Jul-02: Showdown at Black Creek 204 km Permanent

Independence Weekend Fitness Test -- Stage 1 of 3

0700 official start time.
McD's staff really getting annoying. 
No one offering service for MINUTES, MINUTES!
Next time I have to wait that long while the staff is seven feet away
Happily engaged in private conversation
I'm initialling the card myself
And complaining to a manager at the end of the ride.

Prior to the ride, MikeO had enlisted me in the "Let's keep an eye on Alan this afternoon"
Alan had apparently had a heat related problem two weeks earlier on his previous permanent.

Alan did fine today.
He clearly got warm to hot ... his face and head were a bit pink at the end.
Oh ... that was probably just a touch of sun.
However, he did get a touch warm.  He wasn't the only one.

Between the start and the finish, I enjoyed several long chats with Alan
As we fell off the back of the other three.
Alan's ride stories are always nearly infinitely more interesting than mine.
After all, he has 30 years and 160 thousand miles to draw upon.
Me ... not so much.

Gnats were beyond annoying both times we stopped at the intermediate Kountry Kwik Pik control.
Occupational hazard of eastern North Carolina.

The dogs weren't too annoying.
Alan's shout at them seemed pretty effective.

MikeO complained that the only way he can take a CL any more is on a long break away.
Mentioning Mike ... he needs to use some bigger water bottles now that the HOT! season is here.

Poor Alan.
He was getting "are you drinking enough" from all sides.

RichardG reported that his hands felt better this time than last.
Last time was in May. 
Heat seemed to get to Richard late in the ride.
Only his second ever 200k.  Plenty of time to learn things.

Ricochet seemed to have pretty good legs all day.
He, however, was more conservative in the last 13 miles than me.

I hope I don't have to pay TOO big a price for letting the flywheel spin up several times on the day.
Including the last 13 miles.
Tomorrow will likely tell.
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Jul-02:

Showdown at Black Creek 204 km Permanent; 127.0 m.; 8h,13m in-motion; 15.4 mph; rando elapsed clock time:  9h,57m.

Q-1 tot: _23 rides; _1822.2 m.; 123 hrs, 05 min; 14.8 mph.
Apr tot: __7 rides; __793.8 m.; _52 hrs, 28 min; 15.1 mph.
May tot: _10 rides; __894.1 m.; _63 hrs, 45 min; 14.7 mph.
Jun tot: _13 rides; __917.0 m.; _61 hrs, 01 min; 15.0 mph.
Jul tot: __1 rides; __127.0 m.; __8 hrs, 13 min; 15.4 mph.
YTD tot: _54 rides; _4554.1 m.; 305 hrs, 40 min; 14.9 mph.
  _ 
 
Oh, btw, assuming paperwork gets approved, etc.:  R-12 for me.
Yep, Dean, DEFINITELY counting.