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.