Today I did the Assenmacher 100, and annual event that's usually the Sunday after my birthday (which makes it a good event to 'ride my age.' This year it was a week later. After doing 67 miles yesterday, I was going to do the 67-mile route today; but I got in with the animals from the local area and they were doing the 100 miles -- so what choice did I have???

We skipped the first rest stop and pulled in for a quick relief break at the second stop. I had a cookie. Then we were off! After a long stretch, we got to the lunch stop at mile 55. I had a PB sandwich and a banana. At that point, our average was 23.3 mph. I was hanging okay, even on the hills that were seeing some of the upright riders gapped.

We skipped the next rest stop too. My water was getting low, and I HAD to stop at the last stop to refill. A few miles before that stop, a group of about 8 did a breakaway. They were already 200-300 yards off the front by the time I saw them; but I gave chase anyway. I cut the gap in half, but then the piano fell on me. They slowed down, too; but they buzzed past the rest stop and so I lost them. I quickly refilled my bottle and was just heading out when the rest of the group stopped.

The last stretch was a slog into the wind and I watched my average drop slowly. Just when I was ready to bonk, along came the group to save me! They nursed me the last couple of miles and I was able to finish the 100 miles with a 21.7 mph average. My legs were so toasted that I almost couldn't climb the very easy grade to the parking lot to load up my bike.