On Sunday, Nov 15th, I did a 35 mile ride as part of the Horrible Hundred event in Clermont. What makes it so horrible? The damn hills! The ride itself was actually beautiful and the weather was perfect, if a little cold (I wore my arm warmers most of the time). I had a pretty good pace going, averaging 16 mph for the first 7 miles, and was still going strong @ ~15.7 mph until I hit the first big hill at mile 9 and never recovered.
I saw several people walking up the hill and thought that was a brilliant idea, so I followed suit. It was almost as bad walking up it, as it made my calves ache, but at least it didn't feel like my heart was going to burst out of my chest. My total active time was 2:38, which includes my "speed" walking up 3-4 of the hills, so I'm pleased I still managed to average 13+ mph. Whenever I was not climbing or walking up a hill, I was consistently averaging at least 14-15 mph.
The event itself was really well organized. The rest stop was well stocked with oreos, trail mix, PB&J sandwiches, fruit, and even nutella! After the ride, we feasted on lunch (included in the entry fee) of grilled fish, burgers, and brats along with yummy sides. I clearly need more hill practice, but I'll probably do this again next year. One thing is for certain, this will make the 8 mile ride in the tris this spring seem like a walk in the park :) I can't wait!
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