YEA TEAM MFP! GO Jadiagle, Steff, and familybugs!

Wow this is awesome!!

Good luck guys! We're here cheering you on!! Best of luck!

(and lol @ SNL photos -- they made me giggle, loved those skits!)

OK here we go. Report. For all those people who were cheering. Made me a mile faster guys!

I had prepared for that event for three month, and today was the day. For some reason that I have not figured out yet I did not sleep much the night before the event. I don't think I was really nervous. Anyway, did not get much more than a couple hours continuous sleep. When the alarm rang in the morning I was tired. Very tired. But... I said I'd do it, I had taken a whole weekend off, so I got to go. No excuses! It was an opportunity to learn what it feels like in events longer than 100 miles when you have to ride with very little sleep. Maybe some caffeine would help. I settled for a Starbucks since you can't buy that real espresso here that is so thick that the spoon sticks in it. At 06:50 I arrived in the parking lot of the school. Where the event started. the event. There were quite a few people there when I arrived But the parking lot was not full as I would be in maybe an hour. I payed my starter fee, got on my bike and off I was.

Right within the first two miles there was a pretty steep hill that we rode down. I thought about having to ride back up there again at the end as I knew we would come back this way. Back up there after almost 100 miles? Oh my.... Anyway. The first miles where just warm up and settling in. My infamous cue-sheet holder did not work at all, so I had no chance to read the cue sheet anytime while riding. Turns out that it was not necessary. The roads where marked with arrows at every turn and it was almost impossible to miss them. Plus there were so many other riders that you could always see where they turn and pay more attention to the signs.

After a while I saw a bike way back in my mirror that I instantly identified as “not an upwrong”. I slowed down a little and met a gentleman who rode a Tour Easy. We rode together for a few miles until the coffe forced me to take an emergency pit stop. After 20 miles I arrived a rest stop #1. Didn't even refill my Gatorade sinde I knew the next stop was only 16 miles down the road. Ate some Clif Shot Bloks (wonderful product, soooo easy to reaplace electrolytes!) and a PB sandwich and pressed on. I wasn't feeling to bad, the first 40 to 50 miles of my longer rides usually fly by, and I was not as tired as I thought I'd be. Still many rider on the road. Some roadies riding in groups that just fly by. Here I am, old turtle Steff, slowly churning my miles. I had explicit instructions to pace myself and every intention to listen to that advise. Didn;t chase people, did not try to catch anybody, just slowly but surely piled up the miles. Rest stop 2 was at mile 36, and here the moment of truth came: 65 or a 100? Confidently I turned my bike to the 100 mile option.

Now there were way less riders on the road than before! No more following anybody in turns, I had to pay attention to the signs. The club has however done an excellent job marking the route. No problem at all. After 22 more miles on quiet and flat country roads I arrived at rest stop 3.

Different story. Only a few people, and you could see a few tired, hurting, struggling. Some faces were now familiar from previous stops. A little chit chat, refill the Gatorade, eat, and continue. Knowing that I had already more than half of the distance and was still feeling good made it easier. It was at that time that I checked my average speed and discovered that I was about a mile faster than I usually am. Dang! And that was pacing myself. Honestly. I kept riding at what ever speed I felt comfortable. A little depressed that many of those riders on the rest stops kept passing me. Again. But this is not a race! And obviously, since I met the same people over and over again, I kept up with them. Rest stop 4 was the same as rest stop 2. Getting a little tired, I started feeling my legs at times. But I only looked at the next 14 miles to rest stop 5. 14 miles is not that far!. And there was pizza waiting at rest stop 5! The cue sheet had a slip for 2 slices of pizza and a soda. Nice. That greasy pizza and a coke (which I usually never drink) were just wonderful. A few chairs and a table to sit on. And only 15 miles left! Now that I can do since I made it so far!

I was really energized, even kinda rested. After 10 miles that hill came back in my mind again. Had to come up soon. I was riding up a few minor climbs, but they were easy because I had plenty of speed left from the downhill part leading into them. Knowing I'd be there very soon I just pedaled as fast and hard as possible on the downhill part and the rest was a breeze. That hill still did not come. I know it's there waiting for me.... Mile 99. Still no hill. I was on the right track. Hmmm.... must have been one of those little hills I was flying up just a few minutes ago. Funny that it looked so easy now at the end and much worse in the beginning.

I turned back into the school parking lot at mile 101. First century finished. It was a beautiful ride.

congrats. that is amazing. great job.

Steff, congrats; I'll read your posts after I've showered; but I just wanted to let everyone know that I finished! .6 mile swim; 17.5 mile bike and 3.4 mile run. I exceeded all of my goals, and ate that bagel before 9:35 this morning!

Yay Steff!! Thats so awesome!! Congrats!!! :bigsmile: