Group ride in Weatherford, 61 miles from weatherford HS.

The first 20 miles went by REALLY fast. Lots of downhill. Several patches of sketchy gravel and silt by a bridge. Immediately following were tens of riders on race-weight tires, side of the road, replacing tubes. I’m thinking the 40 second saved by a fit, lean, low-weight rider using lighter tires is negated by spending 3-5 minutes replacing a tire.

Rest stops at 20,30,40 and 48 miles. Gatorade, water, pickle juice, pickles, cookies, rice crispy treats, brownies, bananas, oranges, and peaches were available, as well as shade, and a water hose. 400 volunteers in all and it was very much appreciated. So amazing. Really well supported.

Becky and I were off the front for a while. We paused at 20mi, but the crowd came, so we bolted. At 30, we loaded up on food and drinks. At 40, we stopped because I forgot to pee at 30. Snacks and more fluids, and off we go. We saw Sharon zoom by. She was hanging off the wheel of some of the Dallas Cowboys, and wasn’t looking back. We tried to catch up, but no joy. Becky got a 10 second lead on me, and it took me a couple miles to catch up. No way we were catching Sharon.

Through a few sections, a lady passed. Very good looking from all angles. Strong rider, neon jersey. Tried to keep up with her, but she was more of an 18+ rider than me. The only reason we were around eachother as much was because I had a shorter rest stop than her. I hung off her wheel for a few miles, but she laid into a climb and disappeared.

Near the end, the shorter routes merged into ours for a unified final run. Some really tired, or sketchy riders mixed in there, and a couple of collisions here or there. A few SAG trucks hauled off people who had non-fixable mechanical issues, and we did see one ambulance backtracking. Didn’t see any injuries, but I did see one stout and tall fellow standing over his bike, telling himself he would be fine. I didn’t see any injuries, red face, etc. so I kept rolling. Lots of support vehicles, police, etc around, so if he decided he wasn’t going to be okay, help was nearby.

Becky’s new phrase is “Suck it up, buttercup!” and she called that out at the end as she sprinted past me for the last 2 miles.

The Skratch HyperHydration mix REALLY helped a bunch, as did having so much ice in my pack. For 61 miles, it took 3.75 hours. Really good performance, and I attribute it to having so many better riders around me that I would forgetfully try to follow.

After the ride, the ladies really liked the Cryo booth, but I was just happy to have a shower after. No towel, but I made due. So nice to rinse and cool off.

I had a few little donkeys (burritos!) from Rosa’s Cafe, and some peaches, and lots of additional fluids. Tried some “homemade peach ice cream.” Well, it was home-made (ice crystals), and had some peach flavor, but I was hoping for something a little stronger, and/or a little smoother. Actually, a touch of vanilla would have rounded out the flavor nicely. Not bad, I just had too high expectations for the price (about $1 per ounce).

After heading out, Sharon’s crew checked out from their hotel, and went directly to the Parker County Peach Festival. Karl and I went to The Pizza Place and tried the Hamburger pizza first. The hamburger meat is actual, earl, not from a bag, so the flavor is much better. Small crumbles, quite tasty. 2 kinds of cheese. Crust is actually crusty. I wish I’d gotten bacon and double toppings on it, and had put the parm/oregano on it. Even so, it was very good, and Roger(?), the owner, was nice. I’d definitely eat there again.

The Peach Festival was okay, but by the time we got there, it was SO HOT. A few grouchies, and a few silly people, and a Matrix style lady in red passed by a couple of times. Aside from that, the peach cobbler was always sold out, but the peach julep was tasty. Most everything was busy, but we just all melted into death puddles, so it was time to go.

Travel there took me just over an hour (5:17 to 6:23am), and travel back was right at 1.5 hours (had to take 377 due to I35W traffic). All unpacked and glad to be home. Am a little caffeinated from mile 48 “6-hour energy” and the soft drinks I had with lunch, so I cleaned the kitchen after explaining every little detail to Erica, who was very patient with my rambles. We also need to have a date, just because, so that is to be planned. Probably Monday night or Tuesday day, since that’s payday.

http://omnitech.net/xaminmo/2014/07/12/peach-pedal-2014/

http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/540135292

Distance: 61.34 mi
Time: 3:30:25
Avg Speed: 17.5 mph
Elevation Gain: 2,298 ft
Calories: 3,051 C
Avg Temperature: 85.8 °F

Time: 3:30:25
Moving Time: 3:30:09
Elapsed Time: 4:02:02
Avg Speed: 17.5 mph
Avg Moving Speed: 17.5 mph
Max Speed: 36.9 mph

Elevation Gain: 2,298 ft
Elevation Loss: 2,305 ft
Min Elevation: 728 ft
Max Elevation: 1,083 ft

Avg HR: 152 bpm
Max HR: 177 bpm

Avg Power: 219 W
Max Power: 957 W
Max Avg Power (20 min): 246 W
Normalized Power (NP): 259 W
Intensity Factor (IF): 0.908
Training Stress Score (TSS): 287.5
FTP Setting: 285 W
Work: 2,759 kJ

Avg Bike Cadence: 83 rpm
Max Bike Cadence: 117 rpm

Avg Temperature: 85.8 °F
Min Temperature: 73.4 °F
Max Temperature: 98.6 °F

http://app.strava.com/activities/165113406
http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/644323033
http://tpks.ws/7MWp
http://runkeeper.com/user/xaminmo/activity/391841022
https://www.endomondo.com/workouts/371945820/15893321