I was surprised not to see any ALC threads here yet, so I thought I'd start one.

This will be my first AIDS/LifeCycle, so I figure the 10th Anniversary is a great time to start. Actually, this will be -- by far -- my longest ride ever. I completed my very first century last August, so it's a bit of a leap to a 7-day, 545 mile ride. Go big or go home, right?

I'm still struggling with a few things: getting in shape (training is one thing, but I'd also love to lose 25+ pounds between now and June); fundraising; and general confidence that, insanity or no, I will actually be able to complete this ride. As a relative newbie to road cycling, I'm looking to make the transition to clipless pedals sometime in the next month so I have plenty of time to get used to them.

Any ALC veterans out there... advice? Anyone else signed up to ride this year?

Eva
(www.tofighthiv.org/goto/egr)