LAC - Awesome experience!
 

Over 1200 riders, hundreds of volunteers, staff, cops, many many who've been through way worse **** than me, lost many more family members and friends to the big f'n' C, relished the day, the camraderie, experience, each other.

Starting out, the mood was somewhat subdued; folk were ready t' go!

During the short speech, the tension built, then the National Anthem and Lance's invocation got us Rockin'!

The pics? How DO you all get past the 100K limit?
<Edit: Aha! ya puts the link to the pic in there, I get it now... thanks!>


They are on photobucket:

http://s332.photobucket.com/albums/m358/Tugger2/

1) Never saw the kilt again... he's either faster 'n me, or took it off! It's one of my favourite pics

http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...2/hosue001.jpg

2) Not a bad day - much less smoky than home

http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...2/hosue002.jpg

3) Yup, tha's me; God I'm fat! My rig just don't look right w/o knobbies.

http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...2/hosue003.jpg

4) They took my pic, so I take theirs!

http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...2/hosue004.jpg

5,6) Waitin'

http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...2/hosue005.jpg



http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...2/hosue006.jpg

The first twenny was peloton time, swept along, the smiling cops at each intersection stopping traffic, and hundreds of wellwishers cheering us on! I swelt up like a tick I was so proud to be a part of it! My new friend Steve (7)and I chatted it up... and lost each other later on. Thanks for being a friend pal!


http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...2/hosue007.jpg


8-13) First few rest stops... heh.

http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...2/hosue008.jpg


http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...2/hosue009.jpg

you can beat the size limit by splitting up your post with replies.
Here is "britpower" AKA misses rumbutter waiting for the start .

http://www.zensurweb.com/bikes/lac001.jpg


http://www.zensurweb.com/bikes/lac003.jpg

http://www.zensurweb.com/bikes/lac004.jpg

http://www.zensurweb.com/bikes/lac002.jpg

http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...2/hosue010.jpg

http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...2/hosue011.jpg

http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...2/hosue012.jpg

http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...2/hosue013.jpg


14) First open vista - I've no idea where this is... still easing along, all smiles!

http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...2/hosue014.jpg


15, 16) Sheila (izzat right?) and I palled up for twenty or thirty miles; she's an orthopedic nut, Phd and all, who's rode several 200's with her hubby onna tandem. Today she's on a single. Thanks so much for the company, draft, and laughs; I love you kid!

http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...2/hosue015.jpg

http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...2/hosue016.jpg


17) Couple of nuts!

http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...2/hosue017.jpg

18) ...and a few more! The gal here helped me at about 78, when I was flagging terribly... thanks lovey!

http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...2/hosue018.jpg

19&20) Rest stop candids

http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...2/hosue019.jpg

http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...2/hosue020.jpg

21) Metcalf - you know this s.o.b! Well, after parting company with Sheila, I hooked up with two guys for
a tight paceline over a long flat, into the wind. That was fun! Of course, each of us "didn't want to let
the other guys down," and rode too goddam fast! I lost them on the turn up, but we saw each other
again and again. Metcalf is maybe 1200 feet in a few miles, and at the time I got there, a few hundred
people ruining their cleats, walking up. With my mountain gears, I pedaled it, and talked **** the whole
way. This crew was in the shade about halfway up- I stopped for a pic and a laugh.

http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...2/hosue021.jpg


22-24) At the top of Metcalf, still feelin' good.

http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...2/hosue022.jpg

http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...2/hosue023.jpg

http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...2/hosue024.jpg

25-26) About 70 in, the dark is ahead, but I didn't know it yet! Folk are walkin' funny by this time... this
guy boils in, slinging gravel to a sliding stop, startled several folk, then stood over the mech while he
adjusted his front derailleur, something a six year old could do for themself... of course, by now, we each
have had an aho moment... or two!

http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...2/hosue025.jpg

http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...2/hosue026.jpg

No more stopping for pics! Charlie horse has come to roost, kicking my left calf, I agonize the next
twenty or so. Like life, there are those times that you just have to figure it out yourself; we are each
alone, and, not alone, at the same time. I cry, moan, I miss my Dad. I blubbered, literally sobbing, like a
baby. Ahem, but only for a "little while." At the last stop, I meet Motrin, the lil' pill from heaven. Everyone
still on the course, all the volunteers, we're all a bit weary by now, but chins up!

The last seven miles I'm goin' like 20 mph! The tears are still coming, but I don't care! Get the kdkfjd out
of my way! All smiles, laughs and waves, the finish line is around here somewhere...



27-28) The next group of finishers

http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...2/hosue027.jpg

http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...2/hosue028.jpg


29-30) Nice lady took my pics! That's Pop on my jersey; the quote: "Every Day is a Good Day"

http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...2/hosue029.jpg

http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...2/hosue030.jpg

31) Pizza time

http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...2/hosue031.jpg

32) Thanks for eating and chatting with me nice ladies!

http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...2/hosue032.jpg

33-35) The grand daughter is ten months clean (C), way to go! Grandpa is whooped! Way to go! I gave
him my yaller rose - it'd be toast by the time I ride back to the Hotel anyway...

http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...2/hosue033.jpg

http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...2/hosue034.jpg

http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...2/hosue035.jpg

36) Don't stay here! The room smelled! The dealers and street walkers were quiet though...

http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...2/hosue036.jpg


Great, great time, great ride! Thanks to my sponsors, Aunt Penny and Uncle Pat, Cousin Becky, my dear
sister and inspiration, Kat, who rode in Philly the last two years, and told me how easy it was for her, etc. (then the truth a few days before my turn!), 'n my family.



Do I wanna do it again? Do bears crud th' woods? Hell ya!

1. The knobs are still there - look between thigh and shin!
2. We still have a real road bike here for you, a steel Paramount that might even fit. We'll have to do the Dragon, since you've mastered the road! It's getting that junky Campy stuff you rode on put on it.
3. Road bike. Note I used the word "road bike." Roads are for road bikes - keep those dirty sprung things off the road!
4. Oops. Get Kat to tell you about her new sprung road bike. She likes it. Boing boing down the road with funny springs. Will get her trained up again on that thing. It even has fenders and mountain gears. Your kind of ride. Sort of. Maybe in 40 years when you slow down.
5. And her newest set of stitches are finally out, and she's almost walking normal. Should start a pool on when she gets the next set. Terminally blond, terminally bruised.
6. Congrats to all, especially "Tugger."