Today's Ride is Brought to You by the Letter "S". S as in Suffer

Ride Day
time- 4:43
distance- 74.95mi

We creep closer and closer to that century mark and I feel ready for it. I also feel sore, tired, and useless for the rest of the day after a ride, but ready while I'm on the bike.
Today was harder than last week from the start. That might have something to do with the lack of other rider, though I did pass him on my way down Pupukea while he and a group of riders were on their way up. But whatever the reason, the legs took a while to loosen up and I never really felt in a solid groove. The left knee decided it would spend some of the ride being sore too, which helps.

Freakin' scoop was buried!

Started my morning in the pre-dawn, prepping to get out of the house early to beat as much of the heat and the crazy local drivers as possible. I bought some Hammer Perpetuem from REI (thanks Background Profiles!) and went with that for my sport drink of choice today, along with two bottles of regular water. That, plus two GUs, a broken Clif Bar, and I was ready to hit the road.
Pupukea hurt again, but not as bad as last time. I also think I might have been slower up it, but I don't remember. Might have just felt slower alone. The rest of the ride out was good times. Windy on occasion, but safe and clear. I turned around at the 40 mile mark and headed back. Coming in the wind is more to my tail and I got a slight push. On the flats I'm trying to average 17-20mph. It's doable without blowing myself out, but I'm not going nuts with it. When I feel like slowing down I do. Sustainability is the name of the game.
Drank more regularly than last week and refilled two of my three bottles at my turn-around, finishing all of them off by the time I got home for five bottles over 4 hours 45 minutes. That's about right.
Pineapple Hill was brutal today. I was not fast. I was not attacking. I survived it and got it done. That's some rough stuff after 60+ miles on the road.
Beautiful day out. The longer my rides get the further around the northern tip and back down the east side of the island I get. It's dead pretty out there. The anti-Waikiki.

Today's turn-around was between Hau'ula and Kaaawa I think.

Only one more long training ride before the century. Think next Sunday's goal will be around 85 miles. That will mean the century will only be another 15 new miles on my legs, which is eminently doable. Bring it on.