with more down than up, so major speed was the order of the day for the next 20+ miles. I saw Sulis and friend and LifesGreat and friend. I hope they post their ride reports. My training partner had a very off day. Normally, we are pretty evenly matched over varied terrain. She powers through the flats and I'm better in the hills. She just didn't feel right, but refused to abandon the ride, even though she was really dragging. DH offered to SAG her back at mile 66 because he drove down to see us at the lunch stop. She wanted to keep going, but didn't want me to wait. DH kept an eye on her and I called him from the rest stops to see how she was doing. He fixed her up with Hammer Digest Caps and she felt good enough to soldier on. We hung around the finish so we could celebrate when she got there and talk about the ride over popsicles and chocolate milk. In describing the day, she said, "I am NOT a quitter!" And ain't that the truth! This was my second century, and I used Hammer products exclusively. (Perpetuam and two gels for the entire day, plus Endurolytes and Digest Caps). It was a great combination because I felt like a million bucks!

Alex