My plan for the day was to go out and have fun at a nice easy pace. Of course, that plan went right out the window once we got started. All routes are the same for the first, I-don't-know, say 30 miles. Then, the routes start breaking off, and 65/100 split, and then the 100 splits off.

First 30 miles it was a mixed bag of solo riding, and pack draft-lines with the roadies. Well, until we hit the second aid station, and then the roadies stopped never to be seen again.

I started pulling away from whomever was around and came upon a guy that had the same M-dot tattoo as I did (on the rear of the right calf). The only difference was that his was outlined. Hum, definitely something worth considering....Nonetheless, he and I road for a while chatting about Ironman races, etc. and we picked up two roadies (man & woman that were not together). The guy was an older guy, and he was a strong rider. Long story short the other triathlete and I ended up dropping them, and before long the other triathlete fell off the back. I have no idea when I dropped him. One minute he was there, and the next nothing.

I did note I was holding a 20.4 mph avg for the first 50 miles. I knew from mile 50-70 it would be nothing but climbing. Well, it was right on time at mile 50.63 that the course turned vertical. Up, up, and away! From there on I was either climbing at a 5-7 mph or screaming downhill at 30+. There was not much in between. The rest of the course was hill after hill after hill, and the wind picked up.

It was a tough course, but what made it really tough was the wind. I would fight it up the hill, over the top, and then fight to decend the other side. The scary part was that I would come screaming downhill into a headwind, and then all of a sudden I would get hit with a nasty crosswind. I am shocked that I did not eat it at least once. Steering on the decents was tricky several times, and I would move from aero to the pursut bars/brakes just in case.

Well, the wind sucked the fun out of the ride around mile 75 until the end. At that point it was a fight to the finish. Nutrition was spot on, as I used my IM race strategy (350 calories of carbopro loaded in each bottle, total of 4, and a gel every 20 miles).

I was all alone from mile 50 to 101 when I finished. Man, I was ready to be done. Steph had just returned to pick me up, so I grabbed a burger, water, coke, and several bags of chips from the post race activity tents. We sat and ate for a while, talked to the other riders as they came in (that I passed, if you were not paying attention). Then the RD came up and we started talking. He remembered me from last year (more-than-likly he remembered my bike more-so than me). That is when he informed me of my placement of where I came in.

What can you do about the wind?

I sat around and shoved food in my face, so not much of a cool-down.


This was the first 100 mile ride outside of the year, so my volume was spot on, but I had not been riding the hills as I should for prep for this ride.


This is a great small century ride, and it benefits a great cause (Cystic Fibrosis). I believe that the RD's daughter has CF, so my thoughts are with her.

Website Information:
The Rose Pedal Century was a complete success in 2009 and we are looking for an even bigger year in 2010. Raising as much money as possible to fight for a cure for Cystic Fibrosis is something that is important to us and it is our charge to bring awareness to the disease. In our inaugural year we had a total of nearly 250 riders and raised close to $9000! This year we want to double that (at least).

Cystic Fibrosis is a life-threatening genetic disease that affects the lungs and digestive systems of approximately 30,000 children and adults in the United States. When the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation began, few children with CF lived to attend elementary school. Today, thanks to the efforts of scientists, medical professionals, and new medications, the median age of survival for a person with CF is nearly 37 years.

We have some exciting new ways to earn free goodies while contributing financially. Please visit The Rewards page to see how you can set up your fundraising team to maximize your contributions and “race” for prizes. Who said raising money couldn’t be fun?

Your participation in this worthy event is the key to its success. The main goal is to raise money for research for a cure. You do not have to be present to make a contribution. The beauty of our fundraising is electronic so you can get all of your friends and family involved. Everyone can be a part of this effort, so join in and get on board!

Never before in the history of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has the feeling of optimism for defeating this disease been so great. Progress has been made from the efforts of many, including YOURS!