a week later and a successful second attempt! i stayed with the pack up the hill with no problems at all. riding on fresh legs really made the difference. only problem was i made the turn off for the B ride and realized that i was the only one doing it! luckily i had a cue sheet and was able to meet up with the rest A riders and finish the ride strong.

the question now is whether to try to the A ride next week. my average speed was about 16.5 and i think the A riders normally do about 19-20...although there definitely were some slower dudes in that group.