Putting on a Few Pounds for Race Season (Part 2: the Results)

The official results are up on the Almanzo 100 Blog. I came in 40th, riding one-hundred miles of mostly gravel roads in 8:21 (7:15 of that in motion). The winning time was 5:44, an avg speed of over 17 mph!

I'll start out saying that the weather was beautiful: lower 70s with some clouds. A northwest wind got the race off to a fast start as we headed east from Rochester to the small town of St. Charles. From there my 22 mph avg speed dropped precipitously as wind and hills began to slow our progress. By the last leg of the course the gravel seemed as though it would never end; the wind, like a small yapping dog, just plain annoying. With about seven miles left in the course I hit asphalt and the roads headed back east to Rochester and with the wind at my back once more I sailed confidently to finish my most arduous and fought for century yet.

Thanks to Chris Skogen for devising a fiendish course and organizing the event. Thanks to Andy for the ride down, the Lamberts for the hospitality, Tom for the ride home, and Josh for not wearing women's cycling shorts to the race.