i can hardly believe it, but i finished the flying wheels summer century today. apparently if you can do that, you can do STP in one day. i laugh at that idea, but am glad to know that it's supposed to be an easier course.

details:
(from my bike computer, which appears to be miscalibrated according to the ride notes.)
miles ridden: 95.5 (98.1 on the ride notes)
time on the course: 9:40 (8:06 am-5:46 pm)
time riding: 7:33 (food, water, loo stops)
average speed: 12.6 mph
maximum speed: 35.2 mph (yes, that's an ungodly speed)

i forgot to reset the calorimeter, but i usually burn about 300 in a half hour, so that comes out to 4500ish. a pound of fat is 3500, for all you counters and converters out there.

whew!

other thoughts and details about the ride:
i got no flats! my chain came off when i shifted down at the first steep hill, mere minutes into the ride. i got it under control and the only other mechanical difficulty was losing a bolt steadying my rear fender. it rattled less after it was gone, so that turned into an improvement.

i filled my extra water bottle at home and left it on the kitchen counter. fortunately FRS was at the start line giving them away. it's a good idea to have two, even though my bike frame is too small for two bottle cages.

after going up and across the sammamish plateau, there was a hill that dropped away out of sight. seriously. i could not see the road. i was so scared going down that one i was crying. which is not me at all.

there's lots of roadkill out in the hinterlands, i lost count early on but saw birds, snakes, bunnies, possums, a raccoon, squirrels, worms, and a couple of things i couldn't identify.

there's not enough room in a portapotty to wrestle bike shorts back into position.

peanut butter, bananas, and whole grain bread are the best offerings at food stops. don't mess with the cookies. there's other stuff too, but the peanut butter and bananas and bread fill you up and keep your energy up and don't mess with your stomach. i'd left both my ham sandwiches safely in the car so i was relieved there were viable options at the food stops.

the sun came out for about ten minutes in the morning and then again after 3, so it was cool and pleasant riding the whole day. i kept my long sleeved jersey on the whole time.

the song of the day was always by erasure. it was stuck in my head and wouldn't be shaken loose, even when i tried with i am not dead yet from spamalot (i was surprised to not be dead for the last 30 miles or so). i will try harder next time to have a proper riot grrl theme song.

i only saw two cats, a longhaired orange helping a woman in her garden and a groovy siamese type with striped legs and tail trying to creep across the road as i approached.

as vile as it is, gatorade is actually a good idea. in moderation.

i didn't get snide comments from fellow riders like i did on the chilly hilly, although one guy acknowledged my flat handlebars (he had them too) and another complimented my shoes.

i was the very last (or very nearly the very last) person to complete the course. by the time i returned to marymoor park, the finish line festival was shut down, the booths were deserted, and my car was practically alone in the vast parking lot. on the bright side of that, i didn't have to weave through mobs to get my weary self to the car and there wasn't a line for the proper loo to remove my cushiony undershorts and wash my hands. i took a look at the velodrome because i'd never seen one, and my day was complete.

upon returning to the car, i ate one of the ham sandwiches and turned on the seat warmer for the drive home, where i showered and continued hydrating and got online.

you should be impressed. i certainly am.