I was sleeping by 8 PM Saturday night, but with Day 1’s ride still burning my legs, I periodically woke despite exhausting myself with my fastest ride of the year. At 4 AM I was debating on just getting up to start the morning since the alarm was sent for 5, but the hotel bed was oddly comfortable, and somehow staying in bed kept the next day’s ride farther away. The alarm still found me in bed.

I inhaled a hotel breakfast: fresh waffle, cereal, juice, banana, and a cinnamon roll; still feeding hunger after the previous century ride and also preparing for the next one. It was certainly superior to the cold packaged food found at the campground that never seemed to say good morning.

We collected our bikes and were on the road around 7:15 AM. I was thankfully less saddle-sore than on the second day from previous years, which kept my spirits up getting started. The first 7 miles of rolling hills set the tone for the day. They’re awfully fun speeding downhill, and almost as fun racing back up if you have enough momentum and strength to climb to the next peak, but otherwise they’re just awful. I had to fight up many of those hills, along with several others throughout the day. Day 1 was much flatter; had the Day 2 route been used the first day I think it would’ve been easier, but on the second day it was just mean.

We stopped at most of the rest stops for gatorade, bananas, and sugar to keep the body working. We rarely stayed long, typically just enough to fetch fuel and our breath.

I rode with Hans and Kurt for most of the day. We held our own paceline (where Hans most often pulled) and connected with other trains whenever possible to try to keep the speed up.

The sun was out baking the skin more today which contributed to sapping my energy a little faster, and between that and the cumulative exertion, later in the ride I was feeling the effects. Because I’m a pansy, I was partly hoping the forecasted thunderstorms would roll in and “force” me to take the 75 route instead of the 100 mile turnoff — such thinking probably kept the sun out, and around mile 50 I had to make the choice to ride the 100.

I honestly don’t remember much of the ride at this point. There was lots of pavement, some more rest stops, but mostly I just focused on just moving forward. Kurt and I ended up together for most of the last 20, which was great for switching turns pulling, but I lost him returning to the last 7 miles of hills. Again with the racing down and fighting up with the last bits of energy in my body.

I rolled in approaching 4 PM. The finish line held a group of volunteers and riders cheering those coming in, participatory medals were passed out, and I dismounted and walked up the hill to my ride home.

Body and brain were done.

Here’s a few more cameraphone pictures of my deterioration during the day.