Last night, I signed up for ALC10 as a veteran. Nice low $30 registration fee. The last few days, I have thought about all the ALC09 riders progressing to LA safely. As I write this, most have rolled in already and have updated their FB profiles to alert their loved ones that they have made it to LA. Congrats, all! See you out there soon!

I rode my first century of the season (109 miles) and Ben rode his first century (99 miles) ever. Yes, 99 still makes it a century. He finished three hours ahead of me and was in a fast pace line for much of the time. I spent more time at the rest stops and can easily shorten that up next time.

There was an accident between a motorcyclist and the supply vehicle, and the route was closed for some time. I had to go back, get rerouted, and go back again after the rode reopened. That tacked on some mileage. It's good preparation for the 125 miler I am doing in two weeks.

I paced with several groups and individuals. For starters, Peter from South Africa and I passed each other a couple of times before realizing that with an ounce of organization, we could pull each other. That was a pleasant experience and he eventually remained faster than I was. I bet we would have stayed together if we were in a larger group about the same speed. There were a line of folks in a pace line that came up behind me. I tacked onto the end of it for about 15 miles. I met a guy whom I nicknamed "Chucky the bag lady" because his name was Charles and he had a bag specifically made for the ride with a bicycle stenciled on it.

Approximately 30 miles until the end, a woman was not looking that great. Her partner or friend pulled us for many miles with his strong legs. I was not feeling that great either because I knew I was short on food. 30 miles is a long way to go when feeling short on food.

I rode 95 miles today. More later.

I opted to ride the challenging Alpine Dam loop ride yesterday despite knowing that I would be on the low end of the speed, and likely the slowest.

The ride was a formal and informal ride by ALC09: formal because it was completely legit in all ways ALC, and informal because there were four training ride leaders for two regular riders. One look at the organizer's thighs and I knew he might be "catching us at the top". It was a most hospitable ride and the fasties were able to get their speed on, and I did not feel pressured by it. Another of the very fast training ride leaders suggested to her friend to do the ride and her friend said something like, "Oh, I am not ready for Alpine Dam at this point!"

I am glad to see that my perspective has changed after having ridden in last year's ALC08. I knew it would be a challenging ride, and I went for it. My total mileage was ~64 and the ride itself was ~48.5. In addition to the mileage of the ride, I tacked on the extra. This ride is one of the most gorgeous rides on the training schedule.

This year, I am not riding down to LA and something about that takes the pressure off. I have more time to take photos and reflect on my cycling progress over the past two years. Riding ALC is something that a person will refer to for the rest of his or her life.

9962.85 - 64.63 = 9898.22

My riding buddy shared a tip for city dwellers. If you lack a hose and space to use that hose, no problem, just take your bicycle into the shower with you! I did so tonight, but not before putting a "shower cap" on my seat. Bicycle seat, that is.

Bikie is really slick now and all chain-lubed up for Saturday's ~70-mile ride. The wheels and rims are clean so the brakes have a nice surface to contact. Cannot complain about an R&B evening with Simple Green.