Training ride for ms tour.

Did a fast 25 yesterday, no sweat, laid it out in preparation for this morning.
Something about rising early in the morning and riding into the sunrise. Nothing ahead but
pain, sweat, and endorphins. Got home and carbo loaded for today, I love this Sport. .

MS Tour traing ride, 35 miles - 8:00 am

As usual I started out in the rear, last of about 120, I even let them ride off a while before I started. By letting them go I get to pass everybody and pump up my ego, look over the field
and don't have to be concerned with anyone passing me.
There was a good tail wind , I had good legs and I was inspired, my mp3 payer was playing
"breakfast with the Beatles " on WTIX, I was cruising at 16 mph.
My first feat was to pass a group of 5 women riding together, I think they were fishing for husbands because they had a "LOT OF BAIT IN THE WATER", it was a job to go around them, whew!
I think I saw a shirt on one that said the "butt sisters". Must be a team or something.
At ten miles I passed of a man on a tandem with his son on the back pedals. I moved in front of him and looking in the rear view mirror I notice he's still there, maybe I didn't give enough
leeway I thought, I bump up to 17 mph he's still on my ass, I go to 18 mph and he's still there,
I realize then he's trying to ride my wheel (draft on me), can't have it , I stood on the
pedals and at 21 mph he disappeared in my mirror, chump ...
At 15 miles we crossed the grain elevators, I hear 2 dogs barking at me, I instinctly stepped on it , I turned to see what kind of dogs that were chasing me , no suprise they were corn fed grain elevator rats, I hissed back at them and they backed off.
By now I'm high as a kite on endorphins and my conscious has stepped out of my body and is sitting in my head in a lawn chair enjoying the ride, no pain, no sweat, no effort, just moving like a machine. It's the part I love, that and eating afterward. .
Just before turnaround I was counting the riders coming the other way, I had moved to the top 40 or so, not bad for an old fat guy.
At the half way point I stopped for a few minutes to stretch and drink a little extra and back at it but now I'm battling a head wind.
Not too bad, still doing 15 mph, then I hear that familiar "boing", I could only utter that famous phrase " AW SHIT ! BROKE A SPOKE" . Like a broken toe, still able to go just not as comfortably. Stopped at 25 miles and loaded up on water , took a hydration break, got my wind back and started at it again,. At 30 miles I could smell the finsh line, accelerated my pace, nothing to hold back for push, push, push . Crossed the finish at 2 hours 27 minutes, that includes rest stops. I got off the bike and cussed my back wheel spokes for a few minutes,
they didn't care. Now the best part of the race, go home and eat everything in sight.
I love this sport, ,
later