a gold-star day

People, how was your Labor Day weekend? Mine went swimmingly. Or should I say, bicycling-ly? Ha ha ha. But yes, I did go for a big-ass ride yesterday: the Wright Stuff Century, the big summer event for the local Bombay Bicycle Club. The name is a reference to Frank Lloyd Wright (the route passes Taliesin, his summer home in Spring Green WI) and the length of the ride (100 miles). Actually, participants can do routes of 40, 60, or 100 miles. Last year, I did the 60. This year, I rode with my friend Mary Beth, who was dead-set on doing the whole schlemiel. And we did it! Though we were, in fact, almost dead by the time we finished.
Now, I know what you're thinking: "Wisconsin, right? Midwest. Flat as a pancake." Au contraire. The course was kinda brutal, with grinding, winding uphills and swooping descents liberally sprinkled throughout. And while I'm grateful it didn't rain, in an ideal world I also wouldn't order cloudless skies with temps in the low 90's. Fortunately, the BBC and its many volunteers offered lots of support along the way. We hit just about every rest stop and water break on the route. Started just before 8 am, finished a little before 5:30 pm, with somewhere between 7 and 8 hrs. of riding total. Free beer at the finish. (This is Wisconsin, after all.)
And look at my registration number! The sexiest number in the whole field! I guess they've been reading the blog ...