All I can say is ... hills and headwinds DO NOT mix! It was quite a challenging ride today.

I got in line at 7:50 and ended up leaving the official start and hour later. I stopped at the second rest stop and then tackled the hills in the parks. I had a camera on my helmet and video recorded my entire ride through the parks. I plan to put the videos on youtube when I can get around to it. Maybe you are on it!!?!

Those downhills were a blast! The big one before the parks, I got up to 45.9 mph.

The wind was pretty brutal. I thought the headwind was worse that last year, but maybe my memory has just faded, or maybe because I had trouble connecting with good pacelines today. They just seemed to dissipate rather quickly. My late start might have had something to do with that.

Overall ended with a 15.7 mph average and crossed the finish line at 2:23. (4:45 rolling time and 5:32 total time.) Beside the park rest stop, I also stopped in Bastrop and the break point where they made us portage. (what was that?)

I couldn't believe the cycling crap I saw on the roads today. Numerous waterbottles, someone's bar end mirror, even a CO2 cartridge. I almost stopped to pick up that last one if it wasn't on an incline with riders behind me.

I liked the way we came down that big hill on MLK Blvd at the end of the ride. Kind of gave one a push to the finish. I stopped at the top of the hill to call my wife to say I was coming through. Amazingly, by the time I got rolling again, I was riding with no other cyclists in front or behind me as far as I could see. I felt like I either won the race or came in last place. The way people were cheering it felt like the former!

Overall, a good ride. Glad this 25th anniversary roller coaster ride (in more ways that one) is over.