Shiner 2010

What a difference a year and the wind makes.
Last year this time, after completing the Shiner ride, I was wiped out. The (just ever-so-slightly under) 100 miles had kicked my butt. The headwind and the sun had worn me down. The bbq and the DQ blizzard on the way home had not even helped that much (although they were pretty darn good). This year...TOTALLY different story.
I kicked the butt of the (just ever-so-slightly under) 100 miles (97 to be exact); or at least the best butt-kicking I can muster (18.67 mph average...nothing short of shocking!)...even though plenty of other cyclists out there who kicked my butt! The tailwind (with a few patches of headwind and crosswind for good measure) and cloud cover gave me extra speed and energy. Always fun to have Nancy and Catharine as riding buddies...and I'm proud of them for tackling that distance without having all of the training that I do under their belts...YET. IMAZ is around the corner for them and they are going to be awesome! (Special thanks to them for helping me change my tire...damn tack.) Always good to see so many T3ers out there, too. Nothing like having your team around to keep your legs moving! And the Oreo Mint blizzard from DQ on the way home did nothing but boost my already high spirits. (Thanks again, Chrissie and Jeremiah, for the ride...totally made this ride doable for me given that AP exams are this week and I have a TON of work to do this weekend.)
In fact, I think everyone was in high spirits today because of the wonderful conditions and that was so fun! Quite a change from last weekend when so many of us took a beating from the sun and wind in Galveston.
I know that CDA is MUCH hillier than the Shiner ride. I know that we won't have a tailwind the whole way - perhaps not at all...and we could have a headwind. But today was a major confidence boost as we head into the final stretch of training. Which continues tomorrow with an 18-mile run...yep. Hoping that goes well...always a little daunted by a run of that length but ready to give it my best shot!